44 IS RESTORED

[SUFan44]

I think it's overstating things to say it's been "wrecked" because more people are thinking "man, McNabb looks like an idiot" than anything, and that's IF they are even paying attention to what he said.

And all I'm saying is that in my opinion, I don't care what he thinks, and don't believe he really had a say in the matter to begin with. Until I'm told that the board of trustees was actually a part of the process that'll continue to be my stance. Period.

You're wrong on this. It matters what he thinks, and what he says publicly. He's one of the most popular and public figures linked to Syracuse University football. As has been stated, he's on the Board of Trustees.

It's not a matter of him having a say - it's a matter of him saying something. And making the University look bad.

 

[KaiserUEO]

McNabb is in the "look at me business"

I guess he missed the whole fiduciary duty to the institution as a board member briefing. He let his personal interest trump his duty to the school.

He should resign.

resign is too much, but he was a fool here.

he is the most vocal former player to anyone who cares about this.

he shouldve been briefed...shown his diploma, the next board meeting date and then hopefully...he wouldnt have said a word.

 

[OrangePA]

Good.

More to do to.

 

[GoSU96]

resign is too much, but he was a fool here.

he is the most vocal former player to anyone who cares about this.

he shouldve been briefed...shown his diploma, the next board meeting date and then hopefully...he wouldnt have said a word.

He shouldn't have to have been briefed to have enough sense not to step on the message.

It's not too much, it's breach of a fundamental duty to the school. He doesn't have the right to spout off in public about it.

 

[OburgOrange]

If he should have been consulted about restoring 44, I wonder if he was consulted about the uniform changes?

 

[shandeezy7]

McNabb is way off base. He's calling it "disrespectful."

Donovan, you're my favorite Syracuse player of all-time. But you're being an idiot. Jim Brown and Floyd Little - two legends who WORE 44 - signed off on this. Your own teammate, the last 44, Rob Konrad, signed off in it. The people who wore 44 are perfectly fine with this decision. Therefore, it is by definition NOT disrespectful. Now, if Brown, or Little, or the other 44s had a problem with this and they un-retired it anyway? THAT would be disrespectful. But this had the 44 seal of approval.

Stop trying to tell Jim Brown and Floyd Little how disrespected they should be feeling. Good lord.

What was disrespectful was that half-a$$ed ceremony retiring 44 in front of a half-empty dome against a school that didn't even have a football program 8 years prior. All for a marketing stunt in the middle of the worst stretch in the program's history.

 

[anomander]

Looks like Donovan also thinks blue is a school color. He just seems confused about a lot of things.

Donovan McNabb @donovanjmcnabb · 3h3 hours ago
Who wore the mighty Blue and Orange. It was retired in 05 for a reason. Which it should have been done along time before then.

 

[OrangePA]

He shouldn't have to have been briefed to have enough sense not to step on the message.

It's not too much, it's breach of a fundamental duty to the school. He doesn't have the right to spout off in public about it.

McNabb is dead wrong.

Edit: To amplify my response a bit.

Finally, we have something to be enthusiastic about with respect to Syracuse Football. Finally, we have a feel good story that is worthy of national attention. Finally, we have a moment to savor the proud history - the truly special history - of our Program.

And Donovan McNabb publicly rains on the Orange Parade.

It was a dumb thing to do. It was not only inaccurate and baseless, but it revealed a striking lack of sensitivity for or empathy with the fans of our Program - a complete disconnect.

Does this guy have any feel for the history of the Program??

Donovan made a big miscalculation yesterday.

 

[BlazeOrange]

 

[Full_Rebar]

McNabb has put enough of his $ into the program to be afforded the opportunity to be consulted on any major FB-related move by SU. Like Jake said, I hope this is a case of him taking a private thought public and not a case of him finding out about this today like the rest of us.

 

[Moontan]

Just to contrast... another SU QB from the prior decade who wore number 9 (and should've won the Heisman) would never do this... neither would Paulus, Nassib, Norley, Graves, Warner, Philcox, etc., etc..

 

[Cheriehoop]

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.

 

[Toga]

Very very weird reaction by McNabb regardless if he was consulted or not. 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.

Maybe Floyd should have checked with McNabb first to determine how he should feel about the whole idea.

 

[SWC75]

apples and oranges.

back then it was just a # being given out. the relevence, the importance of it...wasnt historical.

after that it was when it became a joke, because they didnt know what to do with it or how to use it.

it mightve been retired, it might not have been...it was just there.

look what happened after Little...

in 20 years it was worn for 3 seasons till Mac gave it out.

then P tried to bring it back and get it right.

they need to hand it out better, with greater purpose.

i dont think anyone here truly cares about the #...

Guys like Tom Stephens and Bill Schoonover weren't given #44 as a recruiting inducement or to honor the number. They were just given it. The idea that the number was something special grew over the years. If we are going to use it as something special now, we've got to treat it as something special now.

I was encouraged by this statement: "A small committee will be put in place to award the number this time around. That committee will include Floyd Little and comprise a total of four or five people...The number could be given to a true freshman, if they find the right fit." I think "find the right fit" is the appropriate attitude here. If they find a player who hasn't yet played for us who will obviously be exceptional, fine. But it sounds like a player who has played for us and has demonstrated himself to be deserving of #44 could still get it.

