Can SWAC football recapture the excitement it had during the 80's and 90's?


different era now.....

talent level is not the same as the kids who go low D-1 to the ULMs, laTechs, FIUs, etc. are chasing those dreams instead of playing in the SWAC

secondly, blacks live further out from their schools are further isolated from their schools where they don't identify with their environment so as a result, they're not being exposed to their school on a daily basis

third....online growth has exploded, folks can sit at home and watch games or listen as opposed to having to be there....in the 80s, only way you'll see the game is that you had to be there or in a listening area....alot of times, you wanted to go to the games because you hear it's the place to be...

last.......the cost to attend has exploded and you're not getting the best bang for the buck...
 
the band fan said:
different era now.....

talent level is not the same as the kids who go low D-1 to the ULMs, laTechs, FIUs, etc. are chasing those dreams instead of playing in the SWAC

secondly, blacks live further out from their schools are further isolated from their schools where they don't identify with their environment so as a result, they're not being exposed to their school on a daily basis

third....online growth has exploded, folks can sit at home and watch games or listen as opposed to having to be there....in the 80s, only way you'll see the game is that you had to be there or in a listening area....alot of times, you wanted to go to the games because you hear it's the place to be...

last.......the cost to attend has exploded and you're not getting the best bang for the buck...
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So TBF, you're saying that we have to come with a different package?

Affordable games...fun atmosphere...pre-game funk...post-game party...?

Sounds like a lot of stufff we USED to do. :sick:

I miss those days, guys! Youngbloods not into having a good time. All about flexing and being hood!

It used to be fun to travel and share some good ol' fried fish, bbq, DRINKS, jambalaya, potato salad, DRINKS, chicken, DRINKS,.... :noidea:
 



I don't care about the party part....lol...

cost is a major factor as that's the excuses we're quick to use.....but what happened in the 80s ain't going to happen in the 2000s....

we just have to repackage some things
 
JayRob said:
Put a better product on the field, they will come, gimmicks or no gimmicks.:lecture:
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I didn't want to agree w/ this @ first but then I realized my own alumni base and how fickle they are around the greater Houston area. :retard: (thinking basketball and now even football) Most of us who are true supporters didn't give a damned what the record was, we'd still be there. :tup:
 
Dr. Phreeze said:
Guess he never heard of Lewis Tillman...
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Nor...........:idea:

Shawn Gregory, Shannon Boyd, Leon seals, "Maddog" Jackie Walker, Andre Loyd, Darrion Conners, Stacy Mobley, Detrick Wise, Chris Burkett, Carlos "niterain" Johnson, etc...........:lol:
 
Lewis said:
I think the opposite. What happened (IMHO) is similar to basketball. Back then, the SWAC had a unique product. We played an exciting style and most teams was trying to bust the scoreboard wide open. In a typical SWAC Game, you were gonna see great passes, great runs and excitement all game long.

Then we start this new "we gotta play like the white boys to beat the white boys" style. Them old school coaches were geniuses and didn't give a damn about what others said. Now, a majority of the swac plays a boring (for our people) style of football, the football puriest agree with it, but the vast majority perfer the wide open style.
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:tup:
Also that style also got us really good talent.
 
number1 said:
I recall SU being pretty excited about football a lot, and I don't recall us ever being in the playoffs. We just wanted to beat the breaks off of Grambling and JSU.
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Great Point, But you really Explained using my point why Swac Football was so much better then...

In the 80s all SWAC schools had a shot in the Playoffs, in the 90 SU and Grambling was pretty Much out.
But Like you said you wanted to Beat JSU and Grambling but Dont Forget Alcorn.. Well Early 90s, For Grambling, Entire 90s for JSU, Early to Mid 90s for Alcorn Where all trying to get in the Playoffs.. So their Coaches Goal was winning in the Playoffs, which lead to them recruiting Better players and Really improving their Game.

Yeah Lewis Coaches where trying to Bust the Scoreboard open and was Wide open, Why they where working on positions in the Playoffs and people like SU and Grambling was trying to keep them out...

so With all that Going on in order for SU and GSU to Compete with Alcorn and Jstate that where still fighting ito get in the Playoffs, the Entire Conference had to Follow Suit and keep up, Or get dogged. everygame meant Everything for Playoff Positions and Fans took notice
Sorry PV but if the SWAC was still fighting for national titles and no 9 game mandates you would still be 0-forever.......
And the SWAC would still be the SWAC we knew yesteryear.
 
no it wouldn't...if PV and TSU funded their programs then the story is written differently.....you had cases wehere guys who became NFL stars from places such as Texas A&M-Kingsville bypass the opportunity to go to TSU or PV because of lack of aid, both schools were afraid to accept Prop 48s or bad reps....if both schools invested in their programs then, the 80s are different

call it a mandate, etc....once the Texas schools started to catch up things have changed drastically

as for basketball....this ain't the 90s.....AAU has killed these hidden pockets SWAC schools use to find players at...the Mississippi schools used to make a living at that but look at them now...
 
TXSU said:
Can SWAC football recapture the excitement it had during the 80's and 90's?

Everyone looked forward to the weekend during football season. The stadiums were packed. Jackson State won the SWAC championships without any marquee players in the 1980’s, Southern also won SWAC without any marquee players in the 1990’s. Grambling won SWAC championships with Doug Williams. Alcorn won SWAC championships with Steve McNair. You had coaches such as Casem and Cooley and even Gorden “talking trash†before football games which really sold a lot of football tickets.

Did the economy, casinos, coaching, the SWAC expanding to ten teams (nine game mandate) or football coaches that don’t “trash talk†end this excitement? What happened?
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If SWAC football coaches "talk trash" today, like they did in the 80's they will be reprimanded by the SWAC office. Remember what happened to Comegy when he mentioned the word “hostile†when referring to the environment at Southern?
 
thought that was the Alcorn coach....

our coaches were known for more poor mouthing at media day and downplaying a good team.....some were great storytellers and told plenty of jokes while others such as the Walter Highsmiths of the world made bold predictions that never came true..

the commnon denominotor of that during that time was there was less pressure from the administration in terms of winning fast, the same teams won so coaches had more job security and you had icons as coaches so it was expected...

now, you got a revolving door of coaches where in this era, everything is scrutinized so this new breed has to watch what they say

even in today's society, you notice the Joe Paterno's are the ones who make the bold statements
 



I don't think the playoffs had anything to do with the excitement of the games. It might have added something, but that is not the reason for the decline. I am certain most of the fans in Mumford during the 90's never even heard of the playoffs. I remember hearing some people saying that Southern plays Texas A&M(meaning Texas Southern) and Florida State(Florida A&M) next week. They didn't even know the names of our opponents, yet they showed up. I think it was the atmosphere and the ruthless student section that made Mumford a tough place.

If that were the case, how would explain SU 2003, Alabama State 2004, and Grambling 2005 which occured years after the playoff thing was completely shut out?
 
number1 said:
I don't think the playoffs had anything to do with the excitement of the games. It might have added something, but that is not the reason for the decline. I am certain most of the fans in Mumford during the 90's never even heard of the playoffs. I remember hearing some people saying that Southern plays Texas A&M(meaning Texas Southern) and Florida State(Florida A&M) next week. They didn't even know the names of our opponents, yet they showed up. I think it was the atmosphere and the ruthless student section that made Mumford a tough place.

If that were the case, how would explain SU 2003, Alabama State 2004, and Grambling 2005 which occured years after the playoff thing was completely shut out?
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Yea but the Coaches Knew of the Playoffs and they also knew that Jackson State was putting their team together to compete in the Playoffs.. So in the SWAC winning Means Beating Grambling and Jackson State.. If jackson State was preparing to beat the beat in the nation Then Coaches Knew they had to Get the Best Players they could find to keep up with them.. So Because COACHES where going out and fighting for better Players, Fans enjoyed it, if they knew the name of the Team or Not.

