My email to Coach Brandon

[always a falcon]

Here's the response I got:

Grant,

I will never apologize for calling out the fans. People need to understand SUPPORT. Support isn’t running a message board that is demeaning and insulting not only to me, but my coaches and players as well. I realize circumstances sometimes dictate not being able to make it to all the games. I never said any of you were not true fans. I said only the true supporters showed up. As you said, thousands of “true fans” will be here long after I’m gone and still not coming to games.

Support and winning go hand in hand. Rarely do we have one without the other- except at BGSU. For six of the last seven years we have won at BG with disappointing home game support. Granted we have struggled at home this season. However, I remember big wins at home through the years with poor crowds. I don’t schedule the games or set the times, but that shouldn’t matter. Those are excuses.

As I said in my post game remarks, our players deserve better. The UB game had championship implications. As far as our players leaving before the alma mater, that is regrettable, and it will be addressed with the team.



GB

Grant- you don't deserve that. That has to be sent back to Greg Christopher. I guess I'll go stand on his front porch so he can tell me I am not a TRUE FAN, because I chose to be with my family at the birth of my latest grandchild.

I just edited out a few other examples. But I WILL walk up to him at any event he may attend where I am and ask him to tell me to my face that I don't support the program.

How in the world does the casual fan KNOW that the game has championship implications when all they have seen at home is losses? You certainly don't think of winning a championship if you aren't even 500.

Seniors- thank you for wearing the Orange and Brown and your efforts on behalf of our beloved University. YOU will always be one of us....and we appreciate you.

[kdog27]

Support and winning go hand in hand. Rarely do we have one without the other- except at BGSU. For six of the last seven years we have won at BG with disappointing home game support.

Truthfully I agree with him on this one point. Since 2001 I have felt embarrassed by the turnout many times and embarrassed by how it filters out in 2nd half. I don't think this years team deserved better but past teams did.

However, whether I think he is right or wrong he should be keeping this crap to himself.

[hammb]

...Support isn’t running a message board...

Grant, I know you well enough to know that you will not take the words of a frustrated coach to heart, but I'm going to take this opportunity to let you know that he's as wrong as he has ever been. More wrong than any football decision he's ever made.

This board exemplifies the very heart and soul of the BG fanbase, and it's because of your dedication to it that it's become what it is. I know that I personally went to a LOT of sporting events when I was in school, because it was fun and free (the teams were all good too). After graduation I could've went back to being an OSU fan like I was before I got to school, but this board is a large reason why I did not. I met other people who made it adamantly clear it was acceptable to be a BG fan first.

People look at me funny all the time when I tell them I'm not an OSU, Michigan, or Notre Dame fan. They are puzzled how I could root solely for BG. Well I do, and a large reason for that is because the board you run, the one coach Brandon finds so demeaning, has created relationships among BG fans that are far stronger than any ties he might have to our university.

So, again I'll take this opportunity to thank you for running the site. Despite what coach Brandon thinks this board does more to support this team than he could ever imagine. Gregg, we understand support. Every damn one of us on this board does what we can to support your program. Now you need to learn about respect. Respect to the band who was no doubt puzzled by your abrupt departure. Respect to the fanbase that couldn't make it to last night's game because of work, family, or other obligations. Maybe, just maybe, you should learn a little respect for the position you hold. Like it or not you're the face & voice of BG football, and let me tell you, it hasn't had a pleasant sight or sound the past year.

Coach Brandon, you're right that your kids deserved better than what they got from the fanbase last night. The kids bust their tails and always deserve better support than what we muster. Unfortunately they also deserved better from you.

For what its worth, demeaning the ones that do support you is probably not a real great way to generate more support.

