(07-07-2015 11:48 AM)Usajags Wrote:  

(07-07-2015 11:43 AM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  

(07-07-2015 10:40 AM)FoUTASportscaster Wrote:  I get what you are saying, but you did finish second overall, so that isn't out of whack with your budget. It means every sport was competitive. Getting championships is nice, but look at some of the schools near the bottom. Great finishes in some sports, absolutley poor in others.

I think the part that kills most of our fans is that the main focus is on the "money" sports of basketball and football (to a lesser extent, baseball).

Basically, there are very few fans that want to support a jack of all trades school. Solid at many, expert at none is not a good way to be, in my opinion.

Just because you throw money at it doesn't mean you should win. Still got to recruit, coach and play the games. You got to remember you are playing against teams that have done the same as you. This is not MLB, NFL and the NBA, highest budgets don't mean you can buy a conference championship. Now stop your belly aching and win one on the field.

This.

Plus . . . there are 11 teams . . . so if everything is equal, you win championships 1/11 years, or 9% of the time in each sport.

So you twice as likely to win as other teams - that gets you to 18%. Finishing top 3 in every sport every year just isn't realistic expectations . . .

(07-07-2015 11:57 AM)WinstonTheWolf Wrote:  This.

Plus . . . there are 11 teams . . . so if everything is equal, you win championships 1/11 years, or 9% of the time in each sport.

So you twice as likely to win as other teams - that gets you to 18%. Finishing top 3 in every sport every year just isn't realistic expectations . . .

But everything is not equal. As stated earlier, we are spending more than most (I think all) in the conference.

And believe me... no one is asking to finish top 3 in every sport. It's the sports that get the most focus, where most of the money is being spent.

Let me put it this way: You spend $10M on your football team and get 3 championships in 10 years. In women's golf, you placed 5-9th in all years.

I spend $20M on my football team and get 1 championship in 10 years. In women's golf, we placed top 3 each year.

Who got the better return? I'd say you did
Would you want to trade positions? I'd say most would not.

That's why Bobcat fans are not happy with our administration. It's not entitlement, it's a poor use of funds that the students are carrying, the lack of communication from the office to fix what fans are seeing as problems, and what many view as an apathetic AD.

The truly sad part is... I would near guarantee most complaints from Bobcat fans would go away with a better line of communication between the AD and the fans. You'd still have some discontents, but the lion's share would be won over.

Maybe you guys need to take a look at your retread head football coach.

(07-07-2015 01:00 PM)Usajags Wrote:  Maybe you guys need to take a look at your retread head football coach.

That's another sore subject with many fans. Our AD has a history of hiring out of his Rolodex. When we fired our previous coach (a TXST grad who was a hs coach before and after coaching TXST) we hired a firm to search for a new one. Frans name was brought up at the start and most of us figured he's get hired anyway. It made the whole "search" seem like a farce.

(07-07-2015 02:07 PM)slycat Wrote:  

(07-07-2015 01:00 PM)Usajags Wrote:  Maybe you guys need to take a look at your retread head football coach.

That's another sore subject with many fans. Our AD has a history of hiring out of his Rolodex. When we fired our previous coach (a TXST grad who was a hs coach before and after coaching TXST) we hired a firm to search for a new one. Frans name was brought up at the start and most of us figured he's get hired anyway. It made the whole "search" seem like a farce.

No wonder I like TxSt. Ya'll are so much like us.

Here at UL, when our president retired we did a "National Search" and hired a local guy who had never worked outside the UL System. UL has this "Good Ole' Boy" thing down pat.

(07-06-2015 01:31 PM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  This series of articles will NOT be pretty.

The author is taking an honest look at things, and I don't think the AD will be terribly pleased with what he has found.

I think the AD will be terribly bored with it. The author complains about a lack of trophies, marketing and communication, but offers no real solutions. This is a common theme at a lot of schools that are not winning championships and are not getting the kind of fan involvement that they expect. Winning championships will solve these issues.

Over the past 6-7 years you guys have moved 3 conferences and from FCS to FBS. And moving from an FCS to FBS football conference means an increase in competition for all athletics, not just football. Also, you guys moved to the WAC, where you were going to be in a conference with UTSA, LaTech and NMSU. Instead you got UTA and a bunch of schools to the east, even far east from you guys are. Your fans, and this writer need to relax, go through the growing period, keep up what you got going and the championships will come.

Relaxing is for underachievers. We are an ambitious crew that wants to see initiative taken. Especially if it's our tuition and donations that fund their resume and livelihood!

Take care of our family and we will take care of you and yours. Slack, and we will be there every step of the way to bust your balls

Two more from today. Sorry for the lateness but, some of us actually have to work.

