All my sarcastic BS aside, let me try and put in to words why I think this is a huge missed opportunity for the university (whether intentionally missed or not). I thought Josh hit the nail on the head last night in the pod when he referred to Ragin Review as “patio conversations.” I get there are different viewpoints in our fanbase, but listening to RR, something about it rings true because it’s three guys talking to each other on the same level that the fans I’ve grown up with talk to each other. The conversations they have are the same conversations I’ve had on phone calls with my dad, at tailgates with my cousins, and on road trips with my friends. They have managed to channel the authentic feel of those talks in to “media.” The administration has a golden opportunity as they have an open invitation to engage in these discussions, just as RR gives all fans an opportunity to join. It’s a chance to connect with your base on a human level in an arena they feel is trustworthy. Our base (at least the portion I associate with) doesn’t necessarily hold the same belief towards “conventional media.” Yet using the verbiage from SID’s previous questions, conventional media outlets are automatically accepted as “allies.” RR is placed under heavy criticism of being an “adversary.” My best guess as to the reason for this is that conventional media has accepted a role as a yes man to the university. Even if the intentions of a yes man are pure, they are still detrimental to achieving success.
I get people probably tire of me discussing this, but to me, it’s the perfect example of this university’s relationship with the local media and why fans distrust that source. Maggard’s interview with Prather after retaining Marlin following the 8th place finish. He mentions multiple times that Marlin has a “75% winning percentage at Louisiana.” This goes unchecked by Prather. This is never publicly addressed after and leaves a sour taste in the mouth of fans because either a.) they are being fed lies or b.) the man misspoke and the person interviewing him doesn’t feel comfortable enough to tell him he is mistaken. That’s something that happens more in a conversation with your boss where they say something off base, but you let it go to avoid repercussions. If you are having a “patio conversation” with a family member, you address the issue and move on.
There is an enormous disconnect between the university and the community. The university seems content to keep telling its supporters, “you aren’t actually seeing those things that are happening right in front of your face,” while nudging local media to say, “in today’s news, those things happening in broad daylight for all to see are just a mirage.” The path to connecting with this community has been shown too many times to this administration. There’s a red carpet leading right from Martin Hall to the people in this community, but these people want to keep wiping their shoes on it and hiding in their offices. The outcome of this strategy is clear. The only thing left up to debate is if this is the desired outcome or not. We’ve been beating our heads against this same wall for so long, it’s becoming hard to believe it’s not.
Re: Another Day In Cajunland
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Originally Posted by CAJUNJUDO
