Howdy Chaps...

Since this is my first post in nearly a decade on any site, I figured that I would just say hey and let you all know what I am all about and that I am not a total "Dick". I must warn you all that this post will make up for my being absent for a decade so you might not want to continue if you don't like very long posts.

I started out in '02 on a national board defending the SEC from the "West Coastie Haters" fro the PAC 10. Those were the days when USC fans knew it all and we LSU nobodies weren't qualified to talk CFB to the uber knowledgeable dynasty university fans.

They insisted that we were scared to schedule anyone OOC while I declared their schools to be scared to schedule us.

They couldn't stop pointing out their few bowl victories against SEC teams while the SEC would end up winning more bowls every year seemed to escape them.

They declared an extra championship game for Conference titles to be meaningless and not worth a single strength of sched point in the computer rankings.

They wouldn't have given a dime to watch their team play in the Sugar Bowl since the Rose Bowl was hands down the greatest event in the annels of the CFB universe. Thus, a victory in the Rose bowl over a team ranked outside the top ten was worth more than a victory in the Sugar Bowl against the #1 team in the nation. Furthermore, that team who won the Rose Bowl would naturally be ranked above the winner of the Sugar Bowl by virtue of venue alone.

Those days were fun to me but something happened... I grew tired of argueing with idiots who wouldn't listen to begin with. It would be nice to be able to get those same homers on that board and give them a big old "Told ya so morons!!" but I am sure that they are suffering enough these days as it is. The SEC is at the top of the CFB world by a cofortable margin and just joining the conference has elevated A+M to tops in Texas after just one successful year in the conference.

The Conference recruits like they are on another level across the nation with only a handful of programs that could compete for players against an SEC powerhouse. Most of all, LSU is still fighting for the Crystal Ball year in and year out! Of coarse Bama sold their souls for our old coach and they are barely getting by us on their yearly bulldozing the best that the rest of the nation can produce over the last few years.

Yep, Little Nicky has the REC in his corner and he has been laying claim to nearly anyone he wants in the nation with only a couple of programs who can recruit with him. Don't let the "Recruiting Championships" fool you guys, Bama has not been eclipsing all other classes by nearly as far a margin as Rivals would love us to believe. That, however, is for another thread.

I am here to say that LSU and Les Miles is every bit of Bama's equals and on occasion the Tigers are better. LSU seems to be the only thing in Saban's way to total domination and Les let him have one in 2012 that should not have happened. Since it did, we see just how important LSU is in keeping Bama at bay.

I take nothing away from the gumps and give them every deserved prop that they earn. They most certainly have earned every crystal ball that they have in their trophy case even though I do not believe that they should have played us two years ago. The truth is that the best two teams in the nation played again and we lost for a couple of really sad reasons. I have gotten over it and I hope that Les has learned from it.

It all starts on the recruiting trail and this year's class should be a doozy if the commits can influence other top talent to be a part of an awesome class. I have seen Les pull talent from across the nation and close on top kids in the clutch and I have faith that he will do it again this year. Even if we don't get the type of class that we all hope to land, we sure will get one heck of an impressive one that should cover all of the teams needs as usual. I love the way Les has been loading up on the big boys and the secondary and it is paying off as such a large number of third year players get drafted in the early rounds each and every year leaving gaping holes that few programs could possibly hope to fill as well as LSU has.

With so many starters gone from last year, only the gumps could hope to keep up a powerhouse pace on the field like LSU will this season. You had all better believe that these Tigers will impress big time this year. As usual, Les has plenty of hungry youngsters and experienced veterans ready to step up for their money years and chances at showing off those SEC and Nat Champ rings.

No player in his right mind would go to LSU to play FB if he doesn't have a good chance at a future career on Sundays. These players are every bit ready to win and win every game in any venue. They know how to win at home and away whether it's at Bryant Denny or in the Swamp. Those games make the team stronger for the experience and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love getting the toughest schedules in the nation and I laugh when Nick avoids tough reg season games through the REC's buddies in the SEC office. Gump fans should be ashamed of it but they are just too stupid as a group to see it for what it is.

Whew, also, I am one heck of a long winded guy. At the same time, I am a very friendly poster who will normally reply positively to posts that I agree with instead of trying to find posts that I can argue about. True to my old habits from butting heads with the West Coasties before our '03 NC, I am pretty quick to defend our Tigers from foolish hater fans from across the nation. Essentially, you wont see me starting any trouble but you will see me giving everyone all of the respect that I possibly can.

So here's to you all and a happy 2013 season!