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\u00a0 Southwest Louisiana.<\/p>\n
Now we all know it wuz rainin\u2019 an\u2019 de game wuz basically ova at halftime. But de truth is, we ain\u2019t\u00a0 doin\u2019 a very good job uf supportin\u2019 McNeese athletics or academics.<\/p>\n
Now ova de holidays, I discussed this wit\u2019 several folks while attendin\u2019 parties. No one appears to have de answer az to how we can get mo folks in seats at games an\u2019 mo students to stay here to go to school an\u2019 how we can have mo loyalty to de school.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m reminded uf a feller who wuz bidness manager for de New Awlins Saints dat I heard speak many years ago. He sed sometin\u2019 dat stuck in my mind. He sed a sportin\u2019 event iz entertainment \u2026 jus\u2019 like de circus or a music concert. Put on a good show an\u2019 folks will reward you wit\u2019 dar entertainment dollar. Don\u2019t put on a good show an\u2019 folks will go elsewhere.<\/p>\n
You look at de choices folks have in our area now to spend dar entertainment dollar an\u2019 it\u2019s far greater dan when de late de late Jack Doland coached de Cowboys. Now we have more concerts, festivals an\u2019 da casinos. An\u2019 de competition for dat entertainment dollar will only increase in years to come. An\u2019 now we have big screen television sets wit\u2019 high def dat make you feel like you\u2019re on de field.<\/p>\n
Me, I tink de lack uf support comes from de fact dat so many folks in dis town ain\u2019t from here an\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
An\u2019 den dars de constant LSU issue dat\u2019s brought up in any\u00a0 discussion about how McNeese iz always playin\u2019 second fiddle to LSU. Yet some uf de same folks who complain about poor crowds at sportin\u2019 events send dar kids to LSU.<\/p>\n
Thomas, a graduate of LSU, sez dar are a bunch uf reasons kids should go to McNeese, an\u2019 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\u00a0 and Baton Rouge?<\/p>\n
Now folks, dis iz de same discussion dat\u2019s held over an\u2019 over, not only in Lake Charles, but in udder communities, like Hammond, Lafayette, Monroe and Thibideaux. It\u2019s about time we start supportin\u2019 our own an\u2019 fightin\u2019 for every state dollar available to make McNeese mo attractive for kids to stay here an\u2019 get an education.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lots Of Events Next Few Weeks<\/strong><\/p>\n Mardi Gras, high school basketball, de livestock show and rodeo and a whole lot mo \u2014 yes, it\u2019s goin\u2019 to be a busy first quarter in our area.<\/p>\n Twelfth Night officially kicked off Mardi Gras, which keeps gettin\u2019 bigger an\u2019 better every year. Mardi Gras is March 4, an\u2019 you can bet dars gonna be lots uf events between now an\u2019 den. Check wit\u2019 de local media for lists of events.<\/p>\n State basketball championships will take place at de newly renovated Burton Coliseum. Now dis iz gonna be much mo bigger dan las\u2019 year. De Sowela Convention an\u2019 Visitors\u00a0 Bureau iz axin\u2019 for volunteers. No job is too big or too small, so contact de bureau an\u2019 give dem a helpin\u2019 hand. Remember folks, dem mamas an\u2019 daddys dat come to watch dar kids play in dese championships spend money on lodgin\u2019, food an\u2019 gas, all uf which collect a tax.<\/p>\n Same ting for de Livestock Show and Rodeo. Cowboys and cowgirls from all over come to our area for dis big-time event.<\/p>\n In addition, we have de Banners Series, Sulphur\u2019s 100-year celebration an\u2019 a whole lot mo. Goes witout sayin\u2019 it\u2019s gonna be a busy coupla three months.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Election Means Big-Time Money<\/strong><\/p>\n Dar isn\u2019t a day goes by I don\u2019t get an email and regular mail axin\u2019 for money for a candidate for office. Mos\u2019 uf dem come from de Democratic Party, but de Republicans ain\u2019t afraid to po mouth too.<\/p>\n One dat wuz really funny dat de Democrats sent out wuz de ole political war horse himself James Carville sayin\u2019 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\u2019. Carville den went on to remind everyone dat Mary Landrieu wuz facin\u2019 a tough fight an\u2019 needed money now.<\/p>\n Now de election ain\u2019t \u2018til October, an\u2019 already we\u2019ve seen tons of ads for an\u2019 against her. Just wish I had de money dat\u2019s gonna be spent on dis one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n N.O. Mayor\u2019s Race Gets Interestin\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Mary\u2019s brudda, Mitch, de mayor uf New Awlins, wuz figgered to have an easy race in March.