Did you happen to see the cover of Sports Illustrated this week? It’s just another chapter in the ongoing media war between the SEC and the Pac-10. More significantly, it perpetuates a festering wound that LSU fans have carried and nurtured since 2003. For a comprehensive review of the rivalry between LSU and USC, teams that have not played in recent memory, check out this outstanding article from Stewart Mandel:
https://mail.healthcare.uiowa.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/07/06/miles.usc/index.html
The basic plot of this story is simple: LSU fans celebrated their winning of the crystal football in 2003 when they beat up on an Oklahoma team that should not have been in the BCS finals, and then fumed with indignation when the national media focused attention on USC for winning the AP National Championship in the Rose Bowl. Sharing their hard-won championship with anyone was simply unthinkable. When Sports Illustrated issued dual covers, declaring Matt Leinart and the Trojans to be the champs to half of the magazine’s circulation, the Bayou Bengals went ballistic. The letters to the editor flooded in. USC fans, who had gotten over their stunning exclusion from the BCS championship despite being number 1 in both polls, were very happy about being able to win their first title in 25 years in the same stadium and against the same opponent as their last time in 1978.
But the Tiger fans never got over it. I read SI consistently for the next three years. Every week that story appeared about Pete Carroll or Matt Leinart or Reggie Bush, LSU fan was right there, with a snippy, bitter letter to the editor. SI, tickled pink about the attention, happily printed the reactionary delusions, actively maintaining the fires in the petulant bellies of the LSU crybabies.
What really pisses off the Tigers most of all is that Trojan fans just don’t care. We split the 2003 title and won the 2004 title. Vince Young single-handedly kept us from the 2005 championship. LSU? Oh, yeah- they’re pretty good and they deserved the trophy they won in 2003. We won our title in Pasadena- our second home- couldn’t ask for much more.
The latest chapter in this rather one-sided hatred erupted this last summer. As the pre-season polls were consistently placing USC number 1 and LSU number 2, Les Miles made his now famous sarcastic comments about the quality of the Pac-10. Oregon, ASU, and Cal have thanked Miles for the motivational speech, much to Tennessee’s chagrin.
LSU looked excellent tonight against a very good South Carolina team. USC rolled again over Washington State at home. There is only one solution to this incredibly annoying unrequited bitterness. Keep winning, Tigers. Keep winning, Trojans. We have an appointment to get together January 7th in New Orleans.
I can’t wait.
Fight On,
Hans
PS: Big congrats to Syracuse for pulling off the second-largest upset of the year in their win over Louisville. And if anyone out there even considered picking this game, you are totally insane and know absolutely nothing about college football, I guess that’s why we play the game!
https://mail.healthcare.uiowa.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/07/06/miles.usc/index.html
The basic plot of this story is simple: LSU fans celebrated their winning of the crystal football in 2003 when they beat up on an Oklahoma team that should not have been in the BCS finals, and then fumed with indignation when the national media focused attention on USC for winning the AP National Championship in the Rose Bowl. Sharing their hard-won championship with anyone was simply unthinkable. When Sports Illustrated issued dual covers, declaring Matt Leinart and the Trojans to be the champs to half of the magazine’s circulation, the Bayou Bengals went ballistic. The letters to the editor flooded in. USC fans, who had gotten over their stunning exclusion from the BCS championship despite being number 1 in both polls, were very happy about being able to win their first title in 25 years in the same stadium and against the same opponent as their last time in 1978.
But the Tiger fans never got over it. I read SI consistently for the next three years. Every week that story appeared about Pete Carroll or Matt Leinart or Reggie Bush, LSU fan was right there, with a snippy, bitter letter to the editor. SI, tickled pink about the attention, happily printed the reactionary delusions, actively maintaining the fires in the petulant bellies of the LSU crybabies.
What really pisses off the Tigers most of all is that Trojan fans just don’t care. We split the 2003 title and won the 2004 title. Vince Young single-handedly kept us from the 2005 championship. LSU? Oh, yeah- they’re pretty good and they deserved the trophy they won in 2003. We won our title in Pasadena- our second home- couldn’t ask for much more.
The latest chapter in this rather one-sided hatred erupted this last summer. As the pre-season polls were consistently placing USC number 1 and LSU number 2, Les Miles made his now famous sarcastic comments about the quality of the Pac-10. Oregon, ASU, and Cal have thanked Miles for the motivational speech, much to Tennessee’s chagrin.
LSU looked excellent tonight against a very good South Carolina team. USC rolled again over Washington State at home. There is only one solution to this incredibly annoying unrequited bitterness. Keep winning, Tigers. Keep winning, Trojans. We have an appointment to get together January 7th in New Orleans.
I can’t wait.
Fight On,
Hans
PS: Big congrats to Syracuse for pulling off the second-largest upset of the year in their win over Louisville. And if anyone out there even considered picking this game, you are totally insane and know absolutely nothing about college football, I guess that’s why we play the game!
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