Looking Back: What went wrong? Will ISU ever surprise us?

cycloneworld · 09-20-2006, 09:34 AM

I posted this same message in another thread but wanted to post it here as well:

I can’t believe all of the people jumping off the ship 3 games into a season and we are 2-1. We haven’t even begun conference play yet! I can’t wait until we have a great conference season and are playing for the Big 12 Championship in December! Then what will all of the people calling for Mac’s firing in September do? Mac still is a horrible coach and it was all the players doing? You can’t have it both ways…

Hell, even the leader of this board is posting lengthy “get rid of the coach” rants on the front page of this website! Jeremy, I thought you had the utmost faith and respect for Jamie Pollard and this university? Why not let him do his job and let him decide if he likes the direction of the program with Mac at the helm instead of calling for his head 3 games into the season? What good does that do? We are not going to fire a coach in the middle of a season, that is a fact. Let’s at least see how the last 75% of the season turns out. Many of you will probably come out with the “It’s his board, he can say what he wants” posts which is 100% correct and I am glad for everything he has done and provided for this community. I’m just asking how posting something like that helps Iowa State Athletics like you claim is your #1 goal…

iccyfan · 09-20-2006, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by CY ST8T

I will just agree to disagree with you Jeremy and many other of the Mac bashers on here. I do not follow blindly, but guess i just see more talent in this team and see that the execution is not there. Mac can lead a horse to water, but he can't make it drink. Yes there are things you can always question and all I said was that I don't think you have all the information that Mac does in this decision. I would prefer to be behind this coach as a fan base and then evaluate him at the end of the year and decide if he is not doing the job. But questioning him after three games and continually riding him week after week on his calls is just uncalled for and will be just as big of whiners as Squawkeyes down I-80.

Two quick criticisms of the quoted post from a long-time season ticket holder who's tired of watching the college football equivalent of "Groundhog Day".

First, you keep noting that it's only been "three games". Counterpoint: Mac's been the coach for twelve years; he got a free pass for his first five given the poor state of the program when he inherited it. He "turned the corner" in '98 / '99 and appeared destined for greatness with a 9-3 team in 2000. In the five season's he's completed since then ('01-'05), his teams are a combined 30-32 for a winning percentage of .484. Throw in this season's three games and he's 32-33. Even so, the discontented contingent isn't upset with the record, it's the way we've come about that record, continually allowing lesser teams to come back and beat us in the second half when we go conservative. That is attributable to the head coach!

Item two: you and other Mac-supporters infer that 'if you're not behind the coach it automatically follows that you're not behind the team". Nothing could be further from the truth; we simply want these teams to play to their potential. Was Missou better than ISU the past two seasons? Was Baylor or KU better than ISU last year? Were we in a position to win all four of those games? Yeah, Mac's not on the field, but it's his job to put these kids in a position to succeed. He's obviously not doing it, and he keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over as he sits on small leads or opts for FG's instead of taking chances.

I frankly can't understand fans who aren't irritated that the team hasn't tasted more success and the only explanation I can come up with is that we're conditioned to accept mediocrity. I know we all "want" to win every game, but some of you are "OK" when we lose a game that was ours for the taking. It's a headscratcher....

CyinCo · 09-20-2006, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by cycloneworld

I posted this same message in another thread but wanted to post it here as well:

I can’t believe all of the people jumping off the ship 3 games into a season and we are 2-1. We haven’t even begun conference play yet! I can’t wait until we have a great conference season and are playing for the Big 12 Championship in December! Then what will all of the people calling for Mac’s firing in September do? Mac still is a horrible coach and it was all the players doing? You can’t have it both ways…

Hell, even the leader of this board is posting lengthy “get rid of the coach” rants on the front page of this website! Jeremy, I thought you had the utmost faith and respect for Jamie Pollard and this university? Why not let him do his job and let him decide if he likes the direction of the program with Mac at the helm instead of calling for his head 3 games into the season? What good does that do? We are not going to fire a coach in the middle of a season, that is a fact. Let’s at least see how the last 75% of the season turns out. Many of you will probably come out with the “It’s his board, he can say what he wants” posts which is 100% correct and I am glad for everything he has done and provided for this community. I’m just asking how posting something like that helps Iowa State Athletics like you claim is your #1 goal…

Jeremy isn't calling for the firing of Mac immediately. I don't think anyone would recommend that. Jeremy has clearly stated that he would like to give Mac this year and next year and then evaluate.

