Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Sports

Low attendance to blame for stagnation

Tubby

Blake Minor

This weekend I had some interesting discussions with two UH graduates from many years ago. I informed them I had just started to write for The Daily Cougar. Their response: "Good job. What's wrong with those guys?" 

To that I replied, "You mean UH or The Daily Cougar?" 

What they meant to ask was what is wrong with Cougar athletics. I took a little bit of time to ponder the question, and realized there is no easy answer. 

To figure out what is amiss, we need to go deeper than anyone can go, and that is into the brains of such coaches as Art Briles, Tom Penders, and, of course, Athletics Director Dave Maggard. 

Football and men's basketball certainly aren't the only sports on campus, but because of their place in the national spotlight, they matter the most when someone asks, "What's wrong?"

Since 1951, the football team has been to 16 bowl games, counting last year's Fort Worth Bowl. For representing a university of UH's size, a university placed in the middle of a city that thrives on football, the Cougars can't seem to figure out a way to succeed consistently. Only four of those games were highly respectable -- all Cotton Bowls. And recently the Cotton Bowl has become a second-tier bowl game. Not to mention, nine of those bowls came within 13 seasons, from 1969 until 1981.

What about basketball? Yes, Tom Penders has brought some life back to the program, and yes, next year might be the year the team finally breaks the mold and earns a spot in the Big Dance. But the Cougars should have made it to the NCAA Tournament this year. After two huge wins against Louisiana State and Arizona, the team should have held its own against teams the likes of Virginia Commonwealth and South Alabama. 

For that matter, the team should have taken care of those pesky birds from across town every time it played them. What's stopping UH men's basketball from going back to the Phi Slamma Jamma days? 

Here's my take on the issue: People don't respect this school as a sports university anymore because we, as students, don't respect our own school. It is a matter of attendance, supporting our teams, buying the merchandise and knowing our UH history. If high school and middle school students in this city see their local university is getting fan support, then perhaps we will land some of the blue chip prospects who normally go to the University of Texas or Texas A&M.

Most young athletes want a good opportunity to shine in front of the biggest crowd possible; why can't we give that to them?

There should be lines of fans at Robertson Stadium trying to get football tickets. There should be lines at Hofheinz Pavilion and at Cougar Field. I shouldn't be able to walk up to a football game five minutes before kickoff and sit in the front row.

In order for the University to go back to its glory days, student support is vital. Show this city that we mean business with our athletics, and that it is time for the Cougar, not the Longhorn.

Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu