The real reason UL lost tonight

[RaginScotsman]

Honestly, how do you expect anyone to say your name correctly if you show no desire to call yourself that publicly? Monroe beat us. Well done. But we digressed far more than a loss on the field tonight. Shame on the university and whoever is spearheading whatever movement we are having( insert a university official). I'm fine with losing because they played a great game and we didn't, but the fact that we ABSOLUTELY fold regarding the name issue when the ball is in our court is exactly the reason why people have no idea what we actually call ourselves. Name issue aside, get our stuff together, we're a much better team than we showed tonight.

[cajunhawk]

Bad enough we have to watch the refs handing Browning his gold watch on a silver platter...we have to sit there and listen to us completely give up any claim we had to the name that is rightfully ours. We do not have the right people in place to get ____ done. We have geldings who cannot muster up any nerve or one single iota of fortitude to tell the SBC and ULM where to stick their name ____. Way to be given a golden opportunity and massively ____ the dog. T Joe...you make me sick.

[CRAWFISH61]

Stop calling him T-Joe. He is no Cajun. We called my uncle T-Joe and he was no coward. Mr. Savoy should say if we are continuing the fight or if we are being shackled. Do not leave us in the dark once more.

[SMD7636]

Fans deserve a response from T-Joe and Farmer regarding the name issue. I thought it was ESPN's fault, then I thought it was the Sunbelt's fault, but now I know the enemy is closer to home then we think.

[Bankruptcyman]

We have met the enemy and it is us!

Pogo

[HoustonCajun]

Fans deserve a response from T-Joe and Farmer regarding the name issue. I thought it was ESPN's fault, then I thought it was the Sunbelt's fault, but now I know the enemy is closer to home then we think.

Louisiana, or should I say UL Lafayette (I no longer know how to refer to us athletically), has always been its own worse enemy. It's historically been a lack of leadership, a failure to recognize the true value successful athletics can bring to a university, failure to properly fund athletics, blame on state politics and particularly LSU, failure to openly communicate with alumni and fans, constantly hiring within with no fresh blood to bring a new and better way of doing things, and a second class attitude and approach to things always seeming to know our place. That seemed evident last night. No one has been a stronger proponent of our use of Louisiana than me over the past few years. I was often chastised on this site for my constantly pushing the name issue, pointing out all of the various misuses of our name, and maintaining a relentless focus on our use of Louisiana. I am glad to see that others have become as passionate about this. At last year's bowl game, UL quietly started using Louisiana on various banners then came out out more openly on use of the trademarked Louisiana Ragin Cajuns. I was chastised personally by UL Marketing for openly pushing use of Louisiana on this website, although others did so similarly and even though athletics refers to itself as Louisiana and we have it plastered on our facilities, uniforms, and SID mailings. Didn't want to openly make this an issue I was told. We can't figure out why ESPN and other networks won't accept our request to be called Louisiana. It is very likely due to our very low key approach to this so we don't supposedly ruffle any political feathers despite the fact that we are told that this is legal and trademarked. Then, this happens on Saturday night. Either we are Louisiana or we are not and we should put an end to this charade we are playing. Many of us have been fighting this battle since 1984, so the younger people don't fully understand our resolve. I certainly thought our President had the same resolve, but that is now in question. It is time to put out an all out blitz or drop it. That blitz should have started with this game making a statement to ULM and the rest of the state, as well as nationally on ESPN3, as to who we are. We failed miserably. And, on top of that we lost the game with the most ill-prepared team and dreadful coaching I have seen in years. This is comparable to our loss to McNeese State under Bustle. The coaches didn't hold onto the the rope they ask us to hold. This double fiasco is hard to take. I feel let down by the university. I have headed up the Alumni Membership drive, been a two time Alumni Chapter President, and possibly the strongest advocate of our use of Louisiana athletically. But, in the absence of an open explanation of WHY this happened on Saturday and WHAT our official position is going forward, I'm afraid apathy is taking hold. It is time for more transparency regarding this issue. It's been too many years of fighting this, when we are so close, to have taken such a major step backwards. And that is what we did last night. We caved in to ULM and the rants of an out of control reporter.

The excitement of accepting a bowl bid this year was lost under a low key announcement in a losing team's locker room. If we were getting the bid regardless of the outcome, why not make it before the game or at half time to generate fan excitement and national notice on ESPN3? With Broadway out with a broken arm and our defensive planning being suspect, a loss to USA is a possibility and an outright championship gone with it. I hope HUD can right the ship so we aren't limping into a bowl game with a reduced fan base. Tulane just might prove to be more competitive than we thought, at least if we manage to duplicate our effort of last night.

[Turbine]

There are different ways to reign in a fan base, Dr. Authement had his way and this may be the Dr. E.J. Savoie way.

[CajunEXPRESS]

TooLame is very good at creating turnovers. They have only won when they have done so. We are beginning to give up a lot of turnovers, and creating very few.