I am thankful for the Croom era...

[Dawg61]

mainly because it taught us as a fanbase to not believe all the shit that gets written/said that is meant to pull the wool over our eyes. We are the least delusional football fanbase in the SEC imo. We call a spade a spade and when we suck we own it and say we suck. So thanks Croom for sucking so bad we were forced to stop eating all the bullshit and subsequently we forced our media members and fans to tell us how it really is and not what we want to hear. Ole Miss fan hasn't learned this lesson yet and probably never will as the wool has suffocated the brain.

[TrapGame]

You would have thought the Coach O fiasco would have taught some humility, but I guess not.

[Hasu Dackds]

Agree, about the only real time our fanbase really did get into looney land was the end of the Jackie Era. We certainly became grounded.

[Reason2succeed]

For those of us who are perhaps a little younger or maybe not tuned in as much back then would you care to elaborate on how our fanbase was before? I don't recall our fanbase ever being near as oblivious as the OM fanbase is.

I'm grateful that Croom came and cleaned our program out in the locker room. I'm also glad the administration and Bracky ran a tight ship and didn't let us waver when some of our fans wanted to go tit for tat with OM when they were pulling in 5*s.

They were patient and it is already beginning to pay off. We aren't afraid of OM pulling us down with them and I believe we are about to go on a solo run on the field. Last time they kept pace through cheating but this time all they will be able to do is watch from the sidelines and hate.

[Todd4State]

I think we aren't like them because we got nailed during the Bob Tyler era when we cheated like them. I wasn't around then but we did fight the NCAA and it didn't turn out well for us. We learned our lesson and that's why we respond differently.

I do get what you are saying because it got wooly around 2001 when Rosebowl earned his name and a lot of State fans ended up with egg on their face during the 2001 season.

We still should have hired Jimbo Fisher instead of Croom though.

[MedDawg]

nm

[Bully13]

TSUN 17ing up and douching it so bad we get a croom / bracky appreciation thread. Never thought I'd see that. Pretty cool.

[NYDawg]

TSUN 17ing up and douching it so bad we get a croom / bracky appreciation thread. Never thought I'd see that. Pretty cool.

Crazy times...

[Reason2succeed]

I wouldn't want Jimbo. Yes he won a NC but it was at FSU. The off the field stuff with Jameis was shameful and would have sunk any other coach or team like MSU. I'm glad we have Mullen. He has the right plan for a school like State: steady growth.

And yes, we can appreciate Croom in hindsight. In hindsight OM will burn HF and Bjork in effigy after the sanctions come down and their program is destroyed for the next ten years.

[Dawg61]

For those of us who are perhaps a little younger or maybe not tuned in as much back then would you care to elaborate on how our fanbase was before? I don't recall our fanbase ever being near as oblivious as the OM fanbase is.

I'm grateful that Croom came and cleaned our program out in the locker room. I'm also glad the administration and Bracky ran a tight ship and didn't let us waver when some of our fans wanted to go tit for tat with OM when they were pulling in 5*s.

They were patient and it is already beginning to pay off. We aren't afraid of OM pulling us down with them and I believe we are about to go on a solo run on the field. Last time they kept pace through cheating but this time all they will be able to do is watch from the sidelines and hate.

I think we aren't like them because we got nailed during the Bob Tyler era when we cheated like them. I wasn't around then but we did fight the NCAA and it didn't turn out well for us. We learned our lesson and that's why we respond differently.

I do get what you are saying because it got wooly around 2001 when Rosebowl earned his name and a lot of State fans ended up with egg on their face during the 2001 season.

We still should have hired Jimbo Fisher instead of Croom though.

First game of the season in 2001 we were ranked like #13 and we barely beat Memphis but our defense was salty that game and Lee Corso said during the telecast "the only thing stopping Mississippi State from winning a National Championship is a good QB". This was probably the peak of the wooly delusion. From that point on it was all downhill for seven straight years till Mullen arrived.

