Let's stand behind with Dee and Lee!

[AggieGroove]

I don't make comments about hiring and firing but felt compelled to do so this time....

First, I am old school and have been around Aggie Athletes for decades now...I went to A&T with Wheeler, Small, Pee Wee Board, Sparrow, LJ, Ellsworth Turner, Dexter Feaster and a host of other great players. Basketball was king but FB was not far behind. In those days, Corbett was considered a modern marvel for a HBCU hence why it was built in the late 70s early 80s. It was built around strong coaching, solid players and contributions from our alumni. More importantly, the fan turn out was great, year in and year out. Since that time, our once proud BB program has been beset by bad coaches, equally bad players and luke warm fan support. It is no wonder we have not won this conference in a number of years.

The FB program expereinced the opposite fate due to strong coaching like Bill Hayes. I have truly impressed with the resurgent teams we have fielded in recent years but we seemed rudderless in funding the FB program. Bill Hayes was never let go because of on the field performance but other issues plagued the coach. Recently, A&T has funded some marvelous upgrades in facilities and it seemed someone has a vision for the programs. That brings me to today's point.

Our AD (Dee) has named Lee Fobbs the FB coach. I did not understand the process and will not criticize the choice. If you do not think it is puzzling how Lee was selected, you must not have visited this web site in recent weeks. With Hayes we could count on, no worse than an 8-3 season, at least contending and a rare MEAC championship. Sometimes even a 1AA playoff win. Small is a nice guy but his previous record prior to arriving at A&T was good the first year and a gradual decline in years after that. Sure, he is a character builder and makes boys into men but his record of questionable on field decisions is documented. This is not to demoralize Small because he is an Aggie and we will always love him. Lee Fobb does not bring a proven track record for us fans to critique thus questioning the choice. Pile that on top he will serve as OC is a formula for failure given we had consecutive 3-8 seasons. The program is in a crucial period to either compete for a national championship or fall back into the "Chittlin" circuit, as many have called it.

I pledge my undivided support for the program by pledging another $1K of my hard earned money in 2006. I want results on the field in 2006 as well as student athletes. Others on this board have lambasted the choice but for now I am burying the hatchett and giving Lee and Dee a chance! Aggie Pride!

PS: This site was set up by a few die hard Aggie fans so to criticize them for stating their opinions is wrong. This is America and not Iraq or Saudia Arabia.

[Freeze]

Good post. Of course I believe everyone knows how I feel about the search and the selection. I think any true fan of I-AA football who is familiar with that terrain will think that this choice was by far not the one that could help us seriously compete at the next level. I consider this a blown opportunity to truly elevate our program above our HBCU peers and compete seriously with the stronger competetion of I-AA. I believe there was nothing about his background of being a life long position coach at the I-A level that screamed out he's the man to lead the next era of Aggie football. Dee Todd did, and I guess that's why they pay her the big bucks.

On the other hand, I believe what I have discovered over the last two days (which is something I should have probably known by now) is that most Black college football fans are not true fans of I-AA football. Many of them think of competition only in terms of NCCU, FAMU, Howard, Jackson State or Grambling. If we establish ourselves as champions of this realm and win the mysteriously coveted BCF championship then we have arrived. Basically you dont want much and you dont expect much from this program. We will continue to suffer the same fate as Hampton did this year, cruising undeafeated through the Black college world and being promptly and soundly crushed by a white school seeded #12 in the I-AA playoffs.

But if this is what you want, then so be it. Continue to be excited by the flash and the flare of the bands, the pagentry, and the fashion show. After all, that is Black college football. And there's nothing wrong with that. But whereas our new head coach may have the capabilities (according to his resume) to get us back to the level of being dominant against of Black college peers, I fear that that is all he will ever be able to manage (if that).

Good luck to my beloved Aggies, congrats to all of you who feel this was an excellent choice, and Aggie Pride!!!

