The Book: 2007-08 Ragin' Cajuns Basketball

[Turbine]

The season long turnaround Coach Lee has done is a credit to him, his team, and the University of Louisiana as a whole.

Unfortunately Denver coach Joe Scott gives "Lafayette" the props.

[RaginCajun2010]

O well, one day they will get it right. I did enjoy watching him stomp his feet during the game over plays that really were not a big deal. It gave the fans something to fuss about, which at least gets them involved someway.

[Tripple Threat]

_ I tried to get in touch with the cheerleader people before the football season. I did get a response, but nothing ever came of my suggestions. Basically what I told the girl was that all they needed was a big board with a U, and a big one with an L. Also, one with a Red (or Rouge), and one with a White (or Blanc, of course)...And even a one with Ragin and one with Cajuns. Those are simple things that can get fans going during TOs. I always hated when we'd go on a run that would get the crowd going, and the other team would call a TO, and it would take the crowd out of the game. Everyone would be standing and yelling, then the TO, and it's like nothing ever happened. I don't know if the crowd would always chill out because they had to go 90 seconds without basketball, or if it was because "Oh Look, the band's playing 'respect'...again and the cheerleaders and dancers are doing that act...again."

I also told her that they needed to work with the band to get other cheers and chants going, because nobody could ever hear them at football games. At basketball games, it's not much better. But, there's no reason why they can't come up with anything original every so often, instead of the "D D D De-fense" or "Defense Cajuns Defense" all the time. Maybe I'm being too unfair to them, because it's also the job of our mascot to work up some crowd involvement, and the poor cheerleaders don't have a mascot to do that for them. The only thing we have scares children, doesn't do anything but bob his head and clap, and lacks the respect of all of the fans so nobody's gonna pay any attention to it anyway. _

I agree with everything you've said...those time outs that are called during one of our runs are the opportune times for the cheerleaders/mascot to pump the defense chants and so on...it doesn't seem like anything is timed. My friends and I have tried since about 98' to get a consistent student section going and it's been frustrating. Saturday's game was different b/c there was a large enough group of people standing, that no one could really complain. I'm hoping that eventually, the basketball games will be like the football games and everyone will stand all game long and the family's with kids sitting in the student section (no offense to them/ I'll be bringing my own daughter next year) can be replaced by active participants.

What we need is a student ring leader who will stand in front of the fans and lead the chants/cheers (face paint and the whole nine yards)...bypass the cheerleaders all together.

All this being said, we now have a cajun team that is young enough that they will be around longer than we're used to. Getting to have this team for the time that we will may help build a more passionate connection between us and them (watching them grow). That's my rant...

[jllanclos]

Isn't it fantastic that we're having a conversation about how to make our lively student section even more lively? Finally, we have a group of students who realize it's thier job to create atmosphere instead of waiting around for atmosphere to create itself. This is great!

[rhineaux]

_ Isn't it fantastic that we're having a conversation about how to make our lively student section even more lively? Finally, we have a group of students who realize it's thier job to create atmosphere instead of waiting around for atmosphere to create itself. This is great! _

Maybe, but just remember that I am an alum. GeoCajun is an alum. some of the others on this board that sit in the student section are alum's. There are those of us out there who are/were trying to make it better, but we are leaving or are gone already. It doesn't do any good if a group of folks try to get something started but are within a year or two of graduating. We need more fanatics that are freshmen and sophomores.

They should just do like I said and remove all the chairs from the student sections and replace them with wooden benches.

[RaginCajun2010]

I have the solution to yalls problem. We have large enough group to do this. We were the people in the 3rd in 4th row ( 1st n 2nd behind the families and 5-6 denver fans) that refused to sit down. It's a group of about 10-15 students who actually cheer at games. But we met at the tigue on sunday and planned out what we are gonna do. We are not the most creative bunch in the chants n cheers category but at least we can make some noise. I know the alums have tried to get things going in the past only to be shot down by fellow students. We have enough students in our lil group to take up almost 2 rows, so if we stand no one is gonna tell us a thing if we are able to get the lower rows. what could be helpful is the creative members of this board think of a cheer or two that we could do during timeouts, that the cheerleaders are supposed to be doing while they do their same dance routine for the past at least 4 years.

also we are doing the facepaint and such, we have the d-fence already made(we just forgot it during the denver game...) and we are gonna keep this going.

