http://www.mratings.com/rate/cf-m.htm Some folks are ALL WET ... as usual. I see LSU @ #11, OK @ #20 and USC @ #38. IT AIN'T BROKE ... YOU DON'T FIX IT. KEEP SCHEDULING JUST LIKE SKIP HAS BEEN ... KUDOS TO SKIP, HE"S A HELLUVA LOT BETTER THAN BULLET BOB, CRAZY JOE & THE REST. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Last time I checked, we are playing for the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP on Jan,4. Seems like the schedule worked out perfectly. Thanks TAF and Skip, because without the bucks, Nick would either have never come or would have already left. I find it amusing when some fans belly-ache because big-money TAF donors get a disproportionate share of bowl tickets. Trust me, if it was'nt for them, we would be playing in the lower tier bowls year after year. It's time for some of these people to stop living in the past. Enjoy the present ! BTW, don't hate, hug an Oak !
Bucktown Tiger, no one's ever begrudged the big time money contributors... We've begrudged the Athletic Department who frickin reworked a bowl ticketing policy they'd had in place for-literally-DECADES in order to show favortism towards the TAF. Some people got 40 tickets to the Sugar Bowl...That's just too many, no matter if you donate a billion to LSU... The schedule worked out only because we got gifts from teams like Boise State and Syracuse on the LAST SATURDAY OF THE SEASON. The BCS worked out for us in spite of a MUCH LESS THAN PERFECT SCHEDULE. I find it interesting that LSU found a way to raise vast sums of money WITHOUT the TAF, yet they're still held up to the light as if they are some vital instrument of success within the Athletics community of LSU... If LSU would have worked harder, earlier, the money would have been available much sooner in the same manner it will be available now-on the backs of season ticket holders-from families such as my own...who will effectively double the payments to LSU for their season tickets... Ours will go from three in the SEZ upper section for approximately $750 to $1,400. I don't mind it, it's the cost of success.... But don't hold up your TAF like it's some badge of courage...It is what it is, and that's a way for the big money to hide the contributions, hide behind the curtains, and manipulate the situation to benefit themselves... The big money did it before the TAF was ever there through summer jobbing programs, free gas at Chico Moore's gas station (Isn't that right, Lester?), and other "helpful" ways that were beneficial to the LSU football program, while at the same time beneficial to the donor/jobbers in question... The big money was doing it back when Cannon was fielding punts, and they're still doing it now... No one is living in the past, you just want to finally be able to crow about how your cheddar isn't being underhandedly used to influence your amount of "pull" with the AD, but how it's now out in the open and something you can puff your chest out about...attempting to place yourself above LSU fans who might not have the same monetary means as you do. BTW-Go get educated on a subject before you go beating your chest about it...Come correct and perhaps at least TRY to address the COUNTLESS issues I covered in my post or just shut the hell up and keep the checks coming in...LSU needs them...
Tiger UNeducated; Thanks for the "brow-beating" Question; Who the hell do you think I am ? ... My Cheddar ? My pull ? Hiding behind curtains ? Badge of Courage ? Trust me, fellow Tiger, if I had "pull" with the AD or anyone else at LSU, I would'nt be scrambling for SB tickets. BTW, I am a TAF season ticket holder who did'nt get SB tickets By the way, why do you have a problem admitting that you DO begrudge the "big money donors" along with the TAF ? I personally don't have a major problem with it - that opinion does NOT make me stupid. I just happen to believe that TAF type organizations are at most Universities for a reason. I also believe that whoever that car dealer is DESERVES 40 SB tickets if he buys more than 40 season tickets. Why would he deserve LESS of a reward for buying more season tickets or donating more money ? BTW, who is the car dealer ? Is Bertman the best possible AD ? Probably not, but , I think he's done OK. If you don't agree, thats your right. Remember, giving money to LSU, wether through TAF or through buying season tickets, is VOLUNTARY. If you're so angry and unsatisfied, why don't you "make a statement" by giving up your tickets ? Trust me, if you're not happy now, you'll never be ! Go Tigers !!!!
I take back my post TE; Heck, its Christmas and i'm happy. I'm beside myself with LSU happiness - there's never been a better time in my lifetime to be a Tiger Fan. Sorry to vent about the TAF stuff, and I hope you get some SB tix. Merry Christmas !
I'm very happy...I just have specific issues with leadership that I've spelled out here numerous times. Those issues-by the way-have never been refuted, explained away, or disagreed with as poor decisions or poor opinions on the issues. I also already have two sugar bowl tickets. We are also season ticket holders. We have three season tickets, and we will go from paying $750 dollars a year for them to $1,400.00 (approximation) a year for them, and I don't have a problem with them. I am also a TAF member, as is my father... So, to sum it all up, I believe the crux of the situation to be that the TAF is a good organization, but its closed door policy, its cloak and dagger manipulation of the 2001 Sugar Bowl ticketing policy to benefit its own membership, as well as its absolute bumbling and outright stupidity in marketing its attempt to take over tickets in Tiger Stadium have led it to a point where it's all but pointless at this point... LSU has found a new and more effective and less invasive and more transparent way to raise money to help with its current and future funding issues. It hopes to generate $15 million per year from the new contributions as is, without the TAF's participation. That means $15,000,000.00 per year out of Tiger Stadium. This is on top of the $3,000,000.00 per game out of Tiger Stadium for home games... This equals out to... 7 game season=$21,000,000 before new contributions + $15,000,000.00 approximation for new contributions=36,000,000.00 LSU's current stats indicate that their operating budget for their AD is (approximately) $30,000,000.00 This isn't counting, of course, the $17,000,000 we're getting from the Sugar Bowl's automatic payout. Add that to the kitty and LSU makes out to the tune of $53,000,000.00 dollars in the next calendar year, and that's BEFORE the SEC TV contract payouts, BEFORE the NCAA tournament money, and BEFORE the revenue sharing from bowl season turns in... LSU could see an income of well over $60,000,000.00 next year, and that's a lot of bricks for Mike The Tiger's new habitat. I would wonder...With LSU getting $60,000,000.00 next year, FREE AND CLEAR WITHOUT THE TAF's HELP, what exactly is the TAF's relevance? LSU has found a more efficient, much more direct, and much more fan friendly and public relations positive manner in which to draw funds and raise capital for new expansion projects. TAF is not a part of it... So, explain to me why there is a need for the TAF anymore? You ever seen the movie Blow, starring Johnny Depp? He played the character of George Juung, the man who single handedly allowed Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Drug Cartel to infiltrate, create a market, smuggle, and get the East Coast, then the West Coast, and then, by osmosis, the rest of the nation, on coke... He had an "anonymous partner" stateside that he kept hidden from Escobar, and even his best friend in the business... He messed up, and ran his trap about his "anonymous partner" to his best friend, and the cartel cut him and his share of the pie out of the equation quickly and simply...He became unnecessary when they found his connection and started dealing directly through him instead of a middle man... Not trying to compare LSU and its fan base to a drug cartel and their smuggling connection, but it's the best example I could think of at this point... The TAF is George Juung...It's a sad fact of life that he lost out on his share of the millions the cartel was making, but the really sad fact was that in that business, as well as any other, if you can cut out the middle man, your gross margin, and thereby, your gross profit, and directly, your NET profit margin increases... Business is business, and LSU's AD was in the business of getting more $...They found the way to do it, and the TAF-who was important, but is no longer-is going to go the way of George Juung....
