I think you are on target there. Many do not see internet sports forums as more than entertainment and a distraction to other things in life. I would guess most are not on the forum to engage in formulating actionable ideas and then taking action on those ideas. It just isn't the nature of this or most other sports forums. It's not a cynical view, it is how it is.
No offense taken, as I'm not at all cynical about your idea. You are an odds person. You have used the "past performance is an indicator of possible future results" argument often and on many subjects. Some that have argued opposing views may have considered your past performance argument as cynical relative to the attachment they have to their own hopes. But, your past performance premise has been valid. And it applies here. This is as much an odds thing as those other topics where you embraced the concept. You may choose to see it different.
What I present on this topic is relative only to this topic. I have been involved in several grass roots movements. People embrace grass roots movements when they are passionate about the cause and are willing to expend energy and effort towards hoped for change. There is no movement here to be cynical about. There is no embracing. It is a good idea of a forum poster. A lack of others willing to take action based on it does not equate to cynicism or translate to a personal affront.
I have been among those that have affirmed the reasonableness of this idea, and other ideas you have offered. This is not about cynicism or problems with the messenger.
I'm not engaging or disengaging; I'm just internet forum rambling and buying time until kickoff.
I take all of that at face value and agree with most of it.
I'll only add this: I believe when people are motivated enough about a cause (in this case, the advancement of Marshall athletics, and especially football) to regularly engage in conversation, the seeds are there to grow solutions to obstacles that arise.
We all care about Marshall football, winning, and gaining achieving the national regard we tasted before. That much can't be disputed, jstherd's recent silly assertion to the contrary aside.
But you're right... for some, this is almost completely an exercise in entertainment and distraction from the more serious issues of daily life. Can't really blame anyone on that front for taking the position that they do. But that fact doesn't discourage from the attempt to rally them to do a little more, and to, at least, try to make a difference by merely adding a voice to the choir.
One other thing I didn't bring up before because I just hadn't thought of it yet...
You know, if you look at all this from Mike Hamricks' point of view, he needs US... the fans... to push this.
That is, it's not the kind of thing that he can propose and be seen by his peers as anything but a rebel or grandstander.
He NEEDS to be able to say to Britton Banowsky and anyone else, "This is something that our own fans have come up with, and have begun pushing for, and I have come to agree would put us in the best possible position to excel, both as a school, and by implication, as a conference."