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FOOTBALL Middle Tennessee (1-4; 1-2) vs North Texas (1-3; 0-2) (Stadium), 4PM, Saturday, October 17, 2020

They did get or allow one call to get on while I was listening. 'Michael' talked about the apathy of the fan base. You can find his comments at 2:19:20 of the second half podcast linked in another comment below/
Paraphrased comments below
Fan : "I want to hear some passion from the staff and try to get the fanbase excited...UNT never lost enthusiasm. MT looked flat from the moment they came out."
Dick : "I know you feel the frustration that a lot of Blue Raider fans are feeling right now. You have to play the hand you are dealt with the players you have. Something needs to be done to get fans excited..."
Chip : "Something on the field needs to change for the fans to come...if you have to make scheme changes, you make scheme changes...Maybe you try another player. Those are the changes people want to see"
 
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Paraphrased comments below
Fan : "I want to hear some passion from the staff and try to get the fanbase excited...UNT never lost enthusiasm. MT looked flat from the moment they came out."
Dick : "I know you feel the frustration that a lot of Blue Raider fans are feeling right now. You have to play the hand you are dealt with the players you have. Something needs to be done to get fans excited..."
Chip : "Something on the field needs to change for the fans to come...if you have to make scheme changes, you make scheme changes...Maybe you try another player. Those are the changes people want to see"
Wow.
 
Paraphrased comments below
Fan : "I want to hear some passion from the staff and try to get the fanbase excited...UNT never lost enthusiasm. MT looked flat from the moment they came out."
Dick : "I know you feel the frustration that a lot of Blue Raider fans are feeling right now. You have to play the hand you are dealt with the players you have. Something needs to be done to get fans excited..."
Chip : "Something on the field needs to change for the fans to come...if you have to make scheme changes, you make scheme changes...Maybe you try another player. Those are the changes people want to see"

It’s pretty telling that the company men in the most sanitized format possible acknowledge fan frustration and the need for some change.

And from the “leader” Massaro.....nothing.
 
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It’s pretty telling that the company men in the most sanitized format possible acknowledge fan frustration and the need for some change.

And from the “leader” Massaro.....nothing.
To be fair, I believe Chris tweeted after the Army game and I believe he had a statement after last season as well.

IMO, both fell flat in part, because everyone knows nothing can be done because of Stock's contract.

In my interactions with Massaro (going back to the first one in 2008), he seems to be one who is very calculated in his decision-making. Buyout or not, he's not going to fire Stock halfway through the season. Any move at HC - or asst position - won't be made until the end (or near the end) of the season.

That said, it's past time for McPhee / Massaro to speak publicly about the state of MT football. And they need to speak in more than cold platitudes like "We aren't happy...hang in there" with more of a "We aren't happy. And we know you as a fan aren't happy. We expect more from our coaches and changes will be made at the conclusion of the season."

And then follow through.

Demand excellence. Chase championships. No excuses.

I'm remind of Mike Vrabel's words to the Titans players and relayed during the Bills broadcast (paraphrased) : "You can't choose when adversity strikes, but you can choose how you handle adversity."

Words that MT athletic department would do well to implement in the culture. For far too long, MT has relied on excuses "We're young." Or, "We had injuries." Or even "We had 3 P5 powers on the schedule."

This culture permeates the locker room and excuses become cover for the real problems that plague the program and prevent the pursuit of championships.
 
In my interactions with Massaro (going back to the first one in 2008), he seems to be one who is very calculated in his decision-making. Buyout or not, he's not going to fire Stock halfway through the season. Any move at HC - or asst position - won't be made until the end (or near the end) of the season.

Or he’s Just terrible at hiring coaches, raising money, and PR.
 
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I feel like everything has been said the last year and a half. The illusion on making the conference title game was like finding a piece of driftwood after the Titanic crashed, and no one came to rescue you. It just made this nonsense go on longer. I’m sure they will just chalk this year up to COVID. Besides we get ever back since eligibility doesn’t count this year.
 
To be fair, I believe Chris tweeted after the Army game and I believe he had a statement after last season as well.

IMO, both fell flat in part, because everyone knows nothing can be done because of Stock's contract.

In my interactions with Massaro (going back to the first one in 2008), he seems to be one who is very calculated in his decision-making. Buyout or not, he's not going to fire Stock halfway through the season. Any move at HC - or asst position - won't be made until the end (or near the end) of the season.

That said, it's past time for McPhee / Massaro to speak publicly about the state of MT football. And they need to speak in more than cold platitudes like "We aren't happy...hang in there" with more of a "We aren't happy. And we know you as a fan aren't happy. We expect more from our coaches and changes will be made at the conclusion of the season."

And then follow through.

Demand excellence. Chase championships. No excuses.

I'm remind of Mike Vrabel's words to the Titans players and relayed during the Bills broadcast (paraphrased) : "You can't choose when adversity strikes, but you can choose how you handle adversity."

Words that MT athletic department would do well to implement in the culture. For far too long, MT has relied on excuses "We're young." Or, "We had injuries." Or even "We had 3 P5 powers on the schedule."

