MU & KU Fans....

[ray233]

 

Arrogant KU and MU fans have been bugging me as of late. The delusion I see on these boards in some cases is almost saddening.

 

The biggest issue I see in some of these posts, is that fans of these schools with recent success just don't get it. They don't understand the difference between a good TEAM and a good PROGRAM. I'm going to attempt to explain it to them:

 

Characteristics of a good team include:

• Good Players
  
• Good Coaching
  
• Good Team Chemistry
  
• Happy Fans
  

Characteristics of a good program include:

• Winning Tradition
  
• Consistently High Expectations
  
• Consistent Recruiting
  
• Proven Philosophies
  
• Loyal Fans
  

 

No one should argue that Kansas and Missouri had good teams last year. But let's be realistic. We need to remove the phrase "turned the corner" from their vocabularies. Kansas didn't become a winning program after beating Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

 

Basketball? Sure. Kansas has all of the characteristics of a good program. Kansas football? Not quite. If Kansas goes 4-8 this year, the fans are going to be disappointed, but they'll simply temper their lofty expectations for the next year. Instead of high expectations, they will go back to high hopes. Mark Mangino will not lose his job after a collection of 7-5 seasons.

 

The 2007 KU team had good players, good coaching, good chemistry and a friendly schedule. They had success as a team, not as a program. For an unproven program, it's a dice roll from year to year. Maybe Kansas will be good this year, maybe they won't be. Until a school like KU is a top team year in and year out, the status of the program will remain the same.

 

Missouri? Same boat. They've been putting a good team on the field for the last couple of seasons, but nothing with the program has changed. Same coaching, same philosophies, same expectations. If Missouri goes 6-6 this season, fans will throw their hands up and blame it on the "Pinkel Factor". After a season or two, expectations will conform to the on-field results. Maybe they'll still be high, maybe they'll be back to wishful thinking. That's how unproven programs function.

 

Nebraska on the other hand, is not in this realm of unproven programs. Nebraska has the winning tradition, high expectations, proven philosophies and loyal fans. In a good program the expectations never drop. Year in and year out, people surrounding the program will expect a highly competitive team. Not hope, expect.

 

Successful programs will set the bar high. If they don't reach that bar, people start getting fired. A good program will not guarantee a good team every year, but it will demand progress and success. I'll sum it up for you here KU and MU fans:

 

Having a good team does not mean you have a good program.

 

Having a good program means you continually have good teams.

 

 

Got it?

 

 

Nebraska has been down for a clear reason. The things that made the program great were deviated from. The program and it's tradition was churning out good to great teams every year. Not a losing season in 40 years before Callahan. Nebraska hadn't lost to Missouri or Kansas at home since before the kids in the student sections were born. We know what went wrong in the program. It's being rectified on a program level, which means the good to great teams will start hitting the field again very soon. The program dictates the winning culture and will now settle for nothing less.

 

I just want these guys to understand that a good couple of seasons for them and a bad season for Nebraska, does not reverse the rotation of the earth.

 

Nebraska is still the better program and will reload. These unproven groups should really get some continual success before they start thinking they have "it". You're not a good program, until you're a good program.

 

The true measure? When a poor season is an unacceptable anomaly....and there's a piece of serious hardware in the case (or maybe four or five pieces). The biggest ingredient in the "kool-aid" is success.

 

You see kiddies, enjoying your success is one thing...but acting like all of the sudden you're one of the elite programs is another. Your program isn't there and as of right now...it's not even a discussion. Your teams are trying hard and that's respectable, but it takes a whole lot of winning to truly "turn the corner".

 

Until then, your recent winning is as systematically temporary as our losing. That carriage that you're riding in is just a pumpkin called 'hype'. Show some humility. Midnight could strike at any time princess...

 

[HuskerJosh82]

That's a damn good rant!

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I love it!!!!

[trouble]

Holy crap. Well written!

[huskernumerouno]

I think you made your point in a very well written and thought out post

[Cy the Cyclone]

Bah...

 

Good Team...?

Good Program...?

 

Not applicable to Cy at all....

 

*ignores post*

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I think your going to fit in fine in these confines ray233.

[ray233]

Thanks guys....It's nice to have a place to jot down my (admittedly) long-winded thoughts. My wife usually changes the channel about 20 seconds into the show.

