Recruiting Bash Recap

[J-Town Cajun]

I also think there is still some hangover from the McNeese loss and the 3-8 season.

[Sonsissymia]

_ Ted was from Miami ("the U"), I believe.

Good talking with you at the bash, Jerry. I'm not sure about you, but I had the distinct feeling that Bustle was a bit subdued. Maybe it was just the end of the recruiting frenzy. Maybe it was the late loss of a couple of prospects. Maybe it was the Glazer situation. And just maybe it was the schedule! Who knows... Overall, I enjoyed it. But it seemed there were higher expectations than what was delivered. I know some of that was due to the anticipated "big announcements", which were over-hyped (on the message boards, not by the Athletic Dept., to be fair).

That was my impression. _

correct.

[Cajun Express]

_ Ted was from Miami ("the U"), I believe.

Good talking with you at the bash, Jerry. I'm not sure about you, but I had the distinct feeling that Bustle was a bit subdued. Maybe it was just the end of the recruiting frenzy. Maybe it was the late loss of a couple of prospects. Maybe it was the Glazer situation. And just maybe it was the schedule! Who knows... Overall, I enjoyed it. But it seemed there were higher expectations than what was delivered. I know some of that was due to the anticipated "big announcements", which were over-hyped (on the message boards, not by the Athletic Dept., to be fair).

That was my impression. _

Thanks for the clarification. Yes indeed I enjoyed our get together. I believe Ricky has been under enormous stress since way before the recruiting season took off. He has lost about fifty pounds. Don't know why but it is one reason he looked tired.

It is a good thing for a coach to feel the heat. Either he works harder or withers like N Stokley. In either case the ultimate outcome is good. I happen to believe Ricky Bustle is a fighter, and in spite of my concerns about the first six games, I think we have the people in place to get to New Orleans. We need some luck, stay healthy, and not let the early season destroy the team focus.

[Cajunsmike]

Thanks for the clarification. Yes indeed I enjoyed our get together. I believe Ricky has been under enormous stress since way before the recruiting season took off. He has lost about fifty pounds. Don't know why but it is one reason he looked tired.

It is a good thing for a coach to feel the heat. Either he works harder or withers like N Stokley. In either case the ultimate outcome is good. I happen to believe Ricky Bustle is a fighter, and in spite of my concerns about the first six games, I think we have the people in place to get to New Orleans. We need some luck, stay healthy, and not let the early season destroy the team focus.

I really believe the schedule will be changed. The conference needs to try and help us move one of those last two home games to Sept. 6th. That will balance things out. I know that involves other schools having to move games.

[cajun4life]

Thanks for the clarification. Yes indeed I enjoyed our get together. I believe Ricky has been under enormous stress since way before the recruiting season took off. He has lost about fifty pounds. Don't know why but it is one reason he looked tired.

It is a good thing for a coach to feel the heat. Either he works harder or withers like N Stokley. In either case the ultimate outcome is good. I happen to believe Ricky Bustle is a fighter, and in spite of my concerns about the first six games, I think we have the people in place to get to New Orleans. We need some luck, stay healthy, and not let the early season destroy the team focus.

I am sorry but I must say if Nelson had the support from the administration and the resources, not to mention being forced to hire certain position coaches he would still be here.

[zephyr]

_ zephyr I can tell you that three different marketing plans were submitted to Athletic Marketing in the Spring of 2007. Needless to say none of the ideas were used. _

Would it be possible for you to outline the three marketing plans? Once I hear from you, I'll call the athletic dept and Gerald Hebert and see what ever happened to these proposals. I just wonder if maybe they do have something in place and its hard for us to see this right now. I choose not to blame our marketing dept about our lack of success. I feel like much of this blame should be placed on the coaching staff. If we had some success recently, I don't think our "marketing" would be a big issue.

[rgamers]

It is a good thing for a coach to feel the heat. Either he works harder or withers like N Stokley.

I wonder how Bustle would do playing one of the Stokley's suicide schedules? I guess its still hard to believe or people tend to forget, that withered coach had more winning seasons than losing ones.

