It's OK to be angry

[Newsbreaker]

Re: It's OK to be angry

That's a good post.

I'm also not "mad" at fans who are deciding to spend their money elsewhere, give away tickets, etc., and that isn't an opinion I always hold. Not showing up, not spending money, reminding the team/program/department that they have an expectation of performance, is a reasonable way of showing "fandom". It's holding someone accountable. It's telling TD, Farley, whomever, that status quo is unacceptable.

This isn't a situation like the Cubs have been going through, where there was a clearly articulated plan for future growth and performance. Cubs fans disappearing has ticked me off.

There is no clear plan for growth here. There aren't a horde of kids waiting in the wings who will clearly be better. All UNI has done is go from being the "best program in the country that can't quite get over the championship hump" to "the program most likely to dramatically underachieve."

Fans get one vote, with their feet and wallet. Using that vote is perfectly reasonable, in this case. In fact, considering how price sensitive UNI has to be, that vote might carry even more weight than usual.

[GonzoCat]

Re: It's OK to be angry

It's okay to be angry. It's also okay to stop buying tickets and making PSC contributions. Perhaps it is only fair weather or bandwagon fans who would do that, not loyal fans, I don't know. If that is the case then those are the fans who can make a difference.

If the program is going downhill, but revenues are growing there will probably never be a change made. It is only when the drop in quality of an athletic program causes a decrease in revenue that AD's pay attention. They usually like their coaches and don't want to make any changes. At some schools, maybe even UNI, there are major donors, or a small group of such, who can make a pretty hard push for a change just by threatening their individual financial support. At other schools it takes a large group of minor donors withholding support to force an ADs hand.

The thing about our problem at UNI is seemingly everyone has known what it is for a long time. It isn't just the past 3 years our offense has been offensive, it is closer to a decade. The defense has carried the offense for so long, maybe the entire Farley era, I can't remember when it started. We have had years when the defense was so good the offense could be pretty bad and the team still did well overall. We have had years when the offense was slightly above average and along with either a good or very good defense we thrived. Can anyone honestly say we have ever had an offense (not individual players skill sets) that they would categorize as higher than above average?

When we've had above average offenses we would give away games by going conservative and playing not to lose. We've regressed to the point where now we barely put an offense on the field. I'm not smart enough or football savvy enough to know if the problem is the line (it certainly looks like they can't block anybody), the quarterback (it certainly looks like we don't have one that can hit an open receiver more than ten yards away), or the play calling (okay, even I'm savvy enough to know that sucks), maybe it's a little of all three.

I know I'm ready for some changes. I hope they happen.

[01PantherFan]

Re: It's OK to be angry

Good post GC and i agree, do i want Farley to go NO, I think he is a good head coach and UNI's defense has been good almost every year, its the offense that has gotten stale and predictable but the problem is Farley has to be willing to make some changes or he then becomes the problem, I hope he looks at it as ok were is our weakness and see's it the offense and looks back at the play calling and makes the needed changes because yes the athlete has to make the plays BUT the coach should call the plays that that said athlete has the best chance of completing and brings out the strengths of the offense no matter how good or bad they may be.

[1988]

Re: It's OK to be angry

You are all whiney. My voice still isn't normal since Saturday because I cheered so hard. Don't come to the games if you are unhappy. No skin off my ass. The best thing about you not coming is there will be less *****ing. Stay HOME *****es. We need to support the players.

[Trapped in California]

You are all whiney. My voice still isn't normal since Saturday because I cheered so hard. Don't come to the games if you are unhappy. No skin off my ass. The best thing about you not coming is there will be less *****ing. Stay HOME *****es. We need to support the players.

@milkstheone

Signed,

LakesPanther

From my NSA monitored nexus 5

[SteinPizza]

Re: It's OK to be angry

It's okay to be angry. It's also okay to stop buying tickets and making PSC contributions. Perhaps it is only fair weather or bandwagon fans who would do that, not loyal fans, I don't know. If that is the case then those are the fans who can make a difference.

If the program is going downhill, but revenues are growing there will probably never be a change made. It is only when the drop in quality of an athletic program causes a decrease in revenue that AD's pay attention.
.

Agreed. Revenue will get the AD's attention far sooner than people *****ing, or kool aid drinking, on a message board. As well it should too. There is nothing wrong with not going and withholding your support if you don't like the product on the field. Voting with your dollars is the best way to get your "voice" heard, unless you are a major donor who has unlimited access to Dannen and others of influence.

