McCarney still coaching, but not for long…

[darts180]

In short, a great way to describe the current coach.
Pacing and clapping does not make one dynamic.


Boy, another way to describe the Iowa State head coach! Mac had not bad mouthed ISU. It's Pollard who has stated many times that ISU lacks the facilities and money needed to consistently compete in the Big 12. Key word is consistently. Yes, we'll have good years once in a while, yet to be a consistent power in the Big 12, we need the facilities and dollars.
OMG ISU, you have even posted articles that quote Dan talking about how bad everything was, and how far behind we are.


Didn't our head coach learn under both Hayden Fry and Barry Alvarez?
Huh??? Hayden took a joke of a program and won a conference title in three years. Alvarez took a program in worse shap than that, and won a conference title in 5 years. So where is Dan's success???

Boy Darts...you just decribed Dan McCarney to a T! :biggrin9gp:

No, because if I had, Dan wouldn't have let EVERY factor available, and taking some that weren't, and spin it as an excuse for not being as successful as he should have been.:rofl8yi:

 

[ISUFan22]

No, because if I had, Dan wouldn't have let EVERY factor available, and taking some that weren't, and spin it as an excuse for not being as successful as he should have been.:rofl8yi:

Nice. Makes no sense though.

A response of touché would have fit better.

 

[CY ST8T]

You're the one tossing the "what ifs" out there, not me.



So, since you're "hypothetically" predicting that we're going to win the north and I'm responding with a "prediction" as well, you don't even know how to respond to me?

I'm telling you how the season is going to go, not predicting it. :wink0st:

Go back and read my original post. I had three hypotheticals of 7, 8 and 9 wins and you just happen to choose the one that makes you the most angry.

 

[kuney1]

I've been a Mac backer for a long time, but my loyalty to him is wavering. We're about 4 plays away from being 0-6, regardless of what the record actually is. I'm tired of not feeling comfortable with a lead in the 4th quarter. I'm tired of watching this team play down to the competition they're against. McCarney is playing with fire in playing the conservative gameplans against freaking WEAK TEAMS, and he's going to get burned, much like he got burned against KU last year and MU the year before.

This team is NOT winning the North this year, so your argument is moot. We're going to get killed by MU, Tech, OU and either NU or KU. I'd like to be proven wrong, but I don't see it happening. They're not going to win 7 games this year, so as for an answer for you, yes, I can justify canning Mac at that point.

It's kind of hard to be 0-6 when only 5 games have been played.

 

[CY ST8T]

You guys make excellent points on the resources and money to turn this program around. So many people think only in direct relationships and ask dumb questions like how would $200,000 more this year get us a bigger win over UNI or something like that. But look at the pathetic salaries that Mac is left to spread around to his assistants. Say you do get a new coach, he becomes frustrated with not being able to bring any of his connections here and keep them here with the salaries. Then say we get to this next level of 8 or 9 wins for a couple seasons. Then we get the crowd that wonders why we can't make the national championship. Show me teams with the resources we have at our university that have found a coach keeping them at this next level. And don't even give me an Iowa Ferentz story because they have always had more resources. I do not accept mediocrity, but I also realize what we have for the money and realize where Dan is making strides where others may be blind to it as they focus only on the mistakes.

 

[fonz4cy]

McCarney still coaching, but not for long…
CycloneFanatic.com
Jeremy Lind

IMPORTANT: In order to comment to this topic, you MUST read the entire discussion below because I don’t want this to be a flame thread against me or the staff. The article below was hard for me to write but I felt compelled to based on the discussions I’ve had with numerous ISU boosters as well as some of the best players to ever wear the cardinal and gold.

Questions:

- When, and in what situation, do you start to look for any possible changes that can be made to try and turn things around?
- When, and at what point, do you start to re-evaluate your long-term commitment to a coaching staff that has done a great job but doesn’t appear to have anything left to give?

Preface:

I want to first start by saying those two questions are made to solicit debate, I am in no way encouraging a change in the coaching staff at this point in the season. I believe very firmly that a coaching change should never be made mid-year but I also want to solicit discussion regarding why people favor either keeping or getting rid of the current coaching staff at the end of the season, or next year.

A lot of talk over the past couple of years on ISU and sports message boards has centered on this topic and I thought a loss (ok, it’s a W but barely) to D-AA rival UNI was the perfect opportunity to bring this question up for debate. We may be 3-2 right now but we’re only a couple of plays away from 0-5.

