Embarrassment on ESPN

[snowsailor]

Wyoming has been, and will always be, a 100-110 rated football team out of 120 FBS teams. This program is in the shithole and you sunshine pumpers refuse to believe it. Well, a nationally televise ESPN Friday night game and 14K show up? IT IS A SIGN OF A SHITHOLE PROGRAM. Wake up people.

At least I have a positive outlook on life, and have made something of my self and enjoyed Cowboy athletics. While you hang out in the valley of life and begrudgingly tolerate your fandom as well as your own existence.

False. You're just okay with mediocrity. Thats what is wrong with UW athletics. Mediocrity is just accepted these days with the fans and the students. Its a "oh well, lets try next year" type of mentality that will forever leave this program in athletic purgatory.

 

[joshvanklomp]

EVERYTHING Bohl has accomplished is been at the D2 and FCS levels.
He is 4-6 as a head coach of an FBS team.

Actually, he has accomplished four wins as a FBS coach, so not EVERYTHING he's accomplished has been at the FCS/D2 level.

 

[joshvanklomp]

No no no, don't bring cold hard facts into the conversation.
14K is the sign of cold weather, national TV, and hunting.

You are acting like 14k is what we've averaged over the entire season. It was ONE GAME. So yes, it is more of a sign of it being due to external factors.

You say others have no right to bring up excuses of why fans aren't at the game, but you have no problem listing your own excuses of why you can't go to games. Double standard.

 

[kansasCowboy]

Wyoming has been, and will always be, a 100-110 rated football team out of 120 FBS teams. This program is in the shithole and you sunshine pumpers refuse to believe it. Well, a nationally televise ESPN Friday night game and 14K show up? IT IS A SIGN OF A SHITHOLE PROGRAM. Wake up people.

At least I have a positive outlook on life, and have made something of my self and enjoyed Cowboy athletics. While you hang out in the valley of life and begrudgingly tolerate your fandom as well as your own existence.

False. You're just okay with mediocrity. Thats what is wrong with UW athletics. Mediocrity is just accepted these days with the fans and the students. Its a "oh well, lets try next year" type of mentality that will forever leave this program in athletic purgatory.

False. I accept reality. We were completely sucked down the drain before 2000. We've been fighting to get back out of that hold since. Like I said in another thread. Going 45-25 from 94 to 99 and having nothing to show for it, that's what brought us to where we were in 2000. Bad attendance (no money), no bowl games, (no recognition and and no money), and some stupid decisions along the way by coaches and Ads has us taking longer to get out of that hole.
Not to mention Bohl is in his FIRST YEAR! Am I accepting mediocrity by really not expecting 9 or 10 wins this year? Or are you one of those fans that expect us to be winning 8 to 10 wins year after year, coach after coach, losing key players and injuries and the like, regardless?

Take it how you want. You're a "fan" (I guess), and you cheer on the Cowboys when we win, and probably drink yourself into a stupor when we lose. Just don't be getting all pissed at me because you can't tolerate yourself after a loss, and I can move of to the next game (for the most part happily). Even us "Sunshine Pumpers" bitch and complain on here, but we don't let get to us and we move on. It's all good.

 

[stymeman]

i brought 4 more with me and it truly had a high school feel, there wasn't any type of energy from the tailgate to the game itself, weird friday night, imo

 

[BeaverPoke]

No no no, don't bring cold hard facts into the conversation.
14K is the sign of cold weather, national TV, and hunting.

You are acting like 14k is what we've averaged over the entire season. It was ONE GAME. So yes, it is more of a sign of it being due to external factors.

You say others have no right to bring up excuses of why fans aren't at the game, but you have no problem listing your own excuses of why you can't go to games. Double standard.

If I was there and saw the crowd I would likely be even more pissed about. Me being there wouldn't change it all. I am 1 person not 15K. And like I've saud pay for me to get there and I gladly would.

It's absurd to think a college student with a job can travel 2400 miles round trip every other weekend.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

WYO as a State and University is going to have to decide what kind of football team we want to be. Over a decade of losing has lost the State as a whole. It is nothing short of pathetic when you have to point to 25K as bragging about attendance. It is even more pathetic with 14K in the stands.

It will take a few years of winning to bring the State back on board, consistently. I don't give a rat's ass about a thousand excuses or calls for being patient, over a DECADE is enough time to turn things around.

