The takeaway from UVA Football’s disappointing 24-20 loss to Louisville in Scott Stadium on Saturday: 32,688.
That was the announced attendance on a magnificent sun-splashed fall afternoon in Charlottesville.
Insiders know that the announced attendance is usually inflated by about 10,000, so, doing the quick math, no, on second thought, let’s not.
I’ve been sitting in the press box at Scott Stadium watching UVA Football on-and-off since 1986, and I cannot remember a more morbid atmosphere in a stadium that deserves much better.
And I’ve experienced some bad games, some bad seasons from the Cavaliers, and never was it this bad.
The small gathering of fans that did bother to attend tried their best to create a true home field advantage, but let’s be honest, 20,000 or so in a 61,500-seat stadium can only do so much.
So, yes, the announced gathering of 32,688 Saturday is the storyline, at least from my perspective, distracting from a series of sideline headscratchers by UVA Football coach Tony Elliott and staff.
Yes, I barely even thought about the absurd decision by Elliott to bypass a field goal and attack Louisville on a fourth-and-three late in the first half.
That drive ended with an incomplete pass, sending both teams into halftime tied at 7-7
Looking around the near-empty Scott Stadium even took the sting away from watching the Cavaliers botch not one, but two punts.
When kick returner Jonas Sanker inexplicably decided to return a kickoff five yards deep in his own endzone, the only thing I was focused on was Sanker’s backdrop, a practically empty hillside.
Credit UVA Athletics for keeping better crowd control there. Not one Louisville fan even tried to storm the field when the contest ended.
Virginia entered the game 4-1 and 2-0 in ACC play. Saturday was a huge opportunity for the Cavaliers to win, and really be building a special season.
They deserved better than 32,688.
AFP has been the only media outlet, fringe or not, to address the woeful attendance plaguing the UVA Football program.
Editor Chris Graham has done a great job of holding the folks in the AD’s office accountable and has even offered up some options as to how to get fans back in the seats.
Now it’s my turn.
OK, I’ll get this out of the way right from the get-go, I’m no millennial, far from it, but there’s some things going on at Scott Stadium on game days that bothers me.
I’ll start with the pregame music.
Simply put, it’s way too loud, and the lyrics, when you can hear them, border on being vulgar.
And before you suggest the music being blared halfway to Richmond is for the players, wrong. Most of the players wear earbuds, playing their desired tunes.
I’m not sure who is responsible for spinning the hits during pregame, but just stop. Please.
If not, take a cue from the NASCAR tracks and provide earbuds for those that bother to meander in the stadium early from their tailgating.
Yep, I know what you’re thinking here, I’m just that “stay off my lawn” guy here.
And guess what? I am. But numbers don’t lie, so, I am guessing there’s about 30,000 more people like me.
While I’m ranting about the music, I may as well keep digging my own grave.
The Cavalier Marching Band, well, is just lame.
At times there are those in the press box that have commented it sounds more like a military march to battle.
OK, in full honesty it’s just me in the press box voicing that comparison.
But I’m old school. I still long for the “Award-Winning, Virginia Fighting Cavalier Indoor/Outdoor Precision marching Band and Chowder Society Revue, Unlimited!!”
Now, onto the food.
Most gamedays, they feed us well in the press box.
Unfortunately, Saturday was not one of those days.
Too many green vegetables and some mystery meat sent me scrambling to a concession stand at half time.
I was hungry, and a hotdog and popcorn sounded nutritious.
I found the closest stand and waited in line all about 15 seconds to order. The first thing the order taker asked was not, what would you like, but instead would you like to donate to a non-profit on your card?
I declined, simply asking for a small popcorn and hot dog.
I was informed they were out of popcorn, and another stand may have some.
How can you be out of popcorn at halftime, in a stadium at a third of its capacity?
I did get my $3.99 hotdog, (Why not just $4?)
I ate about half, before tossing it.
Yes, it was that bad.
And since I’ve completely jumped the tracks, one more thing.
Why does the team still go down to what’s left of the student section to join in singing the school song after the game?
First, there’s usually no one left in the student section after half, and in the modern era of pay-to-play, err, NIL, do the players really care about “The Good Old Song”?
Oh, well, it might look good to the several hundred fans still left in the stadium.
OK, I’m done venting.
The loss Saturday was disappointing.
The atmosphere in the stadium was disgraceful.
Share
