Nope.

[Cyrocks]

You Greg lovers are missing his point.

The OP isn't going to cheer for another team, he's not renouncing Iowa State, he's just not going to put money and time towards the men's basketball program until something changes. That's not quitting your fanhood. That's just making a rational decision. ISU basketball doesn't provide any enjoyment, unless you're a huge masochist, and he's putting that time and money back into his family. We should loudly chastise that. :no:

Great life lesson for your kids. The going gets tough just quit.

Yeah, because putting family ahead of ****** basketball is such a bad set of values.

I am not defending McDermott, but let me tell you a story.

My buddy has been a season ticket holder for football for over 30 years (making him around the same age as the original poster). He sat through some very good years, and he sat through the Duncan, Criner, Walden and the worst years of DMac.

Each year he would faithfully donate money and then purchase season tickets. Then when ISU got a little better under McCarney, there were a lot of "bandwagon" jumpers who wanted good seats and better parking, so they were able to pony up a little more money to get them.

My friend kept getting worse and worse seating assignments and parking. He never complains. He attends the games faithfully.

I think we owe a lot to fans like my friend. They are the ones who gutted it out and kept giving to the university. That doesn't mean they were boot-lickers and liked all the hires, but they never stopped giving to the university.

What would have happened if they would have have said, "Forget it. We suck and I won't renew my season tickets." Think of the BIGGER hole the university would be in now had these faithful fans said the heck with it!

Voice your opinions, that's fine. That's you're right. But I, too, have sat through some gawd awful games and seasons. But I can't tell you one time where I didn't enjoy the tailgating, or meeting the fans around me at the basketball game.

Just my two cents. Take if for what it is worth.

 

[Wahoo]

As far as "I'm tired of these types of posts..." and "this is attention getting" comments.

Seriously?

Thousands and thousands of worthless posts and threads on this board and you guys critique someone with a well thought out, well written, heart-felt post. I wish others would choose the quality over quantity method that OP has chosen.

 

[Cyrocks]

To all of you haters out there...that think I was putting ISU basketball ahead of my family only to now spend time with them again only because ISU sucks...read my original post again. I am talking about my free time. I, on occasion, do need some time away from family. I will guarantee you that you would be hard pressed to find a dad who spends more time with their family than I do. That being said, I can and will find other activities to do in my free time, some of which will include my family.

I submitted my original post to vent some of my feelings about the basketball program and to see if there were any others that felt the same way or were in a similar situation as me. Apparently that is not the purpose of CycloneFanatic. Apparently the purpose of this site is to read posts and then tear the OP apart.

There have been numerous threads on here started by those who feel the same way.

But what did you expect to happen? Sure there were people who were going to agree with you, but you had to know there were some that wouldn't.

It's up to you whether you want to give up your basketball tickets. To me, the best part of taking your kids and family to the games is the time spent together. Look at my previous post about my friend. He took his kids to the ISU games. They still talk about going to those games as a family -- and his kids became diehard ISU fans as well -- imagine becoming die hard fans while watching Criner's teams! :wink:

If the reason you don't want to renew your season tickets or go to basketball games with your familly is because you can't afford to, then I have no issues with that. But seriously, kids don't remember the scores of games they go to. They only remember they had a good time with their dad and they got to go somewhere cool. And then they grow up to be Clone fans.

 

[weR138]

To all of you haters out there...that think I was putting ISU basketball ahead of my family only to now spend time with them again only because ISU sucks...read my original post again. I am talking about my free time. I, on occasion, do need some time away from family. I will guarantee you that you would be hard pressed to find a dad who spends more time with their family than I do. That being said, I can and will find other activities to do in my free time, some of which will include my family.

I submitted my original post to vent some of my feelings about the basketball program and to see if there were any others that felt the same way or were in a similar situation as me. Apparently that is not the purpose of CycloneFanatic. Apparently the purpose of this site is to read posts and then tear the OP apart.

It only took you 168 posts in this thread to figure that out.

If you don't want to get ripped, don't uses phrases like "I'm done with ISU" or whatever. TRU fans are never "done" with ISU. It doesn't matter how you try to qualify it; don't say it and expect not to get ripped.

