Let me beat this "dead horse" again

[Cajun1997]

UAB looks familiar
Blazers'' offense similar to Cajuns entering Saturday''s battle
Dan McDonald / Staff Writer
Posted on September 18, 2002
LAFAYETTE - UL Lafayette and Alabama-Birmingham don't need a lot of scouting reports or videotape to prepare for their Saturday contest at Cajun Field.

It is funny how UAB is called
Alabama-Birmingham
and we are called
UL-Lafayette

I do not ever remember UAB being called just "Birmingham." Why is that? Let's come back to that. In this particular article in today's Advertiser, they are refered to as "UAB" 5 times, as the "Blazers" 3 times, and Alabama-Birmingham 1 time. We on the other hand are refered to as "UL Lafayette" 2 times and "Cajuns" 5 times. Neither school is refered to by it's full name.

From the baseball section of RaginCajuns.com
Call Us: Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns, Louisiana-Lafayette
Don't Call Us: ULL or abbreviate Lafayette
(La.-Lafayette is acceptable)?????????????

Here is my point, from the start we have asked everyone to call us UL Lafayette (I will even give them the benefit of the doubt on this one) with the hope that people would drop off the Lafayette. Well for a number of reasons this has not happened and the Lafayette has stuck and has more of a reference than UL.

Tell me what is the difference between UL Lafayette and ULL? One big difference to me is the Lafayette is taken out from what people say (and how they refer to our school).
Let's us UAB for an example in this.
Do they use UA Birmingham? NO
Alabama-Birmingham? YES
UAB? YES

I am as big a supporter of us being called UL, Louisiana and University of Louisiana as anyone out (I think I have shown that) there but our battle keeps getting harder and harder with each passing day. IMHO, it will be easier when the day comes to drop the Lafayette from "Louisiana-Lafayette" and drop the last L from ULL than it will ever be to drop the Lafayette from the UL.


This is from louisiana.edu

What to call us

The formal and official name of the university is University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Please use this name in all first references. UL Lafayette is acceptable for second reference.


The following uses are inaccurate:
ULL, U of L, U of LL, and U of L at Lafayette


The lead athletic name is Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns®. Teams may also be referred to as
Louisiana-Lafayette, Ragin' Cajuns® and Cajuns.

Ragin' Cajuns® is a federally registered trademark.

Perhaps the school agrees with me to a point, but the SID and AD officies are not doing their jobs of getting this info out to newspapers. Hell I would rather read an Advocate article that calls us ULL than an Advertiser article where we are called UL Lafayette over and over.
Sorry about the rant!

[Cajun1997]

ESPN.com's Bottom 10 Week 5
Rank Team Rec. Comment
1 Tulsa 0-3 Nation's longest losing streak reaches 13, but Baylor's on the horizon
2 Wyoming 0-3 Hint on the uniforms: If you want to be a success, you have to dress for it
3 Louisiana Monroe 0-3 Lost to I-AA McNeese St. ... can't help those that can't help themselves
4 Colorado 1-2 We spare nobody ... Four first downs gets you fourth in this poll
5 La Lafayette 0-3 Losing to the Houston Cougars isn't a good thing


If you did not know anything about the above programs which would you think was from Louisiana?

[Turbine]

I beg to differ. It's not a dead horse . . . .

Great post by the way.

Louisiana Monroe seems to be winning the perception battle.

While Louisiana seems to be on the fast track to becoming a localized school.

But it is not a dead horse, at least not yet.

[Cajun1997]

see link

link

Sun Belt Conference
Arkansas State
Idaho
La Lafayette
Louisiana Monroe
Middle Tennessee State
New Mexico State
North Texas

[Turner]

17 letters for ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM and 18 letters FOR LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE I always read that they didn't have the space for LOUISIANA. Now I think that is a not true.

[Cajun1997]

On the MaxEmfinger Recruiting link I gave, Middle Tennessee State is spelled out but we are still listed as La Lafayette because this is what we (the university) have asked people to do.

