A 3-step plan to reboot Syracuse football, from former coaches and players

[Orangezoo]

They have all that now at Manley.

This.

 

[sufandu]

They have all that now at Manley.

I remember when Steven Clark's dad mentioned the hang out areas being behind G5 schools. That wasn't that long ago. Has all of that been upgraded?

 

[cuse10]

Honestly I don't see it. The practice facility is really nice, we are upgrading the dome significantly, south campus was great my senior year in 06 and visiting friends there in years prior. Athletes housing can be shinier but it doesn't make it better. SU is unique just like many other schools and has really upped it's game facility wise the past twenty years and counting.

Shinier in this case does mean better. It's why P5 universities are making investments in housing. On the basketball side, some schools have their players staying at palaces. The disparity was so big at Memphis, that it caused friction within their athletic department. Football players were openly complaining about having to take cold showers while the basketball team lived in the lap of luxury. After busting your hump multiple times per day especially during the season, you want to be somewhere that's comfortable.

To skurey's point, everyone's opinion should be treated equally instead of outright dismissed. Discounting them brings validity to their grievances.

 

[Orangezoo]

Shinier in this case does mean better. It's why P5 universities are making investments in housing. On the basketball side, some schools have their players staying at palaces. The disparity was so big at Memphis, that it caused friction within their athletic department. Football players were openly complaining about having to take cold showers while the basketball team lived in the lap of luxury. After busting your hump multiple times per day especially during the season, you want to be somewhere that's comfortable.

To skurey's point, everyone's opinion should be treated equally instead of outright dismissed. Discounting them brings validity to their grievances.

Where did I dismiss anything? I disagree with the sentiment of where the facilities lie right now. I also think that considering where things are in the pandemic that maybe it just isn't the right time to be arguing over these kind of semantics. That said I never once dismissed. I just disagreed.

I don't see where we are anywhere near your memphis example right now. That said I am happy with the commitments we have seen by the school around athletics stemming back to the Melo center and forward. Obviously it's an arms race but being a private school we need to be strategic about it too vs having endless funds to go head to head with the Clemson and Alabama's of the world and their crazy spending habits.

 

[OburgCuse]

Olindo Mare lived in my dorm so why was he allowed on campus and the rest of the players were in South Campus? I always thought it was THEIR MO to live out there and be away from the campus. Even guys like Casey Powell were slumming in Day Hall and i assume he was on close to a full ride.

The whole them vs us part of the campus life always smacked of entitlement to those who played sports vs the kids who didn't. If the athletes didn't want to live there i'm sure the school would figure out a way to carve out a dorm for them to be on campus.

Barry Baker was in my dorm for at least a semester (no joke). He wasn’t officially part of the team though because wasn’t eligible (maybe prop 48 back in the day).

 

[MSOrange]

Barry Baker was in my dorm for at least a semester (no joke). He wasn’t officially part of the team though because wasn’t eligible (maybe prop 48 back in the day).

how many years of eligibility does Barry have left by the way?

 

[cuse10]

Where did I dismiss anything? I disagree with the sentiment of where the facilities lie right now. I also think that considering where things are in the pandemic that maybe it just isn't the right time to be arguing over these kind of semantics. That said I never once dismissed. I just disagreed.

I don't see where we are anywhere near your memphis example right now. That said I am happy with the commitments we have seen by the school around athletics stemming back to the Melo center and forward. Obviously it's an arms race but being a private school we need to be strategic about it too vs having endless funds to go head to head with the Clemson and Alabama's of the world and their crazy spending habits.

Didn't say you did. There are a couple of posters who aren't taking what some players are saying at face value for whatever reason. I'm inclined to believe people who were actually in the program regardless of how their experience was.

 

[OburgOrange]

Barry Baker was in my dorm for at least a semester (no joke). He wasn’t officially part of the team though because wasn’t eligible (maybe prop 48 back in the day).

Pics or it isn’t true

 

[sutomcat]

Barry Baker was in my dorm for at least a semester (no joke). He wasn’t officially part of the team though because wasn’t eligible (maybe prop 48 back in the day).

He definitely was ineligible his freshman season due to grades.
I take it you were a Sadler Hall guy?

Grades stop Baker shor / tWait 'Til Next Year

Syracuse -Football is every which way Barry Baker turns. At the entrance to Sadler Hall, the Syracuse dorm where Baker lives, there is a sign: "Are you ready for some football?" Otto, the Orangemen's

www.newsday.com

Football is every which way Barry Baker turns. At the entrance to

Sadler Hall, the Syracuse dorm where Baker lives, there is a sign: "Are you ready for some football?" Otto, the Orangemen's mascot, is painted on a window nearby.

On the second floor, near Baker's room, there is a note about the dorm's intramural football game, which Baker watched last Friday.

"If I got out there, they would all go away," Baker said with a laugh. Baker has played a few times and each time he was handed the ball, it was "touchdown, touchdown, touchdown."

The guys on the scruffy field beneath Baker's window are wearing flannel shirts and cargo shorts. Clearly, their glory days have passed. None looks like the former North Babylon halfback who left an indelible imprint on Long Island.

None was voted both the best football and basketball player in Suffolk County last year, as Baker was. And none has a catchy nickname like "Barry Baker the Touchdown Maker."

Some older guys on campus heard about Baker and invited the ultimate ringer to play in an upcoming flag football tournament. Baker turned down the offer. "I don't want to get flashbacks," he said quietly.
...

