Jeremy L.
2018 Iggy Regular Season Record Winner
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- Nov 29, 2011
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It really does read like it was written in a time vacuum. Most discovered JB is an interesting, engaging and thoughtful person a couple of decades ago.It's basically just an updated version of this piece from 1996:
IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW SYRACUSE COACH JIM BOEHEIM... ...GUESS AGAIN!
His attempt to understand people who live in CNY was a major failure. He probably should have picked up a phone or gotten on a plane and talked to someone before trying to write an article.
Even more than asking Mike, he could have queried some of Boeheim's peers. Associates like Pitino, friends like Krzyzewski, rivals like Calhoun will all tell you that, if anything, Boeheim is underrated.
Even more than asking Mike, he could have queried some of Boeheim's peers. Associates like Pitino, friends like Krzyzewski, rivals like Calhoun will all tell you that, if anything, Boeheim is underrated.
And I, too, have read numerous books about my hometown, and this characterization of them is just untrue:
Two things stood out from my reading. First, people with ties to Syracuse can’t resist making fun of the city of Syracuse. This theme popped up in everything that I read. Syracuse is a with nothing to do and where it snows for 300 days a year, and I will never forgive my ancestors for settling in this godforsaken part of the world. The important catch here, though, is that the authors of these books always insulted their city in an endearing way, where the subtext “… but it’s my home and that’s reason enough to love it” shined through in every complaint. It also was obvious that these complaints were NOT invitations for outsiders to join them in tearing down Syracuse, which is critically important to note.
Everything that I've read about the weather in the Snow Belt and the economic conditions in the Rust Belt are much heavier on pride than on self-deprecation. They are things that make us hardy, and they are always mentioned along with reverence for the unmistakable beauty of CNY. It doesn't surprise me t all, then, that he does not bother to reference by title any of these books and that his "quotes" from them are made up.
JB is a complicate man and his legacy is also complicated and open to debate, but the impression I get after having read the article is that the author began with his conclusion already determined and then sought out only those things that would help to confirm it. It often seems that approach is Journalism 101 these days.
I don't agree. A foundation of his argument is that people from Syracuse think their city is a craphole; nobody in this thread is saying thatThis thread basically proves the author's point. As someone who grew up in upstate, attended Syracuse and now lives in NYC, I really don't know how you can argue with what he wrote in the way he framed it.
Also, Mike Waters' tweet is exactly the kind of comment that misses the point of the story and reinforces exactly what he wrote.
Then write your own article, Mike.
(Way to [deliberately] miss the point, too - the author's forming his own conclusions based on Boeheim's own words, not on the reheated opinions of some beat writer.)
I thought that was a good piece. I don't agree with every characterization and find some of the writing over the top, but it rings true to me. And it's clear that Titus likes his subject. Can't imagine why Syracuse fans who actually read the article could be up in arms about it. It was uncritical and fairly perceptive.
More perceptive, I think, than a lot of local fans. We've heard half a decade of "CNYers love Scott Shafer because he's one of us" because he constantly told you so, but I've never before heard that said about Boeheim, despite 50 years of a lifestyle that cements that fact.
Yes. My biggest problems with the piece are his conclusions everyone here thinks Syracuse is an awful place and the reason he is so loved here is because he is 'one of us'.I don't agree. A foundation of his argument is that people from Syracuse think their city is a craphole; nobody in this thread is saying that
I hate when people want to say something but don't have the stones to do it and say "some people might say". It's such crap. I find it funny he goes from Boeheim got all of his wins against the crap teams and only won a single title to comparing him to Wooden, K, Phog Allen and Rupp. That is quite a leap.
I don't disagree with the idea that JAB didn't learn from anyone great and had to learn everything on his own.
I find it funny that a guy calls out how easily offended Syracuse fans are...and Syracuse fans are offended by his commentary. He also said that he's someone who made a point to learn about Syracuse because we're fortunate to have a very big and important program that he didn't know about. People are saying he should have known this stuff about JB because it's been out there forever, but he literally said he didn't really know anything about Syracuse before he become somewhat obsessed with JB.
Agree, that claim is only made by people inventing reasons to justify their dislike for the guy, it's goofy.I think the whole he beats bad teams and never plays anyone thing is what annoys me most because everyone does it. We play Kansas this year and Duke plays Michigan State and then Duke plays St. Francis, Elon, Southern, Furman and Utah Valley. Literally every program schedules this way unless they play in a league where they dominate like Zaga. It's so annoying to me when people say this.