I know, I know, i made you guys wait way too long to read what my opinion was. I know without my opinion, you struggle to get through your day, right!
Well, here goes, first my opinion on the day as a whole.
For the past few years we have had some players that have made sure they connected with the community and the fans. No need to name them, as they know who they are. But, for the most part, the past four years we have all felt alienated, (at least I think most of us felt that way.) At spring games, and after games, the players and coaches minded their own business. Players didnt talk to fans, and coaches looked down their noses at fans and supporters as if they were far more important than all of us.
Sure, i supported Huff, but only because he was our head coach. No other reason. Personally, thought he was a lousy human being. I got tired of his lame stories at Big Green type events where he would tell stories that were 100000 percent false. He didnt bother to learn any of our history, outside of the obvious.
Saturday at the game, the feeling was different. The game was real. It wasnt a game where the staff's only goal was to get it over with and get away from the fans. Then when the game was over, the players went over and slapped hands with fans around the stands. Then circled back out and shook hands, hugged and talked to the nearly 200 alumni football players who were all on the field. Each alum took a second to tell the crowd their name, when they played, what they played, and then either a quick Go Herd, or a story, or something funny. It was great to see guys like Billy Malashevich who hasnt been around much recently. LV Colclough was back, Ricky Hall, Ahmad Bradshaw, and newer guys like Owen Porter, Stephen Faucheux, and Dalton Tucker all in green and white bibs, Logan Osburn, Micah Abraham and more.
After that was done, every fan was invited down to the field. They put a clock up as a countdown, but it was only for looks apparently. It went off, and the players kept talking, and Coach Gibson kept on signing autographs. He didnt stop when the clock went out, he stopped when the line ran out.
Players played with kids and talked to fans. They didnt just stand their with other players and ignore people.
Carlos Del Rio Wilson and Kerion Martin were racing random 12 year olds in 40 yard dashes and posing for pictures with real smiles.
I know, i know, many of you think it is all about the wins and losses. But didnt we learn the hard way the past few years, that that is really not the case here. We beat Notre Dame, we won the championship last year. Two exciting games last year, the win at JMU and the championship game. In the past, i would have watched those games all off season. But not now, I dont want to say that guy in green on OUR sidelines with OUR team. I dont want to see many of those players wearing the M on their helmet.
That sucks. The JMU game was one of the best feelings i have had in years at the end of a game.
But, we now have a coach that will only leave here in one of three ways. Fired, retired or in a casket.
He wants to be here. We should want him to be here, and to stay here. He is going to win games. And he is going to lose some games. But he has given us all something back that we lost a long time ago, a piece of OUR program. The feeling at that stadium on Saturday was completely different. And that was not a made up number for the attendance, it was legit. Best crowd ever, with the exception of the We Are Marshall year.
I am 51 years old. I started at my recent company that i work for 9 years ago. I never really knew what "culture" was. I thought it was just a lame thing that people used to recruit people to other players. I learned 9 years ago that culture was real. I work at a place that understands culture. I know that the culture here the last four years sucked. Not just bad, but sucked at the highest level. I realized Saturday, after one afternoon, around one group of people, that our culture doesnt suck anymore.
Saturday was fun. Win or lose, this is going to be fun.
We have OUR guy to lead OUR program.
Sorry for the rant, but that is my take on Saturday.
Oh, and we have some really good football players between the lines too. We have linebackers, for the first time in a long time. Barbie at RB is legit. We are loaded at tight end, Tracy Stephens is an absolute stud.
Im sure we will lose some people the next few weeks. Not because I know anything, but because it would only make sense. Not everyone can play. 105 players on one team is about 40 players too many, but it is what it is I guess.
This team is going to be very hard to dislike. This coach is going to be impossible to dislike.
I hope all of you get to enjoy it as much as the 10k did this past weekend. It was a fun, special, exciting feeling.
I hope we never have to experience what we did the last four years, ever again.
GO HERD!!!
Well, here goes, first my opinion on the day as a whole.
For the past few years we have had some players that have made sure they connected with the community and the fans. No need to name them, as they know who they are. But, for the most part, the past four years we have all felt alienated, (at least I think most of us felt that way.) At spring games, and after games, the players and coaches minded their own business. Players didnt talk to fans, and coaches looked down their noses at fans and supporters as if they were far more important than all of us.
Sure, i supported Huff, but only because he was our head coach. No other reason. Personally, thought he was a lousy human being. I got tired of his lame stories at Big Green type events where he would tell stories that were 100000 percent false. He didnt bother to learn any of our history, outside of the obvious.
Saturday at the game, the feeling was different. The game was real. It wasnt a game where the staff's only goal was to get it over with and get away from the fans. Then when the game was over, the players went over and slapped hands with fans around the stands. Then circled back out and shook hands, hugged and talked to the nearly 200 alumni football players who were all on the field. Each alum took a second to tell the crowd their name, when they played, what they played, and then either a quick Go Herd, or a story, or something funny. It was great to see guys like Billy Malashevich who hasnt been around much recently. LV Colclough was back, Ricky Hall, Ahmad Bradshaw, and newer guys like Owen Porter, Stephen Faucheux, and Dalton Tucker all in green and white bibs, Logan Osburn, Micah Abraham and more.
After that was done, every fan was invited down to the field. They put a clock up as a countdown, but it was only for looks apparently. It went off, and the players kept talking, and Coach Gibson kept on signing autographs. He didnt stop when the clock went out, he stopped when the line ran out.
Players played with kids and talked to fans. They didnt just stand their with other players and ignore people.
Carlos Del Rio Wilson and Kerion Martin were racing random 12 year olds in 40 yard dashes and posing for pictures with real smiles.
I know, i know, many of you think it is all about the wins and losses. But didnt we learn the hard way the past few years, that that is really not the case here. We beat Notre Dame, we won the championship last year. Two exciting games last year, the win at JMU and the championship game. In the past, i would have watched those games all off season. But not now, I dont want to say that guy in green on OUR sidelines with OUR team. I dont want to see many of those players wearing the M on their helmet.
That sucks. The JMU game was one of the best feelings i have had in years at the end of a game.
But, we now have a coach that will only leave here in one of three ways. Fired, retired or in a casket.
He wants to be here. We should want him to be here, and to stay here. He is going to win games. And he is going to lose some games. But he has given us all something back that we lost a long time ago, a piece of OUR program. The feeling at that stadium on Saturday was completely different. And that was not a made up number for the attendance, it was legit. Best crowd ever, with the exception of the We Are Marshall year.
I am 51 years old. I started at my recent company that i work for 9 years ago. I never really knew what "culture" was. I thought it was just a lame thing that people used to recruit people to other players. I learned 9 years ago that culture was real. I work at a place that understands culture. I know that the culture here the last four years sucked. Not just bad, but sucked at the highest level. I realized Saturday, after one afternoon, around one group of people, that our culture doesnt suck anymore.
Saturday was fun. Win or lose, this is going to be fun.
We have OUR guy to lead OUR program.
Sorry for the rant, but that is my take on Saturday.
Oh, and we have some really good football players between the lines too. We have linebackers, for the first time in a long time. Barbie at RB is legit. We are loaded at tight end, Tracy Stephens is an absolute stud.
Im sure we will lose some people the next few weeks. Not because I know anything, but because it would only make sense. Not everyone can play. 105 players on one team is about 40 players too many, but it is what it is I guess.
This team is going to be very hard to dislike. This coach is going to be impossible to dislike.
I hope all of you get to enjoy it as much as the 10k did this past weekend. It was a fun, special, exciting feeling.
I hope we never have to experience what we did the last four years, ever again.
GO HERD!!!
