(12-06-2014 01:36 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(12-06-2014 12:12 PM)ljmhurons Wrote:  What is it about EMU "fans" thrive on emphasizing the worst about EMU?

Don't be IDIOTIC! Name me one damn fanbase that would put up with 20 years of blowouts, losing, and empty stadiums and not complain. Are you serious?

If the shoe fits, wear it.

Nobody likes to lose, but you're far too anxious to spread nasty things that others say.

I had a friend of mine post on Facebook earlier this year that the reason students don't support the football team is because the players are mostly a bunch of a** holes. He's a grad and a successful professional and not someone I would normally expect to smear people he doesn't know. Personally, I was very disappointed. Football isn't that important.

I remember that people used to say that sports develops character in people.

(12-06-2014 09:24 PM)ljmhurons Wrote:  I had a friend of mine post on Facebook earlier this year that the reason students don't support the football team is because the players are mostly a bunch of a** holes. He's a grad and a successful professional and not someone I would normally expect to smear people he doesn't know. Personally, I was very disappointed. Football isn't that important.

I remember that people used to say that sports develops character in people.

I won't say that football players are mostly a bunch of a**holes because I used to be one (high school) and I'd like to think that I'm not an a**hole. Some people may disagree (smile). But...I will say that I am concerned that some of these young men are, potentially, not taking their position on the football team or their scholarship to EMU seriously. Why do I say this? My son and I were dining at the Tower Inn after the EMU/CMU game...you remember...that was the game we lost 38-7 to an in-state rival. One of the football players rolled into the restaurant after the game acting as though EMU had beaten CMU 38-7. He was smiling and acting pretty cocky..like the world was his oyster...like I said, acting as though EMU had won the game. I appreciate the fact that you are supposed to put losses behind you and move on but isn't there supposed to be "some" time before you "can" do that? Shouldn't there be "some" angst and frustration involved in getting your butts handed to you by an in-state rival? Shouldn't it take a day or two to be able to put a loss like that behind you?

Earlier, in another thread, the question as to whether the young men had already checked out was posed. I won't say that the entire team checked out but, based upon this young man's demeanor, it is obvious that he didn't care that EMU had lost to CMU...or that it didn't bother him much beyond the end of the game. Am I saying that he should be grief stricken to the point of suicide? No. But I do think that there is obviously a disconnect between what happened on the field and how it affects his life in general.

Most of us are tied to EMU as alumni. This player will also, probably, be an alumnus. His legacy is our legacy. If he didn't care much about the butt stomping that EMU just took why should I, why should we? I get it that he is just one player but he is a face of EMU football. I have no idea how the other players took or reacted to the loss. Maybe they were so distraught that they couldn't go out in public acting as though they had won the game. I don't know. What I do know is that I saw this one player acting as though EMU had just dominated their opponent and was atop the MAC West. I don't like the easy demeanor and flippant attitude. I don't know where this stems from but I don't like it.

(12-06-2014 01:27 PM)HuronRob Wrote:  

(12-06-2014 12:12 PM)ljmhurons Wrote:  What is it about EMU "fans" thrive on emphasizing the worst about EMU?

I know. I will be the first to admit that I have all too often done this as well. So I will not hold myself up as a paragon of virtue. However, early on this past season I decided that it's just football, with regard to the football program, and in the grand scheme of things really isn't that important.

I came to the conclusion that our program would not be turned around over night and that I had to give Coach Creighton time to build his program. He has been successful everywhere he has been and I have no reason to doubt that he will be successful at EMU. In my opinion, our season just showed how depleted this team was/is talent wise. We had an unexpected bright spot at QB but the rest of the positions should be wide open and that ought to be attractive to any prospective player considering EMU.

I am encouraged by AD Lyke and Coach Creighton and I have told them so by email. I also told them that I will support their vision. Their appreciation was evident. I stand by that and will continue to do so until I see that whatever they are doing is detrimental to the university or its student players.

Probably more now than ever before we need to be supportive of our athletic department and its coaching staffs, especially where it regards Coach Creighton. He has a tough row to hoe and turning the football culture at EMU can't be an easy task - probably more akin to turning an aircraft carrier around than a car. It takes time and I've got time.

Probably the most grown up post I've read in a long time.