For both BB and FB

[Capt. Tuttle]

these feels to me, as a partner, like an irretrievably broken relationship because the other partner (SU FB and BB and the AD office) is not going to change and is not willing to spend what it takes to make the changes.
Do I keep giving, hoping the light comes on, or do I walk away now, before I am pulled even further down the death spiral? My heart says stay. Some of my fondest memories are SU sports centered. However, my head says walk away because my partner has to want to change, and right now, it doesn’t, and it will continue to take me for granted and break my heart, over and over again, and blame me when I ask why.
I feel like the Georgetown game will be my last. Seems fitting.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

these feels to me, as a partner, like an irretrievably broken relationship because the other partner (SU FB and BB and the AD office) is not going to change and is not willing to spend what it takes to make the changes.
Do I keep giving, hoping the light comes on, or do I walk away now, before I am pulled even further down the death spiral? My heart says stay. Some of my fondest memories are SU sports centered. However, my head says walk away because my partner has to want to change, and right now, it doesn’t, and it will continue to take me for granted and break my heart, over and over again, and blame me when I ask why.
I feel like the Georgetown game will be my last. Seems fitting.

What is the basketball program? 52 years without a losing season? I think some fans need to buckle up and support the program that has been multi generationally good. If you can't do that then take your fandom elsewhere. You could never be a Detroit Lions fan. But those people still support their team.

 

[jncuse]

I think Syracuse is at risk of losing people's peak attention and peak spare time -- or in many cases already has. The relationship will remain, but the interest and devotion could wane. It won't for all -- and it will for same, and both are totally understandable. That is the real risk here for existing fans. (I am not even going to bother to discuss the impact our recent run has had on the next generation of fans ... that is a separate topic)

I'm not going to stop cheering or following Syracuse, but I can certainly understand how interest dwindles or loses out to competing items as that happens to me at times.

There are other sports or teams (Raptors, Canadiens, PGA Tour specific to me), work + family, other forms of entertainment (Travelling, a night out, walking, biking) that will start to garner a piece of my peak attention away from Syracuse at times especially when things are not going well here. I'm not jumping from Syracuse to Duke/Kansas, but just re-allocating my time / entertainment resources to those that may be delivering the best for me at the time.

The other thing that hurts Syracuse, and its not their fault either, is that NCAA Basketball in itself is just not as entertaining a product for me and I prefer the old times. I no longer devote that much energy to NCAA basketball.

I also know many of you travel to games, bowls and tournaments. While that is not of interest to me, I could see why people may start changing their travel habits. People may decide they will invest that travel time and $ into other annual trips (sports or non sports) and that is understandable.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think Syracuse is at risk of losing people's peak attention and peak spare time -- or in many cases already has. The relationship will remain, but the interest and devotion could wane. It won't for all -- and it will for same, and both are totally understandable. That is the real risk here for existing fans. (I am not even going to bother to discuss the impact our recent run has had on the next generation of fans ... that is a separate topic)

I'm not going to stop cheering or following Syracuse, but I can certainly understand how interest dwindles or loses out to competing items as that happens to me at times.

There are other sports or teams (Raptors, Canadiens, PGA Tour specific to me), work + family, other forms of entertainment (Travelling, a night out, walking, biking) that will start to garner a piece of my peak attention away from Syracuse at times especially when things are not going well here. I'm not jumping from Syracuse to Duke/Kansas, but just re-allocating my time / entertainment resources to those that may be delivering the best for me at the time.

The other thing that hurts Syracuse, and its not their fault either, is that NCAA Basketball in itself is just not as entertaining a product for me and I prefer the old times. I no longer devote that much energy to NCAA basketball.

I also know many of you travel to games, bowls and tournaments. While that is not of interest to me, I could see why people may start changing their travel habits. People may decide they will invest that travel time and $ into other annual trips (sports or non sports) and that is understandable.

I’m sure I‘ll get called a again, but there’s been this version of this discussion every year for the past 5 seasons.

