|
|
Post by wcuecu2010 on Apr 15, 2017 23:32:54 GMT -5
I do not want to get into an argument about this, but have you seen athletics prior to Eaton and Belcher? Although, Chancellor Bardo did some good thing academically he was one of the worst chancellors for WCU athletics, he cared nothing for athletics. Former AD's Smith and Compher (who I despise with a passion for more than just what he did to WCU) were incompetent in leading the athletic programs. At least I will give Eaton credit, WCU has seen some improvement in their athletics and both Eaton and Belcher acknowledge athletics has important. I do not know all the details and do not profess to know but know that we are at the bottom of the SoCon in terms of athletic budget, the question is is it because we don't have the funds, or is it because they will not give the athletic programs the funds? Football is the typical money maker and we have been horrible for so long its likely has had an affect on our overall program. At least with Speir we have started flirting with some moderate success, and I am hoping that last year was just a bad year that will not continue as with him we had two years of winning seasons something we had not had in a decade and even longer when considering back to back. So the jury is still out on if our football program is headed in the right direction in the long run.
For Chancellor Belcher, a Chancellors job is regarding the whole university and academics will always be the first priority for any Chancellor. I am proud of our academics, so I doubt Belcher is going anywhere and hope he stays, I like him as our Chancellor.
With our athletics we are just going to have to be patient. Rome was not built in a day and really felt that we have had some severe damage to our athletic program over the last 25-30 years, it is just going to take time.
I as much as anyone want to see WCU football consistently in the playoffs, basketball winning SoCon Regular season and conference championships and making the NCAA tournament and NIT occassionally, and I would love to see the day that WCU baseball plays so well in the regular season and gets a chance to host and who knows become the next Coastal Carolina.
I am not saying they are perfect or that every decision is the right decision, but I have seen WCU athletics in worse shape that's all so maybe I am little more forgiving and patient.
|
|
|
|
Post by james on Apr 16, 2017 10:21:54 GMT -5
I do not want to get into an argument about this, but have you seen athletics prior to Eaton and Belcher? Although, Chancellor Bardo did some good thing academically he was one of the worst chancellors for WCU athletics, he cared nothing for athletics. Former AD's Smith and Compher (who I despise with a passion for more than just what he did to WCU) were incompetent in leading the athletic programs. At least I will give Eaton credit, WCU has seen some improvement in their athletics and both Eaton and Belcher acknowledge athletics has important. I do not know all the details and do not profess to know but know that we are at the bottom of the SoCon in terms of athletic budget, the question is is it because we don't have the funds, or is it because they will not give the athletic programs the funds? Football is the typical money maker and we have been horrible for so long its likely has had an affect on our overall program. At least with Speir we have started flirting with some moderate success, and I am hoping that last year was just a bad year that will not continue as with him we had two years of winning seasons something we had not had in a decade and even longer when considering back to back. So the jury is still out on if our football program is headed in the right direction in the long run. For Chancellor Belcher, a Chancellors job is regarding the whole university and academics will always be the first priority for any Chancellor. I am proud of our academics, so I doubt Belcher is going anywhere and hope he stays, I like him as our Chancellor. With our athletics we are just going to have to be patient. Rome was not built in a day and really felt that we have had some severe damage to our athletic program over the last 25-30 years, it is just going to take time. I as much as anyone want to see WCU football consistently in the playoffs, basketball winning SoCon Regular season and conference championships and making the NCAA tournament and NIT occassionally, and I would love to see the day that WCU baseball plays so well in the regular season and gets a chance to host and who knows become the next Coastal Carolina. I am not saying they are perfect or that every decision is the right decision, but I have seen WCU athletics in worse shape that's all so maybe I am little more forgiving and patient. I have been patient since 1964 but I am no longer. I have given up on WCU & it's commitment to sports. |
|
|
|
Post by wcuecu2010 on Apr 16, 2017 17:33:13 GMT -5