I have had numerous ISU standouts of the past decade contact me about how things are going and to discuss the future of ISU FB. Let me tell you that some of Mac’s most prized players as well as some of the FB programs biggest donors are not likely to back the current staff at the end of the season as Mac looks for some reassurance that he’ll be back next season.

I have spoken to some very high level boosters that will not be content with Mac any longer and will be pressing Pollard hard for changes if they are going to continue to donate big sums of money to the program. Not a single donor that I talked to would be willing to maintain their current level of giving, let alone increase their donations to fund the new renovations, if Mac is to be the head coach next season. This is a very sad turn of events for a program that seems to be ready in every way to be taken to the next level with the right leadership. Every one of us needs to continue to support this program in any way possible or things will get very bad very quickly.

Discussion:

While a lot of praise can and should be said about the current coaching staff at ISU, there is a point in time where any true fan needs to open themselves up for debating whether or not things are really going to improve any further with the way things currently are. When can the majority of fans decide that time is?

I think after 12 years it’s probably time to start raising the bar and asking questions. After all, dozens of programs out there can say they’ve been rebuilt and they sure as heck aren’t content with what they’ve rebuilt to. Time can’t stand still and neither can a program in a major conference that some say will be exploding with rebuilt programs in the next 3-5 years.

Let’s take a quick look at some other programs in the Big XII that are rebuilding, and most in a much shorter time-span than 12 years, and will soon be passing ISU by as we continue to debate how great Mac has done building us from nothing to a consistent 7 or 8 game winner. After looking at the list below, you need to quickly realize that the longer a program is stagnant with growth, the smaller the chances they’ll ever be able to get to the next level.

Colorado – A program that has been through every type of mud imaginable, they have a lot of potential with their current and future prospects. They may not be pretty so far this year but I guarantee you they’ll be reaching a bowl game in 3 years and getting 8 or 9 wins in 4-5 years. Mark my words, this program is getting some major funding right now, they’ve reached the bottom and will be digging themselves out fast. The staff has the right ideas and once they get some experience, the wins will follow. The donors are already lining up to help get things going and it’s only a matter of time and effort.

Missouri – This is a program that has had some serious potential but never seems to see it through. This year Missouri is 5-0, albeit against a weak schedule, but they too are building to be a major force in the conference. Given the right schedules and a few key recruits, Missouri will be joining Colorado as a program sailing past ISU in the not so distant future. Everything seems to finally be falling into place to make Missouri the program it was always capable of being.

Kansas State – What can I say, they’re used to success and they won’t be content until they get back to that level. They might not be much right now but they have an obvious advantage for in-state recruits and will soon be signing some major national recruits to help the process along. Little Manhattan won’t be happy until they too are a part of the Big XII’s upper echelons again. Given the time, they will once again be the Purple Menace that we all hate fiercely.

Texas A&M – We all know the coaching job here is one that will never be even remotely secure. A&M has as high of expectations as anybody in the league and they have every intention of beating some of the bigger in-state rivals at their own game. Watch for A&M to get some big upsets in the next couple of years and then gain some major recognition. They’ll be up and down for the next year or two but they have some great talent lining up fast. A lot of money is flowing in and a lot of recruits are starting to take notice. The same can be said for Baylor, whom you may remember embarrassed us at home last year.

Nebraska – What can I say, we all love to hate them. They are easily our biggest rival in football next to Iowa and they are already in the Top 25 again. They might be consistently the most over-rated program in history but they sure look to be a very strong program once again. Watch for Nebraska to get back to the Top 10 by the end of the 08-09 season, if not next season. We may all hate them, but they have their act together now.

Now, you can say that ISU might be ten times the program it was in the early nineties, but at what point do you say that we just aren’t content with always being the ‘other team’ in the state and the ‘almost did it’ team? Looking at the list above, you quickly realize that Iowa State in its current form won’t be able to get those 7 or 8 wins for much longer if the same problems and issues always come to light, year after year after year.

Some coaches are great for rebuilding and some are great for winning conference championships, and very rarely will those two types of coaches be one in the same. Dan McCarney should win medals for what he’s done at ISU, but he should also be on a very tight leash for not getting any further than the same thing year after year. The man is a great guy and a terrific coach, he just isn’t the coach that is going to get us to that next level where we can actually call this the Cyclone State and not look like dumb asses after almost getting beat by the number three program in the state.

