8:06 p.m.: Hanging out, sort of, with a couple of Creighton fans at Saturday's game against Missouri State proved to be an entertaining experience.

First, didn't really hang with them. They were seated in the first row, right in back of where the news media sat courtside. The fans carried along a snappy repartee with their Missouri State counterparts in the first half, when it appeared the Bluejays might still have a chance to post their third road win of the season.

But when things went south on Creighton in the second half, the talk turned ugly. First, the fans started ripping on individual players and their perceived deficiencies.

Being the parent of two college athletes, I tend to like to see a little more decorum exercised in discussions about 18- to 23-year-olds who, for the most part, are trying their best. But I also realize a segment of fans feel athletes, especially ones that receive full-ride scholarships, are open targets for criticism.

After he tired of ripping the players, one fan turned his ire on Creighton coach Dana Altman. At one point, he let loose with an oh-so-original comment pertaining to Altman's brief flirtation with taking another job. “Go back to Arkansas, Dana!”

Shortly afterward, the fans questioned a couple of locals about the town's drinking establishments and promptly headed off into the night.

Understandably, a 70-52 loss in which Creighton trailed by 28 at one point isn't going to leave any fan ready to pass out warm fuzzies. What does surprise me as this team gets deeper into the struggles that have produced a 12-12 record is how quickly the level of discontent has risen.

If I'm remembering right, Creighton fans have had it pretty good this last decade or so. The Bluejays have won a lot more games than they've lost. They've managed to wind up in the postseason on a consistent basis, playing in the NCAA tournament seven times. The university took advantage of the city building a new arena to move its product into a venue that is the envy of many.

A year ago at this time, the Bluejays were in the final stages of a season that ended with the second-most wins in school history. They came within a whisker, by some accounts, of playing in the NCAA tournament. Yet, talking with a Creighton assistant recently, he said the coaching staff felt it almost had to apologize because a segment of the fans expected more out of last season and were disappointed with the outcome.

Now, that doesn't mean Altman, who is well compensated for coaching basketball at a small, Midwestern university, should be above criticism. He's made mistakes this season. What he hasn't done, as some fans have suggested, is given up or quit caring or grown complacent.

As someone that spends a little bit of time around the program, I see the same Dana Altman out there daily coaching and teaching and trying to get the most out of his players that I did when he first came to Creighton. Or when his team's were in the midst of a run that saw them play in five straight NCAA tourneys.

I've seen how the tough losses over the years have eaten at Altman. I don't see any difference now. If he doesn't care, then why is he losing sleep over this team's struggles? I recently read an article about how North Carolina's struggles this season had coach Roy Williams fighting back tears after one loss.

The stubborn Bohunk (I can attest that it takes one to know one) in Altman won't allow outsiders to see the toll this season is taking on him. You won't see him tearing up at a press conference. What you will see is a coach who is doing everything he can to try to get things turned around.

That's not going to come soon enough for some, including my new friends in Springfield. Then again, after a night of sampling some of the town's finer drinking establishments, they might not even remember that Creighton lost.

Rest assured, Altman will.

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