The Book: 2007 Football

[Clutch0364]

_ Given the list of guys who wanted the job, I was scratching my head for weeks after it was announced who got the job last time. _

Other than Bustle who were the candidates last time? I dont recall who they were

[rhineaux]

_ Would you feel the same if we were still 1-6 but that one win was against McNeese?

Isn't that really the major source of heartburn around here?

That we lost to a pretty darn good team 74 miles away?

Would some of you feel the same way if we were 2-5 with wins against McNeese and NT?

How about 3-4 (Ohio, McNeese, NT)?

It's really about McNeese.

The McNeese loss ended the season for alot of people. _

Like Revere, my patience ran out last week. I've seen the issues that some people bring up with bustle having the lack of fire, not getting in people's faces, etc. I've also seen the arguements of the coaches doing a poor job of motivating the team. However, after this past week, when players came out saying THEY weren't ready to play...and to see the major step back that the team took, I have lost a lot of faith in bustle. I felt bad after McNeese, but always listened to the idea that this team was very young and would improve, etc. Afterall, there was some improvment being seen such as playing well after halftime and some of the other little things that had been going on. But the fact that these players admitted that they weren't ready to go, the defense ahd its worst game of the year, and the offense couldn't do more that just a couple 1st downs in the second half, shows me that nothign was done at halftime. how can a team, who played OK in the first 30 minutes (except for the D), come out in the second half and roll over? the D just quit, the offense quit trying. Maybe its wrong for me to say that they quit, but something happened at halftime, and it wasn't good. Its not the loss that I care about, i would have excepted a loss (although wouldn't ahve been happy about it) if I would have seen more growth and improvement and signs of them getting better. Its the fact that there was no production on either side of the ball, and giving up 30 unanswered points, or whatever it was. Its freaking atrocious.

I don't care if bustle is a good guy, or a good recruiter, or a good scheme-er. He has never been a great motivator, his teams over the last two years have not played up to their potential, they haven't been able to win the big games they should win, he has not been able to create a fire within this team, he has failed to fully solve the problems of this year's team. Right now, there are fewer than 5% of the population of Lafayette Parish that plan to be at Cajun Field on Saturday. That is unacceptable. And, while you may say that we should give it another year, I want you to think about that extra year, and the number of empty seats, and a potential loss to La Tech, and everything else bad that will happen if the "one more year" experiment DOESN'T work. Then what? then you have poor recruiting this year, poor recruiting next year. This team has already grown pretty far away from getting a big crowd to come to games, if bustle stays, and even if he's successful, there'll be some lackluster crowds in cajun field through next year. He has alienated many of the true fans, and more importantly, he may have alienated most of the fanbase we're tryiing to attract.

and, even if the guy is successful next year, what is success? Is it 6 wins? that will likely be a major improvement from this year, but isn't any better than the two years preceding this one, and it won't involve a bowl game. Is it 9 wins? That's probably what it would take to win this conference (overall record doesn't effect conf. championships, but its what some of our teams will do this year). What happens if its only 7 wins? that means we'll likely not win the conference championship. Likely means that we won't get a bowl game. My point is that Rickey Bustle would have to have lots of wins over the next two years to be considered successful. and, even if he makes it to a bowl game and does have continued success over the next several years, there will always be his detractors, his critics, etc who will remember this collapse. it will be like Tom Coughlin for the NY Giants. One game over .500 next year won't do it, and it would be hard to figure out how this team, young or not, will win 7 games next year, much less more than that. They are not properly motivated, obviously. They are not properly disciplined, obviously.

In summary, I don't see much of anything positive with keeping Rickey Bustle. The money we would save by not buying him out would not be close to the money we would lose by not getting a new coach and creating some excitement next year. What do you think Scott Farmer is thinking right now about trying to increase season tickets for next year? You think he's gonna be successful with RB still there?

The best thing that could happen right now is for them to let him go, and the team to be successful next year and go to a bowl game. It sucks to say it and its kinda like throwing him under the bus, and I would hate to do that, but it may have to be done. John Q. Public sees us fire him, thinks that we're serious about winning. We get a quality coach or break the bank and go for someone really hot that creates a stir, and JQP sees that we're serious about winnning. Our new coach doesn't do stupid commercials. Our new coach gets out and meets people and creates excitement, then he goes out and wins 8 games with Bustle's players, and then JQP (who doesn't really know anything about this program, but thinks he knows what's best for us all the same) is validated for all of his crap about firing bustle and complaining about his commercials, and saying he should have been fired, or that he took the easy way out by replacing his old coaches with new coaches who didn't perform as well, and finds some sort of link and a way for him to get with us, and he buys season tickets or starts coming to several games.

It might seem far-fetched, but if we wait around and do not act on whatever momentum is left and do something to keep it increasing, then we'll be where we were in 2001. this isn't about rebuilding again. there is a base there. there are athletes there. We just need some new blood to keep it up. right now, a new coach with a new fire and a new focus and new thoughts could come in and keep the momentum up. If we decide to wait, and we fail, then we will be back to where we were to begin with.

[anhil8tor]

Last week was a breaking point for myself too. I was always under the opinion that he would turn it around.. UL would get better.

After getting demolished last week I know now it won't get better. If the university feels that they should give him one more year, I think the attendance will reflect their decision. There is no reason for a major institution to stay bad for as long as we have. Its time to turn it around.

Look at our other sports. Basketball has made some serious strides and they are young. Baseball stays competitive. Softball hasn't missed a beat since Mrs girouard left...

[gridiron]

Is it because we don't have the money to buy him out? Is it because you like his commercials? Is it because he is a cheerleader on the sidelines? And don't tell me it took Beamer seven years because Bustle isn't Beamer and UL isn't Virginia Tech.