Conclusion:

I look at coaches and programs and try to give a rating based on what they started with, what they’ve done for the past couple of years, and I look the hardest at if the most was achieved in the majority of the situations.

Here are my grades based on what Mac and crew have done since taking over and what I think they deserve for going forward…

Rebuilding - “A++â€
I would have to say Mac and staff have done an incredible job rallying the fans and players to get the program off of the punch lines of comedians’ jokes and into the Big XII’s upper half. Mac should have buildings and parks named after him in Ames for what he’s done rebuilding the program.

Expectations vs. Results - “C+â€
ISU has been the underdog for years and made the most of it time after time. However, when looking at what ISU has had the past couple of years, you have to say the results are too often less then the expectations. With two missed opportunities with a clear advantage at the Big XII Championship Game and so many sloppy second halves for losses earn the staff a C+. They can play great for the toughest opponents and barely lose, but they also play badly against the weakest opponents and lose big, even at home.

Achievements vs. Potential – “Fâ€
This is different than expectations because I value potential as what ISU could have done to prove everybody else wrong and/or get respect. ISU has never been able to get over the hump and win that big game when it mattered, they’ve never been able to take it to the next level even with a better crew almost every year. This grade would represent what the staff has done to prepare the players and to just make things happen.

When I look at the way the staff can’t seem to get the players to respond when they need to (i.e. the UNI game the players should have been more pumped up than ever and rolled to a huge victory) and their lack of willingness to change how they approach things, I have to say they just aren’t going to get things done at that next level.

I am probably the most honest and open-minded person when it comes to ISU athletics. I love the programs and players as if they were my closest relatives, but I also have to hold them accountable to what their potential is. While I will support the program with every available penny and always show up at the games, I still have to ask that my coin is getting some increased value in return. Mac is like an investment that you know will never change and will never go bankrupt, but it also won’t get you more than a steady and never-changing level of interest. That’s just not good enough going forward with increasing prices and increasing competition.

Closing:

You can argue that you don’t agree with some of my reasons or thoughts, but you can’t argue with these facts…
- ISU has its best offense in history and should be putting up 30+ ppg but yet isn’t able to score at all in the second half of so many games, simply because the staff is incredibly predictable and resistant to change.
- ISU has never dominated a game because of the staff’s obsessively cautious approach that always comes back to bite us in the end. Too often this approach costs us the ballgame in the end.
- ISU football in its current form is built to rebuild, but they are no longer rebuilding, they are growing. Growing and developing programs have different needs and different objectives.
- Dan McCarney talks up his program in every media event but always follows it up with an excuse. He even says he can’t figure out why the offense can’t score but then refuses to admit that play-calling could be part of the problem. This after years of criticism for the play calling ability of the staff under Mac.
- With ticket prices soon to rise substantially and donation requirements soon to follow, how many life-long fans will continue to pump more money into the program while not getting any increased level of play or success? Many fans don’t have the patience and dedication to put into a coach for more than 12 years without getting anything new for the past 6 or 7 years.
- After talking to almost a dozen prior players that love coach Mac, and dozens of donors that have stuck with him thus far, all are saying it’s time for change. You can’t keep asking for more and more money if you aren’t willing to give back a better product in return.

I love ISU, I love coach Mac, but I also love winning and feeling proud of saying this is a Cyclone State. Can we really say it’s a Cyclone State when we get beat by the ‘other in-state rival’ and almost lose to the D-AA in-state team?

I’m not going to continue to praise Mac just because I have a pro-ISU website. I try my hardest to make everybody within ISU feel proud and happy to read my site but I also have to be true to the facts and that could end up making Mac or Pollard mad at me in the end. So be it when it comes to a program that I love as if it were my son. I’m not going to be like some other writers that have to be careful not to get their credentials pulled, I’m independent and honest. Enough is enough, let’s raise the bar and get to that next level for crying out loud.

It’s not just this season that the critics can point to, but rather the long-standing lack of improvement with the program and coaching staff. While coaches aren’t responsible for everything and obviously aren’t the ones on the field, they ultimately get the $1.1million to be responsible in the long-run. I ask this, could you be mediocre for 6 or 7 years at your job and still get raises and extensions? I know I sure as heck can’t and I’m not asking 50,000 people to come stand in the cold and snow to watch me do my job, let alone ask them for more and more money year after year for that same mediocre product.

