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Oh, and for the record, I do not begrudge lsu students these things. They are just benefiting from the crooked system. I do, however, begrudge the lsu-grad legislators who so shamelessly favor their own institution, but dress it up as doing what is best for the state. Utter rubbish.
Thanks for the answers. I'll just address these if you don't mind.Originally Posted by BLUE collar
1) I wear LSU colors, because as I stated I do cheer for them when they play anyone other than Tech.
2-5) No money has directly gone to Tech or th government to my knowledge, however it also ahs not been taken away from Tech to my knowledge... the revenue I speak of comes in part due to merchandise sales and the revenue stream of LSU playing in the Sugar Bowl in recent years. I never stated that they were some kinda "stimulus plan" for the people of Louisiana... I was talking pure tourism dollars and cash flow in the state.
6) No I do not... because the BCS Championships do not play a role in my hierarchy of support. I grew up as a child cheering for my cousin as he played for LSU, this is back in the Dinardo days when they sucked and never won... so the BCS stuff came later. If you think I only cheer for Champions, you are crazy.... I'm a CUBS and SAINTS fan.....
1. Why don't you wear Tech colors to LSU games? I doubt you'll find very many LSU fans who will wear Tech colors to our games. I'm not saying that none do, but they are the rare example. You can support LSU and still wear Tech colors. I know when I would attend an LSU game with my LSU friends to support LSU, I wore my Tech gear, and after the initial, time, with me explaining that the LSU fans at Tech games wear their LSU gear, so I'm going to wear my Tech gear especially since I graduated from Tech, they had no problem with it. Your friends shouldn't either. Keep in mind, I'm not questioning your loyalty or trying to indicate that you are lesser of a Tech fan then anybody else. I just feel you have every right to wear your Tech clothing to LSU games and cheer for LSU.
2-5. So basically, you've proven my point that LSU doing well benefits no one other than LSU because the state and the state schools get nothing off the merchandise that LSU sells. As far as tourism dollars and cash flow in the state, I'll agree that it makes a difference, but I'd venture to say those people are going to come anyway because of the conference rivalries. However, I would venture to say that those dollars would be more when LSU is struggling because there will be a better attendance from some of these poorer SEC teams if they feel like they will get a win. As far as OOC games, there's a reason they started scheduling in-state schools. It's because the cupcake OOC teams weren't traveling well. I'd bet with Tech in LSU's position, we'd get just as good tourism dollars as LSU. But, since the majority of the state and a good bit of Tech's fans continue to prop up LSU at the expense of their own school, Tech's ability to get there is much harder. And it doesn't matter if you don't give money to LSU or not. Just the fact that you'll go to the games to cheer them on is supporting them and helping to foster the attitude that everyone in the state needs to. That's why I quit going to their games when my friends would offer me tickets.
6. The reason for this question had nothing to do with the BCS or thinking you only cheer for winners. Sorry if you got that impression. It was just another chance to make the point that LSU winning championships does nothing for the state. The simple fact that Florida hasn't gained any more esteem in your eyes for winning the BCS proves that outside of Louisiana, no one really gives a rat's ass that LSU won the championship, therefore, the state of Louisiana hasn't gained a damned thing.
The only reason I asked these questions is to dispel the most common myths as to why non-LSU graduates say they pull for LSU. Your support of other state schools is commendable and supports that argument for you, but for most people that claim they support all the state school's it's BS. They won't even watch them on t.v. Except for in your case, the "I support all Louisiana schools" is BS, I'd bet, 99,9% of the time. Finally, the argument that LSU winning benefits the whole state is BS as even your answers pointed out. So what it boils down to is the fact that you and others, me included at times, simply pull for LSU because we want to mainly because it's been ingrained in us since we were children. Now unlike others, I don't pull for LSU all the time. It depends on who they are playing, but I have no qualms with anyone pulling for them. I don't have any qualms with Tech fans pulling for them as long as they are fully honest about why they do and don't try to make BS excuses and don't sacrifice their support financially and timewise for Tech in favor of LSU. In fact, I don't think a Tech fan should ever pay for a ticket to an LSU, or any other state school, sporting event unless Tech is playing them.
Anyway, I just wanted to address those myths.
1) I have the right to wear my Tech gear to an LSU game yes.... however, instead of spening the majority of my day explaing my attire, I choose to wear LSU gear and just have fun the whole day without questioning... I have the right I just choose not to exercise it in these instances.
