End of Year Rivalry Game

[CajunFun]

I’d be curious to know if you actually voted for Landry.

Bob Mann has certainly been crying since an hour after election results.

When Shawn Wilson was SGA President, I was working the UL clinic. I was the first person who ever told him he would be governor of Louisiana one day.

I was mistaken.

I was in his wedding, and we have had dinner at each others' homes several times. He's a good friend.

So no, I did not vote for Landry.

But I'm confident he's still going to help UL... a lot.

[CajunFun]

“There is no conversation… nor is there any interest.”

BTW, you left out, "Separation, baby, separation!"

[CajunFun]

We "were" ranked in the top 25 in football. Were is the magic word. The Cajuns can't stay consistent and that is what TSAB has over us. Two years after the fact the Cajuns are 6-6 playing the 125th weakest schedule and finishing 5th in the west division of the SBC conference. The 6 wins are against teams with a 22-44 record. Let that sink in. Even you would now have to admit the program has fallen big time. You still think Mike was the right hire? Seems like we are having nightmares and not hearing anyone else's foot steps.

Would you argue that BSSE* is consistent? 'Bama? Michigan?

Look at Texas, they have more money than God and they can't buy success.

Everyone here knows you have to give a coach 3-4 years, but too many gave up on Des the day he took the job.

We lost a head coach, and a lot of talent. But Des had the #1 recruiting class in the 'Belt. So for the sake of discussion, let's say he's a bad coach. How many bad coaches have won at big schools because they had superior talent?

If Des was the top recruiter in the 'Belt his first year out, I think we will get some pretty good talent for some years to come.

And from where I'm sitting, Des hasn't hit top speed yet, because he's not just recruiting talent. He's trying to completely rebuild the team mentality, he's creating his own culture.

So many people dog on Mike. For my part, I'm excited.

*our Beloved Sister School to the East

[CajunFun]

Cajun fun, when I read the new R1 parameters, not sure if I am reading too much into it, but it seemed they changed the way they count the funded from raised/generated to spent...

Does that mean the TSABs of the world can just spend their own money on unapproved research just to get total dollars spent (i.e. wasted) higher?

Dunno. That stuff is as bad as the IRS code.

But again, we're in the right spot. We can dig into the data, and start informing policy makers. I assure you, the right people in the Capitol have already heard from us.

There is shock. There is dismay.

And there is a growing reconsideration of Louisiana's higher education strategy.

And when we hit SREB-1, the tiger scat will simultaneously hit the fan.

[ZoomZoom]

Would you argue that BSSE* is consistent? 'Bama? Michigan?

Look at Texas, they have more money than God and they can't buy success.

Everyone here knows you have to give a coach 3-4 years, but too many gave up on Des the day he took the job.

We lost a head coach, and a lot of talent. But Des had the #1 recruiting class in the 'Belt. So for the sake of discussion, let's say he's a bad coach. How many bad coaches have won at big schools because they had superior talent?

If Des was the top recruiter in the 'Belt his first year out, I think we will get some pretty good talent for some years to come.

And from where I'm sitting, Des hasn't hit top speed yet, because he's not just recruiting talent. He's trying to completely rebuild the team mentality, he's creating his own culture.

So many people dog on Mike. For my part, I'm excited.

*our Beloved Sister School to the East

He didn’t have to rebuild the culture. He opted to change it.

[JMV JustMyView]

Would you argue that BSSE* is consistent? 'Bama? Michigan?

Look at Texas, they have more money than God and they can't buy success.

Everyone here knows you have to give a coach 3-4 years, but too many gave up on Des the day he took the job.

We lost a head coach, and a lot of talent. But Des had the #1 recruiting class in the 'Belt. So for the sake of discussion, let's say he's a bad coach. How many bad coaches have won at big schools because they had superior talent?

If Des was the top recruiter in the 'Belt his first year out, I think we will get some pretty good talent for some years to come.

And from where I'm sitting, Des hasn't hit top speed yet, because he's not just recruiting talent. He's trying to completely rebuild the team mentality, he's creating his own culture.

So many people dog on Mike. For my part, I'm excited.

