WOW! What a difference!

[Purdue-Fan-Ian]

After having season tickets for Purdue football for many years, the wife & I decided to drop them right before the 2013 season and that wonderful 1-11 record. We went to one game that year, the Nebraska game. We did not go to any Purdue games this year at all, first time for me since the DeMoss era.

As we live over 150 miles from Purdue, we simply didn't want to spend 3 hours driving to Purdue, watch a pathetic team/product for 3+ hours and then drive 150 miles back home. Nine hours and all that gas/money....not worth it. We did see most of the games at a local sports bar though. We were amazed, at the NW game, at how empty Ross Aid was and absolutely no electricity or energy from the fans.

SOOOO, we got out some VHS tapes and watched some old games. Purdue Vs. ND 1999 with Brees and the same matchup in 2003 with Orton. Back then, we had great offenses, very good defenses, solid special teams, very good players with a smattering of great players. Ross Aid was packed to the gills and there was a LOT of energy and electricity in the air.

We MUST get back to that kind of Purdue football. I really hop that the Hope & Hazell era is not a repeat of Akers & Colletto. What we've seen the last 2 seasons is unacceptable.

 

[Fan4Life]

I think what you're really saying is that it is YOUR fault that the team has not performed the past two years. You'd better get season tix next year to break this jinx.

 

[Purdue-Fan-Ian]

Hahaha. OK you got me. I didn't even think of that when I posted.

I'll tell you a funny story. I'll have to check the year, but Purdue was at home against Penn State. We were losing by a couple of touchdowns. I looked down at my feet and saw I didn't have my "lucky shoes" on. I told the other fans around me that I was going back to my car (about 10 minutes away from Ross Aid to change my shoes. As soon as I left the stadium, Anthony Chambers returned a punt for a TD. After I went to the car and changed into my lucky shoes, I was walking back and I heard another roar as Purdue got another TD to tie the game.

As I came back to my seat, many fans wanted me to leave the stadium (they were serious) and some were going to even give me money as they thought is was ME! I had to convince them it was the shoes!

 

[Chop HO]

I agree with all you said- except that you said our defenses were "good" - I'd argue that our defenses in those years were better than our offenses

 

[Purdue-Fan-Ian]

Chop HO: Yeah our defenses were very good, not so much in Brees' years but in the Orton Era. While I was watching that 2003 Purdue-ND game, Brad Nessler and Bob Greise said that in 2002, Purdue had the #1 defense in the Big Ten in all 3 categories.......run, pass and total. Schweigert and those 3 linebackers, Johnson, Gardner and Koudevidous (sp) along with Shaun Phillips were awesome.

 

[pb1941]

And the d/c then should be the head coach now.Fire Burk and hire Brock Spack and he will recruit better win more often and put butts in the seats.