LSU Athletics is in a golden age. They have coaches that can win the national championship in almost every sport they take the field in. All save for our newest football coach, and of course our basketball coach, have taken their teams to the Final 8 teams in their respective postseason tournaments. Heady times, indeed...It's too bad that we have issues that are still plaguing us in the middle of all this for some people to complain about. I find no problem losing mid-week games, and even early season games. People have gotten used to the fact that experimentation will be made in the early going non-con schedule for LSU Baseball, and that the lineups and even pitching decisions will be made with an eye towards a larger prize. It's like when we won the national title in 2000. People made a huge to do about #4 LSU and #6 UL-L...But, being around the program leading up to that game, absolutely nothing was more elevated than normal except for the excitement level for fans. Ticket requests and fanbuzz. That was it...The team knew that a midweek April game meant nothing... That's why LSU started out 6-5, got swept at home by Houston and looked like a Little League team in the process. That's why they got swept in the season series against McNeese State. That's why people on Tigerbait, where I was posting at the time, were saying the game had passed Smoke by. I know, because I was one who was crowing...I remember one post titled "Skip does NOT = Sacred Cow @ LSU"... Well, after LSU had won 18 straight post-season games-every one in which they played-and mowed through enough 1st round MLB drafted pitching talent to pay off 3rd World Debt, I realized that the early going...The lineup changes...Finding out if Cresse would respond to splitting time with Jorgensen...Inserting Fontenot in the lineup as an 18 year old...Weathering the withering # of strikeouts Theriot experienced at leadoff all year...Or the maddening inconsistency of his in the field....That was all a prelude to the postseason... Smoke can start out the noncon below .500...Because he tears the conference up, and that's where you make your bones...Winning the SEC West, competing for the overall crown...That's what prepares you for the real test...and that's what LSU is worried about in baseball. I have no use for Smoke bashers...They're usually just uninformed... Now...As for Basketball...I'm not going to get quiet...But, I have curtailed my posts regarding Brady...
So as fans we don't have the right to hold people accountable. Lavall has this team underacheiving right now. It's like criticizing bush and being called unpatriotic.
Well, it seems the standards are built so high. There is nothing wrong with fans wanting good things for there program. Everyone wants a winner. But, just b/c a team loses a few in whatever sport it is, its not the end of the world. LSU fans are spoiled right now. SPOILED. Enjoy it while it lasts. One day, sooner or later, things will be on a decline. It happens in most places. I'm not saying that football will go 0-11 or basketball will suck or baseball will not host regionals and all that. I'm just saying it may not ever be as good as it is right now to be a tiger fan ever again. It is at its overall zenith. Soak it up Tiger fans. You never know what could happen. Be happy. Be thrilled with wins but dont sulk over every defeat. Just go out and enjoy what you have been given as of right now.
This is just an observation. But, You have a great things going on with football, perrinial top20 ever year, womens basketball is great, track is always good, baseball has a good team that will prolly be in Omaha, mens basketball is on the rise it would appear. This is an awesome time if your a Tiger fan. It's fine to disagree with a coach or want better for the team when you think the "underachieve". Thats what fans do. But overall, enjoy it. I know there are a whole lot of other D I programs who'd love to be in LSU's shoes right now. You fans have it made.
