Attendence?

[IHateLaState]

_ If we are to believe you that there are tons more that give a damn about UL sports, repeat, sports, then are you directly blaming the newspaper for low attendance. If you buy the paper all week, then its pretty obvious that the Advertiser does plenty to promote UL and the games. Just because they promote LSU sports doesnt make them any less of a good paper. If it were that there were more coverage to LSU than UL year round, then you'd have a point, but this is just simply not the case.

The person you are responding to is from here. He went to UL. He is not responsible for redesigning the Advertiser. Direct your anger towards the proper people.

Also, it seems like you are making a lot of assumptions on stuff that you are not directly involved in.

Again, we are whining about the newspaper that does a better job of covering its school than any other conference teams paper. There are always numerous articles year round. I am more than satisfied with the stuff written in the paper. Some may have qualms with the way it is placed online, but again, that is not up to the local writers. _

First off I ddi not say "tons" but ok I will say a lot of people care about UL that when reading the post I quoted they are mis counting... I can count 8.. repeat EIGHT.. people that i know personally that did not go to the game because of the weather... M-I-L and F-I-L, two elderly uncles and their wives..one friend who sort of is bi-support (closet a&m fans) that swore it was due to expected rain and not the purple team (ok maybe i dont believe THEM)... look we dont have the absolute die hards that a&m has but to proclaim there are only 12,000 who give a $%# about UL as the poster proclaimed is just wrong......

Next as to things I dont know about... i was a senior individual (all im going to say to not let on who I am) in the running of TDA before Gannett purchased the paper... yes I DO know what i am talking about..

Look I do believe that the paper supports UL.. I do also believe that since Gannett took over there has been a conscious effort to promte a&m to gain readership... i do believe that while the #'s will support Josh that they do run more UL stories I believe there is a deference towards a&m that is not given to UL... for example... when we were investigated by the NCAA for giving out T-shirts to atheletes for summer efforts it was FRONT PAGE HEADLINES... when a&m was investigated for Berkman giving below market apts to players it was page 6 SPORTS SECTION news.... DEFERENCE to a&m....."INVESTIGATIVE: reporting on Ul...

Finally I have given up my subscription to TDA... I pick it up on Sundays and on other days when I believe there is something worthwhile.. Part of it is because of thea&m coverage... more so however is the changes TDA has made... probably prudent from a business perspective.. to reduce the actual news coverage to save on newsprint costs..... I just dont like the paper as it is now........

[Parrott]

Once again, there is a totally new group of managers there now, plus a new UL beat reporter. Did you miss all the front page stuff on Perrilloux?
Honestly, you can't seriously hold the current people responsible for actions made before their time. Plus, as a newspaper person you should know that story placement depends largely on what else went on that day. Some big sports stories jump out front on slow news days and other times it's bumped inside due to other breaking news.


igeaux.mobi

[Boomer]

_ The plan is to run a main football story every day, just like every other week during football season. We had been doing a football notebook every day too, but some of those will now be other UL stories (basketball, baseball, etc.) in some cases. Regardless, I'll be writing at least two Cajun athletic stories daily (a total of about 1,200-1,400 words) - more coverage than available anywhere else.
Thank you sooo much---we need to win!!!!!!!!

igeaux.mobi _

[CajunSaint]

_ If you don't get the newspaper, all you see if which stories run online. The print edition isn't like the online format. You don't see the weeky game day page that we do on Saturdays, complete with rosters, depth charts, stats, key matchups, etc.

In the print edition, you would have seen that LSU did not even get a full game day page this past week. We instead had a full one for the Cajuns. _

joshua, this may be true, but what about the sunday paper? you had almost 3 full pages of their coverage. hardly the same emphasis the day after the game. you had guilbeau's usual drivel. plus you had some guy from shreveport with column space. what, the reporter from the mamou times wasn't available? i'm sure he would have contributed, too. i agree that your coverage is superb; it was just sparse on sunday compared to what they got.

[Parrott]

I did my best given the crazy finish and deadline. I had as many stories (two) as Guilbeau. Can't control what happens elsewhere in terms of staffing. Someone from Alexandria normally goes to add a story for all of the Gannett newspapers in the state due to the huge demand. Did you not see that LSU had only half a game day preview page compared to a whole one for the Cajuns?

Again, more of our readers (based on surveys and online feedback) care about LSU, especially a game between the nation's top-ranked team and No. 4 squad. Based on that it makes sense to cover that school hard because a large number of people will pay to read it. A top-five matchup is going to get more interest than a game between a 2-2 Cajun team and a 1-3 North Texas team. Believe me that I wish that wasn't the case. I'd love to cover a program that always got top billing. During football season, LSU can't be ignored. But what about every other sport? The Cajuns easily get better daily coverage in basketball, baseball and softball unlike almost any other mid-major school in the COUNTRY and better all-around coverage than many BCS conference schools. Maybe the doubters will eventually recognize that fact.

