[Jonathan Carone]

From someone who admittedly doesn’t watch much, your the first on here when we lose.

If you’re going to come after me, at least make sure your facts are right. The receipts are easy to see:

UVA postmortem - one post. It was responding to a joke someone made. I laughed.

BYU postmortem - no post until the next morning. I said I was encouraged we played so well and discouraged by how the game turned out. I had two posts that were admittedly nit picky about Calvert when others were discussing QB play.

Rutgers postmortem - no post until 6:30 the following night. My posts were in regards to where we were as a G5 program and how far we had to go to get where we want to go, not about the specifics of the game.

Louisiana postmortem - was a night time game I was able to watch. Posted right away. Said we looked bad. Then defended the coaching staff against players’ parents. Then spent seven paragraphs defending Calvert with other posts defending Bennett and the coaching staff.

Syracuse postmortem - another night time game I was able to watch. Posted right away. Was disappointed in the crowd. Also questioned if the team and Freeze would be best served by letting him heal. I also defended the ticket prices and said raising them was a good idea.

I am not rah rah guy like you are. I think through things critically and from many different angles instead of blindly supporting a team or program. For some reason, anything that isn’t 100% positive towards Liberty is considered being a hater.

[Jonathan Carone]

I know I say this to you from time to time @Jonathan Carone but you have described basically every fan base in america.

Is it annoying and do I wish our fans didn't do it? Of course but it isn't ever going to stop because this is what a segment of sports fans do. Liberty fans are no different.

I disagree with this. We really only do it with football. Our other successful sports don’t play the petty card.

We never did that until 2011-ish. Once Coastal passed us and began routinely making the playoffs, we started putting more stock in beating Coastal than winning the league. That came straight out of Hancock.

The problem is what leaders do a little bit, their followers do in excess. When that rivalry was elevated so high, Liberty football fans took note and started acting the same way. Getting shunned by the Sun Belt only escalated it that much further.

I’d like us to be above the pettiness, to stand on our own success and trumpet our accomplishments more than worry about what the haters say. We have a ton to be proud of that it cheapens it when we take the spotlight off ourselves and shine it on the naysayers.

[thepostman]

You disagree with what exactly? There is a segment of sport fans that are extremely petty. I'm not sure how that can even be disputed. Spend some time on reddit/twitter/other social media and it makes some of the stuff liberty fans say and do look like child's play.

It annoys me and I get where you are coming from but sports is full of people who are petty. There are owners of professional sports franchises who are petty for crying out loud. It is the part of sports I hate but I just kind of learn to live with it.

[Jonathan Carone]

There are a segment of sports fans that are extremely petty - yes. You're absolutely 100% right.

My disagreement came in how the more official channels handled the pettiness.

Nothing will ever stop fans from being fans. But the official (or quasi-official like Manson) channels set the expectation for the fan base of how they should operate.

We're better than the Barstool approach of doing things.

[thepostman]

ASOR isn't an official source. Not even close, but I get your point.

I actually have thought the stuff coming out through official channels has gotten better since Ian took over. The pettiness that came out from our athletic dept during JB's reign was tiresome at times.

Now Jerry Jr is a whole other story and we all know how I feel about him.

[tyndal23]

Can’t wait for the day when all the regional G5 teams complain about us being too snooty to play them and how petty our fan base is because we beat up on the ACC and unfairly get nationwide deplorable republican recruits and have an unfair $ 1 billion tv contract and pay our head coach more than highest paid P5 coach...

[SoD BAS]

From someone who admittedly doesn’t watch much, your the first on here when we lose.

I think through things critically and from many different angles instead of blindly supporting a team or program.

Hahaha. This guy. We are not worthy to have him on our mortal forums. We must bow down to our heralded deity whose sources reign from broadcast correspondents. #GoFlames

[R i]

Ironically the MBB account takes more shots at the haters than most any official account we have. So your entire basis Falls apart there.

Also do you even realize how insulting it is to fans that enjoy celebrating to claim we blindly follow and don’t critically think ? It’s pretty arrogant actually.

Ever since Rocco left and even more since Jr became Trumps number 1 fan, you’ve changed your tone towards football and Liberty.


I’ll drop it, but you shouldn’t have come on the celebration thread and called Manson petty. Of all the pessimistic and fun sucking posts you’ve made, that one crossed the line.

[Jonathan Carone]

Also do you even realize how insulting it is to fans that enjoy celebrating to claim we blindly follow and don’t critically think ? It’s pretty arrogant actually.

This is a straw man if I've ever seen one. Nowhere did I say simply celebrating a game was blindly following. You know that. You're smarter than the character you play on here.

I’ll drop it, but you shouldn’t have come on the celebration thread and called Manson petty. Of all the pessimistic and fun sucking posts you’ve made, that one crossed the line.

Again, I never called Jon petty. I said a line in an article he wrote was a petty statement. There's a huge difference there. I never would've even seen the line had two others not posted about it before me.

Ever since Rocco left and even more since Jr became Trumps number 1 fan, you’ve changed your tone towards football and Liberty.

It wasn't Rocco leaving. I thought it was his time to go when he left. I've said that over and over on here.

The Asa situation is where the bubble burst for me. After a coach, AD, and president I trusted did that in the name of winning a football game, I realized I couldn't simply accept what was being said without first questioning it. Call me naive before that, but that's the exact week my view shifted.

[thepostman]

I really regret putting any focus on that Manson quote. This celebration thread really went off it's rails.

[LU 57]

It wasn't Rocco leaving. I thought it was his time to go when he left. I've said that over and over on here.

The Asa situation is where the bubble burst for me. After a coach, AD, and president I trusted did that in the name of winning a football game, I realized I couldn't simply accept what was being said without first questioning it. Call me naive before that, but that's the exact week my view shifted.

