Time To Retire

It is becoming more and more difficult to discuss the ever-growing debacle that is the 2007-2008 LSU basketball season. Seriously, trying to explain blowing double-digit leads at home to inferior opponents has become repetitive (the latest a 17-point advantage over hapless Auburn). As so often happens when things are not going well in any facet of life, thoughts tend to drift to memories of a happier time. That happened on my radio program today.

Callers shared fond memories of "Pistol" Pete Maravich playing junior varsity games in front of standing-room-only crowds at LSU's Cow Palace only to have the crowds melt away when the varsity took the court. Others recollected Dale Brown's two Final Four seasons in the 1980s while others discussed the disappointment of talent-laden teams with the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Stanley Roberts and Chris Jackson failing to reach their potential in NCAA Tournament play.

Yet somehow, the discussion evolved into a broader issue: LSU's seeming unwillingness to honor its former stars; in particular, why former basketball All-American Rudy Macklin's jersey is not hanging from the rafters of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Macklin signed with LSU out of Louisville, Kentucky, and arrived on campus in Baton Rouge in 1976. The 1981 Final Four team that Macklin led is often considered one of the most talented teams in NCAA history to not win the national championship. I am not old enough to jog personal memories of Macklin's playing days at LSU, but I will certainly defer to those who call him the most influential LSU basketball player of his era. But, when it comes to Macklin's jersey being retired, I can't help but think of the company he would keep high above the court in the PMAC. Only Pete Maravich, Bob Pettit and Shaquille O'Neal have earned the honor of having their jersey numbers retired from the LSU basketball program. Macklin may have been the most distinguished LSU baller of his era, but he does not hold the same distinction as the three men already honored by LSU.

The discussion of Macklin, however, led me to consider which former LSU athletes most deserve to have their numbers retired from their respective sport. Before I list my nominees, here is a quick refresher of those who are honored by LSU:

Football:
No. 20 - Billy Cannon. LSU's lone Heisman Trophy winner had his number retired following the 1959 season. Cannon's is the only football number retired by LSU.

Basketball:
No. 23 - Pete Maravich. The man whom LSU's current basketball facility is named after still holds the NCAA scoring lead with a 44.2 points per game average. Had Pistol Pete had the benefit of a three-point line, experts estimate he would have averaged closer to 57 points per game.

No. 33 - Shaquille O'Neal. The most dominant basketball player of his era, O'Neal was a two-time All-American and the National Player of the Year in 1991. Shaq was the first overall selection in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

No. 50 - Bob Pettit. In 1954, Pettit became the first LSU athlete in any sport to have his number retired. Pettit was a three-time All-SEC selection and two-time All-American. He led LSU to its first Final Four and led the SEC is scoring three consecutive seasons.

Baseball: (Wall of Honor)
No. 15 - Skip Bertman. The architect of college's baseball's last true dynasty, Bertman led LSU to five national championships in a ten year span. He retired from coaching following the 2001 season.

No. 19 - Ben McDonald. "Big Ben" was college baseball's most dominant pitcher in the late 1980s. McDonald won the 1989 Golden Spikes Award given to the nation's top amateur baseball player. He also still holds LSU's career strikeout mark. He was the first player taken in the 1989 amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

No. 19 - Robbie Smith. Smith, an All-SEC pitcher in 1985, was honored posthumously after his death in 1997. While working as a member of the Florida Highway Patrol, a driver slammed his car into Smith's parked police cruiser, killing him instantly. Smith was a 1985 team captain.

No. 31 - Wally Pontiff. Pontiff was a three-year letterman who died suddenly in the summer of 2002 prior to his senior season at LSU. Despite only playing three seasons, Pontiff remains in the top 10 all-time in hits, batting average and doubles at LSU.

Clearly, LSU has been uber-selective when it comes to bestowing the honor of retiring a player's jersey number in any sport. Here are a few names that I believe should be honored as well:

Football:
No. 3 - Kevin Faulk. Simply put, Faulk is the greatest skill player LSU has seen since Billy Cannon. Faulk arrived at LSU in 1995 and immediately earned the starting job at running back. When he left Baton Rouge, Faulk has rewritten the LSU and SEC record books. His 6,833 career all-purpose yards rank first in SEC history and fifth in NCAA history. Faulk also holds LSU records in every major rushing category including career rushing yards, yards-per-rush average, yards-per-game average, career rushing touchdowns and career 1,000 yard seasons. Faulk was inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame in 2006.

Baseball:
No. 12 - Todd Walker. Walker is the most decorated player in LSU baseball history. In 1992, Walker became the first LSU baseball player to ever complete a season with a .400 batting average and was named National Freshman of the Year. In 1993, Walker completed his sophomore season with a .395 batting average and LSU's second national championship. He was the runner-up for the Golden Spikes Award and was named the MVP of the College World Series. Walker left LSU after the 1994 season as the SEC's all-time leader in hits, RBI, runs scored and total bases. He finished as the runner-up for the Golden Spikes Award for the second consecutive year.

Women's Basketball:
No. 33 - Seimone Augustus. LSU athletic director Skip Bertman called her the most important recruit in LSU history. Simply put, Augustus made LSU fans care about women's basketball. The Baton Rouge native was a three-time All-American, twice was named the National Player of the Year and led LSU to three consecutive Final Four appearances. Augustus was the first overall selection of the 2006 WNBA Draft.

Retiring a jersey number is the greatest individual honor a university or team can bestow on an individual athlete, and I certainly would not want to dilute that importance with "great" athletes instead of once-in-a-lifetime athletes.. I have long supported LSU's stringent policy when it comes to this distinction. The list of names honored by LSU is a short one. But, it's time it grew a little.