 

[tee1222]

What is the basketball program? 52 years without a losing season? I think some fans need to buckle up and support the program that has been multi generationally good. If you can't do that then take your fandom elsewhere. You could never be a Detroit Lions fan. But those people still support their team.

Well said and thank you! Getting tougher to enjoy the board right now, as I get that my outlook and opinion is in the minority. But I will do my best to support this team and coach that has given me so much for 35+ years now. I still support and believe in both the players and the staff. The boys need our support right now!

 

[DonLightfoot]

jncuse - I believe you are a fellow Canadian and your points are well taken. For me I have no real interest in the NBA, although I did follow the Raptors during their playoff run to the championship. I think NCAA basketball is much more enjoyable from an excitement standpoint maybe because of the students in the stands. I follow my Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL who are having another tremendous season and are odds on favourites to win another Grey Cup. My LV Raiders are having another up and down season and may have a hard time making the playoffs. My NY Islanders are having a dismal start to the season and, unfortunately, I rarely get any of their games up here. If the Orange don't start showing some improvement it's going to be a long winter.

Been an SU hoops fan since the early 80's and now with the ACCN I will get all of their games this season except five. I am also disappointed with results in recent years during the course of the season, but we always seem to make some noise in the Tournament, if we get in, which keeps interest up. I've only seen the Orange play live twice, once in the dome and once in Ottawa versus Carleton. I have been to several TBT games. Unfortunately I don't see me travelling to see them again due to this COVID crap and my underlying health conditions. I will keep watching them and cheering and hope for the best.

 

[bballbeadle]

Well said and thank you! Getting tougher to enjoy the board right now, as I get that my outlook and opinion is in the minority. But I will do my best to support this team and coach that has given me so much for 35+ years now. I still support and believe in both the players and the staff. The boys need our support right now!

It’s very hard to have lowered expectations, and I don’t think that’s where I want to go. I have been very excited about Buddy’s prospects and to see the brothers play together. The triple B’s are a great story! It is also very hard to come to the board after losses. This used to me one of my most fun activities!

But I don’t think Capt. Tuttle is trying to be a downer. He is sincerely and honestly questioning whether he can keep going in his fandom, and I know others who are as well. For some, it is already too late. They keep their eyes on game scores but don’t root for SU as in days of yore. Capt. said that it is hard to get your heart broken over and over, and he is right!

But I find every year that there is something that captures my interest. This year it’s the Boeheim brothers, and Buddy in particular. Is he going to become THE elite player for us? I am rooting for Joe and Cole to keep shooting lights out. It’s so much fun to root for Jesse! Will Sidibe be able to come back? I know he wants to very much.

Besides, I have season tickets and am not in any mood to give them up. I might need to die.

 

[llandz]

All good posts above We all bleed Orange and now maybe cry Orange tears also. Sometimes fandom can be tough, but we have been here before, and when we climb the mountain again, it will be oh so much more fun...True what bballbeadle says about finding the thing that holds your interest. There are always good stories.

 

[hoopsupstate]

You can still yea fan and it attend the games.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I’m sure I‘ll get called a again, but there’s been this version of this discussion every year for the past 5 seasons.

And the same discussion is always followed by people being called Debbie downers or morons and that NEXT year things will be back to “normal”. Why just look at these great recruits!

Football drawing 15k fans is a barometer. The marginal fans like winners. And they’re the ones who drive revenue.

 

[jncuse]

I’m sure I‘ll get called a again, but there’s been this version of this discussion every year for the past 5 seasons.

I can certainly see calling out the comments of "I am going to quit following this program for good", because:
1) It is likely over-dramatic based on the current situaton, and
2) Its not likely going to be the case.

But raising the point that this program is causing some to lose some level of interest in things while still following the team (a limited degree of apathy per se) is a fair comment and I suspect is really happening. It's happened with me at times in the past 5 years.