That is all ancient history. You do not have to support the administration to support our current coaches and teams.

I could be bitter about a lot of things that transpired while I was at LU, sports-related and otherwise, but I choose not to be. I enjoy the community too much.

That is all.

[Jonathan Carone]

I do support the current coaches! If you read through the game threads where it was said I was being negative, I supported the coaches over and over.

In this thread, my first post was celebrating the defensive coordinator.

A year ago, when many of us were skeptical of hiring Freeze, I was one of the first to fully support hiring him and became a cheerleader in trying to convince others why it was a good hire.

I’m all in on this coaching staff.

I think where people (not you directly, speaking general now) get off base is in thinking any criticism is a lack of support. The reason I’m critical at times is because of my support for the school. I want what is best for us.

I’m sorry this thread got so hijacked. Once Chad came after me like that, I felt the need to defend myself. Probably should’ve let it go, but I’m a bit too prideful to take the shots and not fight back.

[LU 57]

I do support the current coaches! If you read through the game threads where it was said I was being negative, I supported the coaches over and over.

In this thread, my first post was celebrating the defensive coordinator.

A year ago, when many of us were skeptical of hiring Freeze, I was one of the first to fully support hiring him and became a cheerleader in trying to convince others why it was a good hire.

I’m all in on this coaching staff.

I think where people (not you directly, speaking general now) get off base is in thinking any criticism is a lack of support. The reason I’m critical at times is because of my support for the school. I want what is best for us.

I’m sorry this thread got so hijacked. Once Chad came after me like that, I felt the need to defend myself. Probably should’ve let it go, but I’m a bit too prideful to take the shots and not fight back.

Fair enough. I enjoy your perspective.

I see this kind of like many see the Chick-fil-a issue. Specifically, several on this board have made it clear they are not going to allow the change in Chic-fil-a’s approach to charitable giving get in the way of their enjoyment of Chick-fil-a food.

Similarly, I enjoy rooting for and following LU sports. I am not going to allow decisions I do not agree with at the top of the house effect my interest in LU sports. Within reason of course. Hugely simplified but I think you get the idea.

Back to celebrating the bowl win!!

[R i]

Here’s an olive branch JC, I get super stoked and optimistic, and In those moments I’m a little more sensitive to your cutting ways.

Saying it was the expected pettiness from liberty/asor is the same thing as calling Manson Petty. I think his overall message wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, because he himself was hesitant to move to fbs without fcs success. It was more of a positive that, guess those people were wrong Bc look at us now!

No one on the board respects your opinions more than I do. I’ve told you that several times. We agree on 99%, it’s the one explosive 1% of positive momentum that we disagree on.

I asked coach freeze in the post game press conference, “what does a win like this do for your program?”

His answer was a lot about positive fan momentum, bringing flames nation together and giving us an experience as a fan base, to unite and build upon. Growing our fan support.

Ian has this same message every time I hear him.

It feels like you have a way to interrupt that moment ( in this case less than 2 hours after a bowl win) with a decisive contrarian take. This happens bc I am on an emotional high from an epic game and then just get so irritated at your responses. This is not the first time.

If I responded below the line, I apologize.

If there is one place we should be able to sing kumbaya directly after the biggest moments in this rise, it’s here. Not trying to silence critics or be a blindly loyal fanboy, but it’s bc you know what you are doing. You stir the pot and always bring a negative to ponder right in the middle of the fan celebration and momentum.

We both know this will happen again after our next major football accomplishment, and until then merry Christmas and a happy new year! Haha.

Carone and I are both seasoned liberty and message board vets, we have talked and texted more than people know. We don’t need a referee on the board. I respect him and he respects me. This is what we do! Haha.

PS . Hope your daughter is feeling better , and thank you for keeping us in check, most of the time.

[thepostman]

I wasn't trying to keep you guys in check. You guys have been going back and forth for years. But this is a celebration thread. It would be awesome if we could stick to that. I too took Manson's comment the same way you did. I actually like this discussion and think it has value. Just not in a celebration thread and I shouldn't of quoted that portion of Manson's article. Had I known it would've taken us down this trail I wouldn't of quoted it.

Oh well. Its Christmas Eve and I have just collapsed into a chair after having crazy fun with my kids and wife decorating Christmas cookies. Liberty athletics is approaching heights we have never seen. Life is good!

[flamesfilmguy]

wow I missed a lot here.

[PAmedic]

Chick fight

[LUOrange]

So does anybody know if and when LU will start selling Cure Bowl Champions gear?

[ballcoach15]

I hope they sell it. It will be a good seller, providing the prices are not gouged.

[Cider Jim]

So does anybody know if and when LU will start selling Cure Bowl Champions gear?

Those Cure Bowl champion t-shirts are already all over Facebook. And I sure hope they come to the LU bookstore. And, unlike ballcoach, I will buy one at any price (and not complain).

[ballcoach15]

I would like a Cure Bowl cap also.

If I could get "marketing rights", I know a place I can get T Shirts made for 7.00 each.

[JK37]

BC: “I know a guy.”

I’m scared.

[A Sea of Red]

It's time for us to start planning around bowl season

https://www.aseaofred.com/we-need-to-pl ... wl-season/

[ballcoach15]

Jon, excellent advice. Everyone needs to get their 2020 calendars and circle the dates now, and plan accordingly, for next 12 months. Don't wait until Selection Sunday, and then act surprised,

[thepostman]

I don't think anybody acted surprised. More hyperbole from the ol' ballcoach.

I hope more and more people can make it part of their plans. Some people have jobs with missions that make it near impossible to plan a year in advance but I will do my best to be at the next bowl game.