What I got from Alleva's Letter

Just read Alleva's letter and took a few things away. He must have received a lot of e-mails, letters, calls, etc. from LSU alumni, boosters and fans upset with the level of play, particularly on offense, after the season ended with our bowl loss. Perhaps it's because he's new to LSU, but I don't recall former LSU AD's "responding" to the concerns of fans so publicly. There are those on this site who say that we shouldn't write, e-mail, call etc., that the administration knows the problems already. I was one of those who e-mailed a rational letter to the chancellor and it appears others did so as well. It can't hurt that we all see the obvious shortcomings that exist on our staff. I like that he has responded in this way; it at least gives me some hope in the off season that they aren't just writing off 2009, and are focused on improvement. Although almost all of us wish Crowton was gone and that it would have been the best move to get rid of him, I do feel a little better that they're publicly on the hot seat after this letter.

I did not like that he cited the wins over Auburn, Florida and Alabama in past years because they were rendered pretty much irrelevant by the losses to Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss these last two years. Competing with them, is not the same as beating them. There were also way too many close games this year that could've been losses as well - Mississippi State, Georgia, Arkansas, even Louisiana Tech. Our team was not prepared at the highest level this year and appeared to lack motivation even after a disappointing season the previous year. We are all fully aware of what Les did in his first three years and are happy with those accomplishments. It's the last two years that scare the bejeezus out of us about the future of the program.

The following paragraphs were good to read:

quote:

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Every year, athletic directors and head coaches evaluate their programs, making whatever adjustments are necessary to stay on top of the game. I am personally committed to working with Coach Miles to evaluate and improve all aspects of our football program to keep us strong and competing for championships. LSU had a nice season in 2009 with nine wins and a New Year's Day bowl game. On the other hand, being "nice" is not our annual goal. We intend to contend for - and win - championships at LSU. Improvements are already underway. We will work hard in the off-season to make the adjustments necessary to compete for a championship in 2010. After a troubling season on defense in 2008, Coach Miles re-tooled his defense and the Tigers ranked No. 12 in the country in scoring defense this year. This season, our offense floundered as it slipped to a No. 112 ranking in the nation - a statistic certainly not indicative of a championship-caliber team. I am confident there will be the necessary improvement on offense in 2010.

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Again, hopefully some things have been clearly changed and I hope that we see Gonzales dramatically affect the play calling of Crowton and we see the production of our offensive line and running backs improved as well with Wilson as an excellent motivator and as a coach who is reported to instill discipline and work ethic in his players.

All in all, I'm glad he wrote the letter. At least now we know that they're not in a "bubble" as we sometimes believe they are. The proof we'll be in our performance this coming season but I feel a tiny bit more at ease. How about you?