I don’t want to sound too much like my colleague [Bill Mayer][1] but Allen Fieldhouse sure ain’t what it used to be. It’s not loud. It’s not raucous. And it’s certainly nothing like we’re accustomed to. On Saturday, with the outcome of the KU-Pacific game still in doubt, the only sound you could hear in the closing minutes was the shuffle of boosters’ feet to the parking lots. I hope I’m wrong about this. I hope that later this season, when the big dogs from the Big 12 Conference come calling, the Fieldhouse is back to its old, boisterous self. But so far this season, it’s had the decibel level of your average dentist’s office. Even Bill Self took notice to the quieter crowd, noting, “I think our crowd has been really good in spots, but I don’t think they have got as geeked up as they are going to be.” He also said the crowd will get louder once the opponents get harder. I, for one, have my doubts.![][2] Did KU sell its soul to the points system? The longtime season ticket holders behind the Channel 6 seats on press row are long gone replaced with a quiet, middle-aged group that left with about five minutes to go in the Pacific game. Unfamiliarity plays a part, as well. Instead of sitting with the same group of fans season ticket holders are now next to relative strangers, and could be “holding it in” at the risk of offending their new neighbors. It really all comes down to a simple truth. You can’t uproot thousands of hard-core fans, and expect the high dollar crowd to provide the same energy. In Denver, the Broncos are facing the same problem. After building a new stadium and selling the seats to the highest bidder, the Mile High City is no longer an intimidating trip for NFL teams. Even former quarterback/second-coming-of-Jesus John Elway complained about the [quiet stadium.][3] In Denver, there’s no going back to the way things were. I hope the same won’t be said about Allen Fieldhouse.**1320 Gets 86ed** Speaking of backtracking, local radio station KLWN has announced plans to switch to a new format which looks alarmingly similar to the old format. For the past few weeks, the former ESPN radio affiliate has been playing Christmas music, and after the holidays will switch to a [local news format.][4] Ironically, that’s the same format that the station ditched in 1999. I hope when the switch is made, station management will continue its dedication to local sports. Sports Director Brian Hanni and compadre Jud Easterday are an entertaining and informed duo, and routinely work six or seven day weeks out of love for local sports. While the switch to the new format is a good one although I miss Dan Patrick I hope the high school games and local sports talk won’t be cut, as well. [1]: http://www.kusports.com/news/mayer [2]: http://scasagrande.tripod.com/PlanA/AllenFieldhouse.jpg [3]: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E76%257E2573047,00.html?search=filter [4]: http://www.ljworld.com/section/citynews/story/189152