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I noticed over the past two weeks that our University President has been making videos attempting to motivate Tech football fans.
Instead of blowing smoke, he should spend his time putting out the fire by removing Skip Holtz and developing and implementing a plan to reverse the disastrous course this football program is on.
He does not care if it burns. He's a bureaucrat
It will be hard to make your case that this defines “disaster”:
“LA Tech put up 480 yards of total offense, the most allowed all season by nationally-ranked NC State (previous high was 316 by Mississippi State). The Wolfpack came into the game ranked seventh in the country in total defense.”
Get off the bridge guys. Yeah we lost, but we put up a valiant effort. We lost the 3 games we were supposed to lose and won the two games we were supposed to while looking great in our losses. Just wait till we start dominating our conference opponents. Y'all have been spoiled by the success this program has had in recent years.
We will be waiting, but we have seen this bad movie before when Skippy guides Tech to play down to its opposition.Quote:
Originally Posted by thewyldman
No excuse not to run the table from here. UAB took a skull-dragging at home from Liberty. UTSA muddled to a 7-point win over UNLV. UTEP and Charlotte are improved, but not that much improved. ODU and Rice are probably better than they were in 2019 too, but again not by much. And USM is (to be polite) not good.
I'm telling ya, Tech has an exciting product on the field right now. If people weren't entertained by what they saw on the field tonight, then rigor mortis has already set in for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by T1
That's BS. Nobody here is spoiled by our own success as a program. These fans here are much smarter than you give them credit for. (Well, except for PD. :laugh:) But I agree with you when you say Tech won the two we were supposed to win and lost the 3 we were supposed to lose. (I would definitely argue with you about losing to SMU.) But here's the thing; this team has the player talent to win BIG games, and their coach just isn't getting it done. Should we be satisfied to go 7-5 or 6-6, when we know we have the talent to go 10-2 or 9-3? Again, most of these fans have been watching this program for years, or even decades. We know what we see. And we know when our program is blowing wonderful opportunities to be really special.Quote:
Originally Posted by thewyldman
Only two sets of numbers matter tonight:Quote:
Originally Posted by T1
34-27
2-3
We won the ones we were expected to win and lost those we thought we'd lose...
THat's such a loser Captain Obvious Statement. Holtz will find a way to lose a couple more. Did you see his goofy ass on the sidelines ranting at his QB in the 4th?
7-5 regular season then lose the bowl to a Sunbelt team for 7-6. Our fans should rally around that.:laugh:
Dominating our conference opponents like we did against bottom feeder North Texas? Is that the kind of domination we can expect?
Exactly. UTSA will be favored by a couple of TDs and Skip will be skeerd!Quote:
Originally Posted by SicemDawgz
The thing I found unforgiveable was the disastrous play where Allen went into the game and promptly pooped away 30 seconds. Holtz should have called a timeout once it was apparent Allen had no clue the clock was running. That's totally on Holtz and I think that had more effect on the outcome of the game than any other single factor -- including the homer refereeing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad
I was able to listen to the first half and then heard the final play. I frankly was shocked that we were only a touchdown from being tied. Heard Teddy and Malcolm talking about the play clock fiasco but really didn't understand what had happened. THEN I listened to Holtz being interviewed after the game. When he was asked about that situation he stumbled and stammered. He didn't have a good answer for that 30 seconds. Said he knew he had one timeout left but didn't want to use it yet! HUH? He seemed shell shocked. Totally clueless. How long have you been a head coach Skip???? How much do you get paid Skip???Quote:
Originally Posted by 96bulldog
From what I can tell the team, by and large, played a great game. But their coach is not helping them or this University at all...
When Guice was hired, I said he was two peas in a pod with Reneau. Guice definitely took on the torch to make sure sports continued to flop, but his management of academics doens't appear to be going any better.
Holtz has never managed timeouts anything better than bad.
You know, you are absolutely correct.. how many conference championships have we won in recent years??... I've lost count...Quote:
Originally Posted by thewyldman
He wasn’t talking about that, he was talking about all the P5 wins.Quote:
Originally Posted by FriscoDog
We haven't beaten a P5 team in regular season in 9 years..Quote:
Originally Posted by SicemDawgz
My sarcasm is next level.Quote:
Originally Posted by FriscoDog
I figured Guice was MIA when year after year our football product kept falling short and the attendance was steadily slipping and nothing was done. He’s over his head overseeing a university athletic program.
Your last sentence is the most ignorant comment I’ve read on here in a long time. You have to be a troll, right.Quote:
Originally Posted by thewyldman
UAB just opened a brand-new stadium yesterday and couldn’t fill it. They’ve won CUSA twice recently, had the football controversy and a whole revival PR stunt backing them, and have had nothing but winning seasons since coming back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bone_afide_Dawg
Whats it really take to actually fill a stadium now?
At our level, a concert by a major singer/band.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech52
First of all, back away from the ledge. I like many of you am frustrated they can’t pull off a signature win. And no for you Holtz fanboys a meaningless bowl game win over a hapless average team isn’t a signature win. I cannot remember the last time we had a program defining P5 victory. Lots of almosts and could have beens.
1. I’m not a Holtz fanboy, but the truth is Holtz is not the WORST coach in cfb. (He’s also not the greatest.) he’s average.
2. TCU made a lamebrained timeout decision too yesterday versus Texas. So it happens. It just happened to us at the worst possible time.
3. AK is probably the best QB we have had at Tech in a long time. (Btw it was Sloan that brought him, NOT Holtz. So give credit where credit is due.)
4. Allen should never ever play QB again.
5. With AK we are an excitingly good football team. Without him we are average.
6. They should win every single game from here on out. Should being the operative word. With AK our win percentage goes up.
7. The loss last night reminded me of the A&M game. Yeah we lost, but man if we could just have gotten a stop or had the ball last we could have won.
Is anybody really on a ledge?Quote:
Originally Posted by revf
Being Bama or some of the Big10 schools? Notice how many empty seats in Tiger Stadium last night?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech52
The best we could hope for was to keep what we had in 2012 and grow it. Our AD wanted to change all that and did. Our New HC told us we'd continue to see the wide open offense. Instead we got a full dose of Skip in 2013 and it attendance has dwindled since.
My bad.. we need a sarcasm emoji bigly..Quote:
Originally Posted by SicemDawgz
Sagarin Predictor now actually has Tech favored over UTSA by less than the homefield advantage. UTSA has played a VERY weak schedule, and it showed last night.Quote:
Originally Posted by PawDawg
Tech's schedule is ranked 49th in Sagarin at 69.17. UTSA's schedule is ranked 128th at 58.85.
Well we have a long time supporter that was part of a successful country music duo. Any chance he would be willing to perform a brief halftime show and possibly hold a concert at the completion of the game? Need something to create some excitement in the community. The opponent/rivalries has a lot to do with attendance. I don’t have much motivation to sit through LaTech vs little sisters of the poor.Quote:
Originally Posted by JuBru
We just need a little Honky Tonk Badonkadonk to liven the place up.
Probably wouldn’t hurt. I would encourage our AD and President to read up on Earle Baltes. They could learn a few lessons on how to promote something.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech52
The blizzard vs ice cream cone and ball toss for Whataburger have run there course. Pizza giveaways probably aren’t a big draw for the students either.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech52
I think he meant to say that we look to be the tallest midget in CUSA.Quote:
Originally Posted by SicemDawgz
To be fair, had Austin been the QB against NTX, we would have blown the doors off of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by olddog75
Yes. That would be me. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by glm47
I will say, this Tech team is VERY FUN to watch when Austin Kendal is running it.Quote:
Originally Posted by eagle2180
Absolutely true. It's amazing what a difference he makes when he's Quarterbacking us.Quote:
Originally Posted by SicemDawgz
Best QB we've had in 5 years.
Skip has been here for 9 years.
We've used one of his QBs who he recruited and developed.
He is a great coach.:laugh:
He is such a good coach that we should change all the locks on the doors of the Dac.Quote:
Originally Posted by PawDawg
This, we won't lose another game this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by FriscoDawg
= a raise and extension with no ticket sales clauseQuote:
Originally Posted by KSDAWG
I think they should set his salary based off C-USA championships and signature P5 wins.Quote:
Originally Posted by PawDawg
He makes 300,000 but if he somehow manages to win a game he’s not favored to win or a c-USA championship, the salary doubles each time.
Actually a FANATASTIC way to get the students out, is to plan the worlds largest TikTok dance to Neon Moon (a Brooks and Dunn dance song which is super popular right now on TikTok) and get our favorite country singer to come lead it! Film the whole stadium doing the Neon Moon dance and put it on TikTok.Quote:
Originally Posted by eagle2180
You gotta keep up with the times.
I like the way you think.Quote:
Originally Posted by revf
You’re hired for marketing- $30k/year. 😬
In all honesty, that’s the kind of things that Tech NEEDS to be doing. That’s a great idea!Quote:
Originally Posted by revf
I asked for them to get all painted up in blue and do the whole 300 thing again….
I just threw up a littleQuote:
Originally Posted by SicemDawgz
Its not awful. But at the same time I still remember when Admissions made the running man video…Quote:
Originally Posted by glm47
Yes, it is fun to watch a well executed plan with a competent leader achieve results.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
Well, you see. They are getting plenty of free advice from people on this board that have years of experience in multiple industries. They always ask for money and it seems that is the only people they listen to. I’m certain I would take free advice from some of the posters on this board before I took the advice of an inexperienced marketing person or AD who has read a book or takes the monkey see monkey do approach.Quote:
Originally Posted by glm47
A low point in Tech history…still makes me laugh!Quote:
Originally Posted by SicemDawgz
This is where we fight!!! This is where you die!!!
I am going to be on campus the next 2 days proctoring exams for a few classes. I am going to ask the students what they feel would be good incentives for them to make the effort to come and stay at the games. I’m curious how reasonable or unreasonable their responses may be.
Great idea!Quote:
Originally Posted by techman05
I wonder if they've ever been asked that.
First bit of feedback was that the pizza giveaway doesn’t move the needle. A handful of pizzas in the middle of The students is worthless. What-a-Burger giveaway doesn’t either. Never given in student section. DQ giveaway has run its course. Pizza giveaway would have to be 25-30 pies to mean anything to students. I suggested a $250 scholarship sponsored by a local business for each game with a $1,000 giveaway at the last game and only students who registered for every home game would be eligible for the last giveaway. Several students who hate sports said they would give up 5-6 Saturdays in the fall to have a chance at winning that.
The Canes Challenge in Basketball was very popular. The teams had to score a certain amount of points in a game to meet it during conference play.
Eventually they raised the point threshold.
There was a time when they withheld it from band members as well.
But I think that ended now. I suppose thats on Canes more than Tech.
I agree. Doing a Canes, DQ, or similar gift card giveaway is fine too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech52
Other feedback was, of course, alcohol, which we as donors have no control over. Some even said a t-shirt giveaway at the end of the game for all students who stay the whole time. If we have a special emphasis like white, red, or camo(stupid, but yeah), then give out t-shirts that can be used for the following special emphasis game. Breast cancer awareness, hand out pink Tech shirts at the game before so they have it for that week.
One student said we needed to trade sides so they can sit in the shade in September. Ha!
They all agreed that whatever you do, it has to be late in the game and you have to be present to win.
So free shirt giveaway that we were already doing before, but give them away in the second half.
Or give some away at the door and save some for the second half.
Had another student just say that the coach shouldn’t call plays trying to set up for field goals the entire second half.
The way this student sounded, they either aren’t giving them away or they aren’t giving out enough that he noticed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech52
They have. I am told that our AD has regular meetings with the SGA President, and supposedly asks questions similar to these.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Dawg
Let’s hope it works.
When does ulm play ull. Tired of skip and the lack.of atmosphere. Unless we can get a f Skip Holtz chant going next home game, I.may pass
Look I've been calling the administration out for everything since 2014 and nothing has changed.
That’s when attendance started going down and that was the first of 7 straight bowl games. Common denominators?Quote:
Originally Posted by Gladzilla
Students who stay till the end get a temporary medical Marijuana card, to help get them through the trauma of watching Skip find a new way to lose.
Free samples from our new CBD dispensary?Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ967
see now you're talking. Just a little sumn sumn to take the edge off.Quote:
Originally Posted by techman05
When I was a student, I met with Brian White a few times to get my feedback for Techster games (I was essentially the only student there and I rarely missed a home game).Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
Not sure how good my feedback was but at least he asked.
Dispensary? We’re fixing to have a legal pot farm in Ruston!Quote:
Originally Posted by techman05
Not sure what they have in stock. It may just be the creams and oils. I haven’t looked.
I'd be willing to bet a majority of students don't even know who the SGA President is, much less how to pass on suggestions to this person. If our AD wants real feedback, all he needs to do is set up a big tent in the Quad, have a grill set up with someone cooking burgers and hot dogs, and have conversations with students as they come by.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
Yeah students dont care about SGA.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dowty
I actually like that idea; a "Tailgate in the Quad", so to speak.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dowty
A finance class I proctored in last night said they would be glad to help brainstorm ideas with leadership if they had a bbq on campus. That was the consensus of 40 students.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
Very good job sir!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by techman05
Bring coaches from all sports as well. Pass out some shirts. Bring the Hoop Troop.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
The cost/benefit of something like this is a no-brainer. Get one of the 17 associate AD people he's hired to plan it and then make it happen. Have the rest of them take notes. Do it every quarter. This isn't hard to do!
Not very different from the President’s Breakfast that happens every spring. Just doesn’t happen 10-midnight. The coaches usually show up to that and help with serving the food.
