WHERE DOES MSU GO FROM HERE?

Pierre Sez Thursday, January 23, 2014 Comments Off on WHERE DOES MSU GO FROM HERE?
WHERE DOES MSU GO FROM HERE?

American Press sports columnist Jim Gazzolo had an interesting article a few weeks ago about the poor crowd at de playoff game. De crowd uf only 5,000 was an embarrassment to  Southwest Louisiana.

Now we all know it wuz rainin’ an’ de game wuz basically ova at halftime. But de truth is, we ain’t  doin’ a very good job uf supportin’ McNeese athletics or academics.

Now ova de holidays, I discussed this wit’ several folks while attendin’ parties. No one appears to have de answer az to how we can get mo folks in seats at games an’ mo students to stay here to go to school an’ how we can have mo loyalty to de school.

I’m reminded uf a feller who wuz bidness manager for de New Awlins Saints dat I heard speak many years ago. He sed sometin’ dat stuck in my mind. He sed a sportin’ event iz entertainment … jus’ like de circus or a music concert. Put on a good show an’ folks will reward you wit’ dar entertainment dollar. Don’t put on a good show an’ folks will go elsewhere.

You look at de choices folks have in our area now to spend dar entertainment dollar an’ it’s far greater dan when de late de late Jack Doland coached de Cowboys. Now we have more concerts, festivals an’ da casinos. An’ de competition for dat entertainment dollar will only increase in years to come. An’ now we have big screen television sets wit’ high def dat make you feel like you’re on de field.

Me, I tink de lack uf support comes from de fact dat so many folks in dis town ain’t from here an’ have a loyalty to anudder school. Folks dat have come to dis area from Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas to work have a connection to a school back home.

An’ den dars de constant LSU issue dat’s brought up in any  discussion about how McNeese iz always playin’ second fiddle to LSU. Yet some uf de same folks who complain about poor crowds at sportin’ events send dar kids to LSU.

Thomas, a graduate of LSU, sez dar are a bunch uf reasons kids should go to McNeese, an’ we agree. But de question iz, why do we see de graduate list from La. Tech, Northwestern and LSU dat haz so many folks from our area? But do we see de same number uf MSU grads from Ruston, Natchitoches  and Baton Rouge?

Now folks, dis iz de same discussion dat’s held over an’ over, not only in Lake Charles, but in udder communities, like Hammond, Lafayette, Monroe and Thibideaux. It’s about time we start supportin’ our own an’ fightin’ for every state dollar available to make McNeese mo attractive for kids to stay here an’ get an education.

 

Lots Of Events Next Few Weeks

Mardi Gras, high school basketball, de livestock show and rodeo and a whole lot mo — yes, it’s goin’ to be a busy first quarter in our area.

Twelfth Night officially kicked off Mardi Gras, which keeps gettin’ bigger an’ better every year. Mardi Gras is March 4, an’ you can bet dars gonna be lots uf events between now an’ den. Check wit’ de local media for lists of events.

State basketball championships will take place at de newly renovated Burton Coliseum. Now dis iz gonna be much mo bigger dan las’ year. De Sowela Convention an’ Visitors  Bureau iz axin’ for volunteers. No job is too big or too small, so contact de bureau an’ give dem a helpin’ hand. Remember folks, dem mamas an’ daddys dat come to watch dar kids play in dese championships spend money on lodgin’, food an’ gas, all uf which collect a tax.

Same ting for de Livestock Show and Rodeo. Cowboys and cowgirls from all over come to our area for dis big-time event.

In addition, we have de Banners Series, Sulphur’s 100-year celebration an’ a whole lot mo. Goes witout sayin’ it’s gonna be a busy coupla three months.

 

Election Means Big-Time Money

Dar isn’t a day goes by I don’t get an email and regular mail axin’ for money for a candidate for office. Mos’ uf dem come from de Democratic Party, but de Republicans ain’t afraid to po mouth too.

One dat wuz really funny dat de Democrats sent out wuz de ole political war horse himself James Carville sayin’ dat Karl Rove an de Koch brudders would jump in a race like a duck on a June bug if day felt day had a chance uf winnin’. Carville den went on to remind everyone dat Mary Landrieu wuz facin’ a tough fight an’ needed money now.

