It's Only Natural...

[mantonio]

I really don't even like feeling this way...

Yes, I have loved this program since my youth, & have enjoyed all the historic moments we witnessed, but it seems like it is all just a distant memory, & I find it difficult to wrap my mind & heart around all this.

Please don't misunderstand me, I do NOT want to feel this way, but I seem to expect less & less from Syracuse over the past few years, for a few reasons.

You see, I grew up during an era when Syracuse woke up from history & started kicking ass on a regular basis. There was a time when SYRACUSE was the best program for football in the Northeast, albeit a short period of time. But it was during MY time as a young adult, & I think we all just took it for granted as it unfolded throughout a good chunk of the 80's & well into the 90's.

We can say that all people have a provincial attitude about their own people, places, & organizations, but I don't think I am speaking fallacies when I say that Syracuse truly has been a special place for athletic achievement & much more, despite it's unlikely odds.

With this in mind, can we theorize that any success we have witnessed can be attributable ONLY to freakish chance, standard statistical odds, or the inalienable truth of some esoteric charm that has somehow fled the scene recently?

What are your thoughts on this phenomenon?

 

[NineOneSeven]

Mantonio hittin that good ish tonight

 

[OrangeTarheel]

Puff puff give!

 

[Halfmooncuse]

I really don't even like feeling this way...

Yes, I have loved this program since my youth, & have enjoyed all the historic moments we witnessed, but it seems like it is all just a distant memory, & I find it difficult to wrap my mind & heart around all this.

Please don't misunderstand me, I do NOT want to feel this way, but I seem to expect less & less from Syracuse over the past few years, for a few reasons.

You see, I grew up during an era when Syracuse woke up from history & started kicking ass on a regular basis. There was a time when SYRACUSE was the best program for football in the Northeast, albeit a short period of time. But it was during MY time as a young adult, & I think we all just took it for granted as it unfolded throughout a good chunk of the 80's & well into the 90's.

We can say that all people have a provincial attitude about their own people, places, & organizations, but I don't think I am speaking fallacies when I say that Syracuse truly has been a special place for athletic achievement & much more, despite it's unlikely odds.

With this in mind, can we theorize that any success we have witnessed can be attributable ONLY to freakish chance, standard statistical odds, or the inalienable truth of some esoteric charm that has somehow fled the scene recently?

What are your thoughts on this phenomenon?

Well I basically agree with this guy Mantonio, who is such a big timeSU rooter and sincerely believes that SU will win, go to a bowl, get4Star recruits and even an occassional 6 star.

Wait this post is by Mantonio himself. I don't believe it. The #1 lover of the Orange going south on them. Who can take his place??? No one. We are doomed.

 

[SUbear]

I really don't even like feeling this way...

Yes, I have loved this program since my youth, & have enjoyed all the historic moments we witnessed, but it seems like it is all just a distant memory, & I find it difficult to wrap my mind & heart around all this.

Please don't misunderstand me, I do NOT want to feel this way, but I seem to expect less & less from Syracuse over the past few years, for a few reasons.

You see, I grew up during an era when Syracuse woke up from history & started kicking ass on a regular basis. There was a time when SYRACUSE was the best program for football in the Northeast, albeit a short period of time. But it was during MY time as a young adult, & I think we all just took it for granted as it unfolded throughout a good chunk of the 80's & well into the 90's.

We can say that all people have a provincial attitude about their own people, places, & organizations, but I don't think I am speaking fallacies when I say that Syracuse truly has been a special place for athletic achievement & much more, despite it's unlikely odds.

With this in mind, can we theorize that any success we have witnessed can be attributable ONLY to freakish chance, standard statistical odds, or the inalienable truth of some esoteric charm that has somehow fled the scene recently?

What are your thoughts on this phenomenon?

Relax, I am much older and have seen SU go through multiple ups and down cycles. Remember all teams go through these cycles. Syracuse, in my opinion, is now entering the beginning of another up cycle. How high that up cycle goes is what makes being a fan interesting. There is no enjoying achievement if there is no effort necessary to get there.
It could be worse you could be a Wake fan.

 

[SWC75]

I started following SU in Ernie Davis' senior year, (1961). They were two years from winning the national championship, Jim Brown was the NFL's greatest player and Ernie Davis won the Heisman Trophy so we were riding pretty high. I turned 8 that season and through 1967, when I was 14, we remained very good with great players such as John Mackey, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka.

Then things declined as went went 6-4, 5-5, 6-4, 5-5-1, 5-6 and then 2-9 in Ben's last year. Really, what he accomplished here was amazing. He never had as much money or scholarship as his primary opposition. At the end Archbold Stadium was a rockpile reduced to about half it's normal capacity. Our first weight room was a converted office with some barbells in it. it was a Division I program with Division III support, if that. (People complain about our facilities today but back then our facilities were not inadequate.: They were basically non-existent.) The demands of two platoon football, which required recruiting many more players from many more places caused many respected football programs, including Syracuse to fade into irrelevance while the big state schools took over the sport. I spent the years from 1968-86, (ages 15-33), believing that great success in football at Syracuse was part of our history but not of our future because it was just not possible for a mid-sized private school in an glamorous location in a state that doesn't emphasize the sport to have a respected big-time football program.