I’ll say it again, I love Mac, I love Pollard, I love ISU, but I also love winning. I may make some people mad by not fully supporting our coach for his mediocrity after 12 years, but I think it’s in the best interest of the fans and the program if we move past mediocrity and get into that championship game already. I’ll continue to support Mac this year as he’s our coach, but I sure as heck expect some changes come spring or I know a lot of big-time donors and players that won’t be so dedicated.

Let’s Pack the Jack and hope for the best. Despite our personal opinions, we still need to support the guys that suit up and the program, as it’s obviously going through some rough times. I know internally there’s some turmoil and they need all the support we can give them right now.

To the Editor of this Article:

1.0 The TIMING of this article couldn't be more wrong and devisive to the Cyclone Football Program. We're not quite half way through, with a lot of football to be played and a lot at stake for this year, not next year. This program needs all the support it can get, especially with arguabally the most critical game to this point coming up. Out comes this article sewing doubt in the program, cutting the legs out from under our coach and team, creating decension amongst the fans and supporters of what still may be a magical year. And who knows how many hopeful recruits have read this and how it has altered their decisions? In regard to the Cyclone Football Program:
1.1 Example: Imagine being stranded on a mountain or island. You build a fire to attract an airplane or helicopter flying over to get there attention for help. The fire is just started to kindle to life and one of the group pees on the fire, the fire might survive, but it sure is going to be deminished. If the guy makes sure a plane or chopper sees them and help has found them before peeing, even though they need the fire to cook that night it's not quite as devastating.
1.2 This article couldn't come at a more improper time, just like the bulletin just prior to football season stating that information was coming out that would absolutely make us sick. All this did was sew incredible negative gossip.

2.0 The Editor of this article's decision making skills are in error. This is the second time poor judgement was used to cast negative on the program. The Editor cut's the coach down for questionalble tendencies and makes his own evaluations, however, you flip this to the editor of this article, who claims to love the Cyclones, Pollard and MAC and he would better serve hinself to evaluate his own tendencies and ask for council. I would think in evaluating himself he would conclude he needs to find another line of work. Obviously, his judgment of how to use media power is very skewed.

3.0 Cyclone A.D. (Pollard) is a very prudent, decisive and intelligent decision maker who's job it is to make evaluations and decisons in this regard. The editor claims to know some boosters. Pollard has more experince and knows more booster's then the editor ever dreamed of. Leave the evaluations of the coaches where it belongs. Pollard will critique his tendencies and act accordingly with the regard of the football program in mind.

4.0 NU fired Solich with a 10-2 or 3 season. Look how far it set them back. They are just now starting to get life in their team, three years later. And they still don't know if this coach is going to pan out.

5.0 Become the home of solid and objective information. Can you imagine the team operating as a unit like you operate as a fan?

6.0 To the editor - your not the A.D. and your sight is becoming the Cyclone Crybaby Site! Help us rally around the program, not tear it apart in the midst of the season.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

It's kind of hard to be 0-6 when only 5 games have been played.

Obviously, you know what I meant. Perhaps I was already including our upcoming loss to NU?

 

[ISUFan22]

Obviously, you know what I meant. Perhaps I was already including our upcoming loss to NU?

What a nice attitude...

 

[ISUAlum2002]

What a nice attitude...

Thanks. :sweet:

 

[jgooder]

I can't speak about big donors, but I work in a large office building that is heavily populated with ISU fans. There seem to be two two camps: fans who have been ISU fans before the Mac era, and fans who have become ISU fans during the Mac era. The old fans seem to be happy that we're not at the Temple or Rice level anymore. To those fans, Mac is untouchable. I'm not one of those fans. What Jeremy is saying needs to be said, even though he may be making too broad of a generalization about donors.

 

[Cyclonesrule91]

To the Editor of this Article:

1.0 The TIMING of this article couldn't be more wrong and devisive to the Cyclone Football Program. We're not quite half way through, with a lot of football to be played and a lot at stake for this year, not next year. This program needs all the support it can get, especially with arguabally the most critical game to this point coming up. Out comes this article sewing doubt in the program, cutting the legs out from under our coach and team, creating decension amongst the fans and supporters of what still may be a magical year. And who knows how many hopeful recruits have read this and how it has altered their decisions? In regard to the Cyclone Football Program:
1.1 Example: Imagine being stranded on a mountain or island. You build a fire to attract an airplane or helicopter flying over to get there attention for help. The fire is just started to kindle to life and one of the group pees on the fire, the fire might survive, but it sure is going to be deminished. If the guy makes sure a plane or chopper sees them and help has found them before peeing, even though they need the fire to cook that night it's not quite as devastating.
1.2 This article couldn't come at a more improper time, just like the bulletin just prior to football season stating that information was coming out that would absolutely make us sick. All this did was sew incredible negative gossip.

