I Hope I am Still Welcome?

[WuDrWu]

That's not very fair....I'm going to suck up to ANYONE that has friends that work at Hooters.

[shock]

Growing up, and in the last 5 years, ISUR was my favorite non-WSU Valley team. Jackie was my favorite non-WSU player. That all changed when HCDM took over and Jackie kicked TC in the face. However, ISUR fans (not including those on the interwebs) are the nicest fans in the Valley, bar none. Who knows, maybe that changed, too.

[pogo]

Nice to see good people showing up from time to time. I used to enjoy the redbird fans for the most part when we each hated cretin. GORL is one of those visitors that was always a good read no matter who wound up winning the game. I think some of the hate has come from the recent success WSU has enjoyed while the rebirds lost their coach and most of the players that jank brought in. I wonder how many of us would be generous to another fan base and willing to suffer ridicule if we went from contenders to pretenders in one year? Maybe I have seen too many lows and fewer highs to not remember from where we came. But I admit the high we are on right now is one SOB. Go Shocks and go redbirds when we aren't playing them.

[150946shox]

Hello Old Shocker Friends

Sure seems like things have changed for the worse between our programs and fan bases. I feel sick about it. I am trying to help. I have conducted meetings and tried to bridge gaps. heck...i have even meditated on the subject and I am not one to do that. :)

I still really like you guys and I really like your program. I truly hope the garbage from the past couple years dissolves but I have a bad feeling it won't.

Here's is hoping my greatest fears don't come true tonight. Those fears have nothing to do with the outcome of the game as I know WSU will win by 25+. They are just far better than my Redbirds are right now.

I just wish we could go back to the days of having mutual respect for each other as people. Individuals on both sides seems to be filled with hatred and that makes me very sad and very uneasy.

Good luck tonight and the rest of the way.

PS---No matter what I will always think of all of you as my friends and my colleagues.

Sincerely

GORL

Always great to hear from you GORL. Sad that things can happen, but the fact is that passion happens in sports. My desire in this situation is that Shocker fans will be reasonable when posting in the Redbird board. We know that there were some hard feelings over the John Wilkins - Garrett Stutz situation in St Louis, 2012 and then the Carmichael situation and the tunnel confrontation last year, and Coach Ford leaving for an opponent after only one year. Things happened. It's past time to get over it. I'm sure I am not going to waste any effort hating the Redbirds or their fans over what happened in the past.Stutz, Wilkins and Carmichael are all gone now.

I've ready for some great basketball. I'll always pull for the Redbirds out of conference and usually in conference (depending upon how it affects the Shockers).

[ShockerFever]

However, ISUR fans (not including those on the interwebs) are the nicest fans in the Valley, bar none. Who knows, maybe that changed, too.

They were really nice and classy back in Redbird Arena last year. And I've heard lots of stories about them being pretty bad in St. Louis.

[shock]

I forgot about them throwing change at the boys.

[Phantom]

GORL isn't the only Redbird fan who feels that way. I share and echo his sentiments.

Hey Shox fans, it's been awhile for me too. While I'm all about intense rivalries, ours was always based on good rapport and respect, and therefore, enjoyable. Lately there seems to have been some bad blood injected into it however and that's not always for the good. Hopefully it smooths out. We'd like to save all the bitter disdain for Bradley anyway :)

As for tonight...it's a moral victory for us if we keep it within 20. Your team is great. Ours is learning.

[150946shox]

They were really nice and classy back in Redbird Arena last year. And I've heard lots of stories about them being pretty bad in St. Louis.

I for one have had nothing but pleasant times with Illinois State fans in St Louis during my 14 years stretch of attending. They've always been great.

[ABC]

I for one have had nothing but pleasant times with Illinois State fans in St Louis during my 14 years stretch of attending. They've always been great.

I agree. I attended the game at Ill State last year and had no problemos.

[another shocker]

here we go again.

[WuDrWu]

here we go again.

?

[The Mad Hatter]

You will absolutely both be welcome here. Given the tenor of the Redbird forums, however, I have serious questions about whether posters as reasonable as @Ghost of Rick Lamb: and @Phantom: will ultimately be welcome there. I believe that there is a really big contingent of reasonable ISU fans, but they don't seem to have much voice in the online discussions at the moment, and that is unfortunate.

[GOSHOX1]

Wow check out their forum, those people are crazy! Most are convinced that Marshall said in post game that the dude took out Fred on purpose? Didn't hear him say it like that at all.

[ShockerFever]

Wow check out their forum, those people are crazy! Most are convinced that Marshall said in post game that the dude took out Fred on purpose? Didn't hear him say it like that at all.

They will make anything up to feel better about themselves and their horrible situation.

Just take the 10th consecutive regular season beatdown of the Redturds and move on.

[GarH]

Always great to see classy posters. Welcome back.