Taking action

Sep 20, 2004, 9:19 PM

Good evening everybody. I know a lot of you are still very upset about the way this football season seems to be heading. I appreciate those who have put it in perspective. We play one game at a time, so there’s no need to get all “chicken little” yet.

There are no fans in college football that are better than Clemson fans. If you’ve read any of my posts over the last 24 hrs, you know how I feel about that. What’s crazy is that we have the potential to be so much better. There was a lot of negativity floating around today. It’s a good release to vent about what happened sometimes. But look, our players read TigerNet. People from other schools read TigerNet. It’s one thing to conjecture about what we can change to improve. It’s another to throw these guys and the coaches under the wheels of the bus.

Someone predicted a 3 win season earlier today. That’s a lack of faith. And what if this year actually is a 3 win season? Would you love Clemson less? Would you quit wearing your Clemson stuff? Do you remember the last 3 win season? I do – 1998. And I was in the stands for every home game that year. And so were a heck of a lot of other Tigers. Some schools can’t even get that many fans in the seats for a winning season. I’m not saying that you have to like losing. Just remember how lucky we are.

But after all these years of sitting back and being a fan in the same way I’ve always done it, something changed for me after the game against Texas A&M this weekend. Maybe it was seeing the 12th Man in action that made me realize that they’re not better fans than Clemson fans. They’re no less jaded with disappointing seasons. They’re maybe more organized than us, but that’s about it. We all want the Tigers to win every time they step out on to the field. Realistically, that doesn’t happen for anyone. So it’s looking like we’re not going to win another national championship this year. So what? Does this mean you’re going quit being a Clemson fan?

I have an idea and it’s this: let’s be the best fans in the nation before we’re the best football team in the nation. Let’s do our part. I know the last two games have been a disappointment, but let’s use it as an opportunity to do something that nobody else has done before.

Don’t you get angry when the press automatically assumes that any Clemson football coach’s job is on the line when the team underperforms? What they’re really saying is that Clemson football fans are fickle. And they’re saying it to your face. Ivan Masiel had an unkind blurb in his column today about Coach Bowden. He alluded that Coach Bowden’s job is on the line. That’s just not cool.

TDP knows the level of performance that Clemson expects. Let him do the job he’s paid for and let’s put all the armchair AD talk to rest. Whoever is coaching at Clemson needs our full support. Coach Bowden is our man, and until TDP says otherwise, let’s stand behind him through good times and bad.

It’s easy to be a fan when things are going your way. Well, right now, things aren’t going our way. Let’s define ourselves as fans by how we react to what we’re facing right now. If we did, how could the players and coaches not respond? How could a recruit turn down a school that was “up” for every game of every season – good and bad?

In one of my earlier posts, I asked if anyone had ideas for ways for us to improve as fans… I got a lot of positive feedback, but not really many concrete things we could take action on. Reply to me, T-Mail me, whatever. Let’s get a discussion going. We can’t suit up and play the games, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do something.

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Borrowed from Tigergirl® on the donor board:

years ago Tiger fans use to do letter writing campaigns to the team. We would send cards and letters out on Tuesdays for home games and Mondays for away games. or you could fax. There was no computers. (well that tells my age!!!) Anyway the players loved it. The coaches would post the letters in team room, locker room, weight room - where ever and it worked. Now everyone writes on the Tiger board, tigernet, cutigers and etc and a lot of the players do not read.
I say by Wed lets fax, email to Andy Johnson or Bob Mahoney, mail cards, letters to the players as a whole and also send telegrams to the hotel (that was another thing we used to do) Charley Pell use to say a letter went a long way and there were times when they really played a big role in the Saturdays game. I will send mine...will you send one!!??!!

Just a thought.

Taking action

HOF post***

I needed to hear that, thanks******

Best post I've read on here in a long time.....

Re: Best post I've read on here in a long time.....

Great Post!!!***

One of the best, most well thought out, calmest posts ever.***

im with ya***

Here's your idea...

Re: Here's your idea...

Nice Post***

Another Idea

Superb post...

what they said!***

My only question...

Letter writing

TigerBoard POTD