 

 

You guys are awesome though....I've been reading this board for a long time as a visitor and more recently a member. I just love the loyalty and hunger for Husker football.

 

GBR!

[JGS30]

What a great post. That was well written. I'm so impressed I don't know what to do with myself. Geeez. Thanks for clearing that up. I better just sit back and hope for a 6-6 campaign. Let me get this Orange bowl Champions shirt out of my closet because it was a fluke that we beat Virginia Tech, I mean, we played nobody all year and we're still not a good program.

 

I'm now Hoping for a trip to the Fort Worth Bowl, cause we're just not a good program. My gosh, I just hope we can field a team at this point. And crap, we lost 2 running backs in the last 2 weeks!! They're transfering because they know they won't see the field. Well gosh, we need all the help we can get though, cause we're not a good program. I mean, gosh, we're not a good program and last year was just a flash in the pan. I feel so stupid buying season tickets this year. I might as well trade them in and get Husker tickets because they're a "good program" and are destined to finish at least 2nd in the north and restore the order.

 

Nevermind our 11-1 regular season. How ridiculous. I have to learn that we played nobody. Oh wait a second, did we play Nebraska? Oh, well, last year doesn't count. I keep forgetting that. Bo is in Lincoln now and everything is fixed. OK, pass the Husker Kool-Aid cause I'm thirsty to start sipping.

 

Hey Guys, I even heard the other day that Bo runs a 4.3 40 yd dash and is competing for a linebacker job!! Sweet!! Expect the worst and hope for the best as a jayhawk fan. Thanks ray for getting me on track. Thanks for helping me know my roll.

 

Here's to lowering my expectations this year and pulling for a 6-6 Jayhawk Season. Fort Worth Bowl here we come!!!

 

[trouble]

What a great post. That was well written. I'm so impressed I don't know what to do with myself. Geeez. Thanks for clearing that up. I better just sit back and hope for a 6-6 campaign. Let me get this Orange bowl Champions shirt out of my closet because it was a fluke that we beat Virginia Tech, I mean, we played nobody all year and we're still not a good program.

 

I'm now Hoping for a trip to the Fort Worth Bowl, cause we're just not a good program. My gosh, I just hope we can field a team at this point. And crap, we lost 2 running backs in the last 2 weeks!! They're transfering because they know they won't see the field. Well gosh, we need all the help we can get though, cause we're not a good program. I mean, gosh, we're not a good program and last year was just a flash in the pan. I feel so stupid buying season tickets this year. I might as well trade them in and get Husker tickets because they're a "good program" and are destined to finish at least 2nd in the north and restore the order.

 

Nevermind our 11-1 regular season. How ridiculous. I have to learn that we played nobody. Oh wait a second, did we play Nebraska? Oh, well, last year doesn't count. I keep forgetting that. Bo is in Lincoln now and everything is fixed. OK, pass the Husker Kool-Aid cause I'm thirsty to start sipping.

 

Hey Guys, I even heard the other day that Bo runs a 4.3 40 yd dash and is competing for a linebacker job!! Sweet!! Expect the worst and hope for the best as a jayhawk fan. Thanks ray for getting me on track. Thanks for helping me know my roll.

 

Here's to lowering my expectations this year and pulling for a 6-6 Jayhawk Season. Fort Worth Bowl here we come!!!

 

 

Rofl. JSG, You DIDN'T play anybody worth a sh#t last year. VT is the closest to a good team that you played and beat. You had a top ranked defense becuase you played a bunch of cupcake teams. Thats like Nebraska going 11-1 and playing all non-bcs games and then expecting everybody to think we are the real deal. As far as NU not counting as a worthy opponent last year, It's true. I means for gods sake, Ball f'ing state put up 50 points on us. It was a f'ing wash of a season last year. Bah, I truly dont believe KU will have any better than a season than NU this year. They actually are playing decent teams this year. I forsee a 4 loss season for KU. Period.

[BigRedPowerWagon]

What a great post. That was well written. I'm so impressed I don't know what to do with myself. Geeez. Thanks for clearing that up. I better just sit back and hope for a 6-6 campaign. Let me get this Orange bowl Champions shirt out of my closet because it was a fluke that we beat Virginia Tech, I mean, we played nobody all year and we're still not a good program.

