The topic: how do you (guilt) convince more Cougs into giving?

[Observer11]

I don't think its necessarily about getting MORE money from the existing donors (although that needs to happen too.) Its about getting all these "fans" who call themselves Cougar football fans to support their team.

Look, we've been around and around and around this topic several times, but the facts are that there are schools our size in the south who's donor base and donations make us look like a girl scout fundraiser. FWIW, they didn't have winning teams year in and year out either. Its about culture and building a culture - building a family and a sense of belonging and contributing.

The "either you're with us or you're not" message being put forth by Moos and the AD is very adversarial and confrontational, and frankly just falls flat on us northwesterners. I get what he's saying, but he seems to forget that WSU has its own football culture, and its one of sucking and apathy. You can't just wave the "you need to care now, and show us with your wallet" wand and expect it to happen. By the same token, as we've seen before, winning won't solve the issue either (remember, apathy is part of the culture too... "oh we beat SC? Cool, who do the Hawks play tomorrow?)

Honestly, the only way I see generational support for the athletic department/ football team is if football were to go away and people HAD to donate to get the program back. As long as big daddy P12 is going to pay us to play the doormat every year, I don't see the culture getting any better.

Well said.

They are many shades of gray. And crimson.

 

[wazzucougs96]

The "either you're with us or you're not" message being put forth by Moos and the AD is very adversarial and confrontational, and frankly just falls flat on us northwesterners. I get what he's saying, but he seems to forget that WSU has its own football culture, and its one of sucking and apathy. You can't just wave the "you need to care now, and show us with your wallet" wand and expect it to happen. By the same token, as we've seen before, winning won't solve the issue either (remember, apathy is part of the culture too... "oh we beat SC? Cool, who do the Hawks play tomorrow?)

People hear what they want to hear I guess, but I have never once gotten the impression that Moos and Company are selling a "you're with us or against us" mentality.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

People hear what they want to hear I guess, but I have never once gotten the impression that Moos and Company are selling a "you're with us or against us" mentality.

Except that is not what I said. I said " you're with us or your not", which is different from against us. So I guess people really do hear what they want to hear.

Besides, "you're with us or you're not" is exactly what he said. "If you don't have skin in the game (donate), you have no grounds to complain about the product on the field." In other words, donate your you're not a fan.

 

[Cougatron]

The issue here is that WSU is asking fans that haven't watched a winning season in half a generation to pony up more money and put skin in the game.

Yes but what people like yourself don't get is that the money is what helps get programs set up for a better future. A better tomorrow.

If you dropped an athletic budget to zero how do you think the programs would do? Would they start withering away? Even the big programs? Yeah they would because you need money to make things move forward. So this idea of... oh I won't spend money until they win...actually is not only lazy..but is completely counter to what the fan wants.

Donating is THE only thing a fan can control, and if it's a team you love and support then you should always give to it. I donated during the Wulff years. I didn't read a lot or pay attention to what was going on the last year, but I gave money to support the university.

People always dog on boise trucker college, but the truth is their fans are 100% committed. They just are. Now you say..well that's because they win...but it goes hand in hand. The commitment from the fans helps the team win.

Our fans are basically lazy. They want WSU to fiance everything do all the work win the games and THEN after all that is done. THEN they will put on their WSU sweatshirt and walk around boasting.

What Moos is talking about with skin in the game is a real commitment from fans to be active in taking a part in building the success. Not sit in the backseat and complain "are we there yet?".

 

[LoveJeffersonFanClub]

Why don't they engrave bricks with 9-40 and let people chuck them at a large poster of a former coach for the small price of 20 bucks a toss. I'm sure you could generate 20 to 30 grand a football weekend. And for an extra ten they could fling a brick engraved with Yee Haw at a poster of a different former coach. Guaranteed cash money.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Why don't they engrave bricks with 9-40 and let people chuck them at a large poster of a former coach for the small price of 20 bucks a toss. I'm sure you could generate 20 to 30 grand a football weekend. And for an extra ten they could fling a brick engraved with Yee Haw at a poster of a different former coach. Guaranteed cash money.

/thread

 

[wazzucougs96]

Except that is not what I said. I said " you're with us or your not", which is different from against us. So I guess people really do hear what they want to hear.

Besides, "you're with us or you're not" is exactly what he said. "If you don't have skin in the game (donate), you have no grounds to complain about the product on the field." In other words, donate your you're not a fan.

My mistake on the phrasing.

As for Moos' quote, he never said you cannot be a fan.

You can be a fan of the USA and not vote for President. But if you don't vote then your complaints don't really count. Similar concept.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Yes but what people like yourself don't get is that the money is what helps get programs set up for a better future. A better tomorrow.

If you dropped an athletic budget to zero how do you think the programs would do? Would they start withering away? Even the big programs? Yeah they would because you need money to make things move forward. So this idea of... oh I won't spend money until they win...actually is not only lazy..but is completely counter to what the fan wants.

Donating is THE only thing a fan can control, and if it's a team you love and support then you should always give to it. I donated during the Wulff years. I didn't read a lot or pay attention to what was going on the last year, but I gave money to support the university.

People always dog on boise trucker college, but the truth is their fans are 100% committed. They just are. Now you say..well that's because they win...but it goes hand in hand. The commitment from the fans helps the team win.

Our fans are basically lazy. They want WSU to fiance everything do all the work win the games and THEN after all that is done. THEN they will put on their WSU sweatshirt and walk around boasting.

What Moos is talking about with skin in the game is a real commitment from fans to be active in taking a part in building the success. Not sit in the backseat and complain "are we there yet?".

Actually, I understand the point about the money. I've donated to the CAF in 9 out of the past 10 years. I agree that true fans should give whatever they feel comfortable giving. I just think that it's pointless to tell people that haven't been donating that they aren't true fans unless they pony up to the CAF. Those people aren't going to say, "Jeez, I had no idea". They are going to say, "We have a high paid coach, we have a new stadium addition, we have a new football operations building, why do we still suck?" Are they misguided and shortsighted? Without a doubt, that doesn't change anything though.

According to wsu.edu, WSU supporters have been generous on the academic side with over $166 million in donations last year. Maybe the upside to football suckage is that people support the university as a whole? If football improves, we see more donated to football?