UL War Room

[Turbine]

I imagine the UL War Room to be like the War Room on Draft day for an NFL team. A draft day war room atmosphere except even more so, a bunch of hustling bustling, jockeying, maneuvering, offering, negotiating, compromising, debating trumping and not wavering and so much more.

How would you have liked to be in the UL Bowl War Room from Thursday thru Sunday?

I can see it now T-Joe banging the phones touting UL's assets to all who would listen.

I can picture David Walker in another corner of the room in virtual lockdown calling each member of every bowl committee espousing the virtues of picking the Ragin' Cajuns.

Scott Walker teaching everyone how to market the school like Troy did for their first bowl game.

Daryl Cetnar would be there calling every media outlet from Hawaii to Detroit and Houston to Birmingham and even Louisiana town in between, with a UL story of the day.

Of course Matt Hebert would be emailing the Tyrell Fenroy story to ever media outlet as well, and then following it up with the first of its kind ever Desormeaux-Fenroy story.

I can almost see Ricky Bustle in yet another corner of the room calling all his old contacts in that busy four day span...

Oh look Gerald Hebert making offers the bowl committees simply could not refuse.

Notice: This is all in my imagination folks. I have no idea how the events in the UL War Room transpired. I'm just saying I would like to have been there. I don't wish I was there so as to criticize the results. You can’t criticize effort. You can’t! I wish I was there just to see how everything was handled and how much communications there was between all the responsible parties.

I'll bet tensions were high and I hope cooler heads prevailed. It's just sad that when the powers that be put this much effort into an endeavor that they can't see more good for their hard work.

Someday I would like to see the UL War Room in action.

jmo

[KACajun]

If you’re not equipped all the hard work in the world won't help. Say what you want about LaTech but they have a vision.

[CajunFun]

If you’re not equipped all the hard work in the world won't help. Say what you want about LaTech but they have a vision.

I disagree.

They have had some successes in sports (as have we). But we left them behind long ago.

Because our foundation-- academics, fundraising, attendance, facilities, research, campuses, enrollment, grants, national categories and rankings, the things a University EXISTS for-- are far, far ahead of Tech's.

This is a setback. For those of us who seriously study UL and her history, the past 110 years have seen setback after setback after setback. But through each one of them, somehow UL rises again: stronger, bigger, and better than before.

To everything there is a season. Everyone, EVERYONE, has good days and bad days. Last year LSU won the NC, this year they're crying in their tomato-based gumbo.

The good times don't define you. The bad times do.

That is, the bad times, and how you handle them...

[Bankruptcyman]

But I am tired of everyone else getting the benefit of the doubt or having things handed to them that they do not deserve. I seems after 110 years that one day it would be our turn!

[DestinCajun]

_ I disagree.

To everything there is a season. Everyone, EVERYONE, has good days and bad days. Last year LSU won the NC, this year they're crying in their tomato-based gumbo.

tomato-based gumbo?

[CajunFun]

But I am tired of everyone else getting the benefit of the doubt or having things handed to them that they do not deserve. I seems after 110 years that one day it would be our turn!

Well, it appears that it is time we stood up a screamed.

Actually, no. This is where T-Joe & crew are going to be very, very helpful. It is time that our admin sat down with some people and had a "Come to Jesus" talk with them.

We're getting screwed way too often.

[KAjunRaider]

_ tomato-based gumbo? _

Even a Tennessee boy knows the answer to that

[HoustonCajun]

_ I disagree.

They have had some successes in sports (as have we). But we left them behind long ago.

Because our foundation-- academics, fundraising, attendance, facilities, research, campuses, enrollment, grants, national categories and rankings, the things a University EXISTS for-- are far, far ahead of Tech's.

This is a setback. For those of us who seriously study UL and her history, the past 110 years have seen setback after setback after setback. But through each one of them, somehow UL rises again: stronger, bigger, and better than before.

