I think the silence from the fanatics speaks volumes. In my humble opinion there are several factors that have led us down this path. Economics has had a huge impact in several ways. One way is mentality, the blue collar work ethic of the past has eroded and been replaced by a sense of entitlement. Kids use to see care givers come home from a hard shift at the mills or the railroad and grow up knowing you had to work hard for a living. The influx of new families moving to the area to work those jobs stopped when the industries shut down. People have been fleeing the area, Richmond is no longer one of the biggest schools in the state, hasn't been for awhile. So the talent pool has shrunk with the population. Richmond bloodlines have always been a big part of their success. Some of those bloodlines have moved, some have been depleted and some have been watered down through the generations. Economic woes are different for each community, Kannapolis went through similar times but it's location, close to Charlotte, has and will help it continue to sustain. Look at the areas around Richmond. Anson once 4A now 2A, Scotland 4A to 3A, Marlboro Co. in SC was once a big 16 school now it is a 2A.
Economics plays a role hiring coaches, maintaining facilities, community identity and population.
Another factor is coaching, I am not speaking of quality, there are some bright, talented people on the staff but what the current staff is lacking is experience. Look at previous staffs, there were always a core of veterans dating back to the 1st Barnes era. I love that there are so many former players on the current staff but playing at Richmond and coaching at Richmond are two completely different animals.
The last two factors I am only going to mention briefly because i am tired of typing. The world has changed, and not for the better. Football is hard, at Richmond and places that are use to being successful, it's even harder. Getting harder and harder to find kids tough enough. Finally, the landscape of high school football has shifted power on the 4A level. Urban and suburban schools now dominate, Richmond just doesn't have the resources to compete.
I will always love my Raiders, always going to support them no matter the record or the score. Anyways, sorry for the long winded answer but like i said there are several factors, not just one.