Sorry But it was nothing special about those Teams and as Many Points they where putting up they couldnt do what the SWAC teams of the 80 and 90s where doing.. Jerry Rice, Steve McNair and others where putting up Numbers against any and everyone, they where Good... 2005 and Bruce had their ups and downs. I dont believe our 2005 team could have done as good if they had the 01 schedule. OOC our schools havent done anything in a while, those teams you mentioned werent complete they just better then the rest of the SWAC, while losing to D2 schools like Tuskegee, 80 and 90s that wasnt happening Sorry.

Im Not saying we was better because of the Playoffs but Playoffs era sure did produce better results on the field, in the Stands, and preception of the Conference. Just look at the overall Sharp turn after that 1st championship Game...
 
TXSU said:
Can SWAC football recapture the excitement it had during the 80's and 90's?

Everyone looked forward to the weekend during football season. The stadiums were packed. Jackson State won the SWAC championships without any marquee players in the 1980’s, Southern also won SWAC without any marquee players in the 1990’s. Grambling won SWAC championships with Doug Williams. Alcorn won SWAC championships with Steve McNair. You had coaches such as Casem and Cooley and even Gorden “talking trashâ€￾ before football games which really sold a lot of football tickets.

Did the economy, casinos, coaching, the SWAC expanding to ten teams (nine game mandate) or football coaches that don’t “trash talkâ€￾ end this excitement? What happened?
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I think a lot of fans just lost interest and found other things to do on Saturdays.
 
Some say that the style of play we have now is boring...but how can winning and playing fundamentally sound football be boring? The important thing is winning and if you can do that by running then that's what you do...if the advantage comes in being pass oriented then that's what you do. The thing is that you do it (either run or pass) with good execution, great effort, and mostly intelligent game planning and playcalling.

Nothing wrong with a pass oriented offense...but it's more likely to work if the execution and playcalling is appropriate for that particular down, distance and stage of the game. To me, the difference in the coaching now as opposed to the coaching then is the management of the game and the chess match between the respective coordinators/head coaches.

I thinik the overall quality of play (fundamentals in blocking and tackling) has taken a dip. It might be partly to do with talent...but I think mostly due to a decreased emphasis on good fundamentals. It begins on the high school level where emphasis is now placed on an expanded playbook rather than execution of whatever plays are in the playbook.
 
the band fan said:
different era now.....

talent level is not the same as the kids who go low D-1 to the ULMs, laTechs, FIUs, etc. are chasing those dreams instead of playing in the SWAC

secondly, blacks live further out from their schools are further isolated from their schools where they don't identify with their environment so as a result, they're not being exposed to their school on a daily basis

third....online growth has exploded, folks can sit at home and watch games or listen as opposed to having to be there....in the 80s, only way you'll see the game is that you had to be there or in a listening area....alot of times, you wanted to go to the games because you hear it's the place to be...

last.......the cost to attend has exploded and you're not getting the best bang for the buck...
Click to expand...

Exactly. None of that stuff stroke mentioned had any impact. Also, the WORLD is just different. With expanded cable, internet, radio, etc... people can stay home and not travel to games.... I hate the potential of JSU-Valley being played on Thursday but 10 years ago, we didn't have games on ESPN.
 
stroke said:
Yea but the Coaches Knew of the Playoffs and they also knew that Jackson State was putting their team together to compete in the Playoffs.. So in the SWAC winning Means Beating Grambling and Jackson State.. If jackson State was preparing to beat the beat in the nation Then Coaches Knew they had to Get the Best Players they could find to keep up with them.. So Because COACHES where going out and fighting for better Players, Fans enjoyed it, if they knew the name of the Team or Not.

Sorry But it was nothing special about those Teams and as Many Points they where putting up they couldnt do what the SWAC teams of the 80 and 90s where doing.. Jerry Rice, Steve McNair and others where putting up Numbers against any and everyone, they where Good... 2005 and Bruce had their ups and downs. I dont believe our 2005 team could have done as good if they had the 01 schedule. OOC our schools havent done anything in a while, those teams you mentioned werent complete they just better then the rest of the SWAC, while losing to D2 schools like Tuskegee, 80 and 90s that wasnt happening Sorry.

