FAN STRIKE!!!

[DRU2012]

Y'all heard me.
I'm SAYING it--It is the only way out of this quagmire.
Only saving his rice bowl is at the top of our AD'S list of priorities.
I'm not SURE of our Coach's priorities, but scoring sure doesn't appear to be high among them.
Saving his image of himself?
Maybe he was COUNTING on that big buyout...
And as for the regents and boosters, well, that brings us back to the top of this "Call To Action":
It is TIME...Time that WE NOT "BACK, DOWN":
Stop buying tickets. Stop buying merchandise.
Turn AWAY for a time.
This "terminal complacency" they are mired in will evaporate pretty damn quickly, I assure you ALL.
Yes, the consequences will cripple the program--but we are well ensconced on (and in fact far DOWN) THAT path already..
I am only endeavoring to hasten this ongoing process in a more accelerated fashion, in hopes of getting through and OVER the inevitable, coming nadir asap...Painful days are directly ahead in ANY event--we need to break through to the other side, presumably to then begin our voyage back to relevance (and eventual glory) once more.

 

[DRU2012]

(PS. Make no mistake:
At this point, BOTH Coaches of the major revenue-producing sports, BOTH the AD'S hires, have now apparently "screwed the pooch" (in one case quite literally, it would seem).
I mean, what's it gonna TAKE?)

 

[Leakfan12]

At least the good news is that FSU is worse football-wise. Also, I looked at this article and maybe Stricklin should go.

Florida coach Golden acknowledges school inquiry

Florida coach Todd Golden acknowledged an ongoing school inquiry Saturday, and said he was considering "defamation claims," presumably against his accusers, adding in a post on X that "my family and I appreciate the support we have received."

www.espn.com

 

[Escambia94]

No. /end thread.

 

[DRU2012]

No. /end thread.

Look, I don't know how serious I am..."Maybe not VERY..." is probably the closest to the truth.
More ANGRY, to the point now of fury, in fact--and I am far from alone.
You watch--unless Stickland is right, that a sudden golden period of rejuvenated recruiting, followed by a shockingly encouraging minimum 9-win-or-BETTER 2025 season is in the immediate offing, our likely reality MAY eventually more closely resemble a "Fan Strike" to some extent in ANY event.
We suck pathetically--and this Coach we are retaining has proven himself "The Anti-Coach", a sort of "Pied Piper" selling snake-oil.
Yes, there are all kinds of supposed "mitigating factors"'--but he didn't do much better BEFORE it all came crashing down on us either.
You've said as much yourself, E--: "Statistically alone the Worst Coach In Gator History". But "statistics" alone do not adequately describe the depth of disappointing failings that continue to pile up before our eyes each Saturday.
I ask again...What's it gonna TAKE??!
Because it will get worse before it gets better: I WANT us to somehow turn-the-corner, begin to see that "light at the end of the tunnel"...but instead, I find us wandering blindly now.
If we wait until it happens on its own, where the fans in growing numbers just stop showing up, this program may dig itself a hole it cannot easily climb OUT of.
OK. Maybe we cannot AFFORD something as desperately hopeless as a full on "Fan Strike"--and frankly speaking I hardly would expect such a movement to gather any kind of real momentum in ANY event. But the situation warrants a loud, public expression of Fan OUTRAGE at the very LEAST now.
Because thus far we are being ignored--worse, with this new reality of NIL, the Transfer Portal, and a 12-team CFB Playoff, we are being asked to unquestionably fund and support a bumbling, failing enterprise, regardless of (lacking) results!
And in the final analysis, the whole THING is SUPPOSED to be OURS, for OUR thrill, enjoyment and support.
How are we to reassert our underlying place in this process?
We are at the bottom of the SEC.
Our only satisfaction comes from FSU's worse performance, and things like Miami's unexpected fall from the undefeated ranks.
It just won't DO.