I do not want to get into an argument about this, but have you seen athletics prior to Eaton and Belcher? Although, Chancellor Bardo did some good thing academically he was one of the worst chancellors for WCU athletics, he cared nothing for athletics. Former AD's Smith and Compher (who I despise with a passion for more than just what he did to WCU) were incompetent in leading the athletic programs. At least I will give Eaton credit, WCU has seen some improvement in their athletics and both Eaton and Belcher acknowledge athletics has important. I do not know all the details and do not profess to know but know that we are at the bottom of the SoCon in terms of athletic budget, the question is is it because we don't have the funds, or is it because they will not give the athletic programs the funds? Football is the typical money maker and we have been horrible for so long its likely has had an affect on our overall program. At least with Speir we have started flirting with some moderate success, and I am hoping that last year was just a bad year that will not continue as with him we had two years of winning seasons something we had not had in a decade and even longer when considering back to back. So the jury is still out on if our football program is headed in the right direction in the long run. For Chancellor Belcher, a Chancellors job is regarding the whole university and academics will always be the first priority for any Chancellor. I am proud of our academics, so I doubt Belcher is going anywhere and hope he stays, I like him as our Chancellor. With our athletics we are just going to have to be patient. Rome was not built in a day and really felt that we have had some severe damage to our athletic program over the last 25-30 years, it is just going to take time. I as much as anyone want to see WCU football consistently in the playoffs, basketball winning SoCon Regular season and conference championships and making the NCAA tournament and NIT occassionally, and I would love to see the day that WCU baseball plays so well in the regular season and gets a chance to host and who knows become the next Coastal Carolina. I am not saying they are perfect or that every decision is the right decision, but I have seen WCU athletics in worse shape that's all so maybe I am little more forgiving and patient. I have been patient since 1964 but I am no longer. I have given up on WCU & it's commitment to sports. Ill stay committed to the Cats win or lose to my dying day. For example, I have been a Cleveland Indians fan since a child, been supporting them so since the 1980s (I was born in 1980 FYI) , and stuck with them through the hard times and the "oh so close" times. |
|
|
|
Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Apr 17, 2017 10:19:09 GMT -5
I have been patient since 1964 but I am no longer. I have given up on WCU & it's commitment to sports. Ill stay committed to the Cats win or lose to my dying day. For example, I have been a Cleveland Indians fan since a child, been supporting them so since the 1980s (I was born in 1980 FYI) , and stuck with them through the hard times and the "oh so close" times. I get it on an emotional "Western is my school" level, but to just blindly follow and assume things will get better when the leadership does the bare minimum required to stay in the SoCon is the definition of insanity. Sadly, we will never get to be proud of the athletics at Western. Surely you can't say you are proud of the performance of our overall athletic department over the past 30 or 40 years. I mean look at the record. As Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are." Nobody can argue with that. The sad thing is that the administration does not care enough about the alumni to care if we are proud of our schools athletic programs or not. Think about that. That pretty much sums it up. |
|
|
|
Post by james on Apr 17, 2017 12:57:00 GMT -5
Ill stay committed to the Cats win or lose to my dying day. For example, I have been a Cleveland Indians fan since a child, been supporting them so since the 1980s (I was born in 1980 FYI) , and stuck with them through the hard times and the "oh so close" times. I get it on an emotional "Western is my school" level, but to just blindly follow and assume things will get better when the leadership does the bare minimum required to stay in the SoCon is the definition of insanity. Sadly, we will never get to be proud of the athletics at Western. Surely you can't say you are proud of the performance of our overall athletic department over the past 30 or 40 years. I mean look at the record. As Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are." Nobody can argue with that. The sad thing is that the administration does not care enough about the alumni to care if we are proud of our schools athletic programs or not. Think about that. That pretty much sums it up. When Randy Eaton told one of the individuals on this board that he & Belcher were satisfied with having mediocre Athletic Teams at WCU, that told me a lot about the future of Athletics at WCU. I had planned to attend the the WCU/Hawaii Game in September but now I have changed my plans and will go to Maui in August. I feel like the University has willfully turned its back on its Alumni & do not care how much a weak Athletic Program has on the University's Image. After following the program for 50 Years & expecting different results from one year to the next with one Administrations after another not supporting Athletics, it is time for me to pass on my many years of frustrations to others. You reach a point where supporting the Catamounts is like beating your head against a rock. After all these years, it is no longer worth the effort. |
|
|
|
Post by wcuecu2010 on Apr 17, 2017 23:17:07 GMT -5
If you are right, sure that sucks and if WCU athletics return to its dismal days that we had in Speir's first two years and those since Bob Waters, and if Basketball keeps going downward, and worst of all if baseball falters (baseball is my favorite of all Catamount sports) than yes we need to evaluate. However, I have seen marked improvement in football, last year was back to the old Catamount ways of finding ways to lose, basketball was ho-hum again and baseball is likely a .500 team or maybe in the end a little above .500, but last year WCU did make the NCAA regional so I am hoping that there are improvements in athletics that we have not seen in a while. Chip Smith and Jeff Compher were two of the biggest idiots that lead our program.