[CajunProud]

_ Would it be possible for you to outline the three marketing plans? Once I hear from you, I'll call the athletic dept and Gerald Hebert and see what ever happened to these proposals. I just wonder if maybe they do have something in place and its hard for us to see this right now. I choose not to blame our marketing dept about our lack of success. I feel like much of this blame should be placed on the coaching staff. If we had some success recently, I don't think our "marketing" would be a big issue. _

I don't know what the marketing plans were, but I'll share a story with the group.

Two weeks ago, I went to a men's cloting store in River Ranch to get a tux shirt for a Mardi Gras ball. While inside, I noticed a lot of LSpuke cr@p. I asked if they had any UL gear and was told they did. One of the owners showed me a very nice polo shirt with red and white rugby stripes and a black fleur de lis on the left breast. I really liked it, but I wanted something that said UL or "Ragin Cajuns". The owner said that a lot of his customers asked for the same thing, so he asked one of them to put him in touch with the person at UL who could make it happen. He contacted them and they went to his store for a meeting. He was all set to order some merchandise and they told him he had to order 2,000 or none. His whole inventory is 2,000 and he doesn't have a warehouse. So guess what, because of the short sightedness of the University, we get screwed. Typical BS. I am so sick of this that I could spit nails.

[BrudaCajun]

_ I don't know what the marketing plans were, but I'll share a story with the group.

Two weeks ago, I went to a men's cloting store in River Ranch to get a tux shirt for a Mardi Gras ball. While inside, I noticed a lot of LSpuke cr@p. I asked if they had any UL gear and was told they did. One of the owners showed me a very nice polo shirt with red and white rugby stripes and a black fleur de lis on the left breast. I really liked it, but I wanted something that said UL or "Ragin Cajuns". The owner said that a lot of his customers asked for the same thing, so he asked one of them to put him in touch with the person at UL who could make it happen. He contacted them and they went to his store for a meeting. He was all set to order some merchandise and they told him he had to order 2,000 or none. His whole inventory is 2,000 and he doesn't have a warehouse. So guess what, because of the short sightedness of the University, we get screwed. Typical BS. I am so sick of this that I could spit nails. _

You know I see EVERY gas station, i.e. Shop Rite, Tobacco Plus etc.... that have all kinds of school to the east JUNK. Just my observation

[geo_cajun]

You know I see EVERY gas station, i.e. Shop Rite, Tobacco Plus etc.... that have all kinds of school to the east JUNK. Just my observation

As a person who buys all of my clothes at gas stations, this also disappoints me.

[cajunfan96]

_ I don't know what the marketing plans were, but I'll share a story with the group.

Two weeks ago, I went to a men's cloting store in River Ranch to get a tux shirt for a Mardi Gras ball. While inside, I noticed a lot of LSpuke cr@p. I asked if they had any UL gear and was told they did. One of the owners showed me a very nice polo shirt with red and white rugby stripes and a black fleur de lis on the left breast. I really liked it, but I wanted something that said UL or "Ragin Cajuns". The owner said that a lot of his customers asked for the same thing, so he asked one of them to put him in touch with the person at UL who could make it happen. He contacted them and they went to his store for a meeting. He was all set to order some merchandise and they told him he had to order 2,000 or none. His whole inventory is 2,000 and he doesn't have a warehouse. So guess what, because of the short sightedness of the University, we get screwed. Typical BS. I am so sick of this that I could spit nails. _

Great! These are the same people that will market our new athletic direction plan.

[zephyr]

I'm not going to try to pretend I know much about marketing University merchandise. However, I've always heard that because of our lack of name recognition and extended exposure, it is tough for the university or a retail outlet to sell the merchandise in small quantities. From what I've heard, they put minimum levels of stock to be ordered for the retail outlets to be able to do this. Since the university doesn't manufacture its own goods, it would take large orders to be filled for the smaller retailers to carry the merchandise.

I don't know much about the situation but that is what I've alwys been told. I'm with all of you. I wish it were easier to get merchandise at local retailers since I refuse to bring LSU junk in my house. I'm just not going to hammer the marketing dept yet since I don't truly know how it works.

Plus, the best marketing strategy is putting a respectable, winning product on the field!