2007 Football preview and offseason fan talk

[Cajunsmike]

Ok first off I have 4 Season tickets to Football, 2 to basketball and 4 to Baseball... Will probably add at least 2 for Softball... I am a card carrying member, as my name illustrates , in the LSUA&M@BR is evil club... I just mention that so the naysayers don't respond with the "If you don't like it the way it is go to Baton Rouge" type stuff..

Anyway I was listening to Jay yesterday and it sure seems to me that at least in Football the SBC is passing us bye... We are into year 6 (am I right on that one?) under Coach Bustle and we are simply middle of the pack again... We do have tremendous facilities but I heard the commissioner talk of new stadiums going up, new turf and 3 schools averaging over 20,000 in attendance... Further I hear Oklahoma State going into Troy and I don't remember who but others getting some prime teams coming into their places... we get McNeese. And then they bemoan the lack of support...

The local beat writer tells us all that we are wrong about Dr. A.... that he is a big supporter of athletics but has just been limited by funding... ok... if you say so... Then we hire an AD that is beloved in the offices but does not seem to be very dynamic... the last paragraph of the story last week said something to the effect of "He prefers to stay out of the limelight in the background".. Thats all well and good but wouldn't we have preferred someone that wanted to come in and be out in the forefront of a new era... Yea Yea....I know..... $$$$... Still I thought I heard some time back that the North Texas AD or assitant AD (Dickey?) was very interested in the job and was the sort of dynamic person I speak of... We choose instead someone who emphatically said for two years he did not want the job preferring to work behind the scenes...

For over 30 years now i have bought tickets and supported Ragin Cajun athletics.. I keep asking.. Why can't we do what Southern Miss has done... Even Tech seems to have taken a few steps forward.. spare me the diatribes... Listening to WWL, Mike D. was talking about South Louisiana recruiting and mentioned of course that LSUA&M@BR was dominating but said that Louisiana Tech was making great inroads... nary a word about us in our own back yard...

Well I am anxiously awaiting the start of football season with high hopes again.. But shouldnt we be concerned?? just a little bit??

We should be concerned that the other schools in the league are growing their progrrams. We need many more financial resources than we have now just to keep up with the others in our leage. Good news is we are working on growing those resources. Regarding David Walker, it was not because we could not offer more money that he was hired, it is because David Walker is helping provide the coaches what they need to improve. For example, he was the prime person in putting forth the new state funding plan for athletics. He crafted a plan that helps all the state schools but has the potential to help us more than the others due to our larger enrollment/overall budget. He and Dr. Authement then got others to buy in on it. He also was able to guide us through the NCAA investigation with limited impact as a result. Therefore, hiring Mr. Walker was about money, the money he is making for us. A big misconception exist in that an Athletic Director's main job involves public relations. In reality, the job is really like being an office manager. Gerald Hebert is our public relations person now. Having said all that, yes we should be concerned. That concern is not because of the people we have on the field/sidelines. The concern is we don't have enough people providing more resources. Those that are providing support are giving till it hurts. We just need more of them. This is not the NFL where resources are equal and people come after you win. We won't win no matter who is coaching until more people get involved.

[Just1More]

_ We won't win no matter who is coaching until more people get involved. _

I don't disagree with most of what you said. But that last statement is a little off key. We are not going to whine people into attending, supporting, and loving Cajun football. Winning would do it. But, winning is a result of a lot of things. It is a result of a formula. There are components to that formula and they are all interactive and dynamic. It will take all of those components to make it work and stay working. Money, in today's world, is the biggest component to the winning formula, on the whole, in all college football programs. All of the other components lead to money and money makes more money and all of that makes winning.

I hate to say it, but if someone came in and donated $50million/year to Cajun athletics, but stipulated no fans could attend the games... we would dominate the SBC and the pastures would just keep getting greener. That isn't going to happen, but it's a fact.

"Until more people get involved" is like saying "until the cows come home". Someone/something has to go get them (in greater numbers than come on their own). They don't just show up. They come for a reason, and if they haven't already shown up, you cannot whine or guilt them into showing up.

Again, each increase to one part of the formula interacts and increases the affect in another part. They are interactive and feed of off each other.

