The Book: 2007 Football

[RCAJUN90]

I just finished watching the Hawai'i vs. San Jose State game on ESPN. As embarassing as we may think our attendance was last week, at least we weren't in a position where we had more of the opponent's fans in CAJUN FIELD than our own, like what I saw tonight!!!

It is amazing with our record over the last what 12 years we have anyone in the stadium. Didn't San Jose have a good year a few years back? Everything has always been in place for us but a winning tradition.

[Big Buds]

Turbine, do you sleep?

I know what you mean about the three plays. The fact is those three plays happened against good competition and we allowed it to happen. Good teams take advantage of poorly timed mistakes; now it is our time to take advantage of the Sun Belt.

[LaGrid]

That is close

[Just1More]

_ I can find 3 plays in every game this year, and if undone or made UL would be undefeated.

That is is how close going undefeated and winless can be. _

Turbine, you don't mean the 3 opposing teams scoring plays, I hope? I know not. you mean a first down here, a stop there, a completion here, a interception not thrown. that sorta stuff. right?

It is not fair, as life is not, that "close", "hanging tough", "great losing effort", and all of those, are not only dismissed, but readily an ignition source for "don't know how to win", "who cares, winning is all that counts", "they suck". and more.

I tend to look at the entire body of work and look for effort, improvement, and hope for a better future. This football team has far from collapsed. which could easily be the case in another time and place. It might be that we will have to make a very tough choice later this year, if you know what I mean. And, I know this forum is for sharing opinions and venting, in all shapes, colors and sizes. But, it does a program no good to hear continuous bashing on the open airwaves. I do not doubt these people's loyalty to UL. but I often doubt their grasp of good sense. I do want to hear argument. I love it. Just not moronic ideas that will not be done, but damage much more than the intended victim.

I miss the hemoroids that come on here and show hate for our institution and athletic programs. They unite those that have a smidgen of Cajun love in their blood. Instead, pretty much all I hear as of late is a bunch of insiders doing knife fights with candle sticks. no blood drawn, no results. just a bunch of hand waving and tough talk.

I'd like to see this season play out with fans being as tough and gritty as I know we keep asking the players to be. When the clock runs out on the final game. that is the time to storm congress and demand the collective consensus will be done.

Sorry if I hurt anyone with my candlestick.

[Just1More]

Everything has always been in place for us but a winning tradition. _

Sorry RC90, but you are putting the cart before the horse. I disagree that we have everything in place. What, pray tell, has been basically the same for our institution for the past 30 plus years. the lead dog that pulls the sled. It is irrelevant to have the lead dog pulling you, ever so slightly, away from the destination, and expect the great dogs behind him to make up for the misdirection.

LEADERSHIP (at the peak) is key to every program in the country making a step change upward. It is ridiculous for everyone to keep saying "we have great tires, a big engine, slick design, but we need a new driver" when the engine has a governor on it!

New, improved leadership for the university is what will unleash the notorious potential of UL, and build that "winning football tradition". I've heard all the other stuff for over 30 years and we will keep getting the same results if we keep doing the same things.

[Just1More]

My thoughts are with the game today, but if there were ever a game this season that we are going to have to throw a wrinkle in our giddy-up, it is this FAU game. They are going to exploit every one of our tendencies. They have plenty of time to work on them, plenty of game footage, and they have all the capability to jump on our weaknesses. I say it is time to bring in the freak of our game (whatever that is) and throw it all over them.

[RonMexico]

Sorry RC90, but you are putting the cart before the horse. I disagree that we have everything in place. What, pray tell, has been basically the same for our institution for the past 30 plus years. the lead dog that pulls the sled. It is irrelevant to have the lead dog pulling you, ever so slightly, away from the destination, and expect the great dogs behind him to make up for the misdirection.

LEADERSHIP (at the peak) is key to every program in the country making a step change upward. It is ridiculous for everyone to keep saying "we have great tires, a big engine, slick design, but we need a new driver" when the engine has a governor on it!

New, improved leadership for the university is what will unleash the notorious potential of UL, and build that "winning football tradition". I've heard all the other stuff for over 30 years and we will keep getting the same results if we keep doing the same things.

I was speaking with a former Mississippi State professor last weekend. Miss. State has had 5 different presidents over the last 12 years.
"Dude" Authement has been here way freakin too long.

L'Rontavioustremendoushellacking'

[Just1More]

_ I was speaking with a former Mississippi State professor last weekend. Miss. State has had 5 different presidents over the last 12 years.
"Dude" Authement has been here way freakin too long.

L'Rontavioustremendoushellacking' _

Ron, I respect the heck out of Dr. A for his academic focus and achievements. It is too painfully obvious that he is an academian who could not see college athletics for anything more than a sideshow. I could never question his "love" of all things UL. He just never realized the sling shot effect that athletics (football in particular) has on a US university, to the benefit of everything for that institution. He is way "old school" and for athletics, it pinched us.

If I were on this presidential evaluation panel, I would not only ask these candidates for a short synopsis of their thoughts on college athletics, I would have them submit an in-depth paper on their knowledge of business and marketing, and have them wrap that up by what top 3 things do they believe bring students, faculty, alumni and the community into a tight relationship with a university. If they fail to include as their number one priority the rapid expansion and explosion of UL football, they would no longer be a candidate. I am no idiot, and that is just how crucial this component of our institution needs to be addressed.

