First of all, I would like to welcome all incoming freshmen to Tech.

Now, if you will please discard all your T-shirts, hats, bumper-stickers and anything else praising other athletic programs except your own.

You are a Bulldog now.

I know I am not alone when showing my disgust at the lack of school spirit at Tech. It is not only a lack of school spirit, but the blatant support of other collegiate sports programs shown around campus.

As a former Tech athlete I can testify first-hand the resentment towards the lack of support after working so hard to be successful.

Let me begin with the biggest problem: LSU Tiger fans.

I know you have probably grown up loving LSU, viewing every game from Daddy's season tickets on the 50-yard-line or in the one-of-a-kind student-section in Death Valley.

I also know that you have something extra to be excited about now that the Tigers have finally used their talent to produce a national championship, but it all ends now.

If you would like to be a part of that national championship, please leave us alone and go to LSU.

I will be honest. I have been to my share of LSU games and there is nothing like a Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

You may not be surrounded by 100,000 inebriated fans applauding a mere first-down, but I promise if you spend your Saturday afternoons at Joe Aillet Stadium, you will witness a young, talented and exciting football team that has been working harder than they have in years.

I have been to Tiger Stadium once since enrolling at Tech, and that was last season in support of the Bulldogs as they lost badly to LSU, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Along with the LSU-faithful, Tech receives a high number of students from Texas, who therefore support one of the many strong athletic programs in the state of Texas, especially the Longhorns.

If I may ask, who made Texas the center of the athletic world?

It seems as though people from Texas cheer for teams only from Texas and feel that no other program lives up to those in the "Lone Star State."

Actually, I would like to send out an apology to all you Longhorn fans because all you have gotten out of the past few football seasons is a No. 1 recruiting class.

Instead of cheering for a school that is hundreds of miles away, broaden your sports knowledge, lower your hand sporting the Longhorn symbol and trade in that ugly burnt orange T-shirt for some Bulldog apparel.

With LSU and Texas spoken for, there are many more universities that are openly supported with total disregard to the hard-working student athletes at Tech.

It is easy to cheer for a huge university that will no-doubt produce a winning record, making all their ignorant fans feel like geniuses when their team wins again.

It is certainly okay to have a favorite team at heart instead of the Bulldogs, but I simply urge you to give them a chance.

You will find it much more fulfilling rooting for your own team.

Luke DeRouen is a senior journalism major from Lake Charles and serves as sports editor and managing editor of the Tech Talk. E-mail comments to lcd005@latech.edu.