re: Bill Arnsparger was a true trailblazer, Re: Bowls

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Bowl games have been exhibitions since their existence. For a small amount of time during the Bowl Coalition et al a couple mattered, but otherwise they've been good experiences and entertainment more than anything else.

They're a nice cherry on top of season, and the success of that regular season determines the quality of said cherry.

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For a long time, there just weren't very many bowls. The Rose, Sugar, Orange, Sun, Cotton and Gator Bowls are the oldest. Once the AP and later UPI started factoring bowl games into their end of the season rankings in the late '60s and early '70s, a change that influenced their choice for the national champion, bowls took on added significance.

Still, from 1950 to 1980, there were only 10-15 bowl games each year. There were 23 bowl games in 2000, and the number has increased steadily since then up to the 41 that were played last season. Bowl games used to be more interesting because it was harder to get invited to one.

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NEVER be honored

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You just struck out. He will never be honored and he's been six feet under for about 10 years.

Arnsparger was an excellent coach during the regular season but he hated bowl games and I don't think we won even one when he was here. He had a pretty bad attitude about a lot of things and he wanted to step down from coaching and be LSU's AD. at that time, LSU had a strict policy and tradition of NOT hiring ex-coaches with no AD experience as an AD so Arnsparger ran to Florida when they offered. ironically, he hired Spurrier and we didn't. the narrative I've seen is we didn't even consider Spurrier but I believe Florida would have landed him anyway as he was the best QB they ever had by far and very successful at Duke.

I absolutely 100% disagree with you coining the term "trailblazer" because Arnsparger didn't give a damn about bowl games. I would use words like "callous" and "stubborn arse" instead. I believe you play a game to win it. our performance in the Hall of Fame bowl in Tampa was a total embassment. the opponent ran the triple option and it was obvious we didn't even practice it before the game. I forked over ticket money, hotel, airfare, etc and was really pissed at how LSU didn't give a shite. It wasn't trailblazing by any stretch of the imagination; it was pathetic.

“canonizing this guy”

He interviews at Fla, Fla suspended their AD search till after the season, and in Dec Fla hires him. It doesn’t take much to figure out what went on.

The leadership at LSU was pretty much lacking at that time which would soon be documented for all to see.