44 IS RESTORED

[Shenexon]

Everyone has their own opinion and I for one am glad 44 will be on the field again. In my lifetime, SU has been best when that number has been on the field. Let it be so once again.

 

[Toga]

Everyone has their own opinion and I for one am glad 44 will be on the field again. In my lifetime, SU has been best when that number has been on the field. Let it be so once again.

 

[Phillymoose]

Very very weird reaction by McNabb regardless if he was consulted or not. (surprised he wouldn't have known the retirement was a touchy issue) Just trying to think logically how he would even think it's in any ways disrespectful - didn't he know that Floyd Little was with Sala when he made the announcement? Does he realize that Floyd Little works for SU athletics? Donovan is commenting on how HE thinks that the players who wore #44 would react without checking how they actually do feel? Why wouldn't he take the time to find out how they feel instead of assuming he'd know how they felt. Is he saying Little, Brown and Conrad are wrong in how they feel but #5 is right? Just weird, very weird.

I can't believe he would behave this oddly.

 

[Toga]

SU leadership...yeh thats you Kent Syverud have no balls! McNabb go barff some more dickhead

 

[FAL]

We will have a clarification of the clarification which will explain the need for the clarification and the need to release a statement that would, more likely than not, require additional clarification to be fully appreciated. In truth, we anticipated this reaction and, to make this crystal clear, we were hoping that this entire event would snowball into something that would eventually catch fire.

Head Held High

Could you clarify that statement for us, please?​

 

[KaiserUEO]

Francesa weighed in on it yesterday briefly.

got a caller from Syracuse and before the guy could off his ?, Mike asked...whats going on with the #44 un-retirement? thats pretty odd to me. its either retired or its not, its either honored or its not. what are they doing up there?...

caller said he had no idea what they were thinking.

Mike again said its odd, just odd, makes no sense.

this didnt go well, kids.

looks like sala may have bit off more than he could chew.

 

[GoSU96]

Francesa weighed in on it yesterday briefly.

got a caller from Syracuse and before the guy could off his ?, Mike asked...whats going on with the #44 un-retirement? thats pretty odd to me. its either retired or its not, its either honored or its not. what are they doing up there?...

caller said he had no idea what they were thinking.

Mike again said its odd, just odd, makes no sense.

this didnt go well, kids.

looks like sala may have bit off more than he could chew.

Here's why it went well, because it becomes an actual tangible thing that the program can use as opposed to some old legend gathering dust and a marketing item to sell jerseys and move product.

Is there risk to "tarnishing the legacy", yeah, but who freaking cares at this point.

I also think we need to have our best QB's wearing 5, WR wearing 8, TE wearing 88.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Here's why it went well, because it becomes an actual tangible thing that the program can use as opposed to some old legend gathering dust and a marketing item to sell jerseys and move product.

Is there risk to "tarnishing the legacy", yeah, but who freaking cares at this point.

I also think we need to have our best QB's wearing 5, WR wearing 8, TE wearing 88.

would you like fries with that??

and did you know large shakes are now .99c for a limited time this spring??

 

[GoSU96]

would you like fries with that??

and did you know large shakes are now .99c for a limited time this spring??

What does that mean?

 

[TheCusian]

Francesa weighed in on it yesterday briefly.

got a caller from Syracuse and before the guy could off his ?, Mike asked...whats going on with the #44 un-retirement? thats pretty odd to me. its either retired or its not, its either honored or its not. what are they doing up there?...

caller said he had no idea what they were thinking.

Mike again said its odd, just odd, makes no sense.

this didnt go well, kids.

looks like sala may have bit off more than he could chew.

Ha. Exercises in missing the point.

It's been a PR nightmare, for sure. But here's what no one in the media gets:

1. Gross "retired" the number. But then said someone could wear it if judged worthy by a committee. Also said "we don't retire" numbers at Syracuse. Just one of the many gaffes by him. Basic truth: A player could be given the number if Floyd and his committee say so.

2. At the ceremony and on Twitter and on the radio after the ceremony: #44 is Back! Fine print and Basic truth: A player could be given the number if Floyd and his committee say so.

