"get a life"

[MikeSU02]

Sorry about the Caps.

That's my cell phone - can't do anything about it.

Obviously your situation is hardly comparable - do some of your clients regularly tell you after a successful performance - years - that your staff should be fired???

What Shaw said was meaningless to a true SU Football fan.

By your definition there wouldn't be enough "true" SU football fans to have an actual program.

I get what you are saying and I don't think Buzz meant it to come off as harshly as it did to a large group of people, but it was dumb and it was part of many other issues that were converging all at one time.

But bottom line, he can't say that, period. Syracuse needs all the 50/50 people who waffle between football games and, basically, anything else. We all understand that the large majority of upstate NYers don't have college football drilled into their souls and livelihood like folks in the south. We need to fight for all the people in the immediate vicinity of SU and the interstate corridors that may consider going to games. And at this point in the program's history, it was a huge blunder.

I hate to oversimplify this, but his comment mattered because it mattered. Considering all other things that people deal with in real life, sure it was nothing (it's a guy spewing some words, who cares??). But that isn't how real life works and it is disingenuous to act that way. It had a real impact on the discourse about the program, the folks that weren't hard core fans and the people who had to use their discretionary income very selectively.

 

[xc84]

By your definition there wouldn't be enough "true" SU football fans to have an actual program.

I get what you are saying and I don't think Buzz meant it to come off as harshly as it did to a large group of people, but it was dumb and it was part of many other issues that were converging all at one time.

But bottom line, he can't say that, period. Syracuse needs all the 50/50 people who waffle between football games and, basically, anything else. We all understand that the large majority of upstate NYers don't have college football drilled into their souls and livelihood like folks in the south. We need to fight for all the people in the immediate vicinity of SU and the interstate corridors that may consider going to games. And at this point in the program's history, it was a huge blunder.

I hate to oversimplify this, but his comment mattered because it mattered. Considering all other things that people deal with in real life, sure it was nothing (it's a guy spewing some words, who cares??). But that isn't how real life works and it is disingenuous to act that way. It had a real impact on the discourse about the program, the folks that weren't hard core fans and the people who had to use their discretionary income very selectively.

People left due to the losing. Winning will bring them back. If SU was kicking a$$ W-L when Shaw made those comments, they would not have mattered. The biggest contributor to why people talk about it still is due to the portrayal of it as the "get a life" comment as if he said nothing else. I think in context, it's accurate and should have cause no fan to jump ship...and I don't think it did. Even now, as soon as Shafer loses his first game this year (or maybe before), some dopes will say he should be fired. They should get a life too.

 

[MikeSU02]

People left due to the losing. Winning will bring them back. If SU was kicking a$$ W-L when Shaw made those comments, they would not have mattered. The biggest contributor to why people talk about it still is due to the portrayal of it as the "get a life" comment as if he said nothing else. I think in context, it's accurate and should have cause no fan to jump ship...and I don't think it did. Even now, as soon as Shafer loses his first game this year (or maybe before), some dopes will say he should be fired. They should get a life too.

It doesn't matter what else he said. Do you not realize that? It's a sound bite that was stupid and irresponsible on Buzz's part, plain and simple.

And it wasn't one thing, as I said, it was part of a number of things. It is never just one thing.

I guarantee you that it contributed to people not supporting the program.

 

[xc84]

It doesn't matter what else he said. Do you not realize that? It's a sound bite that was stupid and irresponsible on Buzz's part, plain and simple.

And it wasn't one thing, as I said, it was part of a number of things. It is never just one thing.

I guarantee you that it contributed to people not supporting the program.

Smart or stupid it's a gnat compared to losing.

 

[Orangeyes]

The demographics of Syracuse have changed with industries moving out and local and state government jobs dwindling.

The city itself is at it's lowest population since 1910 with 145,170 counted in the 2010 census.

That same census said that there are 467,026 folks in Onondaga County.

That's about 5,000 less from it's high point in 1970.

We are now primarily an education and service industry town with a good number of jobs in hospitals and the medical fields.

We need to keep all of our customers happy and grow new ones.

 

[javadoc]

Smart or stupid it's a gnat compared to losing.

The reason that people wanted a new coach was due to the losing, and the slow slide of the program, along with a long-term sense that the program underachieved. People spoke up to address that, and were told to "get a life". Fill in the blanks on what message that conveyed.