 

[Escambia94]

Napier will go down as the worst Gator coach regardless if I watch them or not. Losing is the culture of Napier’s Gators, not my Florida Gators.

 

[DRU2012]

Yes--he must go...and when he does, though you may not like nor agree with the hows and/or whys, STRICKLAND will be going TOO.
THAT part is not a feature of my anger, but one of the realities of the current balance of power at Gator Central:
Billy has to suddenly succeed in order to stay; his firing will be the result of that not happening, and Strickland's fate is now more than ever (as of this latest declaration on Napier's behalf) tied to Billy's:
His exit will now in turn mean the same for our AD.
Again: I HOPE I AM WRONG--That we make a big recovery out there on the 2025 recruiting trail, kick our ranking up closer to the Top 10 (then improve even that in the Portal), somehow return to double-digit wins (or damn CLOSE) next season, Billy retained and neither he nor us look back as we return to the top of the SEC and college football's elite.
But it is hard to be hopeful. A lot of us (myself included) are tired. Tired of promises, explanations, EXCUSES...
It is "All or NOTHING" from here--that is the choice Strickland made, the bet he went all-IN on on our behalf...mainly because it suited the bind HE was in, the one he got us INTO.
Oh, we went along, even embraced it all.
As fans, that is what we DO. Support our Coach and TEAM. Until we just cannot any longer.
And even then it is hard to let go.

 

[DRU2012]

Look--maybe I am just not expressing myself well. Perhaps I should have approached this from another angle...But it is "out there" now.
So, all I can think of at this point is to ask you all to check out Ali Peak's latest offering ("HUMILIATED--Gators Embarassed by Texas in HORRIBLE Showing!" NOVEMBER 10 podcast on YouTube, etc). She covers similar ground in fair and typically loyal fashion, and I am HOPING maybe HER calm and heartfelt approach will resonate more sympathetically with fans.
Because the main points, valid as they are, remain the same: I am admittedly just harsher and less flexible in my attitude and conclusions.
I believe events have come to demand someone in a position to do so forcing the ISSUE somehow--but at this point I don't know who that "someone" IS, nor how exactly they WOULD "force that issue"!
So I am left with at the very LEAST trying to articulate exactly WHAT the "ISSUES" ARE.
Read Ali's latest, and maybe YOU can suggest a more promising way forward FOR ALL OF US.

 

[DRU2012]

With what is coming out now about Strickland supposedly having some advance knowledge of reported possible background problems with then prospective basketball Coach now being formally hit with this Title IX Complaint, a lot of what we are discussing here may well be about to be rendered moot:
If that turns out to be the case, our AD will soon be gone in ANY event. The coach in question SAYS he is "contemplating a defamation of character suit", but let's see what happens next.
Meanwhile, it turns out that MY "freak out" HERE isn't even particularly extreme, comparatively speaking. Lots of Gator sites are now screaming for a full "HOUSE CLEANING" (For a pretty typical example, check out today's "OutKick")...Even the most popular, normally calm and even-handed sites like Gator Breakdown and Locked On Gators are now moving in that direction.
Gator Dave is still only "hinting and shrugging", but many more are further along this path even than ME.
When it comes to this damaging a story, one with legal and potential longterm financial repercussions, though, I tend to prefer erring on the side of reserving judgment until more FACTS are in...With Billy, and Scott Strickland's relationship with him, not to mention the rest of the hires our AD has been responsible for, it is still ultimately mostly a matter of subjective opinion. But with this whole can'o'worms opening up concerning our B-Ball Coach and what our AD did or didn't know ahead of time, and/or what he chose to do or NOT do in the process of hiring him, well, there is either NOTHING to it or he's likely GONE. He AND the coach in question.
Right or wrong, though, it is ALL getting lumped together now, all the talk about "cross-the-board -success in the whole UF Athletic Program" suddenly on its way out the window--fair or not, the OPPOSITE image now beginning to emerge.
They have no choice now but to waste no further time at anything BUT looking HARD at all of this--and moving relatively quickly if there is anything to it.
I am actually now inclined to back away from the whole discussion for a time: Let us return to all this once we have tangible facts determined and resulting actions taken--whether names cleared or penalties incurred.

