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My email to Coach Brandon

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:18 am
by ZiggyZoomba
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]

Dear Coach Brandon,

"That crowd was pitiful and I'm so disappointed. The fans that showed up, that's awesome because they're the true fans. Our kids deserve so much better than that. To be in a championship with so much on the line and [having] that kind of crowd, disgusts me,"

I didn't "Show up" last night. My wife is 38 weeks pregnant and my grandmother just got brought home from the nursing home and is on hospice care so that she can die at home. I thought it might be nice to spend some time with them. Apparently this means I'm not a "true fan" in your eyes.

Had the circumstances been different though, I'm not sure I'd have been able to get to the game anyhow, because my company (like many others) has had layoffs recently and those of us who remain work extra hours to keep the company viable. We produce products that our customers purchase based on our reputation for quality and performance, so we have to continue to keep those levels high during lean and difficult times. This often means working late, and Fridays are no exception. When 6:15 rolled around and I was leaving work I probably could have gone down to The Doyt, but after a long 50+ hour week, I went home to my family. Sorry.

Lots of different people, Bowling Green fans all, lead lots of different lives and support Falcon athletics in lots of different ways. To generalize that anyone who wasn't at the game last night, at 6PM on a Friday, watching your demonstrated inferior product in less-than ideal conditions, is not a "true fan" is RIDICULOUS and it alienates hundreds... THOUSANDS of TRUE Falcon Fans that have been here before you arrived... and will, thankfully, be here after you're gone.

I'm sorry you think I let you and your players down.

Good luck against Toledo.
Grant Cummings
BGSU '93
[email protected]

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:22 am
by VDub26Falcon
=D> =D> =D> =D>

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:23 am
by Rightupinthere
Grant, that made my nipples hard. Nicely done!

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:25 am
by zerothehero
Nice letter, but isn't your wife a little overdue? :shock:
Seriously, how many did they expect for a Friday night game in cold weather? I hope those comments were directed more at the students.

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:27 am
by Warthog
Grant, can you right one for me? I was at the game and am just sorry I stayed until the end.

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:27 am
by VDub26Falcon
yeah man...time to induce so you can drink that Barleywine!

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:27 am
by ZiggyZoomba
Rightupinthere wrote:Grant, that made my nipples hard. Nicely done!
Truly, wins and losses don't matter so much to me. Running a quality and classy program means everything! I didn't see that last night. Haven't seen it in a while.

But, when you call out people for not coming to the game, you're desperate. I consider myself a "True Fan" so for him to say otherwise... I couldn't let it go.

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:29 am
by ZiggyZoomba
zerothehero wrote:Nice letter, but isn't your wife a little overdue? :shock:
Human gestation is 266 days... or 38 weeks. So yes... we're at the "Any day now" phase of things. YIKES!!

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:30 am
by factman
yeah.......what he said :!:

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:42 am
by h2oville rocket
ZiggyZoomba wrote:
zerothehero wrote:Nice letter, but isn't your wife a little overdue? :shock:
Human gestation is 266 days... or 38 weeks. So yes... we're at the "Any day now" phase of things. YIKES!!
Newhart does a great bit on an ob-gyn who thinks gestation is ten months. 38 months though? Wow. I'm thinking Brandon will give YOU a pass.

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:57 am
by Rightupinthere
ZiggyZoomba wrote:
zerothehero wrote:Nice letter, but isn't your wife a little overdue? :shock:
Human gestation is 266 days... or 38 weeks. So yes... we're at the "Any day now" phase of things. YIKES!!
Have you tossed her salad whilst riding a horse yet?

Edit: I just re-read the letter. Small - yet very humorous - typo.

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:18 am
by hammb
Very good letter Grant. I think it sums up the feelings of quite a few of us, while not being confrontational/obscene. Very well written.

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:33 am
by ZiggyZoomba
hammb wrote:Very good letter Grant. I think it sums up the feelings of quite a few of us, while not being confrontational/obscene. Very well written.
Thanks. Except for the months/weeks mixup. DOH! lol I fixed it on here, but the email is already sent.

No wonder Maryellen is ready to "Get it out of there!!!"

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:39 am
by ZuluWarrior
Feel free to add my name in support. Great letter Grant! I hope you'll copy Greg Christopher AND the new President.

We don't say it enough, but how you manage this site and your measured approach to issue from this one with Coach Brandon to issues that arise on this site makes you the soul of this site.

Thank you!

Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:53 am
by ZuluWarrior
You inspired me Grant. Sent to GB and copied to GC.

Mr. Brandon,

Many coaches in the heat of battle or immediately following a difficult loss react in sometimes regrettable fashion. I would hope that your actions immediately following last night's loss are cause for regret and hopefully that will lead to an apology from you soon. To leave the field without going to the band for the Alma Mater, and then to start your press conference by calling out the fans on a cold, FRIDAY night game when you and your team have performed ATROCIOUSLY at home this year is completely unacceptable. Fans are a by product of the environment and success of a given team. The lack of fans due to your inability to win games at home, along with a 6pm Friday night start should not have come to any surprise.

One final note, please hold your team more accountable for their actions. I also fear the Falcon Faithful, those on hand and those not able to attend, would really appreciate a program that isn't in the police blotter on a regular basis.

Sincerely,

Joel Yashinsky
Bowling Green State University, 1990
Raleigh, NC