Before West we did have some good seasons under Stobart and Bailey and even before them, but all in all, we were one of the very worst football programs in the history of the sport. Memphis, Rice and Temple were all three considered awful over the decades, losses, lack of bowl appearances, etc. I remember being ranked in the bottom ten football programs over time more than once.

These days, that seems to be behind us with several new teams in "D1" and the fact that we've been good for more a decade. I'm just glad those days are over and when the next round of expansion happens, I now feel like we are one of the very first to be added.

(07-01-2019 12:48 PM)cmt Wrote:  Before West we did have some good seasons under Stobart and Bailey and even before them, but all in all, we were one of the very worst football programs in the history of the sport. Memphis, Rice and Temple were all three considered awful over the decades, losses, lack of bowl appearances, etc. I remember being ranked in the bottom ten football programs over time more than once.

These days, that seems to be behind us with several new teams in "D1" and the fact that we've been good for more a decade. I'm just glad those days are over and when the next round of expansion happens, I now feel like we are one of the very first to be added.

Yep. So true. Tommy West coached one of our best eras and during that time we were usually about .500 (with DeAngelo running circles around people) and played in a toilet bowl. We've come a LONG way. I remember our Homecoming games being competitive. You could go anywhere in the stadium to sit. I'd always drag people to the game with me. Tix were always very scalpable. Most games, someone would give me one when I tried to buy them in the parking lot. Crazy!

I cherished those DW days! But we weren't very good. And in other years we were terrible.

That is a really poorly written article and I would not be at all surprised if the writer wasn't paid to write it.

That being said, the writer clearly left out the pressing issue - our football program's OOC scheduling going forward.

(07-01-2019 12:28 PM)gusrob Wrote:  Remember the GMAC bowl vs Bowling Green in Mobile, AL? They had 1 little fast -as-lighting athlete than ran circles around us. It was in the sub-par-HS-stadium called Ladd Peebles and it was a terrible storm. Rained it's *** off! All our shoes got soaked so we went to their little hillbilly Walmart and bought $2 flip flops to get home in. Then we drove home to an ice storm. Flip flops were a poor choice, lol. Glad we have new, updated memories to enjoy!

Tommy West is someone we should thank. For his coaching? Sure. For DeANgelo? H*** YEAH! And mostly for that farewell press conference.

SAME!!!! Was at that game and went to the same Way Mart lol we bought frog togs and tried not to drown! Left after the game and drove to New Orleans. I think I might be almost dried out.

Justin Fuerte

Dayum .......... you'd think someone would proofread?
.

(07-01-2019 01:36 PM)Cletus Wrote:  Justin Fuerte

Dayum .......... you'd think someone would proofread?
.

Then spelled it correctly the very next sentence. Written in 5 min?

(07-01-2019 12:23 PM)gusrob Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 10:26 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 09:55 AM)gusrob Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 09:38 AM)uskjtc02 Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 07:53 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  

Thanks Tommy West!!!

It can't be stated enough. Those were tough times for MEMPHIS football fans!

Tommy took Memphis to 5 bowls in 6 seasons with DeAngelo and Gostkowski...

....right. What's your point?

the Rip and Tic show were tough times for Tiger fans. Tommy West brought something Memphis hadn't ever had before...5 bowls in 6 seasons...and if not for that damn 4th and 23 it would have been 6 bowls in 7 seasons but I digress.

(07-01-2019 12:48 PM)cmt Wrote:  Before West we did have some good seasons under Stobart and Bailey and even before them, but all in all, we were one of the very worst football programs in the history of the sport. Memphis, Rice and Temple were all three considered awful over the decades, losses, lack of bowl appearances, etc. I remember being ranked in the bottom ten football programs over time more than once.

These days, that seems to be behind us with several new teams in "D1" and the fact that we've been good for more a decade. I'm just glad those days are over and when the next round of expansion happens, I now feel like we are one of the very first to be added.

don't forget Baylor and Kansas State, and Northwestern.
Until Art Briles, and Bill Snyder....those two schools were perennial losers....as was Northwestern.

Sorry but it is simply not true to say that we had one of the worst programs in football. We were really bad at times and under Coach Porter we hit the bottom 10 according to a writer, but to say that we were among the worst is just crazy.