Relations With The Media

The Growing Pains of FBS

This pretty much sums it all up for me.

I don't think there's any pressure to fix things. Like an old car: if it runs and can get you to work, who cares if it smokes and makes noise?

That's Larry in a nutshell.

(07-07-2015 03:52 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  I think the AD will be terribly bored with it. The author complains about a lack of trophies, marketing and communication, but offers no real solutions. This is a common theme at a lot of schools that are not winning championships and are not getting the kind of fan involvement that they expect. Winning championships will solve these issues.

Wait... you think the author of the website should come up with solutions? If that is the case, then why are we paying Teis an absurd amount of money?

His JOB is to come up with solutions to the very problems the author presents.

His job is to rally the students/alumni/fans to the athletic department's cause. He should be a leader.

I don't think thus far he's done a very good job of any of that.

I think some of the writers points are valid. I think some of them are not.

It used to be the Sports Information Department of most schools disseminated information pretty succinctly. After all, there was the local beat writer(s), the TV station(s) and maybe a radio outlet.

Now, that same sized staff is expected to hand feed the media with every single idea, every single story. In addition, they have to deal with anywhere from five to ten times the number of outlets as opposed to a decade ago.

In todays' media, some outlets have a sense of entitlement. I cover such and such and that's more than so and so and therefore I deserve preferential treatment. They don't dig for stories anymore, in part, because they've been given more responsibility as far as coverage is concerned.

Sports Information's job, in my opinion, is to give the facts as they are presented. And, it's their job to provide whatever information is asked for in order for the media to do their jobs.

But I don't know of an SID staff at our level that isn't woefully shorthanded especially when dealing with coaches who all believe their sport is the most important whether it's football or cross country. Let an SID really start to super serve a sport and see how fast Title IX gets brought up.

The media has changed especially as it pertains to the internet. Web based media outlets are still a bit foreign to some. I don't know much about the rivals or scout based fan sites in San Marcos. But I'll say this. Just because someone has one doesn't mean he should be a recognized media outlet. Is he getting news (specifically recruiting news) that no one else is getting? Can he show a subscriber base that would substantiate his legitimacy?

I can say that at Louisiana, the scout based internet site is outstanding. The writer gets stories the "regular" media does not. He has built relationships within the athletic department. And, while his reporting is honest, he doesn't go out of his way to whack the hornets nest. He is considered legitimate media because he's proven himself.

The suggestion that schools like Louisiana have bigger staffs is laughable. Take a look sometimes into the marketing department. There are few athletic administrators and only three full time sports info employees.

For the record, I've had no issues with the SID office at Texas State. They are courteous, professional and helpful. That's all we in the media have a right to ask for.

I agree with the person who suggested the writer offers concerns with no ideas of his own. While I understand his frustrations, his "you didn't do this and you didn't do that and you should have done this" isn't going to help Texas State get better.

You don't reach any goals by looking behind you.

I'm sure the writer will get some "attaboys" from frustrated fans who have felt the same way. Yeah...you tell em. But is anything being written going to make Texas State athletics better or is the writer just going to piss people off?

One other thing: The frustration of not getting to a bowl the last two years is not the fault of the administration at Texas State. It is the fault of geography and the lack of bowl tie-ins for the league. The fact Texas State has been bowl eligible after being a full FBS member for just three years tells me someone is doing something right.

I think a lot of blame gets put on the athletic department that shouldn't but it's not like fans know whose job it is for this or that specifically so it gets heaped on the entire department. I think if they took the time to engage the die hard fans and give rational to some of their decisions it would go a long way to appeasing their calls for blood. The problems the department faces are more on the communication side than anything but I think it's good that some dirty laundry is getting a little air, hopefully it is a catalyst for improvement.

(07-07-2015 07:12 PM)Godzilla Wrote:  I think a lot of blame gets put on the athletic department that shouldn't but it's not like fans know whose job it is for this or that specifically so it gets heaped on the entire department. I think if they took the time to engage the die hard fans and give rational to some of their decisions it would go a long way to appeasing their calls for blood. The problems the department faces are more on the communication side than anything but I think it's good that some dirty laundry is getting a little air, hopefully it is a catalyst for improvement.

While I don't disagree, you realize this is not a situation unique to Texas State. EVERY fan base I come in contact with thinks their athletic department isn't forthcoming enough.

I really haven't said much but here's some of what Will is putting forth. First, there's the former SMDR beat writer, Tyler Mayforth. He was good, informative, wrote some great stuff, kept a TXST blog and was very involved. Had total access until he wrote something they didn't like and he was, more or less, black balled.