I totally agree that we need more interest in the program. Unfortunately, something has to make that happen besides talking about it with a group of loyal participants.

The formula components:
Marketing and Advertisement
Money
Alumni
Sports Writers, Media
Administration
Students
Family and Friends
Great Food, Beverage, Music, Entertainment and Fun
Great Atmosphere
Great Facilities
Great Coaches
Great Athletes
Community
City Government
State Government
Local Business
Schools and Churches
Civic Organizations

I may have missed a few, but these components make up what it takes to win. What came first "the chicken or the egg"? The chicken. God made man, not an embryo first.

Now, here is what I would do:

1. Get the 10 largest contributors to our program together. Perhaps those that currently make up our illustrious private funding group.
2. Tell them that they now are the leaders of 10 seperate funding groups that are in a contest. These people usually love competition.
3. They are to each derive a different name and nominate 5 other people to become their group board members. These people also get significant press.
4. Each group is in a fund-raising contest that will result in a lots of press coverage (they love this stuff too).
5. Each group is to raise money from various organizations, businesses, and individuals, any method they know how to do it.
6. The top 6 contributors to each group, other than the board members will be given free advertising space on a new fence around Cajun Field (we need it).
7. Those individuals/businesses that donate x amount to the fence building (x dollars or x manhours) will be on a section of the fence.

It's called a funding campaign. Let's try it and see what happens.

[rhineaux]

Now, here is what I would do:

1. Get the 10 largest contributors to our program together. Perhaps those that currently make up our illustrious private funding group.
2. Tell them that they now are the leaders of 10 seperate funding groups that are in a contest. These people usually love competition.
3. They are to each derive a different name and nominate 5 other people to become their group board members. These people also get significant press.
4. Each group is in a fund-raising contest that will result in a lots of press coverage (they love this stuff too).
5. Each group is to raise money from various organizations, businesses, and individuals, any method they know how to do it.
6. The top 6 contributors to each group, other than the board members will be given free advertising space on a new fence around Cajun Field (we need it).
7. Those individuals/businesses that donate x amount to the fence building (x dollars or x manhours) will be on a section of the fence.

It's called a funding campaign. Let's try it and see what happens. _

This is exactly how the United Way does it. I don't know if you could start something like this for something like college athletics, and get the same kind of response as you would for a charity. but, i do like your idea of going to the top 10 or so donors, and bringing them together. Tell them that they are the charter members of the Cajun Sports Endowment, and that their names will be posted on large plaques around the Athletic Dept. commemorating the day. and then, like you said, since they likely love competition, tell them that the first mission of the CAE is to build a state of the art Student Center that will cost $10 million or whatever, and the one who raises the most money on the way to that $10 million, will get to name it, or something along those lines.

[DestinCajun]

_ There is no mud at Blackham it is nice and hospitable. I don't understand how Mr. Dugas can just kick Cajun fans out of their spots? If not Blackahm what about across the street between the Lite House and the Hospital?

According to a Mr. Dugas, with ULL, they plan to designate an area for RV parking on the western-most section of their parking lot, bordering on Bertrand Drive. It will be a no-charge, first-come-first served area, with access only at noon on Friday (not before - because of security).

For some of you who tailgated with us for baseball games before - when we parked on the western edge of the paved parking lot, about half-way toward Bertrand (remember Danny's "Tarp 'Em Cowboys" tarp?) - this parking area will be on the grass, out by the large lone tree along Bertrand Drive (I think Andy parked out there before).

My sister-in-law, who lives in Lafayette, has been calling every day, bugging the begiggers out of them, and has talked to several different individuals; she was finally called back this morning and told of this arrangement. Just passing it along. Nothing official, but a verbal conversation.
_

Does anyone really care where the McNeese fans tailgate? If so, I have some spots available just south of Cypremort Point I can let go for $500 a piece.

Oh yeah, cash only.

[McNeese72]

_ Does anyone really care where the McNeese fans tailgate? If so, I have some spots available just south of Cypremort Point I can let go for $500 a piece.

