(11-03-2017 09:15 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  We are La Tech, UAB, Louisiana-Lafayette, FIU, Georgia State, Charlotte, and UTEP. Our mediocre performance, our lack of money, our hires, and our attendance all generally mirror these schools.

We have won CUSA ONE TIME in the last 14 years. ONE TIME.

We are not Houston, UCF, ECU, TCU.

Institutionally, we far more resemble the former group than the latter. Houston has 35,000 students and a law and pharmacy school. UCF has the single-campus largest enrollment in the country and a med school. TCU is a private school with a $1.5 billion-with-a-b endowment (and not coincidentally, the only P5 member on that list). ECU's the only one within shooting distance in terms of enrollment and funds, and even they have a medical and a dental school.

I'm starting to sound like eaglebeaver, but the reality is we've been playing over our heads for a very long time, and as college athletics became a potential gold mine, the schools with resources either decided to take it more seriously or dip their toes in the pool where they haven't before. As the field became more crowded, the finances only continued to become more important. That's why the AAC left us behind more than anything: all of that stuff in the previous paragraph matters more in today's environment than Ws and Ls and even butts in the seats. Game attendance waxes and wanes, but nobody's ever shutting down their med school, and billion-dollar endowments are pretty safe from bad coaching hires.

CUSA justifiably frustrates a lot of folks. As currently comprised, it's an undeniable mess. However, a more fan-friendly conference of like schools within a reasonable footprint is just a matter of time. The entire G5 dynamic is changing with the TV money drying up and the travel becoming unsustainable. On top of that, the Big 12's days are numbered and a few more schools will find themselves regrouping. We need to be spending our time and energy preparing for the next step instead of spending it all crying in our beer about the current one.

At the end of the day, the only productive thing to worry about is being the best Southern Miss we can be. Heaven knows we fall short of that far too often.

(11-03-2017 09:15 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  We are La Tech, UAB, Louisiana-Lafayette, FIU, Georgia State, Charlotte, and UTEP. Our mediocre performance, our lack of money, our hires, and our attendance all generally mirror these schools.

We have won CUSA ONE TIME in the last 14 years. ONE TIME.

We are not Houston, UCF, ECU, TCU.

Life is easier when you make peace with these facts.

Yeah...life IS easier when you give up shifty.

Lemme ask ya...how many C-USA championships did ECU, Tulane, UCF and Houston have when they moved to AAC? I'd say they TOTALED less than we had won.

We will be Charlotte, FIU, Georgia St., ODU when they have played about 95 more years of NCAA football..

NONE OF THOSE teams in the 3rd paragraph have beaten who we have been beaten...been ranked at end of the year....beaten the Top 25 teams we have beaten...nor been to bowls 13 outta 14 years.

So, no, they are not USM....and while we ARE transitioning right now and struggling in attendance and on the field, we WILL persevere....and we have the background, the history and the backbone to do far more than any of the newbie teams in our conference.

So in my estimation, all you who have given up "better clear on out the back"..

(11-03-2017 05:36 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  Lemme ask ya...how many C-USA championships did ECU, Tulane, UCF and Houston have when they moved to AAC? I'd say they TOTALED less than we had won.

Keep Mount Pilot out of SUNWACUSA and you're only a play or two away from winning one of those titles too.

(11-03-2017 10:07 AM)Black Diamond Reb Wrote:  

(11-03-2017 08:39 AM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(11-02-2017 05:10 PM)Black Diamond Reb Wrote:  

(11-02-2017 02:05 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  Eventually people have to put their money where their mouths are, both figuratively and literally, in this whole situation

Or not, as they are now.

Eventually, USM is going to need to accept who they are and be happy with it.

Who are we, Mark?

20K fans, decaying facilities, aging fan base in a crippling "conference". Little avenue for much needed revenue gains to even maintain status quo. Difficulty in keeping the 20K that WANT to be here engaged, much less growing followers that can opt for Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, and Starkville for athletic entertainment.