My hope is that if Eaton, Belcher said that it was saying that we are ok being mediocre rather than being abysmal. If you look at it that way we were so abysmal over the years that mediocre actually sounds good. However, if they are saying they are ok with being mediocre and not making an effort to at least make WCU a threat in all sports over time, than I would hope that we would evaluate Eaton's contract if this continues year in and year out. You would think that Eaton would have ambition to succeed so that he could move on to a a P5 school.
I don't know, whether that was said or not, if it was than, yes alarming, but hopefully he wants us to succeed athletically too as that was the promise of Eaton when he got here. But I do have patience, I do not expect WCU football to win the FCS championship this year, but I would like to see a consistent winning season, I'd like to see us win the SoCon for once and start making NCAA championship appearances. Basketball, it would be nice to win the SoCon (either Regular season or Tournament) and be like the old Davidson, Coll of Charleston teams of the past, but I would be happy if WCU was regular participate in the CIT as well, to me that is just as great for our program just to make it. Baseball, I have more expectations for, baseball is a sport where really anyone school as the chance of winning it all, For example, Coastal Carolina, Fresno St. Rice (prior to CUSA days), Cal State Fullerton, and even WCU's on history in baseball. No reason why we should not be a regular in the NCAA tournament in baseball. I hope that at least in baseball, we could be good enough in the future to be a serious regional host threat. That is something that could feasibly happen.
However, I guess for me I am so used to pulling for teams that have had depressing to so-so athletics over the years.
So here are the teams I support either through being an alumni or a lifelong fan
WCU Catamounts (alumni - BA U.S History program) Catamount Club Memberand 2017 season ticket holder in football
ECU Pirates (alumni - MS Criminal Justice) Pirate Club member and past season ticket holder but not this year, its all about the Cats
High School
Chase High Trojans (Forest City, NC my High School alumni) If any of you know anything about the Chase Trojans, our football and basketball program is about like WCU's had good years but more bad/mediocre than great. We have never, never, never beaten the Shelby Lions and they are in our conference, now they put my wife's school South Point Red Raiders into the same conference as my Trojans. We have had some bright moments in our HS though that is where Tyler White went, ironically my mom and his grandma are close friends.
Cleveland Indians - hoping that they will finally win this thing, come close 3x but mostly have been one of the worst in MLB history since I supported them.
