Printable View
I said Louisiana's is bush. The use of the ('s) is very childish and weak. It may have served a purpose when we were USL. Not now.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunT
Oh yeah? Well you better get on the stick on getting it removed from the football unis and the baseball caps.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunT
Lafayette is located on that cap in the back, it meets the letter of the Law. It is also located on the uniform, small as it may be it meets the letter of the Law.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunNation
Are you sure? I have never seen a city tag anywhere on either the football uni or the baseball caps. The same goes for the basketball unis yesterday.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunT
I do know that you can currently purchase a mug, a decal, and several hats that say University of Louisiana or UL and nothing else at all on them.
I know because I own them all.
What's being done with the caps and football unis is that they can't be sold to the public without Lafayette somewhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunNation
Another trick is to have either "Cajuns" or "Louisiana" but not both on the same garment. Still another is what you pointed out, the 's attached to Louisiana.
As much as it irritates me, I think we have to play these games if necessary because I'm influenced by my background of not having heard of USL elsewhere. Louisiana-Lafayette won't be any better. We had a "BCS" caliber basketball team at the time that my PE coach recognized all the way out in Southern California, but I was a sports fan at the time and that national ranking didn't bring me recognition of the school.
For nearly 37 years I've heard comments to the effect that winning alone solves recognition problems. It could be the main ingredient, but my life's experience tells me that you must have a platform from which to win and get recognized. What I'm trying to say is that what we're going through with this name cat and mouse game is what we must do if we are going to eventually succeed.
Platform we need to win from is more funding.Quote:
Originally Posted by California Cajun
I certainly don't disagree with the overriding need for funding, but I think I have a unique experience being from somewhere else and I think it means something to a bowl selection or tournament selection committee if a general fan half way across the country knows the existence of the school being considered.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cajunsmike
On January 1, 1972 I had no idea I would ever live here, yet by late February I was here. I can tell you with absloute certainty that if I hadn't moved I would have still never heard of USL or Louisiana-Lafayette.
I feel that whatever you are being called when you do "WIN" is what will be locked into the public conscience.Quote:
Originally Posted by California Cajun
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only time we are legally obligated to use "Lafayette" is when "University of Louisiana" is used. The football and basketball uniforms say only "Louisiana", which is fine. That is also what makes the endzones on the football field fine. That's why we should market the athletic program as such.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunNation
Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunT
LOUISIANA is not bush league, it is what we want. LOUISIANA's is what is bush league. That is like saying Alabama's Crimson Tide, or Nebraska's Cornhuskers. It is rediculous and needs to change.
I was watching scores on ESPN this weekend between Louisiville and, I believe UNLV. Anyway, Louisville was referred to as UL. I know that is not a problem in and of itself if we go by UL, but why wouldn't we want a unique identity like ULA? Why deal with a further identity problem once we overcome the UL Lafayette or UL L issue? We can proceed like Texas (UT) and Tennessee (UT), which is what we are doing, or we can be unique like UGA, UVA and ULA. We are not yet established as UL, but Louisville is. Texas and Tennessee have long been established in what are now BCS leagues. So are Ohio State (OSU), Oregon State (OSU) and Oklahoma State (OSU).
LOUISIANA.
Reason you would not have heard of us is not doing anything significant in the major sports. That would be the case no matter how unique our name is our how pretty our uniforms are. Focus has to be on improving the on field results. I can guarantee you athletes don't think about stuff like this when they are making decisions. They think about how their living conditions when being recruited. That is what we need to improve. That is not to say your ideas don't have merit. They just are not at the top of the priority list.Quote:
Originally Posted by California Cajun
UGA= University of GerogiaQuote:
Originally Posted by HoustonCajun
UVA= University of Virgina
Everyone knows who they are in college sports. You want to use ULA, but we can't legally use The University of Louisiana with out the city tag. So the acronym means nothing.
UGA and UVA are all attached to the real names of those universities. Everyone knows it and that's why those abbreviations mean something.
At the time I signed out of my first high school, the PE coach (also varsity basketball coach) said we were ranked #13. So we were doing something significant in a major sport at the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cajunsmike
There seems to be a general feeling on this board that if football or basketball reached that same status today the problems associated with recognition (bowl selection and tournament seeding for example) would go away and I don't agree with it.
I understand perfectly where you're coming from and agree that the nuts and bolts of building a program are the most important ingredient.
OK guys, let's review.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunT
It's not law. Our legal name, "The University of Louisiana at Lafayette", that's law. And that won't ever change, not as long as ULM exists. But LSU's name is LSUA&MCBR. They have to put that on legal documents. But otherwise, they're not compelled to use it.
The requirement that we have to put "Lafayette" on everything comes from the UL System. When we failed to use it in the past, ULM, LSU, and occasionally others would complain to the UL System.
The UL System can change it.
The UL System can ignore it.
We can also ignore it. And as several posts here have noted, we often do... the baseball team's caps DON'T have "Lafayette." And ULM put themselves in a tough situation arguing against us when they used these helmets:
2003
2004 & 2005
None of these are breaking the law. There may be repercussions for any of these, and if there are, they will probably manifest themselves in the Leg.
