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We got our copy in the mail yesterday (subscription - we live in Virginia, so it's probably national). Not sure when it's on the stands. Very nice pieces and great photography.

I disagree on several fronts -

First, the OP -

Big names are usually a big waste of money. Did we need a big name to jump start our football program after Dinardo? Had you ever heard of Nick Saban? Had you ever heard of Les Miles? The premise that a big name is the only way to success is interesting, but it doesn't hold water.

What we need is winning teams. If they win, fans will attend the games. Which brings me to my second point:

You cannot compare a football audience to a basketball audience. As this quote points out (but with a different objective in mind), they are different crowds:

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LSU Fan has abandoned LSU Hoops, and despite selling out for a Rudy & Co 1980 30+ win streak season, CJ Frosh yr, Shaq dunk-a-thon years..were a hard sell for a largely disinterested football hick crowd of fans..not exactly a sophisticated Seaboard or Midwest hoops fanbase. Dale had to sell hard like a car salesman with real Barnum and Bailey Bigtop Spiel.

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The goal is not to tap into the "football hick" crowd and get them to attend basketball games. They won't. The point is to get other fans that like basketball - and love LSU - to attend.

My family has held the same season tix at the PMAC since it opened. At games, I can look around and see people that, like us, have had the same seats for decades. It's a lot easier to take kids and friends to basketball games than football games. Smaller crowds, less traffic, shorter walk from parking, games don't last as long, they're indoors. Basketball is a great option for many fans.

I was a student in the CJ/Shaq years and it was so much fun. It was not a hard sell to get people to attend. The seats were full and everyone was loud. I often used my student ID to get in but sat in the aisle. Amazing place to see a game (and yes, there were coupons involved - when CJ hit 50 pt in a night, quarter beer at Fred's).

There is a big, established crowd that WANTS to support the basketball team. But even the die-hards need to have something to cheer for. Win, and they'll come back.

I think Trent is decent, and he may pull it off and turn this ship around if people are patient. But even if it's not Trent, a "name" means very little. Remember our AD came from Duke - he probably knows a few things about basketball and coaches. There is no silver bullet to winning.

Whoever wins the coin toss wins the game.

This is about blowing up the BCS.

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Plays right into Lesticles hand, should Bama bring the heat Wing will dump the ball to Clement just beyond the rush for a 60 yard TD...The Mad Hatter wins again...Bama fans claim blind luck and still hold their 14th MNC party

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I like the way you think!

His biological mom and step dad were hanging out by the locker room after the Florida game this year. She was wearing a #7 jersey with "Honey Badger's Mom" on it. She was very nice to the fans who asked her questions - she's extremely proud of him but was also a bit humbled by the attention. She and her son spoke comfortably for a while after he came out of the locker room. The trainers and athletic staff spoke to her about his schedule, some national interviews he had done, and gave her some new promo photos of him and programs. It would appear that they do have a good relationship/are in each other's lives. She says she has five children; Tyrann is her second. She has a high schooler who plays football as well. She also talked about her job, FWIW.

Hopefully whatever prompted him to live with his relatives is in the past, and maybe now he gets the best of all worlds: he had the stability and strong parents he needed when he was growing up, but he can still have his mom in his life as an adult.

It makes sense that ESPN is controlling the conversation, but I don't understand why they would want two SEC teams to compete. I know that on its own Okie State wouldn't draw as many viewers as Alabama, but wouldn't more people outside of the SEC be interested in watching teams from different conferences play? Especially because Okie State is a bit of a newbie in the BCS era? Underdog stories play as well or better than clash of the titans redux.

Not to mention everyone outside of the SEC is sick of this conference winning everything. I'd think ESPN, the NCAA and BCS would all want to at least put forth the semblance of equal opportunity.

I've taken my kids to wait outside the locker room twice (once this season and once last). It can take up to an hour for everyone to trickle through, but most of the players will stop if you get their attention. Bring a sharpie (or two - everyone passes them around), and bring something for them to sign (sounds stupid, but people get there and have nothing that makes sense so the players end up signing the kids' arm). They will also pose for photos.

Both times I've lucked out and stood next to players' moms - they know and call out to a lot of the players who walk through. They can't walk past mamma! Attach yourself to anyone who seems to recognize the players and call out their names to get their attention. I had my son say "Mr. Jefferson" or "Mr. Peterson" - the players kind of laugh at it, but it gets them to walk your way.

My son has an LSU hat from last year with PP7, JJ, Drake Nevis, Josh Jasper, and a few more I can't remember. This year we got a program signed by Honey Badger, Spencer Ware, Ron Brooks, Jarvis Landry, and Brad Wing. We got photos with most of those players as well. It's a lot of fun!

Back in the 80s, the guys at the pre-game party would hand the girls seal-a-meals filled with bourban, duct tape, and point to the bathroom at the before party so we could tape the booze to the inside of our thighs.

Once we got to the stadium, our dates would buy sprite and coke and we'd head to the bathroom to mix the drinks. Tried the same thing at a Georgia game and was thrown out of the game after we mixed the drinks because the cops could smell the booze in our drinks from across several rows.

One time, someone had stolen a box of unused catheter bags from the hospital, so we used those. Problem was that they still had the tubes poking out of each end. Didn't really seem to bother anyone at the time, but let's just say it's a memory that will never quite leave me.

Lee should start. It's his team. Once JJ is in game shape, he can do mop up duty.

LSU won't let WWL or any other official affiliate stations stream games or the Les Miles show through internet or apps -- they want everything to go through GEAUX Zone (i.e., $$)