ESPN, the focus of evil in the sports world, has always wanted the “little engine that could” story to stay in one place. It was fine with that place being us, but the world does not work that way. So it has settled on Boise. But the world does not work that way. No matter the efforts of ESPN’s thought controllers, others will rise and fall over time.
Can MU make it back to the “top”?
IMHO, no. This fanbase, once among the best at this level, has changed. That fanbase makes this an undesirable job and an undesirable place to play.
Once we were dominating the MAC. The only criticism of the MAC you heard was from the petty jealous Spamite crew. That era’s fanbase was happy to dominate the MAC. That era’s fanbase said nothing about how weak the MAC was. That era’s fanbase was happy to be on TV every now and then. That era’s fanbase was happy to go to a ginned up “bowl game” in a frozen suburb of bombed out Detroit, playing before 20% of capacity on ESPN whatever. That era’s fanbase understood that basketball was #2, and more than that, simply understood basketball, and could tell quality play from talk. That era’s fanbase was proud of the stadium and grateful to those who sacrificed of their $$ and of political capital to accomplish it. And they gave of their time, and of their money.
Today, very different. Today’s fanbase both expects to dominate CUSA, and regards CUSA as nothing and winning it as nothing. It has no respect for our opponents. Today’s fanbase both expects to go to a bowl, and considers the bowls that EVERY G5 school, save the one access bowl slot per year, go to as somehow beneath them. Today’s fanbase, in an era where EVERY game playing in the country is on TV, lacks the ability to look up where the game is on, or somehow feels that the channel, or internet stream, we are on is just not good enough. Today’s fanbase lauds a mediocre basketball team as world beaters. Today’s fanbase complains that they cannot possibly be expected to attend a game in something lacking the amenities of Jerry World. And, most of today’s fanbase, sits around and bitches about why “they” (some undefined mix of the state, city, and unnamed rich people) don’t do something about this or that need.
In sum, today’s rotten super-fan turned inward fanbase expects to win every game, but doesn’t consider that an accomplishment. This means is did not have Doc’s back, and won’t have Huff’s back. It will consume him, just as it consumed Doc, and continue to consume coach after coach.
Until it grows up and realizes that:
* THIS CONFERENCE is OUR conference, made up of peer institutions who are all trying to play football at this level. Worthy of our respect.
* The situation vis conference membership and vis how G5 football works in terms of TV, in terms of bowls, and in terms of notice, is HOW IT IS.
And if those two things are not to your taste, the Marshall sports are not for you. Move on. We will be better off without you.
