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[ajs008]

You want to know the real reason our program struggles? Not why it's bad, but why it 'struggles'? Jim Oakes. It would be hard for any coach to be as successful as the people of Ruston want them to be when you have horrible video equipment, and bottom tier weight room, and an athletic director who would rather give the impression that this is a Div 1-A school, instead of actually making it one. We have the facilities and equipment, equal to that of a 4A Baton Rouge public school, and people around this town get mad when we lose games? Get serious. Boise St's video room contains state of the art video equipment. This includes the newest editing computer containing their last 3 seasons worth of games, and ALL of the games they have received. Louisiana Tech uses the Webb Advantage system to edit games. Not many people understand this. Let me break it down. Webb doesnt even sell this sstem anymore. They have 3, yes, 3 vcrs in the editing room at Tech. and enough space to store 6 games of the current season on the system. As far as weights, no one in the big round round building wanted to help them either. But they got what they needed. Thanks Jim. Wait. You didnt do it. So if you want a winning program, help the people that need helping. Help the weight room. Help the video room. Tech is a laughing stock to the nation. You would be surprised how much better the team that you all 'love' so much would be, if someone would grow some balls, and do something. Its not hard. And this town has money.

[Bossdawg]

I know Tech has its problems, many that have discussed at length, but this is a first. So kid, why did you decide to commit to LSU, well coach their video editing equipment was state of the art and well yours is not.

And this town does not have as much money as everyone thinks it does.

Dallas has money, some dude just wrote my hospital a 5million dollar check because we took care of his kid and wanted to give something back. That is money, not the Davisons, the Marburys', or the James'. Our hospital gets donations like that all the time. We have a WE Promise campaign that was started last year to build a new Children's hospital in Plano and they already have over 100 million pledged and received 50million of it.

It's all about a vision, because people will give to a cause and right now we don't have one.

[Rooster]

.

It's all about a vision, because people will give to a cause and right now we don't have one.

DING DING DING DING

WE HAVE A WINNER.

This has been my complaint the whole time.

[johnnylightnin]

ajs,

What's SMU's excuse? I'm sure they have all the technical things that would surely make us a BCS school, yet they still suck. I'm not in total disagreement with you. Oakes has failed to put us in the best position possible, but he's not the lone culprit. I believe that Dr. Reneau has tied Jim's hands and prevented him from making certain moves that would improve our athletic department. Another thing that is lacking is cash. It's easy to say that Ruston has money because we've got some individuals with very large net worth. The problem isn't the money Tech recieves from Rustonites, it's the fact that the school depends on Rustonites. Our lack of vision has us depending on a few large contributors because the average alumn won't give blindly. You think all of LSU's money comes from Baton Rouge? So, whose fault is this? Well, Jim is an easy target and certainly he deserves his share of the blame. You also have to look at the head coach whose job is apparently saved year in and year out by the University President. Those are two others who deserve their share of the blame. The final piece of the blame pie belongs to the average fan who won't let his checkbook do the talking. We give or don't give regardless of the direction of the program. We just trust the administration, just like they want us to. They are finding out that the average fan is wising up and won't continue to throw their money away. What's the answer? I believe we must pool our money in the form of a separate athletic foundation so that the money of the average fan can speak as loudly as the money of the 3 or 4 donors that the school depends on.

So, in short, I don't think new video equipment will get us an invite to the big east.

[ajs008]

If new video equipment and new weight room equipment is our step to the Big East, why dont we do something about. Why dont we start a separate athletic fund and give money to specific causes. Hand the money to the strength coach, and tell him 'here, this is for new dumbells'. Or 'Video guy, here is money for the new editing system that will end you being the laughing stock of the nation', and not give to the 'general fund'. As far as people saying that we dont have money, please, we do. We made $750,000 off of the Tennessee game alone. And we play 11 games on tv last year. People, dont talk about it. Be about it.

[TulsaDawg]

Or 'Video guy, here is money for the new editing system that will end you being the laughing stock of the nation', and not give to the 'general fund'. People, dont talk about it. Be about it.

Write a check to Louisiana Tech Foundation - Football and 90% goes to the football team.

[johnnylightnin]

If new video equipment and new weight room equipment is our step to the Big East, why dont we do something about. Why dont we start a separate athletic fund and give money to specific causes. Hand the money to the strength coach, and tell him 'here, this is for new dumbells'. Or 'Video guy, here is money for the new editing system that will end you being the laughing stock of the nation', and not give to the 'general fund'. As far as people saying that we dont have money, please, we do. We made $750,000 off of the Tennessee game alone. And we play 11 games on tv last year. People, dont talk about it. Be about it.

I was being sarcastic about the video equipment. My point was, that there are so many things that we lack that are more important that whether or not we have good video equipment.

About the money:

$750,000 doesn't go very far. Football is forced to pay for itself, which it does with moderate success. However, the money that the football team makes when it goes into the slaughter-house games must be split-up amongst all the other sports. We've got to pay for all of our teams (WBB, MBB, FB, BB, SB, W-Bowling, ect.) to fly to Hawaii, Fresno, Boise, Reno, San Jose, ect., year in and year out. That is where the money from the pay-day games goes.

Finally,

I don't disagree with you, on this board we need a little less talk and a lot more action. But, the solutions aren't quite as simple as you make them out to be.

