Wow what more can be said. The Tigers are NATIONAL CHAMPS! What a year for LSU and I cannot say how proud I am to be an LSU graduate and fan. Just a year ago injuries made even the best Tiger fan wondering if we would ever make it back to the top. LSU had won an SEC Championship under new coach Nick Saban and earned much respect only to see injuries last year set them back again. Would LSU ever make it back to national prominence like the days of yesteryear? It always seemed like LSU would be good just never good enough. It was as if we had a dark cloud over us for 50 years and no front was going to pass through and blow it away. I came to LSU in the fall of 88. LSU was coming off a 10-1-1 season with a young Mike Archer at the reigns. Bill Arnsparger left LSU for the AD job at Florida and recommended Mike Archer for the job. Coincidence? What better way to eliminate one of his potential opponents in the SEC. Just a theory though. Whatever the case in four years Archer was on his way out. I liked him personally but he could not handle the job of being head coach of such a historically great program.

      Then along came Curly Hallman. This was truly one of the hardest years to be an LSU fan. I watched every home game his second year 2-9. There may have been 50,000 people in the stands. I hurt to watch but true Tiger fans where there and I was one of them. I always hoped for the best even for Curly. Boy those were tough days. I often wonder what would have happened if LSU had beat Auburn his last year, you know, the infamous Jamie Howard game. Remember 4 interceptions. Any LSU with a heart could only imagine what that guy went trough. Glad he went out better than Curly Hallman did. By the time Gerry Dinardo brought "Back the Magic" I think LSU fans would have let their mommas coach as long as Curly packed his backs and rode of in the sunset. The big paizan from the North did a pretty good job of reviving this sleeping giant of a college football program. Dinardo got LSU back on the map. We should never forget that about him and because of him taking LSU to three bowlgames certainly got Saban’s attention when he was being courted by LSU officials. Sweaty Gerry's problem was that he was a typical stubborn Italian. Sometimes you got to eat crow. If he would have fired that awful defensive coordinator Les,Len, Lou Tepper whatever his name was with that eagle/wing/hambone linebacker scheme who knows LSU might have given Gerry Dinardo another year.

      So here we are LSU is the NATIONAL CHAMPION. USC trying to make a claim is just plain weak. We have the BCS trophy and they do not. This system was set up to determine a national champion. Which a means one and could only mean one so there you have it! Well, I just hope Saban sticks around long enough to win a couple more just so we can gloat for all the years we suffered. Prepare yourself though he will not be here much longer. When I went to the parade it was almost surreal. It was just a great feeling that I am sure every Tiger fan felt that day. LSU has made a commitment to excellence and that obviously is paying off. We just need to work on our basketball program a little. You know that Smoke Laval is going to have the baseball team back in Omaha again this year at the CWS. I think everyone questions whether or not John Brady will have the basketball Tigers back in the NCAA Big Dance. I think he has the talent and I know he can coach but can he put together the chemistry to win another SEC championship or possible NCAA title remains to be seen. Like the football and baseball teams only time will tell. The only problem is that Brady is running out of it. We are still behind you coach its up to you to make it happen.

Out,
Rocco Weekly