The stupidest thing I have ever heard someone pull the race card on

[USCTKE]

Let me just say this guy is an IDIOT. Clemson is the only school that gets close to 10,000 tickets when visiting USC. schools like UGA, UF, and UT only get 7,500 normally but this guy wants SC State to get 20,000 tickets? and the sad part is he is an elected official in SC, and some people wonder why our state is so far behind most of the country.

South Carolina reviews ticket allotment for 2007 S.C. State game
By KATRINA A. JACKSON
Associated Press Writer
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- University of South Carolina President Andrew Sorenson wants the athletic department to look at how many tickets it is offering South Carolina State when the Bulldogs come to Columbia for a 2007 game.
Sorenson's request came after Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, wrote a letter criticizing South Carolina State's proposed allocation of around 2,000 tickets in Williams-Brice Stadium, which seats more than 80,000.
Sorenson has talked with athletic officials at both schools about the contract for the 2007 game, which has not been finalized, University of South Carolina spokesman Russ McKinney said Tuesday.
In his letter to Sorenson last week, Ford wrote the 2,000 tickets were "irreverent and derided the African American community by limiting the school's ability to sell more tickets."

"We as the members of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus contend that South Carolina State University should have the opportunity to sell tickets to their students, alumni and fans," Ford wrote.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Ford said he would not be satisfied with less than 20,000 tickets for South Carolina State.
The 2,000-ticket allotment is what South Carolina offers all Division I-AA teams, including other in-state schools like Furman and Wofford, athletic spokesman Steve Fink said.
Nobody gets 20,000 tickets for a Gamecock home game. "I don't think Clemson even gets 20,000 tickets when they come here," Fink said.
The bulk of South Carolina's tickets go to season ticket holders. "The stadium seats just over 80,000. Last year 62,676 season tickets were sold. We normally have to allow for 10,000 tickets for USC students," McKinney said. "So, it's not like you have half a stadium not being used."
Ford said South Carolina State should get more tickets because the first ever matchup between the Bulldogs and Gamecocks would be more than a football game to blacks.
"Black people are going to take it differently from white people," Ford said. "Whites are going to think its just another sporting event but blacks are going to take it differently and there's going to be a whole lot of participation from the black community. They're finally playing the big boys."
The game will also bring massive crowds of tailgaters, similar to when South Carolina State played Benedict at Williams-Brice Stadium for a few years, Ford said.
"For them to offer South Carolina State 2,000 tickets is a big insult and total disrespect to black people in South Carolina and black folks are already mad," Ford said. "It was an irresponsible, stupid mistake."
South Carolina officials did not respond to the racial issues brought up by Ford.
A call to South Carolina State's athletic department was not immediately returned Tuesday.
Wofford Athletic Director Richard Johnson said his school would not be requesting an increase in the number of tickets set aside for the Terriers when they come to Columbia on Sept. 16.
"A lot of our fans are dual season ticket holders," Johnson said. "So I'm not sure we would exceed that demand for that game because a lot of them already have them or have access to them."
Schools like Wofford and South Carolina State will make a lot of money by coming to South Carolina. They will be paid around $230,000 for games until 2010, which will increase to $250,000 through 2014, Fink said.

[macallan25]

Good God....stuff like this infuriates me. I really hope someone just tells the guy he's an idiot and let that be the end of it. This sort of thing is not unusual anywhere, or at least at all the universities that I know of. Thats what happens when you go to away games........deal with it. Universities have to cater to season ticket holders, alumni, and their students above anyone else.

[Rudey]

They should sue him.

-Rudey

[PerfectVerse06]

So why can't SC State get more tickets?

State is right up I-26, not in another state like the schools I listed above.

I don't think there should be 10,000 tickets given to State like Clemson gets because that is the game most people want to see because of the rivalry. But I think State should be allotted more than just 2,000 measley tickets.

This game has the ability to draw a massive crowd, and USC should be aware of it and embrace the opportunities that this could bring.

Do 7500 people from UF, UGA, and UT travel to USC for games? Do they not think that people from Orangeburg, just 45 minutes from Columbia, will come to the game, but then assume that that many people will drive hours to come to USC?

This has got to be the most backwards, backwoods state in the U.S.

[Kevin]

They are 1-AA. Why is this school more deserving of tickets than any other 1-AA team? They are being payed very well to play SC. It's all about the $, so why should SC give them more $ than they do any other 1-AA team?

Are people from this school asking to be treated differently (better than other 1-AA schools) just because they're a HBCU?

[Coramoor]

Originally posted by PerfectVerse06


This has got to be the most backwards, backwoods state in the U.S.

I agree. Any state that actually has an elected offical like Ford has to be the most backwards state in the US.

It seems to me that the Black Panthers and NAACP have forgotten how to use the race card. Calling it on the Duke case, the Ga. Congress woman, and now this....maybe someone needs to go re-explain how the race card works. The bluffs just aren't working anymore.

[KSig RC]

Originally posted by PerfectVerse06
So why can't SC State get more tickets?

