affirm wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 9:37 am
So, I think FUBeAR is saying to not worry about the non-notice in the general media. Just pay attention to FCS.
I get what FUBeAR says about the people who want to talk about Georgia. In SC where I live, there are many Georgia supporters, which is fine; but I need to keep up with how the Gamecocks are doing mainly, as well as Clemson, plus the SEC overall and the ACC overall. I do want to converse with people about football. I do want to bring up Furman, the team that I follow and am interested in. I get what FUBeAR says about, when I mention Furman, "Of course, they don’t know diddley about it, so I ‘engage’ & edumucate them. Some act bored, so I drop it. … some are dismissive smart-a$$e$, so I break down crying (not - y’all know FUBeAR ENGAGES with those types), and some start to get into it." As a recently-encountered indirect example of "...dismissive smart-a$$e$ …", while reading Clemson fans comments Monday night during the game, I saw one saying something like "Saban needs to resign and become coach at North Dakota State. Maybe he will be able to compete in FCS."
Question about "Get involved as an AGS Poll voter & you’ll have to know about The Big Sky’s OOC scheduling farce & that that the Southland Teams LOVE them some Transfers, etc." ****What is involved in being an AGS Poll voter?**** I have no idea. Is that open to general public? Or does one have to apply, meet certain standards and commitments, and be selected or approved?
Back to the point of this reply, I am saying that I now get it. "Immersion" in Furman football and FCS football is absolutely plenty - regardless of the level of notice by others to FCS and of Furman compared to the level of notice by others to FBS and of "team a, b, c, d, e, f, g, etc., from FBS."
To become an AGS Poll Voter, you have to join the AGS Message Board at least 1 year prior to the next season’s Pre-Season Poll. Example - if you joined today, you would not be an eligible to vote in the poll until the 2020 season. You also have to have 100 posts on AGS prior to becoming a voter & you have to be “in good standing,” i.e., not suspended or on probation, etc. Then, you have to, as Coach Swinney says, “DO YOUR JOB!” You have to get your votes in on time, accurate, & complete. They use Google Docs, emails, and posts to communicate & they provide resources to assist in your assessments, such as a weekly “How they fared” google spreadsheet. This was my 2nd year voting and I did not particularly enjoy it in year 1, but it became a lot easier in Year 2 and served to enhance my enjoyment of FCS Football, overall.
The AGS Poll is part of the Massey Composite Index for FCS & I believe the old BCS used Massey as part of their process...so your FBS friends will be impressed when you tell them you have to make sure to catch the Youngstown State @ Northern Iowa game because you think the outcome will have a major impact on your Poll that week. “Poll vote?” they will ask...and then you tell them, “Sure...you remember how the BCS used indexes to determine their Teams. Well, one of those was Massey & my poll, where I am a voter, rolls into Massey & the FCS Playoff at-large Playoff Teams are, in part, affected by that ranking.” So, you’re now, in their eyes, just as important to FCS Football as Condolleezza Rice and Coach Bobby Johnson are to FBS Football. You don’t have to tell them otherwise.
Honestly, people are not disinterested in FCS Football, particularly when they realize the number of NFL Players that played FCS. They just don’t see it. It’s not served up to them 24/7 in the media as P5 Football is. And, I think FCS has a brand niche that is distinct & can be attractive & interesting to people - much more than G5 Football...which is not distinct from P5. To the average Football Fan, P5 Football is Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. G5 Football is the generic white cans labeled only “Beer” in your supermarket. FCS Football is in the Craft Brews section...and quite tasty, if you can find it...and try it.