Im Not saying we was better because of the Playoffs but Playoffs era sure did produce better results on the field, in the Stands, and preception of the Conference. Just look at the overall Sharp turn after that 1st championship Game...
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You all blow this whole playoffs and competing on a national level way out of proportion. For example, what if this was Grambling schedule:

1. Scenerio #1. 1- UL-Monroe, 2- McNeese 3- Richmond 4- SF Austin 5- PV 6-TxSo 7- Alcorn 8- Valley 9- UAPB 10- AAMU 11 Southern But they went 9-3 (losses to JSU, Richmond, and Southern), won the SWAC (by beating JSU by a point in Bham) but could not go to the playoffs due to the SCG.

2. Scenerio #2. 1- UL-Monroe, 2- AlaState 3- AAMU 4- Concordia, 5- PV 6-TxSo 7- Alcorn 8- Valley 9- UAPB 10- AAMU 11-Southern. Grambling goes 10-1 (loss to JSU), makes the playoffs and losses to McNeese (or better yet SCState or TNState) in the first round.

Which of those is competing more nationally? HOW IS GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS COMPETING NATIONALLY? The point is, we could compete MORE nationally, WITHOUT the playoffs but correctly using the 7-game format and putting together a good schedule.
 
JayRob said:
Put a better product on the field, they will come, gimmicks or no gimmicks.:lecture:
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:clap::clap::clap: I know for sure thats the case with JSU....I dont mind buying season tickets and driving 6 hours to see my team win or atleast be competitive!
 
Tigerpride said:
You all blow this whole playoffs and competing on a national level way out of proportion. For example, what if this was Grambling schedule:

1. Scenerio #1. 1- UL-Monroe, 2- McNeese 3- Richmond 4- SF Austin 5- PV 6-TxSo 7- Alcorn 8- Valley 9- UAPB 10- AAMU 11 Southern But they went 9-3 (losses to JSU, Richmond, and Southern), won the SWAC (by beating JSU by a point in Bham) but could not go to the playoffs due to the SCG.

2. Scenerio #2. 1- UL-Monroe, 2- AlaState 3- AAMU 4- Concordia, 5- PV 6-TxSo 7- Alcorn 8- Valley 9- UAPB 10- AAMU 11-Southern. Grambling goes 10-1 (loss to JSU), makes the playoffs and losses to McNeese (or better yet SCState or TNState) in the first round.

Which of those is competing more nationally? HOW IS GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS COMPETING NATIONALLY? The point is, we could compete MORE nationally, WITHOUT the playoffs but correctly using the 7-game format and putting together a good schedule.
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Every now and then, you come up with something that makes me understand why you call yourself the logical one. I agree with you on this one (Damn!)
 
TXSU said:
Can SWAC football recapture the excitement it had during the 80's and 90's?

Everyone looked forward to the weekend during football season. The stadiums were packed. Jackson State won the SWAC championships without any marquee players in the 1980’s, Southern also won SWAC without any marquee players in the 1990’s. Grambling won SWAC championships with Doug Williams. Alcorn won SWAC championships with Steve McNair. You had coaches such as Casem and Cooley and even Gorden “talking trashâ€￾ before football games which really sold a lot of football tickets.

Did the economy, casinos, coaching, the SWAC expanding to ten teams (nine game mandate) or football coaches that don’t “trash talkâ€￾ end this excitement? What happened?
Click to expand...

One thing I can say is that the "BIG TIME" money that these division 1 schools were paying out during the early 90's had a lot to do with it. I think when McNair got 3rd place in the Hiesman voting I think the fact that he was beaten out by the 'traditional powers' concealed a lot of the black college fate as being 'under the radar!' I think a lot of the people were thinking that if he were playing against a high powered team like Nebraska he wouldn't have put up those types of numbers. Plus I don't think there is good coaches out there like they used to (referring to the SWAC) or it could be that a lot of these coaches are not in their "FIT" because there were coaches that went to one school and worked wonders for long periods of time and then left for another position (head coach postion) and went "belly up!"
 
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