UAB

[ZooMass84]

Joleon picks up on (and points out) the hypocrisy and blindness of most posters here and many here are thin skinned - to be kind. I happen to appreciate the common sense that he brings. I wish there was more of it. And I can tell you all, he ain't Max Page. He is simply a realist who can see what is going on and call a spade a spade.


I love Umass but I am not a fan of Am-Herst (or it's little sister Northampton). It is overflowing with high-brow elitist educators who think their shit doesn't stink and they know everything. They lack a basic understanding of what is really needed to compete at the highest athletic level in college and don't believe they need to get their hands dirty to do it because they are above all that. I am broad bushing the area a little bit, but I am still batting about .750. Put you pinky's down when you sip your drinks and roll up your sleeves and get into the mud.



If Umass is really going to have success in FBS football they need a few things that may be unattainable. I have already mentioned 2 of them:

- Legit conference affiliation (get back into the MAC for now - but build a base and then do what it takes to get into the ACC or B1G)
- A Real Football Stadium is a must. Spend two years at some other location while you burry McGuirk and put up a real 40K seat Stadium in it's place That location is great and there is room there for the parking etc....
- They desperately need some real deep pocket financial backers for NIL. There are many college players now who are making more than the coaches, Umass does not have the resources (donors) to attract anyone who can change the direction of this program
- They need to blow away BC and UConn in the region and become the #1 college football option in the northeast. It is unlikely they can do that without the previous 3 in place or at least in the works.

Are you the only member of the Dumb User Name Fan Club?

[Quann]

Eldon, some simple improvements to mcguirk could make it into a nice 30k to 40k seat stadium. I do feel like you could use the bones of the stadium to do this. You have to eliminate the front concessions and open walkways in the front on both sides. That just reinforces the small time high school stadium feel.

I was with my family visiting West Point a couple weekends ago and as we were going by the football stadium, all the gates were open. We snuck on the field and that was my first time in there. What a place! UMass should use that as it’s template to strive for.

[eldonabe]

Eldon, some simple improvements to mcguirk could make it into a nice 30k to 40k seat stadium. I do feel like you could use the bones of the stadium to do this. You have to eliminate the front concessions and open walkways in the front on both sides. That just reinforces the small time high school stadium feel.

I was with my family visiting West Point a couple weekends ago and as we were going by the football stadium, all the gates were open. We snuck on the field and that was my first time in there. What a place! UMass should use that as it’s template to strive for.

I understand your point, but you are clearly not getting mine. I will say that West Point is a cool space, but Army is not a football school with aspirations of being a D1 Athletic "somebody". It is simply not a fair comparison. Umass is not going to attract players with a nostalgic old school feel. Is it quaint and charming - I dunno, maybe/sure. In simplest terms, that is not bringing Johnny 4-star QB to play for us.



If Umass wants to truly compete with the P5 (or whatever it ends up being) they need to glam things up A LOT. They need to do to football the same as they did to basketball (and Hockey really). A new area and a top notch training facility. And again, Bamford needs to blow whomever he can to get some big time donors to pay some legit NIL money.

They cut corners and have done little more than put lipstick on a pig with McGuirk.

[Quann]

^^^^
My point was, I don't think you need a new stadium. In using Army, I just meant that the gameday facility is really nice and if we had something even at half the capacity but constructed like that, I'd be ecstatic. You can build off the original bones of the old stadium. It's probably a lot cheaper than breaking ground on a brand new stadium and I think you can get a top notch facility with all the training facilities, etc. integrated into an upgraded McGuirk or near the stadium. The Gators stadium in Gainesville was a small stadium much like McGuirk back in the day (I know the pictures of it have been posted on this board somewhere) before they expanded.

[UMass'96]

Eldon, you have summarized the problem perfectly. Agree with everything you said about the program.

As for Mr. Hair (JL), while you might be right about his pragmatic view, his intent may be might be well founded but his approach/execution of explaining his position leaves a lot to be desired.

[eldonabe]

Joleon picks up on (and points out) the hypocrisy and blindness of most posters here and many here are thin skinned - to be kind. I happen to appreciate the common sense that he brings. I wish there was more of it. And I can tell you all, he ain't Max Page. He is simply a realist who can see what is going on and call a spade a spade.


I love Umass but I am not a fan of Am-Herst (or it's little sister Northampton). It is overflowing with high-brow elitist educators who think their shit doesn't stink and they know everything. They lack a basic understanding of what is really needed to compete at the highest athletic level in college and don't believe they need to get their hands dirty to do it because they are above all that. I am broad bushing the area a little bit, but I am still batting about .750. Put you pinky's down when you sip your drinks and roll up your sleeves and get into the mud.