 

[aauummm]

To all of you haters out there...that think I was putting ISU basketball ahead of my family only to now spend time with them again only because ISU sucks...read my original post again. I am talking about my free time. I, on occasion, do need some time away from family. I will guarantee you that you would be hard pressed to find a dad who spends more time with their family than I do. That being said, I can and will find other activities to do in my free time, some of which will include my family.

I submitted my original post to vent some of my feelings about the basketball program and to see if there were any others that felt the same way or were in a similar situation as me. Apparently that is not the purpose of CycloneFanatic. Apparently the purpose of this site is to read posts and then tear the OP apart.

I don't know how you arrange your personal life but I do know that if I had 3 children to raise, I would not have any "free" time. Parenting to me is a full-time job in and of itself. But that's just me and I'm not criticizing you.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

But this has been happening for four years now. What is the one constant of the ISU basketball program over those four years?

Losing and looking bad doing it?

 

[Cyclonestate78]

I find it funny how everyone has attacked the OP here. The guy spends his hard earned money on ISU basketball tickets, etc.... and now that he makes his own personal choice to not continue to do it he gets railed on by "real" fans? Are you kidding me? I think that the OP can spend his money and make his own choice to do whatever he wants. The majority that are being the most critical probably don't spend half if even that of what the OP does on tickets etc.... Hell he has probably been to more ISU games then the vast majority of members on this board.

So for those being critical of his personal choice.... pat yourself on the back "real" fan. It takes guts to tell others how to live their lives. Yikes.

 

[singsing]

Mac has a great bball IQ. Basically you are asking us to take a chance on a assistant coach that has a great bball IQ when we have a proven Head Coach (at non-bcs schools) that has a great bball IQ. I'd much rather stick with what we got than go that route. I can pretty much guarantee that we'd be off much worse with you at the helm.

Some of these posts just get sillier and sillier. :no:

You tell me any part of the game where Mac shows good basketball IQ. Give me your list and I'll repond with a list that shows he does not.

 

[BryceC]

Everybody that says "firing Mac could set us back 3-4 more years" as a defense needs to consider another possibility. We could also hang on to him way too long like Iowa did with Alford, resulting in the fanbase really turning on the program and us getting into a Lickliter situation. Iowa had to overpay for Lickliter and their fans have completely bailed over there. Let's not be so arrogant to think that can't happen here. It most certainly can and that situation is something that takes decades to get over.

 

[dbronco7sc]

Everybody that says "firing Mac could set us back 3-4 more years" as a defense needs to consider another possibility. We could also hang on to him way too long like Iowa did with Alford, resulting in the fanbase really turning on the program and us getting into a Lickliter situation. Iowa had to overpay for Lickliter and their fans have completely bailed over there. Let's not be so arrogant to think that can't happen here. It most certainly can and that situation is something that takes decades to get over.

I agree that it shouldn't be used as a defense... as you don't know it will happen. I just know that people have to accept that as a reality that we may lose any incoming recruits and young players if we do.

Should that deter us from doing so... not necessarily. But, if we did change coaches and it happens. We'll be just as divided as we are now. Those who welcomed the change will say, "Give him more time" and those who didn't will say, "We never shoulda fired Mac".

We're in a bad spot right now as a fan base. As winning games soon, whether it be Mac or a new coach... seems like the only way we'll re-unite.

 

[Cyrocks]

The point of my post was about my time...not my money.

I find it funny how everyone has attacked the OP here. The guy spends his hard earned money on ISU basketball tickets, etc.... and now that he makes his own personal choice to not continue to do it he gets railed on by "real" fans? Are you kidding me? I think that the OP can spend his money and make his own choice to do whatever he wants. The majority that are being the most critical probably don't spend half if even that of what the OP does on tickets etc.... Hell he has probably been to more ISU games then the vast majority of members on this board.

So for those being critical of his personal choice.... pat yourself on the back "real" fan. It takes guts to tell others how to live their lives. Yikes.

Really? I read through this thread and people weren't too hard on him.

