Final Four - Who do you want to win?

[CajunCherokee]

why don't you focus your efforts on improving ULL and less trying to bring down LSU?

I really don't care one way or another about the name change thing and I personally don't care what you call yourselves, but if you can call yourselves the University of Louisiana, then why can't ULM, or one of the other mid-major state schools?. There is not a competition between LSU and ULL, because the two schools are in totally different situations.

I agree that both schools are in totally different situations, but the actions that LSU has done in the past (and still continue to do) in not allowing other Universities in the state to flourish is the root of my bitterness. Other states do not have a problem in (and benefit from) having more than one major University in their state. Why not Louisiana?

I realize that it is unlikely that we will never be on the widescale arena that LSU operates in, but with their resources, they should be welcoming, not condemning, the growth of state Universities, which would ultimately improve the state of Louisiana. I just can't help but think about almost all of the other states in the country having more than one major University and realize that although we need to improve our University within to improve our status, we are fighting against a glass ceiling that LSU installed many years ago to stunt our growth.

I also can go state state-by-state on the map and name a "University of" and "State University" for most. Why is Louisiana not a part of that? So while LSU thinks that by their national achievements they are making Louisiana a better state, they are to some extent because of national acknowledgement. But major multiple major Universities can boost a state's moral like non-other.

Just my opinion and GEAUX CAJUNS!

[Rebel02]

Needs to have a fifth option....Anyone but L$U, which I would have selected.

For the record, I voted for UCLA.

[geo_cajun]

What is wrong with this thread? It smells like corndogs!
I cheer for the LSU bball players because they are Louisiana boys, and positive attention for louisiana is a good thing. But I root against LSU and all it hypocritically stands for. They go out of their way to hold us back academically and athletically. They copy our ideas (Geaux Cajuns was around a long time before Geaux Tiggers was a thought). And then they have the audacity to ask what we are complaining about. LSU gets more than half the state money that goes to secondary schools in the state, the others all share less than half. With all of the money they already make on marketing, that just doesn't seem fair, or even in the best interest of higher education in the state of louisiana. We can't "copy" any academic programs that LSU may have, but they can steal our well respected computer science program (the first in LA and one of the first in the south) among others. But mostly I hate the smug faces of those LSU "fans" (most of whom never set foot on a college campus) that think they are so cool cause they are LSU fans. Guess who is doing more with what they have academically? We Are!

Whew! I hate when I get all worked up. Back to the point,
Geaux Louisiana! Go to h3ll LSU!

[J-Town Cajun]

What is wrong with this thread? It smells like corndogs!
I cheer for the LSU bball players because they are Louisiana boys, and positive attention for louisiana is a good thing. But I root against LSU and all it hypocritically stands for. They go out of their way to hold us back academically and athletically. They copy our ideas (Geaux Cajuns was around a long time before Geaux Tiggers was a thought). And then they have the audacity to ask what we are complaining about. LSU gets more than half the state money that goes to secondary schools in the state, the others all share less than half. With all of the money they already make on marketing, that just doesn't seem fair, or even in the best interest of higher education in the state of louisiana. We can't "copy" any academic programs that LSU may have, but they can steal our well respected computer science program (the first in LA and one of the first in the south) among others. But mostly I hate the smug faces of those LSU "fans" (most of whom never set foot on a college campus) that think they are so cool cause they are LSU fans. Guess who is doing more with what they have academically? We Are!

Whew! I hate when I get all worked up. Back to the point,
Geaux Louisiana! Go to h3ll LSU!

Well put Geo Cajun

[Hammer58]

why don't you focus your efforts on improving ULL and less trying to bring down LSU?

I really don't care one way or another about the name change thing and I personally don't care what you call yourselves, but if you can call yourselves the University of Louisiana, then why can't ULM, or one of the other mid-major state schools?. There is not a competition between LSU and ULL, because the two schools are in totally different situations.

We do try to focus our efforts on improving UL. That was what the name change was all about. The only reason monroe is involved is because of the change in the law spearheaded by State and its supporters that required an additional school to change their name. And since we are at it why can't the campus in Alexandria or Shreveport just call themselves LSU? Don't they have just as much right Maybe even more so than LSUA&MC in Baton Rouge? As for the comparison between LSUA&MC and UL, you are correct that we are in totally different situations. One has the state legislature writing it inot law that they should have superior funding and status over the other rather than allowing each school to strive to be the best they can without any artificial restrictions.

[bigguill]

Exactly, I just don't understand why Louisiana is so bent on keeping the other schools down. Heck, if it wasn't us, I wouldn't mind seeing Tech become a prominent University. In December, I took a trip to Louisville, KY and as we were entering the state, there was I sign that said, "Welcome to Kentucky, Where Education Matters." I thought to myself, "wow, what would it be like to live in a state that actually cares about its education system?"

I agree that both schools are in totally different situations, but the actions that LSU has done in the past (and still continue to do) in not allowing other Universities in the state to flourish is the root of my bitterness. Other states do not have a problem in (and benefit from) having more than one major University in their state. Why not Louisiana?

I realize that it is unlikely that we will never be on the widescale arena that LSU operates in, but with their resources, they should be welcoming, not condemning, the growth of state Universities, which would ultimately improve the state of Louisiana. I just can't help but think about almost all of the other states in the country having more than one major University and realize that although we need to improve our University within to improve our status, we are fighting against a glass ceiling that LSU installed many years ago to stunt our growth.

I also can go state state-by-state on the map and name a "University of" and "State University" for most. Why is Louisiana not a part of that? So while LSU thinks that by their national achievements they are making Louisiana a better state, they are to some extent because of national acknowledgement. But major multiple major Universities can boost a state's moral like non-other.

