Syracuse MBB finally releases a statement

[Cusefan0307]

Brent Axe really likes to manufacture a crisis.

 

[BBQuse]

and they are being crucified. Have some stones. Us fans deserve the truth.

While it now seems clear why we turned down the NIT, this statement is absurd. First of all Red, previously said the opposite. Secondly, it reads as if we would NEVER accept an NIT bid under any circumstances, even going forward. Some here might agree with that, but it's still stupid to say it for multiple reasons (among others, not poking the NCAA in the eye, but also leaving the door open for future years where it might actually be a helpful stepping stone for a young team where core players are planning to return).

Why the heck couldn't the school just say we respectfully decline or, if they wanted to say more, just say that, with short roster in transition, this just wasn't the year.

And lastly, no good excuse not to say whatever they were going to say prior to the selection show. I might be in the minority, but I look forward to any SU game -- NIT, exhibition, scrub or top 10. The goal is always the NCAAT, but I was still looking forward to a few more games to extend the season before the off-season waiting game. To sit through the selection show befuddled and frustrated for no reason is just a slap in the face to like minded fans.

 

[Cusefan78]

I love that everyone assumes we’re gonna rock and roll next year. This may take years before it turns around. I’m dubious until I see receiving votes again

Agree I don’t see this being an easy task. I think it’s going to take a few years atleast. The culture that we once had is gone. Players don’t care about a championship we won before they were born. Red has zero reputation as a head coach other than fielding a team that couldn’t get along with multiple bad eggs. The days of recruits banging down the door to play in the dome are long gone. They should have blown the whole thing up last year. Hopefully red can turn it around and is not the grob of basketball.

 

[emjkay]

No. You are wrong. It is compliance WITH THE LAW.

I don't think so. Maybe it's to maintain the athlete's privacy.

Regardless, that was not the original point you made: "In this day and age not disclosing the full extent of an athlete's injury is not due to compliance it's more of an attitude."

The bolded statement is totally and unequivocally false, and that is what I was referring to.

B

I don't think so. Maybe it's to maintain the athlete's privacy.

Regardless, that was not the original point you made: "In this day and age not disclosing the full extent of an athlete's injury is not due to compliance it's more of an attitude."

The bolded statement is totally and unequivocally false, and that is what I was referring to

People need to stop acting like they have a "right" to know details about the players. You don't have a right to know any medical issues and you don't have a right to know anything in their personal lives. If they choose to make it public, fine, but if they don't, live with it. People like you act so entitled.

People need to stop acting like they have a "right" to know details about the players. You don't have a right to know any medical issues and you don't have a right to know anything in their personal lives. If they choose to make it public, fine, but if they don't, live with it. People like you act so entitled.

These last posts must have been written by someone affiliated or close to the program. They are very defensive and taken much too personal. THE END

 

[Brooky03]

I’m not reading all 5 pages so far. Just dropping in to say some of you complain about the weirdest stuff.

Who cares about the NIT? Who cares if we were invited or not invited or said don’t invite us? Nobody in basketball is concerned with who did or didn’t get an NIT invite or who declined. It’s a nothing tournament that means nothing to anybody. It has been for decades at this point. It’s a feel-good tournament for teams that want to play a few more games for the fans. Well, our fans have established that anything less than NCAAT is unacceptable, so who would they be playing for?

 

[PhatOrange]

Well this would be true if you had guys willing to play…

So far this is all middle school soccer mom gossip...and frankly if guys don't want to play then they should be immediately kicked off the team with no access to the athletic facilities. They can go be regular students then until they transfer.

If I'm the coach, I go play with whoever wants to play and if it's 5 walkons so be it.

 

[orange79]

B




These last posts must have been written by someone affiliated or close to the program. They are very defensive and taken much too personal. THE END

lol

No, it is not THE END.

I am not affiliated with the university at all. I am, however, relatively knowledgeable about how college athletics work, and the rules and regulations surrounding those operations.