UL is not only allowing the network of alumni to disengage from the university, when outside of a 100 mile radius of Lafayette, but it is beginning to fragment its own ties to many local fans and support groups. That is a monumentally devastating failure. Any business with metrics (Lafayette/Acadiana) at their disposal like UL, would have fired the entire management, from top to bottom, years ago, for not unlocking that huge element of the business.

STATE FUNDING: Our state politics and our funding for athletics is abysmal. It hurts not to have equality to institutions in other states that we compete with, when they are smaller and much less equipped as we. However, there is an upside. Our first competitors for athletic talent, are our other state institutions (LSU aside). They are underfunded as well. UL has the most potential to exceed each of them, if mastered properly.

Moreover, for every dollar of state money given to athletics, 25 cents of private money has an even greater effect. State money gets scrutinized for one. It goes where the admin says it goes, for two. But, not only is private money spent in the wiser "marketing" based realm, it is inclusive of the very fans that you are attempting to harness. Our future depends on a smarter marketeering administration and a separate, private funding movement. In the meantime, as we work together to make this happen, I am going to seek out these "Difference Makers" and help support them.

Later Ron. speech over.

[CajunNation]

_ Conque was interviewed the last time we made a coaching change. So, he certainly should be interviewed. But until he wins a conference Championship in the SLC, he is not at the top of the list. He hasn't answered the question yet at UCA now that the quality of opponents have improved. _

Their last 2 games, UCA has played the '04 SLC champs and the '05 SLC champs.

In these 2 games, UCA amassed:

61 first downs

1,138 total yards

98 points

won both games by an average score of 49-17

What else do you want him to do?

[RonMexico]

Ron, I respect the heck out of Dr. A for his academic focus and achievements. It is too painfully obvious that he is an academian who could not see college athletics for anything more than a sideshow. I could never question his "love" of all things UL. He just never realized the sling shot effect that athletics (football in particular) has on a US university, to the benefit of everything for that institution. He is way "old school" and for athletics, it pinched us.

If I were on this presidential evaluation panel, I would not only ask these candidates for a short synopsis of their thoughts on college athletics, I would have them submit an in-depth paper on their knowledge of business and marketing, and have them wrap that up by what top 3 things do they believe bring students, faculty, alumni and the community into a tight relationship with a university. If they fail to include as their number one priority the rapid expansion and explosion of UL football, they would no longer be a candidate. I am no idiot, and that is just how crucial this component of our institution needs to be addressed.

UL is not only allowing the network of alumni to disengage from the university, when outside of a 100 mile radius of Lafayette, but it is beginning to fragment its own ties to many local fans and support groups. That is a monumentally devastating failure. Any business with metrics (Lafayette/Acadiana) at their disposal like UL, would have fired the entire management, from top to bottom, years ago, for not unlocking that huge element of the business.

STATE FUNDING: Our state politics and our funding for athletics is abysmal. It hurts not to have equality to institutions in other states that we compete with, when they are smaller and much less equipped as we. However, there is an upside. Our first competitors for athletic talent, are our other state institutions (LSU aside). They are underfunded as well. UL has the most potential to exceed each of them, if mastered properly.

Moreover, for every dollar of state money given to athletics, 25 cents of private money has an even greater effect. State money gets scrutinized for one. It goes where the admin says it goes, for two. But, not only is private money spent in the wiser "marketing" based realm, it is inclusive of the very fans that you are attempting to harness. Our future depends on a smarter marketeering administration and a separate, private funding movement. In the meantime, as we work together to make this happen, I am going to seek out these "Difference Makers" and help support them.

Later Ron. speech over.

J1M, My dissatisfaction with Dr A is purely from an athletic standpernt.

L'Ronte'

[Just1More]

_ J1M, My dissatisfaction with Dr A is purely from an athletic standpernt.

L'Ronte' _

Oh, then nevermind El Capitan L'Ronte'. words wasted on a superior mind! (smiley face here)

J1M

[RCAJUN90]

Sorry RC90, but you are putting the cart before the horse. I disagree that we have everything in place. What, pray tell, has been basically the same for our institution for the past 30 plus years. the lead dog that pulls the sled. It is irrelevant to have the lead dog pulling you, ever so slightly, away from the destination, and expect the great dogs behind him to make up for the misdirection.

LEADERSHIP (at the peak) is key to every program in the country making a step change upward. It is ridiculous for everyone to keep saying "we have great tires, a big engine, slick design, but we need a new driver" when the engine has a governor on it!

New, improved leadership for the university is what will unleash the notorious potential of UL, and build that "winning football tradition". I've heard all the other stuff for over 30 years and we will keep getting the same results if we keep doing the same things.

I don't disagree with what you are saying and even if I did that is what message boards are about. Well soon we will have to more excuses. President Authement is on his way out. What I meant by potential was that we have a large alumni and student base. I was there for the Brian Mitchell era and I had blast at the games with some very large crowds. Whatever you believe is broke it must be fixed.

[mrcajuns27]

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/scoreb.easonYear=2007

Click Watch Online. Cost about 8 dollars for one month of total access.

Video seems to be ok.

[TuffGuy84]

Cajun touchdown early on a forced fumble and return about 30 yards, Daylon Mccoy TD.


early first
CAjuns-7
ASU-0

[TuffGuy84]

ASU drives down on next possession easily and ties game 7-7

ASU is driving again.

Tuffguy