Above average: UL football season in review

[zephyr]

_ The Cajuns finished 3-3 after the first six games, five of which were on the road. How they handled that stretch was the big test for me, and demonstrated to me that there was improvement.

Then they beat Arkansas State without Desormeaux not playing at all. It looked like they were on their way.

Afterward, I heard that they had suffered too many injuries to put their real team on the field, and at that point they suffered a couple of blowout losses.

Then they finished on a high note with the win over MT.

Overall, I'd say they handled the things within their control very well and nearly went to their first bowl game in 38 years despite all the difficulties. And I'm not hearing cries for a coaching change like I heard last year.

The season left me with the impression that we aren't as far away from success as I previously thought. _

Just go back about 2 weeks and you will see a library full of posts (including Just1More himself) calling for heads to roll including the coaches and administrators. There were only a couple of us hear trying to make logical sense out of it at the time. Understandable for the frustrations but there were improvements. Sure, they are not on the level of what Boise has done over the years or Ball St. this year but they were there. I think that we should evaluate every year until Bustle's contract ends and then decide. However, we have to have something in place to help fund a higher budget coaching staff in the future. Whether its a nice raise to the current staff for making huge strides or its funding a qualified staff doesn't matter as long as we have the resources.

[Just1More]

_ Just go back about 2 weeks and you will see a library full of posts (including Just1More himself) calling for heads to roll including the coaches and administrators. There were only a couple of us hear trying to make logical sense out of it at the time. Understandable for the frustrations but there were improvements. Sure, they are not on the level of what Boise has done over the years or Ball St. this year but they were there. I think that we should evaluate every year until Bustle's contract ends and then decide. However, we have to have something in place to help fund a higher budget coaching staff in the future. Whether its a nice raise to the current staff for making huge strides or its funding a qualified staff doesn't matter as long as we have the resources. _

Wait a minute... I didn't want "heads to roll"... I wanted to "operate" with my plyers and blowtorch. You never "roll the head" first. That ends it. You start with sensitive parts until you get results. Sometimes, it only requires wheeling them into the garage, letting them see the plyers and blowtorch, and you get the commitment you are looking for. "Rolling heads" is a last resort. Of course, this is metaphorical... in most cases.

[zephyr]

_ Wait a minute... I didn't want "heads to roll"... I wanted to "operate" with my plyers and blowtorch. You never "roll the head" first. That ends it. You start with sensitive parts until you get results. Sometimes, it only requires wheeling them into the garage, letting them see the plyers and blowtorch, and you get the commitment you are looking for. "Rolling heads" is a last resort. Of course, this is metaphorical... in most cases. _

Did you not want Bustle gone and did you not question Savoie's performance thus far causing me to insert that he had only been on the job less than a year?? Just banging on you a bit anyway and its nice to see you less emotional.

[Just1More]

_ Did you not want Bustle gone and did you not question Savoie's performance thus far causing me to insert that he had only been on the job less than a year?? Just banging on you a bit anyway and its nice to see you less emotional. _

Emotional? YOU EVER CALL ME... just kidding. At least I don't capitalize everything like I'm yelling while I write. The word is "passionate"... but it kind of sounds the same when I'm screaming. Anyway... I want a whole host of better "hired help". We cannot afford it, or so it seems. I think we have a lot of self-imposed challenges with money and coaches, and it needs to be trumped, hard and fast. We need more money to retain good coaches, and more money to attract better ones.

We do not pay for conference championship coaching. We also do not do things that substantially place us in a better position than other schools we compete with. Yet, many expect exceptional results. We are doing extremely nice improvements... but we have to do a whole lot more. While we admire our work, others, who we formerly regarded as "less", are doing "more".

Many have said "give T-Joe a break... he hasn't been in his job long... give him the opportunity... you're judging him too quickly". Well, the time is now... let's get on with it. HUGE. LET'S DO IT HUGE... we can never know how huge it could be until we do it. Let's make everyone in the state (except for the fat one... just leave that out of the discussion) eat our dust and admire our vapor trail.

[zephyr]

_ Emotional? YOU EVER CALL ME... just kidding. At least I don't capitalize everything like I'm yelling while I write. The word is "passionate"... but it kind of sounds the same when I'm screaming. Anyway... I want a whole host of better "hired help". We cannot afford it, or so it seems. I think we have a lot of self-imposed challenges with money and coaches, and it needs to be trumped, hard and fast. We need more money to retain good coaches, and more money to attract better ones.

We do not pay for conference championship coaching. We also do not do things that substantially place us in a better position than other schools we compete with. Yet, many expect exceptional results. We are doing extremely nice improvements... but we have to do a whole lot more. While we admire our work, others, who we formerly regarded as "less", are doing "more".

