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The emotional investment of being a Cowboys fan

Brew_Poke

Brew_Poke

Well-known member
Sucks. It well and truly does. For as good a group of fans as we are, we've had two things to show for it in 20+ years. The 1996 football team, with no fucking bowl game, and two years of a good basketball team, one year splitting the regular season title, one year winning outright but going one-and-done in the Dance.

That is it.

I'm about ready to quit. In 1996 I was 24. I'm now 41. Do I want to wait until I'm 58 to get another return on the emotional investment?
 
Brew_Poke said:
Sucks. It well and truly does. For as good a group of fans as we are, we've had two things to show for it in 20+ years. The 1996 football team, with no fucking bowl game, and two years of a good basketball team, one year splitting the regular season title, one year winning outright but going one-and-done in the Dance.

That is it.

I'm about ready to quit. In 1996 I was 24. I'm now 41. Do I want to wait until I'm 58 to get another return on the emotional investment?
Click to expand...

I feel ya bro! I was a frosh in laramie in 96'. Thanks for making me feel old! Ha!
 
That's the tough part of college football. Its not like the pros where you just pick a favorite team......in college sports, we're tied to whatever school we attended or have a state affiliation with.

But nobody can quit.....I think the "why can't we be another Boise State?" approach is unlikely, but there's no reason Wyoming can't be in the same position Ohio, Louisiana Tech, Toledo, and Kent State are in right now (In or near Top 25).

The MWC gets weaker next season. SJSU and USU are by no means slouches, but they are not Boise State. San Diego State is proving to be tough too. My point: In a watered down MWC, anything is possible. The next 10+ win team to flirt with the Top 25 WILL emerge....the question is, who? Safe money is on Fresno State for 2013, but after that?
 
So your answer is like Burman: "Great, now that everybody good has left, maybe we can compete!"
News flash: Fresno State, Nevada and Utah State will truck us in football and men's basketball for the forseeable future.
 
Brew_Poke said:
So your answer is like Burman: "Great, now that everybody good has left, maybe we can compete!"
News flash: Fresno State, Nevada and Utah State will truck us in football and men's basketball for the forseeable future.
Click to expand...
In this current regime? Maybe...likely probable. But things can change in a hurry. Utah State went from piss poor under Brent Guy to stout under Gary Andersen in just a few years. No talent to lots of talent. Bad defense and offense to very good defense and offense. I'm one to believe, if Utah State can pull that off, so could Wyoming. Andersen just got a new contract, and will STILL make less than CDC does. Think about that.
 
Gotta do what it takes to beat out other schools for the star players.
Or
Don't be so squishy.
 
Brew_Poke said:
So your answer is like Burman: "Great, now that everybody good has left, maybe we can compete!"
News flash: Fresno State, Nevada and Utah State will truck us in football and men's basketball for the forseeable future.
Click to expand...


Agree with Football but disagree with mens basketball. :thumb:
 
I know I'm going to get crucified for this...but what if Wyoming moved down to FCS for football? I used to cringe every time I heard or read this suggestion, but I'm starting to come around to it. I mean, honestly, would you rather have a dominant FCS school that is competing for a national championship (or top 25 material every year, at least) or, a middling, mostly terrible FBS team that routinely posts 3-9 records, save for the occasional 6-6, 7-5 record and goes to some non-descript bowl game that is played before people are even Christmas shopping? The more Wyoming games I watch, the more I'm starting to believe we will never, and frankly, cannot, compete at the Division I level. The transition to FCS wouldn't be that difficult....99% of the players on our team right now should be playing at FCS schools (and some D-II) as it is.
 
SDPokeFan said:
I know I'm going to get crucified for this...but what if Wyoming moved down to FCS for football? I used to cringe every time I heard or read this suggestion, but I'm starting to come around to it. I mean, honestly, would you rather have a dominant FCS school that is competing for a national championship (or top 25 material every year, at least) or, a middling, mostly terrible FBS team that routinely posts 3-9 records, save for the occasional 6-6, 7-5 record and goes to some non-descript bowl game that is played before people are even Christmas shopping? The more Wyoming games I watch, the more I'm starting to believe we will never, and frankly, cannot, compete at the Division I level. The transition to FCS wouldn't be that difficult....99% of the players on our team right now should be playing at FCS schools (and some D-II) as it is.
Click to expand...
Hahahaha......it is complete! I knew it was only a matter of time before someone suggested this.

You have some valid points SD, stuff that makes you wonder to say the least. But you are correct, brace yourself for a hammering. :lol:
 
J-Rod said:
SDPokeFan said:
I know I'm going to get crucified for this...but what if Wyoming moved down to FCS for football? I used to cringe every time I heard or read this suggestion, but I'm starting to come around to it. I mean, honestly, would you rather have a dominant FCS school that is competing for a national championship (or top 25 material every year, at least) or, a middling, mostly terrible FBS team that routinely posts 3-9 records, save for the occasional 6-6, 7-5 record and goes to some non-descript bowl game that is played before people are even Christmas shopping? The more Wyoming games I watch, the more I'm starting to believe we will never, and frankly, cannot, compete at the Division I level. The transition to FCS wouldn't be that difficult....99% of the players on our team right now should be playing at FCS schools (and some D-II) as it is.
Click to expand...
Hahahaha......it is complete! I knew it was only a matter of time before someone suggested this.

You have some valid points SD, stuff that makes you wonder to say the least. But you are correct, brace yourself for a hammering. :lol:
Click to expand...

lol thanks for the warning. Just thought I'd put it out there and see if I'm alone in the thought. Maybe I am. Wouldn't be the first time!
 