Now de election ain’t ‘til October, an’ already we’ve seen tons of ads for an’ against her. Just wish I had de money dat’s gonna be spent on dis one.

 

N.O. Mayor’s Race Gets Interestin’

Mary’s brudda, Mitch, de mayor uf New Awlins, wuz figgered to have an easy race in March.  But not so any mo. Political heavyweight Michael Bagneras has entered de race, an’ iz already rollin’ in de cash. He reported raisin’ $170,000 dollars within hours after his recent announcement dat he wuz in de race.

Now Landrieu haz $1.2 million, an’ dat’s afta spendin’ $600,000 in December. Rumors have it dat if Mary an’ Mitch win, he’ll run for gubner. One ting about dem politicians, dar always plannin’ ahead … an’ of coure axin’ for money.

 

EWE For Congress??

A few days ago dar wuz a news story about Edwin Edwards runnin’ for Congress in de 6th District. Dat seat iz bein’ helt by Bill Cassidy, who’s runnin’ for U.S. Senate against Mary.

Bob Mann, a political expert from way back, sez it ain’t gonna happen. He says de 86-year-old Edwards is tryin’ to stay in de public eye. He claims de rumor is a publicity stunt. Federal law keeps him from runnin’ for state office.

However dars no law to keep a convicted felon from runnin’ for Congress. Guess Congress ain’t gonna pass any such law soon, since mos’ uf dem are criminals who jus’ haven’t been convicted.

 

Tell Us Where To Haul It

De Public Works Dept. uf de Police Jury recently announced dat de use uf de two solid waste collection sites had increased by 67 percent over 2012. De sites are located on Swift Plant Road in Lake Charles an’ Post Oak Road in Sulphur.

Guess folks in Moss Bluff, DeQuincy an’ Vinton don’t have any trash to throw away. Seriously folks, don’t it jus’ make sense to put up mo uf dem collection sites trewout de parish in order to make Calcasieu Parish a cleaner place in which to live? An’ it’s not like de Police Jury ain’t got no money to do this. Jus’ look at dar recently accepted budget.

 

Jindal  To Present Budget

You recall las year before presentin’ de budget to de Legislature, Gov. Bobby Jindal wuz all over de TV explainin’ how de budget wuz gonna be fantastic. Guess you can say it wuzn’t az advertized.

Now dis year, he has to present a budget to de Legislature on Jan. 27. Haven’t seen any sneak previews uf what’s in store for dis year, but you can bet it will have cuts to education an’ health care … de two whippin’ boys uf our state gubment.

 

DEQ Draggin’ Its Feet

When de Axiall fire took place on Dec. 20, de Dept. uf Environmental Quality wuz out dar checkin’ to see what wuz in de air an’ how much uf it dar wuz. Ever since day’ve been givin’ de people uf Southwest Louisiana de runaround.

Dars been delay afta delay az to what wuz in de air an’ how much uf it wuz released. It’s time to give it to us straight.

Meantime, de lawyers wasted no time jumpin’ on TV, radio, newspapers an’ billbaods tellin’ folks in Sulphur, Westlake an’ Mossville to contact dem to find out what dar options are. If de DEQ worked az fast az dem lawyers, we would know somethin’ by now.

 

Deep Taughts While Enjoyin’ A Churchill At De Ceegar Club

10) Haven’t we all heard enough about de Duck Dynasty thing?

9) Iz T Claude gonna invite me to hiz boucharee dis year?

8) When are day gonna quit makin’ dem reality shows dat make Louisiana folks look so dumb?

7) Can Johnny Football make it in de pros?

6) Does my mailman give my mail to his dog before puttin’ it in my mail box?

5) Why can’t we continue to have dem old light bulbs dat actually gave out  some light?

4) Should I continue to expect dis year’s Christmas gift from Sedonia or did she jus’ forget me?

3) Where do day get some uf dem play by play announcers for college football and pro games?

2) Why not continue to wear blue and gold on Fridays to show support for McNeese?

1) How come my dog, Boudin, sleeps in my bed an’ I sleep on de sofa?

 

Final Shot

I axed my buddy, Lefty, how he had done on bettin’ college bowl games. He sed he’d lost de farm an’ all de cows an’ chickens.

‘Til next time, lache pas la patate. 

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