A Sea Of Red

I was tailgating beginning around 4:15. I was in the grass field lot where the atmosphere was dull, at best. I made my way up to "tailgating alley" and found the same lack of enthusiasm there - which carried over to the "walk". It was if the air was sucked out of the entire area. This perception continued during the game (except for a portion of the student section) and was amplified by the band not playing after two scores as the LU flag was sprinted down the field. The icing on the cake was listening to an amateurish PA announcer. Was it the weather, or is something missing. I have been coming down for several years and have enjoyed the increasingly amped up atmosphere. We took a few steps backwards last Saturday. Thoughts...

Opponent
Heat
And don't get me started on the band selections

It wasn't the opponent because we've played worse opponents with tons of energy.

What it comes down to is a general lack of excitement around the program. We had a horrible year last year and the hope of an FBS move is all but gone. If we can win some the excitement will come back.

Jonathan Carone wrote:It wasn't the opponent because we've played worse opponents with tons of energy.

What it comes down to is a general lack of excitement around the program. We had a horrible year last year and the hope of an FBS move is all but gone. If we can win some the excitement will come back.

If we'd played JMU the excitement would be there. So the opponent had a lot to do with it. That is not to discredit your observation of there being a lack of excitement around the program

Where are the hype videos this year? They put together some decent ones last year like the the Montana game and Georgia St. The ones that Jon put together couple of years were great. Does the school still allow y'all to use the video feed?

jack_sparrow81 wrote:Where are the hype videos this year? They put together some decent ones last year like the the Montana game and Georgia St. The ones that Jon put together couple of years were great. Does the school still allow y'all to use the video feed?

For a price I'm sure

Are you talking about me or Manson?

When I was making videos I was either working for the football team or the athletic department. I haven't made any since I left the job. They take too much time to do for free.

Jonathan Carone wrote:It wasn't the opponent because we've played worse opponents with tons of energy.

What it comes down to is a general lack of excitement around the program. We had a horrible year last year and the hope of an FBS move is all but gone. If we can win some the excitement will come back.

Obviously, I am new here and don't really know your history on this board, but I'd like to understand what I perceive to me an overall negative attitude towards the current state of the program.

Whoever had the 1st car account on YouTube. The rocky video was one of them

I'm pretty sure the lackluster tailgate and excitement was a result of my family's absence, due to being drug to a wedding by the wife (BTW, who in their right mind gets married during football season!!!) Will be ready to go on 9/24, though.

Seriously, I think the excitement will be there for J-state, especially if we come in 2-1.

Since I won't be able to make it down from NJ until homecoming, I would appreciate being kept informed of the atmosphere that is present during home games leading up to that.

ericlc72 wrote:

Jonathan Carone wrote:It wasn't the opponent because we've played worse opponents with tons of energy.

What it comes down to is a general lack of excitement around the program. We had a horrible year last year and the hope of an FBS move is all but gone. If we can win some the excitement will come back.

Obviously, I am new here and don't really know your history on this board, but I'd like to understand what I perceive to me an overall negative attitude towards the current state of the program.

I love this guy!!! New favorite poster, right here!

Jon has been slipping into a deep dark depression (about Liberty sports) since 2010. Feel free to call him out on his negativity whenever you please.
Also, BJWilliams has a man crush on Jon. That's all the background you need.

Welcome aboard!

rtb72 wrote:I'm pretty sure the lackluster tailgate and excitement was a result of my family's absence, due to being drug to a wedding by the wife (BTW, who in their right mind gets married during football season!!!).....

There's some serious truth to this and continues to be an issue year after year.

Dalegarz1 wrote:I was tailgating beginning around 4:15. I was in the grass field lot where the atmosphere was dull, at best. I made my way up to "tailgating alley" and found the same lack of enthusiasm there - which carried over to the "walk". It was if the air was sucked out of the entire area. This perception continued during the game (except for a portion of the student section) and was amplified by the band not playing after two scores as the LU flag was sprinted down the field. The icing on the cake was listening to an amateurish PA announcer. Was it the weather, or is something missing. I have been coming down for several years and have enjoyed the increasingly amped up atmosphere. We took a few steps backwards last Saturday. Thoughts...

I'm glad you took the time to post this. Game day atmosphere is one of the most talked about topics on this board and within the athletic department. They work very hard to make it as good as possible, but the fans are the ones that dictate the outcome. I would agree with Jon that there is a level of pessimism around the team this year due to it's debacle that was 2015. JSU should be a different story and the conference games always seem to draw a larger, more excited crowd than the likes of Jacksonville or Savannah State.

jack_sparrow81 wrote:Whoever had the 1st car account on YouTube. The rocky video was one of them

That was me. I did all those as a student or working for the program. Not sure why there isn't someone doing the same right now. If they are, they're not putting them out publicly.

ericlc72 wrote:

Jonathan Carone wrote:It wasn't the opponent because we've played worse opponents with tons of energy.

What it comes down to is a general lack of excitement around the program. We had a horrible year last year and the hope of an FBS move is all but gone. If we can win some the excitement will come back.

Obviously, I am new here and don't really know your history on this board, but I'd like to understand what I perceive to me an overall negative attitude towards the current state of the program.

Here's my history:

I was a student from 06-08 (undergrad) and 08-10 (seminary). I worked for the football program from 07-09 and the athletic department 09-10. I also started and ran The LUnatics while on campus. I was the biggest and most passionate fan you could've been while on campus.

I'm a gigantic Danny Rocco fan but I understood (and still understand) why he had to be let go and supported (and still do) that decision. When we were looking for a new coach, I was one of the first on here suggesting we go after Turner Gill.

