Lack of interest

[mwrams]

Is it just me or does anyone notice the lack of interest in Texas High School football compared to a decade ago. Example is realignment or signing day...hardly any conversation. Folks used to blow the internet up when these events took place.

[Aesculus gilmus]

I think the young people becoming football coaches right now, especially at the secondary school level, have probably made a poor career choice. This will become apparent as time goes on and fewer and fewer parents let their boys play football as we know it. It may survive as some sort of 7v7 deal. Time will tell.

OTOH, the job market is so bad that maybe it makes sense to be a coach in one's twenties while awaiting either a turnaround in oil prices and the overall economy or, if it doesn't turn around, preparing to "bug out" as the final collapse of the economy occurs.

Here in Gilmer and its environs, we're close enough to the wilderness to be fairly "bugged out" already. :crazy1:

[Old Green]

It's a sign of the times. With Twitter, Facebook, and other social media have had an impact too . When we first started the board one of the of the original founders Gobbla2001 was interviewed by the local TV station. That was free advertising and it spread by word of mouth. Parents of players were our mainstay. Parents came in droves to the board for whatever sport their kids participated in.

Another thing IMO that changed the board was realignment. Rivalries were lost when a school moved up or down in classification. So they moved on. Also, there weren't but three high school sports boards. Now the audiences are spread out.

We still have quite a few members and have new members from all over, but they never post a comment.

So hopefully with the board setup with multiple classification, members who's schools change classification will still post here. Even if it's on the 4a forum.

And it's like this on other forums.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Matthew328]

The interest is there its just moved to other spaces and is more spread out

[Bosqueville]

One word.. Twitter.

[Yoe_09]

I think the interest is still there, but social media has taken people away from the forums...especially for football where scores are either all over Twitter, and of course now on the app.

[regaleagle]

What's an "app", haha??? There's still some of the old guard around to give the newbies something to sink their teeth into......besides "apps".

[Sweetwater Red]

Yes and in today's information age people don't want to read paragraphs full of fluff and regurgitated
news plagiarized from other forms of media. They want quick 140 character reads and twitter provides
that platform.

Regarding the DL I think what changes most is the success of teams. Sweetwater, Snyder, Brownwood
and Monahans all had a ton of posters on here. Once those teams began to trend down their posters
vanished. Both the Mustangs and Lions seem to be on the upswing. Whether their fans come back
remains to be seen.

[Rabid Cougar]

Twitter.... My youngest hardly ever Facebooks anymore. He tweets and snap chats his ass off though.

[Emerson1]

The good ol' days of the Downlow.

When I joined for the very first time 10 years ago this month.

[Aesculus gilmus]

Facebook appeals to an older demographic. That's why the youth fled it some years ago. They don't want to be on the same site as their parents/guardians.

[coach]

No, I think there is more interest than ever. This board is just dead. Mods went full Nazi on us and ran a ton of people off.

[Cam]

No, I think there is more interest than ever. This board is just dead. Mods went full Nazi on us and ran a ton of people off.

....I'm still here!.....surprised I haven't got the boot yet....especially after panfan convinced me to post that lady and her "puppies"......:doh:

[Cam]

.....and I thought this thread was about low testosterone!.......

[Rabid Cougar]

.....and I thought this thread was about low testosterone!.......

Well then.. this obviously is the right place!!!!

[d0tc0m]

Like others have said, the interest level in Texas High School Football is still high — maybe even higher than it was during what most of us who have been around the DL for a decade or so consider the good ol' days.

But, like has been mentioned, the rise of social media has led to the gradual decline of the message board days. Social media has led to the gradual decline of a lot of things, in my opinion. I can't stand any of it, to be honest, and I struggle with how pervasive and fluid the whole thing is. I've heard all the arguments about the purpose social media serves, and, even being not quite 30 years old, I still don't buy it. It's been extremely detrimental in a lot of ways and to a lot of different industries/platforms. Not to mention, 'social media' may quite possibly be the most ironically labeled thing in history. I could go on, and on, but to little avail. We could probably start a whole social media rant thread, to be honest.

