This Decision Has Sickened Me

[RCAJUN90]

_ I have lived and died by this program for this long, and I just can't do it anymore. I've seen people shy away from the program and say they were tired and I never thought I'd be one of those people. I just can't do it anymore, ONE WINNING SEASON IN 8 ____ING YEARS; garunteed we play a 12 game that season, BUSTLE LOSES IT. Rickey had taken us to mediocrity, I'm just upset because I know who was on the top of their list as a replacement and he WANTED to come here. Hiring that coach would have made a statement, instead we stick with MEDIOCRITY. I'm tired of keeping it a secret his initials were EO and HE WANTED TO COME HERE. I'm actually glad for EO, that poor bastard would have been sucked in to the same thing we have POTENTIAL. that is all we have to hang our hat on is how much ____ING potential this place has. I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE, I feel like I"ve been punched in the stomach here. Everyone should know this; we could've made a statement but instead we stick with ____ING MEDIOCRITY; we are never going to be what we want to be. I thought it would be different with Walker, Farmer, and Savoie.... NO cajun fans its the same old ____. Welcome to real life, pack it in, swallow your pride and cheer for that team in Baton Rouge. You know what those guys don't settle for Mediocrity; I don't like em but, I have to respect that they can do that. Hell I may cheer for Monroe, At least they know when its time to make a change. NOT US.... SAME OLD ____. _

I think everyone feels your frustration and most of us feel the same way. We make every excuse under the sun. Pull rainbows out of crushing defeats. Keep coaches around for decades when they haven't done much. I really believe that Martin Hall is not serious about sports at all. It doesn't matter if it is Dr. A or Dr. S. I was a young man in the 80's and caught up in that spirit that we were on the "Rise". I remember almost beating a Barry Sanders OSU team. I remember beating Colorado State, UNLV with Icky Woods, Memphis, USM, ECU etc... I wish administration would just come out and say "look we are not serious about sports find a pro team to follow or just go to Baton Rouge". We always had basketball to hang our hat on and now we don't even have that. We have Softball, Water Skiing, and Bass Fishing!

[TuffGuy84]

_ That was 2005 of course, but just think if the NCAA hadn't gone to a 12 game schedule you could say THREE winning seasons in 8 years.

I'm not saying, I'm just saying. _

I wouldn't necessarily say that, we may have been 6-5 in 2 of those .500 seasons, but in both cases we played teams we HAVE to play in conference. it is a better to consider which game would we have not played played in those season. in 2006 we wouldn't have played NC A&T. This year, we would have not played Southern, absolutely, 100% sure, we need the 2 money games and the home game against K-State. This though is a better argument for 2008 as we probably wouldn't have played Utep, and would have left us at 6-5.

[rhineaux]

_ the sad reality about everything you said is that it's all true. on the other hand, remember the fickleness of our fan base. if we would have made the change, expectations would be high when orgeron came in, and with the SEC and Big12 laden schedule we have next year, he would be catching the same heat Bustle is catching now. I hate the mediocrity as well, don't get me wrong, but let us let Bustle finish off the mess he created himself. once that is done i'm pretty sure nothing would keep our pathetic AD from doing what he should have done many years ago. _

You don't keep a coach for the last year of his contract without an extension. It doesn't make sense. Recruiting will suffer. Support will suffer.

Secondly, I don't understand the argument that the next coach would produce results worse or better than what Bustle will produce. Ed Orgeron would not experience the same criticisms from the fans because any lack of success could easily be attributed to that being his first year leading the program. Bustle got a pass for his lack of success from some fans after 6 and 7, and now 8 years into his regime. And not to mention, there's no reason to believe that EO, or any other new coach, would have a losing season just because it's his first. Larry Fedora didn't suck in his first season at USM. Kevin Sumlin didn't suck in his first year at UH.

_ Guess i'll never understand how people can get so ____ed at losing football games.

Everyone needs to read Mr. Judice's article in the RCAF section of the program for the Troy game and why he is a fan. It makes sense!!!............ Then again, everyone will probably blame him for UL being mediocre. _

He's not ____ed simply because the Cajuns lost a FB game, or 6 of them, again. He's ____ed because the Administration had a strong opportunity to take a big step forward and improve the situation, which would have started a domino effect that could really change this program forever. Instead, they decided to stick with what they've got, meaning that they're not as serious as a lot of the fans are, they're satisfied with 1/3 full stadiums, satisfied with 1/2 full tailgating, satisfied with a parking lot that doesn't fill up until 1 hour before the game.

You say it's just a game, but I think that's a pretty week argument. If you're looking for 'just a game', then go check out small town HS Football on a Friday night. This is a multi-million dollar organization that many people support by donating hundreds/thousands of dollars and countless hours of effort EACH year. And when you figure that some of these fans have been donating their money, donating their time, buying season tickets, etc. for 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years, longing for the next chance to go to an NCAA Tourney game in Basketball or Softball or Baseball, or to go to football's first Bowl Game, and then something like this happens? There's an opportunity to make a move like never made at UL before, an opportunity to create tons of excitement and momentum, an opportunity to give non-donors a reason to donate and finally start to take the burdon off of these long-time fans...and the adminstration declines. Its not just a game for some people. Their investment, be it financial or emotional, says so.

I didn't see an article with a 'Mr Judice', but I did read the Q&A with Sammy Russo. I agree with him and his reasons for being a 'fan' and 'supporter' are some of the reasons why I am as well. I does make sense. I'm not sure what that has to do with this topic, though.

