In Support of Our Ragin’ Cajuns by Ivan J. Viator, Jr. – FAN Network Member

After reading Ivan’s email to the Athletic Network, it was easy to comply with his request. He is what we refer to as a "true fan’ – no rainy day here. Thank you Ivan for being the type fan you are and for writing this email. It is appreciated.

In Support of Our Ragin’ Cajuns by Ivan Viator

Emailed to the Athletic Network September 18, 2007

Even though the game was a disappointment Saturday, I still support our Cajuns as I have done for the past 30 years. That is what gets me about the majority of the people in our area. They only want to support a winner. When things go bad or not as we expect things to go, everyone abandons the university. But when things are going good, the band wagon is overloaded with the fair weather fans who scream the loudest and say they were there and support the university. However, these people are never in the stands when times are bad and want someone’s head when they lose.

You don’t see these people in the stands when its raining or the team can’t seem to fight their way out of a wet paper bag, or no matter how hard they try – things seem to go wrong. It was wonderful to see the stands packed Saturday. Where were all these people for the last 30 years when we went 1 and 9. Many a Saturday night, my wife and I sat alone in section DD.

I say until you support the university through the bad times, and not just go when you have nothing to do, LSU is out of town, or there is a big name school in town, then don’t say anything. You don’t have a right – you didn’t pay your dues. May be if these same so called fans were there all of these years things would be different.

As a fan and supporter of "Our Local University," we need to support the local institutions, through good times and bad. After all this is our local university and our local young men are playing their hearts out to represent our area. They don’t like to loose either. But we need to support them more when times are bad. Most of these young men are playing the sport because they love it. They are not playing because they have to.

I do not like to loose either, but it is impossible to win all of the time. I may not like what is happening, but I do not have the expertise nor can I do anything about what is going on with our football team. However, I support the young men who take the time and energy to represent us and try to intertain us by playing the sport. I, God willing, will be in the stands this Saturday night, like I am for every home game on Saturday night for the past 30 years, in support of them. When they are on the road, I will listen to the game on the radio – following them and supporting them in spirit.

Let’s go out this Saturday Night, fill the stands, cheer them on to victory, and show the young men how much they mean to us.

I would like to get this to the football team to let them know that there are people who support them and take pride in their accomplishments. We rejoice in their wins and also share in their pain when they don’t.

GO CAJUNS – USL 1977