I don’t understand what more do you guys want JMU to do? Their conference bailed and yet they have proceeded ahead. Training camp starts this week and they have been diligently testing players and by all accounts working to come up with a schedule without any real guidance from the NCAA of FCS to date- you guys would complain about anything - arm chair experts.

(08-05-2020 09:29 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  I don’t understand what more do you guys want JMU to do? Their conference bailed and yet they have proceeded ahead. Training camp starts this week and they have been diligently testing players and by all accounts working to come up with a schedule without any real guidance from the NCAA of FCS to date- you guys would complain about anything - arm chair experts.

I mean, like I said in the previous post, I think in the COVID pandemic football is, and most sports are, inherently unsafe to play (especially considering where we are right now). I'm in the mode of limiting unnecessary interactions, distancing, and wearing a mask in that order. We've turned down social invitations, turned down relatives visiting, don't go to restaurants to eat there (even outdoors), etc. so I feel like I'm talking the talk and walking the walk. My wife and I's risk of contracting COVID-19 is higher than the general populations because of the work that her and I do, so I try to take extra responsibility in my actions so as not to infect ourselves and take it to work, but also not to infect others because of our work.

Everyone is more than welcome to disagree with that, which I know many people will, but you asked for people's opinion and that's mine.

(08-05-2020 09:24 PM)DukeDogNation Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 09:05 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  I think Bourne in some ways might be scared that if JMU plays an FBS heavy schedule, and has success then the momentum for a move up might be so strong from the fan base, and some donors, that he might not be able to stop it. I don't think JMU really wants t be in the mediocre G5 pack. So Bourne's strategy is to just cancel the season, and stay FCS.

But If JMU did have success with an FBS heavy schedule, I would not care if they resumed their FCS bully status in 2021. The brand works---but for it to continue to work, they must play this year.

Amos transferring should be a huge wake-up call that we must play. We just lost our best defender, one of the nation's top PR, and a team leader. That is devastating

I appreciate you sharing your opinion, there's a lot of stuff I agree with although I don't agree with a couple of your points.

I don't think Bourne is scared to play an FBS-heavy schedule, I just don't think the value proposition for those games is going to be as appealing as normal. It's very likely that few to no fans will be allowed in stadiums I would have to imagine renegotiated contracts or new contracts would be lower. I'm also going to guess that no fans will be allowed in Bridgeforth, lowering ticket sales revenue for home games combined with testing costs makes FCS home games non-revenue generating.

I agree that not playing a season will be detrimental to the program, but personally, I just think it's unsafe to play the game of football. Anyone is more than welcome to disagree with that take, but that's my take.

The bold above ^^^ may be true. And I may agree with you that, "it's unsafe to play the game of football"---but I put that aside to talk about the reality that there is a football season that is seemingly going to be played at this point. And if JMU does not play, I think it will be bad for our future.

The revenue hit from lowered ticket sales, is going to be minor when we lose enrollment because our brand takes a hit. Tuition is the biggest revenue generator for Universities---enrollment drives tuition. JMU has a high profile brand, that the football team is a huge part of. You could make the argument that the football brand is JMU's greatest asset to building the overall JMU brand/profile. I maintain that playing a football season is all about JMU protecting it's brand
As far as testing costs----JMU has been testing the football team for over a month, and the other fall sports teams for close to 3 weeks. To me, once you've gone that far with a monetary commitment, you have to see it through.

(08-05-2020 09:29 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  I don’t understand what more do you guys want JMU to do? Their conference bailed and yet they have proceeded ahead. Training camp starts this week and they have been diligently testing players and by all accounts working to come up with a schedule without any real guidance from the NCAA of FCS to date- you guys would complain about anything - arm chair experts.

All that you say is true---taken at face value. However, I been trying to read the tea leaves. And since their initial announcement that they intended to play an independent schedule---there's been silence. From what I see and hear, it looks like JMU has been waiting for the NCAA to make a decision so they could bail on their season. But the NCAA washed their hands and through it back on the divisions, so Bourne lost his cover.

