I'm not believing it no more.

Other 49er Sports
1

[size=2](I’ve told this story in the SB one time, so sorry for the repeat)

About 20-25 years ago we were at my grandma’s house, on my mom’s side of the family. She’s had a really hard, odd life and is a bit kookie.

On the coffee table was a National Enquirer magazine. The headline read “Elvis returning to Vegas for One Last Show!”. My dad made a comment on the magazine, with Elvis being dead for at least a decade now and everyone realizing that. But of course there were some crazies out there, blind to reality, that thought maybe he was really alive.

My grandma, replied to my dad “If he doesn’t come back this time, I’m not believing it no more.”

It’s a funny story that my family likes to talk about. It’s probably funnier if you were there to be sure. But beyond the humor, you realize that 1) there really were believers that he was alive, or maybe just people with hope, but probably just clueless to what others know and 2) even those believers had a breaking point

Saturday I reached my breaking point.

I’ve watched this program go to complete $hit over the last decade plus now. Each year, some form of hope. Each year, some form of confidence in the upcoming season. Each year, no matter the record, maybe we can place in the top of the conference and do well in the tournament. Maybe we’ll get it right this year. Maybe we’ll get on TV more. Maybe…

Well, “[font=verdana]I’m not believing it no more.”[/font]

[font=verdana]I’m done.[/font]

[font=verdana]This is the worst run college athletics program in the NCAA. There is something absolutely rotten with this program. It has a losing culture and I don’t think we know it or care to know it. This program died at least a decade ago, the rest of the world sees it and has moved on, why don’t we? I’m not going to be a nut who thinks maybe it’s still alive. I’ve got other, better things to associate myself with.[/font][/size]

2

My takeaway from this is that Grandma would make a helluva Niner. Tell her she is welcome at my tailgate anytime.

3

Sad to see you go, ID. Enjoy the new found freedom. Tell HP and others that have moved on that we say hi.

4

I can’t fault anyone for feeling this way. It isn’t football so much as the totality of where we are.

What I do ask of each person though is to not allow a 4th year football program winning or losing to be the deal breaker. If it’s AD leadership, basketball wins, marketing, fundraising or a ton of other things I get it.

I myself am just holding on until we have new leadership in place. We are on the short end of that. If we get an internal replacement or an unimaginative hire that will maintain status quo then I will join you guys. For now though I enjoy hanging out with friends on a Saturday. I enjoy getting to do something I couldn’t do as a student. I am disappointed in where the football team is, but for me the positives of the team out weigh the negatives.

Our theme song should be Hold On from Wilson Phillips. I have a feeling there are many like me that are just trying to make it to the replacements of Phil and Judy. Maybe it works or maybe it doesn’t but I owe Bonnie to wait and see.

5

[quote=“NinerWupAss, post:4, topic:30538”]I can’t fault anyone for feeling this way. It isn’t football so much as the totality of where we are.

What I do ask of each person though is to not allow a 4th year football program winning or losing to be the deal breaker. If it’s AD leadership, basketball wins, marketing, fundraising or a ton of other things I get it.

I myself am just holding on until we have new leadership in place. We are on the short end of that. If we get an internal replacement or an unimaginative hire that will maintain status quo then I will join you guys. For now though I enjoy hanging out with friends on a Saturday. I enjoy getting to do something I couldn’t do as a student. I am disappointed in where the football team is, but for me the positives of the team out weigh the negatives.

Our theme song should be Hold On from Wilson Phillips. I have a feeling there are many like me that are just trying to make it to the replacements of Phil and Judy. Maybe it works or maybe it doesn’t but I owe Bonnie to wait and see.[/quote] Right! Did Bonnie give up? Hell, no
Note to Phil: Try emphasizing this to incoming freshmen instead of telling them Chapel Hill is the flagship for a change.

6

I go to football games to catch up with friends and feel connected to my alma mater.

