re: This town has become intolerable. From the message boards...

I would like to see some of these guys in a film session while Miles or any of the Asst. coaches ask questions on their knowledge of the defense/offense.

A pop quiz, if you will. I guarantee you, everyone of you would fail miserably.

Point is, people can call it like they see it. That's it. Football criticism is the epitome of judging a book by it's cover. Because no one outside of that football team knows the P's and Q's of what's going on.

quote:

---

This isn't specific to LSU, this is just the way things are now with the internet and so much information at our fingertips. Even with all the info out there available to us, you still can't help the stupid.

---

Exactly. Most of the people on here have no clue what the hell they are talking about anyway. One of the post on here was a guy trying to explain how Jefferson telegraphs the snap counts, giving the defense a fraction of a second head start! WTF?! Fat asses on couches eating cheetos have no business talking about what a coach should be doing. LSU is 3-0, enjoy it!

quote:

---

Can you name some college coaches that get hammered by their fans like Miles who has averaged 10.5 wins per year and has an NC?

---

Pete Carroll is taking a lot of heat this week in LA.

quote:

---

Richt has taken some heat, but usually when he does a bunch of folks rush to his rescue because he wears his religion on his sleeve. I've heard several sports talk guys have a tough time criticizing him but have no problem bashing Miles...

---

His "character" goes a long way here in Georgia. I put that in quotes, but I can't actually question it. He seems like the real deal.

He's the kind of guy people generally want leading the program. I think the base is willing to underachieve a little to keep a guy like him at the helm. I don't think they think of it like that, but he's definitely what most people in Georgia envision their coach to be like (short of a few more wins).

quote:

---

most are... most is... you be the judge

---

Soooo...

Most of the house "are" dirty would be correct? Damn i went to the wrong school. Thanks.

What this thread and others of the last three weeks prove to me, is that the constant din of negativity is killing the fun of LSU football for a lot of long-time fans.

When The Rant is more disagreeable than the Political board, when this country is in the midst of the biggest domestic political debate of the last 40 years, I would say that the LSU fanbase is in trouble.

People seriously need to check themselves before we inadvertantly chase Miles, Crowton, et al, and a boatload of 4 and 5 star recruits OUT the door.

The vibe around LSU football is OVERWHELMINGLY negative at this point and many of you need to ask yourself if you have contributed to that negativity.

Try SILENCE for a week or two, keep your opinions to yourselves. Believe it or not, LSU football would be there without you.

quote:

---

You forgot: 4. Most of the fanbase is uneducated, and they have nothing else in their lives to enjoy.

---

5. People try to live vicariously through the team, because they have no life. When the team doesn't live up to their lofty expectations, they become angry and shrill.

quote:

---

Does Richt get hammered? He hasn't won a BCS title yet...

---

He's not getting hammered here in Atlanta, but his coordinators are. The UGA fans have hated Mike Bobo and the other guy for years now, saying they are bringing down the team. Richt gets a pass here, because it's ultra conservative outside of Atlanta, and there are a lot of bible thumpers, and robots, so Richt plays the religion card and they all follow him like sheep to the slaughter.

quote:

---

fact - Saban had one fantastic year in which we needed a great deal of luck to make it to a NC game, that was it that was the extend of the "legend of Nick Saban"

---

It's more than that...Saban changed the culture of LSU football. He showed us that we could compete on a national level, and that we shouldn't settle for 8-3 and a top 15 ranking. This is why our fanbase is pissed about him being at Bama. Every time Nick Saban beats LSU in the future, the same will be said about whomever the coach is at that time as it is currently said about Les.

As for the original topic, people need to let things play out a litte before they freak out. I thought Washington beating USC would settle some people down, but that wasn't the case at all. LSU do need to improve in areas in order to be really good this year, but to just assume we won't make those improvements based on last year is jumping the gun.

quote:

---

I would like to see some of these guys in a film session while Miles or any of the Asst. coaches ask questions on their knowledge of the defense/offense.

---

I promised myself I would stay off threads unless I thought I had something to add that showed some insight into the program or the process. While waiting for a phone call, I scanned this thread. The quote above, and the post from which it comes, reminds me of some videotape I watched with Jimbo Fisher in 2006.

It was after the loss to Florida. Among the many complaints about the 2006 team at that point was the offense had run too many predictable, up-the-gut plays and not thrown enough deep balls. Jimbo showed me the diagram of a play: handoff to a tailback, who would head into the line, turn and pitch the ball back to the quarterback, who would launch a bomb downfield. The ol' flea-flicker, more or less.

Then, he showed me the tape from the game. Justin Vincent got the carry. Dwayne Bowe was wide open downfield. Something went wrong -- a missed block, a bobble, something -- when Vincent was one step away from lateraling to JaMarcus Russell. It could have been a game-changing play. It was the perfect call, and it would have satisfied one of the major criticisms about the offense, but it didn't work.

Jimbo and I talked about a lot of things that are designed and called but don't come to fruition for a number of reasons. I try to keep that in mind when I think the coaches aren't calling the right plays.

It was an interesting visit in Jimbo's office. It's too bad LSU restricts that kind of thing, because it would help the media shed some light. I understand why they're secretive. It's hard to trust a writer not to give away the playbook, but a pro, someone fair and experienced, would know how to walk that line.

I had that kind of access when I covered McNeese State. It's invaluable, and in my opinion its judicious use would calm a lot of the hysteria around the LSU program, but Les has made it clear he prefers there to be 1,000 wrong opinions floating around on the Internet and in newspapers than to have the truth clearly spelled out. Trust me: I'm not complaining. I know why he's doing it. I'd probably do the same if I were the coach.

But if anyone from LSU complains about all the negativity, I would gladly tell them this is an example of when their closed-door, circle-the-wagons mentality works against them, and they're sometimes too stubborn and defensive to see it that way. If you want to reap the benefits of your restrictive policies, you have to take the heat when they work against you in the court of public opinion.