 

[DRU2012]

In that vein I propose above (ie.That for now at least I am inclined to step AWAY from the latest scandal-ridden reports attached to our then-prospective basketball Coach, and/or Strickland's having but ignoring possible prior knowledge of some part of said reports), I will likewise now refer back to analysis widely noted publicly regarding our FOOTBALL Coach much earlier in this 2024 season...
For example, the following appeared on Hail Florida Hail after our loss to Texas A&M--and is being held up now as evidence that "Florida fans are being GASLIT now, in an administration that wants everyone to believe that losing 49-17 to Texas is no big deal and that WE are the crazy ones for supposing this blowout wasn't an accident..."
Here is exactly what they had to say (along with many others whom have been voicing similar warnings practically since the Game 1 loss to Miami):

"The conundrum Gator fans find themselves in is wanting to support a team that refuses to support them back. Last week, the University of Florida tried to block off tailgating sections fans have been using for decades. Despite another sell-out on Saturday, the University is hell-bent on reducing capacity in The Swamp. Florida has the 12th best roster in the country according to 247 Sports, but we are told to keep donating money to Florida Victorious for anything to get better."
As the 2024 season has gone on since they loss, UF has continued to "gaslight" fans into thinking that going 15-and-19 over the last three years is normal, that being 4-and-10 over the last 14 games is no big deal, and that we as fans need to rally round Napier if anything is going to get better."

It HASN'T so far--that's the POINT here!
The supposed "secret underlying key to our future" is now implied to be our plowing all that money we "SAVE" in NOT firing Billy (thus saving that enormous "buy-out penalty" STRICKLAND rather foolishly agreed to in negotiating his contract in the first place...to theoretically now spend on NIL etc to retain, and further ADD TO, the general quality of the talent surrounding DJ] and the promising young playmakers already here, and presumably continue the marked improvements similarly accruing on defense and special teams.
But all that was the plan in ANY case, and is likewise EVERYONE IN THE SEC's generally well-funded intention! Most have better records and seemingly more promising FUTURES--and we are up against ALL of them!
Oh, we'll likely get our "share", but will that be enough? Will we HAVE "enough"?
USED to be "enough" just to say, "Remember, we're FLORIDA..."--But not anymore.
And THAT, is the problem..

 

[Escambia94]

Think big picture. First, let the legal process run its course with Todd Golden. Innocent until proven guilty. Just like the other incidents. Now let us focus on football coach salaries and the impact to overall revenue brought in by NIL and NCAA revenue sharing. For ease of calculation I will keep NIL constant at $15M/year and NCAA revenue sharing constant at $22M/year. All that changes year over year are the salaries paid to Napier, Mullen, the next head coach (assume he commands $9M/year), and the offensive coordinator who will save Napier's career (assume he commands $2M/year).

The takeaway here is that UF is looking at $182M of NIL and NCAA revenue sharing until 2030. If all that Napier is missing is an OC to minimize coaching blunders and give him more bandwidth to manage other aspects of the game, it only costs the football program 6.59% of that overall revenue stream. Firing Napier this year cuts into that $182M by 18.24%. Firing Napier next year only cuts into the $182M by 13.1%. I will assume hiring a good OC will save his job and he will get a $1M salary bump.

