Sitting out here on the ledge, or with the rope around your neck, or with a pitchfork in one hand at the ready to skewer Jarrett Lee or Les Miles or whoever . . . . Pause for one moment and recall this: I would hope you support who we are, not who we are not. These six individuals have made a choice to work, a choice to sacrifice, to put themselves on the line 23 nights in the next 4 months to represent you, this High School. That kind of commitment and effort deserves and demands your respect. This is your team. -- Gene Hackman as Coach Norman Dale, "Hoosiers" I went to LSU through the reigns of Stovall, Arnsparger (a coach who truly won with someone else's talent) and Archer. I waited decades for LSU to perform as they have in this decade. Year after year of not achieving the level of success we hoped for. While in college I worked with the Athletic Department and the football team. And in the sum of my entire life I have not contributed 1/100th of the effort and time to the team that Jarrett Lee has at the age of 19. Les Miles has brought us 10 wins every season he has been here. And he knows that he is ultimately responsible and will lose his job if he goes through several years of losing records. That boy -- not even of drinking age -- and all of his teammates have my respect and admiration. I truly appreciate Coach Miles and the fun and happiness he has already brought to my Saturdays. They are my team. LSU is my team. So when your vows to "never watch again," to start a blog demanding Miles be fired or to scream at Lee as if he did something evil turn rusty in whatever success is yet to come, pull up a chair next to mine to watch the LSU Tigers. I'll be right where I have been for four decades. There will be lots of room . . . But you will never get my respect or the satisfaction of knowing that you watch the Tigers to learn how to compete and struggle like they do. You will never know the fulfillment of having your life measured by whatever you achieve, though it be a fractional amount of the successes they have created.
WEll put, Tigerhoss. A few weeks ago there was a thread about "spoiled Florida Fans." A lot of threads tonight seem to be started and perpetuated by "Spoiled LSU Fans". I celebrate the Tigers' wins - I suffer with their defeats - but I ALWAYS respect the men who put it all on the line and give their best. GEAUX TIGERS! ALWAYS!
I totally agree. Being an out of state fan I love seeing those guys play each week and win or lose its always the highlight (or heartattack) of my weekend. And yeah Lee seems to do some thigns that are boneheaded and yeah the coaches do too. But he is a teenager for heaven's sake and one who was thrown into this season with the spotlight on him, completely not ready. They are doing the best they can with the situation handed to LSU this year, no one oculd have predicted RP turning out the way he did. Taking the #1 team in the nation to overtime doesn't make me completely happy but at least it wasn't another 50 point blow out.
Excellent post. Look, we're all disappointed. This was a heartbreaking loss. The fact that we got this game to OT is a testament to how hard this team fought today. The defense deserves kudos and you know what, the offense still put up more than 380 yards against the "genius" Saban's defense (Danielson on CBS makes me want to throw up), despite the 4 INTs. We knew going into the season it wasn't going to be easy, and that the team had issues. People seem to forget that Florida lost 4 games last year, and that was with their "all-world" QB... We can still finish 9-3 and go to a decent bowl game. Can't win the NC every year, as much as we would like to! :geauxtige
I will apologize to Jarrett Lee for my thread however I will not apologize to the coach. It is all on his shoulders, our starting qbs should be better at this point of the season but they aren't. Most coaches would've put the backup in this game at some point. I disagree with some of this thread, I don't think we are spoiled fans. I think the coaches should be criticized and praised as needed. This isn't the first game like this, I could see you saying this then. I wasn't here bitchin after all the other turnovers or the huge losses but we should've won this game. Our team played the best game of the year minus the coach and starting qb.
tigerhoss you are a LSU fan who bleeds purple & gold. Now be prepared to be roasted by all of the armchair quarterbacks and couch coaches who know more than our coaching staff and are pissed they aren't making 3 mil a year.
Agree in totality with the original post and that it should be required reading. I, too, have been following the Tigers since Charlie Mac on, and went to LSU in the 80s going through the ups and downs as Tigerhoss describes. Gotta keep things in perspective and have some reference. Gotta appreciate effort, too. It does not mean you can't offer criticism or discuss areas of improvement, but that needs to be balanced with respect and loyalty.
Finally, seeing some rational analysis and assessment of OUR LSU Tigers. Much in the same way that our children remain our children and we continue to love them even when they disappoint us, so must we, if we be true fans, continue to support our team, even if we are disappointed.
Best post ot this season. This thread should be reserved for the true diehard, bleed P& G fans only. Bandwagon fans need not reply.