Like the records since 1960 were posted, we are essentially a .500 team. (don't forget the majority of those years were 10/11 game seasons). I can promise that there aren't less than 20 teams with a worse average since 1960.

Just in our conference, using all time records.

Memphis 455–507–33 (.474)
Houston 432–360–15 (.545)
SMU 478–523–54 (.479)
Tulane 518–642–38 (.448)
Navy 702–549–57 (.558)
Tulsa 601–479–28 (.555)
UConn 502–542–38 (.482)
UCF 243–209–1 (.538)
USF 153–111 (.580)
Temple 467-584-52 (.447)
ECU 426–385–11 (.525)
Cincy 614–589–50 (.510)

But, since 1960 we are averaging 1.4 more wins per season than we did from 1928-1960. And the schedule during most of those year was far easier than since 1960.

What Norvell and STAFF are doing on the recruiting trail is nothing short of amazing....Penny has more toys to sell, Mike doesn't and he is killing it

(07-01-2019 09:56 PM)k2tigers Wrote:  What Norvell and STAFF are doing on the recruiting trail is nothing short of amazing....Penny has more toys to sell, Mike doesn't and he is killing it

I partially agree with you, but Mike does have some VERY impressive toys to sell and only getting better. The locker room is one of the best, the new weight room is very impressive. The new IPF will put every other G5 to shame and even a lot of P5s.

Seeing how amazing the new basketball facility is (if anyone hasn't seen it, you simply owe it to yourself to check it out), I would've never believed that football would be anywhere close. They won't be that far behind within the next year and a half.

(07-01-2019 10:52 AM)Atlanta Wrote:  When I was forming my allegiance to the Memphis Tigers as a young boy, the FB Tigers were winning consistently (50s-60s). Only after I graduated college at MSU & moved away from Memphis did the Tigers begin to lose with any regularity. So I have my earliest remembrances of Tiger FB as a winning program. In fact, I remember thinking Louisville & Cincy were the weak sisters who we beat like a drum with regularity.

Heck, I believe we used to beat Florida State regularly, that is, until Bobby Bowden took the reins of their program. Shows you how having the right coach can make all the difference.

(07-01-2019 03:12 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 12:23 PM)gusrob Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 10:26 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 09:55 AM)gusrob Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 09:38 AM)uskjtc02 Wrote:  Thanks Tommy West!!!

It can't be stated enough. Those were tough times for MEMPHIS football fans!

Tommy took Memphis to 5 bowls in 6 seasons with DeAngelo and Gostkowski...

....right. What's your point?

the Rip and Tic show were tough times for Tiger fans. Tommy West brought something Memphis hadn't ever had before...5 bowls in 6 seasons...and if not for that damn 4th and 23 it would have been 6 bowls in 7 seasons but I digress.

It was improvement. Don't convince yourself it was the same as what we have now. I enjoyed cheering the Tigers then and I enjoy cheering them on now. It does nothing to breakdown the details of TW's era. He was overall a positive for us.

(07-01-2019 10:38 PM)tigernole79 Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 09:56 PM)k2tigers Wrote:  What Norvell and STAFF are doing on the recruiting trail is nothing short of amazing....Penny has more toys to sell, Mike doesn't and he is killing it

I partially agree with you, but Mike does have some VERY impressive toys to sell and only getting better. The locker room is one of the best, the new weight room is very impressive. The new IPF will put every other G5 to shame and even a lot of P5s.

Seeing how amazing the new basketball facility is (if anyone hasn't seen it, you simply owe it to yourself to check it out), I would've never believed that football would be anywhere close. They won't be that far behind within the next year and a half.

What's the lifespan on facilities? Every time a new practice facility opens, it's touted as best in the country or, in the case of G5 football, better than/equal to P5. At some point, everybody's going to be within spitting distance of each other until the next cycle ramps up.

Please don't read this as if I think facility improvement isn't important. It is, I'm just wondering how long it reasonably can be considered a "leg up on" or "equal to" competitors.

(07-01-2019 08:06 AM)Atlanta Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 08:03 AM)bubbapt Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 07:53 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  

Not sure I completely agree with the author’s assessment of our past history.

That was a bleak period of football a decade ago.

And he falls to mention that during much of that 32yr bowl drought we were an independent when there were few bowl games who virtually never invited independents.