 

[DRU2012]

@Escambia94,
All of the above assumes that he DOES add that OC (WAS this "understood" as part of the "additional season"?)--AND that he indeed turns over the responsibilities-in-question, THDN actually LISTENS to him, allowing the assumed benefits of doing so to indeed accrue--in turn resulting in IMPROVED PLAY, abss above all WINS!
A lot of folks online are reading this and more into what supposedly as y or naysayers not be lurking "between the LINES" of Strickland's much-discussed "Statement".
The very public move and ongoing online reaction has been pretty damn interesting--not to mention widespread in where high profile commentators have come down with regard to it.
I offer here just the examples of Paul Finebaum's ("...Stupid move!") and Nick Saban's ("Decisive.") contrasting stated opinions as notable near opposites, their separate strong opinions clearly expressed.

 

[DRU2012]

It comes down to this:
Who ARE we??!
Whatever identity we once may have had, it has long since been p*ssed AWAY.
Now it comes down to spending a sh*tload of cash in NIL and the Transfer Portal (which if it works, it is with a few additional 5 star players and senior Portal guys who are GONE the following year)--in other words, even if it WORKS you still have no identity and no future.
This is where I found so much fault with this latest "Strickland Solution", why I essentially continue to find so little HOPE there.
We are basically just trying to catch up with the OTHER programs who've been scrambling to dig themselves out of THEIR holes--and meanwhile we are seeing evidence that in the long run these moves AREN'T WORKING OUT THAT WELL FOR THEM!
If it works, maybe we hit double-digut wins in 2025 and Billy gets MORE time here--just as the well dries up, by the way--the money gone and our collection of "one year wonders" about to evaporate.
After everything, we get one "respectable" come-back season that accomplishes little but postpone the inevitable "Final Fall" a season or so. And that's the BEST case scenario. No matter WHAT happens in '25, we'll be back where we are now, or WORSE, in the following years, that much further in terms of time AND talent from where and who we long to be once more.
All fans like me have come to envision, yes, even now to CLAMOR for is to see us FACE THE DARKNESS: Acknowledge the reality of where we are, and all that must happen before we will even be back on the ROAD to who and what we once WERE!
In the meantime, the moment we see a way OUT, can envision the first step in getting ON that road we must TAKE it. If there is a Coach we want and can get who we think can begin to make all the changes required ahead, whatever they are and will be, we find a way to grab him and get under way.
One thing I am sure of by now is that person is NOT Billy Napier. Strickland is only wedded to him at this point because keeping his own JOB depends upon him ultimately being RIGHT about that hire in the first place. Maybe it COULD have had a different outcome with a proper OC, one with imagination, creativity and real gameday POWER--but that hasn't happened, ISN'T happening...You'll note that with all the talk, nothing about this topic is being raised by Coach OR AD. Even the usual online commentators have stopped talking about it.
Like it or not, it is time to face the current reality:
It is "Billy or BUST"--and all that entails. PERIOD.

 

[Escambia94]

I will just focus on the title of the thread, “Fan Strike”. The reason that will not work is that fans represent such a small portion of the total revenue. Revenue from ticket sales and merchandising generates about $26M. Boosters and NIL combined account for $35M. Even if half the fans (not in the donor class) go on strike we are talking about a $13M loss (slightly higher than the 2020 pandemic). The donor class, or big ticket boosters, are the ones funding the program so we in the middle and lower class can complain. Yet, there are 6 million fans and barely $15M in NIL. If fans want to out-spend the donor class then all 6 million fans need to chip in $5 and then pull their money all at once as a show of force. That is not happening at Florida or any school. College athletics is an expensive business that must be funded by the donor class first and the poor people second. Here is how it gets worse for the fan strike: football accounts for $180M in revenue but all other revenue streams rake in $5B. Football is less than 4% of the revenue, and a variance of 10% on that is easy for Florida to recover from as one of the 10 wealthiest public schools in America.

