Open Letter from the Man:

[michigancat]

If Prince wasn't talking constantly about "Championships" people like Bill Snyder wouldn't have to work a PR campaign for him.  Everyone at KSU knows we compete for Championships.  He doesn't need to keep saying it.  That's what he got hired to do.  Anyways I'm still behind Prince all the way, even if he needs a lesson on dealing with the fanbase/media.

I agree.  Talk more about 4th place division finishes and Texas Bowl appearances.  Don't mention "championship" at halftime of the Mizzou game only to rip my heart out not two hours later.

[cireksu]

He should have said, folks it's going to be a long year, we have a very slight chance of making the post season.  The offensive line is so bad that we'll be lucky to have 1 completely healthy qb at the end of the season.

[Jeffrey_Martin]

Bill wrote it without Prince knowing. Nothing more than what he was saying in the letter. I think the man misses being involved, to be honest.

[sonofchadmay]

I think we would all have more patience with Prince, at least the halfway knowledgable fans, if 3/4's of his commitments for '07 weren't either 5'7" speedsters or o-lineman that aren't even dominating 3A-4A Kansas High School football competition.  I figured we'd struggle this year with a staff very short on experience but I was counting on Prince being able to recruit at a much higher level than Snyder's later staffs.  Outside of Freeman that has clearly not been the case.  Yeah, the o-line is terrible this year but why will it be any better next year?  Outside of possibly Aufner I don't see any of the commits that will be able to come in and make an immediate impact. 

[mjrod]

I'm not sure what people are reading into it.

What I'm sensing is that Snyder has been traveling around and there are people who probably making comments to him regarding the current state of the program, and perhaps, to help keep the focus on where it needs to be, he wants to head it off at the pass?

There are some of you who believe that Cat Fandom has gone into major meltdown mode.  Cat Fans are generally concerned about where the program is going, and some on here are even in major panic mode.

I think Snyder is absolutely right, we need to be supportive of this program the same way we supported Snyder.

Of course, the bandwagon was tipping over from fans trying to get off back in 2004 and 2005...

 

[michigancat]

There are some of you who believe that Cat Fandom has gone into major meltdown mode.

Not really.  That's why I don't get this letter.

[mjrod]

There are some of you who believe that Cat Fandom has gone into major meltdown mode.

Not really.  That's why I don't get this letter.

I was exaggerating.

[PoetWarrior]

"Dear Dumbasses,

Shut the &*$@! up.

Sincerely,
Someone who knows more about football than you."

Exactly.

 

Didn't need to read into that.

It makes me sick that a big deal is being made of this.

[waks]

now ESPN has reported on it.. 

[cireksu]

His letter should have said,

give the guy some time.  My former staff couldn't recruit a fly to dogshlt.  When I said that the cupboard wasn't bare I actually was just trying to give my former staff a good word hoping to help them get jobs at other places.

[purplefreak42]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2639623

[Saulbadguy]

Don't care.

[catzacker]

There are some of you who believe that Cat Fandom has gone into major meltdown mode.

Not really.  That's why I don't get this letter.

Me either.  It's like Bill's answering a question that wasn't asked.  Which only leads to more questions about why he thought this was needed. 

[BrotherDDay]

Basically, he's tired of those fans who wear their faded 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl t-shirts with a Sony Walkman strapped on their belt coming up to tell him how they want him back as coach, because K-State doesn't use the QB run game.  

[GoldbrickGangBoss]

A former coach feels compelled(why?) to tell the non-angry(or are they?) masses to calm down about the new coach 2/3rds the way thru the season.

Nope. Nothing odd about that.

[mjrod]

It's not a big deal.

However, Squawk fans are probably going to have a field day with this..

We should get more popcorn.

[fatty fat fat]

It's not a big deal.

However, Squawk fans are probably going to have a field day with this..

We should get more popcorn.

Thanks.

[~WabashRoll~]

The fans need to "support" the team?

Interesting.  Last time I checked we had 30,000+ at our spring game and we've exceeded attendance numbers from last year, even through we haven't had a winning record in two season or been to a bowl game in that period.

Also find it somewhat bizarre that Snyder is offering up a vote of confidence for a coach that's 4-4, and preparing his team for the home stretch of the season which will decide whether or not this team is in a bowl game.

If anything, maybe he should have considered an apology to the fans for allowing his previous staff to run the program in the ground following the Big XII Title and leaving the program in a complete cluster for the next coach to deal with.

Never thought Bill Snyder was an attention monger, but this is some pretty screwy stuff.

[fatty fat fat]

I like breeds analysis of it.

"Dear Dumbasses,

Shut the &*$@! up.

Sincerely,
Someone who knows more about football than you."

Nice. Couldn't agree more. Some people just aren't very smart

[Houstoncat93]

Where was this release?

[Catbanker]

Snyder sent that letter to all the media outlets with a request to print or read it.  I think it really was a shut the hell up and support our team.

I admit I sit in the west side alumni section, bluehairs, oldfarts whatever you want to call the chairback section and I haven't sensed any complaining.  Of course, most of them were sitting there watching the crappy years before LSnyder so there is more patience.

The bitching I see come from younger sh*ts who only know the late 90s to 2003 and think it is all going to melt away.  It might and then again it might not.

These are 18 to 23 year old kids trying to live a dream.  We need to support them 110%.

And I think LSnyder was smart in closing down the football complex at Kimball to the outside media.  The same crap went on under him as we are hearing with HCRB.  It's just that Prince for the most part lays it all out there.  So we have more to see hear and discuss/complain/second guess.   Under Bill, you couldn't second guess what you didn't know.

[McGrowlTowelZac]

Oh, Crap, I wrote that letter as a joke...I never thought it would get out like this...

my bad

 

if prince wins the ISU game and one more after that, it all won't matter... however, if we don't make a bowl, expect another letter

[coitus]

was snyder commenting on the status of the team, or the status of the fans.....

[Racquetball_Ninja]

Is it real? 

If Snyder really wanted to deflect criticism for the new staff, he should point out that most of this is his fault for his incredibly horrible recruiting over the last few years and for creating absolutely no plan for any coach to succeed him.

"The cupboard is not bare"

Its about time somebody else said it!

[chum1]

Is it real?

If Snyder really wanted to deflect criticism for the new staff, he should point out that most of this is his fault for his incredibly horrible recruiting over the last few years and for creating absolutely no plan for any coach to succeed him.

"The cupboard is not bare"

Its about time somebody else said it!

Because no one else has?

[Tulsa Cat]

Reel them in.  The hook is set.

[ksuno1stunner]

OT, but wow

136-68-1

[PCR]

From Howard Richman's Star story:

During the phone conversation, Snyder said the letter was his idea.

“No, no, no, no,” Snyder said when asked whether he wrote it because he has encountered disgruntled fans restless with the 4-4 Wildcats, who have lost four of five. “Ron and his staff are doing marvelous, and they’re on the right track.”