Silver Spoons

Discussion in 'The Tiger's Den' started by BostonBengal, May 29, 2005.

  1. BostonBengal

    BostonBengal Founding Member

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    Let me pull up a soapbox for a minute or two and address all of you and hopefully put LSU baseball, and other sports for that matter, into perspective.

    Many Tiger fans out there have taken to bashing whatever success, or perceived lack-thereof, in some of our programs, and IMO, I think they're way off.

    For starters, let's lay off of Smoke. Those calling for his head are the byproducts of fans that have been blessed and have lived through a decade with a silver spoon in their mouth. They've become so infatuated with all of our National championships in baseball that they now feel it's every LSU fan's birth right to experience a CWS championship.

    When I think of the state of our baseball program, I look at it and think of the over 300 I-A baseball programs across the country, and how VERY fortunate we are to have a program that has been a mainstay atop the sport for well over 15 years straight. There are only 64 teams in this country that make the postseason--and up until 8 or so years ago, it was only but 48--but we have been one of those teams EVERY YEAR FOR OVER A DECADE, that has the priviledge of playing ball after their conference tournament is over. There are over 250 teams that WISH they had a fraction of that success.

    But we have some fans that feel that it's owed to them, to have the #1 team every year. It's OK to want that distinction--but by no means should we be calling for our coach's head if we're not.

    When I think of LSU baseball, I look at us on the same lines as those Green Bay Packer teams of the '60's, or those Yankee teams in the '20's--teams that revolutionized their respective sport. The college baseball landscape has changed over the past two decades--and much of that is due to the success that was started RIGHT HERE with Skip. For so long, we were one of a handful of schools that actually MADE MONEY on their baseball team. We set the standard for what and how a baseball program should be.

    I'm proud of the National Titles we've won. But I'd also be proud of LSU had we not won any. Just because we have a school, rich in sports, and have been in euphoria these past 3-5 years with our athletic department as a whole, we don't have the right to feel "slighted" or "cheated" if one of our teams fails to win a National Title. Who are we to demand it?

    I would support LSU athletics reguardless of if we were National Champions, post season participants, or just your average run-of-the-mill athletic programs. I do it because I have a passion for the school, and the only thing I expect is that those athletes play with as much passion for LSU as they can.

    One of my co-workers, who is an avid BC fan, comes to me the other day and says, "Man! Is there ANY sport that you guys AREN'T good in? I think you guys have the best collection of athletic teams around." and then went on to talk to me about our baseball program--telling me how it seems like every year, we're in Omaha, and raving about how our women's basketball team should have won the Final Four, and about how he's always wanted to go to Tiger Stadium for a game (Tiger Stadium is something this guy is so amazed by, that he talks about it so much that I think he's asked me every question there is! ...and then he's asked them again! :D)..

    So, here's an outsider--from a part of the country where college athletics takes a backseat to professional sports--and he's telling me how impressed he is with LSU, and how he wishes BC would have that kind of fanbase and production on the field and all I could do was think about some of you that always seem to be thankless for what we have--and only focus on how Smoke needs to go, Brady needs to go, if Miles loses 3 games he should go.... :dis:

    It's just really sad when others think of LSU as having a "model athletic department", yet our own fans seem so disgusted with it all if Smoke doesn't win in Omaha this year. He's ONLY made it to Omaha two years in a row, and fielded a team that has remained in the top 10 since replacing a college baseball legend... Yeah, we have it rough...Yet, 1,800 miles away from Baton Rouge, in Chestnut Hill, MA, there are fans that just want their baseball team to make money.....
     
  2. mcmikel

    mcmikel Founding Member

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    Dead on! Oh, there a couple of teams just 90 miles away wishing to make money...
     
  3. OkieTigerTK

    OkieTigerTK Tornado Alley

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    You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to BostonBengal again.

     
  4. CParso

    CParso Founding Member

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    One of the best rants I've read in a long time.
     
  5. USNavyTiger

    USNavyTiger Founding Member

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    You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to BostonBengal again.
     
  6. MikeD

    MikeD Sports Genius

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    Very well put.
     
  7. LSUGradin99

    LSUGradin99 I Bleedeth Purple 'N Gold

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    Thanks BostonBengal!
     
  8. USNavyTiger

    USNavyTiger Founding Member

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    I agree, however...


    Its hard to revert to the rest of the pack when you were on top for so long...

    right?

    derek jeter made a comment like that tonight... if you don't win the championship every year, its considered a failure...

    if you arent trying to win a championship, whats the point?

    I still agree with your post though. :thumb:
     
  9. KTeamLSU

    KTeamLSU Founding Member

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    I don't want a National Title every year.... I don't even necessarily want a CWS appearance EVERY year. What I do want is for the team I love so much to compete to the best of their abilities. I want a coach that has the passion and knowledge to make losses a lesson and never be out coached. I want to compete with the best and be seen as the best. I don't want us to settle, I want us to excel. As long as I see a team with fire, I wouldn't care if we lost half of our games. When I know a team is good enough to beat anyone in the country, losing consistently in the post season, when they strive so hard to get to Omaha, is a tough pill to swallow.
     
  10. BostonBengal

    BostonBengal Founding Member

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    From a player's perspective--he's right. Championships are what you're supposed to play for--it drives you.

    I'd be disappointed if our athletes didn't think that way. WBut we have athletes that have a lot of pride, and play with a lot of pride.

    But would you fire Joe Torre if he doesn't win?? ...ok...pretend you're not George Steinbrenner... ;)
     

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