Fau=failed And Unemployed

RaiderInTheZone · June 21, 2008

That's how they were referred to me as by a man who owns a business in Boca Raton where FAU is located. I won't say the name of the business as I'm sure it is frequented by many FAU students and fans, but I had a really good time chatting with them at Bonnaroo this year. Just goes to show that even though you may be located in a city with money, you ain't necessarily going to see the green. Ahhhh. Such is life in the Sun Belt I guess.

Those folks from Spectrum Catering and Concessions based out of Houston were super nice and fun to work with by the way!

UNTflyer · June 21, 2008

I lived in the Palm Beaches. The attitudes of people in Boca are on par with those in the Park Cities. But FAU has a lot to overcome... they were a 2-year university not long ago. And about 40% of their students are spreaf across their satellite campuses.If there's any university in the Sun Belt that can be called a "commuter school", it's FAU.

Edited June 21, 2008 by UNTflyer

RaiderInTheZone · June 21, 2008

I lived in the Palm Beaches. The attitudes of people in Boca are on par with those in the Park Cities. But FAU has a lot to overcome... they were a 2-year university not long ago. And about 40% of their students are spreaf across their satellite campuses.

I just think it's funny that the only school people in that area seem to care about is Miami. Can you blame them? Honestly, FAU is in the same boat as every other Belt school--stuck in the muck with a lame commissioner. That's the Belt for ya'!

UNTflyer · June 21, 2008

My brother is Hurricanes fan and he bemoans the fact that Miami doesn't even have a stadium on campus.

EagleD · June 21, 2008

I was VERY close to moving to Boca a few years back. Beautiful city.

Bonnaroo huh? Was the Kanye West outrage as bad as I've heard?

RaiderInTheZone · June 21, 2008

I was VERY close to moving to Boca a few years back. Beautiful city.
Bonnaroo huh? Was the Kanye West outrage as bad as I've heard?

Oh yes! This boy had worked his regular shift for 12 hours Friday night 'til 6am Saturday morning then had to a double at Bonnaroo working the kitchen on that Saturday from 9:30 that morning to 10 that night. It was money I couldn't turn down regardless of sleep. Me, my sister-in-law, and one of her friends waited the whole time for Kanye. We left at about 5:30 that morning about four sets in during Kanye.

Yes, Kanye disappointed the 'Roo faithful very much. He's expected to headline Lollapalooza coming up too.

And here's a link to one that due to it's graphic language I decided not to post so you may click at your own discretion:

http://www.dlisted.com/files/fuckkanyeporta12.jpg

Robert Randolph had a "Kanye Sucks" chant before his performance Sunday morning. Kanye deserved it! He really miffed me by cheating Phil Lesh out of 75 minutes of performance time which Lesh agreeably gave up to Kanye so that everyone could see him which they didn't for about 2 hours later.

RaiderInTheZone · June 21, 2008

My brother is Hurricanes fan and he bemoans the fact that Miami doesn't even have a stadium on campus.

Neither does FAU, nor is FAU even close to getting an on-campus stadium being some tens of millions of dollars behind budget. I think it's funny people think FAU should go to the Big East. Why? FAU has done nothing, has no money, and is a member of a zero respect conference after leaving the TAAC which is even worse if that's possible. If the Big East wants to grossly downgrade it's quality, then they'll invite FAU.

RaiderInTheZone · June 22, 2008

Bonnaroo huh? Was the Kanye West outrage as bad as I've heard?

A few more (graphic language--beware):

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j33/timf...e35b05c6d55.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j276/jon...08/IMG_2370.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j276/jon...08/IMG_2355.jpg

and this one. . .

emmitt01 · June 22, 2008

Maybe I'm just out of the loop. What's the story with Kanye?

UNTFan23 · June 22, 2008

Yes, Kanye disappointed the 'Roo faithful very much. He's expected to headline Lollapalooza coming up too.

I understand that rap artists have been at many Lollapaoozas, but that's one genre that just doesn't seem to fit in with the history of the show, considering hard rock and alternative were what really got the traveling show going.

With that said, I hope he continues his downward spiral.

