a new SUPER FAN to pump up the fans?
#PACKtheHOUSE

If the AggiePack is loud and wild, they can change the game by being on the visitor sideline. Think Reno...they were nuts and distracting. If the Aggie pack really loud, they can mess with the calls from the sideline. They need to own this! They had to move Fresno State back to their student side because it was so wild (they actually did some bad stuff). Take pride in being part of the game students!

OA, you make a good point. Hopefully the powers that be will at least look into the situation and make a well thought out decision.

FaceMask, this is a great idea. We could have him get the crowd fired up.

I can't wait to see the reaction of those in attendance when a cowboy in chaps and a pair of six-shooters runs into Aggie Stadium.

I say get rid of the Bossy Cow Cow. Put it in the archives. Do not ask the Aggie Pack to recite that embarrassing ditty anymore. If you have noticed, most of the students can barely bring themselves to recite it above a whisper after the announcer proclaims, "And now the Bossy Cow Cow!"

Sorry fans of Aggie lore...that thing is ridiculous in this day and age! This is a modern, world class university not a tiny rural college out in the middle of the sticks. :-d

I could NOT agree more!

Isn't Bossy Cow Cow Band-uh's schtick? I agree with all of you, it's time to file it away in the history books.

as a more recent band-uh alumni, most of them hate doing it too. I think it's only around for nostalgia.

yeah I learned it in band way back. I'm fine with a 30 second cheer that is totally unique (quirky) to Davis. But if they decide to retire it, I won't miss it.

There were moments even in the last four years where the students showed some life and willingness to screw things up from our position on the sideline.

My personal favorite was when an assistant coach for an opposing team was so loud that we could actually hear him talk to his unit from the first few rows. So naturally my friends started shouting his instructions verbatim back at him. He got started getting a lot quieter with his instructions after that.

and who is going to break the news to Mrs. Dr. Mike, no more bossy cow cow!

As a current student sitting in the student section, it seems like most of the students don't understand the game and that we can actually help the team by being loud behind their bench. If the student section is on the visiting sideline then that gives the students a chance to heckle the opposing team. When this happens there are students who start apologizing for it. I was thinking we are at at football game and the students don't want to risk hurting the other teams feelings. SMH.

It didn't matter where we were......pretty sure they heard us from the endzone at Toomey.

Welcome aboard!

You make a great point, something I've also noticed, particularly when new international students come to sporting events. They want the "college life", but it seems like they often don't know what's going on, they get on their iPhones, and leave at halftime.

One idea. I've seen some DI schools have a fun student-education demonstration(s) - partly taught by players themselves. They do this as soon as new students move to campus.

I think that would be a great idea. It would make the rest of the student population understand that the athletes are students as well. They are not a separate group.

I also think it may help spread Aggie Pride a little bit. Sometimes it feels like a lot of students don't take pride in going to Davis. When you walk around Berkeley and talk to some students they radiate pride for their school. I haven't felt that here.

Lux, interesting feedback... can you tell us if you are a lower or upper classman?

Unfortunately, that same attitude has been around for a long time. Felt the same way when I was an undergrad.

Can confirm, San Diego State did that and I thought it was really cool. They had football coaches and players teach us passing, kicking, footwork, and running drills in exchange for a free shirt, poster, and burger afterwards. It seemed like several hundred people went and RAs brought their floors and everything.

Too many alumni have told me the same thing. Must have something with being up the road from Cal and being the second choice of so many students.

Its because we haven't won. It's because we haven't pounded Berkeley or UCLA into the ground.

As soon as we start kicking butt and taking names, trust me, their will be much pride.

I completely agree about the Aggie Pack leadership. I was at UCD '97-'01, and I know for at least a couple of those years we had Indiana Aggie leading the cheers and the "State school..." chants at football and basketball games, as well as getting people psyched about candy madness and screaming for Steve's Pizza. Whether you liked his "character" or thought it was tacky he was recognizable, loud, and consistent. You knew if you attended a game you'd see him. Granted, I don't attend many games for either of those sports anymore but it seems to me the student section is just led by some random interchangeable guys and gals who may or may not be in costume. It's great that they have enthusiasm, but if I were a student I'd be like, "And on what authority do you leed this cheer ? Who are you, random rainbow clown wig guy ?" Having a consistent recognizable "character" is like having a second mascot, a talking Gunrock if you will.

One major impediment to improving student attendance that will always be there is the nature of the student body. I don't want to over-generalize here, but it seems to me that UCD has always had and always will have a lot more "bookish" students who are socially awkward and buried in their textbooks (Don't want to say "nerds". That's a bit unfair) than other schools. Being very smart is a requirement to get in to UCD, being social is not. This isn't Chico State..HEY-OH !

