When we lose to USM how will all you "play them" people feel?

[AssEndDawg]

Just curious. All the "we should play them" crowd seems to be convinced that we will whip USM's *** s I wonder what happens if this game falls between us playing LSU and Bama and we end up getting beat. Will you still think it was a great idea?

Also, I'm pissed as hell because Byrne told me directly that we weren't considering playing USM at this time. That's just a ****** thing to do. My faith in, and respect for, him has dropped several notches.

 

[AssEndDawg]

Just curious. All the "we should play them" crowd seems to be convinced that we will whip USM's *** s I wonder what happens if this game falls between us playing LSU and Bama and we end up getting beat. Will you still think it was a great idea?

Also, I'm pissed as hell because Byrne told me directly that we weren't considering playing USM at this time. That's just a ****** thing to do. My faith in, and respect for, him has dropped several notches.

 

[Big Sheep81]

nm

 

[Seinfeld]

1. If we consistently lose to Southern in the near future, then we'll have much bigger problems with the program than the loss itself.

2. A loss to them won't hurt me any more than the other non-conference games that we've been constantly losing over the years. At least with Southern, though, it will be a game I'll enjoy attending.

Truth be told, you can put me in the crowd that would rather not play them, but I swear it seems like some State fans are ready to jump off a cliff and that's a little ridiculous to say the least.

 

[patdog]

The truth is, the most likely result of this series is a split. Which won't be all that big of a deal.

As for Byrne telling you that we weren't considering playing USM, what the hell else did you expect him to say? "Hey, don't tell anybody this, but I'm currently negotiating a deal for a series with USM." And the argument could be made that since we're not playing them for 5 years, that might not be considered "at this time."

 

[MSUCostanza]

We share a state. There are a lot of implications to that.

 

[AssEndDawg]

<span class="post-title">Certainly no worse than getting beat by Maine or LA Tech..........</span>

Really? Really? How many Main and LA Tech people do you run in to on a daily basis? Hom many times do Maine and La Tech people come to our message board? Maybe you don't care about that stuff....

 

[alabamadog]

I am not happy with whats going on. If we lose to usm and only win five games, this is a huge mistake.</p>

 

[AssEndDawg]

1. If we consistently lose to Southern in the near future, then we'll have much bigger problems with the program than the loss itself.

2. A loss to them won't hurt me any more than the other non-conference games that we've been constantly losing over the years. At least with Southern, though, it will be a game I'll enjoy attending.

Truth be told, you can put me in the crowd that would rather not play them, but I swear it seems like some State fans are ready to jump off a cliff and that's a little ridiculous to say the least.

But come on with #1. We DEFINITELY have much bigger problems with the program than you are obviously seeing. We are not a good team right now. It's going to take some time for us to become a decent team. I'm not jumping off a cliff, but I'm pretty mad. I'll cancel my Bulldog Club dues and no way I will attend the game. Call it my small protest.

 

[Big Sheep81]

butthole's difference between the two fan bases...I ain't pushing to play them and if it was left up to me they could sit on a sharp stick and hollr. But at the same time we need to get past worrying about playing these guys. We had 14 legitimate wins against these 17 ers. All I am saying is for us to climb out of this mine shaft we have been in for 8 years we have to take a mindset that "By God, let's line up and play". It sure ain't the first or last *** whippin we may take from them or anybody else. It sure as hell ain't gonna make them or their junior college conference any better. We are going to get better. Byrne has turned things around with his hires. USM will still be a lower tier progam in a bottom tier conference. It ain't the end of civilization for us to play those knotheads again. Does beating us gain them any more attention? No. It will only give them one sure-fire sell out in that cracker box JUCO stadium they named after Barney Fife's tour in Mayberry......

 

[wbc40]

That's rational. You sound like a small child.

 

[8dog]

(just like we see this year) teams like Houston, MTSU and La Tech. All teams that could beat us. We can only schedule one 1AA team.

 

[bobcatsdawg]

Just curious. All the "we should play them" crowd seems to be convinced that we will whip USM's *** s I wonder what happens if this game falls between us playing LSU and Bama and we end up getting beat. Will you still think it was a great idea?

Also, I'm pissed as hell because Byrne told me directly that we weren't considering playing USM at this time. That's just a ****** thing to do. My faith in, and respect for, him has dropped several notches.

Calm down man, I agree with you on one point. State shouldnt play them during the heart of schedule especially in October and November. Put'em down as a season opener.

 

[Seinfeld]

but what exactly are your reasons for being so upset?

So far I've seen because Greg Byrne told you it wasn't in the works and because you don't want to deal with USM fans if we lose. I'm assuming that there must be better reasons than those.

