The Book: 2007 Football

[rhineaux]

_ Hey srevere51, I am of the opinion that you always study stats and who played well.

If a player played well you reward him. You have to show that great effort is noticed, and can be built upon.

If a team played poorly overall you give them a Loss and move on. A loss is its own anti reward.

I did not agree with no rewards after the McNeese game. I thought Burkhalter, Zanders, and Fleming had great games on Defense while Derrick Smith had a good receiving day and Wallace showed up for the return team. Turnovers lost that game.

Then again the didn't ask me so . . .

ps If it is any consolation they did not give a defensive player award this week so I guess you still got part of your wish. _

When I played rugby, we'd vote, as a team, for the Man of the Match after every game. When we lost, and sometimes even after we won, we'd vote for a goat. We'd pick the guy that played the worst and gave him an award (i can't remember what we called it). NOBODY ever wanted that thing.

[shof]

_ The Ragin Cajun beer exchange will be in effect.

Z. _

Good. I have a few for you saturday.

[AstroCajun]

_ Hey, I just tried to purchase a little "love" at the local corner. She told me "no money, no honey". I told her that money was a crutch and start giving me "some excellence" and stop making excuses... just like you said. Your advice sucked. I got nothing out of that transaction. You spoke like you knew what you were talking about. No money, but expect excellence? Where you from? _

You owe me a new keyboard.

Still mopping up the coffee on that one!

[IHateLaState]

There are no guarantees anywhere gentlemen... No a new coach won't guarantee 12-0... no one suggested such folly.. I do believe with the facilities we have here...Who else has an indoor facility? With the fan support that we have here...highest avg attendance in the league.. and the potential for even better with a winning product... that we should expect better than 6-5 as the HIGH water mark after 6 years in a program....

We are into year 6 and the BEST we can do is mid level in the worst conference in America... and you have the audacity to criticize me for questioning where this program is and asking why are we not expecting more???

I think Coach Bustle has had ample time to turn things around... and he has not... now you can go cry about the lack of funding or you can quit making excuses and start winning.. McNeese has 15 less scholarships than do we and they kicked out butts... ULM plays in a goat pasture and have beaten us 4 of 5 years under this regime... I dont know why we cant expect... EXPECT... to be playing at the level of Troy... they compete with Alabama and Auburn for recruits yet here they are dominating the league...


Coach Robichaux has the same money issues... As does coach Steph.... you NEVER hear any moaning and groaning for those two...

I happen to think those who accept mediocrity are part of the problem........

[CajunProud]

_ There are no guarantees anywhere gentlemen... No a new coach won't guarantee 12-0... no one suggested such folly.. I do believe with the facilities we have here...Who else has an indoor facility? With the fan support that we have here...highest avg attendance in the league.. and the potential for even better with a winning product... that we should expect better than 6-5 as the HIGH water mark after 6 years in a program....

We are into year 6 and the BEST we can do is mid level in the worst conference in America... and you have the audacity to criticize me for questioning where this program is and asking why are we not expecting more???

I think Coach Bustle has had ample time to turn things around... and he has not... now you can go cry about the lack of funding or you can quit making excuses and start winning.. McNeese has 15 less scholarships than do we and they kicked out butts... ULM plays in a goat pasture and have beaten us 4 of 5 years under this regime... I dont know why we cant expect... EXPECT... to be playing at the level of Troy... they compete with Alabama and Auburn for recruits yet here they are dominating the league...


Coach Robichaux has the same money issues... As does coach Steph.... you NEVER hear any moaning and groaning for those two...

I happen to think those who accept mediocrity are part of the problem........ _

DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! We have a winner.

Beautifully said, and you are exactly right.

[DaddyCajun]

_ I mention Des Mo's accomplishments because people keep making comments about how much trouble we are in because our leading rusher is the QB and that Des Mo is not a QB. I'm tired of hearing the wining and moaning about a young man who is playing extremely well as the QB. I'm sick of losing, too....but I'm more sick of the wining and boohooing over the fact that we are 0-5 and not 5-0. Get over it!!! As frustrating as it is to see young talent not reaching it's full potential thus far, there are greater travesties in life....unless of course this is all you have in life...in which case I tell you to get a life.

Geaux Cajuns!!!! _

Amen, my good brother!!! I totally agree that Fans have a right to be upset. Lets move on! We must decide if we will as Fans be a part of the problem by complaining, moaning and groaning or a part of the solution by supporting these YOUNG(35 of the 60 man travel roster are Fresh/Sophs)MEN!!!

Get your collective butts out to the North Texas game, and do a yo-mans job at getting your friends(students or not) and family out to the game this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!

DaddyCajun
We can grow little by little or regress little by little you decide if your a REAL RAGIN CAJUN FAN!!!!!!!!!

[IHateLaState]

_ I'm not settling for mediocrity...I want a winning team as much as anybody. I just know that you can't get senior excellence out of a team of mainly freshmen. They will have to mature...and I believe that they will, soon. I just know that you cannot turn it on and off like a switch or by rolling from coach to coach every few years.

