From Birmingham's Paper, the Daily Herald. Where there's Smoke: LSU Coach Smoke Laval's day got worse after his team was bounced from the tournament by Georgia. An angry LSU fan followed Laval to the Tigers' bus in the parking lot, where a short confrontation ensued. According to bystanders, the fan, upset over LSU's quick exit, told Laval that he needed to "recruit more in Louisiana." Laval not-so-subtly suggested that the fan not attend any more LSU baseball games, and the fan, enraged, charged him. Hoover police stepped in and escorted the man, who was not charged with a crime, to his car. According to SEC officials, the man was told that if he returned to the Met this week he would be charged with trespassing. I didn't witness the altercation, but spoke with the gaurd who broke it up not even an hour after it happened. The fan was mad about strategical blunders and recruiting. The gaurd, who follows LSU baseball, said the fan had very valid points, but was a little disrespectful in his approach. He said Laval reponded with "If you dont shut the ***k up, I'll kick your A**". The fan continued, and Laval confronted the man. Our friendly gaurd then broke them up while calling for backup. I am not an insider and know half as much as the coaches and players. But I do know that this team is falling into the trap that catches every storied program. A program in any sport achieves that dominance that everyone else envies, winning championships regularly and being the best. Then it happens. The players get spoiled. Players who play on the team may not have won any significant game. But because they play for the "(substitute any famous team who only slowly faided away)", they came up with this internal philosophy that just because they played for said team, that was enough for them. Our players need to forget any success LSU has had. They had no part of that success. What did it take to get LSU's baseball program to the top? Hard work? -Yes sort of, but that wasnt what got us there. every college team works hard. What it took was hunger, motivation, and most importantly, they had to have fun. Hunger is now missing. Motivation? I don't see it. Fun? Thats what I see the least of. Someone...and I have a feeling it wont be Mediocre Smoker. Someone needs to tell these players that they haven't had a single part in what it took to get LSU to where it is now. But if they aren't careful and don't find that hunger to put their own stamp of dominance on the program, then what they will become a part of is the beginning of the downfall of LSU baseball. A downfall caused not by failing to realize who they played for. Rather, a downfall caused by failing to realize what it took to get that team there, and by failing to realize that the program does not maintain that success by itself. It takes the same attitude and intensity shown by the players who began that success
talk about hitting it right on the T great post, that fan that charged smoke should think of how hard this is for smoke to secede the greatest college coach of all time at a storied program drunk with winning right now, and drunk with alcohol too.:tigbas:
What a jerk. You know the really bad thing about this is that it's going to reflect negativly on all LSU fans. You just know some rival fan will pick this up and post it around. Sucks how one guy ruins it for everyone.
I'm sure that the confrontation was not as bad as the newspaper article makes it seem. As for the psychological analysis of teams that seem flat after being King of the Hill, I would say that you make a very thoughtful point! But look at the New York Yankees . . . they've won 26 world championships and are still going strong. This season, they started out slow, maybe because of the reasons the poster describes. The Yanks fall behind, but slowly, the momentum builds. As May turns to June, the NY Yankees are no longer the Tank- ees, because they are in first place again. I think they will hold 1st place in the division for the rest of the season. Somehow, someone must shake the LSU baseball players out of the doldrums. It might take more than sarcasm to do it. . . it might take psychology. PS It seems like the fanatic who confronted Smoke was blaming Smoke AND the players for the losses. He may have a point . . . whenever a team loses a couple of baseball games in a row, there's probably enough fault to go around. Thanks for the post.
Great Idea!! So all the tigers need to do is buy away all the talent in the SEC and we can win all the time. That way it's no longer about compitition it's about who has the most money.
