Perspective

[MT01]

Since joining a conference in 1947, the only decade an outright conference title in football wasn't won was the 1970s. There was a 20-year gap between 1965 and 1985. At the time, that was the longest.

Until now. It's now been 31 years. And Rick is responsible for 18 of those 31 all by himself. Three decades of futility. MT had 11 outright titles over 40 years. If CRS stays, we may have zero in the next 40. We're already three fourths of the way there.

Is anyone in Cope, Murphy, or the Board awake?

 

[MT01]

Schools (15) in our current and former conference that have won a conference title since we last won one (and not even including schools like UCF and Houston that were gone before we got there)...

North Texas
Troy
Arkansas St
Georgia Southern*
App St*
Coastal Carolina*
Louisiana
UAB
Southern Miss
Western Kentucky*
Rice
Tulsa
East Carolina
Marshall
FAU*
UTSA*

*Moved up after us (40% of this list)

 

[sWiley]

Since joining a conference in 1947, the only decade an outright conference title in football wasn't won was the 1970s. There was a 20-year gap between 1965 and 1985. At the time, that was the longest.

Until now. It's now been 31 years. And Rick is responsible for 18 of those 31 all by himself. Three decades of futility. MT had 11 outright titles over 40 years. If CRS stays, we may have zero in the next 40. We're already three fourths of the way there.

Is anyone in Cope, Murphy, or the Board awake?

Great points but I just don't think it matters anymore. The remaining fans are viewed as a small, vocal minority...and they don't care what we have to say. Period.

The 3 stooges and Steve Smith have ran this university (into the ground) for the better part of two decades and counting. They are one big happy family now and nothing is going to change that. The results don't even mean anything anymore. Winning and losing doesn't matter, and has not mattered for some time now.

And that's why we are screwed. Getting left out of the last realignment was the nail in the coffin. They could all disappear today and it simply wouldn't matter. Fatal damage has already occurred, especially in the setting of the recent landscape changes to college athletics (NIL, Penalty free transfers, transfer portal, etc.)

For me personally it's difficult to process, because I do genuinely believe we missed the boat and we are done for. So it feels futile to even watch or try to enjoy the games anymore. I guess I'm still processing the acceptance phase of the grieving process, which is the final step.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Schools (15) in our current and former conference that have won a conference title since we last won one (and not even including schools like UCF and Houston that were gone before we got there)...

North Texas
Troy
Arkansas St
Georgia Southern*
App St*
Coastal Carolina*
Louisiana
UAB
Southern Miss
Western Kentucky*
Rice
Tulsa
East Carolina
Marshall
FAU*
UTSA*

*Moved up after us (40% of this list)

This to me has been my biggest issue. You want to jump up to FBS and say "hey, we've been here 10yrs and we aren't Louisville or Cincy yet" ok. I can accept that to a degree. But to have schools join FBS far AFTER us and get to the top of their conferences and move to another conference BEFORE us, that is when the admin should've said "hey, we aren't CCU or UTSA, or even WKU. Something is wrong." One could argue not catching up is one thing, but getting passed is something completely different.

Add that to the fact that we win champs in sooooo many other sports, but not the biggest of them all. The writing has been on the wall for years. The last contract set me off.

I still believe we are capable of moving forward, but not with who we have. I want to at least give new blood a chance. But when that will be, I'm beginning to wonder. I hope Lee and Hans stick around for it to be them with a new board chair and new pres. Give them a fighting chance.

But the longer things stay the same......

 

[Sommy]

I still believe we are capable of moving forward, but not with who we have. I want to at least give new blood a chance. But when that will be, I'm beginning to wonder. I hope Lee and Hans stick around for it to be them with a new board chair and new pres. Give them a fighting chance.

But the longer things stay the same......

New blood is probably our only hope, because the current group has such poor leadership and can’t make the right decisions. They need Jocko to come in and give a leadership speech.

Stock turns 66 this year. What about the other two?

 

[MidTennMtneer]

New blood is probably our only hope, because the current group has such poor leadership and can’t make the right decisions. They need Jocko to come in and give a leadership speech.

Stock turns 66 this year. What about the other two?

CM graduated college in '83, so he should be around 62. He started here April, 2005. His current deal is month to month as he does not have an active contract last known.

McP graduated in '76, so he should be around 69. He started here in '01 and his current contract ends 12/10/26.

I can't find when Smith's board tenure ends. Apparently it's been renewed.

 

[Sommy]

CM graduated college in '83, so he should be around 62. He started here April, 2005. His current deal is month to month as he does not have an active contract last known.

McP graduated in '76, so he should be around 69. He started here in '01 and his current contract ends 12/10/26.

I can't find when Smith's board tenure ends. Apparently it's been renewed.

This might be our only hope. In a 2-5 year span, McFlea and Suckstill could easily decide to retire. Anyone new coming in for McFlea will be forced to evaluate MESSaro, which is the biggest problem as I see it. So the whole thing could turn over in 2-5 years.

The issue is whether we would be too far behind to get our crap together after that. We have to leave CUSA that’s a given and we might not have any options in 5 years. I already feel like we are stuck in a lot of ways.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

These statistics make me sick.

 

[MTFAN61]

Another perspective is to look at the list above & consider these are mostly state sponsored schools just like MT. Many of these schools border Tennessee & had the support of their State's BOT's to place qualified administrators & coaches in place. They were not concerned about taking away any impact from their major state schools. Not in Tennessee, where Dr Walker felt that after making a nice headway his hands were being tied behind his back. Now all we have to do is look at our situation post Walker, & no one really cares. If this situation took place in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, etc. it would have likely been dealt with properly years ago.
Congratulations to Jacksonville State for having administrators & coaches who care about their school & town of 13,000. While we're here in one of Tennessee's largest cities & universities & no one in the state cares, except a few of its fans.