About the new board name (cougarstadium.com)

[cougjunkie]

JL is right. Sorry Ute fans your fan base is garbage and the only way for this board to grow is to cater to a larger audience. Would you rather cater to a world wide fan base or a fan base that fits between 6th south and Guardsman way?

JL you are doing what is best for this community and I applaud your efforts. Why cater to a fan base where the student section is 42 strong for basketball games?

Besides the majority of the "Ute fans" on this site are more BYU haters (I am looking at you PU, DUi Ute, and Scratch). They will still come here because they need that BYU interaction to feed the addiction.

The Utah threads have slowly diminished over time, and I would estimate about 1/3 of the active board members don't even look at the sports threads. Keep allowing opeople to air open grievances about the church and you will not lose any participation from current members. With that being said if you are catering to the BYU fan base and you continue to allow the second-guessing of the lords anointed I suspect you will not grow the board as you hope.

[LA Ute]

I think by lamenting the loss of the conference affiliation, you're ignoring the real connections between the BYU fans in Utah fans that come here, the LDS church, and the close proximity of two major universities. Most of us likely haveboth BYU and Utah fans in our families and extended families; I am married to a Ute, after all. We also all have a passion for college football, in particular for our respective teams.

It's these connections that provide the common ground for us. And I think these are all the more important with the change in conferences.

And even with all that, I think the bonds we've developed over the years of posting here now provide the common ground. Sometimes, unless it's in people's board names, I have a hard time remembering who the Ute fans are, and who the BYU fans are.

I think the old name made it clear that this wasn't just for BYU fans, or just for Ute fans, but for people who have the connections that have existed for decades between these two universities, which go far beyond conference affiliation. I think by changing it to a BYU-centric name, you're not reflecting the loss of connection, you're creating a divide.

I don't like the change one bit. I'd prefer something that focuses on other connections that we have here, if the Cougar-Ute one is deemed no longer viable.

I fear that an unintended consequence is going to be the severing of the connections we have here. I don't see it as being particularly inviting to new people who happen to not be BYU fans, and it will result in a gradual eroding away of the Ute segment of our community here.

If that's your goal, fine, but if it's not, I'd hope you'd really consider whether you might have set your site down a road you haven't intended.

Well said. I also would like to hear from EC members who are willing to come forward and say they strongly support the change and think it is a good idea. Those folks have been kind of scarce here so far.

[pellegrino]

JL is right. Sorry Ute fans your fan base is garbage and the only way for this board to grow is to cater to a larger audience. Would you rather cater to a world wide fan base or a fan base that fits between 6th south and Guardsman way?

JL you are doing what is best for this community and I applaud your efforts. Why cater to a fan base where the student section is 42 strong for basketball games?

Besides the majority of the "Ute fans" on this site are more BYU haters (I am looking at you PU, DUi Ute, and Scratch). They will still come here because they need that BYU interaction to feed the addiction.

The Utah threads have slowly diminished over time, and I would estimate about 1/3 of the active board members don't even look at the sports threads. Keep allowing opeople to air open grievances about the church and you will not lose any participation from current members. With that being said if you are catering to the BYU fan base and you continue to allow the second-guessing of the lords anointed I suspect you will not grow the board as you hope.

never believe anyone who tells you diplomacy isn't your strong suit.

[Jeff Lebowski]

My quibble with your part two, is that I never had the feeling that the board catered to the two schools or fanbases(which is one of the major appeals for me), but that it catered to the community and its members. I don't care about the change, it is your board and your domain, do as you please. But the explanation still doesn't seem like more than a whim.

If something that I have contemplated since November 2008 constitutes a whim, then I suppose it is.

I would very much hope that going forward we are a group that welcomes interesting people from any fan base. Babs and landpoke have been two of my favorite posters here and they are not associated with either BYU or Utah. The welcome mat is still out to posters associated with any school. However, I just don't think it makes sense in the long-term to pretend to equally feature dual schools as part of the institutional framework of the board. I would challenge anyone to show me another sports message board anywhere in the US that is fundamentally based on two institutions. I don't recall ever seeing a single one.

[Pelado]

If something that I have contemplated since November 2008 constitutes a whim, then I suppose it is.

I would very much hope that going forward we are a group that welcomes interesting people from any fan base. Babs and landpoke have been two of my favorite posters here and they are not associated with either BYU or Utah. The welcome mat is still out to posters associated with any school. However, I just don't think it makes sense in the long-term to pretend to equally feature dual schools as part of the institutional framework of the board. I would challenge anyone to show me another sports message board anywhere in the US that is fundamentally based on two institutions. I don't recall ever seeing a single one.

So much for being unique.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Much easier to monetize, IOW. That at least is a rational reason.

BTW, I resent your implication. That had absolutely nothing to do with my motivation. The best thing for me financially would be to walk away from this board and never look back.

[Jarid in Cedar]

If something that I have contemplated since November 2008 constitutes a whim, then I suppose it is.

I would very much hope that going forward we are a group that welcomes interesting people from any fan base. Babs and landpoke have been two of my favorite posters here and they are not associated with either BYU or Utah. The welcome mat is still out to posters associated with any school. However, I just don't think it makes sense in the long-term to pretend to equally feature dual schools as part of the institutional framework of the board. I would challenge anyone to show me another sports message board anywhere in the US that is fundamentally based on two institutions. I don't recall ever seeing a single one.