All that said, just because the posting traffic may have declined on the DL doesn't mean the interest level in TX HSFB has gone down. Here in Missouri, people tell me all the time how the interest level in high school football is as high as its ever been. I can't begin to tell you how much higher it is in Texas, and how much ahead of the game the Lone Star State is compared to the Show-Me State.

[coach]

Like others have said, the interest level in Texas High School Football is still high — maybe even higher than it was during what most of us who have been around the DL for a decade or so consider the good ol' days.

But, like has been mentioned, the rise of social media has led to the gradual decline of the message board days. Social media has led to the gradual decline of a lot of things, in my opinion. I can't stand any of it, to be honest, and I struggle with how pervasive and fluid the whole thing is. I've heard all the arguments about the purpose social media serves, and, even being not quite 30 years old, I still don't buy it. It's been extremely detrimental in a lot of ways and to a lot of different industries/platforms. Not to mention, 'social media' may quite possibly be the most ironically labeled thing in history. I could go on, and on, but to little avail. We could probably start a whole social media rant thread, to be honest.

All that said, just because the posting traffic may have declined on the DL doesn't mean the interest level in TX HSFB has gone down. Here in Missouri, people tell me all the time how the interest level in high school football is as high as its ever been. I can't begin to tell you how much higher it is in Texas, and how much ahead of the game the Lone Star State is compared to the Show-Me State.

Thw social media thing is an excuse. There are other high school forums out there that are still going strong. This site crashed bc the mods ran a lot of people off about 5 years ago.

[d0tc0m]

Thw social media thing is an excuse. There are other high school forums out there that are still going strong. This site crashed bc the mods ran a lot of people off about 5 years ago.


That may be slightly true, but if you think social media hasn't contributed to the decline of this board, along with a lot of other boards/media platforms, then you're just being naive. Of course, some boards have survived the rise of social media — there will always be outliers for everything.

[coach]

That may be slightly true, but if you think social media hasn't contributed to the decline of this board, along with a lot of other boards/media platforms, then you're just being naive. Of course, some boards have survived the rise of social media — there will always be outliers for everything.


Oh I know social media has something to do with it. I also think why Social Media is so big is bc of the easy access. It is quick and easy to speak your mind.

[d0tc0m]

Oh I know social media has something to do with it. I also think why Social Media is so big is bc of the easy access. It is quick and easy to speak your mind.

Yup.That's exactly right. It's made everyone an instant critic. As a byproduct, it's birthed an overly cynical line of reasoning. That cynicism, often masked as sarcasm or some other form of dry humor, is often employed by tweeters and social media pundits of all kinds as the most apt way to get a few good laughs at the expense of someone else (whether known or unknown), which, inevitably, leads to lots of retweets, likes and follows. But, of course, as it always does, cynicism leads to insecurity, or, at least, the realization of insecurity, which cycles back and creates an even bigger 'need' for social media users to gain even more retweets, likes and follows. Rinse and repeat.

[Sweetwater Red]

Yup.That's exactly right. It's made everyone an instant critic. As a byproduct, it's birthed an overly cynical line of reasoning. That cynicism, often masked as sarcasm or some other form of dry humor, is often employed by tweeters and social media pundits of all kinds as the most apt way to get a few good laughs at the expense of someone else (whether known or unknown), which, inevitably, leads to lots of retweets, likes and follows. But, of course, as it always does, cynicism leads to insecurity, or, at least, the realization of insecurity, which cycles back and creates an even bigger 'need' for social media users to gain even more retweets, likes and follows. Rinse and repeat.

And if you don't believe that then just look at the beating Cam Newton is taking today on social media and the comparisons
between him and Peyton that users are making to try to turn it into a race issue...rinse and repeat.