[gmartin]

Grant,

Thank you for posting your reply from Coach Brandon. I just sent Greg Christopher another email. I have decided not to support BGSU athletics financially this upcoming year. Even though my money could be distributed to other athletic teams within the university, Coach Brandon is still part of BGSU and as long as he is still the HC I cannot donate any more of my hard earned money. Instead I will be donating money to the Education and Music departments, both of which deserve that money for all of their hard work. Hopefully other people who donate will think otherwise before they write out their next check. With that said, I will still purchase season tickets and still will be a Falcon Club member but until we get a new football coach I will direct my donations elsewhere.

Graham

[kdog27]

...Support isn’t running a message board...

Grant, I know you well enough to know that you will not take the words of a frustrated coach to heart, but I'm going to take this opportunity to let you know that he's as wrong as he has ever been. More wrong than any football decision he's ever made.

This board exemplifies the very heart and soul of the BG fanbase, and it's because of your dedication to it that it's become what it is. I know that I personally went to a LOT of sporting events when I was in school, because it was fun and free (the teams were all good too). After graduation I could've went back to being an OSU fan like I was before I got to school, but this board is a large reason why I did not. I met other people who made it adamantly clear it was acceptable to be a BG fan first.

People look at me funny all the time when I tell them I'm not an OSU, Michigan, or Notre Dame fan. They are puzzled how I could root solely for BG. Well I do, and a large reason for that is because the board you run, the one coach Brandon finds so demeaning, has created relationships among BG fans that are far stronger than any ties he might have to our university.

So, again I'll take this opportunity to thank you for running the site. Despite what coach Brandon thinks this board does more to support this team than he could ever imagine. Gregg, we understand support. Every damn one of us on this board does what we can to support your program. Now you need to learn about respect. Respect to the band who was no doubt puzzled by your abrupt departure. Respect to the fanbase that couldn't make it to last night's game because of work, family, or other obligations. Maybe, just maybe, you should learn a little respect for the position you hold. Like it or not you're the face & voice of BG football, and let me tell you, it hasn't had a pleasant sight or sound the past year.

Coach Brandon, you're right that your kids deserved better than what they got from the fanbase last night. The kids bust their tails and always deserve better support than what we muster. Unfortunately they also deserved better from you.

For what its worth, demeaning the ones that do support you is probably not a real great way to generate more support.

Right on.

For some this is a place where many people make friends, for me and many others this is a board to keep BGSU close. I live in Europe and before that Miami. Without this place it would be quite difficult to follow BGSU athletics. Probably would not even bother.

[goofyeuph]

Wow. Just wow. I had been losing respect for GB as a coach over the last few seasons. I had started losing respect for GB as a leader with our last off season. Now I have just completely and totally lost all respect for the man. I'm at a total loss.

Grant, I do hope you forward that to the AD. While I was at Bowling Green I learned of, and how to live by, the Core Principals of the University. Brandon's comments and conduct over the last 36 or so hours seems to fly in the face of that.

[Rollo83]

Here's the response I got:

Grant,

I will never apologize for calling out the fans. People need to understand SUPPORT. Support isn’t running a message board that is demeaning and insulting not only to me, but my coaches and players as well. I realize circumstances sometimes dictate not being able to make it to all the games. I never said any of you were not true fans. I said only the true supporters showed up. As you said, thousands of “true fans” will be here long after I’m gone and still not coming to games.

Support and winning go hand in hand. Rarely do we have one without the other- except at BGSU. For six of the last seven years we have won at BG with disappointing home game support. Granted we have struggled at home this season. However, I remember big wins at home through the years with poor crowds. I don’t schedule the games or set the times, but that shouldn’t matter. Those are excuses.

As I said in my post game remarks, our players deserve better. The UB game had championship implications. As far as our players leaving before the alma mater, that is regrettable, and it will be addressed with the team.



GB

In my eyes this response is ten times worse than the response Phil Savage had earlier in the week to an e-mail. Savage's response was nothing more than raw emotion. Brandon's response is just flat out wrong and mis-guided. Just another example of how he isn't one to be leading our program. Instead of writing e-mails and calling fans out, how bout you coach em up Greg?

