Down by Only 4 with 5 Minutes to Play, and Cajun Field Starts Emptying

[Bandwagon King]

That was some good stuff right there! I hope Dale & the rest of you guys made it home safely. BTW, I not only stayed until the EOG, I had a chance to celebrate with some other very happy, very deserving fans & still made it home in time for kick off of the LSU/BAMA game.

I think you need another shot of Patron, buddy!!!

Z

[Turbine]

J1M "Crazy Cajun Comeback"

+1

[CajunDreDog]

I HAD TO BE in Baton Rouge ASAP after the game, and thought about leaving earlier....but did not. Boy, am I glad I stayed until the end? Hell, yes!!! My family all knew where I was, and was watching the game anyway, so they knew why I was running late...

AMAZING!!!

[Cajunmole]

I believe there is a fine line between a bandwagon jumper and a college football fan. College football is great to watch. I am one of those who can watch two MAC teams on the Tuesday night ESPN game and enjoy it. We now have more than 10,000 additional butts in the stadium going to watch the Cajuns because its a college football game and its the home team. The Cajuns are winning and its a lot eaiser and a lot more fun to support a winner. These additional folks are maybe not yet Ragin Cajun fans (the word fan is short for fanatic, look up the definition in Websters...excessive enthusiasm...).

I am a Cajun fan, I hurt when we lose, that's how I know I am a fan. Hopefully these people will convert or come back to or do whatever they are suppose to do to become Cajun fanatics. We lost a lot of people during the end of Nelson Stokely,Baldwin and Rickey Bustle years. It appears that the new UL administration are going in the right direction and realize the importance of the pride of athletics at an academic institution (probably another thread, so go ahead and start one).

I will try to get back on subject, kinda, I watched the game on my laptop on ESPN3 and had HOT 107.9 on, listening to Jay and Stevie at the same time (with a two or three play delay, but that's the kind of sh-t fans do). Watched it until the end, not thinking that we would lose after the warhawks intercepted and scored, but hoping, wishing and praying we could score a TD with 3 minutes left, recover the onside kick and score another TD for the win. That is how think? I am a fan and that's what I was hoping for. And it happened!! It was sweet!!

Those that left early missed out. Are they Cajun fans? Probably, somewhat, I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe they are there because its the place to be in Lafayette (like being at LaFonda's on Friday night, not because of the Mexican food but they are LaFonda fans and that is where its at). Maybe on the bubble to be a Cajun fan, maybe just college football fans and maybe they will now convert. Maybe they had no hope and just left early because they wanted to get back home to watch No. 1 vs. No. 2.

Enough said. Go Cajuns, beat Arkansas State!

[ULGrad@HOU]

It was awesome seeing the Cajuns come back and win, glad I stayed. I was bummed when ULM scored to go up by 11. Really didn't think we had much of a chance, but wierd things can happen in football and I wasn't going to leave. I'm sure some people were a little disgusted, and just wanted to get out. Some of those may have learned a valuable fan lesson, don't give up, especially if you want your players not giving up. It was a sweet comeback, no doubt.

[cajunfan337]

I think it has to be understood that some of the fans that left aren't "losers" as some people have stated here. I myself have been going to UL games since I was 3 and I'm 24 now. Last night after the interception and touchdown by ULM was the first time I left a game early. Call me what you want, w/e, but it's not because I'm not a good fan. It's specifically because, and I'm sure this is how a lot of others felt, we witnessed only 1, count it 1, good quarter of football from the Cajuns last night. You can say all you want but that is the absolute truth. We were in the thick of it for all of the 4th quarter but just couldnt produce at all against a VERY poor ULM team. And seeing absolutely nothing happening, piled on with Masson's pick and ULM's td late in the game, I just couldnt take seeing our team get embarassed like that by rednecks at our home.

Yall are acting like we had 2K fans left in the game. There was easily 12K+ still there. Kudos to yall for staying and cheering on the Cajuns, but i just couldnt take possibly seeing a loss like that at home to the HOAX. And I've regretted leaving the game early ever since listening to the finish on the radio. BTW, the whole entire last 30 minutes of the the game coverage/postgame coverage should literally be put up for an award for something.

