OT: Chris Vannini on Chris Creighton and EMU
Good piece on what's gone into trying to make the most difficult job in FBS a success.
EMU needs to be careful on spending a bunch of money on football facilities. If Creighton gets EMU to a bowl again this year, someone's going to hire him away and it's going to be same old same old for Eastern. Not sure spending millions on football facilities because you managed to get to a bowl game once is a good idea
Agree 100%.
BTW, the funniest thing about the article is the screencap from the flythrough simulation they cooked up that shows the stands at Rynearson brim-full with fans.
Definitely, though I know a couple people at EMU (via a family connection) and some of these expenditures have been in the works for a bit. They are trying to make EMU less of a commuter school, and that includes making it feel more like a "campus" with a vibrant sports culture. I agree it's dangerous to spend a bunch of money they probably don't have, but not all of it is directly related to making a bowl game.
It's the toughest recruiting job in Michigan. Even if recruits like the campus, they eventually end up seeing Ypsi. I would drive recruits through Ann Arbor and around the back way to campus.
we used to break into Rynearson Stadium all the time, at all hours of the day and night, and smoke pot in the stands. I don't think the administration cared. Never saw security/police there. I had some cool free EMU Hurons jerseys and warm up gear for a while.
Probably just psyched to see people wanting to go to Rynearson
The best was when they'd leave the crash pads from the pole vault out there. Could hang out on those instead of the bleachers when you'd break in.
and on any given home football Saturday, the seating is as follows:
25,000 seats covered by tarp
3,500 empty seats
1,500 people who made a wrong turn off of Washtenaw.
200 parents and family of players.
...and DrJaws and a buddy smoking pot
EMU recovers and lives on. The football stadium was a routine stop for me on my bike trips. And, i admit, I did graduate from there. I have seen a professional football game there--remember that any of you? I watched my nephews peewee football team play there a couple times, too.
I went to college with Chris Creighton. I didn't know him well but he's a good, solid guy with intergrity. I hope he continues to succeed at EMU.
a coach like Creighton. That's just the way of the world of CFB. I'm happy to see them do well. Maybe, for once, a coach can leave them set up for the next guy to succeed.