2-5) Never did I once say that TECH, ULL, ULM, NSU, South Eastern, UNO or Tulane benifited from LSU's success... I said the state.... as in the tourisim dollars I mentioned. Please don't twist my words. As far as paying for a ticket to anywhere else, I don't have a problem with it if I am still spend money at TECH and donate to various TECH programs, both academic and athletic. If I am a sports fan and I want to watch a ball game, I'm not going to be so pig-headed and stubborn as to say, I'm not going because it isn't Tech. It seems like a shove in the face to not support someone due to something they had no controll over.
6) How often do you think of the state of South Dakota as a hotbed of athletic talent? Very little I'm guessing. Now how often do you think of Florida as a hotbed of athletic talent? I would dare to say that it is because of Florida being competitive in most sports due to homegrown talent. Same as with LSU. If they weren't successful and all the other state schools remaind where they currently are, we would be like South Dakota. So I say that LSU's sucess has cast a very bright and possitive light on the state of Louisiana and all who inhabit it.
I won't address number one because it's obvious you don't get it and won't regardless of how often I try. Oh hell, yeah I will. It's like this. When you don't wear your Tech stuff to an LSU game, you're validating to your LSU comrades that you don't value Tech over LSU. That LSU is just as important as Tech is to you even if you don't give money to LSU and even if you do go to more Tech events. It validates their feeling of superiority by seeing another graduate of another school wearing LSU colors and only lends to their belief that everyone should pull for LSU just because.
You're correct. You didn't say that about all those state schools. I read more into what you were saying, and I was wrong for that. However, I think my point still stands that the tourism dollars would still be there if Tech were as successful as LSU. As far as not supporting a school because of something they had no control over, I'm not sure I understand your point. If I do, however, I will say this. It's not Tech's fault that they weren't granted all the favored treatment in the early growth stages of football allowing them to be the power that LSU is, yet as a consequence, many of the local fans hold that against Tech by not supporting us because they don't view us on the same level as LSU. Also, by paying for a ticket to one of their sporting events, you are, in essence, contributing to their program. It may not be to the level you give to Tech, but it is still a contribution.(there's a reason I'm making these points that I'll bring up later)
As far as the South Dakota comparison, what difference does it make that people look at Louisiana as a hotbed of talent? Is that supposed to be some sort of virtue? While people might say that we have a great deal of talent, that doesn't translate into them thinking we are great state or a great place to live especially when they look and see that a good portion of LSU's starters and key players aren't even from Louisiana.
http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect...&Q_SEASON=2008
http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect...&Q_SEASON=2009
Now the point that I was to bring up later in reference to the first two paragraphs is this. The questions must come up, and I'm not sure which order they should be in, but I'll ask them in the order I think they should, and those questions are do you want Tech to be on the level of LSU? and do think Tech can be on the level of LSU? If the answer to the first question is no, then there is no point to the second question. However, if the answer to the first question is yes, then you must really analyze the second question. I know for me, the answer to the first question is a resounding Hell Yeah I want Tech to be on the same level as LSU. Okay. Now do I think we can get to that level. Once again, the answer is a resounding Hell Yeah. In fact, I'd bet most who post on this board feel the same way. Now the problem is how do we get to that level. Well, the first part of the equation seems to us very simple. There can be no divided loyalties in money and time. We need our Tech people who are casual LSU fans to understand that any little bit they pay to them, even if it's just one ticket to a game helps them and hurts us. That $45 paid by several thousand Tech fans could better be used going into LTAC. We need our Tech people who are casual LSU fans to realize that when they skip a Tech home game for a game at LSU (not saying you do), that that is hurting Tech. We need our Tech people who are casual LSU fans to realize that when they willingly wear LSU's colors over Tech's colors they are validating every LSU homers perception that everyone in the state should be a fan of LSU even at the expense of their own school because, "hell, if we have these Tech fans, and ULM fans and ULL fans, etc...who are willing to wear our colors over theirs, then it must be right to expect it from everyone else even though we don't wear their colors." It validates their opinion that it's perfectly okay to disrespect Tech because, hell, their own alums don't even care enough about them not to wear LSU colors. And until our own Tech people who are casual LSU fans come to these realizations, it will be a nearly impossible task for us to get where we should be. Where we need to be. I'm sorry that this realization hasn't set in with you yet. I hope one day it will.
