ULM fans have been pretty brutal in the Monroe News-Star's chat room.
You can always find interesting comments on university athletics-focused chat rooms, but there's not much positive going for UL Monroe on the one operated by the Monroe News-Star. In fact, a lot of Warhawk fans aren't giving their football team much of a chance in Saturday's in-state rivalry game against the Ragin' Cajuns.
For example, "Injuncharlie," a throwback to years ago when ULM was the Indians, says:
"With ULM heading into the wrong direction again, it is time for the student body to vote on if ULM should move down to 1-AA. I am voting 1-AA!"
Of course, I-AA no longer exists. It's referred to as the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), but you get the point.
"Travelersrest," who maybe writing from a chain hotel, comments:
"UL-M has no chance of defeating UL-L. How does (ULM athletic director) Bobby Staub insist that (ULM head football coach Todd) Berry was a good hire. Cheap, cheap, cheap."
The apparently-unaptly named "ULMMan" takes shots at a lot more than Warhawk football (corrected for grammar):
"How does Bobby Staub insist that Berry was a good hire? Bobby does not know anything. Look at ULM's sport programs since he has been here. Only ones worth mentions are the female tennis team and water ski team. Those two teams do not get the respect they deserve; Only the losers get mentioned, football, basketball (both), baseball and other lousy teams. I think Bobby needs to step down or be let go. Another AD would do a better job hiring and/or recruiting."
"Snarky III" says that he gave the Warhawks a chance, several times, but:
"Well I was excited and hopeful this year until the Warhacks' played their first game and stunk up the place, they beat Grambling which they should have and played a good game against Troy but then there was the North Texas debacle. I still went to homecoming and saw an amazing display of football. They came roaring back not once but twice. The first comeback was marred by non-existent special teams play and a 79 yard KO return leading to a score and two point conversion. They come back again and tie the score, get the ball first in OT and on a first and goal at the three throw an interception. Western KY then kicks a FG to win the game. Call me a fair weather fan but I ain't going back out to ULM to see another FB game for a while."
And "Hawk_007" just wants everyone gone, but doesn't expect it to happen:
"The school doesn't care enough to fire the AD, the AD & school are too cheap and dumb to hire a good coach and we keep taking L's every week. We have a really talented group of guys, that I believe would be a 7-win team or so this year and compete at the top of the Sun Belt. Look @ UL...new coach + same players=best season ever! ULM continues to lose. It's amazing what coaching can do. Another loss this week should be the final nail, but we'll just give the head coach an extension."
This type of negativity happens virtually everywhere when a football team is struggling like ULM this season, and it's not that different from what UL's chat rooms were dispensing last year. The message from all this that should be taken by Cajun fans: Never take the success you have right now for granted. And make damn sure you show up on Saturday.