Y'all don't want big time football as much as SMU does...

[JoleonLescottsHair]

BC beats us in everything that matters other than number of alumni.

Only because they don't play us in basketball anymore.

[Kelz626]

I really don't want to get involved in this stupid argument that you anti FBS guys bring up every time UMass loses a game

We get that you guys don't want the football program to be successful because then you would be wrong and I'm sure that would be devastating to your ego

It's embarrassing to the real fans of the program to have to see this shit after EVERY loss

Great post other than the fact that every one of the above statements is 100% wrong. Complete fabrication. And there is an archive to prove it. Sort of weakens your argument when you don't deal with facts and make up nonsense about the people (i.e. other UMass fans and alum) who happen to disagree with you. Shame. Kelz626, Dennis Dent (great name, btw) and others don't seem to have a problem supporting the idea of FBS without claiming skeptics are somehow anti-UMass and want the team to fail. That is some profoundly dishonest and dumb shit.

Bruh you out your mind, I never once said any skeptics are "anti-UMass" why don't you get your facts straight. All I said is if we win people will show up to games, I said if we were getting 25K in a bad season like UConn does that would be pretty damn good. I don't get where any of that has an "everyone else is a skeptic and anti-UMass" vibe but then again you and others always act like the sky is falling every time we lose, same thing in the hoops forum. Maybe instead of being a "realist" or whatever you wanna call it you should support the team but instead its always the same shit from you guys "Football wont work" "(name any recruit) isn't that good", "I could have a highlight tape of my high school basketball career" not sure how that doesn't have an anti-UMass vibe you're not a realist bruh, you're just negative

[JoleonLescottsHair]

Um, you read my post completely wrong. I was saying you and some others do NOT call anyone who disagrees with the upgrade "anti-UMass" or are hoping the team fails.

I have personally never commented on a football recruit and I have no idea what the hoops highlight reel reference is all about, but I guess that is beside the point.

[Kelz626]

Um, you read my post completely wrong. I was saying you and some others do NOT call anyone who disagrees with the upgrade "anti-UMass" or are hoping the team fails.

I have personally never commented on a football recruit and I have no idea what the hoops highlight reel reference is all about, but I guess that is beside the point.

WOW that is a huge mistake by me and I owe you a huge apology and "my bad" I read that totally wrong, I thought it said shame on Kelz626 and Dennis Dent...I need to use better reading skills. I sincerely apologize for the long winded rant, Lescott. As far as the high school highlight tape, as a long time reader (new contributor) of the UMasshoops forums I always read, Eldon I believe, discredit any recruit or potential recruit's highlight tape because "anyone including him, who played D1 high school basketball could put together a 3 minute clip of good plays they've made" lol It was a poor attempt at humor on my part

[JoleonLescottsHair]

No apologies necessary. Reading it again, it could have been stated clearer. Awkward wording on my part I guess. Just glad the point is now understood.

[BishopMVP]

Y'all want big time football. Now, I don't know details, but I DO know what's going on in North Texas and it's a great big failure at SMU and U of North Texas. New stadiums. Check. Large population and alumni base. Check. Experienced coaches. Check. Lots of money. In one case (SMU) check. Success? Not much lately. Utter failure? Lots of that lately. Even when the teams are pretty good they don't draw worth a darn except at SMU when A&M or TCU plays there.

Sure all circumstances are different, and I'd love to see Umass succeed at this as much as the next guy, I just don't see how it ever happens.

Just m 2 cents......

I don't know what this has to do with UMass, but I'd put money on Chad Morris turning SMU around (unless he leaves for UT/A&M and they botch the next hire.) Guy is a Texas HS coaching legend, took over a complete dumpster fire of a program after the way June Jones left it, and while the wins aren't there yet he's tripled their offensive output and has them playing competitively while also bringing in a lot of good players for OV's. Guy grew up in Dallas in that Pony Express period, and knows they might have a fairweather fan base, but they absolutely have the alumni numbers and donor money to be a force if he can get the ball rolling, which is why he picked SMU over SEC and ACC head jobs. Just look at where TCU and especially Baylor were a decade ago.