3. Next day after McNabb spouts off they reiterate in a poorly written press release this Basic truth: A player could be given the number if Floyd and his committee say so.

So in retrospect, every single one of those events changed nothing and made things more muddy. One could argue that with an AD in place the right move now would have been:

Make a big deal about how #44 is back at the ceremony involving the ground breaking and Floyd Little. Go on twitter. Grant interviews on radio, ESPN. If McNabb spouts off - contact him and explain what's up. Allow him to disagree if he chooses. Grant more interviews, do more radio, and go on ESPN to explain that the right decision is to have it in the rotation and stand your ground, make a big deal, have some balls (maybe have Floyd on Outside the Lines? Tirico?) ... reiterate Basic truth: A player could be given the number if Floyd and his committee say so.

Now you have a 3-day story the highlights the greatness of the former #44's, the new improvements for FB (IPF/44 plaza), and you've stood your ground and stood up to one of your biggest former stars - because you believe in what you've done. You've also built excitement and buzz for when your biggest recruit in 10 years runs out of the tunnel in 2016 wearing the #44. AND they talk about the whole damn thing again.

This is not hard.

 

[KaiserUEO]

What does that mean?

sigh.

what do you think it means??

 

[cuseguy]

sigh. what do you think it means??

Curly fries, if not too much trouble.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Curly fries, if not too much trouble.

and it really never should be too much trouble.

curly fries should be the burger and sandwich staple over the much more prevalent steak fry.

that said, curly fries are the silver medalist to the waffle fry's gold, in any Fry competition.

 

[GoSU96]

sigh.

what do you think it means??

I have no idea.

 

[Moontan]

The fries are curled to form a "4".

 

[Noexcuse]

The fries are curled to form a "4".

Finally. Someone explained how they came up with the style of the numbers on the jerseys.

 

[rrlbees]

I'm in favor of it being used with the coach giving it to a freshman RB when the coach deems it appropriate. That's how it's been used, that's the tradition. Not giving it to an upperclassman nor a non-RB.

 

[AZOrange]

And at the end of the day, the important thing here: 44 is, absolutely, without question, going to be back on the field at some point. Almost certainly on the back of Robert Washington.

With Washington spelled "Warsingtom"

 

[Stern]

http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/index.ssf/2015/06/jim_brown_on_no44.html#incart_m-rpt-1

And now Jim Brown goes public saying he didn't exactly endorse the "un-retiring of 44"

just great! More bad press will come of this and the story will live on and not just die and go away

 

[texascpa]

"When I did get a call from an executive up there, I didn't make a fuss about it and I told them whatever they wanted to do was OK with me."

That's all I care about. They decided to do it, let Brown know, he said "okay", then they announced. Now, if Brown said "Hell No", I think this would be been a bad decision, but he didn't.

 

[RF2044]

http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/index.ssf/2015/06/jim_brown_on_no44.html#incart_m-rpt-1

And now Jim Brown goes public saying he didn't exactly endorse the "un-retiring of 44"

just great! More bad press will come of this and the story will live on and not just die and go away

Axe won't let the story drop. He still has his panties in a bunch since the outcome didn't match the opinion he vociferously defended.

There isn't anything in that story from Brown that is imflammatory. Brown might not have given a ringing endorsement, but his silence was a pocket veto.

 

[jekelish]

I for one look forward to Bud's idiotic take on this tomorrow.

 

[xc84]

I for one look forward to Bud's idiotic take on this tomorrow.

Now that's funny.

 

[tep624]

Yet another non-story spun into something controversial by our resident click generators, the PS!

 

[MSOrange]

Axe won't let the story drop. He still has his panties in a bunch since the outcome didn't match the opinion he vociferously defended.

There isn't anything in that story from Brown that is imflammatory. Brown might not have given a ringing endorsement, but his silence was a pocket veto.

I agree. From what I know about Jim Brown, if he was against something, he wouldn't be afraid to say something. So if he didn't make it completely clear and say "hell no" - too late.