2.0 The Editor of this article's decision making skills are in error. This is the second time poor judgement was used to cast negative on the program. The Editor cut's the coach down for questionalble tendencies and makes his own evaluations, however, you flip this to the editor of this article, who claims to love the Cyclones, Pollard and MAC and he would better serve hinself to evaluate his own tendencies and ask for council. I would think in evaluating himself he would conclude he needs to find another line of work. Obviously, his judgment of how to use media power is very skewed.

3.0 Cyclone A.D. (Pollard) is a very prudent, decisive and intelligent decision maker who's job it is to make evaluations and decisons in this regard. The editor claims to know some boosters. Pollard has more experince and knows more booster's then the editor ever dreamed of. Leave the evaluations of the coaches where it belongs. Pollard will critique his tendencies and act accordingly with the regard of the football program in mind.

4.0 NU fired Solich with a 10-2 or 3 season. Look how far it set them back. They are just now starting to get life in their team, three years later. And they still don't know if this coach is going to pan out.

5.0 Become the home of solid and objective information. Can you imagine the team operating as a unit like you operate as a fan?

6.0 To the editor - your not the A.D. and your sight is becoming the Cyclone Crybaby Site! Help us rally around the program, not tear it apart in the midst of the season.

Fonz.......how dare you be objective and even optimistic about our season!! Don't you know that we all want to be sick in bed with haircuts crying and moaning because our football team sucks and the coach sucks worser. Hey, I heard that Carper is out for the season now. That's just another nail in Mac's coffin.....because how dare he be so conservative in practice drills......damn him anyway. Now, if you would excuse me, I am going to go sit in the tub soaking in my tears until I have dishpan butt!!!!! Ba Humbug:no6xn:

Seriously though. Great post and definitely good arguments. The season is still young and I am pumped to see it through. Support the team and they will come through. ***** after the season if you think you have a reason to then.....

 

[tec71]

All of this is predicated on the presumption that the next guy will do better. That's foolish at best. The question is would you rather be where we are now, or one of two options, we somehow attract a good quality candidate who comes in takes us to the brink for a few years, maybe wins the North, and moves on. If you believe that scenario is sustainable you are more optimistic than me. More likely we end up with the Wayne morgan of Football, following a few of the best years in basketball history. D Mac + Johnny Orr. D Mac's replacement equals Floyd/Eustachy. D mac's replacement moves on, and we end up with Wayne Morgan.

Either that or we end up with a choice who'll run it into the ground quickly and we'll be back maybe not where we were before D mac but solidly 4-7 each year. Face it with our facilities in this conference we are a 5-6, 6-5 team. If we are better than that credit D Mac. Texas is a 8-3, 9-2 school. Better than that credit the coach.

So I ask, which would you have the flash in the pan, followed by bad again or consistent winning a majority of the time with bowl games even if they aren't national championships? Seriously, chose one, because the odds of getting what we are getting now is slim.

Personally I've lived through enough 0-11 seasons. We have had season tix for 27 years. I've sat through more 56-3 blowouts than I care to. We are 3-2, and while the cool thing to do is bash D Mac, truth is we've lost to two teams that we should have lost to and beat the 3 we should have beat. If they come out and manhandle NU, will you be happy or will you all whine about something else and call it a "fluke" and say wait till next week? I ask you how many games left are winnable on the regular schedule? all of them? half of them? none?

I don't think D Mac's going to get much slack from Pollard, and he shouldn't, not for what he's making $. But I hope that at least he hasn't made up his mind becuase we haven't looked good enough winning, which seems to be the crux of everyone's argument. We didn't win by enough. Now if he could only have recruited a kicker the last two years.

FTH4EVR

 

[Wesley]

It is not that easy from here on out. The season is not that young. The easy games are gone. The defense and offense are less than last year. The schedule is more potent. If we win Saturday night, the season will be saved.

However, if by chance we do not, expect a Seneca Wallace debacle finish. With Oklahoma and Texas Tech coming up, we could be 0-4 in the conference and playing for Shreveport. We would then have to beat KSU and Kansas and Colorado as Missouri might be a stretch. Hope Shreveport will then have a 3-5 conference team.