[78]

I really don't want to get involved in this stupid argument that you anti FBS guys bring up every time UMass loses a game, but Holy Shit are you some of the most annoying posters on this board. I remember hearing this same stupid argument that "New England just doesn't care about football", mostly from Globe sportswriter's like Dan S., when the Pats where a terrible team. Guess what? Now that they win all the time they sell out every game and are more popular than the Red Sox. I'm sure people where saying the same thing about the Sox when they were drawing less than 100,000 a year before 1967. We get that you guys don't want the football program to be successful because then you would be wrong and I'm sure that would be devastating to your ego, but your act is really tired. Yes it will probably take a few years longer than we hoped, and I'm all for complaining about the product or the coaching. Just give the rest of us a break with the "football won't ever work" shit. It's embarrassing to the real fans of the program to have to see this shit after EVERY loss.

I can promise you I have not brought up this "stupid argument" 36 times (the number of losses in our short FBS history). Also, what have you missed about this being a pro sports area and not giving two shits about college sports? As for being a "real fan," I have been to 70 percent or more of the home games since the move was made. I also traveled to Notre Dame this year with my son. Finally, I hope like hell FBS will succeed, I just happen to believe it won't.

[UMass87]

I have posted here in support of football far, far more than any posts "against" football. I just don't believe any program outside of the SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, or Pac 12 is sustainable in the long term. The power conferences are marginalizing and will continue to marginalize the other conferences. Eventually, all the other schools will get locked out. UMass is in a particularly vulnerable situation for al the reasons mentioned previously ad nauseum. I think it's great that UMass has a few diehard fans. That's just never going to cut it, though. Winning would solve a fair deal of the attendance problems but it won't solve the fundamental problem of conference affiliation. SMU happens to be a great example - former multiple national champions who will never again win a national championship as long as they are in the AAC.

[dennisdent]

I really don't want to get involved in this stupid argument that you anti FBS guys bring up every time UMass loses a game

We get that you guys don't want the football program to be successful because then you would be wrong and I'm sure that would be devastating to your ego

It's embarrassing to the real fans of the program to have to see this shit after EVERY loss

Great post other than the fact that every one of the above statements is 100% wrong. Complete fabrication. And there is an archive to prove it. Sort of weakens your argument when you don't deal with facts and make up nonsense about the people (i.e. other UMass fans and alum) who happen to disagree with you. Shame. Kelz626, Dennis Dent (great name, btw) and others don't seem to have a problem supporting the idea of FBS without claiming skeptics are somehow anti-UMass and want the team to fail. That is some profoundly dishonest and dumb shit.

Thanks! Got to know him when he was student teaching at my junior high (I'm old). Great guy and great kick returner for UMass during the run to the national championship game in 78!

[BishopMVP]

I have posted here in support of football far, far more than any posts "against" football. I just don't believe any program outside of the SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, or Pac 12 is sustainable in the long term. The power conferences are marginalizing and will continue to marginalize the other conferences. Eventually, all the other schools will get locked out. UMass is in a particularly vulnerable situation for al the reasons mentioned previously ad nauseum. I think it's great that UMass has a few diehard fans. That's just never going to cut it, though. Winning would solve a fair deal of the attendance problems but it won't solve the fundamental problem of conference affiliation. SMU happens to be a great example - former multiple national champions who will never again win a national championship as long as they are in the AAC.

I think there's a middle ground. People are deluding themselves if they think we're getting into the Big Ten, but even if it goes to 4 16 team super-conferences and effectively/officially creates another tier between the top and current FCS there are plenty of schools between the AAC, ACC and CUSA East who will be left out I'd love to get in a conference with. Being in a basketball/all-sports conference with Duquesne, St. Bonaventure and Fordham does nothing for me and is kind of embarrassing. (Failing to completely dominate those schools in all sports embarrasses me more.) But make no mistake, that's what will decide whether this move is a success - whether we've positioned ourselves well enough when the next round of conference realignment occurs. We already blew an opportunity to move up in the 90's, or we'd already be in the AAC (outside chance ACC). We can't afford to miss the next boat, or I agree we should drop back down into the CAA or America East.

[Big10Land]

" there are plenty of schools between the AAC, ACC and CUSA East who will be left out I'd love to get in a conference with"

If each season's schedule would at least include: BC, UConn, Temple, Army, Navy, and Buffalo (or Ohio), I think we would be in a good place regarding fan interest and potential on going rivalries.

