Basketball Talent!

[CajunRed]

When I started the "Basketball Talent" thread a couple of days ago, I referred to that other school only as a way of pointing out what REAL talent looked like... not to be confused with what the Cajuns had returning from thiis past year's team. I didn't intend this to become a commentary on the purple and gold school.

Most have missed the original point, whiich is the state of UL basketball and exactly where we are for this coming year and beyond. Althouugh I like bashing that school, how about some comments on OUR problems!

[Sonsissymia]

When I started the "Basketball Talent" thread a couple of days ago, I referred to that other school only as a way of pointing out what REAL talent looked like... not to be confused with what the Cajuns had returning from thiis past year's team. I didn't intend this to become a commentary on the purple and gold school.

Most have missed the original point, whiich is the state of UL basketball and exactly where we are for this coming year and beyond. Althouugh I like bashing that school, how about some comments on OUR problems!

you miss the point red, even tho' you might not have meant to make it--the mind-set that makes you unable to even call lsu lsu and instead 'the school down the road' bred this thread [____ that's some rhyming]. even the anti ul tiger fans i know usually call the school ul or ull, not 'the school in acadiana' or some such other name. but again, bottom-line, the ul anti-lsu sentiment doesn't seem to be holding the athletic dept back any, and i must confess that alot of the threads on this board do offer amusement value. anyway, go tigers and go cajuns too.

[Turbine]

When it comes to collegiate sports teams that I like to watch, UL is my favorite, and LSU is 2nd, Nebraska is 3rd . . .

For some weird reason I root for all Louisiana teams (to much varied degrees) and for some even weirder reason I can appreciate the paradigm from which each and every one of you originate and how you came to your conclusions.

Meaning: If my life path had been exactly the same as yours, I might feel the exact same way you do.

Having noted that, I still can't grasp how or why LSU had the audacity to cancel the series with Tulane back in 1902. With the cancellation coming so on the tail end of a time when Tulane had started beating them, it just didn't make sense then and it doesn't make sense to me now.

---

Back to the subject of the page opening post. I can appreciate how close UL is to being a winner. I also appreciate the fantastic ability of the coaching staff to spot talent.

Darrell Mitchell was recruited by UL since he was a sophomore. If not for the 202 5-9 waiver he would be a Ragin' Cajun. Hey no one else recruited him besides UL and then LSU at the last 5-9 second.

As late as LSU recruited D.M. it wasn't as late as USC recruited Ryan Francis. This coaching staff spotted him EARLY on. This staff knows talent.

UL offered Tyras Thomas a scholarship; he chose to walk on where he really wasn't initially wanted. He was benched a year and supposedly grew into the talent that is. This UL staff KNOWS talent in advance!

At some point in time a player will take the offer of scholarship right away, and stick to their commitment. The UL coaching staff that appreciates what the player can be before he is, can't help but make its mark, the odds are on their side.

Hey this recruiting class might be the one. With their track record I have to conclude that if this UL staff offered there is a fairly good chance that the player might be special.

[Hammer58]

... the ul anti-lsu credo is unique among the 'other in state schools.' ...

The fact that State hasn't exerted the effort to hold the other schools back like it has with UL and the name change dating back to the 80's contributes to those attitudes. This bad blood didn't develop in a vacuum.

I do remember similar attitudes by UNO students when they were fighting State to achieve their name change. The difference being that UNO eventually got the name they wanted. State lost that battle.

[UL_Cajuns]

It would be a LOT easier to pull for lsu if their supporters didn't a) look down their collective nose at us, b) ridicule and put us down constantly, c) make fun of "ignorant cajuns", then adopt Cajun acoutrements, d) fight us constantly when any improvement in our university is seen as an attack on the "flagship status" at Baton Rouge, e) virtually demand that any Louisiana resident support/cheer for lsu, regardless of their own alma mater, ........ , etc., etc. Please don't misunderstand me, I started out as a Tiger fan. I went to HS in North Louisiana and began my college career at lsu. I had no real ties to Lafayette or the university there. Only after I transferred to then-USL, after being on the receiving end of many undeserved put-downs (some subtle, some not) of my new choice in higher education, and seeing how we almost always seemed to be out-manuevered by the political powers in BR, that I had enough of the bullying tactics. Then I began to resent lsu, or at least many of the supporters of the school. Thus I, too, had an "agonizing time watching" last night. I am happy for the players. Those kids are mostly from Louisiana and it's good to see them succeed. It's just the purple-and-gold jerseys they wear that represents so many bad feelings which makes for the pepcid moments. I know from experience that there are many fine lsu fans who are genuinely glad when we have success. I think you may be that kind of fan. I was apprehensive about you when you first came on this board, but you've changed my mind as you've mellowed a bit. I hope your daughter is enjoying her time at UL. My son is a senior at UL and is loving it. I would love to see the day when Tigers and Cajuns cheered for each other regularly (when we weren't playing each other naturally). Unfortunately, I don't think that day is right around the corner for most of us. I know a few folks who go to BR and wear purple, then come to Lafayette and wear red. Those folks are a rare breed.