I still feel strongly that all running backs we recruit should have a theoretical shot at it and that if we apply high standards as to who will get it, it will become something truly special.

 

[SUFan44]

There is a plausible scenario where McNabb becomes pissed that he wasn't consulted or told about the #44 reinstatement. Then uses his Twitter page to put the school on blast for not letting him know before the general public knew.

But would a member of the Board of Trustees be that vindictive?

The above scenario is the only one that makes sense to me, but even with that he should know better.

 

[Cheriehoop]

There is a plausible scenario where McNabb becomes pissed that he wasn't consulted or told about the #44 reinstatement. Then uses his Twitter page to put the school on blast for not letting him know before the general public knew.

But would a member of the Board of Trustees be that vindictive?

The above scenario is the only one that makes sense to me, but even with that he should know better.

It appears that he's not a voting trustee anymore. Since he was elected in 2002 , his term must have ended. SU says he's a "Life Trustee" (the youngest Life Trustee listed). He might not be that active, living in Arizona and SU might not anticipated his strange reaction. If they didn't talk to him about it before , I bet they wish they did now. https://trustees.syr.edu/Public/SitePages/Trustees.aspx

 

[llandz]

It appears that he's not a voting trustee anymore. Since he was elected in 2002 , his term must have ended. SU says he's a "Life Trustee" (the youngest Life Trustee listed). He might not be that active, living in Arizona and SU might not anticipated his strange reaction. If they didn't talk to him about it before , I bet they wish they did now. https://trustees.syr.edu/Public/SitePages/Trustees.aspx

I am not totally aware of what is going on, but it has been implied to me by people at SU that there has been some issues between SU and Donovan. I know as of last year December, when the women's basketball team was here, he came to the game, and Roxie came to the team dinner. The McNabbs spent a decent amount of time with the staff and friends on the staff who were in town. But this year I had an opportunity to do something that could have potentially included Donovan, and I was told that he was not an option and that he would not be available to us. We had Chris Gedney in town, and I know Chris spoke to Donovan and invited him to an event we were having, but the McNabbs were going to be out of town that weekend. So while the communications is still there, it is my understanding that all is not lovey dovey right now. So if let's say Donovan was not consulted it could have been...1. on purpose for some reason related to what is going on, or 2. just a way for Donovan to make any displeasure he feels at the moment more apparent.
Personally, I feel it was more appropriate and important for this to be cleared by the 44s and not by the 5s. As important as Donovan was he is not the only legend we have, he is one of the many legends.
For those who do not know I am the alumni club President in AZ so Donovan lives in my territory and sometimes he comes up in conversations I have with SU staff.

 

[Moontan]

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.

Agreed. If Donovan didn't know the details then he should've called Floyd or someone else in the department for details... you know, someone like his teammate Jason Poles.

 

[MSOrange]

I'm not going to get onto Donovan too hard because he has done so much for the program and university. That being said, it just frustrates the hell out of me that he had to do that on a day when we were getting great publicity on all the major sports websites . That hasn't happened to our football program for awhile.

But his reaction will blow over quickly and people won't even remember what he thinks next time 44 runs out of the tunnel - that will be the story!

I am concerned about what llandz says about his relationship with the university. Hopefully if there are issues they can be repaired, because he is an important asset to the university and athletic department.

 

[orange79]

I'm not going to get onto Donovan too hard because he has done so much for the program and university. That being said, it just frustrates the hell out of me that he had to do that on a day when we were getting great publicity on all the major sports websites . That hasn't happened to our football program for awhile.

But his reaction will blow over quickly and people won't even remember what he thinks next time 44 runs out of the tunnel - that will be the story!

I am concerned about what llandz says about his relationship with the university. Hopefully if there are issues they can be repaired, because he is an important asset to the university and athletic department, regardless if you can't get over that he played his NFL career for a rival team 8 years after he retired. That was for you Kaiser

He is a Life member of the BOT. My guess is, if stuff like this continues, his 'life' on the BOT will be shorter than originally planned.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I have as well. And there is no way in hell I would have made a football related PR move without at least knowing what Mcnabb's opinion was and managing that issue to prevent tonight's events from playing out as they have. Someone should have known.

Not saying it's his decision. But saying it's not his business is, well, naive and wreckless PR management.

Now the schools big PR move has been wrecked by its most famous football playing Board Member.

If you going to walk away and say "it is what it is and it was none if his business anyway"...really?

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

 

[MaxwellCuse]

Well, now that Bud has weighed in I can say without hesitation...good move SU.

 

[retro44]

Agreed. If Donovan didn't know the details then he should've called Floyd or someone else in the department for details... you know, someone like his teammate Jason Poles.

That makes way too much sense

 

[jekelish]

Well, now that Bud has weighed in I can say without hesitation...good move SU.

I'm upset with myself for reading his column.

It's amazing that someone who has been writing about Syracuse for so long can still have so little understanding of the actual meaning of 44.

And he managed to squeeze in a "whiz-bang." Someone please buy this man a thesaurus.

 

[retro44]

I am sure McNabb made his feelings known about the "44" long before this announcement was made. He got over ruled and he is now pissed. This "restore 44" was not an over night invention,it's been on going for a while now.