[RaginCajun2010]

also the vast majority of us are freshmen and sophomores so if we can get this off the ground. We will be able to lead it for a good little while.

[Tripple Threat]

_ I have the solution to yalls problem. We have large enough group to do this. We were the people in the 3rd in 4th row ( 1st n 2nd behind the families and 5-6 denver fans) that refused to sit down. It's a group of about 10-15 students who actually cheer at games. But we met at the tigue on sunday and planned out what we are gonna do. We are not the most creative bunch in the chants n cheers category but at least we can make some noise. I know the alums have tried to get things going in the past only to be shot down by fellow students. We have enough students in our lil group to take up almost 2 rows, so if we stand no one is gonna tell us a thing if we are able to get the lower rows. what could be helpful is the creative members of this board think of a cheer or two that we could do during timeouts, that the cheerleaders are supposed to be doing while they do their same dance routine for the past at least 4 years.

also we are doing the facepaint and such, we have the d-fence already made(we just forgot it during the denver game...) and we are gonna keep this going. _

I have a friend who went to Maryland and this was there chant whenever the band would play that tune...The first two verses are yelled while pointing to the visitors bench (straight down) and the last line is sung while the pointing from left to right (left, middle, and right) across the bench whle emphasizing each "and you, and you, and you suck too!"...Gotta be my favorite chant of all times.

Na, Na, Naaaaa, Na, Hey!
You Suck!
Na, Na, Naaaaa, Na, Hey!
You Suck!
Na, Na, Naaaaa, Na, Hey!
You Suck...and you, and you, and you suck too!

[Cajunsmike]

Wednesday night's game is a little different as it will be the first time most of our guys or in a do or die situation in their college career. How they handle the pressure of such a scenario will be key.
Coach Lee asked at the Rebounders Club today for the same type of support given last Saturday. That is as many people who can attend to do so and more importantly to keep supporting them if things go bad. Note, tickets are 13 dollars in Section 1, 10 dollars in Section 2, and 7 dollars in Section 3. Parking passes for season tickets will be honored and students are admitted with their ID (no charge). How do you guys think this game will turn out?

[Tripple Threat]

Here's a link to the Maryland chant, it's a little different than I remember (can you say beer?)...The chant was to Rock and Roll part 2; the band stopped playing the song to stop the chant, but the students decided to sing the song and then do the chant...awesome!

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcspo...y_off_key.html

A little history...
"Yelling "You Suck" only started about 9 years ago, if that, but singing RRII was around when I started attending College Park in 93. I still don't get what the big deal against yelling "You Suck". But, it has provided some funny moments. When we were in the National Championship game against Indiana U, our band wouldn't play the song, so when the IU band played it and their chant is - da da dadada, I U. Anyways, when they played it, the entire Maryland section stood up and drowned out the chang of "I" "U" with, "You Suck." The shock on all the Indiana fans was worth it. They stopped playing the song after halftime. The year before in the Minneapolis Final Four, when we were eliminated and Arizona played Duke in the
championship, the Arizona band played RRII just so the Maryland fans would stand up and yell "You Suck" at Duke. Their own fans gave up the traditional "U" "A" chant in favor of "You Suck." Btw, Dan - You suck."

[BrudaCajun]

_ Wednesday night's game is a little different as it will be the first time most of our guys or in a do or die situation in their college career. How they handle the pressure of such a scenario will be key.
Coach Lee asked at the Rebounders Club today for the same type of support given last Saturday. That is as many people who can attend to do so and more importantly to keep supporting them if things go bad. Note, tickets are 13 dollars in Section 1, 10 dollars in Section 2, and 7 dollars in Section 3. Parking passes for season tickets will be honored and students are admitted with their ID (no charge). How do you guys think this game will turn out? _

That is great to hear about no charge for students. My girlfriend and I will be there, She has really gotten into Cajuns basketball. So I won't have to hear her complain about going to both the basketball and baseball.

[Tripple Threat]

Here is a great example of a ring leader!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFtPj-Uka-o&NR=1

is that not the scoreboard?
yes that is the scoreboard!

is that not a 71?
yes that is a 71!

is that not a 64?
yes that is a 64!

is that not the winning team?
yes that is the winning team!

is that not the losing team?
yes that is the losing team!

winning team! losing team! winning team! losing team! winning team! losing team!

..