Then, on the day the NCAA announced their decision, to not decide---Amos puts his name in the portal. I would have to say that Amos is operating from inside knowledge. He's reading his own tea-leaves, and has decided that he sees no path to a season. I would say it's probably safe to assume the coaches gave him the quiet nod that now was the time to make his move. Amos is not a fringe player. He is a veteran in good standing, who has been through the wars, and has/is an integral part of this team's success.

What do I want JMU to do? Announce they will play a season regardless of any FCS post season. And I want them to do it to save their future and their brand

As far as Amos goes-yes, it is a major bummer. But through last season, I considered him an exceptional return guy and a decent FCS level safety. I did not think his NFL future possibilities were due to his safety play. Remember, all those awards he's won were due to his punt returns prowess. His loss on defense would not be as great as losing Mike Green, or a Liam Fornadel on offense.

(08-05-2020 09:55 PM)olddawg Wrote:  As far as Amos goes-yes, it is a major bummer. But through last season, I considered him an exceptional return guy and a decent FCS level safety. I did not think his NFL future possibilities were due to his safety play. Remember, all those awards he's won were due to his punt returns prowess. His loss on defense would not be as great as losing Mike Green, or a Liam Fornadel on offense.

You're probably right from a purely talent point. But the optics for the team are horrible!! Losing a veteran senior leader like that has to also hurt the locker room.

(08-05-2020 09:43 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  The bold above ^^^ may be true. And I may agree with you that, "it's unsafe to play the game of football"---but I put that aside to talk about the reality that there is a football season that is seemingly going to be played at this point. And if JMU does not play, I think it will be bad for our future.

The revenue hit from lowered ticket sales, is going to be minor when we lose enrollment because our brand takes a hit. Tuition is the biggest revenue generator for Universities---enrollment drives tuition. JMU has a high profile brand, that the football team is a huge part of. You could make the argument that the football brand is JMU's greatest asset to building the overall JMU brand/profile. I maintain that playing a football season is all about JMU protecting it's brand
As far as testing costs----JMU has been testing the football team for over a month, and the other fall sports teams for close to 3 weeks. To me, once you've gone that far with a monetary commitment, you have to see it through.

I think you're right to say that if a football season is played and if JMU doesn't play in it that will hurt our brand. I just worry that playing in a "doomed" season has the potential to hurt our brand and University more.

I agree that football can/does generate interest in the University, but I think it's a small part of a bigger identity that can be sold without a football season. Even among athletes (football and non-football), the beauty of the campus and "feeling" when being on campus are always mentioned alongside winning championships. All-online classes would hurt any university more than not having a football season, both of which I feel are appropriate for safety reasons. Not to mention that so many of the schools that we compete with for recruits will sit out this season it seems less of a factor in recruiting.

Finally, unless COVID testing is a big cost, but the costs to get us here are sunk. Looking at Peterson-KFF's Health System Tracker, of 102 hospital systems listing COVID testing prices the overwhelming majority of COVID tests cost $100+/test.



The testing requirements for the NCAA are twice a week. The FCS asks for 64 student-athlete names to be listed for FCS playoffs. Using the lowest plurality number of $100, testing costs could be estimated at...

64 players x $100/test = $6,400 testing cost per week

Continue that on for 10-12 weeks and it gets very costly very fast.

I appreciate you having the conversation, I think we agree on a lot of places.

(08-05-2020 09:55 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 09:29 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  I don’t understand what more do you guys want JMU to do? Their conference bailed and yet they have proceeded ahead. Training camp starts this week and they have been diligently testing players and by all accounts working to come up with a schedule without any real guidance from the NCAA of FCS to date- you guys would complain about anything - arm chair experts.

All that you say is true---taken at face value. However, I been trying to read the tea leaves. And since their initial announcement that they intended to play an independent schedule---there's been silence. From what I see and hear, it looks like JMU has been waiting for the NCAA to make a decision so they could bail on their season. But the NCAA washed their hands and through it back on the divisions, so Bourne lost his cover.

Then, on the day the NCAA announced their decision, to not decide---Amos puts his name in the portal. I would have to say that Amos is operating from inside knowledge. He's reading his own tea-leaves, and has decided that he sees no path to a season. I would say it's probably safe to assume the coaches gave him the quiet nod that now was the time to make his move. Amos is not a fringe player. He is a veteran in good standing, who has been through the wars, and has/is an integral part of this team's success.