Charlotte Hornets - Need I say anything about them
Carolina Panthers
See if you look at the teams I support either through having a connection, being that I went to WCU, ECU and Chase HS and a life long supporter of Cleveland, Charlotte, Carolina, I guess I have gotten either used to or expect mediocrity.
|
|
|
|
Post by james on Apr 18, 2017 17:06:33 GMT -5
Catparent, Western Carolina is a fine school, and academics at WCU has been on the rise for a long time. Your son or daughter made a great selection in choosing to attend Western Carolina. I'm sure they visited, met the coaches and have a good feeling about their selection. The Catamount nation is a family, and family take care of each other. Is it true that athletics are not funded at the top of the Southern Conference? Yes, and there will always be those that want the university to go into debt issuing bonds to fund athletic facility upgrades. Like most schools, there are facilities that need upgrading, but those things will take time and money to accomplish. Overall all, I feel the facilities and coaching staff stack up well against those of the Southern Conference, not always the best, but certainly not at the bottom either. There is always those that will see the cup as half empty, and complain there is not enough funding, or the wrong people are in the wrong positions, that goes with college sports. Wait until your child is at Western and then gage his experience both academically and athletically, I'm sure you'll then feel that Western Carolina was a wise selection. I look at WCU issuing bonds to upgrade Athletic Facilities not as a long term debt but as an investment in the future of the University. Unfortunately our Administrators do not think any money spent on Athletics at WCU is economically justified. I wonder if any of the Chancellors in the Power 5 Conferences have the same mindset as the Administration at WCU? |
|
|
|
Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Apr 18, 2017 17:22:19 GMT -5
Catparent, Western Carolina is a fine school, and academics at WCU has been on the rise for a long time. Your son or daughter made a great selection in choosing to attend Western Carolina. I'm sure they visited, met the coaches and have a good feeling about their selection. The Catamount nation is a family, and family take care of each other. Is it true that athletics are not funded at the top of the Southern Conference? Yes, and there will always be those that want the university to go into debt issuing bonds to fund athletic facility upgrades. Like most schools, there are facilities that need upgrading, but those things will take time and money to accomplish. Overall all, I feel the facilities and coaching staff stack up well against those of the Southern Conference, not always the best, but certainly not at the bottom either. There is always those that will see the cup as half empty, and complain there is not enough funding, or the wrong people are in the wrong positions, that goes with college sports. Wait until your child is at Western and then gage his experience both academically and athletically, I'm sure you'll then feel that Western Carolina was a wise selection. I look at WCU issuing bonds to upgrade Athletic Facilities not as a long term debt but as an investment in the future of the University. Unfortunately our Administrators do not think any money spent on Athletics at WCU is economically justified. I wonder if any of the Chancellors in the Power 5 Conferences have the same mindset as the Administration at WCU? James. You don't have to look at the Power 5 Conferences. Look at App State. They have blown past us because their leadership was willing to issue bonds to upgrade their athletic facilities. We used to be on par with App about 30 or 40 years ago, but because of our poor leadership, we are not in their league anymore academically or athletically. There is no doubt if we had good leadership, we would be right there with them now. Instead of trying to catch up what do we do, we issue $24 million in bonds for a parking garage which is a higher priority at Western. Belcher cannot find a clue with both hands and Eaton is not far behind him. I would love to have a forum with both of them to allow the alums to ask them what they are doing to move Western forward athletically. Also, since Bardo left, Belcher has slowly lowered our academic standards each year. He probably figures nobody would notice. We had better get rid of Belcher before he destroys Western. |
|
lenoircat
Walkon
Catamount Club Member
Posts: 126
|
Post by lenoircat on Apr 18, 2017 17:27:32 GMT -5
Your child chose a great university, of that you can believe ... Cullowhee is a great place and I would not trade my time there for anything... I, and many, many others fully support our school, so please do not be dismayed by others... Dr. Belcher is a wonderful gentleman who has the best interests of the school in his heart... Our AD has been cleaning up a mess he inherited and to me he has done a good job with it... Are we where we want to be as an athletic department - not yet but I strongly believe that we will be... I hope your child comes to Western and has the time of their life !!!
Skip Smith
|
|
|
|
Post by catamount87 on Apr 19, 2017 13:41:36 GMT -5
...Also, since Bardo left, Belcher has slowly lowered our academic standards each year. He probably figures nobody would notice. We had better get rid of Belcher before he destroys Western. And exactly how do you know this is the case? Do you have statistics to back up such a claim? |
|
