Let's pretend that Scheumann Stadium was sold out Thursday night against Eastern Michigan, and there was some consistent noise before, during and after each play.
There's no need to imagine the latter half of the aforementioned statement because there was a piercing clamor during every minute of the action. Only, it originated from the field, not the stands.
A crowd of 12,725, including 6,154 students according to the press box, filed in to watch Ball State open the 2012 season in winning fashion.
But that was it. No more.
Coach Pete Lembo acknowledged the relatively small crowd following the game and in his Friday newsletter.
"It was great to see some of you in attendance [Thursday] night."
Lembo seemed content with the turnout. But let's be honest, he was sugarcoating the fact that he was let down by a fan base that seems, for the most part, still unaware that we're in the middle of a new era of Ball State football.
For those oblivious to what's happened over the last two years, Stan Parrish is no longer patrolling the sidelines. This isn't a losing team anymore.
And during this new era, Lembo and his staff have done everything they've been asked to gain the support of the so-called "fan base."
Lembo inherited a team that was a complete mess and turned it around in his first season. He surpassed the expectations of many, including myself, by finishing 6-6 in 2011. He accomplished a feat that's hard to come by for many first-year coaches at the Division I level.
Of the four Mid-American Conference coaching changes after the 2010 season, Lembo recorded the second-best record behind Northern Illinois' Dave Doeren, who headed the Huskies to an impressive 11-3 mark, narrowly defeating Ohio in the MAC Championship game, in his first year.
That says a lot about what Lembo, a man devoted to reaching out to the student body, has done. He's tried everything in his power in order to gain the fan backing that he and this program deserve.
There are roughly 17,000 undergraduate students that attend this university. For there not to be more people filling the seats of Scheumann Stadium on opening night, or any other game for that matter, is embarrassing.
There were about 400 more non-students than students at the game. That's pitiful.
Students can make every excuse they want. Too much homework. It was hot. It was this, it was that.
That's a bunch of nonsense.
It boils down to showing up to support your team, and so far, the fans have let Lembo and the football program down.
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