Why are you here?

DISCLAIMER: Intended for LSU fans (not trolls)

Are you here because you or your child, spouse, etc. graduated from LSU? You currently reside in Louisiana or once did? Grew up “bleeding purple & gold”? All the above?

As I was entering full cognizance in the early 2000’s and beginning my love affair with Tiger football, my Dad would always come back to the same line after the countless heart-pounding wins, “Peanut, enjoy this. I’ve waited my whole life for LSU’s football team to be like this…and it won’t last forever..”

I could never understand how at such incredible moments, he would come back to the hard times. Of course I heard great tales from him about guys like Gary James or Tony Moss or Dalton Hilliard or even some guy named “Nacho”…but I just couldn’t get why while LSU was claiming a spot on top of the college football mountain, he would reflect on the times spent in the valley (no pun intended) looking up.

To Tiger fans born in the early 90’s and/or attended LSU between 2000-2013 ( I know there’s a lot of old heads in here who have earned their Purple and Gold stripes well before this time, and I will get to you soon; I need to first address my own demographic) , LSU winning the big games felt like a birth right. How could it not? It seemed like almost every time we showed up we showed out. LSU was the sexy “it]” school in the country's best college football conference.

We didn’t expect anything from anyone, we just went out and took it. And we did it like that for over a decade. Most schools would KILL for the run we had the first 13 years of this millennium. I.E. Michigan, Penn State, Florida State, University of Texas, etc.
Players like Glen Dorsey Skyler Green and LaRon Landry(to just name a few) represented not just the program but it [b]personified the fanbase – BIG, FAST, and TOUGH and HEAVY on SWAGGER.

But it seems for us now, that nearly decade and a half went by all way too fast.

It’s taken me about four seasons to understand why my Dad always remembered the bad times even when we basked in the glory of beating schools like Oklahoma on 1/4/2004 or Ohio State on 1/7/08 … because he like many other loyal ( Per merriam-webster.com, “Loyal”is defined as “Unswerving in allegiance”) LSU fans remembered the bad times and what this fan base endured to eventually relish in the joy of victory. For the people here who are not well-versed on LSU’s history prior to the likes of the Patrick Petersons, Tyrann Mathieus or Odell Beckhams of the world, ask one of the seasoned Tiger fans what it must have been like when LSU struggled against Tulane] (yes, in football) or when Ole Miss was the most anticipated opponent of the year. Perhaps even ask them how their love started for the Tigers. A lot could be learned.

So, why are you here? Why do you visit Tiger Droppings?

It is for kicks? Trying to get the scoop on the team? As @SpqrTiger pointed out, there are definite cultural issues surrounding this program: Coaching, Athletic Department, Administration, etc, etc.
In addition to these identified issies, I firmly believe that the fans are not immune from contributing to these cultural problems because don't we comprise the base of the LSU football pyramid, right?

I know like y'all know that the top has big issues , but I also already know you’ve heard the line about being the building being only as strong as the foundation.

Over the next eight months when you experience the annual purple and gold football withdrawal, ask yourself what would you give to see the Tigers take the football the field and kick some tails even if it was only for a brief 5-10 minutes. Then be honest with yourself and try to recall if you maybe left a game early this season. Or, if you internally or outwardly questioned whether you wanted a LSU team to win or not because of the possible consequences (for all my “The coach isn’t who I think is the perfect guy for the job, so I’m gonna throw a tantrum over it” guys.)

8 months till Arlington. If you’re selling LSU, I’m buying. I’m going down with this ship because I know that with our state’s resources and the players it produces, LSU will be back on top of that mountain. And unlike the previous 45 year gap between National Championships (1958-2003), it is not nearly going to take as long.