We've hired good coaches (hopefully) but we haven't done a damn thing in regard to improving our status within the MWC in every other category other than build facilities. Obviously the facilities haven't done squat; our ONLY vision for the future is to hire coaches and hope for the best. For hell's sake, the two best teams leave the MWC and we still are in the same spot. Aggravated doesn't begin to describe it.

 

[BeaverPoke]

WYO as a State and University is going to have to decide what kind of football team we want to be. Over a decade of losing has lost the State as a whole. It is nothing short of pathetic when you have to point to 25K as bragging about attendance. It is even more pathetic with 14K in the stands.

It will take a few years of winning to bring the State back on board, consistently. I don't give a rat's ass about a thousand excuses or calls for being patient, over a DECADE is enough time to turn things around.

We've hired good coaches (hopefully) but we haven't done a damn thing in regard to improving our status within the MWC in every other category other than build facilities. Obviously the facilities haven't done squat; our ONLY vision for the future is to hire coaches and hope for the best. For hell's sake, the two best teams leave the MWC and we still are in the same spot. Aggravated doesn't begin to describe it.

This makes me wonder, does the coach make build the program or does the program make the coach?

 

[ragtimejoe1]

This makes me wonder, does the coach make build the program or does the program make the coach?

Both, to an extent. Urban Meyer is a good example. Positive influence on every program he has been at but he might also be good at feeling out athletic departments that are committed.

On the other hand, I'm fairly certain that not all of VK, Glenn, and DC were terrible coaches. My worry about Bohl isn't about his coaching abilities, but if he will have the support necessary to succeed.

If you tie an anchor to Michael Phelps, not even he can swim.

 

[McPeachy]

This thread / topic gets my vote for worst of the year. Sorry if I offended anyone by saying that.

15K for a Friday night - early start game in November, to watch a losing team, is quite remarkable given all the circumstances (some stated previously).

Not making excuses - as I was there...but...

1. It was raining all game - cold rain. Not that southern states warm rain, the ice kind.
2. 6 o'clock kick off - may as well rule out ALL Nine-to-Fivers. Especially outside of Laramie.
3. Game was on ESPN2, and not blacked out in Laramie / Cheyenne.
4. Losing record against an opponent most could give a damn about.

Etc.

That said, I was surprised by the poor student turn out. If anyone reading this wants to point at a decrease attendance demographic, pick on the students.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

Idaho Vandals attendance past three home games...

vs. South Alabama = 14,887
vs NMSU = 15,207
vs Ark State 11,082

 

[LanderPoke]

This thread / topic gets my vote for worst of the year. Sorry if I offended anyone by saying that.

15K for a Friday night - early start game in November, to watch a losing team, is quite remarkable given all the circumstances (some stated previously).

Not making excuses - as I was there...but...

1. It was raining all game - cold rain. Not that southern states warm rain, the ice kind.
2. 6 o'clock kick off - may as well rule out ALL Nine-to-Fivers. Especially outside of Laramie.
3. Game was on ESPN2, and not blacked out in Laramie / Cheyenne.
4. Losing record against an opponent most could give a damn about.

Etc.

That said, I was surprised by the poor student turn out. If anyone reading this wants to point at a decrease attendance demographic, pick on the students.

^This sums it up.

 

[BackHarlowRoad]

Wyoming has been, and will always be, a 100-110 rated football team out of 120 FBS teams. This program is in the shithole and you sunshine pumpers refuse to believe it. Well, a nationally televise ESPN Friday night game and 14K show up? IT IS A SIGN OF A SHITHOLE PROGRAM. Wake up people.

At least I have a positive outlook on life, and have made something of my self and enjoyed Cowboy athletics. While you hang out in the valley of life and begrudgingly tolerate your fandom as well as your own existence.

False. You're just okay with mediocrity. Thats what is wrong with UW athletics. Mediocrity is just accepted these days with the fans and the students. Its a "oh well, lets try next year" type of mentality that will forever leave this program in athletic purgatory.

Does reading and writing the same phrases over and over again for 5 years get old to anybody else here?

If someone doesn't like something, they have two options:
1. Moan and bitch hoping someone else will solve the problem.
2. Come up with solutions & do something about it.

We got tons of #1 and tons of part of #2....nobody actually acts on anything they spew.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

nobody actually acts on anything they spew.

