Review: The 2002 UL Baseball Post Season

[IHateLaState]

_ The benches emptied but did not pour onto the field.

No punches were thrown.

A bat flew. He said it slipped I give him the benefit.

Batters were plunked. That's baseball.

There were cousins taunting left and right. It was a football game atmosphere. Nothing happened.

Certainly no reason to cancel the series. A lot of the players involved wern't even on their respective teams the next year. There was zero chance of tensions bleeding over into the next season.

igeaux.mobi _

Yep this is a good summation... I forgot about the bat "slipping".... and I agree there was no reason to cancel the series...... hence, again, my issues with Robe playing without a home and home

[Bandwagon King]

_ We were in the BR Regional as the #2 seed if memory serves.. We beat a&m@br in the winners bracket which meant they had to beat us twice.

They of course made their way back to the championship game and emotions were riding high. Mid way in the first game, one of their guys hits a home run and as he comes around third base he is hot-dogging to our bench. Well the next batter gets plunked and the benches empty... no punches... and Robe gets ejected... the place was going nuts with the a&m fans taunting us etc...

In between games (I was told this later), Robe was interviewed by Jay and he seemed livid... saying something like "I will NEVER apologize for the name on my jersey... I don't care who and where we are playing"... maybe Jay, if he chooses to comment on this thread will have a better memory on the interview cause this came to me second hand....

Anyway, they put a butt whipping on us in the final game and it was almost taking your life in your hands, literally, if you were wearing red... An African American fan told me later he had not heard such language sinde the 60's.... As we walked down the stairs the a&m@br finest were hopping in front of us and taunting us.... it was close to a riot...

So they (both parties) decided to not play for awhile and let emotions ebb..... Which is why it chaps me to no end that Robe has taken the high rode and goes play to "EARN" the right to play again.... It was BS, admittedly on both ends.... I was far from innocent because I gave it as good as I got it... but we were definitely not at fault alone and should not be begging to play...

Thats my recollection _

My recollection is that is about 98% hogwash. I know because I was at that series. It was incredibly intense & the LSU bats heated up & stoned our pitching, but I had red on that weekend & while I was given plenty of the business, it was good natured fun. I sure gave my share of guff to the LSU crowd around me when Andy Gros treated Pontiff like a red headed stpechild. It was a great atmosphere & UL almost pulled of a gargantuan upset in a traditional powerhouse's back yard.

The real problems occured after all was said & done & too many booty wipes & boo hooers on both sides acted like they were totally indignant at the whole happening & caused the series to be put off for a few years when these guys should have played two weekend series the next year. It would have been great for LSU, it would have been great for UL, but most of all, it would have been great for college baseball in the state of Louisiana. Even though LSU has managed to win another CWS since then, I don't see where either team has reached that point in their programs consistently since then.

[IHateLaState]

_ My recollection is that is about 98% hogwash. I know because I was at that series. It was incredibly intense & the LSU bats heated up & stoned our pitching, but I had red on that say & while I was given plenty of the business, it was good natured fun. I sure gave my shar of guff to the LSU crowd around me when Andy Gros treated Pontiff like a red headed stpechild. It was a great atmosphere & UL almost pulled of a gargantuan upset in a traditional powerhouse's back yard.

The real problems occured after all was said & done & too many booty wipes & boo hooers on both sides acted like they were totally indignant at the whole happening & caused the series to be put off for a few years when these guys should have played two weekend series the next year. It would have been great for LSU, it would have been great for UL, but most of all, it would have been great for college baseball in the state of Louisisana. Even though LSU has managed to win another CWS since then, I don't see where either team has reached that point in their programs consistently since then. _

You know Kyle you say things with such authority that people figure you must know what you are talking about... and that, you know what you are talking about...in this instance... is 98% hogwash... I too was there... And I can trot out at least 3 others who were there, who will indicate a similar story as mine.... especially the African American I referred to....