 

[Stern]

Speaking facilities, Alabama is taking it next level with what they are doing. LOOK: Alabama's new locker room is so nice that it's next level

 

[721Comstock]

Speaking facilities, Alabama is taking it next level with what they are doing. LOOK: Alabama's new locker room is so nice that it's next level

Well - makes sense. Alabama IS next level -
only without that pesky salary cap.

 

[Stern]

Marrone once turned away Troy Nunes because he didn't have an appointment.

Almost as good as Doug ignoring Melvin Gordon and not leaving his office to talk to the kid for a few minutes when the kid and his family paid their own way to visit and tour SU cause he wanted to come here.

 

[cusefan88]

I think Julian Whigham once said that a lot of college facilities for the big boys (Bama, Ohio St etc) were nicer than a lot of NFL facilities he was in.

 

[orangepassion]

It's such a waste of money. So much overkill.

 

[Pyle]

Regarding the whole recruiting NYS thing....why is NYSHS football so bad compared to PA/NJ? I used to think it was because NYS had so many kids doing LAX full-year but as LAX has exploded on the East Coast, we continue to lag behind our tri-state counterparts. I would think between Buffalo, Roch, Syr, Albany, and down-state there would be plenty of decent, foul-weather hardened players but nope.

 

[RandomGuy]

Speaking facilities, Alabama is taking it next level with what they are doing. LOOK: Alabama's new locker room is so nice that it's next level

That looks like a video game... smh

I'm certain the boosters would more than happily just send the $$ to players(and do). Just another way to "pay" the players, but the University owns the asset.

 

[OburgCuse]

Pics or it isn’t true

I prob have a Polaroid around the house somewhere

 

[DoctorBombay]

Back in the day, a lot of athletes used to
live in the old Kimmel and Dellplain(?) Halls. You’d see them hanging out in Haven Hall back when it was all female. The good thing is they interacted with the other students and you got to know them as people.
The old adage of “winning cures all ills” applies here. If HCDFB does the job, every thing else will fall into place, fancy and expensive digs notwithstanding.

 

[Stern]

I think Julian Whigham once said that a lot of college facilities for the big boys (Bama, Ohio St etc) were nicer than a lot of NFL facilities he was in.

I have been lucky enough to tour 2-3 NFL facilities and what I see in pictures from Bama, Oklahoma, Ohio St and that is 100% true what Whigham said. The colleges are nicer at the big boy places.

 

[SkyTopBus44]

I have been lucky enough to tour 2-3 NFL facilities and what I see in pictures from Bama, Oklahoma, Ohio St and that is 100% true what Whigham said. The colleges are nicer at the big boy places.

A little different when you draft most players and recruit a few through free agency. Even then I doubt a player would pick the Bengals over the Packers because they have a few extra hot tubs and play in a newer stadium.

 

[sufandu]

I have been lucky enough to tour 2-3 NFL facilities and what I see in pictures from Bama, Oklahoma, Ohio St and that is 100% true what Whigham said. The colleges are nicer at the big boy places.

It doesn't really surprise me. I've read somewhere that some texas high school facilities are nicer than NFL facilities. When it's about profit and the owner has to pony up, they'll do just what they need to and not much more. When it's about donors who's entire identity is about doing whatever it takes for their school to win, there are no limits.

 

[cuse10]

Regarding the whole recruiting NYS thing...why is NYSHS football so bad compared to PA/NJ? I used to think it was because NYS had so many kids doing LAX full-year but as LAX has exploded on the East Coast, we continue to lag behind our tri-state counterparts. I would think between Buffalo, Roch, Syr, Albany, and down-state there would be plenty of decent, foul-weather hardened players but nope.

The elite kids play in Jersey or elsewhere. Cisco is from LI but hails from IMG Academy. Very few 4* kids (many of whom play in the CHSAA and PSAL), stay in the city.

 

[MadNY3]

Honestly I don't see it. The practice facility is really nice, we are upgrading the dome significantly, south campus was great my senior year in 06 and visiting friends there in years prior. Athletes housing can be shinier but it doesn't make it better. SU is unique just like many other schools and has really upped it's game facility wise the past twenty years and counting.

I agree. I like the author, but this felt like "find a negative angle to generate some clicks."

 

[NJCuse97]

Back in the day, a lot of athletes used to
live in the old Kimmel and Dellplain(?) Halls. You’d see them hanging out in Haven Hall back when it was all female. The good thing is they interacted with the other students and you got to know them as people.
The old adage of “winning cures all ills” applies here. If HCDFB does the job, every thing else will fall into place, fancy and expensive digs notwithstanding.

I’ve said a few times that I lived with a football walk on and a hoops player on South. For a college student, South was pretty nice. Had my own kitchen and bathroom for 2-3 people. When I lived in Lawrinson, I used to see James Spencer all the time. He hung out with another walk on that lived on my floor. My sophomore year was in Haven and I didn’t see many folks, but did see Darius. He dated my neighbor on South, so I saw him more the next year, but as I’ve also stated before, most of my relationships with football and basketball players were from dining centers. I’d lunch with John Wallace and Lawrence Moten at Goldstein, and a bunch of football players at Shaw. They did morning check ins there and as an architecture student, it was the closest dining hall for breakfast after an all nighter, so an architecture student could bond with football players as I did over eggs and the TNT Godzilla-thon. There was a mutual respect for the work we each put into our craft.