Balls · 09-20-2006, 02:17 PM

Great post. I too believe we have the team on the field to be 3-0 and to very good but lack the coaching talent to put it into action.

I only differ that I am ready now for a change from Mac. Why wait another 1.5 years. Does anyone think it will change? The only way for it to change is for Pollard to tell Mac is job is on the line right now, not next week, but right now. Then pull the trigger if needed.

I hope Pollard is currently working in the background for a plan B.

Wesley · 09-20-2006, 03:03 PM

Give me some of that fancy ice cream mentioned above.
Go down shooting instead of a whimper in the 4th quarter.:Guns:
That means, we really have to run some different routes and we have to become more unpredictable. :Devil:Sad commentary when half the Clone faithful knows what the next play run will be.

Let's hope Stevie Hicks throws a pass or something in texas. :Mysterious:My golly, the way our punter does line drives, he might as well throw a pass also.:BlueHair:

ISUFan22 · 09-20-2006, 03:12 PM

On the topic of Hicks tossing passes...it's about time we see that reverse to Flynn that becomes a pass to Blythe.

It worked last year in Lincoln in OT...well...it would have had the Husker defender not been called for pass interference. Still "worked" as we got yards out of it and scored on the next play. If only Leaders would have caught that ball...

But anyways...time to see Flynn toss a TD pass!

rjslats · 09-20-2006, 03:22 PM

They surprised me last year when they went to A&M and crushed the Aggies. Let's just calm down a bit while this team finds its identity - I think we all reasonably expected we'd be 2-1 at this point, and 3-2 after the UNI game. Let's let some of the games after that play out before making too maky assessments.

Wesley · 09-20-2006, 10:59 PM

Wait till the Shreveport game? Is that enough leeway? Maybe after the Cyclone Challenge?

Cyclonesrule91 · 09-20-2006, 11:34 PM

You chronic bitchers make me want to puke in my oatmeal. Enjoy the season and then bring up your pathetic posts. I for one am going to look forward to the rest of the season and the development of our players, not this bickering ******** that is going to get you nowhere fast.

Ever wonder if any member of our football team is reading this CRAP. Boy, that's an impressive morale booster for a 18-20 yr old. Man this is getting pathetic. WE ARE 2-1, ANYBODY REALIZE THAT??????????

Oh and another thing, I hate rose colored glasses, don't drink the koolaid and am not satisfied with mediocrity, so save those lame responses. It's easy for armchair coaches to complain and put down the current staff when they are hiding behind a computer monitor. Email Pollard and tell him your open for the job

darts180 · 09-20-2006, 11:35 PM

To most of us "Mac bashers" it really is pretty simple. You see the games against Okie St, A & M, K State, and Colorado last year, and you go "Wow, we really do have a pretty good damn team here." Then Mac starts in his trying not to lose mode, and screws everything up.
The saddest part of all is that he JUST DOESN'T GET IT!!! I am convinced that he thinks that the growing discontent is because of his win/loss record, it really isn't.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT HE COACHES THE GAME!!!! Lousy wins don't impress me, but close competitive losses to teams that are TRULY better than we are talent-wise DO impress me. The 98 team, after the K-State debacle impressed me with the way they battled people. Last years team did NOT, and they VERY easily could have run the table with the schedule they played.
He also needs to stop taking EVERY DAMN OPPORTUNITY to defend himself. I think I heard the other day someone asked him about fuel prices, and he gave a ten minute diatribe on how he really shouldn't be able to compete because OPEC's facilities are much better than his own.