Ruston West
When I lived in S/BC I was continually frustrated at how people pined for sports and then whined that they what they got was sub-standard. The city got the World Football League, a bowl game, Continental Basketball League, Canadian Football League, and minor league hockey. And all the so-called "sports fans" did was b1tch that it wasn't NFL football, it wasn't Arkansas vs LSU (or SEC vs SWC/B12), it wasn't NBA, who cares about CFL, and finally, it wasn't NHL. The fools could never understand the big-time sports investors will NOT put their money and brand at risk simply because on a bunch of people say "you build it and we'll come." The city/region has had SO many opportunities to demonstrate it can support a team and time after time the citizens refuse to put their money where their mouth is.
Give us a Louisiana Tech University @ Shreveport campus (today's LSUS), and a few years of scheduling games in Indy and CenturyLink Center...let us work on the Indy Bowl for the CUSA championship game. I think S/B needs an anchor...and we could deliver it.
I think a strong, full time presence by Louisiana Tech could help with this lack of "ownership" in the regional culture.
A city that has sold its soul to the gambling industry cannot have a postive identity. Gambling does not foster a heathly, legitimate economy and it sucks the life out of other ventures around it...
That's not only what could happen, it's what must happen if we and this area are to ever become anything similar to our highest aspirations. But first someone with a leadership has to have the vision and the belief that it can be achieved. Until that happens we will continue to grind it out year after year with a lot of ups and downs. Which will still provide lots of entertainment, but also lots of frustration as well.
I disagree to an extent and I've never been a democrat. The reason it works for Shreveport is that we are so close to Texas. Drive to any casino in SB and count the number of TX license plates in the parking garages compared to the number from LA. There are also residual jobs that are created. Granted a lot of the profit is not reinvested here and that's a loss but I still think the area nets on the positive side.
"I like this business Smithers, people come in, empty their pockets and scuttle off". Mr. Burns from the Simpsons on his casino business.
Hey, you could be in San Antonio. This city has proven to the best of its ability that it would support an NFL franchise, and the people are starving for it here. All I ever hear are nonsense arguments against it. Even Jerry Jones said a few years ago that he thought San Antonio could support its own team. With all sorts of wonderful things going for San Antonio right now, it's still not happening any time soon. Sometimes, things just don't work out... The biggest shame in Shreveport to me, was the loss of the Mudbugs though. How do you win a championship, and then dissolve? Now the only hockey in Louisiana is in Lafayette, and it's crappy SPHL hockey at that...
Think I'm going to an Allen Americans hockey game Monday night.
http://www.allenamericans.com/
HD