Well, folks, consider this my personal avenue to vent a bit.
Once again my EMU Hurons have embarrassed me on the gridiron. They have embarrassed the University and the MAC. It's one thing for the MAC to be struggling overall, but at least we hadn't lost, as a conference, to a 1AA team this year. But with a 1AA team on the EMU schedule, you knew it was just a matter of time. Just like last year against Western Illinois, and previous years against schools like Indiana State, EMU has shown nothing to change our well-deserved image as the league's doormat.
Last night just seemed like another night in a long, tired litany of football incompetence. Yeah, there were some bad calls, missed FG, an interception in the end zone, but for God's sake, this is a mediocre 1AA team that we were playing so no excuses are valid in my book for this loss.
We have a long, long way to go with this program. It's worse than I thought. I am tired and sickended of being the league's laughingstock. Most of you have no idea how painful it has been over the past 10-15 years to consistently support this program through my time, money and effort only to know that after another game my school is going to be subject to further derision by many of my fellow MAC schools' fans (and deservedly so, don't get me wrong here), the local media and of course snickered at by the ESPN Bottom Ten, etc...
I could go on, but the point is, everybody who has EMU remaining on the schedule, just chalk up a "W" now. We can't compete. Every year is the same, start with some hope, but by October all hope is lost and our fan base is disillusioned and won't be attending games. The Ford Field game will be a joke...the only way to promote it now is to promote to people who have not seen Ford Field because the Lions' games are all sell-outs. I mean, who in the hell wants to see this piece of crap program. Hell, if my season tickets weren't already paid for, I don't think I could stomach another miserable night at Rynearson Stadium.
Right now, I am adopting NIU as my back-up MAC team to support. I just can't take these Saturday embarrassments anymore.
Well it was fun seeing you guys talking smack to Toledo a couple of weeks ago at least......
HerdKixButt Wrote:Well it was fun seeing you guys talking smack to Toledo a couple of weeks ago at least......
Yeah, EMU and this week Temple fans were laying the smack down. I mean come on.........Temple hasn't beat a I-A opponent in 2 years and they were talking smack!!!
HuronDave Wrote:Right now, I am adopting NIU as my back-up MAC team to support. I just can't take these Saturday embarrassments anymore.
welcome to the team :wave:
HuronDave Wrote:Right now, I am adopting NIU as my back-up MAC team to support. I just can't take these Saturday embarrassments anymore.
Actually, you should become a Toledo fan, that way you can make some home games. It's a long drive from Ypsilanti to Dekalb.
I know your pain Huron, we felt it the first couple of games this year (and I am still not sure of anything with this team, I may forever be skeptical now). Actually, last week when we were at your house, my buddy and I were talking about how we feel bad for your fans. Watching everyone walk up to the stadium, we realized how tough and committed your fans are. Your fans deserve a bone once in a while. I get the feeling from a few of the other Toledo fans that I have talked with that many would like to see your program get turned around, though not quite enough to interfere with Toledo. This sentiment may be true throughout the fan bases of other MAC teams, I don't know though.
Keep your head up though, you truly are from a tough pedigree.
Well... Minn had a hard time against a div 2a team before they beat them... EMU is in a tough situation... you are right next to UM and your school has not invested in athletics... sorry to say it... but, EMU and Buffalo probably belong in the Div 2a... actually Buffalo belongs in Div 3a or even NAIA
Dave...we've all been there...but knowing that doesn't help now.
Good luck.
Where this really hurts is with the local fans. EMU is reporting nearly 15,000 fans at the game last night but I sure didn't see anywhere near that many. There didn't appear to be many students at last night's game and, even with 20 high school bands there, the stadium appeared mostly empty and containing no where near the number of fans that were there for the Bufffalo game. It was obvious that UM playing a late game at home hurt attendance to begin with. Also, EIU didn't travel at all. Whenever they scored I looked to see who was celebrating. There were maybe 30 EIU fans in the visitior's section and none I could see on the home side.
Loosing to a team that finished near the botton of the OVC and who had lost to 2 Gateway bottom-feeding teams (Indiana State and Illinois State) will hurt them at the box office.
Dude, i feel for the trouble you guys are having over there at EMU...but always take solace in the fact that you dont root for Buffalo. I think after getting shut out by Ohio, and loosing to your EMU ...That we are and until we fire our coach will be the Undisputed doormat of not only the MAC but all of Division 1-A and some of D-1AA. I have never seen such pathetic play from any QB before this season. 5th year senior 1 td to 6 interceptions, and has scored more points for the opposition then his own team. If the game at UCF doesnt have Chris Moore or some other young QB starting im going to announce this season as good as over and officially basketball season. I dont care if we go 1-11 again with Moore, Sampsel or Hemingway as our QB at least were giving a young player a chance to develop and help us in the future...but right now, believe me...EMU is WAY ahead of UB. I really really hope our Basketball team is as good as they look and everyone is saying, i want some serious revenge come basketball season.
I feel your pain Huron Dave. :( The Flashes are not much better and I, for one, am fed up with our program as well. We get new coach after new coach over the 17 years I have followed this program and it's always the same old crap. Sorry, UB fans, but you can't join EMU and KSU fans just yet at this party and let's hope you never do.
Huron Dave, let's raise one to the long suffering fans of EMU and KSU.
May we both someday enjoy football again!
