Do you claim this guy ? ;)

[App91]

I believe this is the guy who was station mgr at WASU in my time early 90's after Yarbro. Statements are not surprising, would not call him very sports minded.

Actually I was WASU station manager in 1989-90. Yarbro was the sports director second semester. I would also not call myself very sports minded.

Sorry I didn't have the title that correct.
I know the last part, you instructed my FCC license class and I did a friday morning sportscast on the station

[TheMoody1]

I would also not call myself very sports minded.

Obviously.

[appst89]

That is a horribly written article if it was intended to be news. If it was meant to be an opinion piece, then they should have identified it as such. That was just pathetic.

It was an opinion piece.

Really doesn't change my perception of the piece.

[appchicago]

That is a horribly written article if it was intended to be news. If it was meant to be an opinion piece, then they should have identified it as such. That was just pathetic.

It was an opinion piece.

I think we could all suss that out well enough, but it's certainly poorly labeled and poorly headlined. It also appears in the sports, rather than the opinion, section. The only real indication that it's something different is the little "break time" badge, and how's anyone supposed to know what that is? Especially when it's a broken link.

[EastHallApp]

That is a horribly written article if it was intended to be news. If it was meant to be an opinion piece, then they should have identified it as such. That was just pathetic.

It was an opinion piece.

I think we could all suss that out well enough, but it's certainly poorly labeled and poorly headlined. It also appears in the sports, rather than the opinion, section. The only real indication that it's something different is the little "break time" badge, and how's anyone supposed to know what that is? Especially when it's a broken link.

Don't sports opinion pieces usually appear in the sports section?

I get what you guys are saying, but I think this critique is a little overblown. If anyone read that and couldn't discern that it was an opinion column, I'd say that's on the reader.

[appchicago]

That is a horribly written article if it was intended to be news. If it was meant to be an opinion piece, then they should have identified it as such. That was just pathetic.

It was an opinion piece.

I think we could all suss that out well enough, but it's certainly poorly labeled and poorly headlined. It also appears in the sports, rather than the opinion, section. The only real indication that it's something different is the little "break time" badge, and how's anyone supposed to know what that is? Especially when it's a broken link.

Don't sports opinion pieces usually appear in the sports section?

I get what you guys are saying, but I think this critique is a little overblown. If anyone read that and couldn't discern that it was an opinion column, I'd say that's on the reader.

You know what? You're right. I do think it's sloppy, but I admit I wouldn't care if I liked the article. But I don't. I think it's lazy.

[Rekdiver]

What it speaks to is the irrelevancy of FCS. A coach would rather be at a crappy FBS school than a high tier FCS school. The fact that JMU people live in a backpatting bubble is even more of a laugher.

[asu66]

Just an FYI for everyone not residing in the Shenandoah Valley. This fellow, Roger Watson just happens to be the president and publisher of the News-Leader. From his mini-biography, he is a sports fan; just not his of alma mater, nor of college football. Apparently, only of UVA and of JMU. As president and publisher of this small-town VA tabloid rag sheet, he gets to write anything he wishes with no justification required.

To heck with anything he says until he commits to and pays for a $1,000 membership to the Yosef Club. I won't say "hang him," because he does have a few mitigating factors going for him...he's a US citizen, he's a husband and the father of three young children; he's an App grad; he's community-minded and he's a Dodger fan. But that only five of the eight assets required to let him off this hook.

Read on...

Roger Watson has served as the President and Publish of the News Leader since August of 2005. He has worked with Gannett since 1996 serving in leadership positions at Black Mountain, N.C., Marietta, Ohio and Gallatin/Hendersonville, Tenn.

The Appalachian State University graduate lives in Fishersville, Va. with his wife Jenelle and three kids, Will, Grace and Miriam. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Salvation Army, the United Way board of directors and the Sweet Dreams festival board.

He is a Dodgers fan and loves college basketball. He commonly covers mens basketball games for the News Leader at the University of Virginia and James Madison University.

[Appsolutely]

I wasn't really surprised by the article. He, like other alumni (including some who have posted on the MMB) are/were opposed to our move to the FBS and disparage the Sun Belt at every opportunity. He just happens to have a job which allows him to disseminate that view to a wider audience.
I think he's full of malarkey, but he's hardly the first to denigrate the Sun Belt. And I would be willing to bet that there are some Stink fans who hold those same views. As someone has already noted, it's nothing but his opinion, and opinions are like...well...you know.

[bigdaddyg]

Stay at JMU and build them into an FCS championship caliber team? Uh, what? Does anyone think that Satt would have returned and stayed at App if we had remained FCS? Can't see Texas State making leaps and bounds but you can't blame the guy for taking a shot. Every time I hear Texas State I think of the mythical schools used in movies.

[EastHallApp]

Texas State has only been FBS since 2012, and they went 6-6 and 7-5 the two years previous to this one. Sure they were awful this year, but it's not hard to imagine them being relatively successful. They're surrounded by huge numbers of talented recruits and they play in a league where, let's face it, you don't have to be that great to at least get to a bowl game.

[bcoach]

Me thinks we have some rather thin skin. We sound more and more like that place down the road from Duke every day.

[Rick0714]

I was one of those that didn't care if we went FBS or not. And I definitely was against the "Sun Belch", as I used to call it. I can admit when I was wrong. The Sun Belt is a much better conference than I anticipated and I am very glad we ended up here. The only ones that don't realize it are that ones that aren't into college football. Those are the same that wouldn't understand that an FBS HC job is much better than a FCS job, no matter the records of the team. Look at the "hot" HC candidates from this year, most came from smaller FBS schools that they had turned into winners. FCS is now, and will soon officially be, the next DII. I hate it, but it is what it is and the "G5" will be the next FCS. The P5 hold all the cards ($) and thats the way they want it and the NCAA will not risk them breaking away. JMU is way too full of themselves (as many of us were at one time) to understand "they ain't all that". They haven't even won anything.

[NewApp]

Actually that was a surprise. I read all the comments and then read the article. I think we are a little sensitive.

BINGO!

[Capt. Ed]

Actually that was a surprise. I read all the comments and then read the article. I think we are a little sensitive.

BINGO!

I think this is especially true when it comes to JMU. Their self perception is narcissistic and they are doomed to end up disillusioned and frustrated when the elite conferences don't beg them to join.

In our own way, we seem to be somewhat like them. We want them to join the Belt to make our decision look better. We seem to be hurt they not only snubbed us and the conference, they went out of their way to add an outright insult saying basically we weren't good enough for them.

In the extremely unlikely event they joined the SB, which they won't, they would be forever unhappy and looking for a way out.

Let's move on and continue to make the best of a good situation.

[WVAPPeer]

I believe TX State was in the FCS playoffs several years when we were and we just never met - I do remember when they came to KBS - great game - I think it was Trey's first start (Richie was hurt) and he was good - They beat GaSo and Cal Poly and lost by 3 to Northern Iowa in 2005 - there could have been others - I do remember telling a friend after that game in KBS that - "that was the biggest bunch of boys I think I have ever seen" ---