\u00a0 But not so any mo. Political heavyweight Michael Bagneras has entered de race, an\u2019 iz already rollin\u2019 in de cash. He reported raisin\u2019 $170,000 dollars within hours after his recent announcement dat he wuz in de race.<\/p>\n Now Landrieu haz $1.2 million, an\u2019 dat\u2019s afta spendin\u2019 $600,000 in December. Rumors have it dat if Mary an\u2019 Mitch win, he\u2019ll run for gubner. One ting about dem politicians, dar always plannin\u2019 ahead \u2026 an\u2019 of coure axin\u2019 for money.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n EWE For Congress??<\/strong><\/p>\n A few days ago dar wuz a news story about Edwin Edwards runnin\u2019 for Congress in de 6th District. Dat seat iz bein\u2019 helt by Bill Cassidy, who\u2019s runnin\u2019 for U.S. Senate against Mary.<\/p>\n Bob Mann, a political expert from way back, sez it ain\u2019t gonna happen. He says de 86-year-old Edwards is tryin\u2019 to stay in de public eye. He claims de rumor is a publicity stunt. Federal law keeps him from runnin\u2019 for state office.<\/p>\n However dars no law to keep a convicted felon from runnin\u2019 for Congress. Guess Congress ain\u2019t gonna pass any such law soon, since mos\u2019 uf dem are criminals who jus\u2019 haven\u2019t been convicted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tell Us Where To Haul It<\/strong><\/p>\n 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\u2019 Post Oak Road in Sulphur.<\/p>\n Guess folks in Moss Bluff, DeQuincy an\u2019 Vinton don\u2019t have any trash to throw away. Seriously folks, don\u2019t it jus\u2019 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\u2019 it\u2019s not like de Police Jury ain\u2019t got no money to do this. Jus\u2019 look at dar recently accepted budget.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jindal\u00a0 To Present Budget<\/strong><\/p>\n You recall las year before presentin\u2019 de budget to de Legislature, Gov. Bobby Jindal wuz all over de TV explainin\u2019 how de budget wuz gonna be fantastic. Guess you can say it wuzn\u2019t az advertized.<\/p>\n Now dis year, he has to present a budget to de Legislature on Jan. 27. Haven\u2019t seen any sneak previews uf what\u2019s in store for dis year, but you can bet it will have cuts to education an\u2019 health care \u2026 de two whippin\u2019 boys uf our state gubment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n DEQ Draggin\u2019 Its Feet<\/strong><\/p>\n When de Axiall fire took place on Dec. 20, de Dept. uf Environmental Quality wuz out dar checkin\u2019 to see what wuz in de air an\u2019 how much uf it dar wuz. Ever since day\u2019ve been givin\u2019 de people uf Southwest Louisiana de runaround.<\/p>\n Dars been delay afta delay az to what wuz in de air an\u2019 how much uf it wuz released. It\u2019s time to give it to us straight.<\/p>\n Meantime, de lawyers wasted no time jumpin\u2019 on TV, radio, newspapers an\u2019 billbaods tellin\u2019 folks in Sulphur, Westlake an\u2019 Mossville to contact dem to find out what dar options are. If de DEQ worked az fast az dem lawyers, we would know somethin\u2019 by now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deep Taughts While Enjoyin\u2019\u00a0A Churchill At De Ceegar Club<\/strong><\/p>\n 10) Haven\u2019t we all heard enough about de Duck Dynasty thing?<\/p>\n 9) Iz T Claude gonna invite me to hiz boucharee dis year?<\/p>\n 8) When are day gonna quit makin\u2019 dem reality shows dat make Louisiana\u00a0folks look so dumb?<\/p>\n 7) Can Johnny Football make it in de pros?<\/p>\n 6) Does my mailman give my mail to his dog before puttin\u2019 it in my mail box?<\/p>\n 5) Why can\u2019t we continue to have dem old light bulbs dat actually gave out\u00a0\u00a0some light?<\/p>\n 4) Should I continue to expect dis year\u2019s Christmas gift from Sedonia or did\u00a0she jus\u2019 forget me?<\/p>\n 3) Where do day get some uf dem play by play announcers for college football\u00a0and pro games?<\/p>\n 2) Why not continue to wear blue and gold on Fridays to show support for McNeese?<\/p>\n 1) How come my dog, Boudin, sleeps in my bed an\u2019 I sleep on de sofa?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Final Shot<\/strong><\/p>\n I axed my buddy, Lefty, how he had done on bettin\u2019 college bowl games. He sed he\u2019d lost de farm an\u2019 all de cows an\u2019 chickens.<\/p>\n \u2018Til next time, lache pas la patate.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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\u00a0 Southwest Louisiana. Now we all know it wuz rainin\u2019 an\u2019 de game wuz basically ova at halftime. But de truth is, we ain\u2019t\u00a0 doin\u2019 [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[207,205,204,206,193,31],"yoast_head":"\n