THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 30, 1995 TAG: 9512300487
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
In preparation for today's Liberty Bowl (noon, ESPN), East Carolina coach Steve Logan has been his usual intense self: barking orders, giving directions.
And that's just to ECU's fans.
``East Carolina people better be there,'' Logan said last week at ECU's Liberty Bowl news conference. ``They have to understand they are protecting our football program by being there. I'm serious about that.
``This is a unique situation here at East Carolina. The fans had better take ownership of this football team or we're in major trouble.''
With no conference to call home and no major media market nearby, East Carolina's attractiveness to bowl committees is tied up in its ability to bring fans, athletic director Mike Hamrick said.
``If you ask people what ECU brings to the table in anything, it's getting loyal fans,'' Hamrick said.
East Carolina brought 25,000 fans to the Peach Bowl in 1992. At last year's Liberty Bowl, about 13,000 Pirates faithful traveled to Memphis to watch ECU lose to Illinois, 30-0. Just 4,000 Illini fans were on hand.
East Carolina was allotted 14,000 tickets for this year's Liberty Bowl, against Stanford. By late last week, about 9,000 had been sold.
``For East Carolina that's OK,'' Hamrick said. ``For anybody else, it's great.''
Hamrick said he expected the final week of ticket sales to be strong. Add ECU fans who purchase their tickets in Memphis and the Pirates should have as many fans as last year, he said.
``Every time we've called upon our Pirates' fans' pride, they've responded,'' Hamrick said.
Logan has criticized attendance in the past and has received letters from Pirate fans because of it.
``I'll get another nasty letter or two . . . but I don't care,'' Logan said. ``There is going to be a confrontation about this for as long as I'm here. Dawggone it, we've got kids and coaches playing their hearts out. Come on, show up. It's just got to be that way, and that's the way it has been. . .
Hamrick said Logan is just bringing the coaches' and players' perspectives to the fans: ``(Logan's) saying, `Hey, we are so close here at East Carolina to getting over the hill, don't mess it up now.' ''
The need to gain respect on a national level seems to be a constant theme at ECU. But Logan said that after an 8-3 season, ECU does not need a Liberty Bowl win to certify its national respectability.
``The winningest Division I program in North and South Carolina over the last two years is East Carolina University,'' he said. ``If we win this game, that's one more victory, and if we lose it's not. It's not going to make or break us.
``I am not - and will not - apologize for this football program. If some AP voter in Seattle doesn't know about East Carolina when it comes to the top 25, I don't care. We'll play a helluva football game whether we get a vote or not.'' MEMO: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: LIBERTY BOWL
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by CNB