[AstroCajun]

I really do believe that we need some people to play the role of devil's advocate.

General Patton once said, "If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."

What decisions we face in the next year should not be made lightly.

[Jason]

_

[anhil8tor]

hey a local guy got signed!


good for him

[anhil8tor]

A win would impress 8tor

[Turbine]

Don't kid yourself UL has the money to buy him out -did you not hear- the Legislature just added $2 million to the ULAthetics kitty. It would be a poor use of funds though.

UL got rolled over in a big way last week, it happens all the time in sports, hey it happens in Super Bowls.

UL got rolled over against some highly motivated McNeese team that is a national power (in their division) that is made up of multiple tranfers from Louisiana Tech and Tulane, as well as Mississippi State and Michigan State. Add to that some un coachtrollable turnovers that cost UL sure points and gave them quick points and it is a no brainer excusable loss.

Can I point to MAJOR problems I had with coaching decisions in each loss? Yes!

However besides those two losses UL has been in every game. Hey I would love to hear that coach bustle never sleeps and doesn't have time to make commercials.

I have seen him coaching on the sidelines after some bad plays.

I wish he wore the headphones 100% of the time, but he has to be able to trust his coordinators as well.

And why won't you let me point out that Bustle is doing just as good in year 6 as Beamer did? And might do BETTER! oops

I'm not so optimistic as to think winning is unfailingly imminent or is a done deal, I would just hate to nip success in the bud.

I guess I would lose in a Wild West dual, since I'm slow on the trigger. Hey I thought firing Baldwin after year 3 was premature.

[Clutch0364]

_ Don't kid yourself UL has the money to buy him out -did you not hear- the Legislature just added $2 million to the ULAthetics kitty. It would be a poor use of funds though.

UL got rolled over in a big way last week, it happens all the time in sports, hey it happens in Super Bowls.

UL got rolled over against some highly motivated McNeese team that is a national power (in their division) that is made up of multiple tranfers from Louisiana Tech and Tulane, as well as Mississippi State and Michigan State. Add to that some un coachtrollable turnovers that cost UL sure points and gave them quick points and it is a no brainer excusable loss.

Can I point to MAJOR problems I had with coaching decisions in each loss? Yes!

However besides those two losses UL has been in every game. Hey I would love to hear that coach bustle never sleeps and doesn't have time to make commercials.

I have seen him coaching on the sidelines after some bad plays.

I wish he wore the headphones 100% of the time, but he has to be able to trust his coordinators as well.

And why won't you let me point out that Bustle is doing just as good in year 6 as Beamer did? And might do BETTER! oops

I'm not so optimistic as to think winning is unfailingly imminent or is a done deal, I would just hate to nip success in the bud.

I guess I would lose in a Wild West dual, since I'm slow on the trigger. Hey I thought firing Baldwin after year 3 was premature. _

I was going to respect your opinion Turb then you said you thought it was premature to fire Baldwin lol jk

I respect the people that think he needs more time but I just don't feel at all the same way. I have friends that would like to make up fire ricky shirts...i cant disagree with them. facebook.com has more than 1 group that is calling for his firing, so he has lost a lot of support from not only the fans on here but by the students. I like the guy but some times a change is the only way to make things happen.

[IHateLaState]

I respect the people that think he needs more time but I just don't feel at all the same way. I have friends that would like to make up fire ricky shirts...i cant disagree with them. facebook.com has more than 1 group that is calling for his firing, so he has lost a lot of support from not only the fans on here but by the students. I like the guy but some times a change is the only way to make things happen. _

Ok first off everyone here knows my opinion... However WE ARE NOT LSU.... I really hope we dont start seeing things get ugly in the sense of T-shirts, catcalling etc.... I do like Coach Bustle.. I think it is just time for him to go... But I dont want a seige mentality where he cant go out without being called names... His family is hastled etc.... These things are wrong......

[TuffGuy84]

No comparison.

Florida Atlantic won 5 of their last 8 games last season.

DING DING DING DING DING, WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was gonna say the same thing, but ya beat me to it. The key is, if you're young, you should improve over the course of the season and play pretty good at the end. Its the opposite with us, we played our best football the first 2 weeks of the season, and its been a slow downward trend since.

Tuffguy

[IHateLaState]

_ _

yep.... wish I had said those things.... wait I did...lol... and then I had some come on and call me a closet LSUA&Mer...lol

[Clutch0364]

_ DING DING DING DING DING, WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was gonna say the same thing, but ya beat me to it. The key is, if you're young, you should improve over the course of the season and play pretty good at the end. Its the opposite with us, we played our best football the first 2 weeks of the season, and its been a slow downward trend since.

Tuffguy _

We had a team that went on a run and won a co-championship...that team was young. But then we turned around the next year after starting off very hot and went down hill...now 2 years after that we are young again? how does that happen, wouldn't that be a problem with coaching?

Ok so we give Bustle another 2 years and we are going to be a great veteran team right...no not really we would have lost fenroy, desmo, chery, and smith...so we would be young again so would the same excuses work then to?

That doesnt make much sense the way i typed it but i think yalll get the point

[Clutch0364]

_ Ok first off everyone here knows my opinion... However WE ARE NOT LSU.... I really hope we dont start seeing things get ugly in the sense of T-shirts, catcalling etc.... I do like Coach Bustle.. I think it is just time for him to go... But I dont want a seige mentality where he cant go out without being called names... His family is hastled etc.... These things are wrong...... _

I agree to a point but it would make a statement that they are unhappy and thats what they want to get across