 

[Seinfeld]

because Southern has beaten us various times before and they've had a substantially better program for the past decade, but there still aren't too many recruits that turn down MSU or Ole Miss to go to Hattiesburg. I don't think that dropping a game or two to them will do much to change that.

 

[Paper Dog]

Can I have your Bulldog Club points....

Here is the deal, I lived in Hattiesburg for eight years...USM has like 100 people who care about their football program, if you are willing to let 100 people get your goat, then so be it

But really dude, you need to lighten up

 

[jamdawg96]

or should I say...

Dear 8-pound, 6-ounce newborn infant Jesus,

Stop being a baby. I know what I am doing. I'm making money for the university and scheduling games that are winnable and appealing for our program. I will be happy to elaborate on these things when I announce the deal on Thursday.

Signed,
Ninja

Seriously, maybe you should write him a letter (complete with invoice) demanding a check. But don't be surprised if all he sends you is a roll of nickels, cause that's what your attitude towards all this is worth. I've said it before and I'll say it again:

- This will not affect recruiting in a negative way any more than losing to lower "dwelling" opponents from the Sun Belt or FCS. Anyone using the in-state recruiting argument is stuck in the past and cannot relate to today's athlete.

- Our ability to generate revenue and improve facilities, etc. is a far bigger recruiting tool than winning or losing one game to an in-state opponent.

- This same concept applies to the quality and philosophy of the coaching staff, pro-factory potential, exposure, and playing time.

It all comes down to the idea of losing to Southern Miss... and dealing with it as a fanbase. Folks, if you haven't learned how to deal with losing by now, then I question how much of your soul you've truly given to Mississippi State University. That's not to say our attitude should be expecting defeat, but surely it shouldn't be something we fear. Losing to Ole Miss sucks because we are in the same conference, and we're battling for the same goals. However, losing to Southern is only an issue of pride. No, it won't be fun if it happens, but USM will never be MSU. You're backwards (pun intended) if you feel threatened by this. They will never be able to offer what we can. Lastly, on top of all of this, our coaching potential is higher than theirs. If this gig isn't set to take place for a couple of years, there's no reason Mullen can't go 2-0 against the Buzzards.

Win or lose, I am happy this is going down. It's good for the State of Mississippi. That is all.

 

[thatsbaseball]

before were you ?

 

[MSUCostanza]

were not alive the last time State played USM. Think about that. They have no clue about this. If we start dropping games to them, we really have no idea how it will affect recruiting. And that's a risk that isn't worth taking. The main problem I have with it is that we already have a rivalry game, and several other very intense games every year (Bama, Arkansas come to mind). Southern's game with us will be their season. Couple that with the fact that we will be subsidizing their football program by going to Hattiesburg and selling out their stadium for them, and we have absolutely nothing to gain from this arrangement, and the potential to lose from it. I'm extremely disappointed in our administration for undertaking this.

 

[DerHntr]

simple

last year i felt like we had a team that couldn't beat LaTech and the majority of the years this decade i felt like we had a team that could only win 3 or 4 games total no matter the opponents in our OOC schedule since they did vary over that time.

if you are more worried about what a southern miss fan will say to you come monday after getting our asses handed to us by a team in C-USA, then i don't believe you truly understand the situation that this football team has been in lately.

we need teams that we can play that will save us money and we need teams that we can play that make us money. southern will do both. we played jackson freaking state and had the third largest crowd in our history at the game. i can guarantee you that a game against southern will break that record and i wouldn't be surprised if it broke the overall record. the financial end of this deal alone will make it a doable thing.

as for the idea of losing to them, sure it will suck if it happens. it will suck like many other years that we lose games and i am ashamed that we couldn't put a better product on the field.

the funniest thing about all of this to me is that the large number of people who are saying it will be terrible if we lose to them because we will have to deal with them afterwards are likely the same 17ing people who would be GD unbearable to them come monday if we win. secondly, if you can't take being harassed because Mississippi State lost a football game then i must ask: 1. Were you home schooled as a child? 2. Do you work indepently in a job or own your own business where you don't interact with anyone? 3. Do you only order delivery? 4. Do you buy all of your groceries, clothes, and other ******** online? 5. Do you only interact with people at MSU or MSU alumni? The reason I ask is because these are the only ways possible that I could see you getting around being a State fan and not being harassed at some point for us losing a damn football game.

Lastly, i have never once understood why or how this message board sometimes turns into a bunch of grown men (well mostly grown men) talking about their damn feelings. Red Foreman would not approve, DUBMASS.

