So, full disclosure, I joined Peegs this fall following the Florida International game largely because I had had bad experiences with Indiana football fans in the past and wanted to actively defend coach Wilson in the court of public opinion. I felt that I had seen some things in the team after the first two games that may not have been easily observed by the casual viewer, and wanted to point them out to help keep people positive. I have a loyalty to Coach Wilson because, while he is a bear to play for, I think that he helps develop the type of men that we want graduating from our football program, and I saw the program moving in the right direction.
But something strange happened after I joined...I found that 90% of the board was already on my side.
As a player there was an unfortunate sort of animosity between my teammates and I and the fanbase. Part of this was our own fault, we just weren't very good, but a student-athlete going through a lot of physical and mental hardship can only introduce themselves as an IU football player to an IU alumnus and be told, "Oh we have a football team?" so many times without it really bothering them. Between that old stigma and being actively booed / jeered by our own fans in our own stadium, the view I had developed of IU football fans became very jaded.
What I learned by joining this board was that those people are more the loud minority than the majority. It was such a breath of fresh air to come here and see people having knowledgeable conversations about IU football. Everyone had informed opinions and was by and large positive without being "rah-rah".
So I just wanted to say thank you to those of you that write on this board regularly. It is a joy to read and see these conversations between great Indiana football fans. It has really brought a new appreciation for the fanbase from this former player. To those curmudgeons on the board...well...it's fun watching other people point out the flaws in your logic.
All of that being said, I think that all of those positive things that I learned start with the moderator of this board. Matt does an incredible job on so many fronts. As you all know, many of the posters on this board regularly defer to Matt as the voice of reason. He could easily drive the overall tone of this board toward being negative toward the program and build ill will (I can think of some other reporters that cover IU football that regularly find what is wrong in the face of many things that are right). But Matt doesn't do that, he is level-headed, brings facts to the table when he can, and points out the gaps in his knowledge when he can't. It's pretty impressive. Beyond that he works his ass off to get us as much breaking news and information as possible, which I know is difficult because I've seen how closed off / tight-lipped CKW and staff are first hand.
So thanks to Matt for driving the ship in the right direction.
Long winded thank you is over, hope to meet some of you at the Pinstripe Bowl. This has been a fun (painful at times, absolutely, but fun) season, but I think we're on the precipice of something even more fun. Let's get CKW signed for enough money so that he doesn't leave us after we go 8-4 next year.
Go Hoosiers!
But something strange happened after I joined...I found that 90% of the board was already on my side.
As a player there was an unfortunate sort of animosity between my teammates and I and the fanbase. Part of this was our own fault, we just weren't very good, but a student-athlete going through a lot of physical and mental hardship can only introduce themselves as an IU football player to an IU alumnus and be told, "Oh we have a football team?" so many times without it really bothering them. Between that old stigma and being actively booed / jeered by our own fans in our own stadium, the view I had developed of IU football fans became very jaded.
What I learned by joining this board was that those people are more the loud minority than the majority. It was such a breath of fresh air to come here and see people having knowledgeable conversations about IU football. Everyone had informed opinions and was by and large positive without being "rah-rah".
So I just wanted to say thank you to those of you that write on this board regularly. It is a joy to read and see these conversations between great Indiana football fans. It has really brought a new appreciation for the fanbase from this former player. To those curmudgeons on the board...well...it's fun watching other people point out the flaws in your logic.
All of that being said, I think that all of those positive things that I learned start with the moderator of this board. Matt does an incredible job on so many fronts. As you all know, many of the posters on this board regularly defer to Matt as the voice of reason. He could easily drive the overall tone of this board toward being negative toward the program and build ill will (I can think of some other reporters that cover IU football that regularly find what is wrong in the face of many things that are right). But Matt doesn't do that, he is level-headed, brings facts to the table when he can, and points out the gaps in his knowledge when he can't. It's pretty impressive. Beyond that he works his ass off to get us as much breaking news and information as possible, which I know is difficult because I've seen how closed off / tight-lipped CKW and staff are first hand.
So thanks to Matt for driving the ship in the right direction.
Long winded thank you is over, hope to meet some of you at the Pinstripe Bowl. This has been a fun (painful at times, absolutely, but fun) season, but I think we're on the precipice of something even more fun. Let's get CKW signed for enough money so that he doesn't leave us after we go 8-4 next year.
Go Hoosiers!
