Last Wednesday I recorded an interview with well known Louisiana sportscaster Lyn Rollins, who along with former Cajuns & Tigers softball coach, Yvette Girouard, are on the ESPN 3 call from the Baton Rouge Regional. Rollins said “I think heat will be a factor. I looked at the weather it doesn’t look promising, I hate to say that. Lot of chance for thunderstorms.” Basically as far back as last Wednesday the forecast predicted plenty of rain for the regional.
I arrived Saturday at Tiger Park and my timing was perfect as I heard…’and the home of the brave.’ Well, before I got settled in, there was already talk, due to the impending weather, the winner of Game 3, (Cajuns & Tigers) may advance to the Super Regional without having to play another game.
Of course, that’s completely ridiculous. Both UL and LSU have played over 50 games this season, with LSU quickly approaching 60. The NCAA is going to tell one of those teams, ‘Sorry, it rained, your season is over.’ I thought that before the Cajuns & Tigers played on Saturday and I thought that before any of the action started on Sunday.
Regardless if the local NCAA representative told everyone in advance that may be the case, this should be settled on the field. No actual reasons have been given other than it’s a NCAA rule.
This easily could’ve been avoided. First, there shouldn’t have been any curfew on Saturday for LSU and as it turns out McNeese State. Knowing the forecast for Sunday and Monday, the Tigers and Cowgirls should’ve played late Saturday night into Sunday morning. And then the winner gets Louisiana, not at 1:30p, as LSU and McNeese were originally scheduled for, but at 9a or 10a.
I understand those games would not have been played under ideal conditions. The Cajuns and Tigers underwent almost 6.5 hours of combined delays before they finished their game on Saturday. But playing late one night and then early the next, has to be better than not playing at all.
And what’s the rush to finish up the regional on Monday? The Super Regional in Tallahassee isn’t scheduled to start until Saturday night. As far as I’m concerned, they could start play as late as 1p Friday, hop on a bus after, and play Florida State Saturday night. As preposterous as that sounds, it’s not nearly as insane of not playing the game at all.
On top of all of that, can you imagine one of the college football semifinals beings delayed or postponed due to lightening in the area? No way would Nick Saban or Urban Meyer have their season end because of the weather conditions.
If the Baton Rouge Regional is not completed due to weather, chalk it up to more hypocrisy from the NCAA, they are all about the student-athletes. NCAA President Mark Emmert should personally apologize to each and every Cajuns softball player, coach and staff member. Let him be the one to tell them their season is done because of the weather.
Mr. Emmert to quote the great Bob Watson and then William Devane from Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, “Let Them Play”.