In the last month or two I've become more than just a Georgia Southern fan. Now I consider myself a Sun Belt fan as well. I never had a sense of conference pride in the SoCon. The only time I cared what the other teams were doing was if it directly effected Georgia Southern. Now I honestly want everyone in the SBC to be good. I find myself reading about other schools, hoping they get stud recruits and can pull off big upsets. Granted I still want Georgia Southern to be the best and get tons of recognition, but there really is more to it than just wanting the best for my school. I find myself rooting against CUSA teams instead of SBC teams. As a Braves fan I could never root for the Philies or Nationals because they were playing someone in the NL Central. Got to love FBS athletics! Anyway, just thought I'd share… I still hate App State.

(04-10-2013 09:49 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  In the last month or two I've become more than just a Georgia Southern fan. Now I consider myself a Sun Belt fan as well. I never had a sense of conference pride in the SoCon. The only time I cared what the other teams were doing was if it directly effected Georgia Southern. Now I honestly want everyone in the SBC to be good. I find myself reading about other schools, hoping they get stud recruits and can pull off big upsets. Granted I still want Georgia Southern to be the best and get tons of recognition, but there really is more to it than just wanting the best for my school. I find myself rooting against CUSA teams instead of SBC teams. As a Braves fan I could never root for the Philies or Nationals because they were playing someone in the NL Central. Got to love FBS athletics! Anyway, just thought I'd share… I still hate App State.

FBS is dirty, but fun. Welcome to the Belt.

(04-10-2013 09:49 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  In the last month or two I've become more than just a Georgia Southern fan. Now I consider myself a Sun Belt fan as well. I never had a sense of conference pride in the SoCon. The only time I cared what the other teams were doing was if it directly effected Georgia Southern. Now I honestly want everyone in the SBC to be good. I find myself reading about other schools, hoping they get stud recruits and can pull off big upsets. Granted I still want Georgia Southern to be the best and get tons of recognition, but there really is more to it than just wanting the best for my school. I find myself rooting against CUSA teams instead of SBC teams. As a Braves fan I could never root for the Philies or Nationals because they were playing someone in the NL Central. Got to love FBS athletics! Anyway, just thought I'd share… I still hate App State.

I've found myself doing this as well. I think it's because now we are in the under dog conference. The SoCon was considered top dog in FCS, we didn't need to prove ourselves to get ranked and we got the benefit of the doubt for the playoff seeding because of our conference.

Now in the SBC we have to fight to prove ourselves to the other conferences and fans of other teams. We need our conference mates to win games OOC so we can change the perception of the belt. It's not longer just about us doing our part and making the post season. If someone in the SBC goes undefeated, their end of the year rank may be heavily determined by how everyone else in the conferences does OOC.

I always route for the underdog, so I pull for SBC schools in OOC games. We used to have that spirit in the old BE. Especially between RU, WVU, Ville and Cindy, there was a always a feeling that you routed for each other. It was common to hear/read fans say, "Team, conference, whoever is playing ND." That last one was often substituted with PSU or one of the defected teams.

Georgia Southern has always used being he underdog as motivation. Our program was founded on doing more with less under Erk Russell. We take pride in it and will use the Sun Belt's underdog status to our advantage.

(04-10-2013 09:49 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  In the last month or two I've become more than just a Georgia Southern fan. Now I consider myself a Sun Belt fan as well. I never had a sense of conference pride in the SoCon. The only time I cared what the other teams were doing was if it directly effected Georgia Southern. Now I honestly want everyone in the SBC to be good. I find myself reading about other schools, hoping they get stud recruits and can pull off big upsets. Granted I still want Georgia Southern to be the best and get tons of recognition, but there really is more to it than just wanting the best for my school. I find myself rooting against CUSA teams instead of SBC teams. As a Braves fan I could never root for the Philies or Nationals because they were playing someone in the NL Central. Got to love FBS athletics! Anyway, just thought I'd share… I still hate App State.

I like your post, but it is unhealthy to hate your Daddy.