I suppose in the end it is all about perception... perhaps the "slipping bat" really did slip??? perhaps the guy who hit the home run (I think it was Pontiff) just stumbled around third base and it only "looked" like he was taunting... perhaps the next guy getting hit was really just a curve ball that didnt.... perhaps Tony got tossed because the ump was just having a bad day.... perhaps all the crap flying back and forth was "just good natured fun"

perhaps 98% of that stuff just didnt happen

[Bandwagon King]

_ You know Kyle you say things with such authority that people figure you must know what you are talking about... and that, you know what you are talking about...in this instance... is 98% hogwash... I too was there... And I can trot out at least 3 others who were there, who will indicate a similar story as mine.... especially the African American I referred to....

I suppose in the end it is all about perception... perhaps the "slipping bat" really did slip??? perhaps the guy who hit the home run (I think it was Pontiff) just stumbled around third base and it only "looked" like he was taunting... perhaps the next guy getting hit was really just a curve ball that didnt.... perhaps Tony got tossed because the ump was just having a bad day.... perhaps all the crap flying back and forth was "just good natured fun"

perhaps 98% of that stuff just didnt happen _

I gues some people are a total magnet for spitting, vile acts of anger, urine bottle throwing, etc. I wouldn't suppose with a handle like I hate La State you be bringing any of that on yourself could you? All I know is I went to the games with two guys who are both LSU & UL fans & an LSU fan made sure I got good tickets & fed me at his motor home & we had a lot of fun ribbing each other & bragging about who was good & talking about match ups. I found this man & all his friends to be very gracious & fun. They also introduced me to guidry's chicken sausage from Cecilia. One would think that with my big mouth & unyeilding zeal to tell it the way I see it down the line, good or bad that I would be the one getting spit at & having batteries chucked at me. I wonder how I miss all that stuff.

[IHateLaState]

_ I gues some people are a total magnet for spitting, vile acts of anger, urine bottle throwing, etc. I wouldn't suppose with a handle like I hate La State you be bringing any of that on yourself could you? All I know is I went to the game with two guys who are both LSU & UL fans & an LSU fan made sure I got good tickets & fed me at his motor home & we had a lot of fun ribbing each other & bragging about who was good & talking about match ups. I found this man & all his friends to be very gracious & fun. They also introduced me to guidry's chicken sausage from Cecilia. One would think that with my big mouth & unyeilding zeal to tell it the way I see it down the line, good or bad that I would be the one getting spit at & having batteries chucked at me. I wonder how I miss all that stuff. _

Actually you are correct here Kyle.... Because when an a&m fan yells something at me I do yell back... and i am loud...and I do not hide my dislike for that school...... and so perhaps I do bring some of it on myself... For the record however nothing more than yelling happened to me personally at this particular event... I would point out the poster who said he and his wife were accosted by a drunk fan who wanted to fight... I guess he brought that on himself... and my black friend brought it on himself...

my response to you was to challenge your assertion of 98% hogwash the events I related on the field... and since you have no real response you choose to challenge me instead... You must be a Democrat

[Bandwagon King]

_ Actually you are correct here Kyle.... Because when an a&m fan yells something at me I do yell back... and i am loud...and I do not hide my dislike for that school...... and so perhaps I do bring some of it on myself... For the record however nothing more than yelling happened to me personally at this particular event... I would point out the poster who said he and his wife were accosted by a drunk fan who wanted to fight... I guess he brought that on himself... and my black friend brought it on himself...

my response to you was to challenge your assertion of 98% hogwash the events I related on the field... and since you have no real response you choose to challenge me instead... You must be a Democrat _

What happened on the field was because of two passionate proud programs who were being reprsented by great players that day. I get it. I wish a bunch of dimwitted blue haired self righteous jerks got it that day, because both programs have suffered IMO since then.

They didn't need each other to survive, but they need each other to thrive. I wouldn't be surprised to see UL take the victory last night & rally with it to a big winning streak. By the same token, I wouldn't be surprised to see LSU take their midweek thumping as a major wake up call to get their butts in gear for the rest of their conference schedule. These guys playing is GOOD for baseball in Louisiana. It should have never been stopped because a couple of players & coaches got a LITTLE carried away with their emotions. That happens in sports. People should to get over it, or better yet enjoy it, because there was probably never a prouder moment in UL or LSU history then that day when those guys stood up for their schools.