Not any harder than those who "ripped" on people who said they would continue to support the team by renewing their season tickets -- many called out those people as settling for mediocrity and "McDermott lovers".

It goes both ways.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

Really? I read through this thread and people weren't too hard on him.

Not any harder than those who "ripped" on people who said they would continue to support the team by renewing their season tickets -- many called out those people as settling for mediocrity and "McDermott lovers".

It goes both ways.

I understand that. I find it funny how easily some on here label anyone who questions the direction of the program or says anything that isn't 100% positive as not "real" fans. Probably the same people that complain about the government all day long but would punch someone in the grill if they called them "un-american".

 

[aauummm]

My "free" time typically consists of a few hours per month, if that. That is my whole point...my free time is so limited, I am not going to waste it on something that I no longer find pleasure in. I would rather spend what little free time I have on something that is actually entertaining for me.

The reason I have so little "free" time IS because I choose to spend the vast majority of my time with my family doing family things. That being said, if one of my boys wants to go to an ISU game as part of "family" time, I will gladly take them, but at this point I would rather do something else with them...

Sounds like a great plan to me! And congratulations on having your boys! Sounds like you're a great father to them and believe me, that's what matters most! I'm thinking that your Dad must be very proud of you.:yes:

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Everybody that says "firing Mac could set us back 3-4 more years" as a defense needs to consider another possibility. We could also hang on to him way too long like Iowa did with Alford, resulting in the fanbase really turning on the program and us getting into a Lickliter situation. Iowa had to overpay for Lickliter and their fans have completely bailed over there. Let's not be so arrogant to think that can't happen here. It most certainly can and that situation is something that takes decades to get over.

Great post. It seems like everyone thinks that the next coaches tenure has to start out like Greg's. That simply isn't the case.

 

[ISUFan22]

Everybody that says "firing Mac could set us back 3-4 more years" as a defense needs to consider another possibility. We could also hang on to him way too long like Iowa did with Alford, resulting in the fanbase really turning on the program and us getting into a Lickliter situation. Iowa had to overpay for Lickliter and their fans have completely bailed over there. Let's not be so arrogant to think that can't happen here. It most certainly can and that situation is something that takes decades to get over.

Yes.

 

[cyclones500]

I just re-read the OP, because some of the responses seemed to read between the lines and try to insert conjecture. When I first read the post, I admired the honesty. I still do — but I can also understand how it would draw such a variety of responses.

There are a lot of different things going on — family vs. entertainment; tradition vs. reality; loyalty vs. practicality. If they're taken separately, it would be fair to draw scrutiny. If they're interwoven, it's not as simple.

1. Fan loyalty. Some people have taken this as, "I love ISU bball -- it's been a bond with my dad for a long time, but now that things are bad, I'm jumping ship — but if it gets better, I might return." This sounds like a fair-weather fan, but it actually is interconnected with:
2. Family. My kids are Priority 1, so I need to choose my leisure time wisely. I cannot justify spending free time in that way, because it's not enjoyable. If changes are made, and the joy of that slice of my life becomes a good balance, I might reconsider.
3. Financial. Dad was a frequent $ contributor, and as a ticket-holder, I am, too, but I have a breaking point — I don't find it practical to fuel the coffers if the "product" no longer warrants it. So I'm sending a message —*if you want my support, I need to see things change. I can't just blindly support stagnation.

I realize I'm oversimplifying — my point is, it's easy to focus on specific aspects of TruFan's post, when in fact it's a multi-faceted decision.

 

[cycloneML]

meet greg gard
Player Bio: Greg Gard - UWBadgers.com - The Official Web Site of the Wisconsin Badgers

 

[urb1]

When I first started at ISU, MBB was pathetic. Went to a few games under Nance, but they weren't that exciting. But I became a when Orr arrived, and have been since, through thick and thin. Eventually I got my wife interested and we never miss a game on TV or radio. We don't get to HC much, because we raised three kids, and time and money have always been in short supply.

