A Commentary on Unity.
by Relentless Rebel on Nov 22, 2011 12:41 PM EST
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As an alumnus of the University of Mississippi, I am, and forever will be, proud to call myself an Ole Miss Rebel. It is something that can never be taken away from me. The relationships that I made during my time in Oxford, and the unity that I felt among the student body was something that I have yet to feel since I graduated.
Fast forward to this year, this football season, and the culture has totally changed. I read on message boards, and I talk to people in the Grove on Saturday, and all I heard about was how this person should be the coach or they won't buy season tickets; or that person should be the new coach or the football team and athletic department won't get their money. I even witnessed Ole Miss fans throwing other Ole Miss fans out from under their tents only because they disagreed on each other's opinions. I may be a bit naive, but never once did I think that Ole Miss fans, Rebel fans, would ever treat each other with such disrespect. It just amazed me.
I understand that Rebel Nation is very frustrated with the current state of not only Ole Miss Football, but Ole Miss Athletics as a whole. And we all agree that change was needed, but no matter what the outcome will be on the decision for a new head football coach, I strongly believe that we all need to rally behind the new coach and the program, for it is fan support that will be a major factor in the future. If you don't agree with the decision that will be made by Archie Manning and Mike Glenn, then we don't need you bad mouthing our program. If you are not willing to spend the money on the season tickets because of your disagreement with the hire, then don't spend the money, and let someone else who wants tickets get your seats.
Let me give an example as to what I am talking about; when it looked like LSU fans were putting pressure on their administration to fire Les Miles after the 2009 season, the administration resisted. But the fan base stood together as one and now in 2011, LSU is just two wins away from playing for the National Championship.
No matter what disagreements we may have among each other about the state of Ole Miss Football, we MUST all stand together as one and support OUR program, because that is the only way we are going to get through this. If the party would just be half as good inside of Vaught Hemingway Stadium on Saturdays as it is in the Grove, then our football program would have the support that they deserve.
This post is a Red Cup Rebellion FanPost. Please don't sue us.
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I agree with everything you said except this:
If you don’t agree with the decision that will be made by Archie Manning and Mike Glenn, then we don’t need you in Vaught Hemingway Stadium, nor do we need you bad mouthing our program.
We do need them in Vaught Hemingway Stadium. We don’t need them publicly bad-mouthing our program. Whatever decision the Manning/Glenn Committee makes, please just suspend any disagreements you might have and give that decision a chance to succeed.
A Football Program is a Terrible Thing to Waste.
by sutpens100 on Nov 22, 2011 1:08 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Yes but....
If those that disagree come out and say that they are not going to spend the money, then we don’t need them there and that will just open up some seats for someone that wants to be there.
by Relentless Rebel on Nov 22, 2011 1:12 PM EST up reply actions
In business(athletics),
Volume(wins) cures a lot of problems.
True, however...
Some wanted to get rid of Nutt and the Coaching Staff after year 1, and that was a special year.
by Relentless Rebel on Nov 22, 2011 6:40 PM EST up reply actions
Returns were great that year but,
The manager of the division hired and fired 3 different assistant managers with diminishing production. Athletics is a business. View Ole Miss as a corporation with shareholders that have a voice.
Igetwhatyouaresaying’/
Personally,
I intend to feast on the hearts of any Jon Gruden supporters.
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to."-Gandalf
by Mexter Dccluster on Nov 22, 2011 2:10 PM EST reply actions
That's a great place to go...
but not if you want to play football. He decommits from one (probable) 2-10 team to commit to another (certain) 2-10 team? He’s obviously not very smart.
I wish we wouldn’t lose a single commitment – but we’re going to lose more of them, regardless of how quickly we hire a coach. We may lose some (or never get the commitment) because of who we hire, not when we hire him. The fact is we are going to be “rebuilding” for the next 3 years. I’d rather lose every commitment than make the wrong decision hastily…just to satisfy some high school kid who may never live up to the number of stars Rivals or Scout award him based on the no. of subscriptions they can sell to over-wrought alumni.
A Football Program is a Terrible Thing to Waste.
Second that
We will be in rebuilding mode for a while. If someone decommits because Nutt. & Co. are gone, I’m not sure they are worth the trouble in the first place.
I say don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way to Colorado.
by muttinthehut on Nov 27, 2011 9:30 PM EST up reply actions
Probably the worst commentary on "Unity" I've ever read.
“If you don’t agree with the decision that will be made by Archie Manning and Mike Glenn, then we don’t need you in Vaught Hemingway Stadium, nor do we need you bad mouthing our program.”
Understand where you are coming from - kinda sorta
I agree the divisiness in the fan base has to stop. But these bone headed moves by both the athletic dept. and the administration as a whole have to stop. We knew what we were getting into when Nutt was hired. I was a vocal opponent to the hire even during 2008 and 2009. Not only because of hisvrecord on the field, but because of his polarizing and dysfunctional personality with the fan base. Ole Miss has an opportunity to find itself now. Frankly, while high schoolers laugh at me, I tell every one of them they should consider coming here because something great is about to happen and they can be a part of it. I have said this before: some things are too big for just one person to fix. We are at that point and it’s going to take the entire Rebel Bear fan base to fix this thing.
"Rebel bear fan base"?
Well, that leaves me out.
by SouthavenRebel on Dec 12, 2011 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
I understand that...
Whoever the search committee decides to go with for Ole Miss Football, there are going to be a select few out there that will not be happy with the hire. My only hope is that they are willing to give the guy the opportunity that he deserves to succeed. The players are the ones that these fans should think about here. When you bad mouth the program, you are bad mouthing a team that are made up of kids that are 18-20 years old. When they play in front of an empty stadium, what motivation does that give them? People in our fan base should just think before they act or say anything.
by Relentless Rebel on Nov 28, 2011 10:34 AM EST reply actions
Yep
Fucking up the on-field product was always the actual, short-term consequence of the more organized, fan-revolts during this football season.
There’s always room for dissention, though (I mean, was are Rebels). Especially when it comes to hiring a new HC or AD. Arguing football politics/administration is fine, but it’s best during the offseason and not when it’s a distraction to what this is all about: the joy of ole miss football.
Houston Nutt coahes for BRAINS!!!
I pledge to support the decision that will be made by Archie Manning and Mike Glenn
As long as they pick Mike Leach.
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