(09-01-2015 10:58 AM)Buc66 Wrote: (09-01-2015 07:43 AM)shampoo Wrote: The athletic side of the coin is there. And people love to see it spin when they describe the great downfall of ETSU. Football and academics nationwide was a contentious gridlock well before ETSU, thank you very much.
EDIT: I'm letting myself go with this one. The original point was something like, to summarize, football supporters should celebrate the victory in its return rather than ridicule the former opposition. It's called the higher road. Same to the naysayers - lose with dignity.
Who is losing what in the greater university with the return of football? Over the decade without football, athletic spending almost doubled. Funds were not transferred from athletics to academics. So, what is the point of the naysayers?
No one is losing, per se. However, certain constituents are still upset at the allocation of funds to football, especially with issues like a hiring freeze and the layoff of janitors, e.g.. In response to a faculty member's recent Facebook post, suggesting Noland had bullied the football agenda along, I responded with the link to the story showing student tickets gone 1st day.
I'm still not sold on Football supporting itself, certainly not recuperating the stadium and other startup costs. Those new costs are one reason I personally believe football should never have been dropped. A great deal of sport recreation economic impact can willfully state reallocations as gains; talking spending, specifically. Money that's already in the area doesn't make a new impact. 500 students coming to ETSU does not make a $31 million revenue stream. Football is not coming back as an economic decision, and I will grant that it being cut was not a sound economic decision either. It's a social decision (and a political one at that, both times, serving different constituents).
The pro-football/anti-football agendas have spawned a political division that at times reminds me of the great Rep/Dem divide in American politics. One side takes action, the other side takes action to reverse. Whoever you blame, wherever you lie, football's return was an expensive decision. And the student's, whether they support it or not, like taxes, are obligated now. Let's show our students what it means to be polite, graceful winners and dignified losers when it comes to getting what you want.
My original point, rephrased again, let the naysayers suffer in their own turmoil, Stanton and Mullens included. It's beating a dead horse at this point to continue attacking past decisions. That won't be on anyone's mind for long Thursday night.