 

[jamdawg96]

Hard to be when, in 1990, I was still learning how to wipe my own ***. But age is irrelevant. Times have changed. I just can't see Southern Miss destroying my spirits. But I respect where you are coming from. My father would side with not playing USM, but surely those sentiments are because of how bad we were in general during those times... not just USM, right? We deal with Ole Miss, LSU, and Alabama fans every year. I just can't see how playing them is that painful. If this "awakening of pain" occurs after the fact, so be it. You have to risk losing to win. And I want the chance to beat them.

 

[DudyDog]

rather be playing USM next week instead of Ga. Tech and I'd rather play them in a few more weeks than Houston.

If we can't beat Southern and outrecruit them in state then that's just the way it is. I know we're capable of doing both.

 

[msdawg90]

I would much rather have USM take the place of one of our NC games. Also, I dont see issues losing to them in a year or so. Right now, yes they would beat us, most likely. I truly believe after a year or so we would regulalry whip their asses.

 

[thatsbaseball]

It was a very unhealthy rivalry that overloaded our already stressed program then and I`m afraid it will do it again. As a long time State fan who has seen us shoot ourselves in the foot many many times the "pain" in this case doesn`t come from a fear of losing it comes from seeing us stupidly repeating something that was a disaster the first time. And for the record we weren`t nearly as bad when we used to play them as we have been the last 7 years (8 including this one).

 

[alabamadog]

We are more likely to get beat by USM than La Tech or MTSU. I know the worse FBS teams are more expensive, but the worse the FBS schools we play, the better.

 

[AllAmericanDawg]

Just curious. All the "we should play them" crowd seems to be convinced that we will whip USM's *** s I wonder what happens if this game falls between us playing LSU and Bama and we end up getting beat. Will you still think it was a great idea?

Also, I'm pissed as hell because Byrne told me directly that we weren't considering playing USM at this time. That's just a ****** thing to do. My faith in, and respect for, him has dropped several notches.

I am in the "play them" crowd and if we end up getting beat...deal with it. We need to improve anyway and if they beat us consistently, then we need a new coach. I feel as though Coach Mullen will definitely handle business with them. Everyone bitching and moaning about it needs to trade in their skirts and put on the big boy pants. Let's just beat the **** out of them and quit crying about playing down to them when we play a bunch of other ****** teams.

 

[Todd4State]

First of all, the biggest problem is people expecting to lose. I just don't deal with a loser's mentality very well. Honestly, I believe we will beat them. Will it be a rout like JSU? No. But so what? That's part of the problem with our football fanbase- we always think that we're going to <17> lose.

Here's USM record for the past four years:

2005- 7-5
2006- 9-5 won C-USA East
2007- 7-6
2008- 7-6

And bear in mind that this has largely been against a schedule that is not anywhere as difficult as ours. And you can say, "well, our record has been worse and we even lost to some teams that USM has on their schedule". Yeah, but we also had an assclown, who is gone by the way, running the show, who had no clue what the hell he was doing. Essentially what we are doing is scheduling a .500 or so C-USA team. And considering the fact that yes, we lost to UH, UAB, and Tulane during Croom's tenure remember even he was able to craft a nifty 6-3 record against C-USA opponents.

I hope you have more confidence in Dan Mullen in year five or whenever we play USM than you do in Sly Croom. I know I do.

Also, remember the last time we played USM Remember what happened? Two sub-.500 MSU teams led by Rocky Felker beat USM twice- both were USM bowl team and both teams had one of the greatest QB's in NFL history running the show.

 

[VinceVega70]

I was. And I agree with JamDawg. All the naysayers should extract their heads from their asses and realize this is a better game than MTSU, La Tech, or Maine. They should get the sand out of their panties and deal with it. The opposition to playing this series comes off like a cult. Recalcitrant to logic. Dealing mostly in insecurity and hatred of the Buzzards. Veazey elaborates on the pros to having this series with several great points. JamDawg does the same as have I and others. And Greg Byrne endorses this, so we can bet it will be financially a good deal. The response is simple and short-sighted. "nothing to win, everything to lose." And it's wrong. For once, I am disappointed with the majority of posters here. And that is a first in several years.

 

[VinceVega70]

to losing to Ga Tech, La Tech, or Tulane. It's a loss. The fact it is USM is irrelevant. Don't confuse the issue. We regularly schedule various OOC opponents who have just as much chance of beating us as USM. Read Veazey's blog and think about it.

 

[The Cotton District Yeti]

As far as I can tell, the reason you're upset and crying is because you are scared you're going to get picked on by some USM fans? Am I right? I'm trying to wrap my head around this and all I can come up with is that you are a pretty huge *****. Huge. Is that why you sit with your Daddy? Does he buy you nachos and try to explain to you why the players aren't wearing flags while you watch for Bully to get close so you can go pet his arm? Do your feet even touch the ground in the stadium seats? Tighten the velcro on your Keds and go slide at the ampitheater.