[JoleonLescottsHair]

I really don't want to get involved in this stupid argument that you anti FBS guys bring up every time UMass loses a game

We get that you guys don't want the football program to be successful because then you would be wrong and I'm sure that would be devastating to your ego

It's embarrassing to the real fans of the program to have to see this shit after EVERY loss

Great post other than the fact that every one of the above statements is 100% wrong. Complete fabrication. And there is an archive to prove it. Sort of weakens your argument when you don't deal with facts and make up nonsense about the people (i.e. other UMass fans and alum) who happen to disagree with you. Shame. Kelz626, Dennis Dent (great name, btw) and others don't seem to have a problem supporting the idea of FBS without claiming skeptics are somehow anti-UMass and want the team to fail. That is some profoundly dishonest and dumb shit.

Thanks! Got to know him when he was student teaching at my junior high (I'm old). Great guy and great kick returner for UMass during the run to the national championship game in 78!

Yep! Dent was awesome. I remember watching him take apart Nevada Reno in the semi-finals. The final (first ever 1-AA championship. The Pioneer Bowl, I think?) against FAMU was tough as the Rattlers played those wide apart defensive lines which made running the gaps difficult.

[njumass08]

I love how our resident Premier League hair aficionado only shows up when the anti FBS people make an appearance on the board.

We get it, you don't like the move up.

There is a forum called General Discussion that has a thread called "...all things EPL" that you might enjoy more.

(Wait for it..... )

Btw, it's a great thread and I love reading the Ktabz and Refuse2Lose posts. Those guys really know their stuff about soccer.

[DrG]

I think UMass should move to the EPL and Aston Villa should join the MAC.

[eldonabe]

Um, you read my post completely wrong. I was saying you and some others do NOT call anyone who disagrees with the upgrade "anti-UMass" or are hoping the team fails.

I have personally never commented on a football recruit and I have no idea what the hoops highlight reel reference is all about, but I guess that is beside the point.

WOW that is a huge mistake by me and I owe you a huge apology and "my bad" I read that totally wrong, I thought it said shame on Kelz626 and Dennis Dent...I need to use better reading skills. I sincerely apologize for the long winded rant, Lescott. As far as the high school highlight tape, as a long time reader (new contributor) of the UMasshoops forums I always read, Eldon I believe, discredit any recruit or potential recruit's highlight tape because "anyone including him, who played D1 high school basketball could put together a 3 minute clip of good plays they've made" lol It was a poor attempt at humor on my part

Correct I am the author of the highlight reel stuff.

I am just very skeptical of over-hype based on these "highlight reels" - they are not independent and they are not even close to full and fair disclosure of a players abilities. There are a few people here who seem to wet themselves over these things and it just sets up everyone for disappointment. I like watching them as much as anyone else but you have to look at it in perspective. I would rather see the player in person for a full game or two before I believe any of the "he's the next coming of fill-in-the-blank" statements. Umass has a long history of highlight reel studs that didn't come even close to living up to the lofty expectations that were produced by this crap. For recent example - I am paraphrasing a bit, but many were really impressed with the highlight reels of Ty Bergantino (He's a big body, he will DOMINATE, nobody will push him around etc....) - how did that pan out? Go back a few more years and I remember how much hype David Gibbs and Raheim Lamb got - they did little to nothing.... I could go back over the last 20 years and pull all kinds of names from "the next stud" advertisement and we all barely remember them if at all....

I get it, people want to get excited about these kids and about the future of the program, but it makes the disappointment when they fail even worse. I am constantly misconstrued as NOT a fan. That pains me, because I can count on one hand how many home games I have missed in 25 years and I have been all over to see them on the road too. I hate the hype machine because it is rarely reasonable. Umass Football and Basketball are underwhelming right ow in part because the bar has been set too high.

Don't get me wrong I am excited to see the class coming in next year, but I am not getting on board calling for an A-10 championship or even an NCAA appearance yet. I may be critical because it looks like they should be better then what we are seeing - bet we have to see it live an in person first before we can make those assessments - not from some stand alone dunk on a you tube clip.

Obviously most here just don't seem to understand that premis....