Northeast Subtext

[TheCusian]

It feels like HCFB has exceeded my expectations by so much (and I can't stop refreshing the recruiting side) that I haven't really had things sink in fully yet. I still have some questions that won't be answered fully until we play next season (how good of an in game coach, style of offense, etc) - but there's something of a vibe that between the recruiting weekend and his comments that I can't shake.

It's like a "Northeast" CFB vibe that we thought was dead or permanently groomed in happy valley (shudder). We've been told that NE football can't sustain the programs we have up here. The SEC, southern ACC and midwest CFB is everything.. But then you see all of these high profile NJ kids dying to come home from SEC teams and play for Fran Brown? HCFB hitting the Coach P and DeLeone and Donovan Darius button during his introduction?

We'll see how it goes - but it's got a bit of "Screw that. We can build a power in the NE" and man it's fun

 

[kingtidge]

It feels like HCFB has exceeded my expectations by so much (and I can't stop refreshing the recruiting side) that I haven't really had things sink in fully yet. I still have some questions that won't be answered fully until we play next season (how good of an in game coach, style of offense, etc) - but there's something of a vibe that between the recruiting weekend and his comments that I can't shake.

It's like a "Northeast" CFB vibe that we thought was dead or permanently groomed in happy valley (shudder). We've been told that NE football can't sustain the programs we have up here. The SEC, southern ACC and midwest CFB is everything.. But then you see all of these high profile NJ kids dying to come home from SEC teams and play for Fran Brown? HCFB hitting the Coach P and DeLeone and Donovan Darius button during his introduction?

We'll see how it goes - but it's got a bit of "Screw that. We can build a power in the NE" and man it's fun

Happy Valley is smack dab in the middle of Pennsyltucky... not much Northeast at all about it... Much more in line with West Virginia.

 

[Millhouse]

I'm happy about what we will learn from this experience. I'm obviously more nervous than other people about experience and systems but i'm all for finding out. If this works out amazingly, we have a precedent or a model to keep going with.

 

[Jake]

I'm happy about what we will learn from this experience. I'm obviously more nervous than other people about experience and systems but i'm all for finding out. If this works out amazingly, we have a precedent or a model to keep going with.

I think the Fran Brown model is a bit of a unicorn. Not sure it’s something that can just be passed to another guy.

 

[SURules]

I think the Fran Brown model is a bit of a unicorn. Not sure it’s something that can just be passed to another guy.

Which is why if this works, we need to pay the man to keep him as this is Fran and his network.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

I think the Fran Brown model is a bit of a unicorn. Not sure it’s something that can just be passed to another guy.

It is a bit similar to Locksley and Hafley. More so Locksley.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

It feels like HCFB has exceeded my expectations by so much (and I can't stop refreshing the recruiting side) that I haven't really had things sink in fully yet. I still have some questions that won't be answered fully until we play next season (how good of an in game coach, style of offense, etc) - but there's something of a vibe that between the recruiting weekend and his comments that I can't shake.

It's like a "Northeast" CFB vibe that we thought was dead or permanently groomed in happy valley (shudder). We've been told that NE football can't sustain the programs we have up here. The SEC, southern ACC and midwest CFB is everything.. But then you see all of these high profile NJ kids dying to come home from SEC teams and play for Fran Brown? HCFB hitting the Coach P and DeLeone and Donovan Darius button during his introduction?

We'll see how it goes - but it's got a bit of "Screw that. We can build a power in the NE" and man it's fun

It's because minds have been broadened to not forget that northeast doesn't exclusively mean New England.

The New Jersey focus is the right one if we want to operate like a "northeast powerhouse."

Simple as that.

 

[PhatOrange]

I think the Fran Brown model is a bit of a unicorn. Not sure it’s something that can just be passed to another guy.

I’m hoping at a minimum we can finally put to bed ‘cant recruit players to Syracuse’ false narrative.. it’s the biggest hurdle and if he shows it can be done it really changes things for the program going forward.

 

[NKR1978]

I could not agree with you more. I've always thought of myself as a northeast guy. This is my home. I love everything about our region. And now we have a coach and staff who have fully embraced a northeast identity. Hopefully more of the best kids from our region will embrace Coach's vision.

 

[NKR1978]

I'm happy about what we will learn from this experience. I'm obviously more nervous than other people about experience and systems but i'm all for finding out. If this works out amazingly, we have a precedent or a model to keep going with.

