I like University of Louisiana-Monroe’s Todd Berry and I have never met the coach. The guy has spunk and guts.
Berry and his Warhawk football team have received much love from the college football world since ULM knocked off then No. 8 Arkansas in its season opener. College fans paid more attention to the Warhawks when they lost the next week to Auburn in overtime and then fell short last week in a nationally televised Friday night game against Baylor.
Berry’s team features a wide-open spread offense. The coach is not afraid to take major risks on fourth down plays. In the old days, the term “Riverboat Gambler” would apply to such a coach.
But maybe Berry’s greatest risk came last season when he strolled through the tailgate crowd before a home game.
For my international readers and some United States’ ones, you must realize LSU (Louisiana State) is the kingpin of state universities in Louisiana. LSU has a huge fan base and the remaining schools basically pick up the crumbs. It isn’t unusual to see a vehicle on another Louisiana campus proclaiming love for LSU.
Berry understands this. Every coach and athletic department in Louisiana not associated with LSU understands it.
But last year, Berry challenged this big brother-little brother mentality. According to an article from SB Nation, Berry confronted several fans who were showing their allegiance to LSU while at an ULM tailgate. Berry told one fan, which featured a purple-and-gold LSU tailgating tent, “LSU’s playing four hours south.” I say, you tell them, coach.
Berry said in the article that he believed this LSU allegiance showed disrespect to his ULM players. And I agree.
I think LSU Coach Les Miles should challenge Berry to a dual on the football field. And big brother should even travel to Monroe and ULM for the game.
What do you think? Should a fan attend a game at one school while proclaiming obvious love for another school?
Showing posts with label University of Louisiana-Monroe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of Louisiana-Monroe. Show all posts
Friday, September 28, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
A Stunner
It’s safe to say Arkansas will no longer schedule the University of Louisiana-Monroe in football.
Teams like big-boy Arkansas schedule little-boy ULM with a few unwritten rules in play. The big boys gladly provide the little boys with a fat check in the assumption that the little boys will lie down, take their sound defeat and go home.
Well, ULM didn’t follow the script last Saturday as the Warhawks upended the Razorbacks in overtime 34-31.
It was the biggest win in ULM football history. Arkansas came into the game ranked No. 8 in the country and by Sunday fell out of the ratings completely. The Warhawks won for the first time in 10 tries against Arkansas. The ULM general website featured the victory as its top story Sunday
Usually, upset-mind teams lead most of the game and hold on at the end. However, ULM staged an impressive comeback in the second half. Equally impressive was how the Warhawks won the contest in overtime. After Arkansas tallied a field goal on its possession, ULM was faced with a 4-and-1 on its possession within field goal distance. ULM went for the win and quarterback Kolton Browning made a nifty, 13-yard run for the touchdown.
I have always had a soft spot in my heart for ULM. I attended the Monroe school and worked in athletic media relations in the early 80s when it was called Northeast Louisiana University and the team nickname was the Indians.
I’m sure Saturday’s win was highly celebrated on the campus. But it’s time for the football team to get back to work. In the next three weeks, ULM travels to Auburn, hosts Baylor and goes to Tulane.
Now, how about my hankering for a Johnny’s Pizza in Monroe?
Teams like big-boy Arkansas schedule little-boy ULM with a few unwritten rules in play. The big boys gladly provide the little boys with a fat check in the assumption that the little boys will lie down, take their sound defeat and go home.
Well, ULM didn’t follow the script last Saturday as the Warhawks upended the Razorbacks in overtime 34-31.
It was the biggest win in ULM football history. Arkansas came into the game ranked No. 8 in the country and by Sunday fell out of the ratings completely. The Warhawks won for the first time in 10 tries against Arkansas. The ULM general website featured the victory as its top story Sunday
Usually, upset-mind teams lead most of the game and hold on at the end. However, ULM staged an impressive comeback in the second half. Equally impressive was how the Warhawks won the contest in overtime. After Arkansas tallied a field goal on its possession, ULM was faced with a 4-and-1 on its possession within field goal distance. ULM went for the win and quarterback Kolton Browning made a nifty, 13-yard run for the touchdown.
