Confessions of a pro football nomad

[SWC75]

I never became a fan of the Giants or the Bills. They were New York teams but they weren't "Syracuse" and thus they weren't "us". We got their games on TV when I was growing up instead of better games through a lot of mediocre or worst years both franchises had from the mid 60's through the 80's. I resented that they were on instead of games I really wanted to see.

My NFL fandom has basically followed former SU greats who became star players in the NFL. It's been mostly limited to guys with the ball and it doesn't always take but I started rooting for the Cleveland Browns because of Jim Brown and Ernie Davis. Then I found myself rooting for the Denver Broncos because of Floyd Little and the Miami Dolphins because of Larry Csonka. I didn't stop rooting for those teams when those players left because those teams kept winning and they were fun to root for. The only problem was that they were all in the AFC, so I never had a "lock" on the Super Bowl. When they played eachother, I rooted for whomever needed the win most, (and the other team would win).

Finally, they all faded and it wa sno logner fun to root for them. I had no real conenction with them. Then Donovan McNabb went to Philadelphia and the Indianapolis Colts, looking for players who ahd played in a Dome, decideed they liked SU players and always seemed to have 3-4 on their roster. Both were exciting, winnign teams and fun to root for so I spent the last decade hoping they'd meet in the Super Bowl. It never happened. That era has ended. I'd still kinda like to see the Eagles win it because they've waited for so long but the way they dumbed Donovan and the fact that Michael Vick is their quarterback dilutes that considerably. The Colts at least won a Super Bowl but this seems like a lost season and we don't whether the Manning era might be over. The Freeney era may be drawing to a close as well. I rooted for Donovan to do well In Washington and now in Minnesota but it hasn't turned me into a Redskin or Viking fan. The way things are going, I doubt I will be.

So now I look at the NFL scores with the same detachment I looked at Big East and ACC scores yesterday. I'm just kind of in limbo, waiting for the enxt SU star to become the face of an NFL franchise or for an NFL GM to decide to fill his roster with SU players. I'm wondering who our next true NFL star might be. Ryan Nassib is suddenly looking pretty good. Running backs are so low profile in the NFL these days that no matter what Delone Carter does I don't think he's going to be that prominent a player. I doubt Bailey or Gulley will. I can't warm to Mike Williams and while we have some good receivers on the roster now, I don't see any of them as future NFL superstars someday. I don't think we have a future defensive superstar either.

I have a feeling the next guy who turns me on to an NFL team hasn't been recruited since.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Not for nothing, but I am thankful that my dad turned me on to the G-men in the late 60's. There were horrendous then but we endured and I have seen them win three Super Bowls, something that I never thought could ever possibly happen. Funny thing is that Syracuse had connections to all three Giants team. 86: Joe Morris, 90: Tom Coughlin, and 07 team: Coughlin and Tyree.

 

[Marsh01]

Not for nothing, but I am thankful that my dad turned me on to the G-men in the late 60's. There were horrendous then but we endured and I have seen them win three Super Bowls, something that I never thought could ever possibly happen. Funny thing is that Syracuse had connections to all three Giants team. 86: Joe Morris, 90: Tom Coughlin, and 07 team: Coughlin and Tyree.

Amen Clifton. There were 3 religions (aside from religion) in my house growing up. Syracuse basketball and football, Giants football and Yankee baseball. I never understood how people can root for random teams and change teams because of local players. I loved McNabb here more than probably any player but it ended when he got drafted by the Eagles having loathed the Eagles since birth

I have since passed these religions onto my son and we have developed a special bond because of it. (not like he had a choice anyways. he was pretty much force fed all 3 teams since birth and his decision on who to root for was made before he could even blink).

 

[SWC75]

The teams I rooted for over the years are presently 4-16. Add in the Vikings and it's 4-20. Sunday is a good day to get some chores done.