 

I'm now Hoping for a trip to the Fort Worth Bowl, cause we're just not a good program. My gosh, I just hope we can field a team at this point. And crap, we lost 2 running backs in the last 2 weeks!! They're transfering because they know they won't see the field. Well gosh, we need all the help we can get though, cause we're not a good program. I mean, gosh, we're not a good program and last year was just a flash in the pan. I feel so stupid buying season tickets this year. I might as well trade them in and get Husker tickets because they're a "good program" and are destined to finish at least 2nd in the north and restore the order.

 

Nevermind our 11-1 regular season. How ridiculous. I have to learn that we played nobody. Oh wait a second, did we play Nebraska? Oh, well, last year doesn't count. I keep forgetting that. Bo is in Lincoln now and everything is fixed. OK, pass the Husker Kool-Aid cause I'm thirsty to start sipping.

 

Hey Guys, I even heard the other day that Bo runs a 4.3 40 yd dash and is competing for a linebacker job!! Sweet!! Expect the worst and hope for the best as a jayhawk fan. Thanks ray for getting me on track. Thanks for helping me know my roll.

 

Here's to lowering my expectations this year and pulling for a 6-6 Jayhawk Season. Fort Worth Bowl here we come!!!

 

 

Now your seeing the light.

[I See Red People]

Cheers ... and thanks for understanding

[JGS30]

Cheers ... and thanks for understanding

 

Thanks again guys. Pass the Husker Juice and let these games begin!! Is it August 30th yet??

[bbhusker]

What a great post. That was well written. I'm so impressed I don't know what to do with myself. Geeez. Thanks for clearing that up. I better just sit back and hope for a 6-6 campaign. Let me get this Orange bowl Champions shirt out of my closet because it was a fluke that we beat Virginia Tech, I mean, we played nobody all year and we're still not a good program.

 

I'm now Hoping for a trip to the Fort Worth Bowl, cause we're just not a good program. My gosh, I just hope we can field a team at this point. And crap, we lost 2 running backs in the last 2 weeks!! They're transfering because they know they won't see the field. Well gosh, we need all the help we can get though, cause we're not a good program. I mean, gosh, we're not a good program and last year was just a flash in the pan. I feel so stupid buying season tickets this year. I might as well trade them in and get Husker tickets because they're a "good program" and are destined to finish at least 2nd in the north and restore the order.

 

Nevermind our 11-1 regular season. How ridiculous. I have to learn that we played nobody. Oh wait a second, did we play Nebraska? Oh, well, last year doesn't count. I keep forgetting that. Bo is in Lincoln now and everything is fixed. OK, pass the Husker Kool-Aid cause I'm thirsty to start sipping.

 

Hey Guys, I even heard the other day that Bo runs a 4.3 40 yd dash and is competing for a linebacker job!! Sweet!! Expect the worst and hope for the best as a jayhawk fan. Thanks ray for getting me on track. Thanks for helping me know my roll.

 

Here's to lowering my expectations this year and pulling for a 6-6 Jayhawk Season. Fort Worth Bowl here we come!!!

 

 

You could have responded to the post in two ways, the way you did reaffirming everyones opinion of you on this board already or like a fan that understands the situation. This was an excellent post, it was in no way taking a shot at either KU or MU. Depending on the maturity of the fan, it will be taken in the wrong way though. Those that get defensive like you who are too blinded by a pinch of success and don't think that they have anything left to accomplish instead of being humble and respectful of those that have been where you are trying to go.

[ray233]

KU Head coach performance bonus criteria:

 

 

2007: 11-1

2006: 6-6

2005: 7-5

2004: 4-7

2003: 6-7

2002: 2-10

 

 

KU elite opponent criteria:

 

Central Michigan (8-5)

Southeastern Louisiana (3-8)

Toledo (5-7)

Florida International (1-11)

Kansas State (5-7)

Baylor (3-9)

Colorado (6-6)

Texas A&M (7-5)

Nebraska (5-7)

Okahoma State (6-6)

Iowa State (3-9)

Missouri (11-2)

 

I just read your other post JGS. I rather enjoyed your extreme sarcasm. As you can see above, I too am taking the high road.