Warning up front this is a little long.
So background I’m in my mid twenties, work in the St. Louis region, and share seats in the SEZ with some friends. I have been trying to figure out how I feel about the football program for a while now. I LOVE ISU football and college football and I have for as long as I can remember. The traditions, the passion, the connections to the school can’t be beat in my opinion. Or at least that was my opinion…
The last 2+ seasons have really taken it out of me. I used to come back from St. Louis to every home game, drag the dog, and my wife on a six hour one way drive to watch football. On the weekends we were on the road I would get up and watch College Gameday and count down the hours until our kickoff. Now I just don’t care and that feeling really sucks. This year I was back for the UNI and Iowa games and will probably try to come up for the Texas game as well, but I just expect to get beat and its starting to wear.
The debates on this site have advocated for systematic changes to how the Athletic Department and University handle football and that’s great. Changes need to be made, however, I don’t think the fanbase can take much more of this. Out of my friends no one wants to renew next year, my parents live in Ames and may drop their tickets, it’s not fun right now and it’s hard to spend the time and the “entertainment” dollars when the product isn’t entertaining.
I’m not saying I’m dropping season tickets or going to scream with a pitchfork if things don’t change, but I am saying this program is going to lose the goodwill and momentum it has if something doesn’t change. Iowa State lost my parents generation with horrible products. I didn’t grow up with that, some of the first football and basketball I remember is Wallace and Fizer. When people aren’t upset they just don’t care and is when we have lost dearly. I see it already I have a friend who is president of a very large ISU Alumni Association and they haven’t had enough interest to organize a game watch yet this year. Compared to having 4-5 just two years ago.
Our culture is to fall back on the “Woe is us, we are ISU” or “we can’t because of XYZ.” Put someone in charge who thinks all that is BS. Pollard used to be that guy and so did Rhoads, but somewhere along the line we seemed to have lost that attitude.
Leath needs to go find someone to take it back. You don’t will it or hope it back. You take it.
GO CYCLONES
Sorry for the rant….
So background I’m in my mid twenties, work in the St. Louis region, and share seats in the SEZ with some friends. I have been trying to figure out how I feel about the football program for a while now. I LOVE ISU football and college football and I have for as long as I can remember. The traditions, the passion, the connections to the school can’t be beat in my opinion. Or at least that was my opinion…
The last 2+ seasons have really taken it out of me. I used to come back from St. Louis to every home game, drag the dog, and my wife on a six hour one way drive to watch football. On the weekends we were on the road I would get up and watch College Gameday and count down the hours until our kickoff. Now I just don’t care and that feeling really sucks. This year I was back for the UNI and Iowa games and will probably try to come up for the Texas game as well, but I just expect to get beat and its starting to wear.
The debates on this site have advocated for systematic changes to how the Athletic Department and University handle football and that’s great. Changes need to be made, however, I don’t think the fanbase can take much more of this. Out of my friends no one wants to renew next year, my parents live in Ames and may drop their tickets, it’s not fun right now and it’s hard to spend the time and the “entertainment” dollars when the product isn’t entertaining.
I’m not saying I’m dropping season tickets or going to scream with a pitchfork if things don’t change, but I am saying this program is going to lose the goodwill and momentum it has if something doesn’t change. Iowa State lost my parents generation with horrible products. I didn’t grow up with that, some of the first football and basketball I remember is Wallace and Fizer. When people aren’t upset they just don’t care and is when we have lost dearly. I see it already I have a friend who is president of a very large ISU Alumni Association and they haven’t had enough interest to organize a game watch yet this year. Compared to having 4-5 just two years ago.
Our culture is to fall back on the “Woe is us, we are ISU” or “we can’t because of XYZ.” Put someone in charge who thinks all that is BS. Pollard used to be that guy and so did Rhoads, but somewhere along the line we seemed to have lost that attitude.
Leath needs to go find someone to take it back. You don’t will it or hope it back. You take it.
GO CYCLONES
Sorry for the rant….