State is right up I-26, not in another state like the schools I listed above.

I don't think there should be 10,000 tickets given to State like Clemson gets because that is the game most people want to see because of the rivalry. But I think State should be allotted more than just 2,000 measley tickets.

The way college football works is that big schools have to pay small schools to come to their stadiums for games. This ensures a home crowd for the 'warmup' games - plus, the school will still take a net profit from gate receipts.

I'd guess that if there were more demand for tix from the SCS side, they would be available - or if USC were having trouble selling to their own fans. As it is, if USC is selling out, there's literally no reason to sell to ANY fans - except, as you said, in rivalry or conference games (where they are required to sell a certain amount, and may benefit from a reciprocal arrangement with the top rivals to open more seats to opposing fans).

Basically, I can't see any reason to sell MORE than 2000 tix in this sort of situation . . . does SCS travel well? Is this really a rivalry of any sort? I'm not from the area, so I really have no clue, but these things help - but even with both, I'm not sure I'd open sales.

Originally posted by PerfectVerse06
This game has the ability to draw a massive crowd, and USC should be aware of it and embrace the opportunities that this could bring.

Do 7500 people from UF, UGA, and UT travel to USC for games? Do they not think that people from Orangeburg, just 45 minutes from Columbia, will come to the game, but then assume that that many people will drive hours to come to USC?

These things I can't address, not being from the area - but UF, UGA and UT have (historically) traveled VERY well . . . and those seats also find their way back to USC fans when unsold. Add in conference requirements, and I think it's a different beast.

[BobbyTheDon]

aren't mississippi or alabama more backwards than south carolina?

[BobbyTheDon]

Originally posted by AXiD670
Mississippi, definitely. Alabama, I'm still not quite sure of that one.

Louisiana is backwards as hell too. I saw "Water Boy". I know what I'm talking about.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by BobbyTheDon
Louisiana is backwards as hell too. I saw "Water Boy". I know what I'm talking about.

Louisiana has great swimming pools these days. You can find one in every house.

-Rudey
--I am callous, but let's all bond over something like being concerned about whether multi-grain bread is better than 9-grain bread.

[PerfectVerse06]

Thanks for the explanation, KSig RC.

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by AXiD670
There's a South Carolina State University? You learn something new each day!

Yes, it's a historically Black college in Orangeburg, SC.

[USCTKE]

So why can't SC State get more tickets?

State is right up I-26, not in another state like the schools I listed above.

I don't think there should be 10,000 tickets given to State like Clemson gets because that is the game most people want to see because of the rivalry. But I think State should be allotted more than just 2,000 measley tickets.

This game has the ability to draw a massive crowd, and USC should be aware of it and embrace the opportunities that this could bring.

Do 7500 people from UF, UGA, and UT travel to USC for games? Do they not think that people from Orangeburg, just 45 minutes from Columbia, will come to the game, but then assume that that many people will drive hours to come to USC?

I dont think this game is going to generate a whole lot of interest on the USC side of things. but I also dont believe that SC State should be given special treatment...2000 tickets is the standard number of tickets given to Div I-AA school...if there are more fans from SC State that want to see the game then they can stand outside and buy tickets from scalpers like the fans from other schools do, and some USC fans have to do.. The things that pisses me off the most about this if this is a guy, not in any way related to SC State (as I understand it he isnt an alumni and definitely isnt speaking for their Athletic Department) who is turning something that has absolutely nothing to do with race into a race matter. I could see him speaking out if we were giving Wofford, Furman, and the Citadel (who we are also scheduled to play in upcoming years) more than 2000 tickets. Do I think that SC State and other Div I-AA schools should get more than 2000 tickets...NO...with those 2000 tickets, and around 10,000 taken out for student seating that still leaves USC with around 68,000 seats to sell to Gamecock Club members, and every year they have to return people's money because they have run out of seats...not to mention that at least 1/3 of GC members do not even get full books of tickets so why increase the number of our own fans that we turn away...especially when you are almost ready to start a new fundraising campaign to pay for additions to the football facilities.

[BigCityStripper]

According to the NCAA

http://www.ncaa.org/stats/football/a...attendance.pdf

S. Car. State only AVERAGES 14,000 people at their own homegames. Granted they might be able to draw a few more people based on the nature of the opponent, I highly doubt that USC could rationalize making that many tickets available to a I-AA opponent as opposed to selling them to their own fans.

[jitterbug13]

I also agree with PV that SC State should get more than 2,000 tickets. I think the max should be around 15,000 because even though SC State may be an HBCU and Dawson Staduim only holds (maybe) less than a fourth of Williams-Brice, THEY DO SELL A LOT OF FOOTBALL TICKETS. They also still have a lot of alumni in the state and have a lot of supporters of football (just like Carolina). Many will even come from out of state for this.

Also, I think this is something they should think about NEXT YEAR. The game is not until September 2007 and this gives the schools more than a year to decided on how many tickets should SC State get.

I know Sen. Ford personally, but I don't know his true intentions about this fuss on the tickets.