What do I want JMU to do? Announce they will play a season regardless of any FCS post season. And I want them to do it to save their future and their brand

Do you expect Bourne and co to give us updates on the conversations they are having with other schools about scheduling? Do you agree that this is a very fluid time and situation and extremely challenging? I believe they are doing everything that they can because why wouldn’t they? I’m sorry I don’t buy the narrative that JMU intentionally made a statement to have an out because for some reason they don’t want to or never wanted to play. I think it’s pretty logical that JMU wants to play and is doing everything they can to play given the circumstances and will continue to.

(08-05-2020 10:07 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 09:55 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 09:29 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  I don’t understand what more do you guys want JMU to do? Their conference bailed and yet they have proceeded ahead. Training camp starts this week and they have been diligently testing players and by all accounts working to come up with a schedule without any real guidance from the NCAA of FCS to date- you guys would complain about anything - arm chair experts.

All that you say is true---taken at face value. However, I been trying to read the tea leaves. And since their initial announcement that they intended to play an independent schedule---there's been silence. From what I see and hear, it looks like JMU has been waiting for the NCAA to make a decision so they could bail on their season. But the NCAA washed their hands and through it back on the divisions, so Bourne lost his cover.

Then, on the day the NCAA announced their decision, to not decide---Amos puts his name in the portal. I would have to say that Amos is operating from inside knowledge. He's reading his own tea-leaves, and has decided that he sees no path to a season. I would say it's probably safe to assume the coaches gave him the quiet nod that now was the time to make his move. Amos is not a fringe player. He is a veteran in good standing, who has been through the wars, and has/is an integral part of this team's success.

What do I want JMU to do? Announce they will play a season regardless of any FCS post season. And I want them to do it to save their future and their brand

Do you expect Bourne and co to give us updates on the conversations they are having with other schools about scheduling? Do you agree that this is a very fluid time and situation and extremely challenging? I believe they are doing everything that they can because why wouldn’t they? I’m sorry I don’t buy the narrative that JMU intentionally made a statement to have an out because for some reason they don’t want to or never wanted to play. I think it’s pretty logical that JMU wants to play and is doing everything they can to play given the circumstances and will continue to.

No, I don't expect Bourne and co to give us updates on the conversations they are having with other schools about scheduling. ---I'm just hoping for some positive signs, and I don't see any

Yes, I agree that this is a very fluid time and situation and extremely challenging, and I would hope they are doing everything they can. I just think there's too much politics being played.

You may not buy my narrative that JMU intentionally made a statement to have an out because for some reason they don’t want to or never wanted to play---but I am just too skeptical to believe that everything is above board. After the Amos announcement tonight, my skepticism about Bourne's truthfulness in this matter feels like it's coming true.
Amos has to know more than us.

I absolutely, positively hope your faith, trust and belief that everything Bourne has said is above board and can be taken at face value. I hope and pray you are right and I am wrong.

Does a player who enters the transfer portal immediately stop practicing with the team? Or is that a player to player, program/coaching decision?

I understand a player may change their mind, and withdraw their name from the transfer portal, but is their scholarship withdrawn immediately on the player’s declaring their intent to test the transfer waters? And thus a player would have to have their scholarship restored by the program if the player decides to stay?

Bottom line, what downside risk or consequence does a player face by declaring their intent to transfer? I’m sure someone has read the relatively new rules and regulations that govern this situation and can enlighten me and others.

A player like Amos will have opportunities to play for another team who actually plays this Fall, but it seems (to me) his decision to try and play elsewhere by transferring could place him in a position of holding a bag of air. If the Pros don’t already have him on their radar I’m not sure a transfer is going to help his opportunity/situation to play on Sundays.

There are some damn funny comments on this thread today.


