The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

I also get if they don't want to let just anyone in. Whatever, coaches are paranoid. These are the same people that invent an entire language to call a trap play and speak with a play chart over their faces to throw off lip readers. But if you bleed for the program like Kimbo and others then you kind of are the program. They don't want to let some guy like me in thats fine but the lettermen should be able to come and go as they please. Remember those FAMILY wristbands. If your former players aren't family then no one is.

Agree Liam, alums (mainly talking players here) own way more of that program than Peej does, I don't think he gets that.

Obviously somebody watching practice is going to gain some knowledge personnel or X and O-wise that would cause us to lose a game.

(08-08-2014 02:54 PM)Liam9903 Wrote:  I also get if they don't want to let just anyone in. Whatever, coaches are paranoid. These are the same people that invent an entire language to call a trap play and speak with a play chart over their faces to throw off lip readers. But if you bleed for the program like Kimbo and others then you kind of are the program. They don't want to let some guy like me in thats fine but the lettermen should be able to come and go as they please. Remember those FAMILY wristbands. If your former players aren't family then no one is.

Darnell had us playing in the MAC Championship during a period when the MAC was at its peak. Marshall was at its peak having two Heismen finalists, a top 15 team and sell out crowds. If anyone were ever going to spy on you it was the Cheatabillies and their coach. Yet GD let you stand on the sidelines at the practice field and Cubit ran it the same way.

Agree, during Darnell's tenure I often just walked into practice sat front row in the stadium, often got a nod from coaches and players.

Very "ho hum".

Maybe you can watch practice if you make $100 "donation" to "Friends of WMU."

(08-08-2014 03:34 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Maybe you can watch practice if you make $100 "donation" to "Friends of WMU."

No, I don't think that plays into the equation. But heck, if our illustrious marketing department wanted to get creative, they could offer an RTB pass on a lanyard, along with a roster guide. Allow a local hotdog vendor to set up a cart, and they'd probably get several takers for a 50-100 dollar donation.

Fleck is a PR guy who wants WMU out there. Open access is one way to do it. Thers a lot of football junkies who would bring their kid to watch this stuff if they just put the word out and tried to make it customer friendly rather than secretive and exclusive.

My son shagged kicks for Nate Meyer when he was a freshmen walk on, like 13 years ago. He still remembers it. His first choice of a school was WMU even though his brother begged him to go to MSU. Little things can make big impressions.

(08-08-2014 03:42 PM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  My son shagged kicks for Nate Meyer when he was a freshmen walk on, like 13 years ago. He still remembers it. His first choice of a school was WMU even though his brother begged him to go to MSU. Little things can make big impressions.

Absolutely, and great example.

I was being sarcastic about the $100 donation to "Friends of WMU" - whatever that is, BTW.

Would they let Cubit attend?

I think there's nothing wrong with not allowing the public in to see a practice. You mine as well make time-outs in non-critical situations available to the public, too.

I like the privatization. Plus, PJ can dance like nobody's watching!

WMU needs all the interest it can garner. Hitting practice was never looked upon as a privilege when I was living there. It was welcomed.

I don't understand what a 1-11 guy could be so secretive about right now.

(08-08-2014 08:05 PM)BroncoLifer Wrote:  WMU needs all the interest it can garner. Hitting practice was never looked upon as a privilege when I was living there. It was welcomed.

I don't understand what a 1-11 guy could be so secretive about right now.

If you didn't know how to beat anyone (thank you UMASS), would you want people watching your practices?

They should want the enthusiasm and improvement/optimism to spread. Interest is key right now.

I want to watch a hockey practice more!?! Wrong thread?

This one is personal for me. My son's first sentence might have been the Bronco Fight Song and ever since he could walk we have hit DQ then went and watched Spring or Fall practice. So when we got booted last fall it really pissed him off which pissed me off. Believe it or not Dip knows my son pretty well(Dip was a great teacher for my son) and he doesn't say much or get pissed off much but this made him HATE PJ. It was a tradition for us to watch OUR team practice. My son doesn't own any other athletic wear other than Bronco gear and this has made him not give a **** about Bronco Football.

For a program that needs all the positives it can get right now, this 15 minutes of scrimmage is a joke. I am going to stay out of the pissing matches as much as I can until football games are played. I am not calling ahead again so I will not going to practice for a while.

As others have said there are a lot of little wins you can get you can get(recruiting, facilities, public image, etc), this was a loss. Might not mean much if you don't live around here but all actions have consequences. F.A.M.I.L.Y.? I guess I just need to keep rowing.

I've kept that secret for 3 years

The Lions had open practice at Ford Field yesterday. They. We're disappointed that only 4500 people turned out.........and we're turning them away?

I'm rooting for Fleck, but on this one he's wrong.

The Lions allow media in practices as well and they give great video recaps.

Great topic for DD to ask PJ about. Seriously.

It'll be a bland answer about limiting distractions.

He'd ban DD if he asked that kind of question. Right?

(08-09-2014 10:49 AM)BroncoLifer Wrote:  He'd ban DD if he asked that kind of question. Right?

He's practically banned right now.

At least its getting talked about here. I know it will get to PJ. Topics discussed here have gotten to him(or someone around him) and been addressed in the past.

When you do call ahead to watch practice, you don't even get to keep the 3 dollar lanyard and RTB pass.