 

[wbc40]

Both = Retarded. Gotta love the transitive property.

 

[VinceVega70]

The last two games that we played (and won) were great. Big, big turnouts. Competitive games. Certainly more gained there than in going to La Tech or MTSU.... Going back to the very early part of the series and comparing it to now is apples to oranges. Both programs are different. We are in a different time when scheduling OOC is more difficult and competitive AND we are in great need of more revenue. This game provides a "cheap", competitive, exciting series with a regional rival. We will sell it out and we'll sell out their ******** stadium. We'll lose some, but we'll win more. We'll make more money for facilities and coaches salaries and it will be beneficial. Scheduling a home-and-home with La Tech or MTSU does less in every way. Not necessarily bad games to play, but not as much upside as USM.

 

[8dog]

there is a 100% chance we lose to La Tech.

I mean, really, you are splitting hairs with these teams.

 

[megadawgmaniac]

Also, I'm pissed as hell because Byrne told me directly that we weren't considering playing USM at this time. That's just a ****** thing to do. My faith in, and respect for, him has dropped several notches.

Ok, bad example.

Um, on second thought ...

AA - if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet ...

 

[Stormrider81]

Seriously, it won't be a big deal. After you've watched your team lose to Maine at home and lost to Tulane in a game where you trailed 32-7 after 3 quarters at home in a year when Tulane fired their coach, well losing to a good USM program doesn't seem that aweful. Did I particularly want to play them? Not really. Am I upset that we are? No. We've lost to far worse programs.

Most of you will point to recruiting, but the real reason State fans don't want to play Southern is you know, as I do, that they would probably have kicked our butts every single year since 2001 had we played them. We might lose, oh no. Guess what, we'll lose to Houston aGAIN in a few weeks. We might lose at MTSU. We lost at LaTech last year. Seriously, we've embarassed ourselves so much already that losing to a good Southern team won't bring any more shame upon us than we've already brought on ourselves. But yes, blow things out of proportion as you always do. Tell Byrne you've lost confidence in him, I'm sure he'll care.

 

[someonestolemyusernamedamnit]

I attended a baseball game between USM and OM in H'burg once. When, I left that night, I swore I'd never attend another sporting event in that town again. Ever. And, this is coming from someone who has no problem attending games in Starkville and Baton Rouge.

 

[AssEndDawg]

so I'm not as rabidly pissed off as I was before but I still think it is a HUGE mistake. Here is why:

Regardless of the game, regardless of win or lose, the worst thing a Athletic Director can do is split the fan base. You are far better off doing something that pisses everyone off than you are splitting the fan base because that issue just doesn't die. We obviously have people who feel strongly on each side of this issue and each side thinks the other side is full of *#+#%+* idiots. Obviously my side wins because the group wanting to play them has jamdawg96 on their side and having that douchebag on your team is instant lose.

So, we will all be fighting about this for the next two years, it will stay a topic, it will constantly cause this type of discussion where people rip at each other like the message board trolls we are. As for me, it's done and I'm not going to join in the discussion again because nothing good can come from it. I'll handle it the only way I know how and go on my merry way.

I will add that the reason Larry Templeton ultimately got fired is because he had split the fan base. It wasn't because he was a bad AD (he was). It just got to the point where it wasn't worth living with the rift he caused with the alumni. I'm sure half the people here think more than ever that Byrne is awesome but you have to realize that there is another half who now see a very young AD without real ties to Mississippi and no understanding of this rivalry who just made a huge mistake. For a good portion of the MSU fan base it is truly strike one for Greg.

 

[DerHntr]

i bet of the half that are disappointed over 19.83% go to the game because it wil be 17ing packed. only the vags like yourself will miss out. and again i will say that i bet you are going to be the first person in a USM fan's ear come Monday after we win it.</p>

 

[Big Sheep81]

I ain't mad either way. The AD gets to pick who we play and we don't. I would rather not give the fighting mustards the time of day but in the end, so what? Has Mississippi killed us in recruiting over the last 6 years for in-state players? Not really, and we have only beaten them a couple of times. Is getting beat by Mississippi any worse than getting beat by Mississippi Southern? Maybe, maybe not. Either way we have to live among the wicked heathens all year. Beating Alabama a time or two did not bring in hordes of NFL caliber player to Barney Fife's Rock. If Mullen moves us up to at least a middle tier SEC level then we have to adjust our thinking about who we play regardless of whether the Golden Warblers are on the schedule or not. If the games start in 2014 as rumored then we should be much, much better. That one win/loss won't ever make or break our season. We will have plenty of chances to do that against much better teams..........

Grab a sucker and have a nice day......I think I will join you