To everything there is a season. Everyone, EVERYONE, has good days and bad days. Last year LSU won the NC, this year they're crying in their tomato-based gumbo.

The good times don't define you. The bad times do.

That is, the bad times, and how you handle them... _

If UL is head and shoulders above LA Tech, it remains the best kept secret in the state and the nation, and within the UL System. Whose fault is that? Tech gets the notoriety and separation where it is most visible, athletics. It is time for UL to understand that and capitalize on it. Going the cheap way out in the SBC will never help our cause. I think Dr. S knows that athletics is UL's "window to the world". It will be interesting now to see how he utilizes that. I think the bowl game would have been a great time to introduce the RCAF and the facility improvements while everyone was gung ho on UL football. Unfortunately, the tide has turned. I want to see how we capitalize on this and rally our troops in support so this doesn't happen again.

[DestinCajun]

_ Even a Tennessee boy knows the answer to that _

You put tomatoes in a Tennesee gumbo? What kind, owl?

[CajunFun]

If UL is head and shoulders above LA Tech, it remains the best kept secret in the state and the nation, and within the UL System. Whose fault is that? Tech gets the notoriety and separation where it is most visible, athletics. It is time for UL to understand that and capitalize on it. Going the cheap way out in the SBC will never help our cause. I think Dr. S knows that athletics is UL's "window to the world". It will be interesting now to see how he utilizes that. I think the bowl game would have been a great time to introduce the RCAF and the facility improvements while everyone was gung ho on UL football. Unfortunately, the tide has turned. I want to see how we capitalize on this and rally our troops in support so this doesn't happen again.

Well, HC, here are my thoughts on it.

It's a sad, dysfunctional game: convince people that you're a good university, by showing them how well you play football. Get people to donate money for scholarships & teaching & research, by showing them how well you play football.

When you look at it that way, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, does it??

Which is why I'm not (quite) so interested in winning the game, as I am in changing it. Hence ultoday.com.

And believe it or not, academic publicity also helps your athletics. UL recently got a call from a football stud out of Florida, who wanted to know more about our engineering program.

[CajunFun]

tomato-based gumbo?

Hey, what can I say? It's Baton Rouge.

[CajunRed]

_ I imagine the UL War Room to be like the War Room on Draft day for an NFL team. A draft day war room atmosphere except even more so, a bunch of hustling bustling, jockeying, maneuvering, offering, negotiating, compromising, debating trumping and not wavering and so much more.

How would you have liked to be in the UL Bowl War Room from Thursday thru Sunday?

I can see it now T-Joe banging the phones touting UL's assets to all who would listen.

I can picture David Walker in another corner of the room in virtual lockdown calling each member of every bowl committee espousing the virtues of picking the Ragin' Cajuns.

Scott Walker teaching everyone how to market the school like Troy did for their first bowl game.

Daryl Cetnar would be there calling every media outlet from Hawaii to Detroit and Houston to Birmingham and even Louisiana town in between, with a UL story of the day.

Of course Matt Hebert would be emailing the Tyrell Fenroy story to ever media outlet as well, and then following it up with the first of its kind ever Desormeaux-Fenroy story.

I can almost see Ricky Bustle in yet another corner of the room calling all his old contacts in that busy four day span...

Oh look Gerald Hebert making offers the bowl committees simply could not refuse.

Notice: This is all in my imagination folks. I have no idea how the events in the UL War Room transpired. I'm just saying I would like to have been there. I don't wish I was there so as to criticize the results. You can’t criticize effort. You can’t! I wish I was there just to see how everything was handled and how much communications there was between all the responsible parties.

I'll bet tensions were high and I hope cooler heads prevailed. It's just sad that when the powers that be put this much effort into an endeavor that they can't see more good for their hard work.

Someday I would like to see the UL War Room in action.

jmo _

Good comments, Turbine. Very well put. Hopefully, many will read this and gain some level headedness as a result.