Louisiana vs Jacksonville State in 2023 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

[Cajun Soldier]

Have to admit that I am the fan you are describing. I am 55 years old. I have always been a casual football fan. Only go when I am given a free ticket but my preference is to stay home on Saturday in my Lazy Boy and watch what I think are better quality games on tv. Doesn't matter the conference, just the match-ups. Will watch the Cajuns on tv if they are the best game on at the time. Currently only have season tickets for softball and never miss a home series. The games aren't long and the girls are athletic and fun to watch. My wife and I travel to some out of town games that are within a 4 hour driving distance. Used to have basketball season tickets until the price got too crazy the past couple of years. Probably going to get crapped on for making this post.

I'm with you only two years older. I gave up my basketball and softball tickets this year. In the last three years I've gone to maybe 10 SB games not series, and four basketball games. I use to buy the tickets and give them away to support the university. I hate to say it but football is driving me away all together. I've been a UL fan since attending FM Hamilton in kindergarten through seventh grade back in the seventies. Even though I may not attend I will still be a fan. I've made more road trips in all sport than home games just crazy.

[CrazyCajun]

Now do Jon Sumrall at Troy.

Who previously was never more than a position coach or co-DC…they really Troy state’d that hire. Hires either work or they don’t. Very few coaches actually are successful at every stop they have been. An extreme minority have a straight trajectory to the top, not even Saban or Meyer. In fact I can’t even think of a highly successful coach that didn’t struggle somewhere or at some point. I’m not satisfied with where we are either but he is the coach and I don’t see how it helps to constantly hammer him. I don’t think there is anyone who wants to win more than Mike.

[CrazyCajun]

I thought he was hired because he could keep the players here. It's his own fault he refuses or does not know how to use the portal. Every school in America deals with the portal some are better than others when dealing with it. Other than Monroe we are the worse at getting talent from the portal in the SBC.

How would one keep players here that no longer have eligibility? He lost a ton to graduation, the 2021 team had 6th, 5th and 4 year seniors on it. Some were out of eligibility, some were done with football and just wanted to move on. A lot only came back to get that championship.

[Clutch0364]

Who previously was never more than a position coach or co-DC…they really Troy state’d that hire. Hires either work or they don’t. Very few coaches actually are successful at every stop they have been. An extreme minority have a straight trajectory to the top, not even Saban or Meyer. In fact I can’t even think of a highly successful coach that didn’t struggle somewhere or at some point. I’m not satisfied with where we are either but he is the coach and I don’t see how it helps to constantly hammer him. I don’t think there is anyone who wants to win more than Mike.

LOL Sumrall had actual experience. Coaching at the FBS level since 2005. Not someone who had 6 years experience coaching and never coached outside of the area he was born in.

[ManAboutTown]

Who previously was never more than a position coach or co-DC…they really Troy state’d that hire. Hires either work or they don’t. Very few coaches actually are successful at every stop they have been. An extreme minority have a straight trajectory to the top, not even Saban or Meyer. In fact I can’t even think of a highly successful coach that didn’t struggle somewhere or at some point. I’m not satisfied with where we are either but he is the coach and I don’t see how it helps to constantly hammer him. I don’t think there is anyone who wants to win more than Mike.

Comment wasn't to demean Mike. I have been one of the few defenders of him.

The point is, even with all the "reasons" people are throwing around for lack of success, other coaches are winning in spite of them. At peer institutions. With stronger SOS. Now, Sumrall has had an experienced veteran core of players his entire time there and that certainly matters. But it's ridiculous to keep laying out all the reasons we can't win. We can win, despite the challenges, because others are figuring out a way to do it.

I think the majority of people seemingly "hammering" Des are people pushing back nonsensical takes. It should be pretty obvious to everyone that this team underachieved and things need to be shaken up.

[JMV JustMyView]

Have to admit that I am the fan you are describing. I am 55 years old. I have always been a casual football fan. Only go when I am given a free ticket but my preference is to stay home on Saturday in my Lazy Boy and watch what I think are better quality games on tv. Doesn't matter the conference, just the match-ups. Will watch the Cajuns on tv if they are the best game on at the time. Currently only have season tickets for softball and never miss a home series. The games aren't long and the girls are athletic and fun to watch. My wife and I travel to some out of town games that are within a 4 hour driving distance. Used to have basketball season tickets until the price got too crazy the past couple of years. Probably going to get crapped on for making this post.

Sounds like me and you have met before.

[CajunT]

98% of the people in Acadiana are you.