The game is just a bi-product of that. Of course it’s more fun to win, but even if we lose that’s time I otherwise wouldn’t have spent with old friends.

Our lack of success is much less painful with that outlook.

7

This isn’t football…

Its an Athletic Department that since Judy Rose took over is nothing short of mediocre. I spent 45 minutes looking at the teams that actually have honest to goodness W’s and L’s… So Golf (a real standout), and Track/CC aren’t included.

I’m not sure this is a shock to anyone, but we are 3767-3345-105 (there are a few baseball and softball ties mixed in)…

[ul][li]Our soccer programs are a real strong point, Womens 63% winning percentage, Men at 65% with 2 college Cup appearances.[/li]
[li]Men’s hoops has a 56% winning percentage, however the last 15 years has given that % a hit. [/li]
[li]Women’s hoops is at 55%, and that’s with a strong finish to make up for the awful Ed Baldwin era… If you love the WNIT, you should love this squad… [/li]
[li]Baseball and softball have the most continuity in leadership, with decidedly different results. Baseball has been a point of debate (both sides have a damn fine points) but does have a few NCAA trips and a 54% winning percentage (including 2/2 sub 500 seasons by Hibbs predecessors) … Softball has been bad, 613-730.[/li]
[li]Tennis is average… Men 50.9%, Ladies 50.3%[/li]
[li]Volleyball… 381-405… and 7… SEVEN coaches.[/li][/ul]
If what we want is win one, lose one… we have the right leadership. For a school of our size, for a school in our location, for a school of our potential… We have failed. This is not a referendum on football (which is not good), but a statement on raising the bar… Striving for average is what we have done, and dammit we have been remarkably consistent in reaching that goal.

I think the fact that I look at Conway South Carolina and see a Athletic Department that makes me green with envy, makes me want to puke.

8

We have people that paid 1,000 to 5,000 dollars for the right to buy tickets they are already walking out on. Astounding how bad our product is.

9

[quote=“s9er, post:7, topic:30538”]This isn’t football…

Its an Athletic Department that since Judy Rose took over is nothing short of mediocre. I spent 45 minutes looking at the teams that actually have honest to goodness W’s and L’s… So Golf (a real standout), and Track/CC aren’t included.

I’m not sure this is a shock to anyone, but we are 3228-3059-112 (there are a few baseball and softball ties mixed in)…

[ul][li]Our soccer programs are a real strong point, Womens 63% winning percentage, Men at 65% with 2 college Cup appearances.[/li]
[li]Men’s hoops has a 56% winning percentage, however the last 15 years has given that % a hit. [/li]
[li]Women’s hoops is at 55%, and that’s with a strong finish to make up for the awful Ed Baldwin era… If you love the WNIT, you should love this squad… [/li]
[li]Baseball and softball have the most continuity in leadership, with decidedly different results. Baseball has been a point of debate (both sides have a damn fine points) but does have a few NCAA trips and a 54% winning percentage (including 2/2 sub 500 seasons by Hibbs predecessors) … Softball has been bad, 613-730.[/li]
[li]Tennis is average… Men 50.9%, Ladies 50.3%[/li]
[li]Volleyball… 381-405… and 7… SEVEN coaches.[/li][/ul]

If what we want is win one, lose one… we have the right leadership. For a school of our size, for a school in our location, for a school of our potential… We have failed. This is not a referendum on football (which is not good), but a statement on raising the bar… Striving for average is what we have done, and dammit we have been remarkably consistent in reaching that goal.

I think the fact that I look at Conway South Carolina and see a Athletic Department that makes me green with envy, makes me want to puke.[/quote]

Take your logic elsewhere and stop using it to ruin my coping mechanism.

10

There is one big problem with packing my allegiance bags and walking away. Where am I going to to go? I like college sports and I only graduated from one University that has them. I guess for me pulling for a bad Charlotte is better than pulling for a good anyone else. This is where our athletic department lives. They feed off of the big donors and people like me. It is a sad story.

