From the article:

Jack Hall of Hurley is excited about the upcoming season. He's hoping football can erase months of controversy that has clouded the university, issues Thames addressed with several alumni.

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Originally posted by: foot soldier
"Anyone know what the alumni said? Sigh. USM is a football team with a few classes attached. Is it just me, or does this idea seem stronger in Mississippi than elsewhere?"

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I think this is true at Old Mess, less so at Mistake (they cheat and still lose). USM students, for the most, part are less into the football first idea.  After all, our students are non-traditional students. The average age is 26 and a high per centage work full time, or close to it. For the most part, USM's undergrad students are a lot more serious about their education than those at Old Mess. For the most part, USM's students are less well off financially but better motivated for an education. (I know all about our bottom 10%. Try not to beat that dead horse, ok?)

There are several universities where it is a party school with a football team. Oh yea, and a few professors that require you to sober up occassionally and even attend a class or two.

Most of these school have great graduate programs, but a large per centage of their undergrads just do not show any interest in the academic side of college. Two that come to mind, based upon my experience, are Oklahoma U. And U. Colorado at Bolder. Both great universities and UC has a beautiful campus. But for the most part the ug's, while smart, just are not motivated.

I know the desire is to get rid or SFT and his 'brown shirt' thugs. But do not just run down the university because you want to get rid of the infection that is making it sick. The university and its students, faculty, staff and alumni deserve better. Please try to keep things in perspective. We all in this nightmare together.

Here's what could happen in football this year, assuming the stories about SFT trying to oust Bower are true.

The coaching staff will not be able to fully concentrate on the on-the-field types of things they will need to.  There will be a constant pall hanging over things, that even the players will notice.  USM will probably not perform up to potential in the average game, and may get knocked off a time or two in games that would've been won under "more positive" circumstances.  Recruits will notice the problem, and will be told about it by our C-USA brethren.

Examples of this kind of thing abound, from the last days/year of John Cooper at Ohio State to the situation with Frank Solich at Nebraska the past 2 years.  A standard deviation further is the current situation at Florida with Ron Zook, who is 16-10 the past 2 years and now has the specter of an unemployed Steve Spurrier looming over his shoulder.  Actually, the parallels between Zook and Bower are uncanny.  Many believe the unemployed Rick Neuheisel is looming over Bower's shoulder.  An extreme example is Auburn in 1998, when Terry Bowden quit in mid-stream because he didn't feel he had the support of the bosses.

If you're looking for football to pull you out of the "USM doldrums," don't bet any money on it, not with what SFT seems to be doing with Bower's contract.