Listen, screw those fans that left early to go watch the lsu-bama game, but dont call every single person who left the game a "loser". I love this team, sometimes a lot more than I should (girlfriend graduated from LSU so you can imagine...). I just couldnt bear to see our Cajuns getting slapped in the face like that at home by a team that didnt deserve it. I'm sure I'll get some flack from some of you guys but thats fine, cuz i know that my allegiance always has and always will lie with UL no matter what some might think of me.

[axg8750]

I'm not calling you a loser but I don't understand your reasoning for leaving. You said you couldn't bare to witness a possible defeat by the hoax. Well, I agree losing to those JUCO punks at home would have been devastating you have to realize that every time you walk into the swamp you take the risk of seeing a loss. The guys that take the field take the same risk but they don't just stop playing if they feel like they are going to lose. That was very evident last night. Once we as a fan base start thinking that losses are totally unnacceptable we will start looking a lot like the team to the east. The team that calls for their coaches job even though they are undefeated. That is not who we are as cajun fans. We are humble and appreciate how hard these seniors have worked for our enjoyment. The game could have been a blow out but those seniors deserved for every fan to yell like hell till the very end. They showed why last night.

[RaisingCajun08]

We forgive you for leaving early. As any fan would do for another, we want to help you get over your issues. The root cause to your leaving early was spotted in your post.

(girlfriend graduated from LSU so you can imagine...).

Take charge now before she ruins you for good. .... ~Just joking

[Cajunbander]

I wasn't there for the end of the game. Not by choice though... otherwise I would have. Even if we're getting our butts handed to us, like a good captain I'll go down with my ship and stay to the end.

[03cajunalum]

I too was at the game with family and we enjoyed it until the last drop. As improbable as it was, it was a finish that I wasn't going to miss despite the outcome. I have been a fanatic since around 1990 or so. For me, this year has been one in the making for a long time and I wanted to be there at the end of the game no matter what so I could stand, applaud, cheer, and thank that team for what they have given to me, a fan. Whaddya know, they won the effing game and I was there to see it!!!! Go Cajuns and a special thanks to the seniors for all their hard work during the lean years.

[Crowley Cajun]

I will start off by saying that this was only the 2nd game that I attended this year. I have followed the Cajuns for years by radio but haven't gone to a game for a couple of years. Call me what you want. lol. My daughter goes to UL and we decided to bring my neighbor and his son-in-law. Did I think of leaving early? I sure did. But it was the seniors' last home game and I thought that they deserved my butt in the seat win or lose, so we stayed. And boy am I glad we did! We sat on the student side and had a blast for the 2nd time. We made friends with some of them that always sit in the Red Zone in section K and we've been invited to sit with them next season. I guess my Saturday's are booked next season. Everybody has a reason why they left and I would let it go now. We got to see a game that was probably the most exiciting game in UL history and I'll cherish that moment.

[MissingMandy]

This is the true test of whether you are a "True Fan" or just fell off "The Band Wagon"....It's a simple test, only one question! Did you stay for the final 3 1/2 minutes of the ULM game? If you answer with anything else but "That was the craziest, most amazing and totally gut wrenching ending to any Cajun Field Victory in my life time".... Then scream loud baby boy cause the Band Wagon is leaving with out YOU!!!

I am Grid Iron Alum and I promise you the players notice the stands emptiness and so do recruits and so do the coaches and so do the parents and so do all of those LSUAM fans that we laughed at in previous years for leaving earlier when their teams are 7-2 and the team is still fighting, scratching and scrapping for a Victory that the Band Wagon Demands so heavily demands. The real question you should ask yourself is...What is more important to my day? Finishing this game, witnessing a possible miracle and appreciating the beauty what these young men have done before us and FOR US!...or beating traffic on the way out only to the first one to say "I told you so". Answer honest and then take out your check book and send the whole thing to RCAF because if you want to hang out at my dinner table then Mr Band Wagon....you have to pick up the check!

I'm going to the Arkansas State game and I guarantee....we won't stop believing early and we won't be-leaving early either!

B

He's absolutely right. As I spend every home game night having dinner with players and their families this is true. They all noticed you leaving, they all noticed how quiet the fans became n the third period and wondered why. Your noise, your support in cheering them is motivation for them. Don't ever think it isn't. They appreciate you more then you can ever know so maybe next year don't give up on them...stay and be loud. They deserve it. Can't wait to leave on Friday for Arkansas. Can't wait to see them win this conference. Geaux Cajuns!!