I agree that it's going to take some time for Campbell to be competitive. It's tough to be competitive immediately with no scholarships. I haven't heard great things about Steele, but at the same time judging him after one year of competition is unreasonable. Give him three to four years to see what he can do. At that point he will have a team full of upperclassmen who he and his staff selected, trained, and competed with. If at that point they still have no glimmer of hope of beating a D-I team, then find a replacement. For right now though, it's a little early to judge.

(08-19-2009 12:06 AM)Camel76 Wrote:  

(08-17-2009 11:11 PM)camels7778 Wrote:  I agree about ODU. That is going to get ugly in a hurry. For anyone that is making the trip I would get to ODU within the first few minutes of kickoff because after that is as close as Campbell will get in an ugly game. I know 2 D-III wins are not great but I think we need to start somewhere even if it just being a better D-III team than the team was in the first year,

The team "started" 3 years ago. With the right coaching staff there is no reason CU shouldn't win 4-5 games this year but it's not going to happen. Alot of water has passed under the bridge in the past 2 years.

There is no way you can expect them to win 4 or 5 games. It you do you know very little about Football. It takes a while to build a team. I am not defending the coaching staff because I was not very impressed with them last year either. I think I made myself clear in a lot of earlier posts. 4 or 5 wins is pie in the sky thinking. They should have won three games last year - All three against DIV III schools. They should win two games this year maybe three.

I've made my points before and I know it is hard with a young program but patience is going to be needed. Let Coach Steele and Staff have at least one cycle of players (those that are currently sophomores graduating would be my personal time table) they were able to recruit before we judge the staff/program on success. Just my opinion. This is still a young football team that is struggling uphill against more establish programs even those at the D-III level. If the team was scholarship I might be able to push the time table a bit but without that it is hard to judge Steele and staff on anything that happened prior to last year or anything that will happen with this still incredibly young team. I am excited to see how much bigger, stronger and better this team will be on opening day.

Yall keep saying young. For most of these guys playing for CU this year they're 20 or 21 years old and it will be their 3rd year of exposure to college football.

I did some quick roster figuring from the website and it looks like the majority of the roster 73/107 are either true freshman, redshirt freshman or sophomores. So 68 percent of the team are between 18-20 (in the first two years of college exposure). Thirty two percent of the roster (34/107) are at the last part of their 20s or older (three years of college exposure). Still looks like a younger roster to me and not in their third year of college exposure. Don't let facts get in the way of your argument or bias though.

Facts are there are players on the CU team that started practicing/working out for this CU team in 2006. A couple of them are starters. The remainder of the most every starter started with the team in 2007, thus I still say the bulk of this CU tem is entering their 3rd year of college football exposure. Young, yes, but they weren't playing high school football last year, nor the year before. Youth can always be an excuse, the Pembroke State coach must not have been afraid of youth, they went 9-1 in their 2nd year of competition beating Div-1 Davidson and Div 1 PFL champion Jacksonville and though thy do have 30 schollys they're Division II. I would sure like to had their coach coaching the Camels the past couple years. I bet we'd get a few wins this year. It's not going to happen with the current regime.

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this. I see a majority as anything over 50 percent and the only thing majority about the team still is first and second year players. Sure there are some players on the team that have been at Campbell for three years but by my count that would amount to around 34 of the total players on the current roster. As you stated Pembroke State has scholarships and that makes a huge difference. Heck it led to them beating the top team in the PFL in Jacksonville and another middle of the pack team in Davidson and they both have been establish and have had football for a few years.

I don't think it matter what age they are. It is going to take a while to win games. We have to be patient.[/u]

well you can go around using that lame young excuse for years and it won't get you any closer to winning college football games until you get a coach from the college level (it doesn't have to be d-1) that knows how to win college football games. You guys will get the drift on Steele sooner or later.
If I see him running out on the field again this year with a highway patrolman(they have enough problems with their own records) taking the attention away from the team and directing it toward himself, I think I will puke.