 

[xc84]

The reason that people wanted a new coach was due to the losing, and the slow slide of the program, along with a long-term sense that the program underachieved. People spoke up to address that, and were told to "get a life". Fill in the blanks on what message that conveyed.

What did it convey? It conveyed that you don't just fire a coach because of one loss. If they think so, they need to get a life. That's what he conveyed. They ended up 7-5 that year and 10-3 2 years after. Then those great fans who abandoned the pwogwam because the chancewer said to "get a life" (the horror) got their wish with a new coach. I can't fathom a stupid statement from the chancellor that would cause me to abandon my team. ...so maybe that is my problem.

 

[swish7]

Ok...what were they that year and what were they the year after?

When you find out, let me know.

 

[xc84]

You say

"Numbers don't lie, so the season ticket numbers after he made that comment should tell the story plainly enough"

So then assuming you have based your "numbers don't lie" statement on actual numbers I ask:

Ok...what were they that year and what were they the year after?

See, this would be a way to see if the numbers even back up your claim.

you say

When you find out, let me know.

 

[Scooch]

What did it convey? It conveyed that you don't just fire a coach because of one loss. If they think so, they need to get a life. That's what he conveyed. They ended up 7-5 that year and 10-3 2 years after. Then those great fans who abandoned the pwogwam because the chancewer said to "get a life" (the horror) got their wish with a new coach. I can't fathom a stupid statement from the chancellor that would cause me to abandon my team. ...so maybe that is my problem.

I tell you what though... If ever "one loss" was grounds for firing, it was losing to the 1999 Rutgers football program. That team was HORRENDOUS.

Fans calling for P's head after that loss were both unreasonable AND justified.

As to the "get a life" comment... I wish more people were outraged at how Buzz gutted the program by his idiotic accounting process.

And yes, SU football fans are front runners who look to jump ship at the slightest provocation. The tradition of mass exoduses when the team is down less than a score midway through the 4th quarter is evidence of that.

 

[SmilinBob]

The CEO of SU like any other business and yes it is a business can not say stupid soundbites. It's really just that simple.

 

[xc84]

The CEO of SU like any other business and yes it is a business can not say stupid soundbites. It's really just that simple.

But it happens and it was overblown. It's hard to believe 15 years later and 2 chancellors removed, this is still being brought up. And he didn't say a "soundbite". The media turned what he said into a sound bite. To this day, some think he said three words and walked away. The more people complain about this 15 years after the fact, the more he was right.

"Look at your own personal life," Shaw said. "You go to work. Some days, you really achieve at a level you're capable. Some days, it's like having a career day and some days you might as well have stayed at home. All of a sudden, you look at the football team and they're never supposed to have one of those days? Let's join the human race and get a life."

 

[SmilinBob]

But it happens and it was overblown. It's hard to believe 15 years later and 2 chancellors removed, this is still being brought up. And he didn't say a "soundbite". The media turned what he said into a sound bite. To this day, some think he said three words and walked away. The more people complain about this 15 years after the fact, the more he was right.

It's a football board and also during the off season so many things in the past are often brought up. There are bandwagon fans or customers for every business. SU was letting this program fall apart and expected to go on the cheap while still having a good following and this town is a tough audience/customer base and you have to know your audience. That last sentence was foolish and SHOULD have been said/worded better.

I understand what are realistic thoughts and delusional. We have those who I heard scream behind me that Nassib couldn't start on a pop warner team to those who trek up to the Dome and miss weddings and the like. I also understand he was defending the team because we all can't be perfect and the new CEO should listen and learn from Buzz's mistake even if you think it was deserved or not, it had an effect on the fan base and that is proven by the emotion this still gets.

 

[TheCusian]

This should never be brought up again. It has literally no value on the 2014 season at all. The comment is nothing more that a piece of dusty history. The fans who left because of a dumb comment all those years ago can stay away. More seats for young fans of good football.

 

[Orangeyes]

This should never be brought up again. It has literally no value on the 2014 season at all. The comment is nothing more that a piece of dusty history. The fans who left because of a dumb comment all those years ago can stay away. More seats for young fans of good football.

DR Bartle thinks otherwise and is making an effort to bring back fans for whatever reason they left.

 

[Scooch]

Anyone who seriously claims to have not gone to an SU football game in FIFTEEN years because of a comment from Buzz is not a fan, period. They're just someone who likes to feel aggrieved.

Forget them, it's not worth a second of effort to try and lure them back. Cost/benefit makes zero sense, they'd be the first to jump ship again.