Here's the problem w/ the pumping (and I've mentioned this many times). Message boards have been around through the Zook, Muschamp, and McElwain years and it's the same thing over and over w/ the pumping. I understand being excited and supportive, but there's another side of this. As pumpers think - for some unknown reason - that their positivity is helping w/ recruiting or whatever....but what they are really doing is staying aboard a sinking ship to the detriment of "the program". UF Football is bigger than Jim McElwain, just like UF Football was bigger than Ron Zook and Will Muschamp.
"Pumpers" wear this support for a failing coach as a badge of honor and it's disgusting. Most of us who spend time on message boards follow "the program" more than most casual fans (i.e. the one's who come for a tailgate and cannot tell you the name of the starting Center or MLB, only the star players). Football is not rocket science. It's pretty easy to identify a mediocre coach or a very good coach. Pumpers take it personal that anyone would suggest "their" coach was mediocre! They cling to the failing coach literally until the day he's gone (some, as in Muschamp's case, even suggested "did we make a mistake firing him?"). So, while you're busy beating your chest over your support for the coach....."the program" is sinking (don't believe it? go look at the stands!). This happened for Zook and it happened again for Muschamp. Pumpers start threads about how great the hire was....how this is the "next Spurrier".....how Foley "hit a homerun!".....how this coach is "the best recruiter", "can develop talent", "is the most honest/ethical coach in the country...", etc, etc. When you step back from it, it's pretty stupid. Just like when people say that a recruit committed to "the school" and not to "the coach" (when a coaching change happens). As a fan, you should be committed to "the program", not the coach! Long after Jim McElwain is hanging out on his ranch in Montana counting all that UF cash....."the program" will still be here and you will be rooting for the next coach. You think fans would have learned their lesson w/ Urban Meyer - a pure coaching mercenary. There's no loyalty in coaching. Even Steve Spurrier said "see ya!" (I know....the "dumpers" ran him off").
I will repeat: the UF Football Program is bigger than Jim McElwain!
And Jim McElwain is sinking The Program.....