I have always had a soft spot in my heart for ULM. I attended the Monroe school and worked in athletic media relations in the early 80s when it was called Northeast Louisiana University and the team nickname was the Indians.
I’m sure Saturday’s win was highly celebrated on the campus. But it’s time for the football team to get back to work. In the next three weeks, ULM travels to Auburn, hosts Baylor and goes to Tulane.
Now, how about my hankering for a Johnny’s Pizza in Monroe?
Friday, September 23, 2011
My Old School Comes to Iowa
The University of Louisiana-Monroe will play the Iowa Hawkeyes for the first time ever on the football field Saturday in Iowa City.
The Warhawks will collect a nice paycheck (over $1 million) and hopefully provide stout competition for Iowa. Louisiana-Monroe, 1-2, has already fallen at Florida State and TCU, so this will be its third high level opponent in the young season.
This game will have a special place in my heart because I was a graduate assistant in Monroe way back in 1980-81. The school was called Northeast Louisiana University and the nickname was the Indians. How things have changed.
ULM is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and has a student population of about 10,000. The school is located in a city area of approximately 100,000 (Monroe-West Monroe). It’s the largest area in northeast Louisiana and about 100 miles east of Shreveport.
I give you the ULM report because often fans in the Midwest have never heard of this smaller Division I institution.
The Warhawks feature a rarity in college football—a left-handed quarterback in Kolton Browning. ULM has solid but young returning starters.
This should be an entertaining game with plenty of offense. ULM hopes the third time is the charm in playing the big boys this season.
The Warhawks will collect a nice paycheck (over $1 million) and hopefully provide stout competition for Iowa. Louisiana-Monroe, 1-2, has already fallen at Florida State and TCU, so this will be its third high level opponent in the young season.
This game will have a special place in my heart because I was a graduate assistant in Monroe way back in 1980-81. The school was called Northeast Louisiana University and the nickname was the Indians. How things have changed.
ULM is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and has a student population of about 10,000. The school is located in a city area of approximately 100,000 (Monroe-West Monroe). It’s the largest area in northeast Louisiana and about 100 miles east of Shreveport.
I give you the ULM report because often fans in the Midwest have never heard of this smaller Division I institution.
The Warhawks feature a rarity in college football—a left-handed quarterback in Kolton Browning. ULM has solid but young returning starters.
This should be an entertaining game with plenty of offense. ULM hopes the third time is the charm in playing the big boys this season.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Cheering Your Favorite Team
I am looking for a little interaction today. Why do you cheer for particular college teams?
Personally, I need a connection to faithfully cheer for a school. Or sure, I can pick a team during a national contest (usually the underdog), but there isn’t a real investment there. Plus, it’s a one-shot deal and nothing long term.
My local team is the Iowa State Cyclones. I attended school and worked in athletics there. My connections are deep. Enough said. Now, I wish the Cyclones would string some victories together in football and basketball.
I also cheer for the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. I also attended school and worked in athletics there. It’s a little more difficult to follow ULM due to the distance and lack of national exposure. But the Warhawks are coming to Iowa this fall to play the Hawks, so I can root for them then.
One team that will probably drop from my list is North Carolina State. I have a dear friend who was in athletics there. He retired last year, so there went the connection. The investment was there for a long time and thus the divorce is difficult.
I also follow two specific basketball teams but don’t cheer for the schools in general. With connections at Baylor and Virginia, I keep a close eye on the Bears and Cavaliers.
Sometimes it’s a judgment call tracking the teams. If they play at similar times on the same dates that presents a problem. I only have two eyes and ears and one television.
So who do you follow and for what reasons?
Personally, I need a connection to faithfully cheer for a school. Or sure, I can pick a team during a national contest (usually the underdog), but there isn’t a real investment there. Plus, it’s a one-shot deal and nothing long term.
My local team is the Iowa State Cyclones. I attended school and worked in athletics there. My connections are deep. Enough said. Now, I wish the Cyclones would string some victories together in football and basketball.