Their opinion is none of my business... in fact all it is, is a different point of view. The South Dakota comment illustrates that peopl see a hotbed of talent and would assume that we have such a hotbed because of great youth programs and a good quality of life. Yeah I would love for Tech to be at the level of LSU and I think it is possible, but if you intend to make me feel guilty for our level of play, by saying I give a few bucks to LSU every now and again...well you can save it. Read my post... I am a TECH above all else guy, and you can question it as much as you would like, but nothing is going to change that. I don't disrespect Tech and I don't disrespect other schools.
What I'm gathering from this Q & A session is that people are mad at the disease, but instead of look for the cure, they would rather blame it on the host. I'm reminded of an episode of M*A*S*H when Hawkeye removes a healthy Colonel's appendix, and B.J. says "You treated a symptom, but the disease goes merrily on." Seems that instead of hating LSU and it's students, faculty, and athletes, we should be trying to fix the government, or work harder to market our teams to all those casual fans. I think the blame is going to the wrong people and that some people just need to, in the words of Ron White, "let it go."
LSU's success in football doesn't do anything for the state except lend some bragging rights. It certainly has not resulted in people concluding that Louisiana is a place they'd want to live. Louisiana was one of two states that lost people since 2000 (the other was North Dakota). Even if you ignore the folks who left due to Katrina, Louisiana's growth rate was also less than half that of the country as a whole, and less than a third of that of the South as a whole. Then there is the famous "brain drain" that has resulted in a disproportionate loss among the well-educated. Higher education is the transmission that paces a state's economy. By putting all of our eggs in one basket, Louisiana is basically driving with just one gear.
I realize that I keep blending athletics issues with broader education and political issues, but in reality they are quite interrelated.
My main issue, though, is that I simply don't understand why college graduates in Louisiana have such trouble simply supporting their own school. I've never seen anything like it.
Gee this is a popular thing to talk about on here and guess what it never gets anywhere
If you want to pull for Tech Then go ahead and do so
If you want to pull for LSU Then go ahead and do so
and guess what If you want to pull for both then thats ok too go ahead and do so
But to sit and argue about it really is not doing much
spoken like a true lsu fan ...
the bold, the beautiful, theprofessor
I agree...I wasn't trying to turn it into an argument though... I just never understood the hatred and I wanted to find out where it all stemed from.
Or just a person who is grown up enough to know that people have their own opinoins on things and don't care about what others believe to be right
That's funny. People know Louisiana has a shitty quality of life and all the athletes coming from here won't change that. All one has to do is look at all the national rankings and where we are in those rankings and know that this is a crappy state to live in. You're reminded of a episode of MASH and say we need to find the cure instead of blaming the host. Well, I've told you the cure. The cure is for Tech fans to be most loyal to Tech and not divide them. While you're reminded of the episode of MASH, your defense of your actions remind me of an alcoholic. You know. The one that doesn't realize he has a problem, so he can't can't correct his behavior. You can talk all you want about trying harder to market to get the casual fan, but you're not understanding the point I'm making. If Tech fans continue to show divided loyalties, then it's going to be impossible to attract casual fans because they'll look at the Tech fans who pull for LSU and figure it's not worth pulling for Tech if Tech's fans pull for LSU too.
For my part, I don't consider myself arguing. I would have quit the conversation a long time ago if I felt it had devolved to that level. Also, as stated before, I don't hate LSU and in fact, pull for them against certain teams, and don't hate when others pull for them. I don't even begrudge Tech fans pulling for LSU unless they put Tech on the back burner, and by wearing LSU colors that's putting Tech on the back burner. As I said, I don't care who pulls for who, just don't come on here and try to give some BS excuse as to why you do. Just say you want to and that's that. Because, the same old excuses are nothing but myths that people use to make themselves feel better. If you want to pull for another school, fine. But realize, that any money that you give to that school in the form of buying their merchandise or buying their tickets is money that you could be giving to your school instead. That my friend is the cure.
I've heard that even Jesus hates LSU!
I'm an asshole! What's your excuse?
Sorry if I seem like I'm being argumentative, but you say you don't begrudge a person for cheering for LSU, then turn around and say that they should only support their school witht their money, instead of anyone else. Seems contradictory.
Only because they beat Notre Dame a few years ago.
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