[d0tc0m]

It's been awful. You'll have those who, for the sake of being heard, getting views/likes/retweets/etc., will demonize an under-30 player who just lost the biggest game of his life and lacks the maturity to understand that it was, in fact, just a game and now he simply needs to face the music. Then, you'll have those who, like Red mentioned, will turn that and the juxtaposition of Peyton into a race issue. Then, you'll have those who will be up-at-arms against those trying to make it about race. Then, you'll have another counter punch of those who are in a fit of rage against those who they deem are simply too ignorant to the rampant race issues facing our culture.

But in the end, none of those people give a damn about any of those issues. They just want retweets, likes and follows to stave off the beckoning of their insecurities and fears that they don't matter and their opinions will never be heard or appreciated.

Society is for the worse because of social media.

Or, maybe I'm just bitter and cynical and caught up in my own insecurities of being lost somewhere between Generation X and the Millenials, and I'm afraid my voice doesn't matter and will never be heard, and no one really likes me ...

Damnit. The irony. It wins again.

[Aesculus gilmus]

I like you, d0tc0m, even if you are from Celina. :D

[panfan]

Tweeting is for the birds.

[coach]

Yup.That's exactly right. It's made everyone an instant critic. As a byproduct, it's birthed an overly cynical line of reasoning. That cynicism, often masked as sarcasm or some other form of dry humor, is often employed by tweeters and social media pundits of all kinds as the most apt way to get a few good laughs at the expense of someone else (whether known or unknown), which, inevitably, leads to lots of retweets, likes and follows. But, of course, as it always does, cynicism leads to insecurity, or, at least, the realization of insecurity, which cycles back and creates an even bigger 'need' for social media users to gain even more retweets, likes and follows. Rinse and repeat.

I use Facebook, bc it became big when I was in college. It was fun and for the most part people used it for the right reasons. I.E. keeping up with your old friends and another way of communicating. Then the adults ruined it. Not sure why the adults felt the need to get on Facebook with a bunch of college kids but it killed the enjoyment of it. I started using Twitter around 2008 and I will admit I used it bc it was the hip thing to do. I now use it just to get my sports info from. I also use it to vent my frustrations on my Cowboys, Rangers, and Aggies. I just ignore all the other stuff that Twitter brings. I agree with you though. it is just another forum where idiots hide behind a computer and talk crap.

[Emerson1]

Bring back PPHSFan

[coach]

Bring back PPHSFan

And JR2004

[d0tc0m]

It's time to grant amnesty to those who have been banned. Enough time has passed. Let's create a Texas DownLow we can all believe in!

[d0tc0m]

I like you, d0tc0m, even if you are from Celina. :D



RT @Aesculus gilmus

[Phil C]

It's a sign of the times. With Twitter, Facebook, and other social media have had an impact too . When we first started the board one of the of the original founders Gobbla2001 was interviewed by the local TV station. That was free advertising and it spread by word of mouth. Parents of players were our mainstay. Parents came in droves to the board for whatever sport their kids participated in.

Another thing IMO that changed the board was realignment. Rivalries were lost when a school moved up or down in classification. So they moved on. Also, there weren't but three high school sports boards. Now the audiences are spread out.

We still have quite a few members and have new members from all over, but they never post a comment.

So hopefully with the board setup with multiple classification, members who's schools change classification will still post here. Even if it's on the 4a forum.

And it's like this on other forums.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Old Green do you think also it could be due to the disillusion with the UIL who is on the way to possible change and ruin high school football as we know it?

[Farmersfan]

Yup.That's exactly right. It's made everyone an instant critic. As a byproduct, it's birthed an overly cynical line of reasoning. That cynicism, often masked as sarcasm or some other form of dry humor, is often employed by tweeters and social media pundits of all kinds as the most apt way to get a few good laughs at the expense of someone else (whether known or unknown), which, inevitably, leads to lots of retweets, likes and follows. But, of course, as it always does, cynicism leads to insecurity, or, at least, the realization of insecurity, which cycles back and creates an even bigger 'need' for social media users to gain even more retweets, likes and follows. Rinse and repeat.



