re: Why doesn’t LSU claim a 1908 championship

Send Woodward a flag or something. Probably all it takes.

put it up & tweet it = claimed

We didn't claim the 1908 title back in the day because Vanderbilt and auburn, two of the biggest southern powers of the day, conspired to delegitimize it and we couldn't overcome the narrative.

Grantland Rice, who was practically the only voice on southern football that anyone outside the region read (and the powers were all up north back then) was a Vanderbilt grad and he launched a campaign against LSU for paying its players, going so far as to leave every LSU player off his All-Region team. He said he would listen to proof exonerating LSU. The SIAA voting followed Vandy's lead and the conference voted not to award LSU the title and instead gave it to Auburn, who LSU beat despite their fans beating Fenton into unconsciousness during the game. You read that right.

Proof came. The head coach of Mississippi college (now MSU), who initially had recruited Doc Fenton, our best player, signed an affidavit that he lost out on Fenton not due to payments but due to Louisiana's lack of blue laws. He swore there was no foul play in Fenton's recruitment (which isn't true... the reason he signed te affidavit is that Fenton saved the letters of offers of payment to play for Mississippi College)

Which leads to the more fundamental point. EVERYONE paid players. Walter Camp maintained a slush fund of $100,000 per year to pay players at Yale. But the only player they ever proved took money at LSU graduated in 1907, before the 1908 team.

It was an utter fix, but by the time LSU cleared everyone's name, it was two years later and the story had moved on. There was no clear #1 from the North, so think of 1908 LSU like 1983 BYU. A small team that snuck in a title year in a weird year. LSU outscored its opponents 442 to 11. They beat Auburn, the best team in the south, and Vandy refused to play them. LSU earned the 1908 title and it's utter bullshite we don't fly that flag.

Either way i think we should claim it

Needs to be posted again. frick it, it should be sticky'd for like the next three years until it flies.

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We didn't claim the 1908 title back in the day because Vanderbilt and auburn, two of the biggest southern powers of the day, conspired to delegitimize it and we couldn't overcome the narrative.

Grantland Rice, who was practically the only voice on southern football that anyone outside the region read (and the powers were all up north back then) was a Vanderbilt grad and he launched a campaign against LSU for paying its players, going so far as to leave every LSU player off his All-Region team. He said he would listen to proof exonerating LSU. The SIAA voting followed Vandy's lead and the conference voted not to award LSU the title and instead gave it to Auburn, who LSU beat despite their fans beating Fenton into unconsciousness during the game. You read that right.

Proof came. The head coach of Mississippi college (now MSU), who initially had recruited Doc Fenton, our best player, signed an affidavit that he lost out on Fenton not due to payments but due to Louisiana's lack of blue laws. He swore there was no foul play in Fenton's recruitment (which isn't true... the reason he signed te affidavit is that Fenton saved the letters of offers of payment to play for Mississippi College)

Which leads to the more fundamental point. EVERYONE paid players. Walter Camp maintained a slush fund of $100,000 per year to pay players at Yale. But the only player they ever proved took money at LSU graduated in 1907, before the 1908 team.

It was an utter fix, but by the time LSU cleared everyone's name, it was two years later and the story had moved on. There was no clear #1 from the North, so think of 1908 LSU like 1983 BYU. A small team that snuck in a title year in a weird year. LSU outscored its opponents 442 to 11. They beat Auburn, the best team in the south, and Vandy refused to play them. LSU earned the 1908 title and it's utter bullshite we don't fly that flag.

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I was just joking about the complete team thing. I have read a lot about the 1908 team and they deserve to be honored but by this point we would look like Texas am or Bama for claiming titles this far in the past

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Why doesn’t LSU claim a 1908 championship

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Especially considering they claim a national title in basketball for the 1934-1935 season, with no major organization awarding them as such.

LINK

This question was posed recently in a previous thread actually. Skip to the bottom of page 1 - TxTiger82 provides some context, along with a link breaking down the 1908 season with a fairly detailed synopsis from the perspectives of Harvard, Penn, U of Chicago, and LSU.

Make of it what you will. I found it all very interesting

Oct 3, 1908 Sat LSU New Orleans Gym Club W 41 0

Oct 11, 1908 Sun LSU Jackson Br.-New Orleans W 81 5

Oct 17, 1908 Sat LSU Texas A&M Ind W 26 0

Oct 26, 1908 Mon LSU Rhodes W 55 0

Oct 31, 1908 Sat LSU @ Auburn Ind W 10 2

Nov 7, 1908 Sat LSU Mississippi State Ind W 50 0

Nov 10, 1908 Tue LSU Baylor Ind W 89 0

Nov 16, 1908 Mon LSU Haskell Ind W 33 0

Nov 23, 1908 Mon LSU @ Louisiana Tech W 22 0

Nov 26, 1908 Thu LSU @ Arkansas Ind W 36 4


Suck it, Auburn.

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It was an utter fix, but by the time LSU cleared everyone's name, it was two years later and the story had moved on. There was no clear #1 from the North, so think of 1908 LSU like 1983 BYU. A small team that snuck in a title year in a weird year. LSU outscored its opponents 442 to 11. They beat Auburn, the best team in the south, and Vandy refused to play them. LSU earned the 1908 title and it's utter bull shite we don't fly that flag.

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Exactly! And it's my understanding Fenton was awarded a "Retroactive Heisman Award"... whatever the frick that means. LSUs championship is 100% legit.

BTW, Tulane was in on the accusations as well. Frick them too!

1908 LSU wiki

So I count the 1908 championship and the Heisman. IDGAF if anyone has a problem with it.

4 time LEGIT National Champs, and 2 LEGIT and 1 LEGITish Heismans. The naysayers can deal with it. Don't care.

I agree with the fact LSU has currently 4 N.C.’s ! If anything do it honor the 1908 team!