Are you comparing the 1964 Yankees? Are you comparing the 1964 NY Yankees to the 2004 LSU Tigers? Interesting analogy. Why don't we wait until the end of the season and then re-visit your analysis? At that point in time, we'll discuss whether the comparison holds water and whether your justification for player-partying is persuasive. My initial impression is that college kids who play competitive sports probably should be out drinking only a couple of times a week and turning in early when they do, but what do I know?
Excellent post. I was thinking about the Smoke-Bertman comparison and you hit the nail on the head. Not only did Skip make LSU the top program in the country, he made the entire SEC and all in-state teams better. As for the drinking thing. Supa sounds like an old woman gossiping with her friends. LSU ball players don't have to answer to us about what they do with their free time. What's your GPA Supa? Should you be at Fred's "any night of the week"? Are you sniffing their glasses while they go to the mens' room? Or, do you follow them into the mens' room like a little puppy? Get your own life dude.
You obviously weren't hanging around the LSU bars when Skip was coaching. Skip gave his players much freedom, just like Smoke is doing! I guess you would be shocked to know that some LSU football players go to the casino so they can drink free all night long (and I mean ALL NIGHT). I'd see some there almost every week last year. I don't know why fans expect these kids to be different than any other college kid ...
It shows a complete lack of focus when they are out the night before a game. That appears to be what this team is missing.
I agree about the statements about the team is doing really great. Obviously they are not head and shoulders above the SEC like in the 90's. I do agree that sometimes focus is not there, but that is a coaching issue. You could argue our problems earlier were partly because Gill had two injured hands, and no depth in the infield (Nacc. at 2nd and healthy Gill at SS has made a huge difference). I didn't see the game yesterday so I can only rely on what people are posting. But if the pitcher was lights out, then there is nothing we can do about it. Did anyone see Ben Sheets throw 18 SO's? There was nothing they could do about it. His breaking ball was just amazing. That being said, the inconsistency still worries me because you can't start the post season with one loss in a double-elimination tourney. that's why we were screwed in last years CWS. Will the Tigers pull it together? Who knows, but we can certainly hope that they don't go to Omaha with the same crappy attitude like last year. I do know that talent is certainly not an issue, but everyone knows that this is the year it has to happen, or were SOL.
The drinking thing. I disagree with you on the drinking thing. LSU athletes represent LSU to a much greater degree than your average student. LSU athletes are role models for young and old alike. No matter whether the individual LSU athlete agrees with these facts, the facts remain true. As such, the LSU athlete should strive to display a lifestyle of "clean living." Baton Rouge is in the Bible Belt, and LSU athletes should care about what people think about them. No LSU athlete should want to develop a reputation of being an excessive drinker/partyer on nights before games. If the baseball team cannot comprehend these truths, then perhaps somebody in the LSU organization should explain it to them and persuade them to change this attitude.
i figure your drinking and partying is not relevant unless it hurts your performance. in fact i would hope they drink and party like crazy and have fun like everyone else in college.
It's really sad when we hold 18-22 year old college kids to a higher standard than ourselves. Look around South Louisiana, especially Tiger Stadium, and what do you see? ... grown men and women drinking, partying, getting crazy, etc. Adults should set the standards and be the role models, not college athletes...