Oh yeah, cash only. _

Well, you might care if you are a Cajun fan that tailgates in the same non-reserved tailgate spot and showed up Saturday to find some Cowboy fans in the spot he normally tailgates. A lot of the guys in the motorhomes and travel trailers will probably go over sometime Friday afternoon and spend the night there.

Having a designated area for McNeese tailgaters might prevent some potential conflicts.

Doc

[gridiron]

_ Well, you might care if you are a Cajun fan that tailgates in the same non-reserved tailgate spot and showed up Saturday to find some Cowboy fans in the spot he normally tailgates. A lot of the guys in the motorhomes and travel trailers will probably go over sometime Friday afternoon and spend the night there.

Having a designated area for McNeese tailgaters might prevent some potential conflicts.

Doc _

All visitig fans should be given the red carpet treatment. I'm not saying prime real estate but a place of there own not far away that doesn't kick a Cajun fan off his spot.

[CajunHeat2]

_ All visitig fans should be given the red carpet treatment. I'm not saying prime real estate but a place of there own not far away that doesn't kick a Cajun fan off his spot. _

Cajun fans are not being kicked off their spots. None of the areas mentioned at Cajun Field are reserved for anyone. I think it is up to Cajun Fans to protect their traditional spots as McNeese seems bent on bringing their RV early.

IMO the university has in effect passed up hundreds of thousands of dollars giving away prime spots along Bertrand and Congress for free over the last several years. I am like everyone and want a lot for not much, but if UL is ever going to put the finance problems to the rear it needs to take advantage of all it's assets fully.

[McNeese72]

_ Cajun fans are not being kicked off their spots. None of the areas mentioned at Cajun Field are reserved for anyone. I think it is up to Cajun Fans to protect their traditional spots as McNeese seems bent on bringing their RV early.

That's nothing special for this game. It is standard procedure for the RV guys to most drivable away games. I'm sure that some will wait until Sat. morning but a lot of them will go Friday and spend the night in the parking lot.

I'm expecting the RV turnout to be similar to what we bring to Nicholls every year. Here are a few shots showing just a little of the number we bring to Thibodaux.

Doc

[rhineaux]

_ Cajun fans are not being kicked off their spots. None of the areas mentioned at Cajun Field are reserved for anyone. I think it is up to Cajun Fans to protect their traditional spots as McNeese seems bent on bringing their RV early.

IMO the university has in effect passed up hundreds of thousands of dollars giving away prime spots along Bertrand and Congress for free over the last several years. I am like everyone and want a lot for not much, but if UL is ever going to put the finance problems to the rear it needs to take advantage of all it's assets fully. _

I agree with GridIron and Cajun Heat. I think there should be a desginated area for visitor's to tailgate. It allows them to stay together, which makes the time better for them. How awesome was it in '05 at Monroe, when most everyone was in that big field and it was one big party. But by no means should we be inconvenienced by it. But you can't have anything like that until you take care of your own business, which is what Cajun heat eluded to.

From what I've heard, there are close to 300 people on a waiting list for spots, but DW is not sure where they should go. I do know its an issue that will be taken up soon. I think they should get all those rocks out of the way, grow the grass back, and keep adding squares, all the way to the road that runs down the middle of the parking lot. I think you would have a hard time selling a spot to someone on the corner of Congress and Bertrand, when someone can go park his/her auto in the rocks next to all the current reserved spots for free. Now, i am sure that someone would love to have that spot at the corner of Bertrand and congress, and I am sure that they can afford to pay for it. Its a ton of free money tht is jsut sitting there waiting to be taken from the people.

in whatever they decide to do, a complete overhaul of the entire tailgating and parking thing is probably the best.

[rhineaux]

_ That's nothing special for this game. It is standard procedure for the RV guys to most drivable away games. I'm sure that some will wait until Sat. morning but a lot of them will go Friday and spend the night in the parking lot.

I'm expecting the RV turnout to be similar to what we bring to Nicholls every year. Here are a few shots showing just a little of the number we bring to Thibodaux.

Ohhh, those are tailgating pictures. When I first glanced at them, before I read the post, I thought, 'well that must be fun to live in the same parking lot as a lot of other MSU fans.'