This culture permeates the locker room and excuses become cover for the real problems that plague the program and prevent the pursuit of championships.
I wonder what the fan reaction would be if he’d come out and say something like, “Listen, I believe in Coach Stockstill and he will remain the coach here. However, we know things are not going well. I have given Stock the authority to make changes across the board as he sees fit - and we are going to do what it takes to support him financially. To that end, I would like to announce a new, aggressive round of fundraising in order to upgrade our facilities.”
 
I wonder what the fan reaction would be if he’d come out and say something like, “Listen, I believe in Coach Stockstill and he will remain the coach here. However, we know things are not going well. I have given Stock the authority to make changes across the board as he sees fit - and we are going to do what it takes to support him financially. To that end, I would like to announce a new, aggressive round of fundraising in order to upgrade our facilities.”

Dude, that’s just another excuse. The reason why facilities haven’t happened is because CRS failed to deliver. He is the one responsible for the apathy and the lack of donations to get there. People damn sure aren’t going to pony up now. There is only one way to infuse any life back into this program.

I now see that you’ve already bought in or otherwise fallen trap to the little middle culture. You bring this vibe of really being a UT guy who just happens to be here and everyone should moderate expectations because you know this is just MTxx. Guess what I’m a UT alum myself. I worked in both athletic departments. The difference between here and there are two things. Money of course. We don’t have the benefits that come with being SEC and second is culture. You and I don’t see this from the same lens. This culture has to change and it starts with the leadership. McPhee all the way through. As Franklin said what happened at Memphis is what needs to happen here. Clean the house.
 
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Dude, that’s just another excuse. The reason why facilities haven’t happened is because CRS failed to deliver. He is the one responsible for the apathy and the lack of donations to get there. People damn sure aren’t going to pony up now. There is only one way to infuse any life back into this program.

I now see that you’ve already bought in or otherwise fallen trap to the little middle culture. You bring this vibe of really being a UT guy who just happens to be here and everyone should moderate expectations because you know this is just MTxx. Guess what I’m a UT alum myself. I worked in both athletic departments. The difference between here and there are two things. Money of course. We don’t have the benefits that come with being SEC and second is culture. You and I don’t see this from the same lens. This culture has to change it starts with the leadership. McPhee all the way through. As Franklin said what happened at Memphis what needs to happen here. Clean the house.
No, you’re misunderstanding me. I’m not saying I’m advocating for any scenario - just building on Austin’s assumption that they can’t fire Stock for financial reasons.

In that scenario, which is totally plausible, Massaro is going to have to make a public statement to stem the bleeding. I’m just wondering aloud if a statement like the one I’ve laid out above would buy them some time.

There’s still a lot of season left, so it’s hard to say what I *think* will happen, but they won’t be able to get away with running everything back as normal like they did last season.
 
Why not?
No, you’re misunderstanding me. I’m not saying I’m advocating for any scenario - just building on Austin’s assumption that they can’t fire Stock for financial reasons.

In that scenario, which is totally plausible, Massaro is going to have to make a public statement to stem the bleeding. I’m just wondering aloud if a statement like the one I’ve laid out above would buy them some time.

There’s still a lot of season left, so it’s hard to say what I *think* will happen, but they won’t be able to get away with running everything back as normal like they did last season.

Why not? The message boards...lol
 
Once again a nationally televised game.. it’s bad when you have friends from all over the country sending you texts about the shellacking.. In fact it’s a bit embarrassing.. A few friends from the local area asked if we can just go play golf in The Grove... it’s simple marketing and a lot of hard work.. Product, Price & Promotion. Heck - I’m a finance person and get that component..
 
Rust was spotted on this car years ago. Massaro said, "Nobody will notice. I'll keep driving it in the meantime. It's not that bad." He even managed to get a honorable mention at a car show a few years ago. He was riding high. He felt that if he could win with a bit of rust, he'd just keep on driving it. Well, the next year that bit of rust on the rockers turned into a hole. Massaro said, "Nobody will notice it. I'll keep driving it." This year, after all those years of ignoring it, the floors are starting to rot out, and on top of that the engine has started knocking pretty bad. Massaro said, "The enthusiast will notice my car has been neglected, but the average person still probably thinks it's pretty nice."
 
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No, you’re misunderstanding me. I’m not saying I’m advocating for any scenario - just building on Austin’s assumption that they can’t fire Stock for financial reasons.

In that scenario, which is totally plausible, Massaro is going to have to make a public statement to stem the bleeding. I’m just wondering aloud if a statement like the one I’ve laid out above would buy them some time.

There’s still a lot of season left, so it’s hard to say what I *think* will happen, but they won’t be able to get away with running everything back as normal like they did last season.

I’m afraid we are way past that message resonating. That needed to happen at a time when Massaro was instead actually out talking about what a great job CRS was doing. The misses have been glaring and to do it now will fall on deaf ears and do nothing but further insult the intelligence of the fan base - one of the few things this university has actually gotten good at (i.e. insulting us). There’s no more time to buy. The ship has sunk.

