That scoreboard was erected in 1976 and at the time it was state of the art. The operator had a computer background and made incredible graphics tailored to each individual opponent. We played the University of the Pacific "Tigers" and after a TD this guy had a tiger traveling across the screen with a crawfish biting its tail. Then midway across the screen the graphic stopped and it flashed momentarily in inverse video to depict the pain of the bite. Then it traveled off the screen on the other end. After that a message was posted that said, "MAIS, DEM CAJUNS HAVE DEM TIGERS BY THE TAIL." Uniquely Cajun, unique to each opponent at Cajun Field. Fantastic.
Within a few years it fell into disrepair. I found the guy who operated it and he said that the university couldn't/wouldn't spend the monies required to get it back to its original functionality, so he quit. Afterwards, students operated it. I met with the student operator about 1984 and bought silhouette transparencies from the UL print shop to conduct experiments, but they were nothing to compare with what had preexisted. Dan McDonald helped by turning the scoreboard on and off to see how it worked. But this kind cut the meeting short because he said he had to go. I complained to the marketing director at the time, Tricia Brown, but it was obvious that she wouldn't/couldn't do anything about it. I even put her on the spot when she was interviewed on the radio by calling in and asking her about reviving the scoreboard. She said it would be back to form the next season. Yeah, right.
I then called Terry Don Phillips (the AD), and he expressed surprise that Tricia would rebuff me this way. He did explain that in the total scheme of things it was too cumbersome to prioritize. He told me that when something was worked out he would call me to become the operator. I was called by someone when the Cajundome started and asked if I wanted to be the operator but deferred to a co-worker with a Computer Science degree and he operated the scoreboard both at Cajun Field and the Cajundome during its infancy. He did a great job, but after he left town the Cajun Field scoreboard lost its expertise and then the Cajundome people wanted an arts-oriented guy rather than a technical guy to operate it.
Since my co-worker left it has limped along on a Band-Aid and a prayer. We've had games when the PA announcer had to announce how much time was left because the thing totally crapped out during the game. The last time it was used in my recollection, it really did nothing but post other scores and run commercials.
The new Jumbotron was erected, but what it posted was too high tech IMO to be fun like it was when primative graphics were used on the old board tailored to each opponent. The replays on the Jumbotron are nice because if I'm talking to someone I miss things. I e-mailed the guy in charge of the scoreboard and mentioned the great things that were done when the old scoreboard was new. He said that every minute is choreographed between the scoreboard, band, cheerleaders, etc., that there is no longer an opportunity to do the things that were done 30 years ago.
That's your history lesson for the day. To make a long story short, the 1976 scoreboard is shot and attempts to repair have been unsuccessful. I think it's time to take it behind the barn and put it out of its misery. It's still there, but in reality it died long, long ago. It's like Willie Mays trying to play baseball at Age 75.
BUT, it was posted here that it's being refurbished again with a new sponsor and paint that is more fade resistant. Old scoreboards never die, even after they have outlasted their usefulness.................
30 years of the Old Football Scoreboard 1976-2006
Originally Posted by CalifCajun on delphi
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