Am I the only one who heard the LT quote at the end and just cringed...

[HoopsCoach21]

At the end of the thunder and lightning program (which I thought was very well done btw) LT said something about baseball being the one sport we could consistently compete for championships in and it just struck a nerve with me. I agree to a point that it is our best chance for year in and year out success because of tradition, facilities, and several other factors but it was that mindset he had about not being able to compete in other sports that set us back so much in other areas. I know that Sticklin isn't everyone's favorite but I think he's done an excellent job and proven he wants to make us competitive across the board especially with the hiring of Howland.

I'm sure LT didn't mean what I interpreted when he made that statement but it just made me realize how far we've come as a program that we no longer are scoffed at when we discuss competing for championships in football and other sports.

[Lumpy Chucklelips]

There was at least one other person who "cringed" with you. I can't stand seeing his face.

[maroonmania]

I certainly cringed with LT speaking for MSU anytime BUT I will say, for the timeframe of the mid 80s which I believe he was speaking to, and I was in school then, what he said was probably accurate. We were terrible in football and terrible in basketball but in baseball we were the cream of the SEC, so in most people's mind baseball was the one sport we could challenge to compete nationally. That is NOT the case in 2015.

[Todd4State]

I certainly cringed with LT speaking for MSU anytime BUT I will say, for the timeframe of the mid 80s which I believe he was speaking to, and I was in school then, what he said was probably accurate. We were terrible in football and terrible in basketball but in baseball we were the cream of the SEC, so in most people's mind baseball was the one sport we could challenge to compete nationally. That is NOT the case in 2015.

That was how I took it, although it could be me giving the benefit of the doubt because it is a "new" episode.

That said, I did cringe.

And I will also say that I wouldn't be surprised if LT still feels that way at MSU.

[maroonmania]

And I will also say that I wouldn't be surprised if LT still feels that way at MSU.

Would be hard for me to believe even LT would be that backwards thinking at this point. I mean we have been to the Final Four and we just spent 5 weeks at #1 in football this past year. Hopefully even he has seen the light now and with the SEC money and the TV exposure given to all teams now, especially SEC teams, its a totally different world than it was back in the mid-1980s. People forget in the early 80s and back was when we normally only played 2 or maybe 3 games a year on campus in Starkville and the rest were played either on the road or in Jackson. Its no wonder back then we could not build up any type of broad football fanbase. Students really got the shaft on that back in those days.

[Todd4State]

Would be hard for me to believe even LT would be that backwards thinking at this point. I mean we have been to the Final Four and we just spent 5 weeks at #1 in football this past year. Hopefully even he has seen the light now and with the SEC money and the TV exposure given to all teams now, especially SEC teams, its a totally different world than it was back in the mid-1980s. People forget in the early 80s and back was when we normally only played 2 or maybe 3 games a year on campus in Starkville and the rest were played either on the road or in Jackson. Its no wonder back then we could not build up any type of broad football fanbase. Students really got the shaft on that back in those days.

Maybe, but I just LT is stuck with his poor ol' MSU mindset more than likely knowing him.

[Johnson85]

At the end of the thunder and lightning program (which I thought was very well done btw) LT said something about baseball being the one sport we could consistently compete for championships in and it just struck a nerve with me. I agree to a point that it is our best chance for year in and year out success because of tradition, facilities, and several other factors but it was that mindset he had about not being able to compete in other sports that set us back so much in other areas. I know that Sticklin isn't everyone's favorite but I think he's done an excellent job and proven he wants to make us competitive across the board especially with the hiring of Howland.

I'm sure LT didn't mean what I interpreted when he made that statement but it just made me realize how far we've come as a program that we no longer are scoffed at when we discuss competing for championships in football and other sports.

He's sort of right if you're talking about national championships. That was the sport where we had a competitive advantage by being an early mover. Not sure we still do with the scholarship advantages some of the other states in the SEC have.

The problem with LT is that he was and presumably still is perfectly happy to take a challenge as a reason to not try. We are not going to compete for championships in football or baseball on a consistent basis. We might have a good 3 or 4 year stretch, but we will have some down times also. The problem is LT's attitude limits your ability to even have good stretches. Just might as well give up b/c we don't have all the advantages some other schools have, eeyore.

[Jack Lambert]

I heard it and he was reffering to 1985 not today. Thats the way I took it and he would have been correct.

[sleepy dawg]

I think the word "consistently" is pretty key. We've had baseball, basketball, and football throughout the modern era of sports. How many times have we actually "competed" for a National Championship in each sport? And if we did, did we compete again the next year? Baseball is the only sport we've ever been able to do this in. Maybe we will consistently compete for championships in other sports one day (as in football, this year), but up until now it hasn't happened.

[FlabLoser]

I certainly cringed with LT speaking for MSU anytime BUT I will say, for the timeframe of the mid 80s which I believe he was speaking to, and I was in school then, what he said was probably accurate. We were terrible in football and terrible in basketball but in baseball we were the cream of the SEC, so in most people's mind baseball was the one sport we could challenge to compete nationally. That is NOT the case in 2015.

That was true in the mid and late 80s. It was true because of LARRY.

I don't cut him a break for making a true statement. Instead I blame him for the statement being true.

[Dawg61]

Right now we have a better chance in football

[maroonmania]

That was true in the mid and late 80s. It was true because of LARRY.

I don't cut him a break for making a true statement. Instead I blame him for the statement being true.

Well let's not blame EVERYTHING on LT, I mean he didn't even take the AD job until 1988. If you can believe it, we had some ADs that were even worse before him.

[IMissJack]

No, you are not the only one. I almost puked. I'm 100% convinced that we would be averaging 42K in football, and be considered for replacement in the SEC if he was still in charge. "if MSU can do it, then we certainly can", when discussing how baseball changed...way to think big, way to inspire the fans. Low self esteem issues for the whole university.

[NCDawg]

There was at least one other person who "cringed" with you. I can't stand seeing his face.

I think quite a few MSU fans feel that way, including myself.