Well then I'd have the barf bag ready since I'm pretty sure the routine is not changing. So you might just have to get used to it or not show up to games until he is no longer the coach. I don't think it is really meant to take focus away from the team nor does it. From what I have seen the patrolman is the same guy so he might be a friend of program or Steele. Either way if this is going to make you ill you might need to find something else to do with your time around the area on Saturdays a few times a month.

It has to be hard to be this negative all the time. What do you do to keep the negative energy going all the time? I would be exhausted if all I did was get upset with Campbell football and the current coaching staff daily.

(08-28-2009 11:28 PM)camels7778 Wrote:  Well then I'd have the barf bag ready since I'm pretty sure the routine is not changing. So you might just have to get used to it or not show up to games until he is no longer the coach. I don't think it is really meant to take focus away from the team nor does it. From what I have seen the patrolman is the same guy so he might be a friend of program or Steele. Either way if this going to make you ill you might need to find something else to do with your time on Saturdays around the area a few times a month.

It has to be hard to be this negative all the time. What do you do to keep the negative energy going all the time? I would be exhausted if all I did was get upset with Campbell football and the current coaching staff daily.

Well said! I'm new to this and following Campbell football this year, but I have never seen such negativity from one individual. He states he pulls for Campbell? Must be another team in other state. I understand not everyone will agree with everything (coaches, play calling, etc.), but this guy agrees with absolutely nothing in regard to Campbell football! Pitiful in my opinion.....

(08-17-2009 11:00 PM)Camel76 Wrote:  I think the first two games are not out of the question, but honestly, everyone else gets better too. I think one win at the most 2 and if that occurs don't get your hopes up, they're 2 d-3 teams. The PFL games are out of the question and ODU may be their 1st year but they're scholarship players and it could get ugly.

Really, everyone gets better too? Even the established teams in the PFL that had Seniors that were key players? Gosh, at that rate, these teams you refer to as getting better too will be right up there with Florida pretty soon! Guess that means Campbell will never be able to compete in the PFL because ALL teams will just magically get better year in and year out, and Campbell is stuck where they are.. you should pick some other sport at Campbell to bash besides football because after reading some of your comments, your reputation as knowing anything at all about Football looks like a zero. And by the way, I'll bring you a barf bag for the game Saturday and give it to you while you leave the stadium, hopefully never to return.

negative all the time, I've not been negative all the time. I have gone on record saying Steele did a good job putting the team together. The University did an excellent job getting the program on the ground and making a commitment to the facilities and equipment. Believe me I've seen it up close and personal. But what I'm saying is that it's going to take another coach to get the Camels to the next level-winning.
newcampbellfan, you say you're new to Campbell football. Some of us are not. I'm a graduate of the University, a contributor to the Fighting Camel Club, and have earned to say what I like. If you don't agree with it, so be it but the objective to any sport is to win, and what I've observed in the way of coaching the team is not winning football. Campbell should have gone out and hired a coach with head coaching experience. not a career assistant. You know there's a reason some folks are career assistants. Nothing wrong with being a career assistant. Lots of folks aren't cut out to be the number one guy and some as the Peter principal states rise to their level of incompetence. Campbell University could have done better, they still can. After this season they need to look to the coach that can bring winning to the Creek. if that's negative so be it, but losing is negative also. I witnessed some things last season that goes against the grain of football wisdom. Steele needs to take the attention off himself and get down and dirty on the football field if he expects to win other than playing the role. That's the deal, if you can't accept it then you're going to be mighty frustrated with your expectations this season. I'll leave it at that and won't contribute to this discussion any longer.I'll follow the Camels as I have and if I'm wrong, I'll be man enough to come back on the board and admit such. Go Camels!

Well, I'm not here to argue whether you have been negative or not. Most of what I read is positive except for yours. You have your right to express your opinion about Coach Steel on this board, just like anyone else. One season (last year) is definitely not enough time for any coach, unless he does something stupid. I'll admit I have not seen the Camels play one game so far (other than when I traveled over for the Spring game). I have yet to see him absorb all of the attention, but guess I will find out. If you mean from a media perspective, I'm not sure I would let young Freshman/sophomores say a whole lot in the papers as well. Running through a tunnel and leading the team on the field? Being a TN fan and watching the Vols run out to 100,000 fans for the past 10 years, the 1st guy I ever saw was Fulmer... I don't consider that a big deal with attention....let me go to a few real games, and then I will give you my 1st impression. If expectations are that they are .500 this year, then that is not realistic. I'll go on record as saying, barring major injuries, they will win 4 games this year.....