That's not who we are. That's where we are. All of those things could be changed. It would take time, effort, and money, but those things don't have to define us.

(11-03-2017 09:09 PM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(11-03-2017 10:07 AM)Black Diamond Reb Wrote:  

(11-03-2017 08:39 AM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(11-02-2017 05:10 PM)Black Diamond Reb Wrote:  

(11-02-2017 02:05 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  Eventually people have to put their money where their mouths are, both figuratively and literally, in this whole situation

Or not, as they are now.

Eventually, USM is going to need to accept who they are and be happy with it.

Who are we, Mark?

20K fans, decaying facilities, aging fan base in a crippling "conference". Little avenue for much needed revenue gains to even maintain status quo. Difficulty in keeping the 20K that WANT to be here engaged, much less growing followers that can opt for Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, and Starkville for athletic entertainment.

That's not who we are. That's where we are. All of those things could be changed. It would take time, effort, and money, but those things don't have to define us.

As with reference to all entertainment / performers, your product is either rising or falling. As USM had aspirations of once reaching the next level, no one envisioned the next one would be lower.

Difficulty in keeping the 20K that WANT to be here engaged, much less growing followers that can opt for Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, and Starkville for athletic entertainment.
[/quote]

Notice you didn't include Oxford for athletic entertainment...

Hmm....also notice you put Starkville in there with Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa, as if the Morons...errr Maroons, have also been this team for the ages....while in reality they have the worst record in the SEC for a team not named Vanderbilt....they have been to the SEC title game ONCE....and NO SEC Championship since 1940, YES, 1940.

But, of course, they ARE S-E-C, they are currently on an unusual hot streak for them, and they finally pulled a good corch outta their Cat hats......But, dare I mention they have the same recruiting and monetary advantages as Bama and LSU, with nothing but a few winning seasons to show for it? WHOOPIE!

So go there for your "entertainment" and ring those cowbells....kinda makes me sick to think about it!

(11-03-2017 08:39 AM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(11-02-2017 05:10 PM)Black Diamond Reb Wrote:  

(11-02-2017 02:05 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  Eventually people have to put their money where their mouths are, both figuratively and literally, in this whole situation

Or not, as they are now.

Eventually, USM is going to need to accept who they are and be happy with it.

Who are we, Mark?

well, here's what we are NOT.

we're NOT a program with a loyal internet fan base that speaks up. and that's probably because bull**** loudmouth a$$holes keep filling up the available bandwidth with more, and MORE, and MORE forebodings of doom.

I am NOT happy with mediocrity, but I am philosophically prepared for improvement.

On the internet, sometimes only the loudest are heard.


end of rant

(11-03-2017 09:15 PM)Black Diamond Reb Wrote:  

(11-03-2017 09:09 PM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(11-03-2017 10:07 AM)Black Diamond Reb Wrote:  

(11-03-2017 08:39 AM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(11-02-2017 05:10 PM)Black Diamond Reb Wrote:  Or not, as they are now.

Eventually, USM is going to need to accept who they are and be happy with it.

Who are we, Mark?

20K fans, decaying facilities, aging fan base in a crippling "conference". Little avenue for much needed revenue gains to even maintain status quo. Difficulty in keeping the 20K that WANT to be here engaged, much less growing followers that can opt for Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, and Starkville for athletic entertainment.

That's not who we are. That's where we are. All of those things could be changed. It would take time, effort, and money, but those things don't have to define us.

As with reference to all entertainment / performers, your product is either rising or falling. As USM had aspirations of once reaching the next level, no one envisioned the next one would be lower.

Maybe Tulsa and Missouri should accept who they are.

(11-04-2017 11:28 AM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  Maybe Tulsa and Missouri should accept who they are.

Tulsa already has, being a private school they can pretty much be what they want to be. Missouri not so much, but they've created a quagmire up there that will take a USMesque vision and approach to get where they want to be.