 

[Arangeman]

I’m sure I‘ll get called a again, but there’s been this version of this discussion every year for the past 5 seasons.

For good reason. The mediocre regular seasons are driving people away.

 

[Cusefan0307]

For good reason. The mediocre regular seasons are driving people away.

Then there’s a group of fans more fair weather than they want to admit. When UK was where we were at the end of Tubby Smith and Billy Gillespie they still showed up.

 

[jncuse]

jncuse - I believe you are a fellow Canadian and your points are well taken. For me I have no real interest in the NBA, although I did follow the Raptors during their playoff run to the championship. I think NCAA basketball is much more enjoyable from an excitement standpoint maybe because of the students in the stands. I follow my Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL who are having another tremendous season and are odds on favourites to win another Grey Cup. My LV Raiders are having another up and down season and may have a hard time making the playoffs. My NY Islanders are having a dismal start to the season and, unfortunately, I rarely get any of their games up here. If the Orange don't start showing some improvement it's going to be a long winter.

Been an SU hoops fan since the early 80's and now with the ACCN I will get all of their games this season except five. I am also disappointed with results in recent years during the course of the season, but we always seem to make some noise in the Tournament, if we get in, which keeps interest up. I've only seen the Orange play live twice, once in the dome and once in Ottawa versus Carleton. I have been to several TBT games. Unfortunately I don't see me travelling to see them again due to this COVID crap and my underlying health conditions. I will keep watching them and cheering and hope for the best.

Very reasonable post Don.

Glad to see you are getting all but 5 games this year. I know we had discussions in the past about the # of games you were getting and alternatives we had. I used to get the Sports Package on Rogers which was great (got 80% + of the games and all conference play) until the ACC network came to be and they did not pick up those games. I got the package this year so I will at least get 6 ESPN games and I imagine a handful more. The Bell Package was showing an ACC network game the other night, so I take that as a positive sign that they will pick up ACC network games this year hopefully.

There was a time around 2005 that I would head to a seedy strip joint in north Toronto to catch Syracuse ESPN games, because I knew they were catching ESPN illegally and they would accommodate me with the TV at the bar every time as long as I bought a few beers. It was a joy when the College Package finally came out in the 2005/06 season I think.. (or perhaps it existed before then and I did not know about it)

There was also a time I much more enjoyed the NCAA product because of the atmosphere. I just follow it less -- in fact I follow most sports a little less as I sometimes watch or do other things.

We all have things at different levels of the totem pole which keep us more engaged / less engaged with Syracuse. Whatever each person's stance is, it is reasonable.

 

[jncuse]

Then there’s a group of fans more fair weather than they want to admit. When UK was where we were at the end of Tubby Smith and Billy Gillespie they still showed up.

Part of this is entertainment. Actually all of this is entertainment, whether you went to the school or not.

Apathy happens / focus on other things and other sports happen. I don't think its fair to insult these people. The overdramatic fans who are threatening to quit full stop, maybe.

Personally I cheered for the Montreal Expos would make trips to see them right until the bitter end when pretty much the rest of the world had given up them. I did whatever was possible to catch them when they were on TV (Because they were not on TV every game). Would go to every game they played in Toronto.

It's hard to describe what ticks / doesn't tick with someone from a fandom perspective.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Part of this is entertainment. Actually all of this is entertainment, whether you went to the school or not.

Apathy happens / focus on other things and sports happen. If you are going to insult those people that are devoting less time to Syracuse, I would suggest they might not be the ones that are the problem here.

If people are insulted then this place is softer than I thought.

The Buffalo Bills have great fans. Those fans showed up even when they were terrible for 20 years. They weren’t just frontrunners.

If you lose fans during tough times then theres not as many diehards as one might think. I am not talking to any specific person here. It’s just math.

 

[Arangeman]

Then there’s a group of fans more fair weather than they want to admit. When UK was where we were at the end of Tubby Smith and Billy Gillespie they still showed up.

