Athlete (2001-2003) Michael Southall

[Cajunsmike]

You didnt miss much... He was immature and selfish at times..

I think we all "really want to see him play" this time around..

MS, dont let yourself down....

Z.

I never thought Southall was a selfish player. He usually kidked the ball out to the wing when doubled in the post. I think he was not suffidiently motivated at times. He got silly fouls by being in the wrong position and he did not work without the ball to get free. He relied on his athletic ability vs trying to improve his game. Hopefully that will change this year.

[CajunNation]

Can we please stop talking about what this will do to the program? I am more worried about the press the university will receive. This is a place of higher learning first, athletics is second. Everyone says that he's screwed up, but every time he's screwed up, its made front page here. To me, the negative publicity that will be brought on the university greatly outweighs the positive that can come out of this situation.

In a business world, you cut your losses when you can. MS has been a loss for the university twice. Cut your losses and move on.

A wise man posted on another board:


"Any negative press brought upon by this matter will PALE in comparison to the negative image imposed on this university by having one of the the worst football programs in the country for several years.

If we can make it through that, we can survive this. "

[BabbForHeisman]

Can we please stop talking about what this will do to the program? I am more worried about the press the university will receive. This is a place of higher learning first, athletics is second.

Well if you ignore the basketball team for a second, this becomes a story about a kid who has been in academic and legal trouble plenty of times before, but, when given his LAST chance, comes through by passing three classes in summer school. Our university has given him the chance to make up for his past mistakes by working hard to write a new chapter in his life.

Sounds like good press to me.

[Rebel02]

Well if you ignore the basketball team for a second, this becomes a story about a kid who has been in academic and legal trouble plenty of times before, but, when given his LAST chance, comes through by passing three classes in summer school. Our university has given him the chance to make up for his past mistakes by working hard to write a new chapter in his life.

Sounds like good press to me.

If you go back to last season, when he was put in jail, everyone wanted to write him off. Now, he's reformed? Please, he's had chances to reform before, what makes this situation any different?

[Rebel02]

A wise man posted on another board:


"Any negative press brought upon by this matter will PALE in comparison to the negative image imposed on this university by having one of the the worst football programs in the country for several years.

If we can make it through that, we can survive this. "

Is that person wise because the comment is what you wanted to hear? It's kind of like me agreeing that everyone who thinks MS shouldn't come back are wise. You're only hearing what you want to hear and considering it to be wise.

[Zeebart21]

I never thought Southall was a selfish player. He usually kidked the ball out to the wing when doubled in the post. I think he was not suffidiently motivated at times. He got silly fouls by being in the wrong position and he did not work without the ball to get free. He relied on his athletic ability vs trying to improve his game. Hopefully that will change this year.

Mike, sometimes he would sulk on the sidelines....during a timeout..more than once he would sit on the scorers table and not be in the huddle with the rest of the team...

Thats what I meant....should have been clearer

[BabbForHeisman]

If you go back to last season, when he was put in jail, everyone wanted to write him off. Now, he's reformed? Please, he's had chances to reform before, what makes this situation any different?

Let's get this straight for one second. I'm not necessarily for or against Southall's return to the team. I think there are potential positives and negatives either way. I just wanted to point out that if he does return to the team, it won't be the gloom and doom that some people are making it out to be. The university won't come crashing down, nor will the press come crashing down on the university.

By the way, this situation is different because Southall hasn't messed up yet.

[MiamiCajun32]

Can we please stop talking about what this will do to the program? I am more worried about the press the university will receive. This is a place of higher learning first, athletics is second. Everyone says that he's screwed up, but every time he's screwed up, its made front page here. To me, the negative publicity that will be brought on the university greatly outweighs the positive that can come out of this situation.

In a business world, you cut your losses when you can. MS has been a loss for the university twice. Cut your losses and move on.

Outside of Lafayette and message boards like this, no non cajun fan will care one bit about this story unless the Cajuns become a sudden contender on the big stage... If you are talking business, then realize that big time athletics can help all aspects of a university. I am a big cajun fan because I grew up in Lafayette, but I am an alumnus of University of Florida, a university that clearly understands big time athletics and big time academics. If Southall has done what Coach Lee demanded and has earned a shot at playing again, then great for him and hopefully it will help give the Cajuns the edge needed to get to the next level where the Cajun Dome is filled most nights and eventually down the road maybe Cajun athletics will have enough funding coming from a large fan base so that the corrupt Louisiana LSU politics will not matter... But this will take a lot of winning and not just racking up Sunbelt games... Now if you want UL to stay small scale in both athletics and academics then just keep the status quo and don't take chances... Don't kid yourself about academics or athletics at UL, on a nationwide scale the university is unfortunately considered third tier in both respects... But this could change in the next decade if the university was better supported and sometimes athletics can accomplish a big piece of that puzzle....

[BrockMeaux]

If you go back to last season, when he was put in jail, everyone wanted to write him off. Now, he's reformed? Please, he's had chances to reform before, what makes this situation any different?

Well, I guess besides this being his absolute last chance, fans and teammates that are going to make him work this time to be accepted, and higher standards for the players on and off the court now that Lee's in charge, there isn't much difference between this and the other times.

I don't know, maybe all of that considered, his sudden reformation could have possibly had something to do with JAIL?

[Cajunsmike]

Can we please stop talking about what this will do to the program? I am more worried about the press the university will receive. This is a place of higher learning first, athletics is second. Everyone says that he's screwed up, but every time he's screwed up, its made front page here. To me, the negative publicity that will be brought on the university greatly outweighs the positive that can come out of this situation.

In a business world, you cut your losses when you can. MS has been a loss for the university twice. Cut your losses and move on.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can understand your suggestion about cutting losses and moving on. However, it appears Coach Lee has made up his mind and it is not what you recommend. We now have to live with the decision and hopes it works out.

I myself would not have allowed him back. My understanding is that we told him if he paid his way to summer school and did well we would consider taking him back. He has lived up to his end of the bargain and we are somewhat obligated to live up to our end. Had I been running the show, I would have told him he was not welcome before summer school started. That is not the situation we are in and we must now move forward.