44 IS RESTORED

[Stern]

It's restored.

Deal with it.

I can deal with it. Seems like the rest of America can't...lol. I'm not the problem, to me I think its a lot to do over nothing and I don't care about retired numbers one bit. The perception of SU nationwide is the problem here because of this story. Getting bad press over it on PTI, the NBA Finals, Dan Patrick show...etc and other national media outlets doesn't help SU's brand. SU's brand when it comes to football is poor right now, this doesn't help! And the story ain't going away anytime soon.

 

[TheCusian]

I can deal with it. Seems like the rest of America can't...lol. I'm not the problem, to me I think its a lot to do over nothing and I don't care about retired numbers one bit. The perception of SU nationwide is the problem here because of this story. Getting bad press over it on PTI, the NBA Finals, Dan Patrick show...etc and other national media outlets doesn't help SU's brand. SU's brand when it comes to football is poor right now, this doesn't help! And the story ain't going away anytime soon.

Oh noes! More people know the greatest football player ever went to Syracuse

 

[cuseguy]

I can deal with it. Seems like the rest of America can't...lol. I'm not the problem, to me I think its a lot to do over nothing and I don't care about retired numbers one bit. The perception of SU nationwide is the problem here because of this story. Getting bad press over it on PTI, the NBA Finals, Dan Patrick show...etc and other national media outlets doesn't help SU's brand. SU's brand when it comes to football is poor right now, this doesn't help! And the story ain't going away anytime soon.

So you retire it again?

Then SU would look like bigger fools.

 

[retro44]

20-40 years from now many,many people will have no clue TO what the 44 meant to Syracuse football if it stays retired.

 

[Stevenson]

20-40 years from now many,many people will have no clue TO what the 44 meant to Syracuse football if it stays retired.

At this moment, very few people know or care, especially 17 year old kids. The endless tributes to 44 are tired, and borderline embarrassing. It's a nostalgia tour highlighting how long ago the glory days were.

We had three good running backs fifty years ago who wore the same number and that's our marketing strategy?

Football is now about passing the ball, not handing it off. Embracing the past is a death wish.

 

[Stern]

So you retire it again?

Then SU would look like bigger fools.

No I believe it would actually kill the story and make it a non-issue and people would stop talking about it

 

[cuseguy]

No I believe it would actually kill the story and make it a non-issue and people would stop talking about it

Let them talk about it.

When someone worthy wears the number and lives up to the expectations, it will start a new tradition.

Trust me.

 

[Orangepace]

To all the people upset about some of the negative publicity surrounding the un-retirement of #44, I ask, What did you expect? Did you expect anyone outside of a loyal Syracuse fan to be applauding this decision publicly? My question is rhetorical, I know, however, I just don't understand what we all expected when the number finally was pulled down. I can't recall the un-retirement of a number or jersey in history. So, yes, we all must deal with the fact that this isn't going to be looked favorably upon by the general sports fan.

The only thing we as Syracuse fans realize is that the mistake wasn't made with the un-retirement. The mistake was made with the original retirement. Personally, I've always taken the stance that you should retire the jersey of the individual and I thought the retirement of the #44's together was somewhat disrespectful. Each of those individuals should have been given a separate ceremony as each more than earned it. But that's just my opinion and one of a loyal Syracuse fan.

The public should react negatively to the situation. While I wish they'd cast that negativity toward who I believe made the mistake *cough* DG *cough,* I can't reasonably expect the general public to know those intricacies.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Vs. forgetting and not knowing what the past was?

Those 17 year old teens were only 7 and just breaking away from Sesame Street when it was retired.

And they are hearing about it today because it is back on the table

then you make it BIGGER than what it was.

dont limit it to a running back.

let a linebacker wear it.

let a safety wear it.

announce that your best WR will wear it, then start him at QB.

simple stuff...

the running back ship has sailed, we look foolish for a variety of reasons...

 

[TheCusian]

then you make it BIGGER than what it was. dont limit it to a running back. let a linebacker wear it. let a safety wear it. announce that your best WR will wear it, then start him at QB. simple stuff... the running back ship has sailed, we look foolish for a variety of reasons...

Ship has sailed? Robert Washington begs to differ.

 

[xc84]

At this moment, very few people know or care, especially 17 year old kids. The endless tributes to 44 are tired, and borderline embarrassing. It's a nostalgia tour highlighting how long ago the glory days were.

We had three good running backs fifty years ago who wore the same number and that's our marketing strategy?

Football is now about passing the ball, not handing it off. Embracing the past is a death wish.

It's not our marketing strategy. It is a tradition to be embraced. Of course it is nostalgic. That's what tradition is about. We didn't have 3 good running backs. We had 3 GREAT running running backs and several good ones later who wore the number. 44 does not have to be worn by a RB... could be worn by any deserved player.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Pros and Cons to absolutely everything

 

[xc84]

Pros and Cons to absolutely everything

I agree. I was actually for the initial retirement but (1) many fans hated it and (2) it seemed to diminish the importance of the number. In hindsight, I think it was a mistake but I agree that it's not a black and white decision.