My posts were not defensive at all. They were merely pointing out that you were wrong. The university has no choice in the matter. They must comply to HIPAA rules - this is the law.

You can think whatever you want, and have whatever opinions you want. That does not mean those opinions aren't totally wrong. And that they won't be corrected by people who know.

 

[AZOrange]

That's all rumors and frankly if guys don't want to play then they should be immediately kicked off the team with no access to the athletic facilities. They can go be regular students then until they transfer.

If I'm the coach, I go play with whoever wants to play and if it's 5 walkons so be it.

How does playing a bunch of walkons do anything positive? Get the coaches on the trail

 

[Brooky03]

So far this is all middle school soccer mom gossip...and frankly if guys don't want to play then they should be immediately kicked off the team with no access to the athletic facilities. They can go be regular students then until they transfer.

If I'm the coach, I go play with whoever wants to play and if it's 5 walkons so be it.

Trotting out walk-ons to lose to a school in the NIT 130-24 would not be a good brand move any way you slice it. The tournament would not appreciate that either.

 

[PhatOrange]

How does playing a bunch of walkons do anything positive? Get the coaches on the trail

I think anyone arguing not playing is better than playing doesn't know a single thing about being a coach, an athlete or a competitor. You can start with more practices as being a positive. Obviously for the players that want to stay.

 

[elimunelson]

I think anyone arguing not playing is better than playing doesn't know a single thing about being a coach, an athlete or a competitor. You can start with more practices as being a positive. Obviously for the players that want to stay.

people operate these programs like they are playing tecmo bowl.

players should want to play.
coaches should want to coach.
recruits should want to come to a school to play and to be coached.

The rest of the stuff on the margins is ruining the sport. I think some people enjoy the offseason more than the regular season now since hope springs eternal and this is a reverse groundhog day sport now with new teams yearly. no holdovers unless you really are back of the bench and aren't looking to ever leave

 

[AZOrange]

I think anyone arguing not playing is better than playing doesn't know a single thing about being a coach, an athlete or a competitor. You can start with more practices as being a positive. Obviously for the players that want to stay.

As patronizing and condescending as your response was, I’ll just say this isn’t 1980 anymore. You can choose to wake up and get serious or get left behind.

 

[br801]

This is college sports and players today. Greed has ruined it. I remember the nit run we had in the early 2000s. The home games were electric. Everyone stood and yelled from the jump and didn’t sit down till the final seconds. I’ll never forget that. If opting out and players jumping ship like free agents every year is the norm then I’m out. This is not fun and the exact opposite of what college sports should be. Now blow up this team. These bums aren’t nba players and never will be. Adopt a Fran brown mentality and bring in loyal hard working kids who want to be here.

Maybe Fran Brown can do double duty and take over for Red, as he's a proven winner!

 

[AZOrange]

people operate these programs like they are playing tecmo bowl.

players should want to play.
coaches should want to coach.
recruits should want to come to a school to play and to be coached.

The rest of the stuff on the margins is ruining the sport. I think some people enjoy the offseason more than the regular season now since hope springs eternal and this is a reverse groundhog day sport now with new teams yearly. no holdovers unless you really are back of the bench and aren't looking to ever leave

No we have just come to accept the reality in which we all live now.

 

[Cusefan0307]

people operate these programs like they are playing tecmo bowl.

players should want to play.
coaches should want to coach.
recruits should want to come to a school to play and to be coached.

The rest of the stuff on the margins is ruining the sport. I think some people enjoy the offseason more than the regular season now since hope springs eternal and this is a reverse groundhog day sport now with new teams yearly. no holdovers unless you really are back of the bench and aren't looking to ever leave

It’s not 1990, 2000, 2010, or even 2015 anymore.

The NIT will be dead within 5 years.

 

[Newhouser]

Only Syracuse fans could think that this matters to anyone outside the 315 area code. No one cares about the NIT.

and sadly not too many folks outside of, or with ties to the 315 area code, care that much about Cuse basketball anymore.