Over the years I've agreed with you that we need a more "gimmicky" (for lack of a better term) offensive identity since we haven't been able to get the guys needed to run an SEC style offense. If we can pull in top 30 classes, we won't need to run a gimmicky offense. I really hope this experiment works because being involved with and winning commitments from these kinds of guys is so much more fun than what we've gone through.

 

[David332]

The regionality aspect of college football is one of the best things about it. Fran is definitely enhancing an otherwise diminishing aspect of our program. It's ridiculously exciting.

 

[Cusefan95]

Happy Valley is smack dab in the middle of Pennsyltucky... not much Northeast at all about it... Much more in line with West Virginia.

Most of the western half of PA is very midwestern. Penn State ending up in the Big Ten was a good fit - it’s not a northeastern school.

Going back to the mid-90s, I worked occasionally near Newark, NJ. A few times i wore a Syracuse shirt to work and would end up talking with guys about college football. Back then Rutgers was a complete non-entity, but guys would argue if they’d rather have their kid play at Penn State or Syracuse. Part of the reason some favored Syracuse was State College is in the middle of nowhere and wasn’t a cultural fit. It’s not that long ago we could and did win head to head battles with PSU with decent frequency.

Hiring a guy from Camden gives - hopefully - Syracuse a boost in NJ. We should do much better there than we have in recruiting; if Syracuse is a legit option I think a lot of NJ kids will be attracted to the Orange over SEC/Big 10 schools.

 

[All4SU]

It feels like HCFB has exceeded my expectations by so much (and I can't stop refreshing the recruiting side) that I haven't really had things sink in fully yet. I still have some questions that won't be answered fully until we play next season (how good of an in game coach, style of offense, etc) - but there's something of a vibe that between the recruiting weekend and his comments that I can't shake.

It's like a "Northeast" CFB vibe that we thought was dead or permanently groomed in happy valley (shudder). We've been told that NE football can't sustain the programs we have up here. The SEC, southern ACC and midwest CFB is everything.. But then you see all of these high profile NJ kids dying to come home from SEC teams and play for Fran Brown? HCFB hitting the Coach P and DeLeone and Donovan Darius button during his introduction?

We'll see how it goes - but it's got a bit of "Screw that. We can build a power in the NE" and man it's fun

Agree with you. Well stated. That does seem to be a new “vibe” as you said.

 

[kingtidge]

Most of the western half of PA is very midwestern. Penn State ending up in the Big Ten was a good fit - it’s not a northeastern school.

Going back to the mid-90s, I worked occasionally near Newark, NJ. A few times i wore a Syracuse shirt to work and would end up talking with guys about college football. Back then Rutgers was a complete non-entity, but guys would argue if they’d rather have their kid play at Penn State or Syracuse. Part of the reason some favored Syracuse was State College is in the middle of nowhere and wasn’t a cultural fit. It’s not that long ago we could and did win head to head battles with PSU with decent frequency.

Hiring a guy from Camden gives - hopefully - Syracuse a boost in NJ. We should do much better there than we have in recruiting; if Syracuse is a legit option I think a lot of NJ kids will be attracted to the Orange over SEC/Big 10 schools.

Midwesterners generally don't hunt and eat raccoons and squirrels... that's a Southern Appalachia thing... and also a Pennsyltucky thing, because Pennsyltucky is the Northern fringe of Southern Appalachia... Happy Valley gets a lighter green because a lot of students don't hunt and eat raccoons and squirrels either, is my guess...

Visual Aid:

 

[kcsu]

Syracuse can win by recruiting the majority of players from DC up and fill with florida and other states. Focus on NY NJ PA the greater DC area Florida and fill.

 

[Shoym]

It feels like HCFB has exceeded my expectations by so much (and I can't stop refreshing the recruiting side) that I haven't really had things sink in fully yet. I still have some questions that won't be answered fully until we play next season (how good of an in game coach, style of offense, etc) - but there's something of a vibe that between the recruiting weekend and his comments that I can't shake.

It's like a "Northeast" CFB vibe that we thought was dead or permanently groomed in happy valley (shudder). We've been told that NE football can't sustain the programs we have up here. The SEC, southern ACC and midwest CFB is everything.. But then you see all of these high profile NJ kids dying to come home from SEC teams and play for Fran Brown? HCFB hitting the Coach P and DeLeone and Donovan Darius button during his introduction?

