Dear Casey …

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OK, OK, I’ll admit it. LSU fans aren’t rational.


But that’s why they are the wonderful unique creatures that they are.

Sometimes that causes problems and anxiety, but hey, it is what it is.

We only live once, right? Why not push our brains and hearts to the limit?


Knowing that LSU football was starting this past weekend and knowing that I was going to either get too high or too low based on the result of the game, I decided to write a little letter to myself to try and keep me grounded in my fandom for the whole season.

I decided to publish it because I know a lot of you guys are in the same boat as I am.

Dear Casey,


I’m writing this letter on Saturday, September 2, 2017 at 2:40 p.m. The LSU and BYU game is still six hours away, and while anticipation is building, we’re still calm enough to analyze things with a level mind.

I think the Tigers will win this game and I don’t think it will be close.

But I want to put in writing that no matter how things go, I will keep an open mind for both this season and the future.


I, like everyone else, love Coach Ed Orgeron, but at the end of the day, he is still a first-year coach and all first-year coaches have growing pains.

In Nick Saban’s first year, we lost to UAB. Yes, UAB.

That night stunk. I remember being embarrassed and questioning whether Nick Saban was the man for the job.


Wasn’t I stupid?

In his first year at Alabama, Saban had a similar hiccup.

He lost to UL-Monroe.


That night was awesome. I remember making anti-Alabama jokes all night long with my friends. We were all in college at the time.

Of course, we took the bait again.

We said that the NFL had poisoned Saban and that he couldn’t turn around Alabama like he did LSU.


Flash forward to the present and guess what? I was an idiot again. Alabama is the most dominant dynasty in all of sports to date.

So for all of those reasons, I’m putting pen to paper and saying out loud that nothing that happens tonight can get me too high or too low.

Yes, I love the hire of Matt Canada and yes, I think it is exactly what the LSU offense needs to modernize itself in the future.


But BYU’s defense is awful stiff and there’s a decent chance that they will make the offense look unimpressive – especially being that it’s the team’s first game in a new system.

I like Danny Etling. I met him at the Manning Passing Academy and he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

But deep down in the back of my head, I also know that Canada’s offense works better with either a mobile quarterback or a guy with a huge arm. Etling has neither.


He’s sort of a square peg trying to fit into a round hole right now. At times, that’s going to be awkward.

It’s hard for me to admit that – especially publicly – but I know it’s the case.

But it also works both ways.


Let’s assume for a minute that LSU does indeed roll past BYU in style. I know that it’s only one game and that there are a lot of other tests in the future to get past the SEC schedule.

I promise that I will not trash talk (too bad) on social media, because that means I often have to eat my words later. I promise to not weigh this contest too heavily because it is just one out of a 13-game grind.

After all, this is LSU football.


Even when good, we have to make things interesting … if not more stressful.

And we’re just not going to get involved in all that this year.

It’s bad for the heart.


Here’s to a calmer mind and a better mindset!

Geaux Tigers!

Signed,


CG

EDITOR’S NOTE:

OK, I now have watched LSU’s first game, so let’s see how I did.

My current thoughts are that LSU’s defense is invincible and will not allow a point all season. I also believe that Matt Canada should run for Governor. Coach O said after the game that he used only 10 percent of his play sheet.


If he can get almost 500 yards with 10 percent of his play sheet, then that should mean at least 1,200-1,500 yards per game with the full thing, right?

I also think that there’s a good chance that LSU will only actually play 9-10 games because I suspect that 2-3 of their SEC opponents will forfeit to spare themselves the embarrassment and humiliation.

How am I doing in this effort to stay grounded and humble?


I think so far I am being reasonable and I’m not going too far out on a limb.

This is new to me.

Danny Etling


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