Discussion: “The Brand Is Damaged”

gatorplank

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2017
672
1,069
I’d like a thread to discuss what this means because it comes up a lot. Vandy, Kentucky, South Carolina, Mizzou, MSU, etc these are brands that I’ve always considered beneath UF for my whole life as a Gator fan. When people say the “brand is damaged” does that mean our brand has fallen to the level of those football programs in the last decade? Is that how undesirable UF football is now? If so, then is perception reality? Are we Vandy and Kentucky now? Is that what UF football is until the next Pell, Spurrier, or Meyer comes along to bring us out of the depths?
 

GatorJ

Founding Member
Hopeful
Moderator
Jun 11, 2014
20,998
33,559
Founding Member
No. Not Vandy and Kentucky. But middle of the pack. Which makes me want to puke.

Here – let’s put this in perspective for you. My youngest son is 11 years old. And he has never seen us not play like trash.

The new kids we are recruiting this year have never seen what Florida used to be. They were in third grade the last time the Florida gators were relevant.
 

Swamp Donkey

Founding Member
7-14 vs P5 Fire Stricklin First
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2014
78,161
109,977
Founding Member
I’d like a thread to discuss what this means because it comes up a lot. Vandy, Kentucky, South Carolina, Mizzou, MSU, etc these are brands that I’ve always considered beneath UF for my whole life as a Gator fan.
Not Vandy or Kintucky, though we are now a team that could lose to absolutely anyone.

Probably USCish, maybe even less than Cowbell and Ole Miss (since they are outrecruting us, even when Ole Miss is on probation).

Thanks Fooley!!!
 

Pablos Tunnel

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Sep 23, 2017
2,689
4,130
We are like when you see a sharp 1990’s Ferrarri on the road. Recognizable, nice to look at, lots of history, in the shop a lot and not going to win many races.
 

MJMGator

Founding Member
Slightly amused
Lifetime Member
Jun 10, 2014
20,041
41,118
Founding Member
The “program” is still considered top tier but as J points out, the kids that can turn us back into a national power have only seen mediocrity to flat out sh*t in their lifetimes. That’s what folks mean by damaged brand.
 

BNAG8R

Founding Member
I don’t care
Moderator
Jun 10, 2014
4,098
12,618
Founding Member
The brand is damaged? F**kin’ brand is damaged? You’re damaged! I’ve been a fan in this business for 45 years...
 

Omar's Coming Yo!

Gator til the grave
BANNED
Oct 6, 2016
2,019
784
Texas has had 3 losing seasons in the last 5 years. TAMU hasn't been relevant ever. Miami has been garbage the last 10 plus years. None of these programs are having problems landing elite talent. The hiring of mediocre coaches has to stop. The brand is fine. The bad financial and facilities decision making has to stop. For instance, there is no reason why we needed to wait this long to improve facilities, pay Mac 7M+ to leave or to give Mullen a guaranteed $12M buyout
 

78

Founding Member
Dazed and Confused
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2014
19,745
27,635
Founding Member
It's not an unfair question to ask if we're damaged. We are. Are we in Vandy or Kentucky territory? C'mon. We have far too much of a positive history to be considered there.

This thing will get turned around.
 

78

Founding Member
Dazed and Confused
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2014
19,745
27,635
Founding Member
I sometimes find myself wanting to wail just for old times' sake:

WE ARE FLORIDA

Try it sometime. It can be cathartic.
 

cover2

Founding Member
I've grown old
Lifetime Member
Jun 12, 2014
8,834
32,030
Founding Member
I agree that we aren't necessarily at the level of Vandy and UK, but I'm not so sure we aren't closer to them than we are to the level we enjoyed under SOS and Meyer. God forbid if Stoops decides to cover the open receivers and they defeat us.

At the risk of waxing too far nostalgic regarding the Gator Brand, in my lifetime I've seen fluctuations from being owned by the Dawgs to owning them, 0-10-1 to 9-1-1, a "Sleeping Giant" to the NCAA Death Penalty (or thereabouts), three NC's and two Heismans in a thirteen year span to the Decade in the Wilderness where we currently reside. In my mind, our true brand was established in the span between SOS and Meyer (minus the Zook apostrophe). It's hard to keep choking down baloney when you've gotten used to filet mignon, despite the baloney we feasted on prior. Likely only championships (beyond the SEC East) will satisfy us, but winning seasons that includes wins over rivals, national recruiting relevance, and no big negative events that make the national headlines will help to whet our appetites.