If Umass is really going to have success in FBS football they need a few things that may be unattainable. I have already mentioned 2 of them:

- Legit conference affiliation (get back into the MAC for now - but build a base and then do what it takes to get into the ACC or B1G)
- A Real Football Stadium is a must. Spend two years at some other location while you burry McGuirk and put up a real 40K seat Stadium in it's place That location is great and there is room there for the parking etc....
- They desperately need some real deep pocket financial backers for NIL. There are many college players now who are making more than the coaches, Umass does not have the resources (donors) to attract anyone who can change the direction of this program
- They need to blow away BC and UConn in the region and become the #1 college football option in the northeast. It is unlikely they can do that without the previous 3 in place or at least in the works.

Are you the only member of the Dumb User Name Fan Club?

Possibly - yes!

[Floyd]

Couple questions about the stadium, isn't it built on a swamp? Could they even tear it down and rebuild there?

And after the poor results we've had, would those in Eastern mass government even think about any funding for that?

[InnervisionsUMASS]

In my opinion, to get anyone onboard with a new stadium idea, you need one of the following situations:

- Any new stadium needs to be pitched and built as a multi-purpose facility, ideally placed where the recreation fields are now. You can then figure out some sort of integration with the current athletic facilities and maybe even lump in a tear down/rebuild of Boyden.

- If you were to keep it in the same location (or that vicinity), it would still need to be multi-purpose, but also include some sort of student village... the campus needs more housing anyways. This scenario makes more sense since they've already invested sizeable amounts of money into this area.



While a new stadium is desperately needed, this is way cart before horse type talk.... we've stunk, and as far as I know, we don't have any sort of major donor willing to put up money to get this discussion off the ground, let alone built.

[dennisdent]

Have to respond to the comment about "Am-herst" and blaming people from the local area as the reason UMass football can't win as an FBS program. Let me state this as a former Amherst local and UMass grad: NOBODY, REALLY, CARES, ABOUT, THE, FOOTBALL, PROGRAM or any of the athletic teams. They are more worried about their real lives, like everyone else in the state, to care about UMass athletics or the football program. There aren't any protests on the Amherst Common or sit-ins at the Town Hall about UMass football.

As a matter of fact many of the locals are the most ardent supporters of UMass athletic teams, who attend events and support their friends and neighbors who coach and provide support to the athletic teams.

God we hated every early fall when the children of the middle management suburban Eastern Mass/LI/NY families returned to our beautiful college town. This doesn't included the Amherst College families.

[e_parade]

In my opinion, to get anyone onboard with a new stadium idea, you need one of the following situations:

- Any new stadium needs to be pitched and built as a multi-purpose facility, ideally placed where the recreation fields are now. You can then figure out some sort of integration with the current athletic facilities and maybe even lump in a tear down/rebuild of Boyden.

- If you were to keep it in the same location (or that vicinity), it would still need to be multi-purpose, but also include some sort of student village... the campus needs more housing anyways. This scenario makes more sense since they've already invested sizeable amounts of money into this area.



While a new stadium is desperately needed, this is way cart before horse type talk.... we've stunk, and as far as I know, we don't have any sort of major donor willing to put up money to get this discussion off the ground, let alone built.

A quicker way to get a new stadium is to have one of the forum members here win the lottery next time it's in the billions. I can't wait to get back to campus to see "Innervisions Stadium"

[InnervisionsUMASS]

A quicker way to get a new stadium is to have one of the forum members here win the lottery next time it's in the billions. I can't wait to get back to campus to see "Innervisions Stadium"

I've got my Mega Millions ticket for tonight.......

I think we'd have to find another name, though... might be some copyright issues with using Innervisions

[TheInsider]

I could see a huge sign saying "Innervisions Field" or "Innervisions Stadium" facing the south loop..

100% Dennis.. many of the long time supporters of athletics are locals who never went to UMass

[Merlin Samuels]

I hate to bring some positive news into this thread, but Eastern Michigan just won their bowl game and finished 9-4.

Yes, that’s the same Eastern Michigan we lost to at their place by a TD and would have crushed with a QB and better play calling.

I fear there might be hope for us after all!

[JoleonLescottsHair]

Eldon, you have summarized the problem perfectly. Agree with everything you said about the program.

As for Mr. Hair (JL), while you might be right about his pragmatic view, his intent may be might be well founded but his approach/execution of explaining his position leaves a lot to be desired.

Would it be better or more desirable to explain my position by asking if “one of the players banged your girlfriend (boyfriend) or something” or describe my location as “not some 3rd world shithole”? You know, that kind of tact and thoughtfulness in my approach?

[eldonabe]

Eldon, you have summarized the problem perfectly. Agree with everything you said about the program.

As for Mr. Hair (JL), while you might be right about his pragmatic view, his intent may be might be well founded but his approach/execution of explaining his position leaves a lot to be desired.

Would it be better or more desirable to explain my position by asking if “one of the players banged your girlfriend (boyfriend) or something” or describe my location as “not some 3rd world shithole”? You know, that kind of tact and thoughtfulness in my approach?