[CajunFan64]

I know I shouldn't take it as personally as I do but, this school represents a big part of the things I am really proud of in my life. This school represents our culture, our education, and the core values that we people in Lafayette hold dear. I know its only a game but, its the perception it has across the country. I know how great the community is, I know how great the people are, and this administration is not using that as a template. I've been to other sunbelt schools, HELL other SEC cities and we have something so special here that, its so difficult to see it mis-represented. I was so angry last night because I was under the impression that this was the moment where we make a stand THIS was the point where we say THE SLEEPING GIANT HAS NOW AWOKEN. And all of my dreams were dashed, SURE Orgeron might have come in and stunk the place up... I don't know but, It would have done so much for our image. We won't get another shot at a high profile coach again, I really beleive it. Next year the coaching caroussel will go crazy and we won't be able to pull the quality that we might have been able to pull this year.

To say I'm distraught, disappointed, and dejected would be an understatement. I have to walk away at this point, I think others feel just as I do. The other things in my life will go on but, when you beleive like I beleived, it just plain hurts.

[duggie85]

He's not ____ed simply because the Cajuns lost a FB game, or 6 of them, again. He's ____ed because the Administration had a strong opportunity to take a big step forward and improve the situation, which would have started a domino effect that could really change this program forever. Instead, they decided to stick with what they've got, meaning that they're not as serious as a lot of the fans are, they're satisfied with 1/3 full stadiums, satisfied with 1/2 full tailgating, satisfied with a parking lot that doesn't fill up until 1 hour before the game.

You say it's just a game, but I think that's a pretty week argument. If you're looking for 'just a game', then go check out small town HS Football on a Friday night. This is a multi-million dollar organization that many people support by donating hundreds/thousands of dollars and countless hours of effort EACH year. And when you figure that some of these fans have been donating their money, donating their time, buying season tickets, etc. for 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years, longing for the next chance to go to an NCAA Tourney game in Basketball or Softball or Baseball, or to go to football's first Bowl Game, and then something like this happens? There's an opportunity to make a move like never made at UL before, an opportunity to create tons of excitement and momentum, an opportunity to give non-donors a reason to donate and finally start to take the burdon off of these long-time fans...and the adminstration declines. Its not just a game for some people. Their investment, be it financial or emotional, says so.

I didn't see an article with a 'Mr Judice', but I did read the Q&A with Sammy Russo. I agree with him and his reasons for being a 'fan' and 'supporter' are some of the reasons why I am as well. I does make sense. I'm not sure what that has to do with this topic, though.

I think i got the game program mixed up, may have been the ULM program, but anyway.... In short, he said the reason why he shows up to every sporting event and donates money is b/c he loves this university, always has, and always will. He shows up because he loves sports. I just brought that up because one poster said that we all come to this sports board because we are passionate about this university. Going off the deep end and saying "your done" with this program is not being passionate in my opinion.

FYI, i may not be a big financial donor, but I completey understand what you said about people investing countless hours

[Sonsissymia]

Holy _____ people, ITS A GAME!!!!!!!

If this is what upsets you in life, you must not realize how good you have it!!

_ I'll never understand why people make comments like this on sports-related message boards. People wouldn't post here if they were not passionate about UL athletics.

And I'm pretty sure that the original poster knows that his life won't end if UL sports continue to be mediocre. _

i'm with you guill. and it's interesting that the chastiser has as his avatar not a picture of a family member or an icon of some sort of his beloved university, but in fact a photo of a downtrodden football player who just suffered a big loss about a month before WINNING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! who does it sounds like has a preoccupation with sports??

[Sonsissymia]

_ I think everyone feels your frustration and most of us feel the same way. We make every excuse under the sun. Pull rainbows out of crushing defeats. Keep coaches around for decades when they haven't done much. I really believe that Martin Hall is not serious about sports at all. It doesn't matter if it is Dr. A or Dr. S. I was a young man in the 80's and caught up in that spirit that we were on the "Rise". I remember almost beating a Barry Sanders OSU team. I remember beating Colorado State, UNLV with Icky Woods, Memphis, USM, ECU etc... I wish administration would just come out and say "look we are not serious about sports find a pro team to follow or just go to Baton Rouge". We always had basketball to hang our hat on and now we don't even have that. We have Softball, Water Skiing, and Bass Fishing! _

i also remember a thread about roller hockey being good, and in fact beating lsu pretty badly.

[duggie85]

i'm with you guill. and it's interesting that the chastiser has as his avatar not a picture of a family member or an icon of some sort of his beloved university, but in fact a photo of a downtrodden football player who just suffered a big loss about a month before WINNING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! who does it sounds like has a preoccupation with sports??

The point of my posts were definitely not intended to chastise anyone. Just stating that everything will be OK. As a fan, i just could never give up on my team. If I all i want to do is support a winner, obviously I would have chosen some other school. Do I enjoy sitting through losses? Absolutely not. But being a fan means being there through thick and thin. Why do you think the true Saints fans are so glorious these days?? B/c they stuck with them through the bad times and it was worth the wait!!! I'm willing to put in the time for this program to HOPEFULLY reach that reward one day.

About my avatar, I understand why it looks misleading. I certainly didn't chose that picture to poke fun at a kid who is obviously upset, thats not funny. The reason i used it is because, to me, it symbolizes lsu losing and to be quite honest, I don't like to see them win (which i am guessing you don't either by your last post, but i could be wrong).