Cowboys picked for sixth
SAN ANTONIO — Southland Conference coaches and Sports Information Directors don't think much about the return of Matt Viator to McNeese State.
After the Cowboys improved six wins last season, the second most in Division I football, they made a change and brought back Viator after a nine-year absence. Yet the three-time SLC Coach of the Year and all-time winningest skipper in McNeese history sees his team picked for sixth in the league's preseason poll released Monday morning.
McNeese managed to collect just 85 points, despite Viator's resume, which includes four championships and five playoff appearances in 10 years. That may just be the kick in the pants the Cowboys need as they look to get back in the race for a title after last year's 6-6 finish.
Defending champion Incarnate Word was tagged as the favorite once again, picking up 15 of the possible 20 first-place votes. The Cardinals, who return preseason All-American wide receiver Jalen Walthall, finished with 158 points after going 11-3 last season.
In just its second season back in the league, Stephen F. Austin was next with 137 points and three first-place votes. The Lumberjacks were one of three teams to finish last year with a 7-5 record.
SFA finished just one point ahead of Southeastern, which was third at 136 and picked up one of the remaining two first-place votes. The other went to Lamar, which placed fourth with 112 total points.
Both Southeastern and Lamar also finished 7-5 last season, but none of the three earned a second postseason spot for the Southland Conference in the FCS playoffs.
Nicholls was picked fifth with 91 points despite the retirement of long-time head coach Tim Rebowe. Defensive Coordinator Tommy Rybacki will take over the program.
Following McNeese, East Texas A&M, and Houston Christian came in tied for seventh with points. Northwestern State (39) placed ninth, with football newcomer Texas-Rio Grande Valley coming in last with just 24 points.
SLC PRESEASON POLL
1. UIW 15/158
2. SFA 3/137
3. SELA 1/136
4. Lamar 1/112
5. Nicholls 91
6. McNeese 85
7t HCU/ETAM 59
9. NW State 39
10. UTRGV 24
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Indeed, either English-language pop music (think Michael Jackson and Clearance Clearwater Revival) or Spanish-language genres popular in La Frontera (think Selena and Grupo Frontera) are loudly piped through the stadium's speakers until just before the pitcher begins his windup. The music's constant fading in and out can cause a sensory overload but, given how many fans are actively dancing and singing between pitches, it palpably adds to the atmosphere (and, in line with what every interviewee above said, there is certainly a bit more dancing in the crowd at the game in Nuevo Laredo). Aside from the acoustic experience, attending an LMB game is a nice mix of the best elements of both major and minor league baseball in the US. As with the minor leagues, a Tecos game is cheap and family friendly; parking is free and just four dollars buys both a hot dog and a small beer, even at the Laredo stadium. Like the US major leagues, however, LMB games feature in-stadium replays on the big screen and significant emotional investment all around the ballpark. Pitchers pound their chest emphatically after a strike out and fans with worried faces clasp their hands in prayer. LMB baseball's existence at la frontera of minor and major league baseball appeals to players as well fans. 'It's been fun – everywhere I've been has been awesome,' says Stephen Gonsalves, a pitcher for the visiting Charros de Jalisco who previously played for the MLB's Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. Gonsalves is part of a recent wave of US players who've opted to play in the LMB. 'There are fewer jobs stateside,' he adds, referring to the nationwide reduction of minor league teams in the US in 2020. 'So, now … there are a lot of older, veteran guys that have played in the big leagues. Every team has at least three or four former big leaguers on it… It's good competition.' LMB players also seem to enjoy a higher quality of life than their minor league counterparts. 'Minor league baseball was a hassle,' says Andrew Pérez, another pitcher from the visiting Charros team who spent six years with Chicago White Sox organization, including significant time with their AAA affiliate. 'I was in the minor leagues when you had eight guys in an apartment.' Now, for players like Pérez and Gonsalves, the most annoying logistical hurdles seem to be the multiple border crossings and hotels during away stands at the two Laredos (home games alternate between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo). This cross-border shuffling seems to be a common complaint among visiting teams, and may even represent a homefield advantage for los Tecos. For many, many residents of both Laredos (including los Tecos), crossing the US-Mexico border is simply a bureaucratic fact of daily life, much like toll roads or paying for public transport in other cities. Recent surges in media coverage may suggest the presence of some new crisis at the border but, based on those responses of those who live around it, it's business as usual. Every person interviewed for this article said that they hadn't noticed a significant change at the border in recent months and, if anything, seemed a little amused by my questions on the subject. In the two Laredos, the border has always been a part of everyday life and will continue to be long after the surge in interest dies down. By claiming both Laredos as their home, los Tecos' fronteriza identity represents an older, historical and undivided Laredo that predates the United States and was only bifurcated in the 19th century as a result of the Mexican-American War. Here on the Rio Grande, questions of national jurisdiction seem temporary compared to the longevity of many families' and communities' presence in the area. Los Tecos represent the reality of those people. Walking back over the bridge to the US from the game in Nuevo Laredo (the CBP officer, a fan, asks about the game), the river look remarkably un-grande.