 

[FrancoPizza]

and sadly not too many folks outside of, or with ties to the 315 area code, care that much about Cuse basketball anymore.

I think our fan presence in away venues suggests otherwise.

Now if we continue to miss the tournament then, yes, eventually people lose hope and move on with their lives.

 

[M2MPrinciples]

I don't care that strongly about SU declining to play. I would've loved to see the guys get reps against decent competition, but it makes a lot of sense for them to sit out if the lineup Autry would've played wasn't going to look anything like it will in the fall. I don't buy the argument that playing in the NIT disadvantages the staff on the recruiting trail, at least not by any significant amount, so that's a nothing-burger to me.

I'm more concerned by how SU continues to biff PR 101. Don't say that anytime there's a chance to play in the postseason you have to take it if you aren't going to actually take it. Hell, don't say anything either way; It's very easy to give non-answers until Selection Sunday; "I'll get together with JW and we'll decide what we want to do, yadda yadda yadda."

Then, if you don't take the invite, have a statement ready to go on social media like what Pitt did. That allows you to control the conversation and convey to fans (and media) that you're attuned to their concerns so that everyone can move on instead of being in the dark.

Again, this is super easy stuff that the program has been bungling for years.

 

[AZOrange]

and sadly not too many folks outside of, or with ties to the 315 area code, care that much about Cuse basketball anymore.

As I mentioned to the board last summer…college brands are basically dead. It’s all about chance to play, $$$$ and coaching relationships. That’s it.

 

[Brooky03]

I think anyone arguing not playing is better than playing doesn't know a single thing about being a coach, an athlete or a competitor. You can start with more practices as being a positive. Obviously for the players that want to stay.

It’s a safe bet that most here played sports at least through the high school level. So, most understand what it means to be an athlete/competitor.

I can’t speak for them, but athletes usually know when they’re playing for something worthwhile. Anecdotally, I was on a football team that was bounced from Sectionals and we all wanted to just end the season. Playing down a class just to get an extra game in wasn’t a priority for the seniors or juniors. We were more or less forced to play. I think our eye-rolls during the game could be seen from the stands. What value did that game have?

 

[Cusefan78]

It’s not 1990, 2000, 2010, or even 2015 anymore.

The NIT will be dead within 5 years.

I don’t buy that. I have heard that same line for 20 years, Yet the nit is still here. Why because ppl still have a hunger for sports and the drama that comes with tournaments. If players can’t handle a few extra games then so be it go home and count your money while the real players give their heart and soul for the sport they love and the fans come out to watch it. That little bit of nil money won’t last but the pride in playing lasts forever.

 

[LoveShack]

Trotting out walk-ons to lose to a school in the NIT 130-24 would not be a good brand move any way you slice it. The tournament would not appreciate that either.

Sort of like the way the Bowl game went ya mean?

 

[AZOrange]

I don’t buy that. I have heard that same line for 20 years, Yet the nit is still here. Why because ppl still have a hunger for sports and the drama that comes with tournaments. If players can’t handle a few extra games then so be it go home and count your money while the real players give their heart and soul for the sport they love and the fans come out to watch it. That little bit of nil money won’t last but the pride in playing lasts forever.

You should write for Hallmark

 

[Cusefan0307]

I don’t buy that. I have heard that same line for 20 years, Yet the nit is still here. Why because ppl still have a hunger for sports and the drama that comes with tournaments. If players can’t handle a few extra games then so be it go home and count your money while the real players give their heart and soul for the sport they love and the fans come out to watch it. That little bit of nil money won’t last but the pride in playing lasts forever.

Because it's going to merge with the NCAA tournament with nearly 10 teams opting out and it being a money loser.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I don’t buy that. I have heard that same line for 20 years, Yet the nit is still here. Why because ppl still have a hunger for sports and the drama that comes with tournaments. If players can’t handle a few extra games then so be it go home and count your money while the real players give their heart and soul for the sport they love and the fans come out to watch it. That little bit of nil money won’t last but the pride in playing lasts forever.