The three "instances" I distinctly remember getting the wooled pulled over me with bullshit and then coming to the realization I was being sold a bag of hope to sell tickets and memberships are 1. When the media printed up this huge signing day packet with each signee in it and we had two 5* Parade All-Americans on defense in that class and the media made it sound like we were about to wreck havoc on the SEC. We were ****ing AWFUL the next year. (2002 I believe)
2. Croom's opening press conference and how fired up the media and Croom got the fanbase. We were ****ing AWFUL every year but one under Croom.
3. Croom getting mad at the fanbase and basically calling us all idiots and that it would take a decade to turn the ship around totally contradicting his opening press conference. Croom zapped all life outta us so he could keep his job longer.

I might be contradicting myself a little here but those three instances are what I think of when I need a reminder to check myself when listening to media and some fans.

[AlSwearengen]

I think y'all are overthinking this stuff. At the end of the day it boils down to the way each fan base sees themselves. They get decorators to do their daughters dorm rooms. They hang chandeliers at their tailgate. They have butlers at their tailgate. State people are generally more grounded and that extends to football.

[Reason2succeed]

I think y'all are overthinking this stuff. At the end of the day it boils down to the way each fan base sees themselves. They get decorators to do their daughters dorm rooms. They hang chandeliers at their tailgate. They have butlers at their tailgate. State people are generally more grounded and that extends to football.

I agree with you Al.

61, every team gets smoke blown up their butt once they reach the top. The national guys do no research so they sunshine pump wherever they go. They basically say that whatever is happening now, good or bad, is going to continue and then they say how shocked they are when something changes.

Part of being a fan is getting wooly. We do this for hope. We hope that one day State will break through and that's what makes years like 98,99, and 2014 special. I wouldn't trade it to be a Bammer, Tiger, or Gator. Those fans expect to be great all the time and end up miserable almost every year because they didn't win the NC. I want to enjoy the ride to greatness.

[Dawgcentral]

We were different from OM long before the last few decades. It goes back even to when our university was founded.

There's an aristocratic class in this state, and it ain't us.

[Dawg61]

I wouldn't trade it to be a Bammer, Tiger, or Gator. Those fans expect to be great all the time and end up miserable almost every year because they didn't win the NC. I want to enjoy the ride to greatness.

I don't buy this even though I have heard it plenty. You don't have to look further than our own baseball program as evidence. We have pretty damn high expectations for our baseball program especially since we have never won a Natty but it doesn't prevent me from enjoying the hell outta every baseball season.

[BeardoMSU]

We were ****ing AWFUL every year but one under Croom.

Pretty much agree with your post except for this; we sucked that year too. Total fools gold.

[Activated Alpha]

I remember going to just about every home game during the croom years. One miserably hot Saturday when we were getting demolished by LSU after Katrina hit, I was standing in the student section when the guy next to me yelled, "At least we have our homes to go back to!!" I swear I saw several players turn around and stare at us...

[Cooterpoot]

Screw that! Croom sucked. WTF?

[DawgPoundtheRock]

By hiring Croom rather than Jimbo Fisher, State was able to garner national attention not only in the sports media, but with the national news media as well. MSU was cast in a positive light by such media darlings as Al Sharpston and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. State was the first to break the color barrier for head coaches in the SEC and did it in the state of Mississippi, of all places.

In earning this distinction, we paid by being saddled with Croom for what seemed like an eternity, and yes I am aware that he cleaned house in the football program. We are probably better off for having suffered through the Croom years, but it was a high price to pay.

[Gutter Cobreh]

I don't buy this even though I have heard it plenty. You don't have to look further than our own baseball program as evidence. We have pretty damn high expectations for our baseball program especially since we have never won a Natty but it doesn't prevent me from "armchair quarterbacking" the hell outta every baseball season.

FIFY

[Bully13]

I agree with you Al.

61, every team gets smoke blown up their butt once they reach the top. The national guys do no research so they sunshine pump wherever they go. They basically say that whatever is happening now, good or bad, is going to continue and then they say how shocked they are when something changes.

Part of being a fan is getting wooly. We do this for hope. We hope that one day State will break through and that's what makes years like 98,99, and 2014 special. I wouldn't trade it to be a Bammer, Tiger, or Gator. Those fans expect to be great all the time and end up miserable almost every year because they didn't win the NC. I want to enjoy the ride to greatness.

Plus1. I wouldn't trade MSU for any other team. Nothing compares to pulling for the maroon and white.