[PAmedic]

1. in the performance of this Liberty FB team. you can excuse lack of talent, but lack of effort? that's something different all together. I wasn't at either W&M or Elon, but listened to W&M and agonized over the re-caps of the Elon game. It would seem we are heading in the completely wrong direction with this program. Last year- we had incremental increases in the level of performance. This year- instead of "Good to Great" I'm beginning to see "Great Potential but Poor Effort". That truly puzzles me. And as an alum, willing to part with my hard-earned cash- I'm trying not to have second thoughts. Its still early- and I haven't entirely lost faith. Here's hoping Coach Rocco steps up and brings the best out of the guys for the rest of the year.

2. switching gears: I'm even MORE disappointed- if that's possible- in what's become of this forum. I've been reading the trash that's been getting thrown up on here since Saturday, and couldn't be more embarrassed. "Disgusted" is also a word that comes to mind. I have no idea what has gone wrong or how we get it back on track- but this is quickly becoming no fun. And that's a real shame- esp after the effort that has been put into the board thus far. We have 4, 5 and 6 pages of sensless personal attacks and bickering over complete non-issues! Some of you really need to get perspective. I'm going to attempt to remain positive in THIS issue as well, and hope that if we start to win again- the nonsense goes away. I'm afraid its only to resume come hoops season, though. We're NOT doing a good job representing our school OR our faith.

Hoping the poison doesn't spread to the entire board. If so, I won't be a part of it. Anyway, God bless you guys, and GO FLAMES!

PS: Sorry for the sermon- I know, coming from ME it's really quite ironic. But I'm being serious for once.

[jimflamesfan]

PAmedic...I think it's the result of two things.

#1. The bad loss to Elon.

#2. Not having a thread to look forward to in the St. Francis game. I see BJ has put one up, so that's good. I was tempted to put one up when I put up the links for St. Francis. But the problem is...Elon was a tough loss the way we lost it...and a lot of people just see St. Francis as a guaranteed W (which IMO is not the case...but I digress)...And so with nothing to look forward to until Toledo...and the bad taste in our mouths (and the sunburn)...people were edgy.

Hopefully we can all get along BTW...if someone wants to tell me where you guys are tailgating this year...that'd be great! I wasn't at the Spring Game...so I'm not familiar with the "spring game" location. I'd figure I'd just see you guys around...but the only people I have seen are CiderJim and Superjohn.

On a positive note...one of the things that made me laugh at Elon was their fans would say, "First down - PHOENIX" after their first downs. The Liberty fans just said first down (when they got the chance). Later in the game, Liberty fans said "FIRST DOWN...and SJ added FLAMES. It was funny...you might have had to be there to get it.

[SuperJon]

ToTheLeft started that. I was just more vocal about it.

[Knucklehead]

That's why I've been quiet the last 3 days. I can't stand reading all of this mess.

Get over it.

Move on.

If we really trust coach Rocco (I Do) give him a chance to right the ship. I'm really lost and disappointed too, but I'm sick of all the armchair QBing.

So there.

[PAmedic]

That's why I've been quiet the last 3 days. I can't stand reading all of this mess.

agreed

[SuperJon]

I've been quiet except on issues of attacking the players personally.

[jimflamesfan]

Whoops. I'll give credit to ToTheLeft for starting it...and SJ for me being able to hear it.

I normally cheer fairly loud...but I've recently had problems with losing my voice (that's not good since I'm a pastor)...so I've been warned by the orpharlamologist or whatever (ear-nose-throat) doctor to take it easy for a month.

So right now I'm resigned to clapping and pounding on seats, etc.

[El Scorcho]

I don't like to armchair QB. That's not me. However, after driving completely out of my way and getting a nasty sunburn to watch the Flames lose at Elon like they did, I had to vent when I got back to a computer. If you weren't there it's hard to explain how frustrating it was. I really don't like what the board has been like this week, but I also really didn't like what I saw on the field this past Saturday. It doesn't help that every time I move I get a nice stinging reminder of it.