(04-10-2013 09:58 AM)The Black Flag Wrote:  

(04-10-2013 09:49 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  In the last month or two I've become more than just a Georgia Southern fan. Now I consider myself a Sun Belt fan as well. I never had a sense of conference pride in the SoCon. The only time I cared what the other teams were doing was if it directly effected Georgia Southern. Now I honestly want everyone in the SBC to be good. I find myself reading about other schools, hoping they get stud recruits and can pull off big upsets. Granted I still want Georgia Southern to be the best and get tons of recognition, but there really is more to it than just wanting the best for my school. I find myself rooting against CUSA teams instead of SBC teams. As a Braves fan I could never root for the Philies or Nationals because they were playing someone in the NL Central. Got to love FBS athletics! Anyway, just thought I'd share… I still hate App State.

I've found myself doing this as well. I think it's because now we are in the under dog conference. The SoCon was considered top dog in FCS, we didn't need to prove ourselves to get ranked and we got the benefit of the doubt for the playoff seeding because of our conference.

Now in the SBC we have to fight to prove ourselves to the other conferences and fans of other teams. We need our conference mates to win games OOC so we can change the perception of the belt. It's not longer just about us doing our part and making the post season. If someone in the SBC goes undefeated, their end of the year rank may be heavily determined by how everyone else in the conferences does OOC.

I figured the slc was the top dog in fcs judging from their teams always being in the football finals, their baseball teams beating up on top 25 teams on a regular basis, occasional top 25 track golf tennis teams etc..

(04-10-2013 09:49 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  In the last month or two I've become more than just a Georgia Southern fan. Now I consider myself a Sun Belt fan as well. I never had a sense of conference pride in the SoCon. The only time I cared what the other teams were doing was if it directly effected Georgia Southern. Now I honestly want everyone in the SBC to be good. I find myself reading about other schools, hoping they get stud recruits and can pull off big upsets. Granted I still want Georgia Southern to be the best and get tons of recognition, but there really is more to it than just wanting the best for my school. I find myself rooting against CUSA teams instead of SBC teams. As a Braves fan I could never root for the Philies or Nationals because they were playing someone in the NL Central. Got to love FBS athletics! Anyway, just thought I'd share… I still hate App State.

Excellent first post (or thereabouts). Welcome to WAR, hopefully you'll be around long enough to play it.

Rest assured we hate Georgia Southern back just as much.

(04-10-2013 11:04 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(04-10-2013 09:58 AM)The Black Flag Wrote:  

(04-10-2013 09:49 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  In the last month or two I've become more than just a Georgia Southern fan. Now I consider myself a Sun Belt fan as well. I never had a sense of conference pride in the SoCon. The only time I cared what the other teams were doing was if it directly effected Georgia Southern. Now I honestly want everyone in the SBC to be good. I find myself reading about other schools, hoping they get stud recruits and can pull off big upsets. Granted I still want Georgia Southern to be the best and get tons of recognition, but there really is more to it than just wanting the best for my school. I find myself rooting against CUSA teams instead of SBC teams. As a Braves fan I could never root for the Philies or Nationals because they were playing someone in the NL Central. Got to love FBS athletics! Anyway, just thought I'd share… I still hate App State.

I've found myself doing this as well. I think it's because now we are in the under dog conference. The SoCon was considered top dog in FCS, we didn't need to prove ourselves to get ranked and we got the benefit of the doubt for the playoff seeding because of our conference.

Now in the SBC we have to fight to prove ourselves to the other conferences and fans of other teams. We need our conference mates to win games OOC so we can change the perception of the belt. It's not longer just about us doing our part and making the post season. If someone in the SBC goes undefeated, their end of the year rank may be heavily determined by how everyone else in the conferences does OOC.

I figured the slc was the top dog in fcs judging from their teams always being in the football finals, their baseball teams beating up on top 25 teams on a regular basis, occasional top 25 track golf tennis teams etc..

I think he was talking about football which has been the main drive of conference realingment.

