Superfan Im glad you posted this for a few reasons...:
1st of all Kansas State football for years and years has been followed by myself and my family. My dad played baseball and football there and my entire extended family graduated from Kansas State. They have followed it through thick and thin standing by those terrible terrible losing teams and the ones that have thrived more recently. Here are some other paraellels between Manhatten, Kansas and Pocatello, Idaho and perhaps some minor differences or things that are obviously lacking. Listening to my dad talking about the recruiting process of himself out of high school I was told stories of how Barry Switzer came to his house from OU and a few other notable coaches from the "Big 8" at the time (minus the the texas teams UT, TxTech, Baylor, TAnM) he would tell me of the upside and downsides of the teams than. But the things he told me about recruiting to KSU located in what if you ever been is called the Mini Apple compared to the other Manhatten we all know, is that when you do encounter much losing and negativity surrounding your program you must not dwell on what you don't have but what you do have. For example he told me about how when he played there in the Mid 70's they were just as terrible as they were in the 80's and its a lil comical to think about but instead of bringing their prized recruits to Football games they would bring them to their basketball games because they had Bball teams that were great, far an above their dwindling football program. He talked about how kids would camp out several days ahead of time just to get tickets to basketball games, but how you could'nt pay them to go to football games...which is now odd to think since KU has had the superior bball team and no Fb team until last fall really. This before the "arms race " as some one noted of facilities was in place but granted they knew their strengths and weaknesses and used that to their advantage to get what they could. Bengaleyes also talked about how the facilities are in place there now and that was a long time coming but yes they do have a huge complex on one end of the stadium that plays host to the weight room, lockerrooms, and other amentities, which yes as a 18 year old kid coming out of high school is something they don't look for any more they Expect it. After all where you go to school becomes your life for 4 to 5 years. Where you spend that time hopefully is a place you enjoy to be that will make you a better Student-Athelete. But one of the Biggest things I notice when you visit just about anywhere 50 miles from Lawerence is the community support. You can drive through the rolling hills anywhere in eastern Kansas and see farms set off from the highway but one thing ull always notice, a purple powercat (their logo) on a fence, mailbox, barn, or on the liscene plates. The support there is overwhelming and yes it is easy to support a winner. But cleary KSU has not always been a winner.
Looking at Pocatello, Idaho as a player here at ISU for 5 years I at times felt some of the community support at times and there lack of later on at times. But thats not to say that there isnt potential to what could be become of this University, program, and community. Its easy to say Bill snyder turned the communties outlook there, but to say we couldnt do that is merely a farce. To say we could only obtain that by dropping down to D2 (which will never happen) is much of the same. You must take what you have and build on it. It takes small fragments adding up to create a foundation of support. It's the small things like having the logo's seen around town and things like that, that make people want to be apart of something. Obviously the monetary situation may hamper some goals, but thats not to say you can't have bold expectations and goals none the less, because if your not aiming for something, that entity will aimlessly flounder amid others expectations. When I was talking about taking what you have and build on it, as a player and now a fan I look to things like this: Playing on Television- Huge recruiting tool wether its Altitude network or Fox Sports net like the Oregon state game last year was on. Some one said in a thread everytime we are on there its just another time people can see how bad we are. How many times have you been on tv because of something you worked hard on just to get there? Use this to our advantage. What 18 to 24 year old kid does'nt want to be able to say "Yes! I played on tv in front of my family and friends." As a player I can't describe the feeling you get when you get to play in front of 50,000 plus when we traveled to SDSU, Kentucky, and even to Montana where the atomosphere is nothing less than electric, but allows you as a player to feed off it and thrive. Holt Arena: Yes its becoming an older and delapidated facility in terms of whats going on around the country now, but it also serves as a facility in which fans can come watch a game at 70 degrees no matter how cold it is. Most teams in FCS don't have indoor facilities but this can be seen as that to the program which in times of snow and rain it proves to be very usefull. So go out and support the efforts to help sustain it and eventually if by contributions, the plans drawn up for the new bball arena , practice fields and everything else. Most people will tell you outside of outdoor recreation there isnt much to do in SE Idaho. Well make the football games every saturday..the basketball games, soccer, volleyball and other programs here your Something to do and help garner support for the entire university because it will only help strengthen each of them.
I have played with the previous staff and this staff, and although their philsophies may differ in some ways they do have one thing in common. They are working as hard as they can to make the program better with in their means of time money and what ever else may limit them, but doing What THEY can do for the players, the team as a whole and the University. With all of this being said Pocatello, exciting or not has become for me a home away from home and an area that has the ability to become the next Manhatten, Kansas but it will have to start with just the smallest things if its to ever add up to the Big picture, because even if it is frustrating to all take in, take JFK's advice "Ask not what your country (ISU) can do for you, But ask what you can do for your country (ISU)."