But definitely not in the courts.
LOUISIANA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunT
Perhaps another gaffe by our administrators. If we expected to be saddled with the "at Lafayette", maybe we should have selected the University of Louisiana at Acadiana to keep the ULA acronym. It is like no one thought through this whole thing. That would have greatly helped in transitioning to the Louisiana name.
You have to understand. The name change done several years ago was done by the administration almost solely for academic purposes.Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonCajun
They knew exactly what they were doing.
As far as they are concerned, the name change was a resounding success.
Mrs. Express got me a brand new trailer hitch cover for Christmas. Gaud, that bold black cover with the giant chrome UL and little chrome lafayette which could only be gotten through the UL L Alumni group. Thank Simon-DronetQuote:
Originally Posted by Zeebart21
Express, you gave your wife a trailer hitch for Christmas? What a great idea!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cajun Express
.~.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunFun
So, when does Dr. S say let's do it. His inaugural theme was "WE ARE LOUISIANA". What exactly does that mean if we continue as Louisiana Lafayette? After 10 years, what are UL System repurcussions if we use LOUISIANA and UL for athletics only? I don't care that we are the University of Louisiana at Lafayette academically. So are just about all of the other major universities around the country. Let's just gain the right reference athletically. ULM has selected their reference. Now, let's select ours.
It means he knows what he's doing. He knows how the system works. He'll make his move after he finishes the groundwork.Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonCajun
That takes time. Oh, and he not only has a University run in the meantime, he also has to completely retool it from the previous admin.
One of the reasons I don't come on here much any more is that too many fans are simply ridiculous. Too many of you guys think that change is as easy as hitting a few keystrokes and then clicking the "Submit" button. Many of you think that everything should happen right away, and then proudly spout your opinions on things you don't even begin to understand.
And some of you even played HS ball, often for a coach whose only concept of team psychology was screaming at you.
And so-- not surprising-- many of you have exactly 3 responses when you don't get what you want:
1. Fire the Coach
2. Fire the Athletic Director.
3. Fire the President.
Oh, I'm sorry, my bad. There are 4 responses, I forgot one.
4. Fire all three of them.
Sheesh. This place makes my hair hurt.
And I'm bald.
good points. And let me preface my remarks with the fact that I like T-Joe and think that he'll get the job done and do right by us.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunFun
But I understand the frustration.
Its awfully hard to see NIU get something more than they deserved because of friends in the right places.
Where's our friends? When do we ever get more than what we deserve?
It's also hard to see ____ty schools like Buffalo get their act together PDQ and earn a bowl.
And it's damn near impossible to watch teams that we used to beat regularly in football and basketball (Memphis <state> I'm looking right at you) moving along.
Don't even get me started about the "never heard ofs" that somehow got it done (Davidson?, G. Mason?)
I am patient. But we still can't ask WHEN'S our time while we are still asking IF we'll ever have a time again.
*slow clap*Quote:
Originally Posted by AstroCajun
Last time I checked, an athletic department was also part of a university. This school has been run for decades like athletics is totally separate and apart from the university. Let's fix the academic side, then we'll get around to the athletic side. BCS schools understand the importance of great athletic programs and what that means to the university in terms of visibility, credibility, alumni support, funding, marketing, etc. Heck, not just BCS programs. Look at Appalachian State. UL has never "got it". My point is that Dr. A never "got it". I like to think Dr. S "gets it".Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunFun
Athletics doesn't need to be treated like the red-headed step child of the past. I have been following UL athletics for over 40 years and the one constant has been "wait til next year". We'll address it later. The problem is, it never gets addressed. We settle for the cheap way out every time and that means mediocrity, which we have all come to accept as the norm at UL. We are starting to see some areas getting fixed, but never get the big picture. Part of the university "retooling" you mentioned is athletics. It should no longer be business as usual because that hasn't worked. When athletics finally takes off, just watch the overall impact on the university. Athletics is not mutually exclusive with the university as you would have us believe.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunFun
I don't doubt that he knows what he is doing and is politically grounded in the state, which will certainly help UL. He hasn't been in office that long, so I know it takes time to complete his groundwork. My impatience is over poor coaching and poor results, particularly in football and basketball that we have had to tolerate year after year after year. Nothing seems to be done, coaches get continuing votes of confidence, and we continue with losing records, losing attendance, losing revenue ... we are just tired of losing. And, after almost 10 years, we still have this name debacle and identity issue.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunFun
Give us a vision for this university, both academically and athletically. Give us hope and understanding that things are changing for the better. I can wait a while longer knowing that. It is the lack of communication and inaction that seem to be the hallmarks of UL that are a major cause of frustration. This board is simply a venue for releasing that frustration and finding fellow alumni who share those same feelings. And, in your case, those who do not. But, that is OK. Dialogue is good. Does it have an impact on the university? Doubtful. But, a lot of positive things have come from this forum and expressing our feelings, concern and love for UL is one of them.
Isn't this the premise by which your boy got elected a couple months ago?Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunFun