Raised to be a Tiger?

Discussion in 'The Tiger's Den' started by j0nathanr0y, Jan 24, 2005.

  1. j0nathanr0y

    j0nathanr0y Founding Member

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2003
    Messages:
    620
    Likes Received:
    4
    Do you think there are any football players on the team past, current or near future that are in LOVE with LSU. They always grew up loving LSU and have always wanted to play football there? I know if I was good enough, no other school would stand a chance.

    Do you believe Michael Clayton was that type of player?
     
  2. TexasTigers

    TexasTigers Are You With Me ?

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2002
    Messages:
    5,919
    Likes Received:
    476
    I would toss Marcus Spears into that mold.
    From the past I know for a fact Todd Kinchen was that way. He had offers from every major school in College Football, but he was committed to LSU when he was born.
    Same with his brother Brian...
     
  3. NoLimitMD

    NoLimitMD Founding Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2004
    Messages:
    7,551
    Likes Received:
    366
    Not be a contrarian, but Spears said after Saban announced he was leaving that he didn't follow LSU growing up, and didn't have any plans to go to LSU. It was only Saban's in-home visit that got him interested...
     
  4. Tygrr

    Tygrr Win the West

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2004
    Messages:
    4,044
    Likes Received:
    160
    Michael Clayton said he had never even seen an LSU game until Saban starting recruiting him. If it weren't for Saban, Clayton would have most likely ended up playing for another school.
     
  5. cajdav1

    cajdav1 Soldiers are real hero's

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2003
    Messages:
    7,493
    Likes Received:
    1,331
    Tp put it very bluntly, most of the black football players are just getting into a second generation love affair with LSU since we didn't start accepting black athletes until the 1970's. You will see more and more players coming up that will be much bigger LSU fans from puberty than we use to see.

    There have been several black players that grew up LSU fans but not as many of the white guys. Spears was an LSU fan, but not a big time fan.Many of these guys also grew up in the age of darkness with Curley and Dumbardo so there wasn't as much to like about LSU and the Miami's, FSU's and Bama's of the SE got most of their attention.
     
  6. TejasTiger

    TejasTiger Founding Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2003
    Messages:
    3,184
    Likes Received:
    49
    That's an interesting take. I mean, if this is true about LSU, then it is also true about literally every other school in the South as well. Were there no Black Alabama fans who lived in Alabama during the Bear's pre-desegregational heyday? While I'm sure there were those turned off by the fact that these Segregation-era teams were lilly-white, I would think that there would be Blacks who would cheer them nonetheless because, well, everybody loves a winner.

    Also, southern schools have been desegregated for decades now. Guys coming out of high school in the South these days grew up watching their local/state schools field integrated teams. For example, a current Louisiana high school senior is old enough to remember (or be vaguely aware of) Kevin Faulk tearing it up for LSU, just like Kevin was old enough back in his days as a Tiger to remember Dalton Hilliard, who was old enough back in his days as a Tiger to remember Charles Alexander...you get my point.

    Again, an interesting take. I think any sort of lack of passion for playing for LSU in this day and age among Louisiana recruits has more to do with the fact that LSU football sucked more often than not the past 20 years. I think you'll see kids reaching college age over the next decade, for example, being excited about playing for LSU simply because they now win consistently and win big.
     
  7. cajdav1

    cajdav1 Soldiers are real hero's

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2003
    Messages:
    7,493
    Likes Received:
    1,331
    TT, I am not saying there aren't any black kids who grow up bleeding purple and gold, but i am saying that SEC College footbal was not followed a whole lot by the fathers and grandfathers of these kids. So I would put Bama and many other southern teams in that category as well. And I did state that part of the reason was also the fact that we stunk while most of these guys were in their formative years of learning and falling in love with football.

    To relate it personally, my son is a giant LSU fan and he is 16. If if were not for me bringing him to LSU games and talking about and loving LSU myself, I feel pretty sure he would not be a big fan of LSU after starting off with all of those losing seasons. Also, several of his best freinds happen to bel black and their fathers don't really follow SEC football at all, and just about all of them are now LSU fans due to me and my son's exuberance and becuase we have taken them to a bunch of games, including the Cap One Bowl.

    Also, when I was a kid growing up in New Orleans all of my black friends followed USC, Michigan, Ohio St., Notre Dame, Syracuse, etc. I don't remember one of them being an LSU fan. Therefore, they are now in their late forties and earlt fifties and most probably have kids around 15-22 years old and since they didn't follow LSU and favored the northern and west coast teams many of their kids probably follow those teams as well. Just my opinion, don't have any facts to back it up. But i do firmly believe this is part of the reason why many of the black LA kids do not bleed purple and gold. Many do, I have no doubt about that as well.
     
  8. gumborue

    gumborue Throwin Ched

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2003
    Messages:
    10,839
    Likes Received:
    577
    i think it helped a lot when herb tyler was starting. and not just to recruit qbs. now we are on to our 4th black qb
     
  9. j0nathanr0y

    j0nathanr0y Founding Member

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2003
    Messages:
    620
    Likes Received:
    4
    I agree that now that we are winning there will be more. But I just figured some guys HAD to be raised like the most of us to bleed purple and gold, and dream of always running out of the tunnel.

    :helmet: :geauxtigs
     
  10. Geaux Girl

    Geaux Girl Founding Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2005
    Messages:
    197
    Likes Received:
    13
    I hope I am not reposting this because I lost the one I had just typed by pressing some button but anyway:cuss: ... here goes....
    Wasn't there a story about an obstetrician delivering a huge baby and whispering in his ear, "LSU!" ? Was that about Chad Lavalais? I remember hearing it....but forget the details.
     

Share This Page