There might be 2-3k people in the area that will buy season tickets to football no matter what. The rest of the season tickets sell to people who have been buying them for years, and continue to do so for nostalgic reasons, or just because they always have. If given a decent reason, they'll finally let them go and then realize that they really don't miss them much.

And the school just keeps giving them one reason after another to dump them

I can remember in early 2000 before Cajun Baseball made it to Omaha, I had a discussion with Coach Robichaux about sustaining growth and adding to the program. I pointed out to him the number of Cajun Baseball stickers on the back windows of vehicles at times in the parking area with TAF stickers or LSU Football stickers on the opposite side, and he said that mentality will eventually bring the rest of the athletic program down.

Regardless of the errors and lack of concern for athletics in Martin Hall for decades, the tribal mentality between UL sports programs existed even back then and it continues today. Each department was always told to go out and raise your own money, but don't contact those that are giving or have given to academics.

Fast forward to today, you have softball season ticket holders that aren't members of RCAF and don't buy football tickets. The same remains true for baseball and men's basketball. While I see a number of people that belong in support clubs for multiple sports, that number simply remains too small for sustained growth for an overall athletic program.

If every season ticket holder in softball, baseball and men's basketball purchased season tickets we would have more than enough season ticket holders in football including corporate. That's not the case and it wasn't the case when Billy Napier was here either after two seasons in the Top 25 and three consecutive seasons of 9 wins or more. Even then 43% of season tickets were corporate tickets. So, the tribalism still exists today as it did in 2000 even after Hudspeth's run and the greatest two football seasons in program history.

People have the right to spend their money on which sports you want, but don't tell me how bad things are now when you have supported one sport here at UL for most of your adult life. JMO

[JMV JustMyView]

I'm with you only two years older. I gave up my basketball and softball tickets this year. In the last three years I've gone to maybe 10 SB games not series, and four basketball games. I use to buy the tickets and give them away to support the university. I hate to say it but football is driving me away all together. I've been a UL fan since attending FM Hamilton in kindergarten through seventh grade back in the seventies. Even though I may not attend I will still be a fan. I've made more road trips in all sport than home games just crazy.

What section did you have tickets in for sb?

[JMV JustMyView]

I can remember in early 2000 before Cajun Baseball made it to Omaha, I had a discussion with Coach Robichaux about sustaining growth and adding to the program. I pointed out to him the number of Cajun Baseball stickers on the back windows of vehicles at times in the parking area with TAF stickers or LSU Football stickers on the opposite side, and he said that mentality will eventually bring the rest of the athletic program down.

Regardless of the errors and lack of concern for athletics in Martin Hall for decades, the tribal mentality between UL sports programs existed even back then and it continues today. Each department was always told to go out and raise your own money, but don't contact those that are giving or have given to academics.

Fast forward to today, you have softball season ticket holders that aren't members of RCAF and don't buy football tickets. The same remains for baseball and men's basketball. While I see a number of people that belong in support clubs for multiple sports, that number simply remains too small for sustained growth for an overall athletic program.

If every season ticket holder in softball, baseball and men's basketball purchased season tickets we would have more than enough season ticket holders in football including corporate. That's not the case and it wasn't the case when Billy Napier was here either after two seasons in the Top 25 and three consecutive seasons of 9 or more wins. Even then 43% of season tickets were corporate tickets. So, the tribalism still exists today as it did in 2000 even after Hudspeth's run and the greatest two football seasons in program history.

People have the right to spend their money on which sports you want, but don't tell me had bad things are now when you have supported on sport here at UL for most of your adult life. JMO

Not true T. If you have softball season tickets in the grandstand bleachers or chairbacks then you are a RCAF member as it is required to give a donation to RCAF.

[CrazyCajun]

Comment wasn't to demean Mike. I have been one of the few defenders of him.

The point is, even with all the "reasons" people are throwing around for lack of success, other coaches are winning in spite of them. At peer institutions. With stronger SOS. Now, Sumrall has had an experienced veteran core of players his entire time there and that certainly matters. But it's ridiculous to keep laying out all the reasons we can't win. We can win, despite the challenges, because others are figuring out a way to do it.

I think the majority of people seemingly "hammering" Des are people pushing back nonsensical takes. It should be pretty obvious to everyone that this team underachieved and things need to be shaken up.

It also could have worked opposite, things are clearer in hindsight. Mike isn’t very far from 22-4 either. Sumrall could be the one struggling, if we look there are samples of both sides all over the country. A guy with very similar experience as Mike is 38-14 at UTSA and is getting mention for P5 jobs, everyone thought they were crazy for hiring a high school coach too.