Post by fwp on Apr 23, 2010 4:59:49 GMT -5
www.lacrossetribune.com/sports/article_1f3e2a8e-4e92-11df-9881-001cc4c002e0.html
They had faces that could turn men's legs to spaghetti and make them speak proficient jibberish. Well, most men, anyway.
Two members of the Lady Spartans, the La Crosse Spartans' dance team, were moving through the crowd Sunday at the La Crosse Center. They were giving away something - tickets, I think - but I couldn't tell for sure. One of the young ladies offered freebies to the gentleman sitting in front of me. He turned her down flat.
The way I see it, he either was somehow immune to the charms of a drop-dead gorgeous twenty-something, or he simply wanted his experience watching indoor football to end ASAP. The closing minutes of the Spartans' 28-20 loss to the Sioux City Bandits aside, I can understand why it likely was the latter.
I felt kind of bad for the young lass. But then again, I genuinely feel bad for everyone associated with the Spartans organization.
Act Three of indoor football in La Crosse isn't going well. The Spartans are 0-6 heading into tonight's game against the West Michigan Thunder-Hawks. Attendance at their three regular-season home games has gotten progressively smaller.
Spartans co-owner/ general manager Chris Kokalis so wanted to put fannies in the seats Sunday that he guaranteed La Crosse would beat the Bandits. Instead, he'll treat those who were at Sunday's game to free tickets for the Spartans' May 21 game against Bloomington. Right now, the free chicken wings that come with the promotion might be more enticing.
You know the Spartans' woes have to be driving Kokalis to an early ulcer.
Heaven knows he's gone above and beyond trying to forge a strong relationship with the community since the Spartans' inception last fall. He believes in his product. He's a go-getter who probably wouldn't need the ever-present can of energy drink that's always within his reach.
I have no quarrel with Kokalis, who has treated me well from the start. I also have had a very good experience dealing with Spartans coach Gilbert Brown and his players. The chaos that came with covering the La Crosse River Rats and La Crosse Night Train has so far been nonexistent.
Unfortunately, the losing aura that came with both franchises has adhered itself to the Spartans like an unwanted bumper sticker.
I can't fault the Spartans' efforts. They've made valiant second-half comebacks in their last three games. But they have nothing to show for it.
"We are so close," Brown said after Sunday's loss. "But we're not beating the teams we should be beating."
You expect expansion teams to struggle. But you also expect to eventually start seeing results. Tonight marks the halfway point of the IFL season. And the Spartans still have a long way to go.
Problems aside, I know they have their supporters. An older man came up to me at halftime of Sunday's game and told me he thought La Crosse was a better team with Kewan Dewberry at quarterback. An acquaintance of mine was at Sunday's game simply because he enjoys football.
The Spartans need to win and need to give them a reason to want to come back. Free stuff, regardless of who's handing it out, only goes so far.
They had faces that could turn men's legs to spaghetti and make them speak proficient jibberish. Well, most men, anyway.
Two members of the Lady Spartans, the La Crosse Spartans' dance team, were moving through the crowd Sunday at the La Crosse Center. They were giving away something - tickets, I think - but I couldn't tell for sure. One of the young ladies offered freebies to the gentleman sitting in front of me. He turned her down flat.
The way I see it, he either was somehow immune to the charms of a drop-dead gorgeous twenty-something, or he simply wanted his experience watching indoor football to end ASAP. The closing minutes of the Spartans' 28-20 loss to the Sioux City Bandits aside, I can understand why it likely was the latter.
I felt kind of bad for the young lass. But then again, I genuinely feel bad for everyone associated with the Spartans organization.
Act Three of indoor football in La Crosse isn't going well. The Spartans are 0-6 heading into tonight's game against the West Michigan Thunder-Hawks. Attendance at their three regular-season home games has gotten progressively smaller.
Spartans co-owner/ general manager Chris Kokalis so wanted to put fannies in the seats Sunday that he guaranteed La Crosse would beat the Bandits. Instead, he'll treat those who were at Sunday's game to free tickets for the Spartans' May 21 game against Bloomington. Right now, the free chicken wings that come with the promotion might be more enticing.
You know the Spartans' woes have to be driving Kokalis to an early ulcer.
Heaven knows he's gone above and beyond trying to forge a strong relationship with the community since the Spartans' inception last fall. He believes in his product. He's a go-getter who probably wouldn't need the ever-present can of energy drink that's always within his reach.
I have no quarrel with Kokalis, who has treated me well from the start. I also have had a very good experience dealing with Spartans coach Gilbert Brown and his players. The chaos that came with covering the La Crosse River Rats and La Crosse Night Train has so far been nonexistent.
Unfortunately, the losing aura that came with both franchises has adhered itself to the Spartans like an unwanted bumper sticker.
I can't fault the Spartans' efforts. They've made valiant second-half comebacks in their last three games. But they have nothing to show for it.
"We are so close," Brown said after Sunday's loss. "But we're not beating the teams we should be beating."
You expect expansion teams to struggle. But you also expect to eventually start seeing results. Tonight marks the halfway point of the IFL season. And the Spartans still have a long way to go.
Problems aside, I know they have their supporters. An older man came up to me at halftime of Sunday's game and told me he thought La Crosse was a better team with Kewan Dewberry at quarterback. An acquaintance of mine was at Sunday's game simply because he enjoys football.
The Spartans need to win and need to give them a reason to want to come back. Free stuff, regardless of who's handing it out, only goes so far.