UL Softball Ready to be Taken Seriously

[NewsCopy]

...they did go 12-0 in regular-season, non-conference games against regional qualifiers Arizona State, Boston University, Georgia Tech (2-0), Hofstra, Houston (2-0), Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi State, Mississippi Valley State and Northwestern, and Lotief obviously does not feel the 53-6 Cajuns were seeded nearly as highly as they should have been

The rest of the story

[CajunRed]

If we...the UL softball program and fans...have to rely on the big conferences to "be fair" and "do the right thing", then nothing will change. They will not give up their power and their positions of privilege.

One thing you got very right, Coach. At the end of the season...at seeding time...our ranking in the polls was a pretty darn good indication of where we were based on our body of work.

[jllanclos]

If we...the UL softball program and fans...have to rely on the big conferences to "be fair" and "do the right thing", then nothing will change. They will not give up their power and their positions of privilege.

One thing you got very right, Coach. At the end of the season...at seeding time...our ranking in the polls was a pretty darn good indication of where we were based on our body of work.

To expect fairness is futile. However, this program will rip one or more national championships from the clutches of these big conferences very soon. THAT'S when they'll really look like they're caught with their pants down, not giving us "respect."

I don't care about respect at all. I realize seeking it is futile. All I want is a national championship. Then I want the next one.

What do we need to do to win the national championship? Let's focus on THAT, and let the chips fall where they may.

[CajunEXPRESS]

The thing coach did not say is that he needs a lot more resources. Respect will never be given, but can be earned. To earn it we will have to play a lot more high profile teams and win a lot. Nothing else will get you a fair seeding, and that is the best way to win a WCWS, and if seeding is not important as some seem to think why would they bother seeding?

[HoustonCajun]

The thing coach did not say is that he needs a lot more resources. Respect will never be given, but can be earned. To earn it we will have to play a lot more high profile teams and win a lot. Nothing else will get you a fair seeding, and that is the best way to win a WCWS, and if seeding is not important as some seem to think why would they bother seeding?

Interesting to me that no one has interviewed Farmer about the seeding and he was head of the Softball Committee. I would like to know from his perspective how a #6 ranked team gets dropped to a #14 seed. And, the reality is we need to be in a better conference if we are going to get more respect.

[Just1More]

The thing coach did not say is that he needs a lot more resources. Respect will never be given, but can be earned. To earn it we will have to play a lot more high profile teams and win a lot. Nothing else will get you a fair seeding, and that is the best way to win a WCWS, and if seeding is not important as some seem to think why would they bother seeding?

What do you mean they need more resources? They earned a 6th or 7th place in the polls. They got screwed with the seeding. They did phenominal and got screwed in the seeding. We have better "resources" than most in softball. "That" was not the problem. We are in the SBC, play teams with terrible RPIs, and if we lose a single game to one of them, we are screwed unjustly. "That" is it. We don't need to get off the track of the fact, just as the coach himself stated, that there is a bias and an inherent unfairness that "over-rewards" the very select conferences (and even specific teams).

When the whole concept of bias gets dismissed, for instance, among my SEC breathren... I trap their silly asses by taking them for a little spin down "Alabama is the darling of the SEC" trail. One of my friends is a die-hard LSU fan. But, he's also exceptionally intelligent. He was giving me the "_____ envy" BS when I gave him some of my complaints about the unfair treatment of UL. I slow played him, by taking it a slight bit off-subject at first, and got him to agree to the "Alabama - darlings of the SEC". I asked him "what does that mean... darlings of the SEC". "Oh, the GD SEC and the media does whatever it can to make sure Alabama rises in the polls and gets the best seat at the table... if at all possible". I just gave him this long deadpan stare... and then said "_____ envy". He busted out laughing.

We got screwed due to bias... not resources. And no (jllanclos) we are not going to just "win a championship" and take care of it. We have to both do everything we can to be the best program and also try to persuade those that "judge" to be more even handed. They are currently using factors to supposedly remove differences in competition from the RPI formula that creates double and triple lowering of the Cajuns result, at the same time it increases the super conference and designated darlings result.

"That" is all Michael Lotief was essentially pointing out. He's also learned that softball is no different than football. They may have looked at each other in the days of an underfunded softball sport and thought it would be different. But, it is no different.

[jllanclos]

Interesting to me that no one has interviewed Farmer about the seeding and he was head of the Softball Committee. I would like to know from his perspective how a #6 ranked team gets dropped to a #14 seed. And, the reality is we need to be in a better conference if we are going to get more respect.