*our Beloved Sister School to the East

Create his own culture? Maggard said he was hired to continue the culture. Give him 3 to 4 years? He was already set up to succeed. Can he keep the talent at UL and coach them up is the million dollar question. So would you agree after 4 years if the team is still doing what it is doing after his first 2 years then a change will be needed?

[Turbine]

Would you argue that BSSE* is consistent? 'Bama? Michigan?

Look at Texas, they have more money than God and they can't buy success.

Everyone here knows you have to give a coach 3-4 years, but too many gave up on Des the day he took the job.

We lost a head coach, and a lot of talent. But Des had the #1 recruiting class in the 'Belt. So for the sake of discussion, let's say he's a bad coach. How many bad coaches have won at big schools because they had superior talent?

If Des was the top recruiter in the 'Belt his first year out, I think we will get some pretty good talent for some years to come.

And from where I'm sitting, Des hasn't hit top speed yet, because he's not just recruiting talent. He's trying to completely rebuild the team mentality, he's creating his own culture.

So many people dog on Mike. For my part, I'm excited.

*our Beloved Sister School to the East

Desormeaux "will" be successful, I have no doubt.

I have a truckload of periferal reservations on the issue but long term is where I'm going to gather my thoughts.

[Big Buds]

LaTech and Tulane need to be on a rotating two year Home/Home schedule. Basically every year either Tulane or LaTech is on the schedule.

For example:
‘24 Tulane
‘25 @ Latech
‘26 @ Tulane
‘27 LaTech
‘28 Tulane

Hell, I’d be ok playing both every year and rotating the home/away to where we host one of them every year…easier said than done.

[Crawfish]

Look at Texas, they have more money than God and they can't buy success.

Small point: This year the teasips are a bad example of your point, as they are currently 11-1, 1st in the Big 12, and the #7 team in the country. I despise them, but you have to give the devil his due.

[R1Letterman]

Sking championships are utterly worthless. Nice shiny button on your coat

Are they worthless because the ncaa doesn't recognize it or does the ncaa not recognize it because we are better than p5 at it?

[R1Letterman]

Look at Texas, they have more money than God and they can't buy success.- Cajun fun
Good point, so what are they trying to gain by moving to s-e-c?

[CajunFun]

Create his own culture? Maggard said he was hired to continue the culture.

For ADs across the country, 'culture' means a culture of winning without major scandals.

Here, culture means what Robe instilled in his players: winning is the by-product of doing it right. But you do it right first: discipline, mental toughness, classes and grades, and preparation for life. And leadership: team leadership, but first, personal leadership. That's why Robe didn't win as much as coaches who only practice 'sports school culture,' i.e. "win at all costs."

And that's why Robe didn't have great teams every year: in a way, every year was starting over. The players all got the basics of the game from t-ball to high school.

But for many of them, the personal development, learning to discipline and motivate themselves, rather than looking for a coach to do it, didn't start until they got to UL.

Give him 3 to 4 years? He was already set up to succeed.

Why do say that he was 'set up' to succeed? He lost major, major talent; in a conference that had only just become competitive; at a program that had only just started winning consistently; and which hadn't yet built up a large attendance base, nor big-time donors.

Please explain your thinking.

Can he keep the talent at UL and coach them up is the million dollar question. So would you agree after 4 years if the team is still doing what it is doing after his first 2 years then a change will be needed?

I suppose the answer is the same as Bob Dole give when they asked him if he wore boxers or briefs.

"Depends."

If the 'Belt is winning half or more of their P5 games, and UL is one of the teams participating in that, and we are 6-6, I would regard that as real progress. Our record hasn't improved, but the team has, dramatically.

I question the wisdom of just looking at the W-L record, and saying that is what a program— or a coach— is worth. The P5 are talking about leaving the NCAA, and I hope they do... because once again, it will blow up in their faces. I considered writing a post on that, but it would take me a couple of hours. I will simply say that subconsciously, what they are looking for is a conference where everyone has a winning record.

And when you put their goals into words, you can see that it's impossible.

UL does not exist to support a football team; it's vice versa. But too many schools, and fans, pursue the Lombardi maxim, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." That's fine for professional sports.

It should be an embarrassment for a university.

We need to rethink who we are, and what we are doing. We don't want our slogan to be, "We hate LSU, and we want to be just like them."