I guess that is the case if you consider it just a sports message board. Babs and Landpoke were brought in by either ties to another poster or previous affiliation with older boards. Outside of a few Zag fans, how many posters have come from outside of the two main groups? The new name clearly sticks a flag in the ground of who you want to attract moving forward. Any anectodal evidence that the "Ute" portion of the name pushed a large volume of posters away from the site?

[MartyFunkhouser]

Re: About the new board name (cougarstadium.com)

If something that I have contemplated since November 2008 constitutes a whim, then I suppose it is.

I would very much hope that going forward we are a group that welcomes interesting people from any fan base. Babs and landpoke have been two of my favorite posters here and they are not associated with either BYU or Utah. The welcome mat is still out to posters associated with any school. However, I just don't think it makes sense in the long-term to pretend to equally feature dual schools as part of the institutional framework of the board. I would challenge anyone to show me another sports message board anywhere in the US that is fundamentally based on two institutions. I don't recall ever seeing a single one.

I'm just wondering on the over/under on a Ute fan posting something about Utah and getting the reply this is cougar stadium, go post this on Utefans. I'm disappointed about this change, there is no doubt it will marginalize the Ute portion on the community. I'm disappointed as it feels like this is killing off the one quality place for discussing Ute sports.

It is your site and you have every right to make this decision. I hope someone fills the void and starts a Ute site. Bad news is that will splinter this community.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[pelagius]

Well said. I also would like to hear from EC members who are willing to come forward and say they strongly support the change and think it is a good idea. Those folks have been kind of scarce here so far.

Your comment seems to have an unfair under-current to it, but here goes: I strongly support the decision. I do feel bad that valued Ute posters (like yourself) may feel marginalized to some degree by the change. I want you and other great Ute posters like Il Pad or Jarid (and many others to stick around). But I essentially agree with Leb's stated reasons.

[All-American]

BTW, I resent your implication. That had absolutely nothing to do with my motivation. The best thing for me financially would be to walk away from this board and never look back.

Depending on how this site would be received in Senate Confirmation hearings, it may be the best thing for LA, too.

[All-American]

So much for being unique.

You people.

There's hardly any one of you who would walk into the parlor of your friend's house, find that he has remodeled, and say anything that wasn't complementary. I certainly don't think any of you would conduct a straw poll to decide whether you collectively like the new layout. I don't think the fact that so many of you are doing just that right now means you have a double standard; I think it means you don't recognize that this is Jeff's place, and has been since 2009.

Cheers to our host. Love what you've done with the place.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I guess that is the case if you consider it just a sports message board. Babs and Landpoke were brought in by either ties to another poster or previous affiliation with older boards. Outside of a few Zag fans, how many posters have come from outside of the two main groups? The new name clearly sticks a flag in the ground of who you want to attract moving forward. Any anectodal evidence that the "Ute" portion of the name pushed a large volume of posters away from the site?

If you are talking about potential new posters, then I think finding evidence of a large volume that stayed away would be a futile exercise in attempting to prove a negative. As for existing posters leaving, yes there is anecdotal evidence. And I also mentioned the steady decline since 2009 in board activity (posts per month).

Also, I don't know if I would characterize it as the "Ute portion pushing someone away". I am sure that the "BYU" portion has pushed away a few Ute fans. The fundamental question is: is it best in the long-term to continue to officially feature two schools or pick one?

[myboynoah]

Well said. I also would like to hear from EC members who are willing to come forward and say they strongly support the change and think it is a good idea. Those folks have been kind of scarce here so far.

You're making me laugh.

I never really liked the name, but thought there was some deeper, cosmic meaning behind it. I found out there wasn't. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and now finally, acceptance.

[Pelado]

You people.

There's hardly any one of you who would walk into the parlor of your friend's house, find that he has remodeled, and say anything that wasn't complementary. I certainly don't think any of you would conduct a straw poll to decide whether you collectively like the new layout. I don't think the fact that so many of you are doing just that right now means you have a double standard; I think it means you don't recognize that this is Jeff's place, and has been since 2009.

Cheers to our host. Love what you've done with the place.

Not trying to be a pushy guest. I guess it just comes to me naturally.

I do like the uniqueness of a forum dedicated to the two fan bases - especially since my ire for Ute fans is entirely contrived. That said, I agree that the board name has never really rolled off the tongue (or keyboard, for that matter). And I've cared less lately about how Utah does in sports since it has no bearing on the Cougars' conference standings. So I can certainly see some rationale for a change.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Re: About the new board name (cougarstadium.com)

You people.

There's hardly any one of you who would walk into the parlor of your friend's house, find that he has remodeled, and say anything that wasn't complementary. I certainly don't think any of you would conduct a straw poll to decide whether you collectively like the new layout. I don't think the fact that so many of you are doing just that right now means you have a double standard; I think it means you don't recognize that this is Jeff's place, and has been since 2009.

Cheers to our host. Love what you've done with the place.

There are a few people who hung some wallpaper, painted some rooms and probably built some of the walls. I understand why they are upset.