In 1960 we finished 8-2.
In 1961 we finished 8-2
In 1962 we finished 8-1
In 1963 we finished 9-0-1

We were an Independent those years but never went to a bowl game. In 1963 we tied Ole Miss who was No. 2 at the time. They finished the season 7-1-2 and played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. They lost but still finished #7 in the final polls.

(07-02-2019 07:46 AM)gusrob Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 03:12 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 12:23 PM)gusrob Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 10:26 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 09:55 AM)gusrob Wrote:  It can't be stated enough. Those were tough times for MEMPHIS football fans!

Tommy took Memphis to 5 bowls in 6 seasons with DeAngelo and Gostkowski...

....right. What's your point?

the Rip and Tic show were tough times for Tiger fans. Tommy West brought something Memphis hadn't ever had before...5 bowls in 6 seasons...and if not for that damn 4th and 23 it would have been 6 bowls in 7 seasons but I digress.

It was improvement. Don't convince yourself it was the same as what we have now. I enjoyed cheering the Tigers then and I enjoy cheering them on now. It does nothing to breakdown the details of TW's era. He was overall a positive for us.

TW did great things but his personal life impacted his ability to continue his good work.

(07-01-2019 10:26 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 09:55 AM)gusrob Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 09:38 AM)uskjtc02 Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 07:53 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  

Thanks Tommy West!!!

It can't be stated enough. Those were tough times for MEMPHIS football fans!

Tommy took Memphis to 5 bowls in 6 seasons with DeAngelo and Gostkowski...

Tommy was a good coach but a pathetic recruiter; and once he lost Randy Fichtner to the Steelers, his program slowly descended into the abyss. Tommy’s “rant” was self-serving and used as an excuse for his lazy approach to recruiting. Tommy laughed at “star” ratings and always acted like he knew more than the various recruiting services. He obviously didn’t.

(07-01-2019 08:36 PM)EarthBoundMisfit Wrote:  

(07-01-2019 12:48 PM)cmt Wrote:  Before West we did have some good seasons under Stobart and Bailey and even before them, but all in all, we were one of the very worst football programs in the history of the sport. Memphis, Rice and Temple were all three considered awful over the decades, losses, lack of bowl appearances, etc. I remember being ranked in the bottom ten football programs over time more than once.

These days, that seems to be behind us with several new teams in "D1" and the fact that we've been good for more a decade. I'm just glad those days are over and when the next round of expansion happens, I now feel like we are one of the very first to be added.

don't forget Baylor and Kansas State, and Northwestern.
Until Art Briles, and Bill Snyder....those two schools were perennial losers....as was Northwestern.

We were rarely the worst team, but we had never been great, ever, the Burley Bowl (1956) and Pasadena Bowl (1971) were our only claims to fame. We won the MVC in 1968, 69 and 71. The problem was almost every other team had won something at some point.

Baylor has been to 24 bowl games, way back tho the Orange bowl in 1951, Gator in 1956 and 1960, Sugar in 1956, Cotton in 1974 and 80, etc, etc, etc.

Kansas State didn't do anything until the 1990's

Northwestern won the Rose bowl in 1948 and lost there in 1995 and had a few other brief moments of glory.

Even Tulane had been to the Sugar and Rose Bowls in the 1930's and the Liberty Bowl in 1970 and 79 and had the 12-0 season with a Liberty Bowl win in 1998.

We hadn't accomplished very much and are still looking for an AAC championship game victory.

(07-01-2019 10:52 AM)Atlanta Wrote:  When I was forming my allegiance to the Memphis Tigers as a young boy, the FB Tigers were winning consistently (50s-60s). Only after I graduated college at MSU & moved away from Memphis did the Tigers begin to lose with any regularity. So I have my earliest remembrances of Tiger FB as a winning program. In fact, I remember thinking Louisville & Cincy were the weak sisters who we beat like a drum with regularity.

Same with me. Growing up (I was born in 1947), Tiger football was really good. Went to my first game at Crump Stadium in 1952, with my dad and uncle.

When Spook Murphy was coach, we were great. A couple All-Americans on the team, some NFL pros, competitive with the SEC, etc. Didn't really start downhill until the late 70s, iirc.

The author of this article is obviously much younger, and has no memory or knowledge of that era, or even why we didn't go to a bowl for so long.

And he needs an editor, lol.