The Athletic Department is about to get hit by this economic downturn like a Mack truck. They haven’t publicly said it, but they all can sense it coming.And even if they don’t come right out and say it, Atlanta-based rapper Young Jeezy has already declared it.”It’s a recession and everybody’s broke,” the Snowman spit on the title track of his latest album, “The Recession.”And the LSU Athletic Department is no different — because they don’t spend wisely. They’ve had to make some tough decisions on finances, decisions that will greatly affect the student-athletes. One of the things the department has had to look into is the travel budget for teams, because it spend about $4.5 million of this fiscal year’s $75 million budget on getting from place to place. This included nearly $400,000 for the men’s and women’s basketball teams to charter seven flights each this season. That’s an absolute waste of funds. And Athletic Director Joe Alleva’s solution? To consider not playing teams as far away as Utah and Connecticut so the team can just ride a bus and not have to fly. That’s just dumb.  I’ve got a better solution: Fly commercial, which would cost at most $15,000 by estimates. There is no reason these teams can’t sit in coach like the regular Joe Schmoes, eat their bags of peanuts and pretzels and drink their half-glass of fruit juice while watching a B-list actor in a romantic comedy. The fans shouldn’t have to be cheated out of good games against teams LSU doesn’t normally play because the players can’t fly commercial. The people in charge use the excuse of not interfering with academics as a reason to fly commercial. But I’ve had classes with athletes, and they don’t show up anyway. Another issue the department faces is the new facilities that are either being built or need to be improved in the future. The department just spent multimillions on a new Alex Box Stadium, Tiger Park, basketball practice facility and gift shop.The $2 million they’ve spent for a gift center is ridiculous.  They don’t need to spend that money. There’s a gift center in the bookstore, and it’s sufficiently met my needs for the past three years, not to mention the gift store right next door to the one in construction. A $12 million softball park is also a bit absurd as well. The 824 fans per game that went to the old Tiger Park are really going to enjoy the new digs.  The fans are already feeling the effects of the department’s bad money handling. Last year, it was announced football ticket prices would be rising over the next three years.Maybe if they didn’t build new gift shops, softball stadiums and unnecessary things of that ilk, ticket prices wouldn’t have to be increased. And on a somewhat unrelated note, one of the department’s other methods of fundraising is absolutely deplorable. There is no reason Skip Bertman should be going door to door asking former athletes for donations — even if he wants to. A 70-year-old man who suffered a heart attack last summer shouldn’t really be doing much at all besides enjoying his old age and playing with his grandkids. I don’t know how most people do it, but if I get that old and have a heart attack, it’s pretty much going to be a wrap on anything remotely strenuous. I’m just going to watch sports, eat fried foods and live the good life.A man shouldn’t be risking his health so the Athletic Department can make an extra grand.—-Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]