[Cajun1997]

We all want the same thing right? To be nationally know as UL, Louisiana, the University of Louisiana. That is what I want as well (to go along with a conference champion bowl winning football team, a basketball team that goes to the Sweet 16 year-in-and-out, and a baseball team that travels to Omaha at least once a year). Well in order for us to be called UL, Louisiana, the University of Louisiana it is going to take more people than just us doing so. How can we get them to call us UL (etc...)? Lets start by talking about how to NOT go about it. Many of us (on the same side) are much too quick to jump all over anyone who does not call us UL. Unless this was done on purpose as an insult then what are we gaining by being abusive to someone who meant no harm? Nothing, if anything we are losing someone who could have/may have been brought over to our side. I think we need to try and be a little less sensitive and not be so quick to shove our feelings about this issue down somebody's throat. Despite what we read in the Advertiser, we are winning this battle. I met a man from Mandeville this past weekend (an Ole Miss grad and fan), as we talked about my college he refered to us over & over as UL, from the start of the conversation to the end. So people are listening and the name is growing. The biggest thing we can do right now is to leave people alone who call us ULL or Louisiana-Lafayette and lets concentrate on the people who call us UL Lafayette or "Lafayette." Slow and steady will win this race, lets not wear any Ragin' Cajun gear that has UL Lafayette anywhere on it, and if possible where something that does not have Lafayette on it at all. We have got to nip this being called Lafayette in the bud and or much of the work we have done will have been for nothing. Let's be smart and win this in our lifetime.


The Cajun Basin

[CajunDave1]

I agree with you 100%! This battle will not be won overnight and, believe it or not, most people who are neutral or not educated on this issue could care less what we would like to be called and would go along with our wishes if approached in a proffessional and decent manner. However, we give those same people an opportunity to turn against us when they make an "honest" mistake and then are jumped on by over agressive supporters of the University of Louisiana. We need to be sure that someone is making a deliberate attempt to belittle our university before we jump all over them. If we just shoot at everyone in site, a lot of inicent bystanders will get hurt and, in the end, we will end up hurting, rather than helping, our effort to become all that we can be!!!

As a matter of fact, I have found that when someone tries to pull my chain by referring to us as U-La-La, Ohh-La-La or something of that nature, I either don't respond or don't exhibit any sign of my displeasure. Usually, within minutes, they change their tune and begin referring to us in a more legitimate and appropriate manner!

I'm sure that we will all have an opportunity to put this theory to a test in Baton Rouge on 10/5/02. I would suggest that we all take the high road and refrain from providing additional ammunition to those on the "dark side" of the Mississippi River!!!

[Cajun1997]

Originally posted by CajunDave1
I'm sure that we will all have an opportunity to put this theory to a test in Baton Rouge on 10/5/02. I would suggest that we all take the high road and refrain from providing additional ammunition to those on the "dark side" of the Mississippi River!!!

Great post Dave, and I bet your right in that there will be plenty of chances to test your theory on 10/5/02. Stay on that high road. Geaux Cajuns!!!!!

[Turbine]

Great, great honest opinion reading.

The funniest set of lines.

"Many UL fans see that changing quotes when we call ourselves "Louisiana" or "UL" is petty and cheap. Worse, it is just plain wrong, and maybe not good journalism. They know what the new logos look like, and they notice that you don’t use them. Someone at your paper once told me that using “Louisiana’s Ragin Cajuns” is just a marketing ploy. Heck, we know that; we’re Cajuns. When we see a sign that says “Fresh Seafood” we know that’s a marketing ploy, too. Fresh seafood is still swimming, right?"

[cajuntbob]

I agree with both of you guys, well said ;

GEAUX CAJUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CDeb]

Yeah, who cares if "Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns" is a marketing ploy?

So are:
"Death Valley"
"Team of the 90's"
"Big Ben"
"P-MAC"

And the media lapdogs in Baton Rouge certainly eat those up, don't they??

Besides, isn't that what all nicknames/mascots are, marketing ploys??