Not saying I agree with everything posted, but I disagree with this. As fans, all we can do is either donate or not and attend or not.

Based on attendance numbers, I would say quite a few are acting on what they spew.

 

[BackHarlowRoad]

nobody actually acts on anything they spew.

Not saying I agree with everything posted, but I disagree with this. As fans, all we can do is either donate or not and attend or not.

Yeah, this is pretty much true...so why waste energy on anything other than this?

Not donating and not attending games further compounds the problem, resulting in a worse product than the one we're griping about. Pissing and moaning doesn't do anything besides spread bad mojo.

So, it's time to think outside the box.

What can we, as fans, do to help our program besides the aforementioned things?

 

[ragtimejoe1]

Yeah, this is pretty much true...so why waste energy on anything other than this?

Not donating and not attending games further compounds the problem, resulting in a worse product than the one we're griping about. Pissing and moaning doesn't do anything besides spread bad mojo.

So, it's time to think outside the box.

What can we, as fans, do to help our program besides the aforementioned things?

I definitely don't disagree with your philosophy. It really puts us fans in a pickle. On one hand not supporting does compound the problem. On the other, supporting endorses the current situation. Tough spot for sure.

 

[BackHarlowRoad]

Here's something I've always thought about.

Nebraska hosted College Gameday a few years ago and right behind the table was a giant, yellow Wyoming flag. I thought that was awesome. It flooded half the screen.

What if we had a flag like that and did everything in our power to make sure that flag made it to each and every College Gameday around the country? Eventually someone is going to notice and they are going to talk about it, what is the deal with this random Wyoming Cowboys flag? I just think that the randomness of it all, the fact that we have an awesome logo and a bizarre color scheme (in other people's eyes) would gain us a few fans around the country. Doesn't even matter if we suck, it'd just be fun to be a Wyoming fan.

A bunch of little things like that, spreading our name, picking up fans (maybe some rich ones who can donate) is surely to make a difference at some point.

 

[PokeOLoco]

Those Washington State fans have been doing it forever. It's pretty awesome. Great idea.

 

[BeaverPoke]

This thread / topic gets my vote for worst of the year. Sorry if I offended anyone by saying that.

15K for a Friday night - early start game in November, to watch a losing team, is quite remarkable given all the circumstances (some stated previously).

Not making excuses - as I was there...but...

1. It was raining all game - cold rain. Not that southern states warm rain, the ice kind.
2. 6 o'clock kick off - may as well rule out ALL Nine-to-Fivers. Especially outside of Laramie.
3. Game was on ESPN2, and not blacked out in Laramie / Cheyenne.
4. Losing record against an opponent most could give a damn about.

Etc.

That said, I was surprised by the poor student turn out. If anyone reading this wants to point at a decrease attendance demographic, pick on the students.

Bullshit. This is EXACTLY what is wrong with Wyo!

Anyone else brings 15K to a game on a Friday night and it is a fucking joke, but when Wyo does it we get a special asterisk? Enough of the "It's not that bad FOR WYOMING" bullshit. It was just bad!

If you have to make excuses for the 9 to 5 people, Laramie and Cheyenne people then we have a seriously bad fan support issue. "But it's not that bad for Wyoming!"

15 K is just bad. No more of the excuses saying it's not. Just because those are valid reasons, does not mean we get a free pass to have low attendance. Wyoming just doesn't care about football.
Simply, our fan base sucks and I know that is going to piss off a lot of people, but it's the truth.

I am so sick of hearing the same excuses.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

Wyoming just doesn't care about football.
Simply, our fan base sucks and I know that is going to piss off a lot of people, but it's the truth.

I am so sick of hearing the same excuses.

Not true. They just happen to care about other teams. 15 years of a terrible product will do that. There are kids in high school that have only seen 1 season of over 7 wins and are much more used to seeing a MWC bottom dweller.

Take 15 years of terrible performance and add a ho-hum conference, and it is what it is. WYO fans will turn out to see high profile opposition (Texas for example) or will turn out if we ever win consistently.

Fact is, it is hard to get to Laramie for most people. They will go if you give them reason to. WYO hasn't for a looong time. Look no farther than bball for an example. During Steve M's glory years and WYO was winning, the AA was rocking and among the best attendance in the NATION. After Burman destroyed the program, look at where it is now.