Brew_Poke said:
...I'm about ready to quit. In 1996 I was 24. I'm now 41. Do I want to wait until I'm 58 to get another return on the emotional investment?
Click to expand...

Oh please, I went to my first Wyoming game on October 10, 1955. I don't remember it because I was only 18 months old. But, I've been emotionally invested in the Pokes ever since then. For me, if you haven't lived through the Black 14 incident you've not really seen the highs-highs and the low-lows of being a Wyoming fan. However, I understand your feelings. They only thing I can tell you is that you can never really quit being a fan -- at least I can't. I've sworn off several times, and yet I can't resist knowing what's going on with my beloved Pokes. Now I'm resigned just suffering through. Someday, hopefully before I leave the planet, the Pokes will be champions again. Until then, I'll just hang on.
 
SDPokeFan said:
I know I'm going to get crucified for this...but what if Wyoming moved down to FCS for football? I used to cringe every time I heard or read this suggestion, but I'm starting to come around to it. I mean, honestly, would you rather have a dominant FCS school that is competing for a national championship (or top 25 material every year, at least) or, a middling, mostly terrible FBS team that routinely posts 3-9 records, save for the occasional 6-6, 7-5 record and goes to some non-descript bowl game that is played before people are even Christmas shopping? The more Wyoming games I watch, the more I'm starting to believe we will never, and frankly, cannot, compete at the Division I level. The transition to FCS wouldn't be that difficult....99% of the players on our team right now should be playing at FCS schools (and some D-II) as it is.
Click to expand...

With the way things are going with college football realignment we probably won't have to make an active move to the FCS. FCS, or whatever it evolves to will come to us. As the Big Five or Six conferences (depending upon how the Big East thing works out) consolidate their power, I can see the remaining FBS teams gathering into their own sub-division and forming their own national championship as they'll be frozen out of the "real" national championship by the Big 5/6. So I think we'll eventually have three Divsion I sub-divisions: Big 5/6, FCS I and FCS II.

This being the probable outcome, I'd sit tight. No need to move, IMHO.
 
The Virginian said:
Brew_Poke said:
...I'm about ready to quit. In 1996 I was 24. I'm now 41. Do I want to wait until I'm 58 to get another return on the emotional investment?
Click to expand...

Oh please, I went to my first Wyoming game on October 10, 1955. I don't remember it because I was only 18 months old. But, I've been emotionally invested in the Pokes ever since then. For me, if you haven't lived through the Black 14 incident you've not really seen the highs-highs and the low-lows of being a Wyoming fan. However, I understand your feelings. They only thing I can tell you is that you can never really quit being a fan -- at least I can't. I've sworn off several times, and yet I can't resist knowing what's going on with my beloved Pokes. Now I'm resigned just suffering through. Someday, hopefully before I leave the planet, the Pokes will be champions again. Until then, I'll just hang on.
Click to expand...

If you change the words "Poke Fan" or "Poke" to "Catholic" I think the point sounds exactly the same!

All joking aside, its just life right now. Can't win them all, can't lose them all. We will make a comeback when everyone gets their shit together.
 
Good fans live through the lows and celebrate the highs. That's the way it is. If they're your team, they're your team. Unless you wanna go full on bandwagon, you just drink a lil more during the bad seasons.

Case in point, last night. Notre Dame kicked our asses on national television when we were ranked below them but favored by double digits to win.

Embarrassing? Yes.
Burning my crimson clothes? Not even close.

Sounds to me like y'all are good fans :)
 
SDPokeFan said:
I know I'm going to get crucified for this...but what if Wyoming moved down to FCS for football? I used to cringe every time I heard or read this suggestion, but I'm starting to come around to it. I mean, honestly, would you rather have a dominant FCS school that is competing for a national championship (or top 25 material every year, at least) or, a middling, mostly terrible FBS team that routinely posts 3-9 records, save for the occasional 6-6, 7-5 record and goes to some non-descript bowl game that is played before people are even Christmas shopping? The more Wyoming games I watch, the more I'm starting to believe we will never, and frankly, cannot, compete at the Division I level. The transition to FCS wouldn't be that difficult....99% of the players on our team right now should be playing at FCS schools (and some D-II) as it is.
Click to expand...

What would happen? Well I imagine a good chunk of our alumni/donor base would lose whatever interest they still have. I know I would. As tough as it is to watch the team now, (I left BSU game at half even though its the only game I could attend this year) I wouldn't watch them at all if they were playing FCS ball. I would never be able to stomach that as fan, even if we were successful because that is the ultimate white flag.

I think the key point in the ever Wyoming-to-FCS-debate that occurs when our team sucks is following:

It's not like we could just take the exact same program (as bad of shape as it is in) we have right now and teleport it to the FCS world. There's no guarantee we'd still get the same funding, support, or even players that we have right now. You think most of our players belong in FCS ball? So who's to say if we were in FCS that they wouldn't be players who belong in D-III ball?

My advice is... don't invest yourself so much emotionally in it. I traveled from CA, attended the game, donated my contribution to CJC, cheered the team as loud as I could and left the game when it was obvious we had no chance at half. I had a great time. Sure it could have been better if we had won, but that's all I can do as a fan. Enjoy life. Even if WYO sucks I can still have a good time as a fan and be proud of my state.

Just my 2 cents.
 
i just want to be competitive in our conference and win a occassional conference title every 2-5 years not every 15-20....and an occassional bowl game on occassion, if a Boise St season happens so be it all for the better!!!!
 
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