We'll see how it goes - but it's got a bit of "Screw that. We can build a power in the NE" and man it's fun

Good post!

 

[Shoym]

Most of the western half of PA is very midwestern. Penn State ending up in the Big Ten was a good fit - it’s not a northeastern school.

Going back to the mid-90s, I worked occasionally near Newark, NJ. A few times i wore a Syracuse shirt to work and would end up talking with guys about college football. Back then Rutgers was a complete non-entity, but guys would argue if they’d rather have their kid play at Penn State or Syracuse. Part of the reason some favored Syracuse was State College is in the middle of nowhere and wasn’t a cultural fit. It’s not that long ago we could and did win head to head battles with PSU with decent frequency.

Hiring a guy from Camden gives - hopefully - Syracuse a boost in NJ. We should do much better there than we have in recruiting; if Syracuse is a legit option I think a lot of NJ kids will be attracted to the Orange over SEC/Big 10 schools.

I admire your optimism. Making Cuse a real alternative to the SEC and Big 10 is a terrific goal. Not sure how doable it is, but imagine if it were true...

 

[TheCusian]

I admire your optimism. Making Cuse a real alternative to the SEC and Big 10 is a terrific goal. Not sure how doable it is, but imagine if it were true...

100%. Why did Georgia need a NJ recruiter on staff?

 

[Millhouse]

Over the years I've agreed with you that we need a more "gimmicky" (for lack of a better term) offensive identity since we haven't been able to get the guys needed to run an SEC style offense. If we can pull in top 30 classes, we won't need to run a gimmicky offense. I really hope this experiment works because being involved with and winning commitments from these kinds of guys is so much more fun than what we've gone through.

Or we could be like Oklahoma and have good classes play in a finger quote gimmick offense

 

[Cusefan95]

Midwesterners generally don't hunt and eat raccoons and squirrels... that's a Southern Appalachia thing... and also a Pennsyltucky thing, because Pennsyltucky is the Northern fringe of Southern Appalachia... Happy Valley gets a lighter green because a lot of students don't hunt and eat raccoons and squirrels either, is my guess...

You might be shocked at how much hunting of squirrels and other non-deer and turkey type animals goes on in NYS. Two ESF kids I was friends with in school used to make a Brunswick Stew with whatever rodents they'd managed to kill recently. We all knew to never eat anything at their apartment. Having lived in Indiana and Wisconsin, I'd say the same is true in those states.

From experience I know your criteria is deeply flawed. You may want to come up with something actually relevant.

 

[kingtidge]

You might be shocked at how much hunting of squirrels and other non-deer and turkey type animals goes on in NYS. Two ESF kids I was friends with in school used to make a Brunswick Stew with whatever rodents they'd managed to kill recently. We all knew to never eat anything at their apartment. Having lived in Indiana and Wisconsin, I'd say the same is true in those states.

From experience I know your criteria is deeply flawed. You may want to come up with something actually relevant.

You can find a fringe of folks eating squirrels a lot of places... But I'm talking about prevalence... Lots of people doing it, trading family recipes, etc. Can I prove it with data ? Nope.

But I have spent some time down in rural PA below happy valley... It's in the Appalachians and a lot more like West VA than say Michigan or Ohio.

If your saying Wisconsin and Indiana are the same, I believe you - I've never spent any considerable time in either.

 

[OrangeAl]

I once worked for a company that did business with a company in Arkansas. When we had a group meeting in Arkansas one of our delegation asked a stupid question about how many people have eaten road kill. The Arkansas delegation wasn't offended at all. In fact, they all had stories to tell about it!

 

[CousCuse]

Now that Fran's the coach, maybe the Orange can get Temple on the schedule again instead of the MAC teams. Not playing in Philly for all this time was not a good thing.

 

[OrangePA]

Or we could be like Oklahoma and have good classes play in a finger quote gimmick offense

Did you go apoplectic when Coach Brown announced that he plans to "run the ball"?

 

[FAL]

Midwesterners generally don't hunt and eat raccoons and squirrels... that's a Southern Appalachia thing... and also a Pennsyltucky thing, because Pennsyltucky is the Northern fringe of Southern Appalachia... Happy Valley gets a lighter green because a lot of students don't hunt and eat raccoons and squirrels either, is my guess...

Visual Aid:

Phew! Glad to see my county made the “Maybe” cut…