I was done after CM came out last year and said there would be a hard look at things at the end of the season and changes would be made. And instead he came out and talked about how we are still in good shape. Apparently CM is the only one who thought so. I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt this year was going to be a train wreck and most everyone else here could see it too. What happened at the end of last year was one of the most significant slights to the fan base I’ve ever seen here. I said then I will not return until there is massive change and I haven’t even considered attending one of these debacles masquerading as a contest.
 
The stadium is also rusting! The stairs are collapsing!
Stairs going up on on the away side are collapsing and being roped off. This is so sad!

Rust was spotted on this car years ago. Massaro said, "Nobody will notice. I'll keep driving it in the meantime. It's not that bad." He even managed to get a honorable mention at a car show a few years ago. He was riding high. He felt that if he could win with a bit of rust, he'd just keep on driving it. Well, the next year that bit of rust on the rockers turned into a hole. Massaro said, "Nobody will notice it. I'll keep driving it." This year, after all those years of ignoring it, the floors are starting to rot out, and on top of that the engine has started knocking pretty bad. Massaro said, "The enthusiast will notice my car has been neglected, but the average person still probably thinks it's pretty nice."
 
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The stadium is also rusting! The stairs are collapsing!
Stairs going up on on the away side are collapsing and being roped off. This is so sad!
Yep. No leadership to make it change. It's sad because I've got a lot of great memories there.
 
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Massaro needs to be fired immediately. I'm not holding my breath. Does anyone over in The Murph have any self respect?

It is to the point of The Murphy Center and Cope downright disrespecting the fans & alumni. A lifetime of damage is being done.
 
That’s what I fear dw. It’s to the point we may not ever recover from this.

The rest of this state’s leadership has gotten exactly what it wants. A weak, destabilized MT on the academic side and an athletics program that isn’t able to atone for those weaknesses and steal market share from the preferred institutions in the state by having popular media friendly sports teams. As I’ve said before this is why there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell my kids are going to an institution in this state. If I had the awareness of this when I was younger I wouldn’t have come here either. When I decided I was going to go back to grad school I was living in Durham working in baseball and had the chance to go to Duke or NC State with a great hookup to work in either athletic department. I decided instead to “come home.” I also had the opportunity to go to an Ivy League school at that time. I obviously made a regrettable decision. I’m just embarrassed by my home state and how it treats not only MT but higher ed in general.

That said. There’s still a chance this could be salvaged. However, two things have to happen. We have to make a change now and second we have to hope we just walk into a good hire with some dumb luck. Another year or two of this and not only are we going to become the athletics version of Vandy in whatever conference we are in but also the state’s leadership will soon start calling out the money going into MT athletics and force us to go back to a lower division. In fact, I would be willing to bet that with the costs of COVID there are some already starting to quietly have those discussions.
 
The stadium is also rusting! The stairs are collapsing!
Stairs going up on on the away side are collapsing and being roped off. This is so sad!
I noticed about a 5" hole in the concrete near my seats. I reported it to Massaro last year. When I did, I was expecting a patch at the very least. Walked by that row yesterday and it was still there.
 
is it that hard to have folks paint the stadium and stairs? Having stairs that are unable to be used is a disgrace.
 
I applaud Blake for at least making an effort to reach the top. I don't think Blake Anderson is a very good coach, and he was awful in his time here at MT with an over-emphasis on his "Utah" (shovel) passes, but at least he is willing to fire his friends in the pursuit of greatness........
 
Like the collapsed bleachers in The Murph. All of this speaks loudly as to the state of McPhee's and Massaro's reign of incompetence and failure.
Is it incompetence or intentional neglect?

It's obvious that THEC is happy with mcphee, and mcphee is happy with massaro.

mcphee sings about the APR while while the athletic department rots.
 
This talk of stairs rusting and becoming unusable, holes in the stadium concrete floor, and falling bleachers not being replaced reminds me of something I noticed several years ago. The gutters on either side of the wookiee steps leading to The Murph were full of trash, trash which was not cleaned out for the entire BkB season. It's like there was no one in charge of ensuring fans (some of whom might be making their first visit to campus) were met with as pleasant an experience as possible.
Hell, if I were the AD I would have brought my blower from home, if necessary, to ensure fans weren't met with cigarette butts, leaves, stryofoam cups, etc., littering the steps up to a game.
Complete and utter failure to do the job by someone.
 
...It’s been a season to forget for Rick Stockstill and the Blue Raiders through the first six games of 2020. After an 0-4 start that saw MTSU’s offense struggle with consistency, they pulled off a 31-28 upset victory over FIU in Miami two Saturdays ago. Yesterday, they welcomed a 1-3 North Texas team to Murfreesboro and looked competitive — until the bottom fell out defensively.

The Mean Green put 768 yards of total offense, including three 100-yard rushers and a total of 462 rushing yards, en route to a 52-35 victory. Scott Shafer’s defensive unit has allowed 1,538 yards on the ground for an average of 256.3 per game — putting them 73rd out of 74 active teams that have played more than one game this season. The Blue Raiders’ slate doesn’t get any easier with their remaining schedule, including FAU, Marshall and Charlotte — all teams who are capable of putting up rushing yardage in bunches.






 
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