Many of my favorite memories from my childhood through my early adult years took place in Death Valley.  I got a taste for how special the atmosphere could be in ’95 for the “Bring Back the Magic” game against Auburn and was sucked in from that point onward.  Through the high’s (the ’97 Florida game) and the low’s (2000, UAB) many of us live for those Saturday’s in the fall when the only things that matter are getting a W and hearing the band emphatically blast away those three special notes.

However, the Tiger Stadium of today is a little different from the one I remember growing up.  Prior to the 2003 national championship, the LSU fan base had a chip on its shoulder.  A perennial Top 25 team (save some bad years in the 90’s), LSU felt like it belonged in the same conversation as Texas and Michigan.  Our identity was largely built around the atmosphere of those Saturday nights, rather than the championships that were few and far between.

That all changed after the 2003 season.  We had the recognition we so desperately wanted from the major media outlets, albeit slightly tainted by the “co-champ” designation.  The upshot was that by and large the often nauseating battle for respect had for the most part ceased.  Although some bitter fans held a grudge against ESPN and USC (somehow seen in cahoots with one another,) respect now came in the form of a flag flying in the North end zone.

As our attention turns to the 2010 football season, I know I’m not alone in anticipating a headache more than the joy and excitement that a fall typically brings.  In many ways I see this as sad and unfortunate.  How could something that brought me so much joy when the season ended in Shreveport now cause so much aggravation and stress?  Have we grown spoiled? Are the expectations unreasonable?

Honestly I don’t think so.  Gerry DiNardo gave LSU fans a glimpse of what they had largely been missing out on for 20 years.  Nick Saban exposed it for the whole nation to see.  LSU is in a unique position to succeed on a national level and on a yearly basis.  There really isn’t a good comparison throughout the rest of the college football landscape (Arkansas and West Va. are probably the closest comparisons and the per capita talent isn’t really close when put up against Louisiana…don’t believe me? go here )

Although it’s all fine and good that a state with only 1 BCS school can historically be filled with blue-chip athletes, it all starts with leadership.  And honestly, when you are paying a coach close to $4M a year it seems reasonable to expect some leadership.  However, the debacle which is the future of LSU’s QB situation is merely the latest in a disturbing line of events that has eroded a top 5 program.  It’s reasonable to have grown tired of the excuses.  Tired of the lack of preparation and focus.  Tired of the mishaps and mismanagement (of clock, personnel, etc.)

Sometimes I feel I can relate big guy...not really, you're a Browns fan so nobody can relate

Although ridiculed by other SEC fans for being over-zealous, Alabama has basically been involved in an on-going coaching search since the death of Bear Bryant.  Well guess what?  I think they found their guy.  While the rest of us have long considered this to be the Tide’s biggest problem, the thing is that they have always known that they belong.  The problem was in the coaches they hired.  They didn’t belong (save Gene Stallings.)  I’m getting the feeling neither does Les.

So while I do share in the annual excitement to get back out on the parade grounds, hear the band play, and enjoy good food and conversation, forgive me if I do so with certain disgust for what has been happening over the last couple of years.  Although Miles still has plenty of talent to right the ship, he is running dangerously short on passes.  A loss to the Tar Heels on September 4^th and he might not have only lost the fan base, but the team as well.