Happy Anniversary Tulane Athletics

[tpstulane]

On this day June 9, 2003 Tulane Athletics were spared from being relegated to DIII level.
It's a day I'll never forget as long as I live.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20030 ... /306100331

[TXWave88]

I remember we had just started training that summer a couple weeks before the announcement. There were not many players that were there for the first couple weeks of training. We knew the review was going on and we kept being told it would be fine. We thought it was a cheap tactic to promote fundraising. I thought that Rice goes through a review every 5 years (or I felt often enough) where I did not think it was a big deal.

The week of the decision came and the Wilson Center was like a ghost town. Only people that were visibly lurking were the 20 players or so training and the strength coaches/trainer. Did not see any administrators, coaches, etc. The inactivity in the building and the most recent rumors/gossip we would hear on a daily basis made the situation become more real than we imagined. The discussion about where we would start looking if we needed to find a new school began. It was a very eerie and nervous feeling in what could have been our last workout. I do not even think we had music playing during the workout that day. As players and representatives of the university, we felt so helpless as we knew nothing. It really felt like no one cared about us at all as we were still working hard and not a soul in the building was present to even stop by and give us an ounce of information on what was going on. We thought we were flying high coming off a bowl win!!

That was the day I formed my opinion on Cowen and it has not changed much since then. I can't remember what i Heard, but when it came out that it was a unanimous decision, not one of us believed that result at all. I was obviously happy about the decision, but not even being acknowledged or informed at all on a decision that affected us more than anyone else showed me his true character.

[golfnut69]

I wnated to bear the hell out of him at the 2000 SMU game in Dallas, but Ken and Steve kept between SC and myself.... Hate is a strong word, but when it comes to SC it is more than fitting !!!!

[JerseyWave]

I remember we had just started training that summer a couple weeks before the announcement. There were not many players that were there for the first couple weeks of training. We knew the review was going on and we kept being told it would be fine. We thought it was a cheap tactic to promote fundraising. I thought that Rice goes through a review every 5 years (or I felt often enough) where I did not think it was a big deal.

The week of the decision came and the Wilson Center was like a ghost town. Only people that were visibly lurking were the 20 players or so training and the strength coaches/trainer. Did not see any administrators, coaches, etc. The inactivity in the building and the most recent rumors/gossip we would hear on a daily basis made the situation become more real than we imagined. The discussion about where we would start looking if we needed to find a new school began. It was a very eerie and nervous feeling in what could have been our last workout. I do not even think we had music playing during the workout that day. As players and representatives of the university, we felt so helpless as we knew nothing. It really felt like no one cared about us at all as we were still working hard and not a soul in the building was present to even stop by and give us an ounce of information on what was going on. We thought we were flying high coming off a bowl win!!

That was the day I formed my opinion on Cowen and it has not changed much since then. I can't remember what i Heard, but when it came out that it was a unanimous decision, not one of us believed that result at all. I was obviously happy about the decision, but not even being acknowledged or informed at all on a decision that affected us more than anyone else showed me his true character.

It was such a shame! I thought the program and Scelfo as a Coach had finally turned the corner after the upsetting June Jones in the Hawaii Bowl. The review killed any momentum Football had and recruiting suffered big time before Katrina threw another blow!

[TURVS71]

Probably the darkest day we ever faced in the Tulane Athletic front. I held a sign and protested in front of Gibson Hall! Thank God that there was a "leak" or we would be dead. It severely crippled Athletics and was the beginning of the disdain for Cowan...Dickson would prevail but he quickly become a non factor and his role as AD deteriorated. We have survived and may we NEVER be faced with any of those trials and tribulations again. We can be as successful as we choose.

[Show Me]

I remember talking to both Rick Jones and Shawn Finney around that time. Both coaches said it really hurt their recruiting. Then Katrina came 2 years later and delivered the knockout punch.

[nawlinspete]

Probably the darkest day we ever faced in the Tulane Athletic front. I held a sign and protested in front of Gibson Hall! Thank God that there was a "leak" or we would be dead. It severely crippled Athletics and was the beginning of the disdain for Cowan...Dickson would prevail but he quickly become a non factor and his role as AD deteriorated. We have survived and may we NEVER be faced with any of those trials and tribulations again. We can be as successful as we choose.

In hindsight the darkest day in Tulane athletics history is the day the Board of Administrators and President Longenecker decided to abandon the SEC for independence. Had we remained in the SEC there never would have been a review and we may have continued at the SEC bottom ala Vanderbilt as we counted our $32,000,000 annual stipend or we may have again become become a championship member as we were in the 1920's (Southern Conference), 1930's (Southern and SEC, and 1940's (SEC).

It is worth recalling that we have more SEC football championship titles than half of the teams in the SEC do !

[winwave]

Which begs the question of why don't we fly those flags proudly.

[RobertM320]

Which begs the question of why don't we fly those flags proudly.

I've always wondered that myself. I remember as a kid of 9-10 years old, walking to old Tulane stadium with my parents from where we parked across Claiborne. All the charter busses used to park on the gravel road that is now Ben Weiner Dr. As we walked past them toward the stadium, you could see banners flying in the wind at the top of the North end zone. I honestly cant tell you what they were, but I don't see why we cant have a display somewhere in the stadium of our past successes.

And, we should be hanging any basketball ones we have from the SEC in Fogelman as well. We have to be proud of our past and let other know about it.

[winwave]

Consider it done.

[RobertM320]

Consider it done.

Yes, make sure the advisory committee is made aware of our contributions.

[green4life]

Probably the darkest day we ever faced in the Tulane Athletic front. I held a sign and protested in front of Gibson Hall! Thank God that there was a "leak" or we would be dead. It severely crippled Athletics and was the beginning of the disdain for Cowan...Dickson would prevail but he quickly become a non factor and his role as AD deteriorated. We have survived and may we NEVER be faced with any of those trials and tribulations again. We can be as successful as we choose.

In hindsight the darkest day in Tulane athletics history is the day the Board of Administrators and President Longenecker decided to abandon the SEC for independence. Had we remained in the SEC there never would have been a review and we may have continued at the SEC bottom ala Vanderbilt as we counted our $32,000,000 annual stipend or we may have again become become a championship member as we were in the 1920's (Southern Conference), 1930's (Southern and SEC, and 1940's (SEC).

It is worth recalling that we have more SEC football championship titles than half of the teams in the SEC do !

Although we could look it up, i think the Leave the SEC decision predates Dr Longenecker and was aimed at getting away from schools who would admit students that we wouldn't or couldn't. Can't speak for who was on the BOA at that Decision point. We were getting regularly hammered in FB. No one could force what the CFB would become. having said that. Glad it's all behind us. Yea TD, Coach Fritz.