Ones that just make you go

I think Amos' decision shines a light on what the NCAA is thinking in regards to eligibility for the seniors. I think he stays if they came out and said seniors would have an extra year to play. Cant blame the kid for wanting to try to get as much tape out there as possible

Still dont think there will be any college football this fall. Maybe 2-3 weeks but the first outbreak is going to spiral out of control. Just look at the MLB right now and they aren't dealing with teams going back to 20000 student campuses

(08-05-2020 07:46 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:25 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  DeAngelo Amos enters the transfer portal. Sucks.

https://twitter.com/almostfamos_/status/...44609?s=21

And there's the answer on the 2020 football season. I would think that your senior leader got word to get ahead of this because there won't be a season.

So much for Bourne's foot dragging and stringing the fans along about a season. He NEVER intended to put together a season. He ONLY intended to string us all along so he could make it look like he was trying to play a season. Bourne expected the NCAA to bail him out all along by cancelling the playoffs. He never expected the NCAA to flip the script and put it on the schools and conferences to decide.

Bringing all these kids back in early July----when JMU already suspected the CAA was going to cancel the season----housing, feeding, testing, training, practicing---this was alot of time, money and effort. JMU is supposed to suit up on Friday to start fall camp---are they gonna keep up this charade now that they've lost a senior leader??

This is the first JMU domino to fall. I'd expect more seniors to hit the portal. I'd expect coaches to look for greener pastures. I'd expect commits to open up recruitment.

You can't got around telling coaches, players, and recruits you're as good as any G5 then bail on a season when the G5 plays. Can't be expected to run that same game on donors and fans either. If JMU does not play this season---and there is a season---the brand is irreparably harmed

It is posts like this that really are unfair and why the internet is bad. It allows someone who has no clue to make an emotional post based on their feelings about a person they don’t even know.

You are making a lot of strong statements. You are basically saying the man doesn’t care about JMU athletics and wants to destroy everything he spent his entire career building.

My perspective is he is trying his best to schedule a season and play for an FCS championship when his conference was one of the first to bail. He was disappointed with the CAAs decision. He knows he has NFL prospects and knew they might decide to enter the portal if JMU did not play. He knows that for JMU to continue to be been as a serious athletics program, he had to try to salvage a season. He knows he has to do all he can to give his student athletes a chance to play their senior season. He is spent the money to bring athletes back in JULY instead of cancelling the season. The rest of the CAA saved their pennies and did not even try to have a season.

Some of you think scheduling is easy. FCS teams won’t play us because they are scheduling a loss that could eliminate them from playoff consideration. FBS teams won’t play us because losing to an FCS school can cost an FBS coach his job. Some of you think it is as easy as picking up the phone and saying “hey, let’s play”. There is value to other FCS programs if JMU doesn’t play this fall. One less hurdle to face in the playoffs.

Unlike you, I know Jeff Bourne and I find your post incredibly offensive and extremely immature. You don’t know how lucky we are to have this guy as our AD. I can promise you no one cares more about JMU athletics than he does. He doesn’t need to do any of the things your emotional rant accuses him of doing. The easy out was for him to use the CAAs decision as a reason to cancel the season and save the school significant dollars.

(08-06-2020 06:48 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:46 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:25 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  DeAngelo Amos enters the transfer portal. Sucks.

https://twitter.com/almostfamos_/status/...44609?s=21

And there's the answer on the 2020 football season. I would think that your senior leader got word to get ahead of this because there won't be a season.

So much for Bourne's foot dragging and stringing the fans along about a season. He NEVER intended to put together a season. He ONLY intended to string us all along so he could make it look like he was trying to play a season. Bourne expected the NCAA to bail him out all along by cancelling the playoffs. He never expected the NCAA to flip the script and put it on the schools and conferences to decide.

Bringing all these kids back in early July----when JMU already suspected the CAA was going to cancel the season----housing, feeding, testing, training, practicing---this was alot of time, money and effort. JMU is supposed to suit up on Friday to start fall camp---are they gonna keep up this charade now that they've lost a senior leader??

This is the first JMU domino to fall. I'd expect more seniors to hit the portal. I'd expect coaches to look for greener pastures. I'd expect commits to open up recruitment.

You can't got around telling coaches, players, and recruits you're as good as any G5 then bail on a season when the G5 plays. Can't be expected to run that same game on donors and fans either. If JMU does not play this season---and there is a season---the brand is irreparably harmed

It is posts like this that really are unfair and why the internet is bad. It allows someone who has no clue to make an emotional post based on their feelings about a person they don’t even know.

