Colonels fall at McNeese, aim to rebound at home on Saturday
September 19, 2018
Colonels release 2019 schedule
September 19, 2018
Oh, goodness, there is so much to talk about in the world of sports, isn’t there?
The LSU football team is 3-0, despite rumors of their demise.
Several high school football teams are cruising. And oh yeah, we have volleyball, cross country, swimming and all sorts of other great athletic activities going on around the area.
The activity in my inbox has been increased lately, so I decided to do a mailbag this week to feed the hunger.
So here goes.
Let’s have some fun!
Q: How about those Tigers?! (Asked by Ron, Houma)
A: It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I am a little bit torn about it all, though. On one hand, I want to rejoice and celebrate that my alma mater is dominant on the football field and that the head coach is from my home town — two huge sources of pride for me as a fan. But on the other, I want to rub the offseason naysayers’ nose into their bowl of crow and force them to chow down and enjoy. Everyone and their mother criticized every, single move Coach Ed Orgeron made this offseason. Everyone and their mother said his tenure would be a short one in Baton Rouge. Now, those people are jumping on the bandwagon. Get off my ship, haters. Go root for your coach, Tom Herman, at Texas. We don’t need your fake support.
Q: Your thoughts on the prep season so far? (Asked by Tom, Houma)
A: It’s pretty much the same as it’s been since August. Terrebonne is really, really good and are the lead dogs locally. And around them are a bunch of talented teams who can chase the playoffs, but who likely won’t be there very long. But aside from that, I’ll give a few things that have really stood out. For one, Central Lafourche and Thibodaux are both really good — better than expected. Those teams are well-coached, have skill guys all over the field and can make waves in Class 5A. Another is that South Terrebonne is a much better football team than they’ve been and that’s awesome to see. Lastly, our area’s private schools are rocking and rolling. Houma Christian and CCA fans should be nothing short of extremely proud.
Q: What is going on with Nicholls? It’s been a rough start? (Asked by Reid, Houma)
A: I don’t necessarily agree with that. They are 1-2, yes. But they beat a FBS school (Kansas), then have competitive losses against Tulane (another FBS school) and McNeese (a FCS power). It’s not ideal, certainly. But please also consider that Nicholls hasn’t yet played a home game, as well. That matters a lot in the world of college football. I will say this, though. The Colonels have to get more out of their offense if they want to get serious about winning the championship. They scored 10 points at McNeese on Saturday and only had 105 rushing yards — 45 of those by quarterback Chase Fourcade. If they can’t start controlling the line of scrimmage and taking some pressure off Fourcade, it will not be the type of season that the team wants it to be.
Q: How did our area’s volleyball get so good so fast? (Asked by Jamie, Thibodaux)
A: Three words: Year-round work. When I was in high school, I was actually a statistician for my high school volleyball program. The area was OK then, but it was top-heavy. Teams were either elite or were at the bottom of the pack. But today, everyone is competitive and capable of challenging deep into the postseason. I’ve actually spoken to several coaches about this. They say the reason for the resurgence is because student-athletes are dedicating themselves more now than ever before and are playing the sport year-round. I’ll say this. The level of coaching and fundamentals is on another level now, as well. These teams are way better today than they were in my day. They’re deeper, too. They’re able to substitute and position their teams better for success.
Q: The Saints can be fixed, no? (Asked by Bobby, Houma)
A: I don’t think so. If you ready our Saints Preview Guide, I wrote a column warning fans that a letdown would be possible. I thought the Saints were more lucky than good last year. They faced a lot of backup quarterbacks and teams who were trending south at the time of their matchup with New Orleans. This year is a new year and in the world of sports, you often have to pay back the good fortune that you’ve received in the past. So far, we’re seeing that. The Saints have untimely turnovers, poor tackling and all sorts of things that we see from a football team that is buying into its own success. I am not saying that New Orleans is a bad team. Not at all. But I am saying that there are other teams in the NFL right now who are better. There is a lot of time to get it right, sure. But the Saints have to move fast. Their quarterback is about to be 40. They can’t wait for next year.
Q: Why didn’t LSU hire Steve Ensminger last year? (Asked by Tim, Houma)
A: Good question. They should have. When Ensminger was the Interim Offensive Coordinator, LSU moved the ball in every, single game except against Alabama. And that was with another coach’s personnel and no time at all to implement anything. Now, he has had a full offseason, a full recruiting class and he has an actual college-level quarterback who is capable of executing it out on the field. Look, I know the question was about Ensminger, but I want to talk about Joe Burrow. That kid is special. He is a competitor. He spills his guts on the field every, single Saturday and does everything he needs to do and more to try and make sure that the Tigers are in position to win. Ohio State lost a good one. Their loss is our gain.
Q: Who is the local MVP right now? (Asked by Rod, Thibodaux)
A: To me, it’s Brandon Legendre at E.D. White. Terrebonne is the best team locally, but they have a lot of athletes and a lot of interchangeable pieces on their team. For E.D. White, if Legendre is not there, a lot of what that team is trying to do goes by the wayside. He executes their offense beautifully and provides big play spark. I think he’s the obvious answer and it’s not all that close. Now, if you ask me who is having the best season so far, I have to go with Deon Jenkins at Central Lafourche. But you said MVP, which means Most VALUABLE Player. No one has more value to his team than Legendre, which is the reason for my answer.
Q: Your thoughts on the Baby Cakes leaving? (Asked by Tim, Lockport)
A: I think it was one of the most overplayed and overhyped stories in the recent sports cycle. The Baby Cakes are leaving, but the city is going to get another team, so it’s not like baseball will be gone from the city. Me, personally, I think it’s shameful the lack of support that the Baby Cakes/Zephyrs get from the city. I also think it’s even more shameful the lack of effort that’s made to promote and market the team. Minor league baseball is supposed to be fun. Have gimmicks and promotions to get us to the park. The current brand is stale. Every Thursday is Thirsty Thursday. Every Friday is Fireworks Friday. It’s been that way for literally 20 years. Change stuff up. Have fun. Think outside the box. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
And now, for a few non-sports questions.
Q: What are your thoughts on the hurricane coverage nationally? (Asked by Rose, Houma)
A: I thought it was pretty silly, honestly. There was one video on social media that summed it all up. A meteorologist was standing in a wind field and was pretending to be battling life-threatening winds on camera. In the background were two citizens walking around like it was just a normal stroll in the park. For weather events, follow your local news stations. The Weather Channel is like a science tabloid for nerds. They have no respect for the people who are in harm’s way. It’s a sham.
Q: I ask this every time. Give me NetFlix shows! (Asked by Ruby, Houma)
A: I answer it every time, too. Wentworth’s new season is awesome and I’d highly recommend. Magic for Humans is really, really good, too. That one can be watched by everyone in the family.
Follow Casey on Twitter for more.
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