Negative Talk

[eppy4life]

This post isn't motivated by anything going on currently but rather a topic I've been meaning to discuss for a while now. I heard on some national sports talk program a discussion on college message boards and their hurting an athletic program. The idea was that message boards often get caught up on negative issues surrounding a program. With recruits, players, coaches, and their families having access to this type of discussion I can see how this may hurt a program. Thoughts?

[Mean Green 93-98]

It is undeniable that it can hurt a program, but I think it would be difficult to assess how much. There may be times when it might provide motivation to players to prove the naysayers wrong, but I think those players would rather not have the naysayers being their own fanbase.

[GreenStreet]

I have two thoughts on this matter.

First I can see how blogs effect the athletic community when posters personally attack a poster. A number of times to rebuttal a post, blogers attack the person not the comment.

Second, a few negative posters could sway the outcome. Meaning. Lets say we have a member body of 30,000 people of whiuch 29,990 are ok with the athletic departments idea on funding, planing, or new items being added to athletic department. Yet 10 people could strongly voice their opposition to the matter killing the issue while it could have been a huge success

[Quoner]

I have two thoughts on this matter.

First I can see how blogs effect the athletic community when posters personally attack a poster. A number of times to rebuttal a post, bloggers attack the person not the comment.

Second, a few negative posters could sway the outcome. Meaning. Lets say we have a member body of 30,000 people of which 29,990 are ok with the athletic departments idea on funding, planing, or new items being added to athletic department. Yet 10 people could strongly voice their opposition to the matter killing the issue while it could have been a huge success

I disagree with this - but understand why you think it. Major corporations always have their detractors. If Wal-Mart, Microsoft and others let the naysayers drive their actions, they would quickly be wiped away.

In the non-athletics world, more and more corporations are tracking and considering the thoughts of these naysayers and the good ones are even finding ways to leverage them.

College athletics is just adjusting with everyone else to the infancy of every fan having a real voice via the internet. If it is harnessed and used right, this new type of conversation is a huge asset.

I've been interested in this topic for awhile too and have been gathering some ideas and stories to use for a bigger blog item on the matter towards the beginning of the season. If anyone wants to indulge the serious side of me, feel free to PM.

[DallasGreen]

See my comments on the pinned item at the top of the page--Started by Cerebus GMG blog part II interview with A.D. No matter how you feel give it some thought before you speak---these people have a really tough job.

[Cerebus]

I think the positives of fan interaction far out weigh any negatives of the complaints. BY FAR.

How many people on here are only as die hard as they are because of the fact that this community brought them in contact with others that share their same interest?

Also, lets not forget that the hardest problem for anyone to fix are the ones they never hear about. The athletic department should be able to take the pulse of their fan base from this board. I think it is a large enough cross section to be statistically valid.