Heard an interesting theory presented on the radio a few weeks ago. The question was, "Are you a bad fan if you stop attending games when a team is losing?" Many of us would say, "Yes." We call this type of person a "fair weather fan". This guy only roots for teams when its easy to root for them. Cowboys fans of the 90s. Patriots fans of the 2k's. Lakers fans of today. Tigers fans of recent years... The fair-weather fan is no doubt a bad fan. But the fan who is true to a team, but does not support the team in hard times... is the "Smart Fan". Game tickets, watches the team on tv, buys the team-endorsed products... The Smart Fan knows that if he continues to spend his money in support of a mediocre team, then the university or sports franchise (in the case of a pro team) has absolutely zero reason to improve the "product on the field". Why should LSU look to upgrade from Les Miles? Are less people going to the games because the team has slipped? No. The stadium is still sold out. The Tigers are still in the top 10 in product sales. So why in the world would LSU pay to get rid of Miles and hire someone of a higher caliber (who doesn't come from a crappy school with a crappy record)? Very controversial theory. Most people won't support it. Especially the Kool-aid drinkers who believe that you must support a team no matter what. Just like you don't have to believe in a war to suppor the soldiers who fight it, you can support the players on a team and still be highly critical of the program.
Unless Miles totally tanks, he will not be fired. And if he were to be fired before we totally tanked, heaven help us in finding a coach who will want our job. That's just the way it is. And I'm not someone who never thinks a coach needs to go. I thought Archer, Hallman, and DiNardo all needed to go. Maybe that was because I was much younger at the time when those guys prowled our sidelines, but in fact, they were all fired when they started having losing seasons. We fired a coach once who had a good record--and then wandered in a college football wasteland for 20 or so years after that. Many of the good coaches of the time were not interested in being at a school that fired a winning coach. I was really, really young when Charlie Mac was coaching here, but a lot of the same things that are said about Miles were said about Mac. I don't know if I'm a smart fan or not, nor do I care. I just want LSU to win (and preferably look good doing it)--regardless of who our coach is.
I'm not real interested in sitting through 20 years of pretty good football. Charlie Mac wasn't able to keep us among the elite and it sure is feeling like Miles won't having us playing for championships anytime soon. As for being a fair weather fan, I'll always love LSU but I expect our coaches to deliver excellence. Les Miles isn't giving us excellence.
Um, yes. When I started getting season tix (93) I had a large amount of seats to select. Try getting season tix now.
You said you didn't want to sit through 20 years of "pretty good football." I would. But I'm not sure that we're seeing "pretty good football" right now. By halftime, I thought we were, but after half, not at all.
I don't find most of what Miles has given us as sufficient to keep me enjoying LSU football. I will continue to watch it, I just won't follow it as passionately. I feel us leaving the mountaintop and I remember it isn't the same looking up all the time. I just don't feel the same pride in my team that I did a few years back and with tonight's performance I don't feel like we're going to turn the corner any time soon.
It is dispiriting to match superb athletes continuously denied the opportunity to fulfil their undoubted potential. That's why it feels better to be a UNC fan tonight. They played far and away beyond their capabilities. A bit like Matt Mauck & Matt Flynn phaps?
These athletes have a role in all of that, too. And I doubt it feels better to be a UNC fan tonight. We won; they didn't. I remember it sucking to lose at AU in '04 and '06--being so close, but just not winning. In fact, that really, really sucks. So, I was angry after the game, but keeping things in perspective, we won, and they didn't.
