Why does OM play better on the road, well...

[badmotorfinger]

I'm proud of the statements of Oher and Cook. My thoughts exactly. I don't think they're calling anyone out. They're just saying "come on guys, give us a little more itensity...we know your capable".

People on this board have been saying this the whole season. The players are not pointing the blame, just making a kind request and I think it's a justifiable one.

[done]

Why does the team play better on the road?

The hotels now have new pillows.

And I heard they are now staying at Holiday Inn Express 8)

[RebelBond]

I want my money back if they have not been giving me 100% at home. This is pure Bull *beep*. They signed on for 4-5 years to get an education and play football. No where in the agreement did it say the fans would even show up, much less be loud. I am sure most players visited campus and a game or two so they new what they were getting into.
I have been spending $$$, yelling and screaming for 20 years and look what it has done for me. I am hoarse and broke and I still don't have a championship to brag about so Cook and Co can kiss my back side and I will tell him when I see him during the walk this Sat.
And let me tell you, I will be loud.

RebelBond

[Chucky_38]

I want my money back if they have not been giving me 100% at home. This is pure Bull *beep*. They signed on for 4-5 years to get an education and play football. No where in the agreement did it say the fans would even show up, much less be loud. I am sure most players visited campus and a game or two so they new what they were getting into.
I have been spending $$$, yelling and screaming for 20 years and look what it has done for me. I am hoarse and broke and I still don't have a championship to brag about so Cook and Co can kiss my back side and I will tell him when I see him during the walk this Sat.
And let me tell you, I will be loud.

RebelBond

I couldn't help but comment on this. I think you are wrong. This team along with every other team deserves our support. You don't scream and yell at games so you can have a championship to brag about. You do it because you love and support Ole Miss. And Cook and company are on the team and that makes them Ole Miss. They are only asking for a louder, more exciting atmosphere. South Caronina and Arkansas don't have titles either but their fans give them 100% everytime out without complaining.

Thats just what I think anyway. I respect your opinion and I to am very tired of screaming all game and then losing in the final minutes. But I'm there to support the team.

[RebelBond]

I want my money back if they have not been giving me 100% at home. This is pure Bull *beep*. They signed on for 4-5 years to get an education and play football. No where in the agreement did it say the fans would even show up, much less be loud. I am sure most players visited campus and a game or two so they new what they were getting into.
I have been spending $$$, yelling and screaming for 20 years and look what it has done for me. I am hoarse and broke and I still don't have a championship to brag about so Cook and Co can kiss my back side and I will tell him when I see him during the walk this Sat.
And let me tell you, I will be loud.

RebelBond

I couldn't help but comment on this. I think you are wrong. This team along with every other team deserves our support. You don't scream and yell at games so you can have a championship to brag about. You do it because you love and support Ole Miss. And Cook and company are on the team and that makes them Ole Miss. They are only asking for a louder, more exciting atmosphere. South Caronina and Arkansas don't have titles either but their fans give them 100% everytime out without complaining.

Thats just what I think anyway. I respect your opinion and I to am very tired of screaming all game and then losing in the final minutes. But I'm there to support the team.

Chucky, I disagree on the South Carolina and Ark comment. I travel the state of AR and the fans are not going to the games like they used to and Carolina is up and down. You have to put a winner on the field. I bet UT Knoxville is an easy ticket to get right now where UT Austin is a $300 seat.
Just win and the fans will come. Ole Miss has about 30-35k hard core fans and the rest are the fill (wives, children, and friends of the season ticket holder). I know people that buy extra season tickets just to support the University. They give the tickets away or go unused. The people sitting in those seats don't stand up and yell and I would not expect them to and you should not either. You said it yourself about the love of the University.
I did not attend Ole Miss but I love football and my Dad and wife graduated Ole Miss so I fell in line. I love the campus and support most of the sports and wear the colors proud even in an 0-8 year. I take the ribbing from LSU and AL fans and say we will get you in baseball or basketball. I love Ole Miss but it is about winning. I will go to the games win or lose and yell and scream but I have the right to decide how loud, not Jason Cook or anyone else.