I definitely count myself as one of those socially awkward students. I was lucky to have gone to a HS that was to my knowledge free of jocks picking on other students. In fact I counted some of the football players as friends. However, a lot of these kids aren't so lucky. Smart kids often get picked on. That's a fact of life. It often carries over into college as they don't want to be where the jocks are (notice I didn't say dumb jocks). We are all kind of set in our ways to some extent. It takes a bit of a push, some motivation to get people to try something new. I credit the Aggie Pack (and my own greed) for getting me to come out of my shell and see some different sports, have some school pride. Of course the promise of free t-shirts and sweatshirts isn't enough to get everybody to attend. I also credit those afternoons shouting insults at the opposing baseball, football, and basketball teams for making me more confident and better at public speaking.

So what do you do to get those more introverted students to the games ? With some there's nothing you can do. You can't reach everyone, but you can work to foster more inclusion like UCD tries to do with everything else. I really like that Coach Hawkins set up shop in the Segundo DC (hopefully he did this with other dorms) to greet the students as they came in and chat with them a bit. It helps the students put a kindly face to the football program. I haven't seen the end of a UCD football game since Aggie Stadium opened (always leave before the end of the 4th quarter to avoid the people jam) but it seems to me they don't let you walk on the field and meet the players as they did at Toomey (because it's not necessary to walk on the field anymore). I thought it was neat you could just walk up to the quarterback and say "good game" (although Kevin Daft was kind of snobbish and a little condescending when I met him). I remember there was a defensive player (want to say his name was Greg Gatto) who was really nice. People know in their heads that the coaches and student-athletes are just regular nice people, but I don't think they really know it until they talk to them.

So how else do we promote inclusion ? I don't think it's "Special interest group here-night" like you'll see at pro sports venues. You can't have a "Nerd" or "Geek" night-that would be condescending and hateful. Open to suggestions. I'm sure there's somebody at UCD getting paid to do this, so they need to get cracking. If UCD wants to maintain consistent student attendance they can't just market to the outgoing kids who like to party and make noise. They have to find a way to reach more students, especially the ones who have pre-conceived ideas about sports and student-athletes.

And while I'm on my soapbox, we as fans need to work amongst ourselves to be more inclusive when it comes to other spectators at women's sporting events. Perhaps it's because society is more protective of young women but there are some suspicious looks and rolled eyes at older male spectators who aren't parents or relatives of the players. I have gotten to the point I won't attend any college women's sporting events unless the men's team is also playing because I'm sick of the looks and the condescending "Oh, isn't that nice ?" (with rolled eyes) when somebody asks if I'm a parent or relative and I say I'm just an alumnus and community member there to support the team. There's this idea that if you're not connected to the team in some way and you're not attending with your wife that you must be some kind of pervert. Some bad apples have ruined it for everyone, but believe it or not folks almost all of the guys who attend are not there to ogle the young women-get it through your thick skulls !

And this is not something UCD itself needs to work on. This is not coming from the coaches, players, or administration-it's the fans. Most of the coaches and players are very appreciative of the support-whoever it might come from. I say most because there were two UCD volleyball players who used to give me the stank-eye for no reason when I was a student, and a third who asked me bluntly why I attended and tried to convince me not to go (Never heckled at women's sports). Not to cast aspersions on the whole program. The coach and a couple other players were very nice, and that third student-athlete was kicked off the team for other reasons). Aggie Pack event credit, and it's something to do, duh ! Until the attitudes change I won't attend any.

Anyway, that's enough ranting for one day.

Take this for what it's worth as I haven't been at Aggie Stadium since the '14 season, but I have been, for the most part, woefully disappointed with the Aggie Pack MC's since the graduation of some members here on AST. A thorough lack of knowledge of rules, strategy, etc., is very evident. When you pronounce "Gabe Manzanares" as "Gabe Marinara," it's past time to turn in your microphone.

AP doesn't need a characters or "super fans" to be relevant - in my opinion that's so hokey, disingenuous, and will be sniffed out as such by the intelligent student body. Athletic events need to be a destination, a communal experience with both friends and random students alike. I met some of my closest friends on campus at athletics, whom I would have never run across anywhere else on campus if not there with our academic interests being almost on different ends of the spectrum.

Too much time being articulate!
Too little time being enthusiastic!
Put down the glass of Merlot & pick up some Pom-Poms! This is Division one football!