 

[DRU2012]

It remains a huge mistake to risk (or worse, ultimately ignore) swaths of empty seats at home on gameday, should that come to pass, solely based on its prospective effect on revenue. The fact that Strickland apparently thinks just that way is a major part of The Problem.
(Please check out the latest "In All Kinds Of Weather (IAKOW)" article, "Scott Strickland Takes Great Delight..."
First published back in January (at the end of the 2023 Season), the author is the beneficiary of more inside-info, and is thus able to make the main underlying point here much better (and more cogently) than I.
Mark my words: We will not, CAN not properly begin our required "deep rebuild" and presumed "Long March Back" to relevance and power until FIRST seeing the exit of BOTH Billy Napier and Scott Strickland from the stage.
I can't put it any simpler or clearer than that.
And, by extension, it is thus here implied how LONG this process will minimally TAKE:
In KEEPING Napier, it will now be at least the end of 2025 before the noted "rebuild" even BEGINS--and that's if he loses...If the supposed "Plan" WORKS and we get in a bunch of short-termers from the Portal who manage to help us to 8 or 9 wins, he probably gets MORE time, putting it all off that much longer. But believe me, it will still be coming--in all likelihood after the following season when the bottom falls out--much as it has already for FSU, a stark example of just where gambling on NIL, the Transfer Portal and "The New CFB Realities" can so quickly land you.
So: One-to-three years before we even GET to the real START of a proper "House Cleaning" here at UF. And who will be available then?
WHO KNOWS???
No use guessing...Play the ball where it lays.
This is the mess, the blind entanglement we find ourselves having so suddenly and recently been volunteered for.
Perhaps at least a full GENERATION before we are indeed "FLORIDA ONCE MORE".

 

[Escambia94]

Gator fans are historically faithful, at least since Charley Pell took over. I doubt 10% of the seats go empty or that boosters decrease donations 10% with another losing session. No matter what happens, this perfect storm will be over in 2024 and Napier will either win in 2025 or be fired. More than likely, the new university president will fire Stricklin and Napier if 2025 is a losing season. The next president will want to make his/her mark on Florida.

 

[DRU2012]

@Escambia94,
I am assuming that the word missing above between "new University president will" and "Strickland and Napier" is "FIRE"--in which case the whole post is a scenario I can get behind.
Of COURSE, as a loyal (and presently much abused) longtime Gator fan I would much PREFER either of those outcomes to the ones I currently spy seemingly careening towards us on the same track. I even understand the reasoning that makes them at least possible.
I am simply unhappy with the likely probabilities of each. It is a whole new universe of cause-and-effect out there in the world of CFB--and so far, the restricted sample does not appear to bode well for any timely "fix".
What you're REALLY banking on is that if Strickland's self-serving effort (to save his OWN job) does not work out, a new University President will come in and Clean House--which more or less puts us back on MY "long road back". Its only potential redeeming feature is the hope that we DO eventually GET that "right guy" who is somehow able to get things done in accelerated fashion, making all the right moves. The money will be there, but unfortunately that ISN'T the only factor.
Can we lure Nick Saban back to coaching after getting used to big money on camera behind a desk? Failing that, will Lane Kiffen happen to be ready to jump the Rebel's ship by then? Is a new "boy wonder" on the horizon? You begin to see it, "the same old SAME old"?
Even best case scenario, we go through two more seasons of frustrating HELL before even getting a SHOT at redemption, with no guarantees at THAT point.
Do you really wonder at my pessimism?

 

[DRU2012]

Solid recommendation:
See today's (November 14) USA TODAY SPORTS college football article, "Who Will Save Florida Athletics?", by Blake Toppmeyer...

This is an objective analysis of just where we are and how it all LOOKS from OUTSIDE the program to the majority of college football watchers--insiders, commentators AND general fans.
The column is not real far off the mark:
Once a shining example of how a major University comports itself, UF Athletics ("an institution's front porch", as many describe it) is currently looking pretty damn shabby.
The new University President, once hired, will have to fully face it ALL and act boldly soon after arriving. It will be their immediate responsibility to make the big changes that will be by then WAY overdue.
We KNOW where those will have to begin, so I won't launch into all that again here.
Just read the article.