I always almost always pulled for our SoCon brethern when playing OOC, unless their loss helped us advance up the rankings.
Additionally, outside of GT since they hired PJ, I have been against any and all BCS teams when they played the non-AQ's and for any upset that scrwed up the BCS rankings and created controversy in their system.

Now we have to look at things a little differently. I think it is safe to say that everybody on this board wants to see the field of 4 expanded to at least 8, I'm hoping for 16 at some point.

So, It would be great to see all 5 AQ conferences have an undefeated team! It would also serve us well to have NONE of them be undefeated and as many non-AQ undefeated as possible. In a way, it is all the non-AQ's against the former BCS conferences. AH..... but then we get the Best of the non-AQs with a carrot in front of us in those new BCS bowl invites..... THAT pits us against each other... See what they did there? They gave us a big incintive to schedule each other and knock each other off so that we are less likly to see many undefeated non-AQ programs as cross conference scheduling will be done in order for one conference to prove that it's champion should be ranked over the other. So, then - We MUST root for our fellow BELT members, not only for our own SOS, but for the respect and ranking of the Conference.

Here is to THE BELT - Time to tie C-USA to the Whippig Post!

P.S.: I consider the MAC to be the worse FBS conference.

(04-10-2013 12:38 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Rest assured we hate Georgia Southern back just as much.

The hate goes without saying, but it feel good to say anwya

But speeking of conference mates OOC:
I watched the ECU game last year, and I have to say that you Mountaineers whipped those boys up and down the field. Also, I don't think ANY of those fumbles were real or at least the advancing of one of them was BS. That game was padded hard by the C-USA officials.

I know, we saw the same thing back in the 80's over there when ERK was coaching. We are 0-3 against ECU. Combined total of points through all three games is 1 possession! 8 points. We lost i think one game by 1 point, another by 3 etc. It is hard to win in Pirate Country although App was the better team that day, you can't play the Zebras to!

And how about the ULM game against Auburn?
Did anyone else see the spot for Auburn in the 4th Qt when the SEC official stood sideways with his left foot up field. Before he picked up the ball to whipe it off, it was spotted at his right foot, when he placed it back down - he put it at his left foot! THEN they measured for th first and Auburn got it by a nose! Didnt make any difference as the WarHawks intercepted a couple of plays later, but that wasnt the only fishy officiating in that game.

GO MY CONFERENCE BROTHERS!!!!! Power be to THE BELT!

(04-10-2013 09:49 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  In the last month or two I've become more than just a Georgia Southern fan. Now I consider myself a Sun Belt fan as well. I never had a sense of conference pride in the SoCon. The only time I cared what the other teams were doing was if it directly effected Georgia Southern. Now I honestly want everyone in the SBC to be good. I find myself reading about other schools, hoping they get stud recruits and can pull off big upsets. Granted I still want Georgia Southern to be the best and get tons of recognition, but there really is more to it than just wanting the best for my school. I find myself rooting against CUSA teams instead of SBC teams. As a Braves fan I could never root for the Philies or Nationals because they were playing someone in the NL Central. Got to love FBS athletics! Anyway, just thought I'd share… I still hate App State.

PREACH!

I agree with this.

The only time I rooted for SoCon teams was against BCS teams in the last few years starting with App over michigan.

When Furman was kicking Florida Gators ass I was sure it was going to be just as big of a deal but then they choked away a HUGE lead and it barely made the ESPN news past the week of the game.

Now I have trackers on my phone of all Sun Belt teams and i'm completely interested in the well being of each conference mate.

This thread is a fine example of the atmosphere we've been building for years now. It's a good time to be in the Belt my friends.

Yes, the attitude within the Sun Belt differs from the SoCon. We are in this together and the better our conference mates are, the better for it is for us...

First post on the Sun Belt board... If this conference sustains its current membership then we should be a force to be reckoned with soon. We have the resources to be the best of the G5. We will just need to build the competitiveness within the belt in order to frame each program for perception of being the better than the rest. We are in a better position to do that then most other G5 programs in my opinion, but I am biased. Hail Southern!!!