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Post by Possum on Apr 6, 2015 19:49:01 GMT -6
With the whole Clint Robinson deal, there seems to be a lot of Alums (athletes included) that for some reason pull for other schools when they graduate. I know people that went to Troy, but have season tickets to Bamer and/or Lee County Cow College and tailgate up there etc...
So, how do we fix this problem or is it even fixable?
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Post by atlantatrojan on Apr 6, 2015 19:54:45 GMT -6
Only way to fix it IMO is to start winning. And winning the big games with SEC schools.
Make a bigger bowl and gain more national attention and you will see more people splitting from that Alabama or Auburn selection and start choosing Troy.
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Post by trojanbrutha on Apr 7, 2015 7:26:03 GMT -6
You can't change personal choices. Some people cling to family traditions and others go along with the crowd. It's a simple case of respect or gratitude for or to the school that put you in a position to succeed. Some get it, some don't.
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Post by Hemi Man on Apr 7, 2015 12:40:32 GMT -6
There is no quick fix to the problem. Winning always helps but it didn't fill the stadium during five conference championships. First and foremost your alumni have to be your core group of fans and boosters. Bama and those schools can count on 10% of their fanbase to carry 90% of the workload when it comes to funding and supporting a Division 1 program. Troy can not do that. They need all hands on deck to keep the program from faltering and falling by the way side. Unfortunately Steve Dennis failed to capitalize during the good times and now John Hartwell had been brought in to rework it from the ground up. Reengaging the alumni is the first thing you have to do. Welcoming former athletes back with no expectations, but just embracing them as part of the Trojan family. I firmly beleive that John and his staff are working diligently to bring Troy people back to Troy. You also need to connect with the town and surrounding area. There is certainly evidence that they are working to touch base with the "ticket buying radius" and give people in this area a sense of Trojan Pride. Cultivating the students to have pride in THEIR school and supporting it 100% will be the only way to build for the future.
All just my opinion.
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Post by LAZebra on Apr 7, 2015 13:34:00 GMT -6
You also have to realize that some people have real allegiances to those other schools, degrees from them, children going there, etc. I will take all the support we can get whether it be people who are all in or people who do what they can. The folks I have the biggest issue with are the ones who claim to be fans or have a Troy degree and give no support at all! We are all in as Trojans as far as where our dollars go and where we attend 95 % of the college sporting events we attend. But, as an example, we went to the Kentucky vs. bammer basketball game in Tuscalooser this year. My wife has a degree from Kentucky and it would be really selfish of me to demand that she attend 6 Troy football games, 10-15 Troy basketball games, and 30 or so Troy baseball games, and deny her the occasional Wildcats basketball game. We attend an Auburn event or two every year because I have a degree from there as well as Troy. I see the all or nothing attitude as being obtuse and shortsighted, but that is just my opinion.
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Post by crowhilltrojan on Apr 7, 2015 14:20:55 GMT -6
I stated my case on the Clint Robinson thread. I have precisely ZERO data to back me up but I'll wager $1 American that there are a good many other people in a near identical situation that I am.
What bothers me more than anything is seeing students sporting tags or stickers on their vehicles which show their devotion to another in-state school. That's treasonous in my opinion. Next on my "must not do" list would be wearing clothing which shows support for another school while you're attending a sporting event at Troy.
We need to win the hearts and minds of the surrounding area. We'll never change the prevailing attitude towards those schools, give up on that if that's your goal. What chaps me (and I've heard it more than a few times at more than a single location) is a Pastor in a pulpit commenting about those two schools. Troy is seemingly not a consideration. We have but one sporting goods store in Troy, go there today and see how long it takes you to find something Troy related.
Them there's my thoughts.
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Post by Redwaver on Apr 7, 2015 18:30:27 GMT -6
There is no quick fix to the problem. Winning always helps but it didn't fill the stadium during five conference championships. First and foremost your alumni have to be your core group of fans and boosters. Bama and those schools can count on 10% of their fanbase to carry 90% of the workload when it comes to funding and supporting a Division 1 program. Troy can not do that. They need all hands on deck to keep the program from faltering and falling by the way side. Unfortunately Steve Dennis failed to capitalize during the good times and now John Hartwell had been brought in to rework it from the ground up. Reengaging the alumni is the first thing you have to do. Welcoming former athletes back with no expectations, but just embracing them as part of the Trojan family. I firmly beleive that John and his staff are working diligently to bring Troy people back to Troy. You also need to connect with the town and surrounding area. There is certainly evidence that they are working to touch base with the "ticket buying radius" and give people in this area a sense of Trojan Pride. Cultivating the students to have pride in THEIR school and supporting it 100% will be the only way to build for the future. All just my opinion. Darn right and well said!