I also cheer for the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. I also attended school and worked in athletics there. It’s a little more difficult to follow ULM due to the distance and lack of national exposure. But the Warhawks are coming to Iowa this fall to play the Hawks, so I can root for them then.
One team that will probably drop from my list is North Carolina State. I have a dear friend who was in athletics there. He retired last year, so there went the connection. The investment was there for a long time and thus the divorce is difficult.
I also follow two specific basketball teams but don’t cheer for the schools in general. With connections at Baylor and Virginia, I keep a close eye on the Bears and Cavaliers.
Sometimes it’s a judgment call tracking the teams. If they play at similar times on the same dates that presents a problem. I only have two eyes and ears and one television.
So who do you follow and for what reasons?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Money in America
Despite what you have heard or read out of Washington, DC, money is available in America.
Apparently, a good number of Division I college football teams have plenty of green. For example, have you checked out the paychecks some lower Division I teams will receive this season from road games against higher Division I schools? This isn’t anything new, but in this economy it should raise some eyebrows
My old school, the University of Louisiana-Monroe, is one example. Out of four non conference games, the Warhawks will play “money” games against Florida State and back-to-back games against TCU and Iowa. Monroe will receive 1.3 million from Florida State and 1 million from Iowa. Although I couldn’t find a figure for the TCU contest, I doubt if the amount is less than $750,000. This is serious money.
The Warhawks have one of the smallest budgets in Division I. Obviously, it helps pay the bills. The chances of defeating any of these teams are slim (although they did shock Alabama a few years ago), but if Monroe can get out of town reasonably healthy, the pros definitely outweigh the cons of the arrangement.
The big schools often complain they have difficulty scheduling so they must sweeten the check to lure the smaller schools. Louisiana-Monroe and other smaller schools have definitely taken the bait.
At least in one phase of the economy, supply-and-demand is working quite well. Maybe Washington should take a look,
Apparently, a good number of Division I college football teams have plenty of green. For example, have you checked out the paychecks some lower Division I teams will receive this season from road games against higher Division I schools? This isn’t anything new, but in this economy it should raise some eyebrows
My old school, the University of Louisiana-Monroe, is one example. Out of four non conference games, the Warhawks will play “money” games against Florida State and back-to-back games against TCU and Iowa. Monroe will receive 1.3 million from Florida State and 1 million from Iowa. Although I couldn’t find a figure for the TCU contest, I doubt if the amount is less than $750,000. This is serious money.
The Warhawks have one of the smallest budgets in Division I. Obviously, it helps pay the bills. The chances of defeating any of these teams are slim (although they did shock Alabama a few years ago), but if Monroe can get out of town reasonably healthy, the pros definitely outweigh the cons of the arrangement.
The big schools often complain they have difficulty scheduling so they must sweeten the check to lure the smaller schools. Louisiana-Monroe and other smaller schools have definitely taken the bait.
At least in one phase of the economy, supply-and-demand is working quite well. Maybe Washington should take a look,
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Going Down Memory Lane
It’s basketball season and it’s still winter here in Iowa. It makes me ponder the old days when I was in athletic media relations in the great warm state of Louisiana.
This Iowa boy traveled to northern Louisiana to serve as a graduate assistant at Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe. NLU is now ULM (University of Louisiana-Monroe). The name change was tough on people. One guy I knew in media relations said he (a graduate) would no longer financially support the school because of the name change. Ouch.
Being a Midwesterner, I had no clue what the South was like. The people talked funny and the food was strange, but I grew to love the South, Monroe and the state of Louisiana.
My responsibilities were to promote the women’s athletic program. Athletic media relations people provide information on the teams and players to various media outlets. If some radio or TV guy/gal seems to know much information about a particular team, chances are the stuff came from the media relations person.
I only traveled with the women’s basketball team. We finished a terrible 7-23 that year. But other memories also linger.
We journey to the state tournament in southern Louisiana. It’s a long haul from northern Louisiana to the south. We traveled via bus. Robert Muarry, one of the assistant coaches, was always giving me a hard time about being from Iowa. On that particular bus trip he badgered a player from Louisiana to tell me all about southern cooking. She hesitated but probably knew it couldn’t hurt her playing time.