Now I truly appreciate the feedback and the opportunity to share my stories and viewpoint in this forum. Some of the criticism is just. Those who subscribe to the newspaper deserve to be heard and get answers. For now I've taken more than enough time to answer your questions. If you have any other questions feel free to ask, but please do so in a PM out of respect for those tired of this dialogue.

igeaux.mobi

[Turbine]

Thanks Josh

tbc


igeaux.mobi

[IHateLaState]

Josh for the record I do agree with others that you aere doing yomans work in covering the Cajuns... My complaints go higher than a beat writer or even the Sports Editor.... I probably read every word that you write, either online or when I do pick up the paper... Thanks for you work........

[racajun54]

_ It's not stupid and its mandated on many college football sites across the country. We all know its a free country. That's such a stupid rebuttal and reason for not doing so. It has nothing to do with the freedom's of people in this country. It has nothing to do with "good" people and "bad" people. It simply has to do with the fact that being in a dark parking lot, more than likely intoxicated, late in the evening does the school or team no good. It's better to get people on their way or into the stadium to support the team. You aren't competing for people's interest if you allow them to loiter in the parking lot. _

If you would could you name the schools that mandate you have to leave the parking lot. Just curious I just have never heard of this going on.

[Just1More]

_ Josh for the record I do agree with others that you aere doing yomans work in covering the Cajuns... My complaints go higher than a beat writer or even the Sports Editor.... I probably read every word that you write, either online or when I do pick up the paper... Thanks for you work........ _

My sentiments as well. I can't help but think what a local paper could do to incrementally assist our image among the Acadiana readers. Every time they put LSU above UL in any way, it helps perpetuate a wrong IMO. The DA does give UL a lot of coverage, and since Josh came on board, it's substantially better. I see us (UL) as the wife who gave Lafayette it's children and LSU as this hot girlfriend in another city. Lafayette just cannot get away from the girlfriend's hotness and uses it to batter the wife 24/7. I believe the wife needs to get in shape... but damn... it sure doesn't help if the kids want to hang out with the hot rich girlfriend too. As it is now... it is accepted practice for our kids to use the girlfriend's last name. The kids have even adopted the attitude that they can talk smack to their mom. What else can we do to humiliate the wife further? The girlfriend suggests we just kill the wife and she will sex up every man all by herself.

[Turbine]

Again, more of our readers (based on surveys and online feedback) care about LSU,
igeaux.mobi

Once upon a time the polls and surveys showed that Motorola had a lock on the phone market . . .

Apple did a survey that simply asked is there a market for another phone? The answer was... NO! They were told there was more potential in building apps for the phone across the basin.

Draw your own conclusions.

[ShowDog]

_ To those "fans" or students who went to the LSU game last night,

Thank you for driving 50 miles down the road to see the Tigers play. Our players played their hearts out last night for only 12,000 true UL fans and you weren't there to see it. The student section, and frankly, the rest of the stadium looked pathetic and you are the ones responsible for that.

You missed a game that featured multiple Cajun interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. You missed a game in which the special teams once again came through with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. You missed a game that, whlle the Cajuns didn't play well, they found a way to win and they did it in exciting fashion.

You missed watching a Cajun team that doesn't have "superstars", trillions of dollars in funding (see the LSU cribs video on YouTube) and now, apparently, doesn't have your support unless its convenient for you.

Yeah, maybe you did see two top five teams play last night. But while you drove home in drunken disappointment, we went home happy. Maybe we weren't 100% satisfied with how we played, but we won, we're undefeated in conference, and that's all that matters today.

Now I'm not suggesting that you can't be a fan of both schools. However, as much as it pains me to say this, we need you at our games supporting our team EVERY week. It's time for you (especially the students) to start supporting this program like it deserves. We've heard for years that people wanted to support a winner. Well, we're 3-2, undefeated in conference (and at home) and playing to win instead of trying to not lose.

The team has stepped up to the plate. Now it's time for you to do the same. Next time, instead of driving 50 miles down the road, why don't you come to the game in YOUR city and watch OUR team play. Spend your money HERE instead and enjoy being a part of the success that you will help build instead of contribute to the success of another school that frankly doesn't need your help to win. _

What they really missed was one of the sloppiest games played by 2 inept teams that most HS teams could play as well as. I know. I drove 50 miles the other way and went to the UL game.

[IHateLaState]

_ I see us (UL) as the wife who gave Lafayette it's children and LSU as this hot girlfriend in another city. Lafayette just cannot get away from the girlfriend's hotness and uses it to batter the wife 24/7.

Great analogy... You know I have been a Saints fan since 1967.... and have seen the ebb and flow of support.... Now it is again popular to be a Saints fan but for many years I was the battered wife.... the butt of soo many jokes... and the same is true to an extent with a&m.. since the Curley Halmann years they have had the tummy tuck.. the face lift... the boob job... and now everyone is enamored with them....For better or worse I am wedded to the Cajuns..............