Delusional Optimism Is Not Disappointed
by Poseur on Sep 17, 2010 9:00 AM CDT
in Football
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PrintFox Sports currently ranks LSU as the "fifth most disappointing team" in the country. Here's what they say:
The Tigers are 2-0, but it took the NCAA's microscope to neutralize their first opponent (North Carolina) and the best possible draw from the SEC East (Vanderbilt) to get them there. As luck would have it, their next two games are against Mississippi State and West Virginia, two teams that have floundered so far this season. Is Les Miles really this lucky? No. Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn should get three L's for the Mad Hatter and put him officially on the hot seat.
As the founder of the Delusional Optimism campaign here at ATVS, I'm officially sick of this crap. It's not that Fox Sports, an entity that has consistently proven through their horrid bowl game coverage that they know less than nothing about college football, is ripping on LSU. It's that this is a consensus view.
The dominant storyline on LSU is always the most negative one the media can find. Is it because ESPN Fox Alabama bloggers the Illuminati the Eastern Media Conspiracy everybody hates LSU? Of course not. It's because the media is lazy. Once they find a storyline, or a meme, the media simply makes every fact fit that storyline. And the media meme is that LSU isn't that good.
T Kyle King, a pretty bright guy and a great Georgia blogger who I'm positive has no anti-LSU agenda, left LSU off of his Blog Poll ballot. Why? Because LSU still has to prove something to be ranked. Remember, LSU is a team that finished 3rd in the SEC last year, won 9 games, finished in the top 20 in every poll, and played in a January 1st bowl. This year, all LSU has done is been one of two teams to beat two BCS teams in its first two games (and the only one to do win both of those games on the road). Now, what exactly does LSU have to prove just to make the ballot?
And this is not to say Kyle is wrong. He could very well be right. Besides, he's absolutely entitled to rank whoever the hell he wants, so please don't read this an attack on his ballot - that is 100% not the point. The point here is that a fairly neutral fan has an extremely negative impression of LSU, and I don't think his opinion is an outlier. It fits the narrative.
And it's a narrative LSU fans largely control. LSU beat Vanderbilt by TWENTY FOUR points. LSU fans have largely treated the game as a nail biter, and the nation at large has followed our lead. Oh, but it was close in the third quarter? Fine. In the UNC game, LSU was beating the Heels by 20 points in the fourth quarter. A young team lost focus and let UNC back in the game, needing a stop on the last play to seal a victory that, frankly, should have been sealed an hour before. Was this portrayed as a young team letting a team off the mat (which is hardly a flattering narrative anyway)? Of course not. By and large, it's been portrayed as a nail biter as well, and many outlets stated that UNC outplayed LSU. Which, I guess is true if you only watched the fourth quarter.
However, the most negative storyline was adopted not just by the mainstream media and most neutral fans, but by LSU fans. Think about how a 17-14 LSU win over Mississippi State, keyed by several drops by wide open receivers, would play in the media. Think what the message boards would look like. Hell, you don't have to imagine, take a gander at what they looked like last year. Then contrast that with the largely positive reaction to Auburn's win over MSU.
LSU is 11-4 over it's last 15 games. There are eight BCS conference teams who have a better record over the same span. Eight. And one of them is Cincinnati, who just got pantsed by NC State. Fifth most disappointing team in the country?
Only if you're disappointed by wins. You want style points, go watch figure skating.
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Interesting and, frankly, good arguments, Poseur.
What you really need to worry about now is how this narrative, as flawed as it may be, is affecting your program and, most notably, Coach Miles. Do you worry that many people are simply perceiving Les Miles as being a problem without actually having observed such because it’s what the talking heads say? I’d say so.
And, more generally, I was speaking with my father the other day about the irresponsibility of the mass media and how they, essentially, hold sway over the opinions of literally millions of people and tend to use such power very haphazardly. This narrative about which you lament, to me, seems like a pretty spot-on and specific example of this unfortunate circumstance.
I dunno though, I just sorta woke up and am still working on a cup of coffee so forgive me if I completely misinterpreted or went off in a bizarre direction.
Oh, and [LES MILES CLOCK MANAGEMENT JOKE HERE]! HAHAHA!
Red Cup Rebellion - Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics
Take a picture, trick.
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Sep 17, 2010 9:24 AM CDT reply actions
No, you got it
Has Miles screwed up game management decisions? Obviously yes. Ole Miss was embarrassing. But, two points on that…
ONE. just about every coach has an embarrassing gaffe like that. Last week, Howard Scnellenberger forgot how to count and didn’t even try to win the game. Mack Brown screwed up the clock in the exact way as Miles, only to get bailed out by replay. He gets a pass. Mark Richt had a game management gaffe in his first years which was news at the time, but for the life of me, I can’t even remember it because it’s never brought up anymore.
TWO. Even with the gaffe, people still get the mistake in the OM game wrong. It wasn’t the “clocking” mistake, because LSU didn’t get the play off, the game was already lost. The mistake was clearly wasting 15-20 seconds to call timeout after the sack. But the story gets told as mistakenly trying to get JJ to clock it – which wasn’t even the mistake.
The narrative has completely taken over the facts. And lost in all that was how pretty of an onsides kick that was….
Fake Pundit. Real Fan.
And The Valley Shook!
this is beyond obvious
but the clock management at Ole Miss reignited so much of the discontent with the fans because I think, more than anything, LSU fans were embarassed by it. If you think about it objectively, it was one bad (ok, really bad) call in a game we had no business winning. But all coaches make bad decisions in every game. Does anybody remember the failed first quarter fake punt that Saban called from his own 20 in the NC game? As it turned out, McCoy gets injured on that next drive which totally changed the game, but if Bama loses, I wonder how much attention that gets? The media unfairly treats the spike it thing (a total red herring by the way since his real mistake was buring so much time off the clock) as a microcosm of our program which has enjoyed unprecedented success in comparison to almost every other team in the country as well as our own history over the last decade.
by haveagreatday on Sep 17, 2010 9:57 AM CDT up reply actions
The old "perception vs. reality" debate
Every time I hear a person say “perception is reality,” my next thought is always immediately “only if you’re not smart enough to know the difference.” But that’s an issue that goes well beyond football. And a battle that sadly, I don’t think society is winning.
(holy shit was that last sentence too heavy for a football blog)
My version of delusional optimism is that one day, if the wins keep coming, people will eventually just have to say “okay, maybe he’s not as bad a coach as we all think.”
by Billy Gomila on Sep 17, 2010 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
My version of delusional optimism is that one day, if the wins keep coming, people will eventually just have to say "okay, maybe he’s not as bad a coach as we all think."
DITTO
by Displaced Tiger on Sep 17, 2010 12:28 PM CDT up reply actions
you convinced me
Particularly the example of Auburn. They’ve sort been anointed as a dark horse for the West and, though they should be falling on their swords after their moral loss at Starkville, nobody is calling Chizik or Malzahn morons. I am even a little ashamed that I had to be convinced. If Miles himself would say what you just said (super young team, comparatively great record over the supposed down years), I bet a lot of the negative perception would go away.
I love the end
“You want style points, go watch figure skating. "
Thank you. All this team does is win, and it’s NEVER good enough. Unless LSU blows a team out in the first quarter and holds that margin, no one is satisfied.
I'm proud of my damn strong football team. Have a great day!
And do you know what would happen
If we did what everyone shouts for and destroyed MSU early and held onto that lead? The stadium would be half empty at halftime.
You know it’s true.
Managing Editor/Chief Lackey-And The Valley Shook THE LSU Tigers Blog of the Week for 52,136 Weeks in a Row and Counting
Gotta beat the traffic brah
Don't Panic.
by 4.0 Point Stance on Sep 17, 2010 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions
“Beating the traffic” in BR on gameday is a myth and the definition of insanity. It’s not going to happen, ever. Might as well sit your ass down and watch the football game you paid to see.
"Tiger Stadium is by far the worst place to play for a visiting team. It's like being inside a drum." - Paul "Bear" Bryant
by Chinese Bandit on Sep 17, 2010 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions
BOOM!
That just happened
"Tiger Stadium is by far the worst place to play for a visiting team. It's like being inside a drum." - Paul "Bear" Bryant
by Chinese Bandit on Sep 17, 2010 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions
Here's how to try to beat traffic
Close game: leave in 4th quarter (Arkansas ’09)
Being blownout: leave at half (Troy ’08)
Blowing out: leave in 3rd quarter (too many to list)
Artie Lange?
Good to see you back, Bud. Get well, soon.
by Gas_House_Gorillas on Sep 17, 2010 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Better solution
Never move off campus.
Don't Panic.
by 4.0 Point Stance on Sep 17, 2010 11:21 AM CDT up reply actions
It ain't that bad anyway
I live in Cal and the BR traffic after a game is nothing compared to what I deal with just to get home every day. People should quit whining and keep thier butts in the seats until 0:00.
I have sort of a big brother mentality to this article...
It’s ok for ME to be disappointed in my team, but not YOU.
I think we are all disappointed that the offense doesn’t look better than it has so far. On the flip side, I don’t think I’ve met anyone who expected us to lead the nation in sacks at any point in the season (I know it’s early though).
I think even the most negative LSU fan out there would have to say there are as many pleasant surprises thus far as there are reasons for concern.
I guess the experts at Fox expected LSU to be 3-0 after week two? All I’d have to say to that is, where can I sign up for their office pick’em?
DITTO bravo!
I loved your ending – You want style points, go watch figure skating. " I remember the 2007 season and how every game seamed a collosal struggle – the clash of the titans, but peopled actually loved us for it because it made for really good game watching. I even got complements from my fellow other-SEC friends. I think the general press negativity will turn around once we beat down UF.
Very nice post...
and very good perspective. I think the biggest reason so many people have such a hard time enjoying the winning percentage is because of the expectations that come from our recruiting success. No great insight, I know, but when all you hear is that we have top 5 classes, the logic is that we should be a top-5 team and that we shouldn’t have losing streaks to Ole Miss, Arkansas, be threatened by MSU, lose to KY, etc. I think if Miles were losing only to FL and AL people could stomach it better, but it’s the crazy, unexplainable losses that really gets people’s dander up. So is this feeling justified, or part of the absurd expectations that people place on their own teams?
Aside from Ole Miss...
… who is Miles losing to that he shouldn’t be losing to?
Arkansas? Yes, we lost two years in a row to Arkansas, but LSU won last year. Since the Hogs joined the SEC, they are 5-7 vs. non-Miles LSU teams, 2-3 vs. Miles’ LSU teams.
Auburn? What was once a fierce rivalry is now dominated by LSU. 4-1 under Miles, and three in a row, LSU’s longest win streak in the series since Cholly Mack.
State? He’s 5-0.
Kentucky? He’s 1-1. LSU is actually only 7-6 vs. Kentucky since SEC expansion.
He’s also 3-2 vs. Bama (though he’s lost two in a row) and 2-3 vs. Florida (same losing streak).
Ole Miss does stick out, though.
Fake Pundit. Real Fan.
And The Valley Shook!
Sticks out, as in we’re 3-2 vs. Ole Miss since Miles became the coach.
But all this chatter about how disappointing LSU is reminds me of the old adage “talk is cheap.”
Actually, talk isn’t cheap, it’s free.
Let them talk. Keep winning. Pretty, ugly, forgettable, whatever. Keep winning and let people complain about how our wins are crummy. As I said after the UNC game, I hope we almost lose every game this year.
Les is an easy target...
and was before he ever got to LSU. He talked and acted a bit goofy at OSU and was lampooned and laughed at even though he did a great job lifting that program out of the doldrums and beat Bob Stoops 2 out of 4 with far inferior talent.
He does not talk well and he seems to want to talk a lot. The media have him targeted as a funny sound byte and maybe even a good film clip and are quick to jump on it. It’s compounded by the fact that Les is a coach who came up the recruiting track (the reason he was good for a down and out program) and is basically a salesman. He is always selling the program and his team, as compared to most coaches who mostly sell the opposition. He builds up expectations he can’t meet. Most coaches know better.
He does not need to sell LSU like he had to sell OSU. Just coach the team and keep winning. Don’t forget the clock (he’s done this on multiple occasions, not just once), and how many TO’s you have. You’re a marked man and boo boos will be highlights.
And none of that has anything to do with the fans. That’s the same sort of meme the Washington media uses toward the great unwashed, also known as Americans. That we’re too stupid to appreciate their brilliance, even when they’re wrong. The folks noted here are making those judgments because of their own lazy incompetence, not cause Boudreaux and Broussard think Miles talks funny and should have called time out. They’re right in both cases.
I don't think you recognize
There’s a massive difference between plain criticism and the stuff that LSU fans say about their own coach at times.
The hyperbole is what makes the difference — and it’s why they’re the Humanoids.
by Billy Gomila on Sep 17, 2010 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Some of them do that Billy...
but our talent is way oversold and that’s why there is so much general dissatisfaction that is not extreme.
If you want to sell your season tickets, top recruiting rankings, your hype vids, tickets to the recruiting bash, spring game tickets and telecast, and tell the fans that everything is OK, that you can fix it this week, and just you wait and see how I use the newest toy in the next game then don’t gripe if you don’t get it done and folks think you’re full of it or doing a poor job.