Edited June 22, 2008 by UNTFan23

UNTFan23 · June 22, 2008

Maybe I'm just out of the loop. What's the story with Kanye?

Click me!

stebo · June 22, 2008

Emily and I were at Bongaroo and we did not even attempt to stick around for that jerk. The real reason why we was delayed was because of his ego. There were two main stages at Bonnaroo and one was a tad bit bigger than the other. Kanye found out that he was scheduled to perform on the smaller of the main stages and threw a fit... he demanded to be put on the "main" stage or "else"... Well, the folks there had already dealt with a few cancellations and had to add Widespread Panic to the lineup for the 4th year in a row to make up for those bands pulling out (ick).. so there was no way they were going to let him out of his contract. The problem is that Pearl Jam went long as usual but they had every right to because THEY were the real headliner for that day. Kanye started getting the boo birds at about 4:00 when he had delayed for a 3rd time and wouldn't come on stage until they stopped. He came out at around 4:45 and didn't even apologize - just did his thing and walked off stage. What a douche.

CaribbeanGreen · June 22, 2008

Lived in Ft. Lauderdale for several years recently -- FAU is basically UTD-esque, but with sports. The campus looks very new, very community college-ish, and the school spirit is pretty minimum. It's basically where you go to get a degree in Palm Beach County if you don't leave or transfer back close to home. Nothing more, nothing less. The stadium is 30 miles away and a county over, and it's a tiny soccer stadium at that. FAU has literally NO presence in South Florida, despite their performance being very good... I've seen preseason rankings with the Owls ahead of Miami, and I buy that, but it's all Canes all the time...

Really, FIU is the prettier package... it's VERY UNT-like to me... HUGE enrollment (30k plus), actually a very pretty, more traditional campus, and some excellent programs (admission standards are higher than Miami in many programs, and rank at or near the top of the SBC)... it's also NT-like in that it's out in far west Dade County (on the periphery of Miami), and gets the "commuter" label HARD, despite having plenty of nice on-campus housing. It's just the curse of the urban university.

Of course, FIU gets no pub whatsoever, but that's due to the tradition of inept athletics.. I assure you, when and if they do well, they'll get significantly more notice than FAU -- FIU is in the Miami media market -- when you get to Palm Beach County, it's a separate market (MUCH smaller) with separate local affiliates. It would be like if FAU was in, say, Gainesville, and FIU was in North Dallas. Who would get more pub with equal performance??

Edited June 22, 2008 by CaribbeanGreen

BleedGreen64 · June 22, 2008

???????????

RaiderInTheZone · June 22, 2008

???????????

The point I was making in posting this here is that the members of the Sun Belt aren't even respected in their own homes, and it's members should be trying their best to get out of that league. As long as Wright Waters has a stranglehold on the conference, it'll always be a zero-respect, one-bowl league. UNT should've bolted for the WAC when they had a chance.

UNTflyer · June 22, 2008

UNT should've bolted for the WAC when they had a chance.

I like going to road games. Plane tickets to Boise and Hawaii are a bit steep.

RaiderInTheZone · June 23, 2008

I like going to road games. Plane tickets to Boise and Hawaii are a bit steep.

Perhaps, but Boise and Hawaii have been to BCS bowls. Nobody in the Sun Belt has been to anything better than the Motor City where even there the 'Belt rep was grossly overmatched on the day the pairing was announced. Last year Troy State was 8-4 and was still shunned for a bowl over teams from the MAC and CUSA with fewer wins. Surprised? Don't be. The Sun Belt is not a very good league from top to bottom. Very poor leadership. Lack of organization. Lack of persistence. Poor marketing. It's actually quite embarrassing.

Let me ask you this. Would you rather miss trips to Boise and Hawaii if it meant you could go to bowl with an 8-4 record as a member of the more prestigious WAC, or would you rather attend every road game in the 'Belt, finish second in the league, and be denied a trip to a bowl game because you're a member of a league that has only one bowl bid?

