DiMauro: It's evident BC fans are not happy
Lest anyone in the Boston College athletics hierarchy get deluded into thinking that anything in that department is satisfactory at the moment, your humble narrator invites them to read the feedback I’ve received in the past few days.
Some background: I wrote a piece Monday here at Eagles Daily alluding to how BC haters have never been happier. I also wondered if “Ever To Excel” is meaningful to them or merely rhetorical.
The response has been equal parts overwhelming and inspiring. People care. Deeply. The post has tripled the views of the highest-viewing article on the site. My inbox is still growing. The sentiment: True, blue BC people are angry. Disillusioned. And starting to hold back money. If this doesn’t encourage the poohbahs at BC to awaken and confront reality, then the entire institution will continue to swirl the bowl. Not to mention the possible sight of paper bags over heads this weekend against Holy Cross, which has been a topic of discussion for BC fans over social media for the past week.
(Don’t think we missed the latest Wall St. Journal rankings, where BC has dropped to 45. BC used to be in the low 30s. Remind me again what “Ever To Excel” means?)
Anyway, here is a sampling of emails I’ve received in the past few days. Names have been withheld as I don’t have permission to use all of them. But their feelings are clearer than a bottle of Poland Spring.
· “Just wanna compliment you on the BC article. You captured what all BC fans are frustrated by. 5-16 in the last 21 football games? C’mon man! Other programs are winning games, at least the winnable ones!! Thank you for expressing how a lot of us feel right now.”
· “BC ‘90. Twenty-plus years of season football tix, including 10k a year parking pass. Nonstop donor for 20-plus years. I took a knee after we ended two seasons ago losing to an awful FSU team and then Wake in the final game. I threw out all 100 BC clothing items I own.
· “I can’t take it. Losing to UConn last year? I am getting pressed to give to the current fundraising effort for Newton campus sports fields. I said go 8-3 or better and hoops makes an NCAA tourney - and then call me. Don’t otherwise. I am embarrassed to be a BC Alum. The level of underperformance is hard to fathom. Your post is spot on.”
· “I detest the people that ‘run’ BC. I have turned on the alma mater. Let Holy Cross kick their (butts).”
· “You certainly conveyed the sense of urgency that unfortunately escapes this administration, but is felt by those of us who understand that the reputation of BC is closely tied to maintaining respectability in Division One athletics, which, with several notable exceptions, it has largely failed to do over the past dozen years or so.
“I must also add that I am sick of the old canard about the ‘high academic standards’ worn to death as an excuse. Does Notre Dame use this to excuse subpar programs? Does Michigan, Duke, or USC? Quite frankly, I find it embarrassing, particularly when we are in a league with so many academic peer institutions.”
· “I love BC but count me in the alum crowd that is disgusted.”
· “Just read your column on the state of the Boston College athletics teams. Sadly I concur with all of your points. I candidly no longer understand where I stand in the world of BC sports. As an alumni that once was a passionate season ticket holder and donor for the three major sports for more than 20 years I became exhausted and unfortunately passionately indifferent.
“I have stopped giving. I gave up my season tickets and only under duress when my alumni wife drags me to the one game a year that I agree to see in person during the football season. God knows I wish the football team was better.
“I have rationalized my feelings that BC, every once in a while has a season, a moment, a player that allows us a brief period of time in the world of relevance in college football. Many schools have never beaten Alabama, stunned Miami, shocked Notre Dame, etc. All that said, here is where we are. Hoping we don’t lose to The College of the Holy Cross and become 0-2.”
· “Although this was painful to read, it is the reality. I’ve been a season ticket holder for 20 years and waited until the week before this first game to renew my tickets. After this embarrassing loss, I regret it. There seemed to be no energy on or off the field. Something needs to change but as you said no one cares.”
Mike DiMauro, a contributor to Eagles Daily, is a columnist in Connecticut and member of BC’s 1990 graduating class. He may be reached at m.dimauro@theday.com or @BCgenius