Anyway, I'm definitely ready to move on. I'm just not sure how that happens after last week. That's why I started the "You're the Coach" thread. I honestly just wanted to hear where everyone thinks it should be going, because I don't have a clue. I'm completely dazed as a fan right now.

[ToTheLeft]

Intense. Loyal. Opinionated.

Oh, and the First down thing would have been funnier had we gotten more of them

The "He's a freshman" chant would have been nice if we got to use it a few more times.

[01LUGrad]

That's why I've been quiet the last 3 days. I can't stand reading all of this mess.

I really hope you guys were only talking about the personal attacks in the football forum. The "Liberty Couples" thread must continue. That is one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time.

[jcmanson]

To those of you that have been around this board and even back to the old one: you know that things will begin to turn around on this forum. Hopefully it will be REAL soon, but it really depends on the performance of the team. I wish it wasn't that way, but it seems that's how it is.

[Knucklehead]

That's why I've been quiet the last 3 days. I can't stand reading all of this mess.

I really hope you guys were only talking about the personal attacks in the football forum. The "Liberty Couples" thread must continue. That is one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time.

Football only reference for me! Couples thread is a riot!

[truedrewdawg87]

I don't know if this has been brought up yet, but has anyone stopped to think that we've been freaking out over a team that's struggled that happens to be led by a guy with to my knowledge NO head coaching experience. I think Danny Rocco is ABSOLUTELY the man for the job at LU. I just don't think a little adversity while the man is trying to take the program to the next level is the end of the world. I'm just as bummed as the next guy at the way the last two weeks have gone. I've even reconsidered driving some 4 + hours to come to the CCU game now. But, in the big picture we've got to be more realistic about how long this can take. While many of us are questioning his ability to make adjustments in the course of a game, and from game to game, we're forgetting that until last season he had never been (at least I don't think so) responsible for so many aspects of a football team all at once. He very well may still be learning all that goes into being a head coach. That is a BIG factor in the success of a football team. Also, I mean think about Boise State for example. Not that I ever see LU's football program winning the Fiesta Bowl. I just remember when for years Boise St., if it was lucky, was playing bowl games in its own stadium b/c it couldn't earn its way to any other bowl. Then, just a few years ago they had a great season only to lose an amazing bowl game to Louisville. Then, last year they finally broke through and won in my opinion one of if not the greatest college football game's ever played. So, the point I'm trying to make is while we all know these things take time, it may take more time than we realize. The odds of a program going from 1-10 to the playoffs in just two years isn't very realistic. It's not realistic for it to happen in three, four or maybe even five years. I would LOVE for it to, but it just might not happen. Look how long it took for Appalachian St. to get to the top of 1-AA. I guess all I'm trying to say is that there is nothing wrong with having high goals, and I think that every program should aim to achieve as much as possible. I just think at the same time we have to be patient and realistic. Tradition happens a win at a time, not over night.

[Sly Fox]

I'm glad to see the board policing itself. Work responsibilities have kept me from getting on here much since the Elon disaster. I am perfectly cool with folks venting their frustration as long as they adhere to the board policies that sit atop each forum. Spinning through the threads tonight I admit I was disappointed in the tone on here. We have worked hard to build a community where we can agree to disagree without turning personal on each other or the players. Let's do our best to keep this place different from what we see on other boards.

[TDDance234]

Perhaps an obvious, yet simple, rule applies--Keep the discussion centered around football and you can't go wrong. I'm all for criticizing a coach's X's and O's or a players on-the-field inconsistancies but everything else can be left for facebook.