I believe that however you define our brand, if it were not damaged (not dead, mind you) the question would not come up. In truth, my opinion on this subject and those of the majority of our fans doesn't matter; however, the opinions of the elite HS football players do. How we are held in that regard goes beyond the HC to a certain degree. As @GatorJ and @MJMGator offer, most of the kids we want haven't actually seen us win anything of substance. I'm afraid that gone are the days of the players who grew up rooting for the O&B and who would do anything to be able to play ball at BHG. We're going to have to win some games (more than just a few) that mean something and we need to do it in exciting offensive fashion while maintaining the identifiable trait of a stout defense (a little work is required here, too). I believe we can pull it off...eventually. I'm just not sure if it can be done soon enough (apply your personal expectations here).
 

RiverRat

Glass half full
Lifetime Member
Nov 1, 2017
3,243
7,267
Our brand is not where it should be. Were middle of the pack right now. To Get back It will take Good Coaching, Good Recruiting and a Good Fan base that stays the course.
The new facilitys should help in recruiting but they are a couple years out, Can Mullens right the shipping the mean time? Is he the right man for the job? All I know is that he is under contract for 5 years, he's not going anywhere anytime soon, we might as well do our part and help him get us back to where all Gators want to be.
 

T REX

Founding Member
Well-Known Member
Jun 24, 2014
10,107
7,389
Founding Member
How does one rationalize Texas then? That's a pretty good mirror of UF in a very fertile recruiting state. They haven't been relevant since Vince Young. You hire a coach to fix the DAMAGE. He either does or doesn't. Mullen either wins and recruits well or he's fired.
 

cover2

Founding Member
I've grown old
Lifetime Member
Jun 12, 2014
8,834
32,030
Founding Member
How does one rationalize Texas then? That's a pretty good mirror of UF in a very fertile recruiting state. They haven't been relevant since Vince Young. You hire a coach to fix the DAMAGE. He either does or doesn't. Mullen either wins and recruits well or he's fired.
Good analogy (if I'm understanding correctly). Texas has been more Holstein than Longhorn lately and that brings some hires and retentions into question. Completely agree with the point on Mullen.
 

t-gator

Founding Member
too sexy for my shirt
Lifetime Member
Jun 13, 2014
15,670
17,973
Founding Member
I would use the word irrelevant. I don't care about the "brand". Our program is irrelevant right now and we're a second or 3rd tier program.
Neglecting facilities and we continue to make bad coaching hires. Mainly the bad coaching hires have buried this program. If would just hire a guy who can coach offense and recruit, we'd be back in a minute.
 

78

Founding Member
Dazed and Confused
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2014
19,745
27,635
Founding Member
How does one rationalize Texas then? That's a pretty good mirror of UF in a very fertile recruiting state. They haven't been relevant since Vince Young. You hire a coach to fix the DAMAGE. He either does or doesn't. Mullen either wins and recruits well or he's fired.
It's obviously more complex than that. Think of all the moving parts in college football. Tight player rotations, the risk of a bad hire, which is a higher statistical probability than the opposite. Shopping for a new coach at the wrong time.

Bama sucked for years and happened to be in the market when Saban was looking. Like a pair of meteors colliding. It's a lot harder than you think.
 

MJMGator

Founding Member
Slightly amused
Lifetime Member
Jun 10, 2014
20,041
41,118
Founding Member
It's obviously more complex than that. Think of all the moving parts in college football. Tight player rotations, the risk of a bad hire, which is a higher statistical probability than the opposite. Shopping for a new coach at the wrong time.

Bama sucked for years and happened to be in the market when Saban was looking. Like a pair of meteors colliding. It's a lot harder than you think.
There’s only like 3 sure fire, championship coaches out there (Saban, Meyer and Dabo). I know A&M thinks they hired the 4th one of that group, but he’s not in IMO. He won it once with Rapeis and has woefully underperformed without him.
I felt like Frost might be the next rising start, but we won’t know for several more years.
Mullen was the safe hire at a time when we couldn’t afford another white board killer or shark humper. He’s disappointing right now on the recruiting trail, so he’s not helping himself at all. He’s gotta figure that piece out quickly if he wants to be here past 3-4 years.

Let’s all hope he does.
 

gatorplank

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2017
672
1,069
Smart is the 4th one in that group with Saban, Meyer, and Dabo IMO. I agree Jimbo is a pretender.
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
Damaged? No damaged implies that we're something good that's just a fixed part away from being good again. Like a Ferrari with a dented fender. No we're a Prius. An economical middle of the pack Prius. The best we'll ever be for a 100,000 miles or so. :kiffin: took the Ferrari that just needed an oil change and crashed it into the garage, put a trailer hitch on it, took it off roading. So we got a new driver but the f'er didn't even have a license. So we bought a Prius and hired Ricky Booby to drive it. No we're not damaged. We're a slapstick comedy.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Help Users

You haven't joined any rooms.

    Birthdays

    Members online

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    31,642
    Messages
    1,615,698
    Members
    1,642
    Latest member
    fishermb