During Gill's first season I knew we'd be rebuilding and so finishing 6-5 didn't bother me a ton. We still had a couple WTF games (Lehigh and Coastal) but we were young and it happens. After that season I started hearing stuff from people around the program that sounded a lot like the critiques from Kansas fans when we hired Gill. The following year was another disappointment losing games we should've won to ODU and Coastal. We finished the season unranked again. The next year we had three more really disappointing losses in games we should've won (Richmond, Indiana State, Charleston Southern). That year was saved at Coastal though and a little bit of hope was reborn. Then last year happened. In his four years, he's only finished the season ranked one time. In the four years before he got here, we finished the season ranked each year.

This year, with the issues at CSU, I fully expect us to win the league and go to the playoffs. However, unless we can make great showings in these next two games, I really don't know how good we are vs how bad the league is without Coastal.

I love Turner Gill as a person and face of Liberty. He fits that role better than most people could ever dream of. He's an incredible recruiter and salesman, but he hasn't proven to be a great coach or organizational leader. His success depends completely on his assistant coaches and there are a few that I'm not sure about, mainly on the offensive side of the ball.

Our goal as a program is to be a top 20 program. That's been stated for years. We haven't been that the last few years and it's disappointing.

Take all of that, mix it with our rival getting the only FBS invite left on the table, and add being stuck in a crappy league and you get a lack of hope that we're going to get if not to where we want to be, at least back to where we were.

Jonathan Carone wrote:

ericlc72 wrote:

Jonathan Carone wrote:It wasn't the opponent because we've played worse opponents with tons of energy.

What it comes down to is a general lack of excitement around the program. We had a horrible year last year and the hope of an FBS move is all but gone. If we can win some the excitement will come back.

Obviously, I am new here and don't really know your history on this board, but I'd like to understand what I perceive to me an overall negative attitude towards the current state of the program.

Here's my history:

I was a student from 06-08 (undergrad) and 08-10 (seminary). I worked for the football program from 07-09 and the athletic department 09-10. I also started and ran The LUnatics while on campus. I was the biggest and most passionate fan you could've been while on campus.

I'm a gigantic Danny Rocco fan but I understood (and still understand) why he had to be let go and supported (and still do) that decision. When we were looking for a new coach, I was one of the first on here suggesting we go after Turner Gill.

During Gill's first season I knew we'd be rebuilding and so finishing 6-5 didn't bother me a ton. We still had a couple WTF games (Lehigh and Coastal) but we were young and it happens. After that season I started hearing stuff from people around the program that sounded a lot like the critiques from Kansas fans when we hired Gill. The following year was another disappointment losing games we should've won to ODU and Coastal. We finished the season unranked again. The next year we had three more really disappointing losses in games we should've won (Richmond, Indiana State, Charleston Southern). That year was saved at Coastal though and a little bit of hope was reborn. Then last year happened. In his four years, he's only finished the season ranked one time. In the four years before he got here, we finished the season ranked each year.

This year, with the issues at CSU, I fully expect us to win the league and go to the playoffs. However, unless we can make great showings in these next two games, I really don't know how good we are vs how bad the league is without Coastal.

I love Turner Gill as a person and face of Liberty. He fits that role better than most people could ever dream of. He's an incredible recruiter and salesman, but he hasn't proven to be a great coach or organizational leader. His success depends completely on his assistant coaches and there are a few that I'm not sure about, mainly on the offensive side of the ball.

Our goal as a program is to be a top 20 program. That's been stated for years. We haven't been that the last few years and it's disappointing.

Take all of that, mix it with our rival getting the only FBS invite left on the table, and add being stuck in a crappy league and you get a lack of hope that we're going to get if not to where we want to be, at least back to where we were.

Jon's not negative - he's a realist that says it like it is... I for one, appreciate that. We can slap lipstick all over the program, but we just aren't there yet. It's not the school's lack of effort, it's just that we can't get over that hump for the two biggest programs that need to be top 20 every year. That gets frustrating, but I would argue Jon is top 10 on Biggest Fa,s at LU and his dedication to the program has shown that.

Jon does like to undersell the fact LU went to the Playoffs

Purple Haize wrote:Jon does like to undersell the fact LU went to the Playoffs

See: Dale Layer NCAA Tournament birth

Jonathan Carone wrote:

Purple Haize wrote:Jon does like to undersell the fact LU went to the Playoffs

See: Dale Layer NCAA Tournament birth

See: Apples and Oranges

Maybe two years ago was fool's gold. I saw us beat JMU and was on the sidelines for the Nova game. Perhaps my expectations are too high. Maybe last year is "who we are". To be honest I'm waiting for MBB, softball and football to emerge on the national scene. Our results have lagged behind dollars spent.

Pump the breaks man. We have a good team this season, and will likely go to the playoffs. Enjoy the ride.

Check Jacksonville state game and then tell me how dead the field across from the ice rink is.

I don't think last year was who we are. I think that was poor leadership and a bad locker room.

This year is really tough to gauge. We could be barely above average and make the playoffs if we simply win the games we're supposed to win. It'll all be in how we look doing it.

Thats a strange thing to say, but its so true. How we look winning games will be the gauge.

R i wrote:Thats a strange thing to say, but its so true. How we look winning games will be the gauge.

We need to beat PC, GWU, and KSU like we used to beat Big South teams under Rocco. We need to beat Monmouth by 14-20. And we just need to beat CSU. If we can do that, I'll have a lot more confidence moving forward. I've said all along I'd love to be wrong about Gill.