RebelBond

[ekmjr1]

I don't buy the fan noise, and certainly don't buy that standing helps in any way at all in motivating the players. I played ball long ago, and when I was on the field, I never heard a single sound form the stands, and never even noticed how many were there other than maybe as we ran onto the field. I was too busy playing the game and concentrating on what I had to do, and if you are doing that, you don't hear a sound when you are on the field. In order to hear the sound, you would actually have to concentrate on it, and that means you aren't concentrating on what you are doing on the field, so maybe that is part of our problem?

The only time the sound can be a factor is when it's so loud you can't hear the signals. When there is something to cheer about, our fans can be as loud as anyone else. I've heard it so loud in VH that I could'nt hear myself think, but we were winning and actually had something to cheer about then. It works both ways... if the players play hard and do well, the fans want to cheer and they will. Winning takes care of everything, and if we start winning, more fans will come and people will cheer.

However, I honestly don't think crowd noise, or even more questionable, standing while we are cheering, changes a single thing. Players play because they love the game and because they are competetive and want to win. Winning happens when you play well, and have a good scheme/coach. It's really that simple in my opinion. Think about it, we have had teams come in and beat us like a drum in recent years, and it would be so quite you could hear a pin drop. If cheering had anything to do with it, why was the opposing team able to beat us so soundly? Nothing against Cook and the team, but I don't think it will make any diference as to how loud it is or how many are cheering, and it will have no bearing on the outcome of the game. A lethargic crowd is not an Ole Miss problem either. If the team will play well and be competetive and win games, people will come and people will cheer plenty loud.

[oxpatchreb]

I don't buy the fan noise, and certainly don't buy that standing helps in any way at all in motivating the players. I played ball long ago, and when I was on the field, I never heard a single sound form the stands, and never even noticed how many were there other than maybe as we ran onto the field. I was too busy playing the game and concentrating on what I had to do, and if you are doing that, you don't hear a sound when you are on the field. In order to hear the sound, you would actually have to concentrate on it, and that means you aren't concentrating on what you are doing on the field, so maybe that is part of our problem?

The only time the sound can be a factor is when it's so loud you can't hear the signals. When there is something to cheer about, our fans can be as loud as anyone else. I've heard it so loud in VH that I could'nt hear myself think, but we were winning and actually had something to cheer about then. It works both ways... if the players play hard and do well, the fans want to cheer and they will. Winning takes care of everything, and if we start winning, more fans will come and people will cheer.

However, I honestly don't think crowd noise, or even more questionable, standing while we are cheering, changes a single thing. Players play because they love the game and because they are competetive and want to win. Winning happens when you play well, and have a good scheme/coach. It's really that simple in my opinion. Think about it, we have had teams come in and beat us like a drum in recent years, and it would be so quite you could hear a pin drop. If cheering had anything to do with it, why was the opposing team able to beat us so soundly? Nothing against Cook and the team, but I don't think it will make any diference as to how loud it is or how many are cheering, and it will have no bearing on the outcome of the game. A lethargic crowd is not an Ole Miss problem either. If the team will play well and be competetive and win games, people will come and people will cheer plenty loud.

Sorry buddy. I'm not going to be mean about it, and I don't have perspective as a former and recent collegiate athlete, but college sports these days (in the last 15 years) have changed. It's a money maker. It's a show. It's the reason people travel. It's the reason people get divorced. It's plastered all over websites and internet video hosting sites. It's highprofile. It's a breeding/training ground for pro athletes. Not only do players feed off of crowd noise and support, they depend on it to get noticed and recognized. They just told us, point blank in plain english, that they want our LOUD, OBNOXIOUS, INSANE support on gameday. You think they are lying? You think they are blaming us? They took responsibility for wins and loses in that statement. They know they have to play to win. They are asking for our HELP. We have a responsibility to help provide the AD with money for the right facilities and equipment and uniforms and stadiums right? Well, we also have a responsibility to provide the team with all the vocal support and verbal encouragement we can possibly muster on gameday. If you aren't going to stand and cheer and scream your *beep* off during the game, get a seat at the top of the section, or the front row. The rest of us are going to do whatever it takes to help our team win.