For Miles to just perform to the level of the so called recruiting rankings according to ESPN he needs to finish #1, #2, and #1 over the next three years. And the next class is already being hyped as one of our best in history. By Scout and Rivals he’d average about #3 so lets say top five. That’s not gonna happen. It’s why you stop the ceaseless selling of the talent and tell people some of the facts and get real about recruiting. It’s why Saban and Bryant and Holtz and others always try to dampen expectations. It’s not to lessen enthusiasm, just to bring some reality. This program does not need to be sold. It’s LSU.
At the beginning of the season I figured we were top 20 talent wise. After actually seeing some of the young kids I think we’re top ten so my expectations are higher. The average Nolis and Cotille out there have been fed this line of unbeatable talent for years and the HC has helped feed that monster with his talk.
If you promise a Maserati don’t deliver a Cadillac. The Caddy is a good car but it’s not what you advertised. Unless of course all of the recruiting rankings are BS, and we know the truth on that.
For example I read all over the boards that we have a great WR corps, and that they are the strength of the team. Says who? Where’s the proof? Where’s the numbers and the plays? Where’s the numbers? In the recruiting stars. I think after two games all of our WR’s have less catches than stars. Both our QB’s were four stars. Stars don’t mean anything on Saturdays.
I’ll probably be satisfied with a 9-3 season taking into account some of this teams limitations, depending how we get there, but for the average fan that’s been sold that LSU has the top talent in the land, that probably won’t get it done. Can’t fault them for expecting that Maserati.
But is that the coach
Or the recruiting rankings. I think the latter creates far more distaste than the former. You don’t have to look any further than the case of Jacob Hester vs. Keiland Williams — a debate that still rages for some bizarre reason.
You would think the 1,200 yard all-conference season and third-round draft status of Hester might allow people to look back on the career backup, who while he had some nice moments, never proved he could make plays consistently, and sat at home undrafted. But because KW had 5 stars after his name, he was permanently branded the better player. Results on the field be damned.
People read the recruiting sites now and they think that tells them who the best team should be. And that’s not how it works.
by Billy Gomila on Sep 17, 2010 10:18 PM CDT up reply actions
Which is the higher quality win...
LSU27 Vandy 3
Or
Ark 31 ULM 7
Both teams needed big 4th quarters to open up a lead, but has Ark received as much criticism…even with their vaunted offense?
by Displaced Tiger on Sep 17, 2010 11:36 PM CDT reply actions
My Point Exactly
As LSU fans, we have a lot of control over how everyone else perceives the program. If we’re going to get down on our coach, our quarterback, and just about everything else associated with our football team, what do you expect other people to say about our program. It has hurt me deeply as an LSU fan to hear so many other LSU fans say such negative things about our program. And, if we don’t watch ourselves, we’re going to be in the middle of a full-blown, self-fulfilling prophecy, and that’s some place I don’t want to go. How do you think our players, recruits, and potential recruits, when they read all the garbage about the LSU Program put out by supposed fans of LSU. Jesus Christ, it doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out. I’m thinking now that maybe two NCs in a decade were the worse thing the could have happened to LSU because it set the fan’s expectations so high they can never be met no matter what. Come on people, I beg you before it’s too late, please get back on the wagon and support the LSU Program at every turn. I mean people are going to make mistakes, but show me anybody whose perfect!
Mistake
In the middle of my post I obviously met how do you think the negativity is going to make our players, etc., feel. And, I should have added our coaches, who are certainly much better people than you find at most Programs.
Like clockwork
Mark May on ESPNU Gameday lists LSU as the most likely upset for the day. Of course he quotes the same facts — blew a lead to UNC and was only ahead of Vandy by 7 in the 4th. No news here, but reinforces the previous comments about the talking heads glumming on to the themes that are going around.
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| West | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
1 LSU Tigers  |
19 | 11 | 42 | 14 |
| 6 Arkansas Razorbacks |
16 | 14 | 39 | 17 |
| 7 Mississippi St. Bulldogs |
16 | 14 | 34 | 21 |
| 9 Mississippi Rebels |
14 | 16 | 34 | 22 |
| 10 Auburn Tigers |
13 | 17 | 30 | 26 |
| |
9 | 21 | 21 | 34 |
| East | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
| 2 South Carolina Gamecocks |
18 | 11 | 39 | 15 |
| 4 Kentucky Wildcats |
18 | 12 | 41 | 15 |
| 3 Florida Gators |
18 | 12 | 40 | 16 |
| 5 Vanderbilt Commodores |
16 | 14 | 29 | 25 |
| 8 Georgia Bulldogs |
14 | 15 | 31 | 24 |
|
8 | 22 | 24 | 31 |
