So we can't question Pollard on here anymore?

[Cloned4Life]

Not a troll. Pollard has done good things, no doubt. He has also been passed by with his feet in cement by the modern world of college athletics. It is OK to discuss what this has done to our major programs. It is also OK to wonder why we're using NIL funds for non-revenue generating sports at the expense of football and basketball; why no one can question his supreme control; why the fans better believe everything he says; why outgoing coaches throw him a bone and most assume that means they loved working with him (just like some politicians); and why his most recent coaching search was done to "preserve continuity" and obviously did nothing of the sort; and why our student-athletes don't trust a word he says. It is OK to question all of these things while recognizing he has done good for ISU.

It is OK to question things. Just not on a public sports message board, apparently. Or even the paid boards, I guess.

Because that is not "constructive" - did I get that right?

It is tough to break from 2 decades of cult-narrative training though. My favorite of the training tenets are - when anything "bad" happens - especially the losing of legendary coaches - this messaging must be pushed relentlessly until the heat dissipates and all accountability, and responsibility either just magically vanishes into the ether or has shifted to the "ousted" legendary coach:

• "There is nothing the AD could have done!"
• "We just don't have the money! We just don't have the donors!"
• "Everyone is just looking for a villain!"
• "It was [insert historic coaching legend here]'s dream to leave for [insert whatever job or pro league they left us for] - repeat - nothing could have stopped them from leaving! The AD did everything they could but there were no options!"

Most importantly though - when the heat doesn't dissipate, it is critical to act really frustrated about how the topic just won't go away, whine about other 'bad' fans not moving on, etc.

 

[FarmerCy1]

Lots of assumptions and erroneous points here. CF has led the way in being critical of JP. Almost to the opposite of what you’re saying and being unjournalistic. And you know JP is looking a sites like CF how? That’s a silly statement.

Congressional staffs have a staffer assigned to query the major papers in the home district/ state for articles and what the media is saying about their members, that then get aggregated and shared with senior staff and the member- its part of how they stay on top of what is going on back home. I would be shocked if there wasn’t a low level staffer in the AD that was responsible for doing the same thing with local media/national media/fan sites. Do I think that JP is pulling a Van de Velde and scrolling CF constantly… no, unless you count Mr G. Spot that magically shows up in these threads and has a writing style similar to how JP speaks

 

[Bestaluckcy]

That’s one way of looking at it. Ohio State looked at it differently when they hired Gene away from ASU.

And ASU is getting money from the state government. So what did Gene better by his ladder climbing?

 

[URBCLONE]

I am of the belief that ISU doesn't need to compete monetarily with the high spending programs. I believe ISU can compete for Big 12 championships without paying millions for players. I believe there are a lot of players being paid WAY more than they are worth and ISU can be competitive WITHOUT those players.

Thank you for the reply. I sincerely hope it works out for ISU FB and all of us as fans.

 

[bos]

What thread was closed? It must have been completely removed, I guess as I dont see anything locked recently about the subject, I must have missed it.

That being said why is this one continuing to be open, if the theory that any criticism of JP is shut down immediately?

Because conspiracy!

 

[Marcelason78]

I think he has been a great AD but this age of college athletics has passed him by. Beth Goetz is running circles around him in Iowa City with the NIL stuff.

By doing what (other than borrowing money)?

 

[CyGuy5]

Criticism of Mr G Spot will not be tolerated, no.

 

[AuH2O]

I am of the belief that ISU doesn't need to compete monetarily with the high spending programs. I believe ISU can compete for Big 12 championships without paying millions for players. I believe there are a lot of players being paid WAY more than they are worth and ISU can be competitive WITHOUT those players.

In football I think the ACC and Big 12 are just going to end up being a tier somewhere between Big 10/SEC and G5, with a growing gap between the former and latter. Where on that continuum the Big 12 will be, I don't know. There will be a couple programs that spend serious cash that might be able to compete in a playoff like TTU. But most of our schools can maybe win a conference title once in a while, be the one team in the playoff from the league, and probably lose in the first round.

If it was like the pre-NIL days and the playoff was expanded to 12 or 16, I think ISU could've been a playoff regular, and maybe made a run at playing in a national semifinal here and there, and been more competitive with the top teams in the country.

So not a wildly different outcome really, but we'll never know. ISU football and athletics as a whole are still a great entertainment option and are fun to watch. I still think they are great things that I spend money on in terms of tickets, merch, viewing subscriptions. And if people want to spend money on NIL, that's great. I appreciate those willing to do it.

But people need to understand that competitive balance peaked once every major college team was on TV, scholarship limits dropped, and basically everyone had at least decent college-level facilities. We're in the early stages of a steep downward slope in competitive balance. Just the way it is, and if not being competitive with the top schools is going to make ISU fans miserable, then that's on them.

 

[BACyclone]

People say "I don't like Pollard's handling of NIL" and then immediately go on to demonstrate they don't understand how it all works. It's just rage posting. I can understand why threads like that keep getting locked.