One more thing, if cheering loudly, screaming, standing etc. are over rated and not neccessary, name me a national contender in any of the big 3 sports who has a traditionally "quiet fansbase" and I'll concede your point. On the other hand, I'll submit to you that the most successful programs in the nation, also have the most rabid, loud, crazy fans to go along with all those NC's.

[done]

One more thing, if cheering loudly, screaming, standing etc. are over rated and not neccessary, name me a national contender in any of the big 3 sports who has a traditionally "quiet fansbase" and I'll concede your point. On the other hand, I'll submit to you that the most successful programs in the nation, also have the most rabid, loud, crazy fans to go along with all those NC's.

I don't think that cheering loudly is overrated. I think it matters greatly. But to answer your specific question about a national contender with a relatively quiet fanbase....I do have an answer...they play ball several blocks from where I am sitting right now....The University of Texas...you have never seen 98,000 fans generate so little excitement. They are getting better, but 60,000 SEC fans from ANY stadium (except maybe Vandy) would drown them out and out-energize them any day. But that is the only one I can think of.

[oxpatchreb]

One more thing, if cheering loudly, screaming, standing etc. are over rated and not neccessary, name me a national contender in any of the big 3 sports who has a traditionally "quiet fansbase" and I'll concede your point. On the other hand, I'll submit to you that the most successful programs in the nation, also have the most rabid, loud, crazy fans to go along with all those NC's.

I don't think that cheering loudly is overrated. I think it matters greatly. But to answer your specific question about a national contender with a relatively quiet fanbase....I do have an answer...they play ball several blocks from where I am sitting right now....The University of Texas...you have never seen 98,000 fans generate so little excitement. They are getting better, but 60,000 SEC fans from ANY stadium (except maybe Vandy) would drown them out and out-energize them any day. But that is the only one I can think of.

And if that is the case, I'm a man of my word. I will admit that it IS possible to build a top tier program with fans who don't cheer and get crazy.

So now we just need to blueprint UT's Athletic Dept from floor to ceiling and we're on our way...

Or, people can just make a ton of noise at the right times and support our team today and make it harder for teams to beat us at VH. I guess I'm just partial to simple solutions.

Lovin' the devils advocate though, makes things fun around here!!! 8)

[done]

One more thing, if cheering loudly, screaming, standing etc. are over rated and not neccessary, name me a national contender in any of the big 3 sports who has a traditionally "quiet fansbase" and I'll concede your point. On the other hand, I'll submit to you that the most successful programs in the nation, also have the most rabid, loud, crazy fans to go along with all those NC's.

I don't think that cheering loudly is overrated. I think it matters greatly. But to answer your specific question about a national contender with a relatively quiet fanbase....I do have an answer...they play ball several blocks from where I am sitting right now....The University of Texas...you have never seen 98,000 fans generate so little excitement. They are getting better, but 60,000 SEC fans from ANY stadium (except maybe Vandy) would drown them out and out-energize them any day. But that is the only one I can think of.

And if that is the case, I'm a man of my word. I will admit that it IS possible to build a top tier program with fans who don't cheer and get crazy.

So now we just need to blueprint UT's Athletic Dept from floor to ceiling and we're on our way...

Or, people can just make a ton of noise at the right times and support our team today and make it harder for teams to beat us at VH. I guess I'm just partial to simple solutions.

Lovin' the devils advocate though, makes things fun around here!!! 8)

Not really devil's advocate, because I mostly agree with your premise. I just love any opportunity to note how boring these UT fans are. I don't get it. They can pick and choose which recruits they want (Mac doesn't even like for them to visit if they aren't offered and confirmed) and they have all the friggin money in the world. But Austin is a weird town (that is after all their motto, Keep Austin Weird) and it is like the game is just one part of another activity filled weekend here.

Now go a couple hours away to College Station and you see some serious football fans.

[rewalters]

I wish we could blueprint UT's Athletic Budget, that would go along ways to solving a lot of our problems.