(08-30-2009 04:46 PM)newcampbellfan Wrote:  Well, I'm not here to argue whether you have been negative or not. Most of what I read is positive except for yours. You have your right to express your opinion about Coach Steel on this board, just like anyone else. One season (last year) is definitely not enough time for any coach, unless he does something stupid. I'll admit I have not seen the Camels play one game so far (other than when I traveled over for the Spring game). I have yet to see him absorb all of the attention, but guess I will find out. If you mean from a media perspective, I'm not sure I would let young Freshman/sophomores say a whole lot in the papers as well. Running through a tunnel and leading the team on the field? Being a TN fan and watching the Vols run out to 100,000 fans for the past 10 years, the 1st guy I ever saw was Fulmer... I don't consider that a big deal with attention....let me go to a few real games, and then I will give you my 1st impression. If expectations are that they are .500 this year, then that is not realistic. I'll go on record as saying, barring major injuries, they will win 4 games this year.....

newcampbellfan; you do have alot to learn,......4 games?
1st you have to get realistic; Buies Creek is not UT, but then again you'll see for yourself. No use debating with someone who hasn't seen what I'm talking about.
Fulmer? Where's he now? I've despised him ever since Johnny Majors went on sick leave with a heart condition and Fulmer backstabbed him.
Didn't any other major exactly pick him up did they? He got what he deserved much too late.

(08-30-2009 04:46 PM)newcampbellfan Wrote:  Well, I'm not here to argue whether you have been negative or not. Most of what I read is positive except for yours. You have your right to express your opinion about Coach Steel on this board, just like anyone else. One season (last year) is definitely not enough time for any coach, unless he does something stupid. I'll admit I have not seen the Camels play one game so far (other than when I traveled over for the Spring game). I have yet to see him absorb all of the attention, but guess I will find out. If you mean from a media perspective, I'm not sure I would let young Freshman/sophomores say a whole lot in the papers as well. Running through a tunnel and leading the team on the field? Being a TN fan and watching the Vols run out to 100,000 fans for the past 10 years, the 1st guy I ever saw was Fulmer... I don't consider that a big deal with attention....let me go to a few real games, and then I will give you my 1st impression. If expectations are that they are .500 this year, then that is not realistic. I'll go on record as saying, barring major injuries, they will win 4 games this year.....

Other than BSU and Methodist - Who else do you think we will defeat this year?

Believe they will beat Valparaiso and get an upset along the way, maybe either Drake, Butler or Morehead State.....nothing wrong with dreaming a little! You got to BELIEVE!

(08-30-2009 08:17 PM)Camel76 Wrote:  newcampbellfan; you do have alot to learn,......4 games?
1st you have to get realistic; Buies Creek is not UT, but then again you'll see for yourself. No use debating with someone who hasn't seen what I'm talking about.
Fulmer? Where's he now? I've despised him ever since Johnny Majors went on sick leave with a heart condition and Fulmer backstabbed him.
Didn't any other major exactly pick him up did they? He got what he deserved much too late.

In no way comparing Campbell to UT, other than it's not odd for a coach to lead their team on to the field. Happens at UTC as well... Not going to debate Fulmer....he won National Championship, numerous SEC titles, etc.. The original topic of this thread was how many wins would Campbell get this year? You say 1-2, I way 4... time will tell.

I'll say three games. I think the first two are winnable and I think based on what I have seen that this team barring injuries will surprise at least one or maybe two other teams. I think they will be much more competitive this season and will not be blown out nearly as much. That is the big part. Even if you lose if you can stay in games into the second half and show growth and continue to build as a program that will be the step forward I am looking for.