Just my opinion and GEAUX CAJUNS!

[RaginFan2]

Exactly, I just don't understand why Louisiana is so bent on keeping the other schools down. Heck, if it wasn't us, I wouldn't mind seeing Tech become a prominent University. In December, I took a trip to Louisville, KY and as we were entering the state, there was I sign that said, "Welcome to Kentucky, Where Education Matters." I thought to myself, "wow, what would it be like to live in a state that actually cares about its education system?"

Amen!

[RaginFan2]

Well put Geo Cajun

Ditto!

[shof]

What is wrong with this thread? It smells like corndogs!
I cheer for the LSU bball players because they are Louisiana boys, and positive attention for louisiana is a good thing. But I root against LSU and all it hypocritically stands for. They go out of their way to hold us back academically and athletically. They copy our ideas (Geaux Cajuns was around a long time before Geaux Tiggers was a thought). And then they have the audacity to ask what we are complaining about. LSU gets more than half the state money that goes to secondary schools in the state, the others all share less than half. With all of the money they already make on marketing, that just doesn't seem fair, or even in the best interest of higher education in the state of louisiana. We can't "copy" any academic programs that LSU may have, but they can steal our well respected computer science program (the first in LA and one of the first in the south) among others. But mostly I hate the smug faces of those LSU "fans" (most of whom never set foot on a college campus) that think they are so cool cause they are LSU fans. Guess who is doing more with what they have academically? We Are!

Whew! I hate when I get all worked up. Back to the point,
Geaux Louisiana! Go to h3ll LSU!

Guess I'm a "middle of the road guy" on this issue. Since I haven't lived in Louisiana for over 25 years I don't see the "ugliness" that can go on. Sure, I've read about the baseball and softball issues from a few years back. My former brother-in-law was a huge LSU supporter; but never "flaunted it" in the "we are better than you" manner we so often see. I've been in San Antonio for the past 12 years now, and while you see the UT/aTm banter; its much more in a good natured manner. Anyway, the wife and I were at some friends house when the LSU/aTm BB game was on. Friend is an aTm grad so he said to me, "guess you're pulling for LSU" to which I replied, "not really". I said I am not an LSU fan; but I'd like them to win for the players, they're mostly LA kids. I felt the same way watching LSU beat Miami in their most recent bowl game. Happy for the players (besides, Miami has a bunch of hoodlems anyway, right ). So, while I don't root for them, I don't root against them either. If they win, good. If not, oh well.

What gets me is that in pretty much any other place I've lived you don't see any one institution consciously trying to hold others down. In Texas we have UT, aTm, TxTech.....all publically funded institutions participating in the same conference. In fact, one of my kids is at Tech, and the other in the UT system. Is UT the "big dog"? Probably; but you don't see them trying to suppres the others? And while we are on the name thing; did you see UT or the others for that matter, putting up a big stink when SW Texas State wanted to change their name to Texas State? Not really, and they're only 20-30 miles down the road from UT! You probably won't see them putting up any resistance should Tx State try to move football up to D-1A either. Most likely you'd hear "good for them." In essense, they are not "threatened" by the smaller schools trying to make themselves better. So, why does LA have to be the way it is? Because too many people are concerned about "protecting their turf" so to speak. If it is good for U(S)L/ULL, then it can't be good for us. That type mentality is keeping this state down. That is exactly the mentality that forced "UL" to change its name back to USL in the 80's. And unfortunetly, I don't see that changing any time soon.

[RaginFan2]

... Because too many people are concerned about "protecting their turf" so to speak. If it is good for U(S)L/ULL, then it can't be good for us. That type mentality is keeping this state down. That is exactly the mentality that forced "UL" to change its name back to USL in the 80's. And unfortunetly, I don't see that changing any time soon.

You are so right, unfortunately. I have lived in other states around the country and I've never seen the type of mentality that surrounds LSU. I feel it comes from a deep-rooted sense of failure on a state-wide basis. In my theory, so many identify so strongly with LSU because it has seemed (in their perception perhaps) that that is the only CONSISTENT success Louisiana has had on a national basis. So they cling tightly to it and fear anything that might appear as even a remote possibility of upsetting the apple cart. Even (especially!) those with no direct ties to LSU react harshly to anyone else who looks to be improving their university for fear that this is a zero sum game, and anything that improves UL, for example, is chipping away a brick in LSU's facade. Just my theory.

[CDeb]

Guess I'm a "middle of the road guy" on this issue.

Your views seem to mirror my own.

I used to have an active hate for LSU, but I think it's kind of childish now. Now I think of them like I think of Washington, Illinois or New Mexico: just another big state school that I didn't go to.

I'm genuinely happy for the Louisiana kids when they win big, but I don't really root for them.

And sometimes it is nice for the idiotic amongst the tiger fans to be left spitting wooden nickels.

[Hammer58]

You are so right, unfortunately. I have lived in other states around the country and I've never seen the type of mentality that surrounds LSU. I feel it comes from a deep-rooted sense of failure on a state-wide basis. In my theory, so many identify so strongly with LSU because it has seemed (in their perception perhaps) that that is the only CONSISTENT success Louisiana has had on a national basis. So they cling tightly to it and fear anything that might appear as even a remote possibility of upsetting the apple cart. Even (especially!) those with no direct ties to LSU react harshly to anyone else who looks to be improving their university for fear that this is a zero sum game, and anything that improves UL, for example, is chipping away a brick in LSU's facade. Just my theory.

My theory is that the LSUA&M mentality of trying to hold others down is due to the influence of Huey Long. Long showered State with money and resources to spite Tulane for rejecting him. State's success was created because of the chip on his shoulder and it ingrained a sense of paranoia that anything that was good for someone else must be bad for him.