[ban basketball]

Re: It's OK to be angry

And, as I've been saying for years, who does your temper tantrum over not having the coach that you'd like REALLY hurt? The players; the guys (and gals) who work their butts off in practice and on the playing field, by few people putting their butts in the seats to support their hard work.

A temper tantrum is all well and good, but it really affects the very people who "fans" claim to "support."

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: It's OK to be angry

Agreed. Revenue will get the AD's attention far sooner than people *****ing, or kool aid drinking, on a message board. As well it should too. There is nothing wrong with not going and withholding your support if you don't like the product on the field. Voting with your dollars is the best way to get your "voice" heard, unless you are a major donor who has unlimited access to Dannen and others of influence.

I hear what you are saying and won't lecture anyone who chooses not to go to games or spend their money on UNI. I may not agree, but I won't lecture. I think frustration causes this thought for everyone on some level at some point.
But, I will explain why I won't walk on UNI. Doing that is the best way to completely destroy the program and make it even tougher to build back up, IMO. UNI isn't the Chicago Cubs. We can't just float along and get a crazy amount of support regardless of product on the field. We don't get a crazy amount of support even when things are REALLY good. Dannen and every athletic director we have knows extremely well that the team isn't performing to expected (and needed) UNI levels. I don't think fans not going is going to create an epiphany with any of them that they haven't already had by watching us over the past years. It will just serve to cement where we are in the pecking order and make the hole so much deeper to ever climb out of. Might even throw a few shovels full of dirt over top of the team and the program as a whole. We're in a hole but I don't want it to turn into a grave.

[Cap'n Cat]

Re: It's OK to be angry

We need an outdoor stadium.

[Born-a-Panther]

Re: It's OK to be angry

I hear what you are saying and won't lecture anyone who chooses not to go to games or spend their money on UNI. I may not agree, but I won't lecture. I think frustration causes this thought for everyone on some level at some point.
But, I will explain why I won't walk on UNI. Doing that is the best way to completely destroy the program and make it even tougher to build back up, IMO. UNI isn't the Chicago Cubs. We can't just float along and get a crazy amount of support regardless of product on the field. We don't get a crazy amount of support even when things are REALLY good. Dannen and every athletic director we have knows extremely well that the team isn't performing to expected (and needed) UNI levels. I don't think fans not going is going to create an epiphany with any of them that they haven't already had by watching us over the past years. It will just serve to cement where we are in the pecking order and make the hole so much deeper to ever climb out of. Might even throw a few shovels full of dirt over top of the team and the program as a whole. We're in a hole but I don't want it to turn into a grave.

Very well said. Again.

[BCPanther]

Re: It's OK to be angry

Just playing devil's advocate here....

If revenues stay the same and fans accept medicocirty, what incentive do those in charge have to make changes??

[MnPantherFan]

Re: It's OK to be angry

Now that making the playoffs appears to be a thing of the past maybe we could just add a third FBS game!

and

[ronfitch]

Re: It's OK to be angry

We need an outdoor stadium.

Been waiting for this post all week, Cap'n.

Where you been?

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: It's OK to be angry

Just playing devil's advocate here....

If revenues stay the same and fans accept medicocirty, what incentive do those in charge have to make changes??

I'll take a stab. I'd say static revenues at UNI are insufficient revenues. We need growing revenues to keep the hounds away. Poor play or underperformance resulting in even static revenues is a bad outcome for UNI. Realistically I know that there will be less bandwagon folks in the Dome for the rest of the year. That alone will result in less money and inspire a reaction from the AD. Taking away die-hard support won't prove the point to the AD or anyone else anymore than what we will already see in two weeks. Just my thoughts.

[Kyle]

Re: It's OK to be angry

Just playing devil's advocate here....

If revenues stay the same and fans accept medicocirty, what incentive do those in charge have to make changes??

None, but this scenario is highly unlikely.

UNI relies on casual fans more than most schools and when the product is mediocre they will stop showing up. We've already watched this happen over the past 3 years with MBB and will continue to see support diminish if we fail to make the tournament for the 4th year in a row.

Football has yet to experience the same drop in support because the past couple years have been a roller coster of competitive games, significant injuries, and great wins. Most fans have given the coaches a pass up until the last few games. Now we are staring down the barrel of another empty season knowing our best talent will be graduating. It's a sobering reality and fans are justifiably frustrated.