[DONW]

You want to know the real reason our program struggles? Not why it's bad, but why it 'struggles'? Jim Oakes. It would be hard for any coach to be as successful as the people of Ruston want them to be when you have horrible video equipment, and bottom tier weight room, and an athletic director who would rather give the impression that this is a Div 1-A school, instead of actually making it one. We have the facilities and equipment, equal to that of a 4A Baton Rouge public school, and people around this town get mad when we lose games? Get serious. Boise St's video room contains state of the art video equipment. This includes the newest editing computer containing their last 3 seasons worth of games, and ALL of the games they have received. Louisiana Tech uses the Webb Advantage system to edit games. Not many people understand this. Let me break it down. Webb doesnt even sell this sstem anymore. They have 3, yes, 3 vcrs in the editing room at Tech. and enough space to store 6 games of the current season on the system. As far as weights, no one in the big round round building wanted to help them either. But they got what they needed. Thanks Jim. Wait. You didnt do it. So if you want a winning program, help the people that need helping. Help the weight room. Help the video room. Tech is a laughing stock to the nation. You would be surprised how much better the team that you all 'love' so much would be, if someone would grow some balls, and do something. Its not hard. And this town has money.

How much money did you donate to CHAMPS last year? You can't spend money you don't have and there is a very small percentage of us that donate to CHAMPS and buy seson tickets every year.

[oledawg66]

How much money did you donate to CHAMPS last year? You can't spend money you don't have and there is a very small percentage of us that donate to CHAMPS and buy seson tickets every year.

And I can't see that increasing dramatically without a public, written plan and some leadership to implement the plan.

[aubunique]

Yes, every fan has to find a way to earn a little bit extra if necessary to be a contributor, at whatever level.

Of course, there are people like Phil Robertson, the Duck Commander, one of Tech's long list of successful quarterbacks who was the subject of a wonderful article in the winter Tech Alumni magazine that arrived only a week or so ago.
Phil is quoted as saying he knew it was time to walk off the practice field and give up football when the geese circled the campus. And now he is an incredibly successful manufacturer of duck calls.
I wish the interviewer had steered him to mention the need to support Tech athletics! Duck hunters spend an inordinate percentage of their income pursuing their sport and plenty of them manage to follow Tech sports, but I know that many never think of giving the price of a few boxes of shells to support what likely is their second-favorite activity.

Another guy featured in the magazine is Garland Gregory. I believe I have seen him at every Tech home game I have attended in recent years. The article mentions that he was our first All American in 1941 (yes, I was born in 40 in Ruston and my father likely watched him play but Dad was a guy who missed few mornings when he could be duck hunting, much like Phil).
After serving in WWII, Gregory was among the first 11 members of the San Francisco 49ers and an All Pro in 1946 and 47!
I imagine some of you took recreation classes from him between 1966 and 86. He is a member of Champs and a wonderful person to visit with at games!

[johnnylightnin]

And I can't see that increasing dramatically without a public, written plan and some leadership to implement the plan.

You're not the only one. Unfortunately, the administration doesn't care if you give or not as long as they've got their big boys to shoulder the financial load.

[ajs008]

How much money did you donate to CHAMPS last year? You can't spend money you don't have and there is a very small percentage of us that donate to CHAMPS and buy seson tickets every year.

First off I have not been able to donate to CHAMPS because I am still a student, I am graduating this quarter though. I worked in the video department as a student this year and I have seen the broken VCRs (11 total, 3 working) projectors (2 broken) and camera's (that was talked about on another thread. that have to be delt with. Oh yeah when coaches can't break down film because there is always something wrong, how can they correct mistakes.It is not just about video though, it is about the total lack of support to our facilities which do bring in quality players. So as far as CHAMPS, as soon as I get my first real job with a real paycheck then I will donate, but I thought the time I donated to the team this year was worht a lot in itself. I have seen the good job that Matt Lange has done with subpar equipment. Video may not seem importent to the recruits but it is very important to the program.

[RougeDawg]

ajs008,

I'm glad to see a student this fired up about the state of athletics at Tech. I'm sure you realize that you are preaching to the choir here.

Most on this Board are extremely loyal to Tech and generously give a lot of money to athletics and academics. The problem that we have been fighting (really just bitching because their doesn't seem to be much we can do about it) the lackadaisical attitude of the Administration. Unfortunately, the blunt truth is that we as a group do not wield much power. Our inability to get Bicknell out of Ruston is all the proof you need. I think most of us have reserved our hopes to Dr. Guice taking over. Until then, we probably will have to ride out the storm in our pathetic excuse for a boat. I sure wish I had a few million to shake some things up. We are just lowly peasants in the fiefdom of Reneau.

[DONW]

First off I have not been able to donate to CHAMPS because I am still a student, I am graduating this quarter though. I worked in the video department as a student this year and I have seen the broken VCRs (11 total, 3 working) projectors (2 broken) and camera's (that was talked about on another thread. that have to be delt with. Oh yeah when coaches can't break down film because there is always something wrong, how can they correct mistakes.It is not just about video though, it is about the total lack of support to our facilities which do bring in quality players. So as far as CHAMPS, as soon as I get my first real job with a real paycheck then I will donate, but I thought the time I donated to the team this year was worht a lot in itself. I have seen the good job that Matt Lange has done with subpar equipment. Video may not seem importent to the recruits but it is very important to the program.

Maybe that's why Bick is surprised when a team runs a play that he hasn't seen. And we all thought it was just his sorry ass coaching. If I were the head coach making 250,000/ year, I would buy the equipment myself if my job depended on it. The last VCR I bought was about $50. Has Bick ever donated to CHAMPS? I know for several years I have seen Leon Barmore's name in the top category in donating to CHAMPS. I don't believe I've ever seen Bick's in the lowest category.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

Has Bick ever donated to CHAMPS? I don't believe I've ever seen Bick's in the lowest category.

I think I heard he belongs to CHUMPS.