 

[Millhouse]

then you make it BIGGER than what it was.

dont limit it to a running back.

let a linebacker wear it.

let a safety wear it.

announce that your best WR will wear it, then start him at QB.

simple stuff...

the running back ship has sailed, we look foolish for a variety of reasons...

why must everything be difficult

daryl gross is stupid. he screwed up. we fix it and jeff van gundy doesn't get it. oh well. good to great running backs wear 44. that's the tradition. let's keep doing that.

 

[Chip]

why must everything be difficult

daryl gross is stupid. he screwed up. we fix it and jeff van gundy doesn't get it. oh well. good to great running backs wear 44. that's the tradition. let's keep doing that.

If there was a mistake in the whole thing, it was not retiring the # back in the day. But doing it at halftime of a random USF game in 2005 would be like the Yankees deciding to retire Jeter's #2 in the year 2040 on a Tuesday night against the Indians during the 7th inning stretch.

That's why whenever I hear anyone compare this situation to a Yankee # retirement, I cringe. The Yankees know how to retire the # properly.

 

[KaiserUEO]

why must everything be difficult

daryl gross is stupid. he screwed up. we fix it and jeff van gundy doesn't get it. oh well. good to great running backs wear 44. that's the tradition. let's keep doing that.

DC and Wallace mean nothing in this equation??

IMHO, they did more for 44 in the last 45 years than any RB did.

the Tradition was retired...lets make it LEGENDARY.

lets do this right.

but i do realize that this is too complex for many simple minded folks to understand.

just give up and give it to a running back like we always did.

nobody outside of this board will know or give a flying Fluck.

now you give it to a SR DE about to set sack records and for the next 15 years we wouldve heard how Freeney got to wear the Legendary #44 at Syracuse for his SR year.

i know, too complex.

sorry, my bad.

 

[Millhouse]

DC and Wallace mean nothing in this equation??

IMHO, they did more for 44 in the last 45 years than any RB did.

the Tradition was retired...lets make it LEGENDARY.

lets do this right.

but i do realize that this is too complex for many simple minded folks to understand.

just give up and give it to a running back like we always did.

nobody outside of this board will know or give a flying Fluck.

now you give it to a SR DE about to set sack records and for the next 15 years we wouldve heard how Freeney got to wear the Legendary #44 at Syracuse for his SR year.

i know, too complex.

sorry, my bad.

they really don't mean anything. no one thinks of them as 44s even though they wore it. no one cares about basketball numbers unless it's 23. even that is mattingly's number first

 

[KaiserUEO]

they really don't mean anything. no one thinks of them as 44s even though they wore it. no one cares about basketball numbers unless it's 23. even that is mattingly's number first

20-25 years ago, they may not have been marketed that way for sure, although the significance mattered to me. maybe im on an island on this?

theres another famous #23 besides Mattingly??

 

[xc84]

the Tradition was retired...lets make it LEGENDARY.

lets do this right.

but i do realize that this is too complex for many simple minded folks to understand.

just give up and give it to a running back like we always did.

nobody outside of this board will know or give a flying Fluck.

now you give it to a SR DE about to set sack records and for the next 15 years we wouldve heard how Freeney got to wear the Legendary #44 at Syracuse for his SR year.

i know, too complex.

sorry, my bad.

Not sure retiring made it "legendary". Seemed to make it a secret.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Not sure retiring made it "legendary". Seemed to make it a secret.

retiring it, didnt really do anything to it.

other than getting it in the rafters and talked about.

for as weve mentioned, in the 40 years after Little, it was used only for 16 of them.

 

[xc84]

retiring it, didnt really do anything to it.

other than getting it in the rafters and talked about.

for as weve mentioned, in the 40 years after Little, it was used only for 16 of them.

The only conversation related to 44 after it was retired was related to complaints about retiring it. Even if it was only used for 16 of the years since Little, that does not mean it should be unavailable.

 

[TheCusian]

retiring it, didnt really do anything to it. other than getting it in the rafters and talked about. for as weve mentioned, in the 40 years after Little, it was used only for 16 of them.

Hang the jerseys, not numbers. Problem solved.

 

[Millhouse]

retiring it, didnt really do anything to it.

other than getting it in the rafters and talked about.

for as weve mentioned, in the 40 years after Little, it was used only for 16 of them.

i think that's just right. 40% of the time. we don't use it every year, sorry paul chiara, because then everyone would yell about it being watered down.

 

[elimunelson]

Eh, honestly because we're so hyperfocused on all things SU we have rabbit ears for this stuff. I'm pretty confident that if you surveyed everyone who heard JVG's comment last night a gigantic % don't even remember it.

I agree that SU is in a bad cycle, but most of that is because of the hoops probation. The #44 thing was a ridiculously unforced error, but it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, IMHO.

It's a terrible cycle. You can throw Roger Springfield, Bernie Fine, NCAA Violations, Boeheim appearing bitchy and/or lingering beyond his reasonable retirement age, terrible football performances during our prime time slots, etc. I just think you throw the front page ESPN #44 controversy on there and people look at each other (ones who don't come to fan pages like us weirdos) and say, "What the is going on at Syracuse?"

Again, winning cures everything but certainly headwinds are a plenty in Syracuse.

 

[KaiserUEO]

so...nobody cared to mention that Jim Brown was at the Cav game on tueday, that Lebron bowed to him before the tip and THAT is likely why JVG brought up #44 & Syracuse???