Many have said "give T-Joe a break... he hasn't been in his job long... give him the opportunity... you're judging him too quickly". Well, the time is now... let's get on with it. HUGE. LET'S DO IT HUGE... we can never know how huge it could be until we do it. Let's make everyone in the state (except for the fat one... just leave that out of the discussion) eat our dust and admire our vapor trail. _

BTW, did you see the above thread about the school system cutting 34 million off its budget? This cannot help our cause. Things like this are why we are so strapped and it may take a while before we get out of it

[Just1More]

_ BTW, did you see the above thread about the school system cutting 34 million off its budget? This cannot help our cause. Things like this are why we are so strapped and it may take a while before we get out of it _

The budget cuts suck, no doubt. They have nothing to do, however, with the benefits of a roaring private funding system. The right private funding program has way more to do with the involvement of "super people" than it does with money. Money is a bi-product. A very nice one. This budget cut business on higher education is sad. It will also be one of the primary challenges, and areas of focus, for Dr. Savoie, potentially for quite some time to come. As much as I harp on the admin about athletics... this is a crisis worth his undivided attention.

This state's politics are fundamentally absurd, inbred and incestuous... even moreso than LaTech and the Indy.

[zephyr]

_ The budget cuts suck, no doubt. They have nothing to do, however, with the benefits of a roaring private funding system. The right private funding program has way more to do with the involvement of "super people" than it does with money. Money is a bi-product. A very nice one. This budget cut business on higher education is sad. It will also be one of the primary challenges, and areas of focus, for Dr. Savoie, potentially for quite some time to come. As much as I harp on the admin about athletics... this is a crisis worth his undivided attention.

This state's politics are fundamentally absurd, inbred and incestuous... even moreso than LaTech and the Indy. _

You are correct but we are just chasing our tails here. The RCAF will be great but by many peoples views, they do not want to donate money until the university admins do their part in putting a winning product on the field. However, this is hard with our lack of budget and the fact that we can't get the money until we win. Its a vicious cycle for this university I'm afraid. I've already given what I can and will do again in 2009. However, many people just feel like they are entitled to a winning program being put on the field before they have to donate. I don't prescribe to this philosophy but many do. Until we have people out there that are willing to help be part of the solution and pay if forward, we won't increase our resources very much.

[California Cajun]

_ You are correct but we are just chasing our tails here. The RCAF will be great but by many peoples views, they do not want to donate money until the university admins do their part in putting a winning product on the field. However, this is hard with our lack of budget and the fact that we can't get the money until we win. Its a vicious cycle for this university I'm afraid. I've already given what I can and will do again in 2009. However, many people just feel like they are entitled to a winning program being put on the field before they have to donate. I don't prescribe to this philosophy but many do. Until we have people out there that are willing to help be part of the solution and pay if forward, we won't increase our resources very much. _

I think you start by asking yourself if you would like UL to succeed in sports. Then ask yourself if there is an indirect benefit to you if they do. Then you see the gallant effort by the football team this year that shows you how limited they are without any support.

But we need to hear from our leaders and be sold on the fact that they are the right people to lead us to the promised land. I can't see us not being able to do what a non-BCS powerhouse can do if the conditions were right. We finally reached the point of no confidence in Dr. Authement. For the first time in 35 years we have the opportunity to size up some new people and see if they can do it.

[zephyr]

_ I think you start by asking yourself if you would like UL to succeed in sports. Then ask yourself if there is an indirect benefit to you if they do. Then you see the gallant effort by the football team this year that shows you how limited they are without any support.

But we need to hear from our leaders and be sold on the fact that they are the right people to lead us to the promised land. I can't see us not being able to do what a non-BCS powerhouse can do if the conditions were right. We finally reached the point of no confidence in Dr. Authement. For the first time in 35 years we have the opportunity to size up some new people and see if they can do it. _

Again, chasing our tails here. How are these administrators supposed to show us this if they are having to cut resources via financial cutbacks or hire the big names if we decide to get rid of coaches and buy the exhisting coaches out if we don't have funds to do so? Some people say that the RCAF is the answer and that would be an option if more people were out to contribute.

I understand what you are saying but I just think it is extremely difficult to dedicate resources and efforts to various programs when you are so financially strapped. What other ways are you speaking of when you say that the admins need to show us that they are the right people? Just curious

[Clutch0364]

_ Again, chasing our tails here. How are these administrators supposed to show us this if they are having to cut resources via financial cutbacks or hire the big names if we decide to get rid of coaches and buy the exhisting coaches out if we don't have funds to do so? Some people say that the RCAF is the answer and that would be an option if more people were out to contribute.

I understand what you are saying but I just think it is extremely difficult to dedicate resources and efforts to various programs when you are so financially strapped. What other ways are you speaking of when you say that the admins need to show us that they are the right people? Just curious _

If they are not going to put resources towards it then get rid of athletics. If your not going to do everything possible to compete than why have it.