When the few hearty Eagle fans at the stadium last Saturday heard the announcement that all signs had to go down, after more than a few spotted signs in the student section that said “Fire Sam Baker!” and “Bring Back the Triple Option!” it became clear how angry some Eagle fans have become. That is not to say, however, that this story is over. There is one football game left, and one more chance for fans of Georgia Southern football to say whatever they want about the state of the flagship sports program here.

GSU has always been in the shadow of other universities, most notably the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. For years, you’ve been able to see in the pages of The George-Anne letters to the editor and editorials condemning the lack of pro-Georgia Southern spirit in favor of support for the teams of other universities. Tied into that was the gnawing perception that GSU has been a school for people who were unable to get into UGA.

The university as a whole is attempting to change the tenor of the average GSU student with the “True Blue” campaign. Born out of recent programs such as Spirit and Traditions and the Traditions Council, True Blue is the best attempt yet at trying to instill a positive spirit into all students that being an Eagle is something to be proud of.

The irony of this is, while more and more students see GSU as a first-choice institution the one thing that gave students a greater sense of identity as Eagles - football - is on the decline. That came to the forefront last Saturday, but it’s been lurking since the 2006 3-8 campaign.

Another irony is that the lack of true spirit at GSU was most glaring during the late 1990s, when our football team was king of I-AA football. Looking at G-A archives from that time period, I’m astounded to see editors and columnists write about the decided lack of student interest in games during the regular season. Perhaps being used to the playoffs made them that way, but the student body of today has set attendance records for the past few seasons without playoffs to look forward to.

No one knows what the future holds for Eagle football or for our overall athletics program. But it’s clear that the True Blue campaign came just in time to raise our spirits and toughen our resolve. Being “True Blue” means more than supporting the football team. It means having a respect for what came before at GSU and also looking towards the future with hopes and aspirations.

That’s exactly what the two students with their signs on Saturday were doing. And it’s also what people on forums, criticizing or defending Coach Chris Hatcher and Athletic Director Sam Baker, have been doing.

Being True Blue means not just loyalty to your school, but a willingness to step back and analyze what’s being done in your name as a member of the Georgia Southern community.