You are making a lot of strong statements. You are basically saying the man doesn’t care about JMU athletics and wants to destroy everything he spent his entire career building.

My perspective is he is trying his best to schedule a season and play for an FCS championship when his conference was one of the first to bail. He was disappointed with the CAAs decision. He knows he has NFL prospects and knew they might decide to enter the portal if JMU did not play. He knows that for JMU to continue to be been as a serious athletics program, he had to try to salvage a season. He knows he has to do all he can to give his student athletes a chance to play their senior season. He is spent the money to bring athletes back in JULY instead of cancelling the season. The rest of the CAA saved their pennies and did not even try to have a season.

Some of you think scheduling is easy. FCS teams won’t play us because they are scheduling a loss that could eliminate them from playoff consideration. FBS teams won’t play us because losing to an FCS school can cost an FBS coach his job. Some of you think it is as easy as picking up the phone and saying “hey, let’s play”. There is value to other FCS programs if JMU doesn’t play this fall. One less hurdle to face in the playoffs.

Unlike you, I know Jeff Bourne and I find your post incredibly offensive and extremely immature. You don’t know how lucky we are to have this guy as our AD. I can promise you no one cares more about JMU athletics than he does. He doesn’t need to do any of the things your emotional rant accuses him of doing. The easy out was for him to use the CAAs decision as a reason to cancel the season and save the school significant dollars.

how do you put a schedule together when most FBS conferences have gone to conference-only games, with maybe 1 OOC game (I'm sure JMU is NOT #1 on many of these schools lists for their 1 opportunity)

Others just in the last few days released their plans for what games their members could play this year.

And still others haven't even said yet what they are going to do.

The same is true for the FCS conferences, never mind the fact that our own conference bailed which wiped out 8 scheduled games.

Yet, some on here expect JMU to have magically not only put a schedule together by now, but to have announced it to the world.

smh.

PS - can someone point me in the direction of any school that had its conference schedule wiped out that has released a full schedule yet in FCS? I'm curious to know if we are the ONLY school that has yet to put a schedule together.

(08-06-2020 06:59 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(08-06-2020 06:48 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:46 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:25 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  DeAngelo Amos enters the transfer portal. Sucks.

https://twitter.com/almostfamos_/status/...44609?s=21

And there's the answer on the 2020 football season. I would think that your senior leader got word to get ahead of this because there won't be a season.

So much for Bourne's foot dragging and stringing the fans along about a season. He NEVER intended to put together a season. He ONLY intended to string us all along so he could make it look like he was trying to play a season. Bourne expected the NCAA to bail him out all along by cancelling the playoffs. He never expected the NCAA to flip the script and put it on the schools and conferences to decide.

Bringing all these kids back in early July----when JMU already suspected the CAA was going to cancel the season----housing, feeding, testing, training, practicing---this was alot of time, money and effort. JMU is supposed to suit up on Friday to start fall camp---are they gonna keep up this charade now that they've lost a senior leader??

This is the first JMU domino to fall. I'd expect more seniors to hit the portal. I'd expect coaches to look for greener pastures. I'd expect commits to open up recruitment.

You can't got around telling coaches, players, and recruits you're as good as any G5 then bail on a season when the G5 plays. Can't be expected to run that same game on donors and fans either. If JMU does not play this season---and there is a season---the brand is irreparably harmed

It is posts like this that really are unfair and why the internet is bad. It allows someone who has no clue to make an emotional post based on their feelings about a person they don’t even know.

You are making a lot of strong statements. You are basically saying the man doesn’t care about JMU athletics and wants to destroy everything he spent his entire career building.

My perspective is he is trying his best to schedule a season and play for an FCS championship when his conference was one of the first to bail. He was disappointed with the CAAs decision. He knows he has NFL prospects and knew they might decide to enter the portal if JMU did not play. He knows that for JMU to continue to be been as a serious athletics program, he had to try to salvage a season. He knows he has to do all he can to give his student athletes a chance to play their senior season. He is spent the money to bring athletes back in JULY instead of cancelling the season. The rest of the CAA saved their pennies and did not even try to have a season.

