Raising Hell – From the desk of Nathan Hellman

Call Viking athletics’ “Stuff the Stott” promotion at Saturday’s Portland State-Idaho State matchup a complete failure. Because, after all, this game was billed as a coming-out party for Portland State, as the Viks were gunning to break the 1999 record-attendance of 1,056 fans at a women’s basketball game and fell short by 227 butts in the stands.

So on cue, let’s all slip on our hazy, tinted glasses of pessimism, and look at this futile attempt as another piece of evidence proving Portland State athletics is under a vicious spell that will infinitely doom it. Let’s mope around and claim Viking athletics will always be considered second class, because it seems every time it tries it fails.

Well, that’s an easy solution, isn’t it?

A more ambitious outlook would be to deem this “Stuff the Stott” letdown for what it is-a definite step in the right direction.

In the grand scheme of things, missing out on an opportunity to shatter the attendance record is rather insignificant. Sure a 227-fan shortage is disappointing, though the mere fact that a “Stuff the Stott” promotion was even put into action is a victory for Portland State athletics.

Think back to a couple years ago. The women’s basketball team was atrocious, finishing with a 3-23 record in 2004-05. And, the athletic department was on the heels of a massive transition after then athletic director Tom Burman headed to his alma mater the University of Wyoming in January 2006.

During this period, keeping the athletic department afloat was the only thought on anyone’s mind. Surviving was priority number one, which means there was no time for organizing special promotions and attracting new fans with innovative marketing schemes.

Fast-forward to the present. New athletic director Torre Chisholm is willing to take some risks. He’s like a fatigued, overmatched boxer swinging from the hips at a much larger, more formidable opponent-the past.

Chisholm’s eight-month reign at Portland State hasn’t been perfect. Like any new administrator, there have been a few bumps along the way: a 3-8 football season, a black out game that was far from dark and a, in his words, mediocre student fan group in The Horde.

But one area where Chisholm’s intentions cannot be questioned is passion and dedication to improving Portland State athletics.

In preparation for the “Stuff the Stott” promotion, he purchased newspaper advertisements, devoted space for “Stuff the Stott” banners on the athletics Web site and had media relations staffers write several releases detailing the event.

He ensured the word was out there, but apparently a sufficient number of fans were not.

While 829 fans at a women’s basketball game isn’t exactly an earth-shattering figure, it at least illustrates there is some traction for sports here at Portland State.

And, besides, while Chisholm may have failed in his attempt to “Stuff the Stott” up to record-breaking standards Saturday, he accomplished something equally important: selling an impressive product.

In front of their largest crowd of the season, home or away, the Vikings trounced an Idaho State squad that many experts selected as a true contender for the conference championship. Plus, this wasn’t just any victory. Portland State, now 14-3 and 4-0 in the Big Sky for the first time, demolished the Bengals 97-57 on 72 percent shooting in the second half and a 21-rebound advantage.

This year’s Vikings could be the best in the history of the program, and we should all be glad 829 fans were at the Stott Center to witness their finest victory since joining the Big Sky in 1996.

Just another reason to stow away those glasses of pessimism, haters.