Now, another thing, when Fran came, the guys that run BobcatReport had been founders of BobcatFans. Fran said "get me a Rivals site". A couple of the guys took it upon themselves, got approved and then go it up and running. It was going fairly well and then the boom was lowered. The place is now not much more than a glorified message board.

Social Media, almost every coach at TXST has, at least, a twitter account. The FB coaches all post an "Eat 'Em Up" when they get a recruit; so they're not averse to it.

If you are downplaying and shutting out the current accepted forms of reaching people you're stuck in 1980. That's the main issue (or one of them). We complain, they complain but there's no attempt to connect, investigate and follow through with anything. They keep having Q&As and a lot of very good ideas come out of them but it's just window dressing. If it ain't what Larry wants it doesn't get done. I'm convinced he tells the SID to tow the line, too.

Too often we have mentioned Teis was dragged into FBS. He doesn't want to be here and his dragging his butt on much of this (as he gets raises) just comes off badly.

I'm rambling. I'll stop now.

(07-07-2015 09:48 PM)CatMom Wrote:  I really haven't said much but here's some of what Will is putting forth. First, there's the former SMDR beat writer, Tyler Mayforth. He was good, informative, wrote some great stuff, kept a TXST blog and was very involved. Had total access until he wrote something they didn't like and he was, more or less, black balled.

Now, another thing, when Fran came, the guys that run BobcatReport had been founders of BobcatFans. Fran said "get me a Rivals site". A couple of the guys took it upon themselves, got approved and then go it up and running. It was going fairly well and then the boom was lowered. The place is now not much more than a glorified message board.

Social Media, almost every coach at TXST has, at least, a twitter account. The FB coaches all post an "Eat 'Em Up" when they get a recruit; so they're not averse to it.

If you are downplaying and shutting out the current accepted forms of reaching people you're stuck in 1980. That's the main issue (or one of them). We complain, they complain but there's no attempt to connect, investigate and follow through with anything. They keep having Q&As and a lot of very good ideas come out of them but it's just window dressing. If it ain't what Larry wants it doesn't get done. I'm convinced he tells the SID to tow the line, too.

Too often we have mentioned Teis was dragged into FBS. He doesn't want to be here and his dragging his butt on much of this (as he gets raises) just comes off badly.

I'm rambling. I'll stop now.

F@&$ing hard to be a Bobcat Fan . . . . I can only imagine that it's something akin to being a Cubs Fan . . . .

Thank Gawd for Single Malt Scotch and Single Malt Irish Whiskey . . . Or I'd lose my Freakin' Mind . . . .

BTW, Love the Eye Patch . . . .sooooooo Pirate. . . .

(07-07-2015 05:17 PM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  

(07-07-2015 03:52 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  I think the AD will be terribly bored with it. The author complains about a lack of trophies, marketing and communication, but offers no real solutions. This is a common theme at a lot of schools that are not winning championships and are not getting the kind of fan involvement that they expect. Winning championships will solve these issues.

Wait... you think the author of the website should come up with solutions? If that is the case, then why are we paying Teis an absurd amount of money?

His JOB is to come up with solutions to the very problems the author presents.

His job is to rally the students/alumni/fans to the athletic department's cause. He should be a leader.

I don't think thus far he's done a very good job of any of that.

Almost every fan base in this country has issues with their AD. It is not the job of the AD to have solutions for every alleged issue that some writer has. The AD isn't a cheerleader who is supposed to make the fans feel better about being a fan of their school.

Teis has made mistakes. Hiring Davalos was one. Brad Wright was not the right guy to lead Texas State into FBS football. I think Danny Kaspar and Coach Fran are the right guys for Texas State at this point in time. Teis will succeed if he hires the right coaches and gives them the support they need to be successful. The fans can help by showing up to games.

AD Larry Teis

Pretty spot on, not much that I can disagree with . . . .

. . . . Concurrent raises of 11% and 10% . . .. . must be nice . . . .

You know, to take that kind of money in the form of raises while looking down your nose with distain at the fan base you supposedly work for takes a "special" kind of gall . . .

(07-08-2015 02:10 AM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  Almost every fan base in this country has issues with their AD. It is not the job of the AD to have solutions for every alleged issue that some writer has. The AD isn't a cheerleader who is supposed to make the fans feel better about being a fan of their school.

Alleged issues? Attendance isn't an issue? Poor gameday atmosphere isn't an issue? Season ticket sales (which is definitely different than attendance) isn't an issue? Proper marketing of the team isn't an issue?

If you don't think these are issues, but are just perceived issues by a select few (or even a bunch of people)... Then I guess we are just starting from two vastly different points of view.