(03-08-2009 04:49 PM)Goldfinger Wrote: I'm not saying the fans turned it around.....but what could the fans do if they were truly motivated to oust our current administration?
Good question. We saw what could easily(?) be accomplished when paulie backed the pharmacy school and got out in front, promoting it and putting it on the front burner. I think most of us know if he *really* wanted football back like he said, the same thing would have happened. Moreover, football would never have been dropped if he had publicly let the true plight be known. If the (supposed) campaign to save football that only raised $58,000 in, what was it, *five* years, had been a *real* campaign, with him promoting it and getting behind it (a la the pharmacy school), then we would not have lost football. No way. And Jo Ann Paty has to have some of the blame for this as we've discussed, for not publicizing it.
But, to Gold's question......it is far from unprecedented for a college president to be removed because of student uproar. It happens. But it usually happens over more of a moral thing than football. I myself have no problem painting his stance as disingenuous, at the very best. But with the apathetic students at ETSU now, I think this would be a tough, tough, sell. I would, however, be in favor of it. There is a significant "silent majority", to borrow a phrase, on campus, who are in favor of his removal, but I think the prevailing opinion is that he is "needed" to guide us through this current financial morass.
But you said "fans". That's a whole 'nuther thing. We all know money talks, but it would take a huge amount of it to get the Board of Regents to go for that. I don't think the financial/political will power is there. When you have the state legislature of TN voting,
unanimously, that there should be football at ETSU, and it doesn't get done, then the will power to force the issue just isn't strong enough - at least not yet.
But let me take this opportunity to applaud Goldfinger and Buc2002 for the obviously successful campaign, and furthermore to thank the members of this current team for their faithfulness and diligence, even when things seemed dark. I especially want to thank the seniors for the years of wonderful. stirring competition. Best of luck in the future, INCLUDING IN THE NCAAS!!!!!!!!