I'll see you at the SWAMP!!!
Geaux Cajuns!!!! _

To address your points.... No you cant get Senior leadership from Freshman... My question is... who recruited those Seniors?? those Juniors??? Why are we perpetually a "young team"?? Just when do we mature???

I also agree that you dont fire coaches every few years... But 6 years is NOT every few years... If the current staff is not getting the job done.... you find someone who will... that is the nature of the coaching business and it's not personal... when you make a hiring mistake... you admit it.. and move on...

Yes Sir... Geaux Cajuns and I will see you too at the Swamp..............

[shof]

_ It is merely my opinion. No need to get offended.
When you are a child, you encourage young ones with positive reinforcement and hope you get the best out of them.
When you pay for an Athlete to attend your university, you should expect a certain level of play and demand the BEST out of them.
No awards were given during the McNeese game either, so if you want to give me an award for boasting my opinion feel free to send me a private message.
I have supported this university going on 27 years (I will be 27 in December). I will be there for the next 27. _

I don't have a problem with individual awards within the construct of a team sport - win or lose. If someone went out there and busted their tail and was deserving of being recognized - then do it. It shows everyone else the type of effort that is desired. If no one really "deserves" being recognized, then so be it. But don't "not" recognize someone who is truely deserving just because others failed to show up.

[rhineaux]

_ The Ragin Cajun beer exchange will be in effect.

Z. _

How'd that Hefe' treat you?

[VObserver]

Our OL is overall doing a pretty good job. Just accept the fact that we are a run first team, and we will remain a run first team, even if all of our offensive linemen develop into NFL first-rounders.

Everyone needs to quit worrying about the O. If we listed our problems by position in order of severity, we would be on number 24 [or higher] before we got to the first offensive position. Every defensive position and the majority of all special teams positions are weaker than our weakest offensive position.

[CrazyCajun]

_ To address your points.... No you cant get Senior leadership from Freshman... My question is... who recruited those Seniors?? those Juniors??? Why are we perpetually a "young team"?? Just when do we mature???

I also agree that you dont fire coaches every few years... But 6 years is NOT every few years... If the current staff is not getting the job done.... you find someone who will... that is the nature of the coaching business and it's not personal... when you make a hiring mistake... you admit it.. and move on...

Yes Sir... Geaux Cajuns and I will see you too at the Swamp.............. _

and to address your points. everyone is going to jump at this and cry an moan but i;m going to go ahead and say it. The reason we are a young team is b/c the freshman and sophomores we have are better than the juniors and seniors we have. the reason for this is b/c these seniors were recruited when bustle first got here and are not at the level of the younger guys. a coach puts the best talent on the field, that is a good sign that we are getting alot better if you have freshman and sophomores beating out juniors and seniors. that means the talent level is getting better evry recruiting class. now what the coaches are going to do with it is a different story. these young guys are getting their experience and taking their lickings now but just wait in 2 years, whoever the coach is. just look at florida atlantic, for the past two years they have had the same problem with having freshman and sophmores taking their lickings and getting experience. Do you think its paying off?

[shof]

_ To address your points.... No you cant get Senior leadership from Freshman... My question is... who recruited those Seniors?? those Juniors??? Why are we perpetually a "young team"?? Just when do we mature???

I also agree that you dont fire coaches every few years... But 6 years is NOT every few years... If the current staff is not getting the job done.... you find someone who will... that is the nature of the coaching business and it's not personal... when you make a hiring mistake... you admit it.. and move on...

Yes Sir... Geaux Cajuns and I will see you too at the Swamp.............. _

Wish I was "closer" to the program to give a better assessment; but alas I'm not. One thing seems clear to me - - this regime has had a difficult time "selling" the program to recruits. I suspect it has taken a few years to dig out of the hole left by the previous regime - - no name calling - - no toothpick jokes. Seems we are just now beginning to attrack more quality athletes, and probably why we have to go out of state to get so many of them. And again, I don't mean to disparage any young man that chooses our university. We've picked up a "couple" of terrific players each class; but not enough of them. The fact that we are playing so many young guys now should highlight that fact. I would hope that our improvement overall as a program (wins and losses aside) will help us continue to bring in better players that might not have considered us in the past. We definitely need to bring in some more impact players in the next recruiting class and if need be, play them early too.

All this does not give Coach Bustle and staff a "pass". It still doesn't explain some of the meltdowns we have seen recently (NT, MT last year; McNeese this year, ULM). Right now we seem to be stuck between the proverbial "rock and a hard place". Do you cut your losses now and look for a completely new staff, or do you stick it out "one more year" to see if things can be turned around? New staff probably equals "another" rebuilding phase (2-3 yrs?), entirely new effort to sell the program to recruits and the fan base. Another year with Coach Bustle and staff, especially if unsuccessful, puts us an additional year away from reaching our goals. So which is the right answer? Personally for me, the better answer is to see it through with the current staff for at least next year. Neither choice is easy, so its a good thing I'm not the AD! Regardless, see you guys saturday!

Shof