The fact that some people even in Boca Raton, Florida look at FAU as "Failed And Unemployed" is a slap in the face at a Belt school. But Belt schools should be used to getting slapped in the face. Really, has the league done anything to deserve better than it's continual slaps in the face? Not from a football standpoint.

stebo · June 23, 2008

I agree that FAU has done a lot with smoke and mirrors but so did USF. USF was kind of a joke when they got off the ground as well. They play at a pro stadium, thus minimal student involvement (no sense of owenership).. and they had their coaches working out of trailers for years. What USF did was put together a smoke and mirror campaign that made their reputation a lot higher than the reality. Perception vs reality is always a tricky one... Anyways, FAU has the perception of the biggest up and comer from the Belt right now. They have a huge athletic budget and a legendary coach.

As for the Belt, they are the better option for NT right now. The WAC deal has been discussed over and over on this board and I don't want to re-type what I have already typed a thousand times. If another conference in this time zone were to come calling than it would obviously be a better option. So far none have called so I really don't feel the need to piss where I sleep.

DallasGreen · June 23, 2008

I agree that FAU has done a lot with smoke and mirrors but so did USF. USF was kind of a joke when they got off the ground as well. They play at a pro stadium, thus minimal student involvement (no sense of owenership).. and they had their coaches working out of trailers for years. What USF did was put together a smoke and mirror campaign that made their reputation a lot higher than the reality. Perception vs reality is always a tricky one... Anyways, FAU has the perception of the biggest up and comer from the Belt right now. They have a huge athletic budget and a legendary coach.
As for the Belt, they are the better option for NT right now. The WAC deal has been discussed over and over on this board and I don't want to re-type what I have already typed a thousand times. If another conference in this time zone were to come calling than it would obviously be a better option. So far none have called so I really don't feel the need to piss where I sleep.

I don't know what Raider has against FAU. They have a realistic student athletic fee that will keep a decent athletic budget unlike UNT, they have a FB coach who has won an NCAA National Championship not a state HS championship, they have a billboard showing plans for an ultramodern stadium -retail-residential complex while we stay cloaked in secrecy during our "quiet phase" which has remained very quiet for going on four years now, and their campus was prominent enough to host the January Presidential debate. In my visit I found it to be clean, new, open, and a well populated student campus. I think the fact that it represented the SBC well in NOB and is a hands down pick to repeat as SBC champ is sparking a little jealousy from MTSU. I think STEBO's analysis about similarity with USF is right on target. If we are to stay close to the FLA schools in the SBC, we need to step it up NOW not a four year plan --we don't have the luxury of that much time before we are left in their dust.

GoMTBlue · June 23, 2008

I don't know what Raider has against FAU. ...
I think the fact that it represented the SBC well in NOB and is a hands down pick to repeat as SBC champ is sparking a little jealousy from MTSU.

According to RaiderInTheZone, he is no longer a MTSU fan or a fan of any SBC school. Something pissed him off and now he takes every opportunity to bash MT and the SBC. What's funnier is he now is singing the praises of an OVC school, Tennessee State University.

He only visits SBC forums to stir the pot.

UNTflyer · June 23, 2008

According to RaiderInTheZone, he is no longer a MTSU fan or a fan of any SBC school. Something pissed him off and now he takes every opportunity to bash MT and the SBC. What's funnier is he now is singing the praises of an OVC school, Tennessee State University.
He only visits SBC forums to stir the pot.

Are we sure it's not CheckFacts?

Green Mean · June 23, 2008

If we are staying in the belt for the purpose of our fans going to games then its rediculous. Getting a few hundred fans to road games to compromise our conference affiliation is not good organizational leadership on NT's part.

RaiderInTheZone · June 24, 2008

According to RaiderInTheZone, he is no longer a MTSU fan or a fan of any SBC school. Something pissed him off and now he takes every opportunity to bash MT and the SBC. What's funnier is he now is singing the praises of an OVC school, Tennessee State University.
He only visits SBC forums to stir the pot.

Well, I knew you couldn't resist, John. While you're at it, could you remind you buddies on BlueRaiderZone to check their Bonnaroo geography because they clearly know nothing about the music festival's lay-out.

Now back to the topic. South Florida already had membership in the more prestigious Conference USA in other sports before it added football. Of course USF was going to be successful. They had ties to a decent conference. FAU did not have that going for them as they were practically bound and gagged as a member of the TAAC. And now that they are stuck in the Sun Belt? Something Howie never had to deal with in building Louisville and his other programs was APR. That's a new concept that apparently has hit FAU among other 'Belt schools with scholarship reductions in football due to lack of academic progress by some football members recruited by Schnellenberger in FAU's case.