And then, there was Larry the bus driver. Larry and I shared a room and a bed on the trip. Now Larry was a big fellow. When I say big, I mean big. The double bed was a little small for a tall, skinny, 6-7 guy and a big bear-type. I didn’t bother Larry even though he snored like a bear. He was my ticket back to northern Louisiana. Larry and I got along just fine, ha.
I will never forget that season in Louisiana. There were great folks, great weather and interesting athletic teams to promote.
This Iowa boy traveled to northern Louisiana to serve as a graduate assistant at Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe. NLU is now ULM (University of Louisiana-Monroe). The name change was tough on people. One guy I knew in media relations said he (a graduate) would no longer financially support the school because of the name change. Ouch.
Being a Midwesterner, I had no clue what the South was like. The people talked funny and the food was strange, but I grew to love the South, Monroe and the state of Louisiana.
My responsibilities were to promote the women’s athletic program. Athletic media relations people provide information on the teams and players to various media outlets. If some radio or TV guy/gal seems to know much information about a particular team, chances are the stuff came from the media relations person.
I only traveled with the women’s basketball team. We finished a terrible 7-23 that year. But other memories also linger.
We journey to the state tournament in southern Louisiana. It’s a long haul from northern Louisiana to the south. We traveled via bus. Robert Muarry, one of the assistant coaches, was always giving me a hard time about being from Iowa. On that particular bus trip he badgered a player from Louisiana to tell me all about southern cooking. She hesitated but probably knew it couldn’t hurt her playing time.
And then, there was Larry the bus driver. Larry and I shared a room and a bed on the trip. Now Larry was a big fellow. When I say big, I mean big. The double bed was a little small for a tall, skinny, 6-7 guy and a big bear-type. I didn’t bother Larry even though he snored like a bear. He was my ticket back to northern Louisiana. Larry and I got along just fine, ha.
I will never forget that season in Louisiana. There were great folks, great weather and interesting athletic teams to promote.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The College Sports Lull
I don't care how many hours ESPNU or the Big Ten Networks spends televising track or college baseball and softball, count me out.
Fortunately, my college sports desire doesn't need a sport for every season. Frankly, track, baseball and softball holds little interest. I turn my attention to the Major Leagues during this time.
I do enjoy reading stories about the various athletic departments going out this time of year to promote its teams. That helps raise my excitement level somewhat for the upcoming football and basketball seasons. I have never attended one of the those events, but it sounds fun.
The college football magazines will be coming out in a few weeks. Again, I don't need my football fix yet. I don't care if the University of Louisiana-Monroe is ranked the 112th best team in the nation or if Florida International comes in at 121st.
But about the middle of August, I will get ready for the football season. Sports Illustrated will feature its preview issue around then, and it will spark my interest. That is when I will look at where the University of Louisiana-Monroe and Florida International are ranked. Those schools will probably never go beyond the three-digit ranking, but it is good to see this teams receive exposure. You might also learn that one of your favorite BCS universities will place schools like these this fall.
What do you do to survive the summer months with major college sports?
Fortunately, my college sports desire doesn't need a sport for every season. Frankly, track, baseball and softball holds little interest. I turn my attention to the Major Leagues during this time.
I do enjoy reading stories about the various athletic departments going out this time of year to promote its teams. That helps raise my excitement level somewhat for the upcoming football and basketball seasons. I have never attended one of the those events, but it sounds fun.
The college football magazines will be coming out in a few weeks. Again, I don't need my football fix yet. I don't care if the University of Louisiana-Monroe is ranked the 112th best team in the nation or if Florida International comes in at 121st.
But about the middle of August, I will get ready for the football season. Sports Illustrated will feature its preview issue around then, and it will spark my interest. That is when I will look at where the University of Louisiana-Monroe and Florida International are ranked. Those schools will probably never go beyond the three-digit ranking, but it is good to see this teams receive exposure. You might also learn that one of your favorite BCS universities will place schools like these this fall.
What do you do to survive the summer months with major college sports?
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