So what? Stop judging fandom. These are people who have supported the team for decades, traveled to see them, donated, etc. Whether you want to accept it or not it’s not just fair weather fans that have become disinterested.

 

[Fly Rodder]

So what? Stop judging fandom. These are people who have supported the team for decades, traveled to see them, donated, etc. Whether you want to accept it or not it’s not just fair weather fans that have become disinterested.

And SU decided NOW is the best time to start begging for money for athletics.

 

[Cusefan0307]

So what? Stop judging fandom. These are people who have supported the team for decades, traveled to see them, donated, etc. Whether you want to accept it or not it’s not just fair weather fans that have become disinterested.

I’m not judging anyone. I was making an observation. I myself almost left the football game last night at halftime until I ran into people I knew.

 

[supp]

If people are insulted then this place is softer than I thought.

The Buffalo Bills have great fans. Those fans showed up even when they were terrible for 20 years. They weren’t just frontrunners.

If you lose fans during tough times then theres not as many diehards as one might think. I am not talking to any specific person here. It’s just math.

It's not a good product. Forget about a winning product. Not even talking about that. Life's short. It's hard to get people excited about watching a life-sucking brand of basketball and football, let alone spending their hard earned cash on it. Good on the Bills fans but that's not the situation in Syracuse. No amount of fan-shaming will change that.

 

[Cusefan0307]

It's not a good product. Forget about a winning product. Not even talking about that. Life's short. It's hard to get people excited about watching a life-sucking brand of basketball and football, let alone spending their hard earned cash on it. Good on the Bills fans but that's not the situation in Syracuse. No amount of fan-shaming will change that.

This place has become a bit sensitive and can’t handle differences of opinion well anymore. I simply was stating that if people leave because of a bit of an extended period of mediocrity then we need to stop saying we have the most loyal fans around.

There’s plenty of college and professional programs that stink but fans still show. If that happens here then our fans aren’t as loyal as people seem to think.

This is not targeted at any fan or any particular poster.

 

[supp]

This place has become a bit sensitive and can’t handle differences of opinion well anymore. I simply was stating that if people leave because of a bit of an extended period of mediocrity then we need to stop saying we have the most loyal fans around.

Not sensitive. Say whatever you like. But I'm also not sure anyone has ever said we're the most loyal fans. I grew up in Syracuse and knew lots of people who followed UNC or Miami or OSU depending on the sports season and had absolutely no connection to those places. A lot of townies are fair-weather fans, bandwagoners. Every convo on here about football attendance over the past 20 years has made this clear.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Not sensitive. Say whatever you like. But I'm also not sure anyone has ever said we're the most loyal fans. I grew up in Syracuse and knew lots of people who followed UNC or Miami or OSU depending on the sports season and had absolutely no connection to those places. A lot of townies are fair-weather fans, bandwagoners. Every convo on here about football attendance over the past 20 years has made this clear.

It’s been brought up surrounding the basketball side of the fan base, but considering how a good amount of them don’t follow football I think you’re pretty much right.

 

[DonLightfoot]

Personally I cheered for the Montreal Expos would make trips to see them right until the bitter end when pretty much the rest of the world had given up them. I did whatever was possible to catch them when they were on TV (Because they were not on TV every game).

Good for you. I was an avid Expos fan also from day one. I probably live closer to Montreal than you and I would take in about 10 games a year. There was one Saturday night game at old Jarry Park (what a great place to watch a ball game) that had Tom Seaver of the Mets going against Steve Rogers. Les Expos won 2-1 I think, what a ball game. The beer always flowed freely at Jarry Park It broke my heart when the team got moved

 

[Col. Bleep]

People are jumping ship now????
At this rate what's the Orange record likely to be after the next 3 games?
The situation may be very ugly...the worst SU start in the Boeheim era.

I'll be there trying to watch every game.
The biggest change the season is that instead of yelling and cheering at my TV I find myself mostly sighing...with an occasional moan of disgust.