Do you think that the cynicism could have always been there but is just now finding an avenue to be expressed?

[Farmersfan]

It's been awful. You'll have those who, for the sake of being heard, getting views/likes/retweets/etc., will demonize an under-30 player who just lost the biggest game of his life and lacks the maturity to understand that it was, in fact, just a game and now he simply needs to face the music. Then, you'll have those who, like Red mentioned, will turn that and the juxtaposition of Peyton into a race issue. Then, you'll have those who will be up-at-arms against those trying to make it about race. Then, you'll have another counter punch of those who are in a fit of rage against those who they deem are simply too ignorant to the rampant race issues facing our culture.

But in the end, none of those people give a damn about any of those issues. They just want retweets, likes and follows to stave off the beckoning of their insecurities and fears that they don't matter and their opinions will never be heard or appreciated.

Society is for the worse because of social media.

Or, maybe I'm just bitter and cynical and caught up in my own insecurities of being lost somewhere between Generation X and the Millenials, and I'm afraid my voice doesn't matter and will never be heard, and no one really likes me ...

Damnit. The irony. It wins again.


LOL! What's ironic is that you go on a long and "CYNICAL" rant about how social media has created a generation of cynical people.

[toddg]

LOL! What's ironic is that you go on a long and "CYNICAL" rant about how social media has created a generation of cynical people.
that was his point

[d0tc0m]

LOL! What's ironic is that you go on a long and "CYNICAL" rant about how social media has created a generation of cynical people.


Exactly. Which is why I made the funny ironical quip at the end. Come on, FarmersFan, read the whole post or work on reading comprehension.

[Bullaholic]

This board is no different from life---you get back what you put in. If all you do is cry and gripe, try to be mean-spirited to stir things up all the time, never express an interest in anyone else's team, never initiate or reply to an informational, interesting, or thought provoking thread, then you are going to experience a lack of interest on your part. There's nothing wrong with honest opinions and spirited discussion---but things become worrisome and become turn-offs when driven into the ground. This is similar to the negative opinions fans form of players who continue to get multiple unsportsmanlike penalties in a short period of time in a game because they can't control themselves. And a word about the mods and board owners----these are good folks who serve this board gratis with their time and efforts, and do the best they can to keep it running smoothly and make it an enjoyable place to discuss Texas high school sports for all comers. You may not like the call an umpire makes, and you have the right to express your disagreement within limits, but if you make it personal---you are out of line. I have always enjoyed the rich and varied poster community on this board, and I have learned a lot about many teams, fans, and towns that otherwise I would not have had the opportunities. Looking forward to reading---and replying---to all of your threads that I can in the coming seasons. Texas high school sports and the kids who play them are among the best in the world in achievement, zeal, and degree of participation.....

[BwdLion73]

This board is no different from life---you get back what you put in. If all you do is cry and gripe, try to be mean-spirited to stir things up all the time, never express an interest in anyone else's team, never initiate or reply to an informational, interesting, or thought provoking thread, then you are going to experience a lack of interest on your part. There's nothing wrong with honest opinions and spirited discussion---but things become worrisome and become turn-offs when driven into the ground. This is similar to the negative opinions fans form of players who continue to get multiple unsportsmanlike penalties in a short period of time in a game because they can't control themselves. And a word about the mods and board owners----these are good folks who serve this board gratis with their time and efforts, and do the best they can to keep it running smoothly and make it an enjoyable place to discuss Texas high school sports for all comers. You may not like the call an umpire makes, and you have the right to express your disagreement within limits, but if you make it personal---you are out of line. I have always enjoyed the rich and varied poster community on this board, and I have learned a lot about many teams, fans, and towns that otherwise I would not have had the opportunities. Looking forward to reading---and replying---to all of your threads that I can in the coming seasons. Texas high school sports and the kids who play them are among the best in the world in achievement, zeal, and degree of participation.....

Don't try to confuse all the learnered posters on here with common sense. ;)