Then came 1987 and 15 straight winning seasons, 9 bowl victories and superstars like Donovan McNabb,. Marvin Harrison and Dwight Freeney and I came to believe that great success was possible at a place like Syracuse. The things I listed above didn't have to hold us back. Then things declined again. Coach P. went 7-5, 6-5, 10-3, 4-8, 6-6 and 6-6. Greg Robinson was brought in to halt the slide but accelerated it. Doug Marrone was asked to build us back up and he started the process but then left. Scott Shafer was left to pick up the pieces and he's trying to do that. Our talent level seems to be noticeably increasing and some sort of success seems possible in the near future. I think being the ACC may put a ceiling on our ambitions: it's clearly the toughest conference we'd been in, top to bottom. Florida State has returned to national power status. Miami probably will join them at some point. Clemson and Louisville are very good. There's nobody as bad as Rutgers and Temple used to be in the old Big East. The BE represented a golden opportunity for a school like SU: a winnable BCS conference but we picked that time to have a downturn and couldn't take advantage of it. But the ACC also gives us opportunities with increased revenue, better facilities and visibility in prime recruiting areas.

I think we can get as good as we were in the 1987-2001 period and become a respected member of the conference. But it's going to be hard to win the dang thing and being respected may be the limit of our achievements. That's OK because I've been an SU football every year since 1961, no matter how good or bad things got and I'll remain so as long as my heart keeps ticking and my brain still works.

 

[LAOrange]

I think locals downgrade the sports brand. Syracuse is one of a handful of private universities that is considered elite away from its home base. Why else would we be on TV so much? I saw EVERY basketball and football game in California and I have for years. I even saw most of the lacrosse games. There are very few fan bases that represent better than we do AWAY from home. I've been to games all over and we are always loud and numerous. If Shafer can hit a couple of winning seasons, the recruits will come back.

 

[tipphill]

I really don't even like feeling this way...

Yes, I have loved this program since my youth, & have enjoyed all the historic moments we witnessed, but it seems like it is all just a distant memory, & I find it difficult to wrap my mind & heart around all this.

Please don't misunderstand me, I do NOT want to feel this way, but I seem to expect less & less from Syracuse over the past few years, for a few reasons.

You see, I grew up during an era when Syracuse woke up from history & started kicking ass on a regular basis. There was a time when SYRACUSE was the best program for football in the Northeast, albeit a short period of time. But it was during MY time as a young adult, & I think we all just took it for granted as it unfolded throughout a good chunk of the 80's & well into the 90's.

We can say that all people have a provincial attitude about their own people, places, & organizations, but I don't think I am speaking fallacies when I say that Syracuse truly has been a special place for athletic achievement & much more, despite it's unlikely odds.

With this in mind, can we theorize that any success we have witnessed can be attributable ONLY to freakish chance, standard statistical odds, or the inalienable truth of some esoteric charm that has somehow fled the scene recently?

What are your thoughts on this phenomenon?

sorry my glory days began in the 60's we were very good then and had better uniformsthe demise of su football from a historical perspective rests in the universities lack of investment in the program, until crisis occurs.

 

[tipphill]

wife and i leaving bethlehem pa at 730 am for the game ---i hope i see a lot of strickland, and expect dungey to do well as long as he is not overcoached, and made nervous. he was so calm and in control last week ---he is the real deal imho. appears to be natural and a leader

 

[tipphill]

I started following SU in Ernie Davis' senior year, (1961). They were two years from winning the national championship, Jim Brown was the NFL's greatest player and Ernie Davis won the Heisman Trophy so we were riding pretty high. I turned 8 that season and through 1967, when I was 14, we remained very good with great players such as John Mackey, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka.

Then things declined as went went 6-4, 5-5, 6-4, 5-5-1, 5-6 and then 2-9 in Ben's last year. Really, what he accomplished here was amazing. He never had as much money or scholarship as his primary opposition. At the end Archbold Stadium was a rockpile reduced to about half it's normal capacity. Our first weight room was a converted office with some barbells in it. it was a Division I program with Division III support, if that. (People complain about our facilities today but back then our facilities were not inadequate.: They were basically non-existent.) The demands of two platoon football, which required recruiting many more players from many more places caused many respected football programs, including Syracuse to fade into irrelevance while the big state schools took over the sport. I spent the years from 1968-86, (ages 15-33), believing that great success in football at Syracuse was part of our history but not of our future because it was just not possible for a mid-sized private school in an glamorous location in a state that doesn't emphasize the sport to have a respected big-time football program.