Some of you think scheduling is easy. FCS teams won’t play us because they are scheduling a loss that could eliminate them from playoff consideration. FBS teams won’t play us because losing to an FCS school can cost an FBS coach his job. Some of you think it is as easy as picking up the phone and saying “hey, let’s play”. There is value to other FCS programs if JMU doesn’t play this fall. One less hurdle to face in the playoffs.

Unlike you, I know Jeff Bourne and I find your post incredibly offensive and extremely immature. You don’t know how lucky we are to have this guy as our AD. I can promise you no one cares more about JMU athletics than he does. He doesn’t need to do any of the things your emotional rant accuses him of doing. The easy out was for him to use the CAAs decision as a reason to cancel the season and save the school significant dollars.

how do you put a schedule together when most FBS conferences have gone to conference-only games, with maybe 1 OOC game (I'm sure JMU is NOT #1 on many of these schools lists for their 1 opportunity)

Others just in the last few days released their plans for what games their members could play this year.

And still others haven't even said yet what they are going to do.

The same is true for the FCS conferences, never mind the fact that our own conference bailed which wiped out 8 scheduled games.

Yet, some on here expect JMU to have magically not only put a schedule together by now, but to have announced it to the world.

smh.

PS - can someone point me in the direction of any school that had its conference schedule wiped out that has released a full schedule yet in FCS? I'm curious to know if we are the ONLY school that has yet to put a schedule together.

This!!! and more This!!!

You have made your point a dozen times now. We get it.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I'm pretty amazed it's not just a Dukeman copy/paste. Maybe it is? I tend to skip the paragraph(s) that seem like the same repetition.

(08-05-2020 09:29 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  I don’t understand what more do you guys want JMU to do? Their conference bailed and yet they have proceeded ahead. Training camp starts this week and they have been diligently testing players and by all accounts working to come up with a schedule without any real guidance from the NCAA of FCS to date- you guys would complain about anything - arm chair experts.

I agree....I don't see what more at this point JMU could be doing to say we want and plan to play football this fall.

(08-05-2020 08:12 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:50 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:46 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:25 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  DeAngelo Amos enters the transfer portal. Sucks.

https://twitter.com/almostfamos_/status/...44609?s=21

And there's the answer on the 2020 football season. I would think that your senior leader got word to get ahead of this because there won't be a season.

So much for Bourne's foot dragging and stringing the fans along about a season. He NEVER intended to put together a season. He ONLY intended to string us all along so he could make it look like he was trying to play a season. Bourne expected the NCAA to bail him out all along by cancelling the playoffs. He never expected the NCAA to flip the script and put it on the schools and conferences to decide.

Bringing all these kids back in early July----when JMU already suspected the CAA was going to cancel the season----housing, feeding, testing, training, practicing---this was alot of time, money and effort. JMU is supposed to suit up on Friday to start fall camp---are they gonna keep up this charade now that they've lost a senior leader??

This is the first JMU domino to fall. I'd expect more seniors to hit the portal. I'd expect coaches to look for greener pastures. I'd expect commits to open up recruitment.

You can't got around telling coaches, players, and recruits you're as good as any G5 then bail on a season when the G5 plays. Can't be expected to run that same game on donors and fans either. If JMU does not play this season---and there is a season---the brand is irreparably harmed

I'm not this pessimistic on outcomes, but do think it would be good for us to play if we can. For now, I'm taking Bourne and Cig at their word that they want to move forward if possible and play games.

Bourne thought he had this all figured out when he said, JMU will play a season if there are playoffs. He thought the NCAA would make the decision for him. He thought he could play the hero by acting like he was putting together a season, when all along he was betting HEAVY that the NCAA would pull the plug on the post season----Too bad for him that the NCAA stuck it back in the face of the FCS and put the decision on them.

I completely, totally, absolutely 100% believe Cignetti wants a 2020 season. I believe Cignetti 100% wants an FBS heavy schedule---But I'm sure he has been silenced by the athletic department.