[Stevev]

I don't know if this has been brought up yet, but has anyone stopped to think that we've been freaking out over a team that's struggled that happens to be led by a guy with to my knowledge NO head coaching experience

For a guy that has been an assistant coach for so many big time programs I don't think that you can use the no head coaching experience excuse for our teams failures this season. Many good 1AA head coaches step down from the 1A ranks as assistent coaches and find success as a head coach at the 1AA level (I believe JMU's Mickey Matthews falls in that catagory as well as others). Being a little more realistic about LU's success I think that comparing LU to Boise State is a little unfair right now but I would tend to think that we could achieve the levels of some of the LU teams of the past, as in the 1988-1995 time period (The Morgan Hout, Sam Rutigliano transition period's teams). Back then we could compete against the best that 1AA had to offer and had some wins agains't top notch 1AA programs and a 1A team that was ranked (at least had votes). We never became what we thought that we could but we had a very respectable program back then. It seems right now we are a far cry from even being on that level and it doesn't make sense considering the resources we have now vs. back then. Back in Morgan's time we didn't even have our own stadium.

[truedrewdawg87]

That's a good point. However, 1AA football has come a long, long way from where it was back then. I just don't think we're placing very realistic expectations on the program considering that just two years ago the team finished 1-10. Also, I'm fully aware of Danny Rocco's resume. I still don't think that just because he was an assistant at some top notch D1 programs means that he had the amount of responsibility that he has now. Before he was a coordinator, meaning he was mainly focused on one or two aspects of the entire game plan. Now, he's responsible for helping with all phases of the team, plus recruiting and everything else. Give the guy some time. Just because the transition works a little quicker for the guy at JMU, you can't always assume it should work just as quickly for someone at another school. Also, I wasn't comparing Lu's program to Boise State in terms of on-field talent, facilities or anything in terms of resources. I was simply trying to say it took that program a lot longer than most people realize to get to where it is today. It will take Liberty, a program two years removed from going 1-10, quite a while to achieve even remotely close to similar success on the 1-AA level. Good things come to those who wait, not those who whine about not having them yet.

[paradox]

Well in order to go from good to great, we've got to go from bad to at least average. If we can manage to win-out after the Toledo game, then we should be able to make the case that we're at least average and maybe --possibly-- good. Having siad that, I'm not so sure that Gardner-Webb is going to be much of a push-over, but the rest of the conference appears to be.

[jmdickens]

If we don't win the conference GW will.........we gotta get it together

[Stevev]

Yes, It looks like Gardner Webb is doing okay against these 1A's like Ohio and Mississippi State, not great 1A programs but 1A regardless. Plus I think that they are pass happy and remember what happened last year in the second half when we played them and what happened against Elon and W & M this year. Not sure about our prospects vs Toledo unless Coach Rocco has something up his sleeve. That one could get real ugly.

I guess that hole that LU football has been in the last 10 years is too steep to expect instant results so I guess we will have to ride it out and see where it takes us. I will have to admitt that my patience with this whole program is running very thin right now and will have to put some faith in Coach Rocco to get us out but it will be by faith until I see some substantial results.

[El Scorcho]

I will have to admitt that my patience with this whole program is running very thin right now...

I never would have guessed.

[SuperJon]

We really need that ignore button.

[PAmedic]

A couple of very succinct posts in there by TRUEDAWG.

I'm still embarrassed about OUR conduct toward each other. And if I haven't explained it before- I'd like to mention that when I berate SJ on here- its a JOKE- I've spent considerable time in what he calls a house, so I've earned the right.

some of the other nonsense is WAY out of line- though I will admit, its started to die off, and I'm truly glad to see that.

Hopefully, as MANSON said- this will stop when Coach gets the program back on its feet.

On a positive note- back in the old days, we'd have been thrilled to have a place to go and vent about LU Sports, so I'm grateful to SLY and SCORCHO (as well as INNOCENT BYSTANDER) for that.

[truedrewdawg87]

Medic...are you saying I'm right or off the mark here with my recent posts?

[Sly Fox]

I think he was sharing some love to a newbie. BTW Welcome to the board.