Then came 1987 and 15 straight winning seasons, 9 bowl victories and superstars like Donovan McNabb,. Marvin Harrison and Dwight Freeney and I came to believe that great success was possible at a place like Syracuse. The things I listed above didn't have to hold us back. Then things declined again. Coach P. went 7-5, 6-5, 10-3, 4-8, 6-6 and 6-6. Greg Robinson was brought in to halt the slide but accelerated it. Doug Marrone was asked to build us back up and he started the process but then left. Scott Shafer was left to pick up the pieces and he's trying to do that. Our talent level seems to be noticeably increasing and some sort of success seems possible in the near future. I think being the ACC may put a ceiling on our ambitions: it's clearly the toughest conference we'd been in, top to bottom. Florida State has returned to national power status. Miami probably will join them at some point. Clemson and Louisville are very good. There's nobody as bad as Rutgers and Temple used to be in the old Big East. The BE represented a golden opportunity for a school like SU: a winnable BCS conference but we picked that time to have a downturn and couldn't take advantage of it. But the ACC also gives us opportunities with increased revenue, better facilities and visibility in prime recruiting areas.

I think we can get as good as we were in the 1987-2001 period and become a respected member of the conference. But it's going to be hard to win the dang thing and being respected may be the limit of our achievements. That's OK because I've been an SU football every year since 1961, no matter how good or bad things got and I'll remain so as long as my heart keeps ticking and my brain still works.

i believe that if we continue with a new stadium/ renovation we will compete at high level in the acc. i think the chancellor and coyle see the picture for su and not just football---my continued hope which i have (admittedly narrow minded and biased) is keep hitting nj, l.i.,and pa hard in recruiting. i am definitely "old school"

 

[bballbeadle]

I really don't even like feeling this way...

Yes, I have loved this program since my youth, & have enjoyed all the historic moments we witnessed, but it seems like it is all just a distant memory, & I find it difficult to wrap my mind & heart around all this.

Please don't misunderstand me, I do NOT want to feel this way, but I seem to expect less & less from Syracuse over the past few years, for a few reasons.

You see, I grew up during an era when Syracuse woke up from history & started kicking ass on a regular basis. There was a time when SYRACUSE was the best program for football in the Northeast, albeit a short period of time. But it was during MY time as a young adult, & I think we all just took it for granted as it unfolded throughout a good chunk of the 80's & well into the 90's.

We can say that all people have a provincial attitude about their own people, places, & organizations, but I don't think I am speaking fallacies when I say that Syracuse truly has been a special place for athletic achievement & much more, despite it's unlikely odds.

With this in mind, can we theorize that any success we have witnessed can be attributable ONLY to freakish chance, standard statistical odds, or the inalienable truth of some esoteric charm that has somehow fled the scene recently?

What are your thoughts on this phenomenon?

Mantonio, you are allowed to THINK whatever you want, and that often has been the secret of your success. You have been very hopeful and positive on the basketball board. I don't remember you posting much on the football board. You do understand that rooting for a team has positive value, even if the team loses. It is harder to root for a team that has a streak of losing, that is for sure. What I do is keep hope alive, enjoy what is good about the team, and detach from the overwhelming aspects of losing. In other words, when we win, I milk it, and when we lose, I acknowledge my pain and disappointment, then move on and hope we do better next time.

It sounds like you are trying to manage your expectations, which is a sound thing to do, IMO, but you feel badly that you have to do it. I understand! (I think.) Anger and bitterness has not been your M.O., and by not dwelling on the negative, I believe you are doing all you can to help your teams.

The very first football game I ever saw was sitting on the 50 yard line for the 87 SU/WV game with Donnie McPherson's parents right in front of us. Frankly, it was all downhill after that. Ha ha!

We have had great coaches (like Coach MacPherson, whom we are honoring today) and we will have great coaches throughout the present and future. Hopefully, Shafer will be one of those coaches (and Hopkins, too).

If Shafer turns out to be a coach who can recruit, we will climb out of the hole. And there's nothing better than sticking with your team when they're down, and then feeling the bliss when they're up! Fair weather fans have nothing on us diehards. We love you, Mantonio! Keep the faith.

 

[Toga]

Relax, I am much older and have seen SU go through multiple ups and down cycles. Remember all teams go through these cycles. Syracuse, in my opinion, is now entering the beginning of another up cycle. How high that up cycle goes is what makes being a fan interesting. There is no enjoying achievement if there is no effort necessary to get there.
It could be worse you could be a Wake fan.

Case in point - staying a fan during the Horace Clarke Years made the subsequent titles all the sweeter.

 

[RMH44]

Case in point - staying a fan during the Horace Clarke Years made the subsequent titles all the sweeter.

Horace Clarke...great name from the past.

If he weren't bow-legged he would have been a six footer.

 

[Cabby1]

I've been a fan since the mid sixties like many of you. The highs have been high and the lows have been
low. I live in Florida now and I am amazed at the respect we still garner in football. Many people
see us on the upswing and can see it won't be long before we start to string together winning seasons.
HANG TOUGH!!!

 

[IthacaBarrel]

We will see today where the program is at, are we really building more talent or is it just pony rides and cotton candy from the dancing nancies. Proof is on the field not on the internet.

 

[CuseCactus]

We will see today where the program is at, are we really building more talent or is it just pony rides and cotton candy from the dancing nancies. Proof is on the field not on the internet.

Well said. Big day today - on several levels.

I'm ready to do one of 2 things - (1) high five the ceiling.... or (2) cause the dog to hide in the bathroom. Here's to Shafer's BIG DAY!

 

[mantonio]

As soon as I try to leave, they bring me right back in...