Second occurance of former players calling fans "muggles"

I'm sure the athletes feel that for us it's entertainment but for them it's a big chunk of their life. And that's true, in part. Theirs is a fraternity of some very hard training, work, and bonding in a special way.

There's a natural feeling in some that because they put in the effort, not the rest of us, they should have a big say in who runs the show.

We, who pick up the tab, naturally feel differently. Everyone tends to look at a situation from their own perspective.

For them, Brandon was a teammate who gave them great facilities and treated them well. For us, Brandon was busy torching what we love most about the games.

We have to remember that Brandon was not unpopular in the program, nor is Hoke. There's going to be some anger and disconnect between factions just as there was in 2008.

Imagine if something similar to the last seven years happened at Ohio.  It's a shame that our fans are proactive and non-violent in their passion and our former players and alum call us a "mob."  I think Herbstreit understands this better because he had to deal with a real mob when he told the truth about their dirty program.  Imagine if that team didn't perform.  People might actually die.....

cc

Any non-Expert-class USCF chess players are muggles. If you can't throw a decent hammer in ultimate frisbee you're a muggle. Haven't taken med school biochemistry? Your science education sucks, muggle.

...had more access to Fort Schembechler, they'd know better what student-athletes and coaches go through, and thus would have better perspective.  Fans have no clue b/c the football program and athletic department is set up to eliminate distraction and the indirect consequence is separation, entitlement, and ignorance.  

Lighten up Francises.  At every power 5 school in the country there are divisions between the revenue athletes and the regular student population.  You can pretend there isn't but there is.  Players are funneled into ATHLETE majors in ATHLETE departments.  Thus, it isn't surprising that they feel disconnected from the rest of the school, and resentful when it's perceived that the muggles are clamoring for changes in THEIR house.  There is obviously some insecurity about the rigor of their ATHLETE majors as well.  So go ahead and call me a muggle, as I don't envy the risk/pressures/incongruity of being a power 5 athlete in NCAA football, and Go Blue.

they are frustrated because non-experts outside the program are trashing people who they interacted with daily.

maybe instead of being morally outraged we should consider the possibility that they are significantly more informed than we are

Rick: What's a muggle?
Turtle: A Walverine, a Michigander, like you.
Rick: I'm not a Walverine.
Turtle: Whatever, Barney.
Rick: What's a Barney?
Turtle: It's like Barno... Barnyard... a Walverine to the max, a kook in and out of the Big House. Yeah?

That while Brandon treated students, middle class alumni and even many of the wealthy donors in a contemptable fashion, he treated student-athletes with a lot of respect and affection. There's no way there'd be this outpouring of comments from former athletes expressing good will towards Brandon after he's axed unless he had.

So yay, Brandon made one group of people happy. He made everyone else miserable so to hell with him. It just means the new AD is going to have to be a great hire who can mend fences. It's not quite the wicked witch smushed under the house that we wanted/assumed it to be. 

There's no need to dwell on it or try to point fingers at athletes who express displeasure at this. The factioning needs to end. 

At this point we are grasping at straws for things to be offended by.

Folks, the Great Brandon War is over.  We won.  Let those on the other side get their frustration out of their system.  It will pass.

in some way or other.

I'm a musician.  I'm pretty good at it.  I don't really do it all that much anymore...never made enough money at it to be able to do it for a living; real life paid better.  But when I listen to non-musicians discussing music, "Muggles" is not an inaccurate term I would use to describe them.

The football players are superior athletes who, with any coaching at all, probably should be competing for championships in the flower of their youth.

But put a guitar in their hands and I'll embarrass 'em.  Promise.  I don't think any less of them for that, though.