I like this idea. But I think "Dr" Eric Wood should come speak to the students himself, not just send a surrogate. This would be a great opportunity to align himself directly with the students, and give him standing to hold them accountable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dowty
Perhaps Ninfa and I need to take a respite from the French Quarter and visit the new apothecary. I suppose we could surrender our view of the Cabildo for a day or two!Quote:
Originally Posted by eagle2180
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dowty
The above speaks to the state of our student body. Not that they don't know anything about SGA, but that they don't care. They don't care about SGA and they don't care about Tech Athletics. Those students will be typical "techgrad/lsufans" one day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech52
Our AD is nothing but an empty suit. This has the makings of one of the worst hires in Tech history.
I think that title is very safe.Quote:
Originally Posted by dawg80
Not necessarily. You can not care about SGA and still care about Tech athletics. I didn't ever know who the SGA prez was while I was there but I was still at every game possible.Quote:
Originally Posted by PawDawg
It's our athletics department's inability to reach out to students and keep them coming that allows them to become techgrad/lsufans. They have to create something that students want to be a part of, otherwise they'll just find something else to do during game time.
This entire region has an inferiority complex. Many attempt to legitimize themselves by claiming some kind of vicarious attachment to LSU. Then, you have these silly attempts to mimic cajun culture. It's pathetic, and most of these students who try to identify with LSU got it from their parents.
At the the 2008 Indepedence Bowl (basically Livas vs. NIU), the Shreveport Chamber ran an ad called "Louisiana's Other Side". (That was were I saw the commercial anyway -- I got the impression it was part of a broader campaign.)Quote:
Originally Posted by boxerdog
I dug it. I felt that. Embracing the region's identity as a little bit Louisiana, but a little bit Texas -- drawing elements from the best of both cultures. "Why not both?" was the message. It resonated with me.
There are at least 9 distinct Nations inside Louisiana. We'd all be much healthier if we embraced our own instead of LARPing a foreign one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ967
Your point is well made and well taken.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Dawg
This is a great idea.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dowty
Let me add this: From the mid 80s through the early 90s the athletic department promotion on campus was handled by the SGA.
At a time when you had a lot of aspiring politicians, it was really handled like a political campaign.
Like or hate his politics, when the late Lee Fletcher was SGA president he set up a system where the SGA identified a person in every organization on campus (a few hundred) that was interested in Tech athletics. The SGA then promoted and marketed to those individuals who in turn organized turnout within their own groups.
When the football and basketball programs took a dip beginning in 1992-1993 the leadership in the SGA at the time lost interest. It literally didn't recover until we entered the WAC in 2001 and the "Believe in the Blue" campaign and other organized efforts got the students involved again.
Dang. That's clever.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Historian
I would have agreed with you as recently as two weeks ago. However, I'm now hearing that our AD is doing Herculean things to position LA Tech for a possible run at one of the open opportunities in the AAC. And no, I don't really know anymore than that. But based upon this new info, I'm taking a wait and see approach to his performance evaluation. Fact is, if he gets the BIG things done, but doesn't necessarily get all the small things fixed, I'm okay with that.Quote:
Originally Posted by dawg80
Hopefully, getting the big thing done(for the first time ever probably)might allow the smaller things to get handled because we will have resources to pay experienced people more than a starting salary to do a better job on the small stuff.
If he’s working on something as big as that, wow!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Dawg
Good stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Historian
It's the job of the university (coaches, AD's , etc. ) to get the students involved through student organizations.
The "Wear Blue" campaign was grass roots and our leadership began shooting it down as soon as the horribly organized red out crap and red T began to show it's ugly face. We've never recovered from that bad leadership, but our former AD certainly didn't do anything but pour gas on the fire.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
That would be Herculean. Especiallysince nobody has us on any list to be included. It would be all him.
SGA and UB are largely seen as jokes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech52
Since when the F!*! Does my tailgating around the TAC have anything to do with the red lot of the construction for the soccer/softball complex? So I have to hope a campus policeman
Is nice and let's me setup after 8am. This is exactly how you lose lifelong fans. F you Wood.
By who? The jokes?Quote:
Originally Posted by Gladzilla
You do realize the fans on the east side are, for the most part, members of student organizations and not random students who just want to be fans?
Ummm...... Yes for the Greek section. the rest are a group of students that don't go to games with so called clubs. Yes I was a student fall 14- spring 18. Used to chat on an old app called yik yak with about 200-500 other students. Yes we agreed and regularly made fun of ub and sga.Quote:
Originally Posted by PawDawg
During my time I only met one quality ub member. The rest were out of touch with the rest of the students as a whole. They have their own space in toliver.