Scientific persuasion, mass delusion and hypnotism

[NorthDallas40]

If you study these three topics, you would know they are used all the time by big business, media and politicians. A great person to read on this subject is Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, who has become a prominent social and political commentator in the last two years, focusing on these areas. When you study these topics even a little bit, you'd know that sports teams use them all the time. As a matter of fact, I am convinced that the University of Arkansas uses these basic principles more effectively than any other school. 

How else could you explain my prediction coming true that less than 24 hours after this monumental loss that posters here are already imploring us only to be positive unless you are not a real fan (as if the football program is a pre-pubescent teenager), predicting we will kill AM and that we are going to have a huge turnaround, and defiantly stating that TCU is a world class team? From any objective standard these positions are delusional and certainly not based on any discernible actual REALITY.

That the UofA can be such an effective persuader  is based on many factors. One huge factor is the fact that it effectively has a captured fan base, meaning it is the only major school in the state with no professional teams. Because of this captured fan base, many of whom - like mine - are many generations deep in the UofA, the fans are predisposed - like a cult - to believe whatever the UofA and its various arms - including the similarly captured local media and politically correct (not from a literal political standpoint) message boards - tellls them. 

Being out of state like I am, I think it's easier to not become deluded by the UofA's constant propaganda. For instance, I've had four season tickets in the Red Zone since it opened. I finally decided to drop them this year (although family ended up keeping two of them) based on a calculated conclusion that the Razorbacks would not be good this year.  The actual evidence for this conclusion (not hopes, dreams or propaganda) was plentiful. Now right off the bat, posters reading this post are already about to hit "post" telling me that I am not a real fan.  These posters are quite LITERALLY hypnotized by the UofA's propaganda. Not in the sense of someone from the school came to their house with a watch and put them under a spell.  Not at all.  What we have is a mass delusion just like what happens on a mass scale with advertising, media and politicians.

If your best argument against someone making a reasoned "argument" is that you are not a fan, you are psychologically deluded. 

Any objective person who watched our first game had every reason to conclude that this team and program have major, major flaws.  The o-line, the lack of WRs, instituting a new defense, to name a few.  And what was the main excuse here for that poor performance - that we were holding back plays to not give TCU film.  While there may be a bit of truth to that (although you really have no proof) it certainly did not refute all of the aforementioned problems. While I certainly hope the Hogs turn it around this year, the objective evidence shows that this will most likely not happen. If that comes to pass, us fans who are under this mass persuasion must demand accountability from the administration about the past undoubtedly poor decisions made and a concrete plan for moving forward.

[pigmailyen]

One of the most reasoned and factual posts I've read here in a long time, maybe ever. 

Rhetoric=reality in a captured market. 

[niels_boar]

You're right.  The rational thing for every 1-1 team to do right now is just mail in the rest of the season and start a coaching search. 

[NorthDallas40]

Thank you for proving my point.

[NorthDallas40]

WPS