Thats great and thank you for your support. But some of us view App State as more than just a football team. If you think UNC doesn't use its dominant athletic position in order to maintain the status quo vis a vis funding, you're being willfully ignorant. Look how you are defending them, every time they break a rule, or more info is put out about our pitiful funding situation, the same cast of characters comes out of the woodwork to defend anything pale blue. Don't be simple minded, this is about more than athletics. Athletics is just one way that UNC is able maintain the status quo (which only works for UNC).CoachRob wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 9:09 pmI don't totally disagree with you. However; and not that it really matters in the whole scheme of things but for correction on your comment; I financially support App through both the Yosef club and with football season tickets. I haven't given 1 dime to UNC basketball, football or any other sport when it comes to tickets, funding or anything really. So to say I don't put App 1st just because I don't buy the "UNC wants to destroy App by keeping away funds" is very false. You'll find me wearing my Black & Gold Saturday in Keenan if you're there.BallantyneApp wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:23 pmSo you think the biggest colleges with the most walmart fans don't care most of their fan base is the wal-mart variety? Provocative thought. Of course we would want the same.CoachRob wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 12:28 pmCome on now, you know that making sense while using reason & thought shouldn't be allowed in this thread ...DaphneUrquhart wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 10:47 amI've got both a UNC Alumni and Yosef sticker on my car and an App license plate. I've not heard any Carolina alumni complaining that I'm pulling for App, nor have I heard any App fans complaining that a non-alum is supporting App.
Part of growing a brand means bringing in "external" fans. Carolina has, of course, done that tremendously. Rather than whine about how well Carolina has built its brand since the school was founded in 1789, I prefer to work diligently to help grow the App brand beyond its alumni base. Part of my desire to see the App brand grow is directly related to the dynamic that has, for years, favored Chapel Hill and Raleigh over Appalachian and the other system campuses in the granting of degree programs and dollars.
In my opinion, the argument is much stronger when we focus on everything App has to offer rather than playing the "baby brother" card. Our strength is what landed us the funds for what is now Levine Hall. Our strength is the only thing that will change the minds of those making UNC system decisions.
So, let folks go where they want and cheer for whom they want. At the end of the day, we'll grow more passionate fans for both Appalachian State and our athletics by focusing on how well we do what we do. The measure of "how well we do what we do" will be determined, in part, by factors over which we have no control as individuals (e.g. - state budget) and, in part, by things over which we do have individual control (e.g. - donations to fund scholarships, both academic and athletic). If you truly love App, be sure you're doing what you can to support App financially, whether that's $1 a month or $1,000 a month. Then go out and find a former classmate to give $1 a month or more and have them do the same. Make them hear you - first in Boone, then in Chapel Hill and Raleigh.
Go App!
I'm pretty sure the Carolina's, Clemson's, Bama's, Michigan's, and Texas' of the world don't complain about fans who may or may not have attended, Walmart fans, or have dual allegiances. As long as they buy tickets, buy apparel, or give to the university, I'm sure they are fine with who ever they are. Building the brand and bringing in whoever as fans should be goal #1, don't care where they went to school, where they bought their shirt from, or who else they pull for in other sports. Never going to say "Don't need them", thats stupid. If they are spending money for App, heck YES we need them.
At the end of the day, the best way to build that brand, just win baby! Go Apps!
I will never look down on someone supporting their alma mater (Daphne), but we need more than just ourselves financially supporting. We need a Sea change in the state funding and UNC/BOG. That is where there is a huge discrepancy.
I know Will Rob you will continue to support UNC no matter how damaging it is to App, so what i'm about to say will fall on deaf ears, but if someday you actually decide to put App first you will hear and understand: In order for App to grow and get an equitable share of State funding, you need to stop supporting UNC basketball. Athletics is one area that UNC uses in which to continue their dominant position in the UNC BOG and skew the funding away from App. I'm sure you've seen the graphic where ASU gets the LOWEST per student funding in the UNC system. You are playing right into UNCs hands by supporting their basketball team (and by proxy their University and their administrative actions, which i've seen you do several times on this site and CSNBBS) This thinking permeates all areas in our state and is a driving force in why we are in the position we are.
Daphne i hope you don't take this personally, all of us are very appreciative of your support, but the truth is we are at cross purposes with UNC. In a state with concrete and finite resources, if we are to grow our per student funding that is going to come from somewhere and at the detriment of some other institution, and UNC is the fat cow that needs butchering.
I do find it discouragement that App has some of the lowest funding in the State and would love to find out the true reasoning App receives less. And not just less than UNC, but Wilmington, Greensboro, Charlotte and others. But whether there are App fans who turn on their TVs to watch ACC basketball or not isn't going to change this at all. I just find it a stretch to believe that App receives the least amount of funding solely because "UNC is trying it's best to keep App down and prevent it from becoming a football power". A stretch unless you are just really wanting to find a justifiable reason for your already developed hate.
The "true reasoning" is simple. The UNC BOG (dominated by alumni from one particular institution) has decided how they are going to divvy up the finite resources they have, and App is the biggest loser. This is a zero sum game, anything that App can scratch and claw to get is going to come at the expense of another UNC institution.