[IHateLaState]

_ What happened on the field was because of two passionate proud programs who were being reprsented by great players that day. I get it. I wish a bunch of dimwitted blue haired self righteous jerks got it that day, because both programs have suffered IMO since then.

They didn't need each other to survive, but they need each other to thrive. I wouldn't be surprised to see UL take the victory last night & rally with it to a big winning streak. By the same token, I wouldn't be surprised to see LSU take their midweek thumping as a major wake up call to get their butts in gear for the rest of their conference schedule. These guys playing is GOOD for baseball in Louisiana. It should have never been stopped because a couple of players & coaches got a LITTLE carried away with their emotions. That happens in sports. People should to get over it, or better yet enjoy it, because there was probably never a prouder moment in UL or LSU history then that day when those guys stood up for their schools. _

Ok finally a well thought out response from you Kyle... see I knew you had it in you... Now keep it (the thought thing) going for a minute... You refer to something you call "blue hair dimwhitted jerks" I think... as being the ones who caused the series to be suspended.... So who might those BHDJ's actually be Kyle? Was it anyone from UL not wanting to continue playing??? Or might it have been the almighty.... Skip Bertman?????

[CajunRed]

That would be...SKIP.

Ok finally a well thought out response from you Kyle... see I knew you had it in you... Now keep it (the thought thing) going for a minute... You refer to something you call "blue hair dimwhitted jerks" I think... as being the ones who caused the series to be suspended.... So who might those BHDJ's actually be Kyle? Was it anyone from UL not wanting to continue playing??? Or might it have been the almighty.... Skip Bertman?????

igeaux.mobi

[IHateLaState]

_ That would be...SKIP.
igeaux.mobi _

Yes it would be Skip...... So now we have a situation... where most who were there agree... there was some level of "events" on the field.... that there was escalation of non-niceness among fans (and Kyle I was indeed one of the not nice UL fans) from both sides..... so the almighty one... the SKIP unilaterally decides we should not play for awhile.... and now WE decide that we should attempt to "earn" our way back...

not good Tony... screw em

[RedTails]

_ Yes it would be Skip...... So now we have a situation... where most who were there agree... there was some level of "events" on the field.... that there was escalation of non-niceness among fans (and Kyle I was indeed one of the not nice UL fans) from both sides..... so the almighty one... the SKIP unilaterally decides we should not play for awhile.... and now WE decide that we should attempt to "earn" our way back...

not good Tony... screw em _

Tony's perspective is probably: if they don't want to come get beaten on our field, then we'll just go beat them on theirs.

[Bandwagon King]

_ That would be...SKIP.

igeaux.mobi _

It was people from both schools. Everybody overreacted like it was the worst thing that ever happended in sports & nothing actually happened on the field or off the field. I don't recall any arrests or any punches thrown or anything more than guys mouthing off to each other some & staring each other down. In the overall context of the real world it was great theatre at it's best.

I have more respect for Justin Gabrielle than any other person that has ever worn a UL jersey & I know a lot of people who felt the same way about Wally Pontiff. These guys were the personification of what collegiate atheletics is all about. Not letting the young guys who played after them continue to compete against each other was stealing a building block in the character of those young men from them IMO.

The biggest culprits in all of this were the taildraggers who wanted to have a post game story to tell their buddies & blew a 6 ounce perch into a 40 ton whale. Is this shoe starting to fit anyone? In other words it's people who post ficticious fights that didn't occur, spiiting that was probably never done, etc. etc. etc. This naturally got back to both university presidents & atheletic administrators & put them in a no win position. I wish Tony & Skip could have gotten together & had a couple of beers & said hey man, that really wasn't so bad. In fact, when you think about it was pretty good. Let's do it again next year.

[Turbine]

...Was it anyone from UL not wanting to continue playing??? Or might it have been the almighty.... Skip Bertman????? _

Final approval was with Skip, but only under dual pressure from Yvette threatening to resign, and "Smoke" Laval afraid for his career if he had to face UL every year.