Tulane may have lost the game 34-9 to No. 2 LSU on Saturday at the Superdome, but Tulane's return from a near-death experience of Katrina may have just taken a turn for the better in a lop-sided but entertaining loss to the cross-state powerhouse Fightin' Tigers. 

Diminutive Tulane quarterback Anthony Scelfo led the Wave to a surprising 10-9 deficit at halftime, the Tulane offense confounding the LSU defense with trick plays and the occasional first down.  The halfback passes, laterals and reverses effectively shut down the speedy LSU defensive line and kept the Tigers wondering what happened to a easy victory in an exciting first half. 

In the second half, LSU asserted its dominance and literally ran over the Green Wave with 24 unanswered points.  Another loss for the Wave?  Certainly.  A sign of better times on the horizon?  Maybe, just maybe.   

 A lot will depend on Tulane football fans.  The two previous games, both at home, had announced crowds well under 30,000, and likely no more than 10-15,000 people actually put "cheeks in the chairs."  Keep in mind as well that supporters of the University of Houston and Championship Division-member Southeastern Louisiana filled probably half of those seats. 

Psst--It's easy to get a good seat at the Dome for a Tulane football game.  Simply buy the cheapest ticket you can and pick your favorite spot-because no one will be sitting in it.  

Tulane has had a fan support problem that will seriously inhibit their ability to attract Division I-A talent if they continue to draw so poorly at the gate.  An announced crowd of 58,789 saw the LSU-Tulane game on Saturday-good enough to boost Tulane's average attendance but well below Superdome capacity (69,000).  The Tulane Athletic Department had as many as 3,000 tickets remaining as of Friday.  This, above all the Post-K challenges for the Green Wave, must change if Tulane football is to have a future.

Many fans may have stayed away because of the early start time (11:00 am) and because they could see it on ESPN2.  LSU fans, which travel extremely well, hate early start times because they ruin the tailgating routine of watching all the daytime games before heading to Tiger Stadium.

Not only must Tulane's fans buy tickets, they must make wearing Olive and Blue a constant reminder to college football fans that D-I football lives in New Orleans.  Wear it with a pride that comes only through adversity.  Tulane's coaches and players deserve the show of support. 

After spending an entire season on the road, being forced from their home in Katrina's wake, the Green Wave faced adversity hardly ever seen in the annals of NCAA football history.  They could not go home.  They could not practice nor train on their home field, and could not play in front of a home crowd.

Tulane personified what many of us evacuees went through-surviving only through the kindness of others.  It is not a situation any of us would like to be in again.  Katrina taught us to rely on ourselves, and maybe this push of inward strength can sustain the Wave as they rebuild their fan base.  Those same fans stepping up to the plate to buy tickets (and show up) as well as wear their colors with pride would be a good place to start.  

Wear your heart on your sleeves, Tulane fans, and make sure those sleeves are covered in green.

See this, Tulane fans?  It would be nice if you wore these more often...

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