Amos is just the first one to realize he's been sold a bill of goods. JMU built this wonderful FCS big bad bully on the block model. They were content to run that model to infinity. JMU spent like a G5 program but with none of the struggles G5 programs faced, because JMU was playing their well cultivated role a FCS bully boy. And truth be told, most donors, fans, coaches, and players accepted that model to some degree. As the FCS bully JMU had more exposure than most G5 programs, which helped with enrollment, fan interest, donations, and recruiting. Everyone knew that JMU had outgrown the FCS but they went along with the model because it was successful.

Then covid-19 hit, and the entire sustainability of the poor sisters of the FCS crumbled in an instant. JMU's big bully FCS model is in serious jeopardy---and the ONLY way to save it is to play a season, because if not---we are nothing but an FCS program, and JMU will never be able to tell coaches, recruits, fans, donors, prospective students that we are everything a G5 program is, and better, and it's only a matter of time before we move up. Because the chance to "move up" is now--there are plenty of holes in many teams schedules.

Maybe this forces Bourne into action, and he sees that he has to act to save his program before more players jump the sinking ship. But probably not---Bourne is probably looking at this as a perfect excuse to kill the football program to some degree, and concentrate more resources on Olympic sports.

(08-06-2020 06:48 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:46 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 07:25 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  DeAngelo Amos enters the transfer portal. Sucks.

https://twitter.com/almostfamos_/status/...44609?s=21

And there's the answer on the 2020 football season. I would think that your senior leader got word to get ahead of this because there won't be a season.

So much for Bourne's foot dragging and stringing the fans along about a season. He NEVER intended to put together a season. He ONLY intended to string us all along so he could make it look like he was trying to play a season. Bourne expected the NCAA to bail him out all along by cancelling the playoffs. He never expected the NCAA to flip the script and put it on the schools and conferences to decide.

Bringing all these kids back in early July----when JMU already suspected the CAA was going to cancel the season----housing, feeding, testing, training, practicing---this was alot of time, money and effort. JMU is supposed to suit up on Friday to start fall camp---are they gonna keep up this charade now that they've lost a senior leader??

This is the first JMU domino to fall. I'd expect more seniors to hit the portal. I'd expect coaches to look for greener pastures. I'd expect commits to open up recruitment.

You can't got around telling coaches, players, and recruits you're as good as any G5 then bail on a season when the G5 plays. Can't be expected to run that same game on donors and fans either. If JMU does not play this season---and there is a season---the brand is irreparably harmed

It is posts like this that really are unfair and why the internet is bad. It allows someone who has no clue to make an emotional post based on their feelings about a person they don’t even know.

You are making a lot of strong statements. You are basically saying the man doesn’t care about JMU athletics and wants to destroy everything he spent his entire career building.

My perspective is he is trying his best to schedule a season and play for an FCS championship when his conference was one of the first to bail. He was disappointed with the CAAs decision. He knows he has NFL prospects and knew they might decide to enter the portal if JMU did not play. He knows that for JMU to continue to be been as a serious athletics program, he had to try to salvage a season. He knows he has to do all he can to give his student athletes a chance to play their senior season. He is spent the money to bring athletes back in JULY instead of cancelling the season. The rest of the CAA saved their pennies and did not even try to have a season.

Some of you think scheduling is easy. FCS teams won’t play us because they are scheduling a loss that could eliminate them from playoff consideration. FBS teams won’t play us because losing to an FCS school can cost an FBS coach his job. Some of you think it is as easy as picking up the phone and saying “hey, let’s play”. There is value to other FCS programs if JMU doesn’t play this fall. One less hurdle to face in the playoffs.

Unlike you, I know Jeff Bourne and I find your post incredibly offensive and extremely immature. You don’t know how lucky we are to have this guy as our AD. I can promise you no one cares more about JMU athletics than he does. He doesn’t need to do any of the things your emotional rant accuses him of doing. The easy out was for him to use the CAAs decision as a reason to cancel the season and save the school significant dollars.

Agree!!

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I will say though, that entering the transfer portal on August 5 sure feels like some player tampering to me b/c the timing is really odd to get acclimated to a new team. My gut tells me he was approached by a team and already has a landing spot.........