The question we need to be asking is: What actions can this university and program take to get a national seed? Like it or not, the actions we're taking aren't enough. Who on our schedule needs to be eliminated, in order to travel to an SEC program like Alabama or a Big XII program like Oklahoma for a 3 game series? How can we pay for it? How can we schedule it? How can we win it? 2 more of these series, replacing one of these home tournaments against 300+ RPI teams, gets it done.

Also consider that we had 2 games rained out this year against quality RPI opponents (didn't we?) NC and Arizona would have helped us. Maybe not to a national seed, but they would've helped us.

We are on the right track. But we need to focus on wha we CAN control and get behind Mike and Stefni. We need to pour money, resources and promotional energy into softball. When other programs start seeing success, we'll get serious about competing at a high level. But this progrm has earned the right for this university to support them in winning a National Championship. They're the only program we have competing at that level. Are we as a University satisfired? Or do we want to win a National Championship?

Despite what critics say, a softball national championship will do more for our Univerisy than many of the athletic feats we're pouring money into trying to accomplish.

[CajunRed]

What do you mean they need more resources? They earned a 6th or 7th place in the polls. They got screwed with the seeding. They did phenominal and got screwed in the seeding. We have better "resources" than most in softball. "That" was not the problem. We are in the SBC, play teams with terrible RPIs, and if we lose a single game to one of them, we are screwed unjustly. "That" is it. We don't need to get off the track of the fact, just as the coach himself stated, that there is a bias and an inherent unfairness that "over-rewards" the very select conferences (and even specific teams).

When the whole concept of bias gets dismissed, for instance, among my SEC breathren... I trap their silly asses by taking them for a little spin down "Alabama is the darling of the SEC" trail. One of my friends is a die-hard LSU fan. But, he's also exceptionally intelligent. He was giving me the "_____ envy" BS when I gave him some of my complaints about the unfair treatment of UL. I slow played him, by taking it a slight bit off-subject at first, and got him to agree to the "Alabama - darlings of the SEC". I asked him "what does that mean... darlings of the SEC". "Oh, the GD SEC and the media does whatever it can to make sure Alabama rises in the polls and gets the best seat at the table... if at all possible". I just gave him this long deadpan stare... and then said "_____ envy". He busted out laughing.

We got screwed due to bias... not resources. And no (jllanclos) we are not going to just "win a championship" and take care of it. We have to both do everything we can to be the best program and also try to persuade those that "judge" to be more even handed. They are currently using factors to supposedly remove differences in competition from the RPI formula that creates double and triple lowering of the Cajuns result, at the same time it increases the super conference and designated darlings result.

"That" is all Michael Lotief was essentially pointing out. He's also learned that softball is no different than football. They may have looked at each other in the days of an underfunded softball sport and thought it would be different. But, it is no different.

Nailed it!

[Just1More]

Interesting to me that no one has interviewed Farmer about the seeding and he was head of the Softball Committee. I would like to know from his perspective how a #6 ranked team gets dropped to a #14 seed. And, the reality is we need to be in a better conference if we are going to get more respect.

I want him to sit down with the seniors and explain... again... how he thought the #14 seed was "about right". I will allow them to have their bats with them, and I will jump in just before he loses his life. Scott is a good guy, but he needs to be educated.

[Bankruptcyman]

The question we need to be asking is: What actions can this university and program take to get a national seed? Like it or not, the actions we're taking aren't enough. Who on our schedule needs to be eliminated, in order to travel to an SEC program like Alabama or a Big XII program like Oklahoma for a 3 game series? How can we pay for it? How can we schedule it? How can we win it? 2 more of these series, replacing one of these home tournaments against 300+ RPI teams, gets it done.

We just need to play LSU home and home each year. Minimal expense involved and the RPI boost would help both teams. Of course LSU has all the money it needs and Coach Torino would never do anything that might help the Cajuns.

[ljr3721]

I want him to sit down with the seniors and explain... again... how he thought the #14 seed was "about right". I will allow them to have their bats with them, and I will jump in just before he loses his life. Scott is a good guy, but he needs to be educated.

Once again, this has been completely taken out of context. What Scott said was that the Cajuns were seeded about where he expected them to be, based on the criteria that the committee uses. He did not comment on whether he thought the criteria were fair. I'm sure he has an opinion on that, and I'm willing to bet his opinion is the same as yours.

[Turbine]

To earn it we will have to play a lot more high profile teams and win a lot. Nothing else will get you a fair seeding, and that is the best way to win a WCWS, and if seeding is not important as some seem to think why would they bother seeding?

Playing more high profile teams won't get you an RPI ranking higher than the #1 spot they got this year.

Percentage points better yes, but you can't top #1