We expect to win. We expected to win all but Texas. Yet the season will be decided Saturday night. The pressure is on the Clones to perform, not Nebraska. They ALL better bring their A Game , not just a few. The opunter better punt well. The kickoff better be good. And for heaven's sake, do not have those crappy fibve yard penalties from a veteran offensiocve line against Nebraska. That will just kill us as they will bltiz for sure.

 

[Cyclonesrule91]

Great post also tech71

 

[Bobber]

Critcizing Mac after 4 or 5 bowl games is nuts. And he did it with the second lowest budget in the Big 12! You want a good product? You have to pay for it! I say double football tickets prices and add those box seats. The whole athlectic department will benefit and most certainly the football team.

We had a record crowd at the UNI game and may do the same for Nebraska. Is that a sign that fans are not interested in the team and our current coach??

For those folks that want a more exting offense, just look over the river at Nebraska. That's what they wanted and that's what they have now. They've gone from a team built on boring low turn over football to one that is more exciting but turns it over a lot. I'd argue the former offense was more dominating than the current system.

Jearomy I normally like reading your stuff, but I think you should stick to basketball(which you've said is your true love.). I am a donor and a strong supporter of McCarney. Yeah I'd like to see better, but I remember when it was a hell of a lot worse. Mac doesn't get a life time lease to the job, but as long as he's competive and filling the stadium he can stay in my book.

 

[Wesley]

It is not about money to make a better team.
It is ability to recruit enough difference makers in numbers large enough that three opr four injuries doesn't limit your defense. Clones have twelve or so really good players and cannot afford to lose two or three such as a safety. The top tier teams usually have a deeper bench and can replace dropouts or injuries more easily.
It is not about money. It is giving the recruits hope, dreams, and security for their future. Iowa and Nebraska do not have that many top recruits as they are usually found in Texas Florida and California. If Clones had one more outstanding recruiter on the staff, they would move on up in the future. The reason Solich was fired after 10-3 was he could not recruit himself out of a paper bag in the end. The last year Solich was recruiting almost second string players from Millard North. Peterson knew he had to make a move fast. Ron Prince is a salesman. Kirk Ferentz has star power. All this is needed to compete in major conference football.
That is why we did fine when Johnny Majors was coach - he was like a Kirk Ferentz. His name let him in the door. Later there was Jim Walden and he just did not cut it. Recruiting ability is a lot towards going to the next level.
If Iowa State would play on New Years Day, life would be a lot simpler for recruiting to Ames.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

If Iowa State would play on New Years Day, life would be a lot simpler for recruiting to Ames.

Don't fall into the Hawkeye "New Years Day bowl game" propaganda. While yes, it would be great to play on New Years, it is much more difficult to do it while playing in the Big 12 than it is in the Little 11, as there is 1 fewer "New Years" bowl game for Big 12 teams than Little 11.

I would be happy with a nice trip to San Diego, even a trip to the Alamo Bowl would be nice at this point, and it would have happened in the past 2 years if we hadn't choked against MU and at KU.

 

[Wesley]

I probably should have said a New Years Day bowl game to have a better recruiting year and to show we can do the same thing as 7-5 EIU. At this point, anything above Shreveport would be a godsend.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I probably should have said a New Years Day bowl game to have a better recruiting year and to show we can do the same thing as 7-5 EIU. At this point, anything above Shreveport would be a godsend.

Yeah, just remember, Iowa went 7-4 last year in the regular season and STILL went to a new year's day bowl. And everyone argues that the Big 10 is SUCH a strong conference...

 

[CTAClone]

Why are people upset that fans are talking about how they feel on a forum built for discussion? Isn't this the place to talk about how they feel about the team, players, coaches and administration? I've read about 20 posts talking about this isn't the time or the place for this, or this is a distraction to the team. I feel the exact opposite. This is the place and the time for this. After underperforming in the first 5 games, fans have every right to express their feelings. If the team and coaches can't handle the speculation or the criticism they shouldn't be involved with college football. The Cyclone Nation is tame compared to other programs. Shouldn't this talk light a fire underneath this team and coaches instead of being a distraction. Who knows what should happen with D-Mac and I think everyone agrees that it should wait till the end of the year. All I know is that I've been upset with D-Mac the last few years but kept telling myself he's worth it because we were much worse before. I don't know what the right answer is, but I think the discussion is needed. I want someone to convince me why he should stay.