11

[quote=“s9er, post:7, topic:30538”]This isn’t football…

Its an Athletic Department that since Judy Rose took over is nothing short of mediocre. I spent 45 minutes looking at the teams that actually have honest to goodness W’s and L’s… So Golf (a real standout), and Track/CC aren’t included.

I’m not sure this is a shock to anyone, but we are 3228-3059-112 (there are a few baseball and softball ties mixed in)…

[ul][li]Our soccer programs are a real strong point, Womens 63% winning percentage, Men at 65% with 2 college Cup appearances.[/li]
[li]Men’s hoops has a 56% winning percentage, however the last 15 years has given that % a hit. [/li]
[li]Women’s hoops is at 55%, and that’s with a strong finish to make up for the awful Ed Baldwin era… If you love the WNIT, you should love this squad… [/li]
[li]Baseball and softball have the most continuity in leadership, with decidedly different results. Baseball has been a point of debate (both sides have a damn fine points) but does have a few NCAA trips and a 54% winning percentage (including 2/2 sub 500 seasons by Hibbs predecessors) … Softball has been bad, 613-730.[/li]
[li]Tennis is average… Men 50.9%, Ladies 50.3%[/li]
[li]Volleyball… 381-405… and 7… SEVEN coaches.[/li][/ul]

If what we want is win one, lose one… we have the right leadership. For a school of our size, for a school in our location, for a school of our potential… We have failed. This is not a referendum on football (which is not good), but a statement on raising the bar… Striving for average is what we have done, and dammit we have been remarkably consistent in reaching that goal.

I think the fact that I look at Conway South Carolina and see a Athletic Department that makes me green with envy, makes me want to puke.[/quote]

Is this going all the way back to when she took over as AD in 1990? If so, I’d submit the overall message is still a bit rose colored. Aren’t we all about fed up due to the last decade more specifically? I’m curious how the W’s and L’s stack up over that decade which has seen performance on the field/court diminish in accordance with we all really starting to realize how much we lack in everything off the field, i.e. communication and marketing (including shitty tech), alumni outreach, brand building and awareness, vision for the future, etc.

12

I have a kid going to a different college that will make my transition easier.

So…have a kid…it worked for me!!

13

I’m thinking No Vaseline from Ice Cube

14

I’m thinking No Vaseline from Ice Cube[/quote]

clt says we need a chat board dedicated to the theme songs

15

With all due respect to the life and loved ones of Coach Ratliff, the only appropriate motto surrounding this team is this:

[center]ROCK BOTTOM[/center]

This year 4, home game against Eastern Michigan existed for one reason: to prove we aren’t the absolute worst team at this level, that there is a reason to have hope, that teams that haven’t been to a bowl since before Jeff Mullins took Charlotte to the NCAA Tournament will step on the field and walk away losers. We failed that test.

I’ll probably go to the rest of the games this season, if I lived in an Atlanta suburb I most certainly would not. At this point my season tickets will not be renewed unless there is a shake-up to the coaching staff (or athletic department). If I want to go to a game next year I’ll get a GA ticket and buy a single game parking pass, I’ve already ceased renewal of my basketball tickets and I’m really looking forward to ignoring every call from a 704-687-**** phone number from this day forward.

Judy Rose,
I would really appreciate a personal apology for you incompetent leadership, negligent vision and just overall lack of self-awareness. I may or may not demand my FSL payments be refunded depending on the sincerity of your apology. You have my phone number.

C. Pipkins
c/o 2009

16

[quote=“itsbraille49, post:15, topic:30538”]Judy Rose,
I would really appreciate a personal apology for you incompetent leadership, negligent vision and just overall lack of self-awareness. I may or may not demand my FSL payments be refunded depending on the sincerity of your apology. You have my phone number.

C. Pipkins
c/o 2009[/quote]

My, how opinions can change in just a few years. Mine did too.

17

Let me know how the refund demand works for you.

I could find much better uses for that money myself.