This topic was about 'Belt respect and was somewhat Bonnaroo related. You are right about one thing, John. I don't think too highly of the Sun Belt and neither should anyone else that isn't associated with a Sun Belt school. The league had one bowl eight years ago. It has one bowl today. No Top 25 team. Every other conference including the WAC, CUSA, and the MAC fielded Top 25 teams in their first seven years of existence. The 'Belt is the only conference in Division 1 history that has not been able to accomplish that in the given time.

Run back to Blue Raider messageboard, John. You apparently add nothing to this the topic. FYI, I'm going somewhere else and not TSU though I greatly considered TSU. At least their administration and fans don't look down on people and try to make them feel like sh!t.

I wonder if Chris Massaro got to open my season ticket renewal form. I'm sure whoever did received quite a surprise.

UNTLifer · June 24, 2008

Well, I knew you couldn't resist, John. While you're at it, could you remind you buddies on BlueRaiderZone to check their Bonnaroo geography because they clearly know nothing about the music festival's lay-out.
Now back to the topic. South Florida already had membership in the more prestigious Conference USA in other sports before it added football. Of course USF was going to be successful. They had ties to a decent conference. FAU did not have that going for them as they were practically bound and gagged as a member of the TAAC. And now that they are stuck in the Sun Belt? Something Howie never had to deal with in building Louisville and his other programs was APR. That's a new concept that apparently has hit FAU among other 'Belt schools with scholarship reductions in football due to lack of academic progress by some football members recruited by Schnellenberger in FAU's case.
This topic was about 'Belt respect and was somewhat Bonnaroo related. You are right about one thing, John. I don't think too highly of the Sun Belt and neither should anyone else that isn't associated with a Sun Belt school. The league had one bowl eight years ago. It has one bowl today. No Top 25 team. Every other conference including the WAC, CUSA, and the MAC fielded Top 25 teams in their first seven years of existence. The 'Belt is the only conference in Division 1 history that has not been able to accomplish that in the given time.
Run back to Blue Raider messageboard, John. You apparently add nothing to this the topic. FYI, I'm going somewhere else and not TSU though I greatly considered TSU. At least their administration and fans don't look down on people and try to make them feel like sh!t.
I wonder if Chris Massaro got to open my season ticket renewal form. I'm sure whoever did received quite a surprise.

How about taking your MT hate to the MUT's board?

stebo · June 24, 2008

I really don't want to get in the middle of all of this but multiple bowl bids and top 25 votes are a fairly new thing for lower run IA schools. The MAC went literally decades with no bowls and/or ranked teams. The Big West and the WAC both were 1 bid teams back in the day. It is a fairly new thing having bowls for 6-6 teams. The Belt could easily buy their way into the Boise Bowl or the San Fran Bowl but we are not that stupid. Does the WAC have three bowls? Kind of - they have bowls hosted by members of their conference at their home stadiums. Could the Belt do this? Sure - they pulled off a bowl in Lafayette after Katrina, I am sure we could set up a couple more if we wanted the bragging rights. The truth of the matter is that the Belt hasn't had enough bowl eligible teams to justify buying into a bowl until the last three years. The first three years we were VERY lucky to have one team that was even above .500. Now we have a couple of teams doing better - well, only a couple have been left home during bowl season - Troy last year, NMSU a few years back, and MUTS the initial year when NT went with a losing record. Every other year that a team needed an at large bid we were able to place a team. With even more bowls coming on line this year we will have even more options when conferences come up short. I am sure that the folks at MTSU are thrilled that we weren't tied to the Boise Bowl so that they could go to the Motor City instead. Troy bought their way into Silicon Valley just fine. We need to be smart and find the right fit - so far the only contract that is up that we would be interested in is Mobile and it is very possible that we will score that. Be patient young grasshopper - this is a good problem to have but it is a NEW problem.

Oh, and BTW - we will have a top 25 team eventually... I bet that it comes sooner than you think.