And this year, I drank the Kool-aid. I listened to Miller and Deace talking about sweet 16. I listed to Matt and Miller who said they expected to be talking about the clones non-stop come January. We bought tickets to Chicago for the Duke game after the first 6 games, thinking if these guys could blow out every team by 20 points, scrubs or not, they could play a competitive game against Duke. I saw depth and team work that I not seen in years, and then that NW game brought the season to an end. That seemed to be the tipping point when the team work stopped. The fire ended.

We still watch every game, but my expectations are gone. This teams seems to play at 7-10 points below their competition. They go up by 5, get us excited, and then fall behind for the rest of the game.

Now I am frustrated. As is, judging from CN, a great portion of the fan base. But too many people on this board take offense to people venting their frustration. McDermott's a great guy, but where is the fire and discipline that we need? We have so much talent, where is the teamwork? If double-teaming is causing a problem, why aren't we making corrections? Shouldn't our players be coached on how to handle a situation that is likely to come up in every game? Why are college level players stepping out of bounds so often, or turning the ball over on passes so often?

I hate to think about a new coach coming in. It was tough enough to lose LE, and a disaster the way the WM situation was handled. (Never a fan beyond his recruiting, but he should have been given at least another year.) But it's been four years. We're paying someone close to a million a year, and we owe him 2 1/2 million if he is fired. So yes, fans should expect more than we are getting. But just because people vent their frustrations doesn't mean they aren't fans. I will be a fan of Iowa State till the day I die, win or lose, but as a fan, I want to see improvement. If McDermott can do that, I would be a happy person. But you can't play the same game and let your players play their same game if the results aren't there. Then a coach needs to say, "we're doing things differently now. And if you don't like it, you are sitting on the bench."

 

[cycloneML]

When I first started at ISU, MBB was pathetic. Went to a few games under Nance, but they weren't that exciting. But I became a when Orr arrived, and have been since, through thick and thin. Eventually I got my wife interested and we never miss a game on TV or radio. We don't get to HC much, because we raised three kids, and time and money have always been in short supply.

And this year, I drank the Kool-aid. I listened to Miller and Deace talking about sweet 16. I listed to Matt and Miller who said they expected to be talking about the clones non-stop come January. We bought tickets to Chicago for the Duke game after the first 6 games, thinking if these guys could blow out every team by 20 points, scrubs or not, they could play a competitive game against Duke. I saw depth and team work that I not seen in years, and then that NW game brought the season to an end. That seemed to be the tipping point when the team work stopped. The fire ended.

We still watch every game, but my expectations are gone. This teams seems to play at 7-10 points below their competition. They go up by 5, get us excited, and then fall behind for the rest of the game.

Now I am frustrated. As is, judging from CN, a great portion of the fan base. But too many people on this board take offense to people venting their frustration. McDermott's a great guy, but where is the fire and discipline that we need? We have so much talent, where is the teamwork? If double-teaming is causing a problem, why aren't we making corrections? Shouldn't our players be coached on how to handle a situation that is likely to come up in every game? Why are college level players stepping out of bounds so often, or turning the ball over on passes so often?

I hate to think about a new coach coming in. It was tough enough to lose LE, and a disaster the way the WM situation was handled. (Never a fan beyond his recruiting, but he should have been given at least another year.) But it's been four years. We're paying someone close to a million a year, and we owe him 2 1/2 million if he is fired. So yes, fans should expect more than we are getting. But just because people vent their frustrations doesn't mean they aren't fans. I will be a fan of Iowa State till the day I die, win or lose, but as a fan, I want to see improvement. If McDermott can do that, I would be a happy person. But you can't play the same game and let your players play their same game if the results aren't there. Then a coach needs to say, "we're doing things differently now. And if you don't like it, you are sitting on the bench."

very eloquent post. you make a great point. the people that are speaking up are just as big of ISU fans as the ones that are backing MCD. JP, do your job and figure this out one way or another.

 

[CTAClone]

You tell me any part of the game where Mac shows good basketball IQ. Give me your list and I'll repond with a list that shows he does not.

Anyone that knows Mac and the way he coaches and played throughout his career knows he has a good bball IQ. As far as passing that onto his players, that is another story. Have you ever listened to him break down a game or a team in interviews? I'm not even going to waste anymore time with this, because your original post, you wanted to be the coach for 50K.