Yeap I used to be an LSU fan when I was growing up, all through High School until I went to UL and I saw exactly what you are talking about.

[NCAA or BUST]

I'll ask again... Which returnee from this year's team would another school look at a say... "Wow, we've got to have THAT guy!" I think in most cases, the answer would be NONE!

What do you think?

That don't mean nothing. Michael Jordan got cut in high school. What matters is if the players we have can get better in the offseason.

[CutOff_Cajun]

That don't mean nothing. Michael Jordan got cut in high school.

This is the most overused cliche in sports today.

I can't believe you pulled this one out of your hat.

Thank you for the sappiest motivation job in history.

[CutOff_Cajun]

my bad, double post on accident.

[Choppie29]

The sad thing is the alumni by choice. Some of these folks are UL alumni that now support lsu.:o :confused: I know a number of these people and they have no excuse other than they like the saturday night stadium atmosphere.

What really gets to me is lsu people who cannot understand why I don't support lsu. When I give them by 2 thousand reasons they still don't get it. Usually they reply, "you should pull for the tigers cause we are THE state school". I usually grit my teeth and reply, "so?" Usually that suffices to end that conversation.

Usually, I just come on to this website to get caught up on what is going on with Ragin Cajun sports and I don't post.......but after reading Cajun Charlie's post I just had to let you guys know what happen to me Saturday night.

I was attending a get together Saturday for two engaged couples that are close friends, and a mutual friend of both couples threw them a "Red and White" themed engagement party as they are all HUGE Ragin Cajun fans. The party started at 7:00 pm and all invited were encouraged to wear Red and White. Some of the people invited were LSU fans and were understandably ecstatic after the Tigers big win against Texas. I figured a couple of people would show up in LSU attire as some of the people invited were LSU graduates. I was wrong, only one person decided to wear purple and gold and he was a UL Lafayette graduate. I had a brief conversation with him and in front of a big group of Cajun Fans, I asked him sarcastically, "Didn't you finish at UL?" and he replied, "Yes I did........is that some kind of smart a#* comment?" and I said, "Yes it was". He followed that up by saying, "Well at least MY TEAM can win its conference tournament, the Cajuns haven't won their tournament in years."............I almost choked on my beer at that point, because everyone on this website knows that LSU didn't win its conference tournament this year. He proved my point for me. Most people that claim to be REAL LSU fans have only seen two or three games this year and they were all NCAA tournament games.

In general, I have nothing against LSU fans, even the obnoxious ones -- IF they are LSU graduates. It's the LSU fans that have a diploma that says USL or UL Lafayette on it that bother me. I know a few that graduated as a Ragin Cajun and have LSU football season tickets. There is something wrong with that.

Geaux Cajuns

[RonMexico]

Usually, I just come on to this website to get caught up on what is going on with Ragin Cajun sports and I don't post.......but after reading Cajun Charlie's post I just had to let you guys know what happen to me Saturday night.

I was attending a get together Saturday for two engaged couples that are close friends, and a mutual friend of both couples threw them a "Red and White" themed engagement party as they are all HUGE Ragin Cajun fans. The party started at 7:00 pm and all invited were encouraged to wear Red and White. Some of the people invited were LSU fans and were understandably ecstatic after the Tigers big win against Texas. I figured a couple of people would show up in LSU attire as some of the people invited were LSU graduates. I was wrong, only one person decided to wear purple and gold and he was a UL Lafayette graduate. I had a brief conversation with him and in front of a big group of Cajun Fans, I asked him sarcastically, "Didn't you finish at UL?" and he replied, "Yes I did........is that some kind of smart a#* comment?" and I said, "Yes it was". He followed that up by saying, "Well at least MY TEAM can win its conference tournament, the Cajuns haven't won their tournament in years."............I almost choked on my beer at that point, because everyone on this website knows that LSU didn't win its conference tournament this year. He proved my point for me. Most people that claim to be REAL LSU fans have only seen two or three games this year and they were all NCAA tournament games.

In general, I have nothing against LSU fans, even the obnoxious ones -- IF they are LSU graduates. It's the LSU fans that have a diploma that says USL or UL Lafayette on it that bother me. I know a few that graduated as a Ragin Cajun and have LSU football season tickets. There is something wrong with that.

Geaux Cajuns

Unfortunately, its the obnoxious ones that really, really standout, especially at ball games..

lsu fans will tell you, "it happens all over"(obnoxious fans)..... maybe it does, those incidences never seem to make the national news like at lsu, though...

The athletes at lsu are for the most part good kids that work hard. I salute them.

Their followers could really use some help in the manners dept..