There's a ridiculous game of telephone going on, I think in part started by some of the unfounded rumors during the uncertainty in football, and now mixed in with preconceived notions of what people think JP should do or should have done on a variety of topics.

It's ridiculously tiresome.

 

[twincyties]

Congressional staffs have a staffer assigned to query the major papers in the home district/ state for articles and what the media is saying about their members, that then get aggregated and shared with senior staff and the member- its part of how they stay on top of what is going on back home. I would be shocked if there wasn’t a low level staffer in the AD that was responsible for doing the same thing with local media/national media/fan sites. Do I think that JP is pulling a Van de Velde and scrolling CF constantly… no, unless you count Mr G. Spot that magically shows up in these threads and has a writing style similar to how JP speaks

It’s very clear the either he or someone working for him watches and then makes the call to shut the conversation down.

 

[inCyteful]

Can you guys dumbing this cuck any harder for CW and JP?

Now there is a mature approach.

I have already addressed the boot licker icon for you.

 

[AuH2O]

I think he has been a great AD but this age of college athletics has passed him by. Beth Goetz is running circles around him in Iowa City with the NIL stuff.

If by "running circles around him" you mean being in a conference with Ohio State and Michigan, and the additional 10s of millions in media dollars that affords their AD, then you are correct.

 

[Die4Cy]

They did and the narrative immediately shifted. As though they were “asked” to issue some kind of clarification.

I guess I don't know. My view of it was the shock in the moment caused some people to say things they wished they hadn't after the fact because it was coming from a place of emotion and not facts. Making it less of a walk back and more of a coming to one's senses.

 

[URBCLONE]

In football I think the ACC and Big 12 are just going to end up being a tier somewhere between Big 10/SEC and G5, with a growing gap between the former and latter. Where on that continuum the Big 12 will be, I don't know. There will be a couple programs that spend serious cash that might be able to compete in a playoff like TTU. But most of our schools can maybe win a conference title once in a while, be the one team in the playoff from the league, and probably lose in the first round.

If it was like the pre-NIL days and the playoff was expanded to 12 or 16, I think ISU could've been a playoff regular, and maybe made a run at playing in a national semifinal here and there, and been more competitive with the top teams in the country.

So not a wildly different outcome really, but we'll never know. ISU football and athletics as a whole are still a great entertainment option and are fun to watch. I still think they are great things that I spend money on in terms of tickets, merch, viewing subscriptions. And if people want to spend money on NIL, that's great. I appreciate those willing to do it.

But people need to understand that competitive balance peaked once every major college team was on TV, scholarship limits dropped, and basically everyone had at least decent college-level facilities. We're in the early stages of a steep downward slope in competitive balance. Just the way it is, and if not being competitive with the top schools is going to make ISU fans miserable, then that's on them.

Great post. I still hold out hope that something can be done to restore some semblance of competitive balance, but generally, I think your view of the future is largely correct.

 

[Marcelason78]

It’s very clear the either he or someone working for him watches and then makes the call to shut the conversation down.

So the call should be coming shortly.

 

[AppleCornCy]

And ASU is getting money from the state government.

The horror.

So what did Gene better by his ladder climbing?

He led one of the best athletic departments in the country for two decades because he’s good at his job.

 

[ZorkClone]

What thread was closed? It must have been completely removed, I guess, as I dont see anything locked recently about the subject, I must have missed it.

That being said why is this one continuing to be open, if the theory that any criticism of JP is shut down immediately?

C

Thread 'Now that the dust has settled, can we have the Pollard talk?'

Dec 30, 2025

Alright everyone, now that we have less than 20 football players on the roster, can we finally acknowledge that Jamie Pollard HAS TO GO.

From Everything I have heard, Matt Campbell did not want to leave, but Pollard forced his hand and pushed him out. He even announced Jimmy Rogers as the new coach before saying anything about Campbell leaving. None of the long time football staff members stayed on, not even the behind the scenes people.

Any media member that said anything negative about Pollard completely retracted the statement in less than a week. Sounds like some threats were thrown...

• cyclonepower31
• Replies: 68
• Forum: Football

• 
• 
• 

This is the tread. It is locked without any explanation of why, but this thread isn't locked and seems much more critical.

 

[JUKEBOX]

Great post. I still hold out hope that something can be done to restore some semblance of competitive balance, but generally, I think your view of the future is largely correct.

Unless we get a billionaire donor, serious college football reform (through national legislation), or awesome coaches + players who aren't driven by money, this is what it's going to be most likely.

 

[besserheimerphat]

Of course it wouldn't. But it's just an example of not wanting to change our ways to increase revenue that will help us stay competitive. I feel like we just want to talk about how poor we are rather then find ways to not be poor.

Getting a few bucks a month by recycling cans is nice, but it doesn't make a car payment, or a rent/mortgage payment, or a student loan payment.

 

[Bestaluckcy]

He led one of the best athletic departments in the country for two decades because he’s good at his job.

Or he is good at kissing ass.