[Warthog]

Quite simply, I should be stunned by Coach Brandon's actions, but I am not because he just doesn't get it. I don't care if there was 2 people, 200, 20000 or 2 mil, LOSING THE GAME HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FANS! Take ownership for failing, AGAIN, to close out an inferior opponent at home in the fourth quarter first. Then you can tell your thoughts on the crowd. If he worried more about how to stop a two minute offense...

[SaxyIrishTenor]

I got a response, too. One sentence. A joke.

[Falcon Fanatic]

...Support isn’t running a message board...

Grant, I know you well enough to know that you will not take the words of a frustrated coach to heart, but I'm going to take this opportunity to let you know that he's as wrong as he has ever been. More wrong than any football decision he's ever made.

This board exemplifies the very heart and soul of the BG fanbase, and it's because of your dedication to it that it's become what it is. I know that I personally went to a LOT of sporting events when I was in school, because it was fun and free (the teams were all good too). After graduation I could've went back to being an OSU fan like I was before I got to school, but this board is a large reason why I did not. I met other people who made it adamantly clear it was acceptable to be a BG fan first.

People look at me funny all the time when I tell them I'm not an OSU, Michigan, or Notre Dame fan. They are puzzled how I could root solely for BG. Well I do, and a large reason for that is because the board you run, the one coach Brandon finds so demeaning, has created relationships among BG fans that are far stronger than any ties he might have to our university.

So, again I'll take this opportunity to thank you for running the site. Despite what coach Brandon thinks this board does more to support this team than he could ever imagine. Gregg, we understand support. Every damn one of us on this board does what we can to support your program. Now you need to learn about respect. Respect to the band who was no doubt puzzled by your abrupt departure. Respect to the fanbase that couldn't make it to last night's game because of work, family, or other obligations. Maybe, just maybe, you should learn a little respect for the position you hold. Like it or not you're the face & voice of BG football, and let me tell you, it hasn't had a pleasant sight or sound the past year.

Coach Brandon, you're right that your kids deserved better than what they got from the fanbase last night. The kids bust their tails and always deserve better support than what we muster. Unfortunately they also deserved better from you.

For what its worth, demeaning the ones that do support you is probably not a real great way to generate more support.

hammb: Thanks for your post. It said everything I was thinking as far as the friends BGFan and I have made through this board. I am sure we would have skipped a game here and there, but because of the AZZ friends and the fun we have together at tailgating, I can't imagine missing any game, no matter what the team's record is! The friendships we have made are priceless. Thanks again Grant, for giving us this board where we can share our common love of BGSU!! It's too bad that the HC doesn't see this part of it.

[h2oville rocket]

Eeeah- I gotta side with Brandon on this one.

[Falconboy]

Grant, I am truly sorry you had to read that pitiful response from GB. What a slap in the face. The developments over these past 4 years reminded of a friend of mine who told me about 5 years ago that the BG football program was heading downhill. He told me that players were testing GB to see what they could get away with various other things. I told him he was smoking crack at that time. All I can say is I never heard a more prophetic statement in my life. This whole season saddens me , and I'm feel extra sorry for guys like CP and Haneline the other seniors who deserved a better way to end their Sr. careers.

It'll be interesting to see if this craptaculous season plus the unbelievable GB comments urges some rich alums or collection of rich alums to donate a buyout of his insane contract extension. To tell you how bad its gotten , sometime during this season after I saw the hand writing on the wall on what this season was going end up being , I actually entertaining the thought that we should give up football to Div.1AA or Div.II staus and focus on attempting to build BG into a basketball/hockey powerhouse. Before this season I couldn't imagine entertaining that sickening thought.

[Warthog]

I got a response, too. One sentence. A joke.

"f**k off, go root for Buffalo"?

[SaxyIrishTenor]

I got a response, too. One sentence. A joke.

"f**k off, go root for Buffalo"?

Something like that.

But really, he used my own wording to throw the supposed fact that I don't support the university back in my face. A class act, that GB.

[cw08]

Someone tell him to get off the Internet and hit the film room.