Where's the interest?

LSU played an exhibition basketball game against Louisiana College and less than 4,000 fans bothered to attend.

That's downright embarrassing.

This is a team that went to the Final Four last year. It's a team that returns a preseason All-America in Glen Davis.

Look, I know it's an exhibition. I know it's Louisiana College. But you only have so many chances to see this team and Big Baby play.

At this rate, LSU will have its usual 7,000 fans for the opener on Friday night against Nicholls.

That's pathetic.

They used to say Baton Rouge only turned out for stars - Chris Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal. Now the Tigers have a star in Davis and they still don't turn out.

Up I-49, Northwestern State opened its season last Friday night and there wasn't an empty seat in the building. Now, 3,700 may not sound like a lot. But Natchitoches is way smaller than Baton Rouge.

This may be a fan problem - people not realizing that it is OK to watch football and basketball. It may be an LSU problem - poor marketing. Or both.

Whatever, it's a problem.