DexterEagle Wrote:Where this really hurts is with the local fans. EMU is reporting nearly 15,000 fans at the game last night but I sure didn't see anywhere near that many. There didn't appear to be many students at last night's game and, even with 20 high school bands there, the stadium appeared mostly empty and containing no where near the number of fans that were there for the Bufffalo game.
I totally agree with your assessment of the crowd. I was there - and I dragged someone with me too. I just posted about this same issue on Essency's thread about attendence - so I'll re-post it here.....
Quote:Those numbers for EMU are hilarious
There are two roughly equal sides to Rynearson. Each side should therefor hold about 15,000 people.
The home side has 11 sections (actually 10 plus 2 partials on the ends). The fans comprised the center 5 sections and did not make a dent in the upper half of those sections. 2 other sections had people in the first 5-6 rows. 4 sections were completely empty. Counting very generously in EMU's favor, they could have filled maybe 3 of the 11 sections (since 11 sections = half of the 30,000 seat stadium => 3 sections must be about 4,500 fans).
On the visiting side there were 20 or so high school bands. There was almost no one else there but bands, and some of their parents, coaches and other people from the high schools. Most of the bands were 50 - 80 students (except Hartland which was the biggest high school band I ever saw - maybe 150-175).
I sat amongst the bands, and they were very spread out. They had instruments, jackets, boxes for their band hats, etc all over the place. I'm not sure how full it "looked" from the other side, but it was no where near full.
When the bands left to do the halftime show, there was almost no one on the visiting side. There couldn't have been more than 300 people left in the stands on our side during halftime. So I figure (20 bands @ about 100 people each = 2000). Again - that's generous.
At most - including the players on both teams, the EMU band (which is quite good) and everyone in the press box - there could not have been more than 7,000 to 8,000 people there. Someone is seriously double counting.
I know these are deserate times - but if you're gonna lie that much - why not just claim a sell-out?
And before anyone says I don't know what 15,000 looks like at EMU...CMU's stadium is one seat smaller than EMU's and WMU's (couldn't we have fudged the numbers to be equal to or one more than WMU's and EMU's stadii capacities?). I've seen Kelly-Shorts half full (which is a very bad draw at CMU) and that was nowhere near a half full 30,000 seat stadium.
What a joke!
I think the team isn't as bad as you say (though I understand the frustration). Neither of those teams was great, but neither was out-classed by the other. I know EIU is I-AA but EMU has played like a lousy I-AA team for years - so this is not a sign of what your new coach can do - just of what he has in the cupboard - which is precious little.
What I want to know is "how did Dick Flynn (of CMU head coaching fame) become an assistant at EMU?" Flynn was a successful coach at this level. If he wants to coach again - for God's sake, let him run things.
nert Wrote:I think the team isn't as bad as you say (though I understand the frustration). Neither of those teams was great, but neither was out-classed by the other. I know EIU is I-AA but EMU has played like a lousy I-AA team for years - so this is not a sign of what your new coach can do - just of what he has in the cupboard - which is precious little.
What I want to know is "how did Dick Flynn (of CMU head coaching fame) become an assistant at EMU?" Flynn was a successful coach at this level. If he wants to coach again - for God's sake, let him run things.
The team didn't look motivated. After facing Florida and Toledo I think there was an adrenalin deficiet on Saturday. In short, EMU didn't take EIU seriously and paid the price. I hope Genyk will get them focused for the rest of the season and maybe there will be no more "easy" I-AA games in the future. Who knows, this could be the loss that makes the season, the one that Genyk can throw in their face. Lord knows they should be embarassed by their performance.
As a person who is a contemporary of Flynn's, I expect that Flynn wants to be involved in college football but is happier, now, being a foot soldier than being a general. I have been management in the past but won't ever work in that capacity again. For the remainder of my work life I want to have a decent job and a decent paycheck but the days of being ambitious and wanting to run the whole show are past. Been there, done that.
One last note on attendance. Probably moreso than most stadiums I been in, there are a lot places at Rynearson to be other than the stands and the crowd mills around more than I notice in other venues. The students come late, leave early, and are constantly socializing with one another during the game, paying little attention to the event itself. One thing I noticed, that I hadn't thought about, was two young men with clickers who were systematically counting the service personnel inside the stadium (ie, vendors, ticket takers/sellers, ushers, etc). I
I am a graduate of EMU, class of 1961. I have followed their lack of progress in football over the years. The emphasis is clearly on track/field, basketball, and the other so-called minor sports. When I attended there, the current President even made the remark that if he could, he would tear down the football stadium and put up another academic building.
Eastern is at a big disadvantage being so close to U of M (6 miles), however, that excuse is not the main reason. They simply have no tradition for football as evidenced by the fact they are one of 9 Division 1A schools whose overall record lifetime is under 500%.
I guess we will just have to go along suffering the pangs of defeat after defeat. Personally, I wish they would drop down to Division 1AA where at least they might win a few games from time to time.
:D
Quote:They simply have no tradition for football as evidenced by the fact they are one of 9 Division 1A schools whose overall record lifetime is under 500
I'm not sure most mathmatical theories would support only 9 of 117 schools having records under .500.
You are right, there are actually 28 of them. I have the list. Thats a whole lote more than I thought, obviously.
:D
Glad to have you on our side Dave. But Dave, do not forget it was only 6 years ago that Northern was mired in a 23 game losing streak and the laughing stock of all of D1-A.
echoing the apologies to the rest of the mac whose sole credit this year had been that "at least we haven't lost to a i-aa team".
.....so much for that.