[DOOMS]

I started watching black college football back in the late 70s sitting on my pop's knee watching Fayetteville State lose week after week. I remember going to Orangeburg to watch a powerhouse SC State team lose to a Newberry team nobody ever heard of.

I remember hearing over and over "why do we always lose to the white schools?" I've heard that same crap for almost 30 years. People ask the question but they never address it. When someone critiques a decision that is made they are usually promptly told to shut up. Three, four, or five years later people end up asking the same questions that were asked by a few several years prior.

The few that noticed mistakes that are made on the front end are by then so far disillusioned that they simply move on to other things. The other sheep that follow blindly are left behind to support the same, a similar, or another ill-advised move.

I've been watching the same vicious cycle in hbcu athletics for over 25 years. I can only get hit in the head so many times before I cry ouch. I've also been watching I-AA football since the mid-80s. I grew up in Georgia and watched Georgia Southern do something I wish my alma mater could do; win national championship after national championship. I've watched with envy the decisions they've made to get to the point that they have six national championship flags flying over their stadium. The decisions they make fly almost in exact opposition of the decisions we make. That's disconcerting to me to say the least.

If you look at the makeup of the remaining I-AA playoff teams and look at our makeup, you will see sharp contrasts. That alone would be enough for me to make changes if I was in power. I only hold a very small amount of power, and threatening to take that power only seems to make people feel that I am turning judas on my beloved alma mater.

But as I stated in another thread few people want to read my logic and it's really not going to change the way things are done, so why voice it?

[antfan2003]

GROOVE, make sure that 1k gets to the AGGIE CLUB..(thats where mine will be going). Thats a good way to support the program... it helps us close the gap between us and the other schools we lose to...

[B&GMM 80]

WELCOME TO "AGGIELAND" COACH FOBBS! Congrat's on your position in these here parts known as "AGGIELAND" in Greensboro, NC!

Now show the rest of these MEAC COACHES what's really going on at A&T!
A program definitely on the rise!

[B&GMM 80]

Congrat's "LADY D" on your selection, and hopefully you and Chancellor Renick will continue to do great things here in "AGGIELAND"

I KEEP TELLING PEOPLE THAT "you're not PLAYING!

GO ON LADY "D" wit ya bad self

People love when they heard about you being name the "AD" and now that you're coming in making tough decisions, THEY CAN'T TAKE IT!

I LOVE IT, and if you like COACH FOBBS, I LOVE COACH FOBBS! ;D

[Gator]

There's nothing wrong with being critical of each others opinions. To me that's how people learn, by being made to think...

[DOOMS]

bluegoldmachine80 said:

Congrat's "LADY D" on your selection, and hopefully you and Chancellor Renick will continue to do great things here in "AGGIELAND"

I KEEP TELLING PEOPLE THAT "you're not PLAYING!

GO ON LADY "D" wit ya bad self

People love when they heard about you being name the "AD" and now that you're coming in making tough decisions, THEY CAN'T TAKE IT!

I LOVE IT, and if you like COACH FOBBS, I LOVE COACH FOBBS! ;D

Dag B&G, you can come up for air now!!!! You killing me mane!

[Gator]

The difference between HBCUs and PWC is the number of quality of players on both sides of the ball and execution. When HBCUs can field players at every position that knows the game, has good skills and is a dominating force, we can beat anyone in front of us. Now you combine that with a coach that is well versed and understands schemes, knows when momemtum is a factor, recognizes weaknesses of his opponents and capitalizes on them, we'll be unstoppable.

Read the "Art of War"

[Gator]

You tell'm HOME-BOY!!!

[DOOMS]

How ironic is the title of this thread?

We are standing behind everydamnbody right about now.

[AggieGroove]

I can't I started this thread in 2005 but now it is obvious that we can only stand behind Lee right now but like in the movie "Independence Day", time's up! Lee Fobbs is going to have do something big with the 2008 team or he will declaring his independence this time next year!