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Post by Redwaver on Apr 7, 2015 18:38:28 GMT -6
With the whole Clint Robinson deal, there seems to be a lot of Alums (athletes included) that for some reason pull for other schools when they graduate. I know people that went to Troy, but have season tickets to Bamer and/or Lee County Cow College and tailgate up there etc... So, how do we fix this problem or is it even fixable? [ Something as simple as gear availability might be a help but nothing helps improve support like WINNING!. You can buy UA, AU, FSU and UF gear in every store and gas station in the south but I can count on one hand and have fingers left the stores I've ever seen selling Troy gear outside of Troy. Marketing has to improve and I'm not sure what's involved in that but when I can go go Pensacola and buy Slippery Rock University and FAMU hats but can't find a Troy hat something Is missing in paradise.
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Post by goe1975 on Apr 13, 2015 10:23:14 GMT -6
With the whole Clint Robinson deal, there seems to be a lot of Alums (athletes included) that for some reason pull for other schools when they graduate. I know people that went to Troy, but have season tickets to Bamer and/or Lee County Cow College and tailgate up there etc... So, how do we fix this problem or is it even fixable? You are never gonna change that. All we can do is win, win, win and win. That will bring in our own fan-base, even if it is just fair weather fans. Everybody loves a winner. It's like boxing. People aren't gonna pay $90 for a pay-per-view event featuring a 5-5 boxer...unless they are his family and friends.
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Post by Redwaver on Apr 13, 2015 16:05:49 GMT -6
You can't change personal choices. Some people cling to family traditions and others go along with the crowd. It's a simple case of respect or gratitude for or to the school that put you in a position to succeed. Some get it, some don't. True! I have had dozens of lengthy conversations with former alum that support "one of the big schools" rather than their school. That bothers me! Truth is, many alumni don't see us as at major college level athletics. They don't even realize we are D1! I stopped eating at Country Bar-B-Q in Troy because they allowed workers wear other school gear during homecoming weekend. I also expressed aggrivation with WalMart back when they had the "Trojan Room" because they had more AU and UA gear than Troy's and Troy gear was piled on the floor while the other two hung nicely. The city of Troy ought to get its Chamber to get out letters yo merchants to go out of their way to support Troy athletics. All we can do is keep trying.....and winning.
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Post by SoFlaTrojan on Apr 14, 2015 8:56:39 GMT -6
I de-friend Facebook people who post congratulatory and rah-rah posts about other competing schools - not those who just follow other schools, but those who ignore Troy, and yet, for example, use an Auburn or Florida logo as their profile photo and post images of them at those schools' games. Their lack of pride and insult to the school that got them where they are is unbelievable. And disgusting.
That said, what did Clint say or do? I checked out his Twitter account and saw many Troy posts and he mentions Troy in his description.
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Post by Possum on Apr 14, 2015 10:09:23 GMT -6
He has the dreaded "Bamer Football fan, Roll Terd" in his twitter description too.
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Post by saintflorian on Apr 14, 2015 13:30:14 GMT -6
He has the dreaded "Bamer Football fan, Roll Terd" in his twitter description too. So ?
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Post by Possum on Apr 14, 2015 13:49:37 GMT -6
He graduated from Troy...
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Post by saintflorian on Apr 14, 2015 16:42:33 GMT -6
He graduated from Troy... Then be happy one of our own made it.
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Post by Possum on Apr 14, 2015 16:58:49 GMT -6
He turned his back on the school that got him to where he is...
So, no I will not.
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Post by foulpolephenom on Apr 15, 2015 4:54:33 GMT -6
He turned his back on the school that got him to where he is... So, no I will not. I dont understand why you are singling out one athlete when it is a problem that has happened with several. I remember even Demarcus putting War Eagle on his Twitter during an iron bowl
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Post by saintflorian on Apr 15, 2015 6:09:16 GMT -6
He turned his back on the school that got him to where he is... So, no I will not. How do you figure he turned his back. If it is because he is also an Alabama football fan along with being a Trojan fan than that is sad.
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Post by Possum on Apr 15, 2015 9:52:07 GMT -6
I guess I'm just sad then. Everybody has their opinions.
Go Trojans, anyway.
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