Class of 2015 - RB Dontae Strickland (NJ) Signed LOI | Page 12 | Syracusefan.com

Class of 2015 RB Dontae Strickland (NJ) Signed LOI

I'll change the question a little here...

Let's say you have a top 10 RB prospect interested in SU and he says, I'll only come if you give me #44. However you have a top 50 RB who wants to go to Cuse as well (doesn't want/care about 44) but he won't come if the top guy shows because he wants to play

What do you do? Unretire 44 and land the top kid? Or leave 44 alone and take the great but not elite RB.
 
Libero2 said:
I'll change the question a little here...

Let's say you have a top 10 RB prospect interested in SU and he says, I'll only come if you give me #44. However you have a top 50 RB who wants to go to Cuse as well (doesn't want/care about 44) but he won't come if the top guy shows because he wants to play

What do you do? Unretire 44 and land the top kid? Or leave 44 alone and take the great but not elite RB.
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Though I like the idea of earning the number...

I say unretire it.

Even if the kid ends up a bust, it adds hype to the legend "who will restore 44 to its past glory!?"

and it boosts our recruiting to the levels we'd all dream it to be at.
 
Libero2 said:
I'll change the question a little here...

Let's say you have a top 10 RB prospect interested in SU and he says, I'll only come if you give me #44. However you have a top 50 RB who wants to go to Cuse as well (doesn't want/care about 44) but he won't come if the top guy shows because he wants to play

What do you do? Unretire 44 and land the top kid? Or leave 44 alone and take the great but not elite RB.
Expand...
I take the kid that's not as entitled to think he deserves the number. And top 10 rated by the services does not equal top 10 rated by the staff.
 
Why not unretire the number. I actually like the idea of using it as a reward. Don't give it to a kid that is coming in but one that has proven they deserve it. That way the greatness doesn't wear off of it. It doesn't have to be given every year either. It has to be truly earned.
 
I don't think most kids would care about changing their number as they get further into their college careers. Most kids want their HS numbers to begin with because it has sentimental value to them. I just don't see a young man getting all caught up in the tradition of "44" as us older fans do. Heck, current students couldn't care less about the tradition of "44".
 
Ok I wasn't going to jump in on this with everyone complaining about the thread highjacking... But since it keeps going... Of course the kids coming here care about 44. The day we left syracuse shy asked me if I thought when he said they would bring back 44 for a true beast if they meant just a running back or could he play well enough to get it. Shy is praying he gets to keep his 24 from highschool but would be thrilled with the honor of getting to wear 44 at cuse. Secondly Strickland himself is talking about the honor of getting to wear 44. No I personally am a big fan of retired numbers and believe that's an honor for past players. But I also see the case for in syracuse case to use this as a reward for great play. I don't think it should be given right out of highschool but like Eric told us if a true beast emerged... I think the movie went along way to reviving the mystic of the 44 for the kids coming in and when you hit the dome experience at the facility and the awards area the kids can't help but to feel the excitement the school has for 44
 
Killdozer said:
I don't think most kids would care about changing their number as they get further into their college careers. Most kids want their HS numbers to begin with because it has sentimental value to them. I just don't see a young man getting all caught up in the tradition of "44" as us older fans do. Heck, current students couldn't care less about the tradition of "44".
Expand...


I think there is truth in what you say but I don't think it means all kids could care less. I'm sure some want to make their own number a big deal and I think that is a good thing but you can't tell me that there are kids out there that wouldn't like to carry tradition on either. Look how many kids grew up wearing the number 23.
 
Bambrewer said:
Ok I wasn't going to jump in on this with everyone complaining about the thread highjacking... But since it keeps going... Of course the kids coming here care about 44. The day we left syracuse shy asked me if I thought when he said they would bring back 44 for a true beast if they meant just a running back or could he play well enough to get it. Shy is praying he gets to keep his 24 from highschool but would be thrilled with the honor of getting to wear 44 at cuse. Secondly Strickland himself is talking about the honor of getting to wear 44. No I personally am a big fan of retired numbers and believe that's an honor for past players. But I also see the case for in syracuse case to use this as a reward for great play. I don't think it should be given right out of highschool but like Eric told us if a true beast emerged... I think the movie went along way to reviving the mystic of the 44 for the kids coming in and when you hit the dome experience at the facility and the awards area the kids can't help but to feel the excitement the school has for 44
Expand...

With the addition of Bams post, I think this now becomes insanely similar to the uniform debate. The kids like the new units and all the "swag" therefore new uniforms generates excitement in our brand and gets kids more interested in us. There were plenty of people in the "if the kids like it, let's wear polka dot green and neon yellow" crowd just like there was a bunch of traditionalists who didn't want to see the uniforms be anything other than classic.

If the kids like the idea of being given a chance to rock 44 if they earn it, then by golly let's give the kids a goddamn chance to wear it and bring back a tradition to Syracuse that only we can bring.
 
SUfanNC said:
I think there is truth in what you say but I don't think it means all kids could care less. I'm sure some want to make their own number a big deal and I think that is a good thing but you can't tell me that there are kids out there that wouldn't like to carry tradition on either. Look how many kids grew up wearing the number 23.
Expand...

I know a family in Texas that had a son that was a RB/QB for a high school football team and wore the number 44, his family knew more about the history of 44 wrt to SU than most SU fans. He is going to Texas A&M (no he won't be playing football there, maybe as a walk on) but his father who was a native Californian also knew full well of who wore 44 at SU.
 
Bambrewer said:
Ok I wasn't going to jump in on this with everyone complaining about the thread highjacking... But since it keeps going... Of course the kids coming here care about 44. The day we left syracuse shy asked me if I thought when he said they would bring back 44 for a true beast if they meant just a running back or could he play well enough to get it. Shy is praying he gets to keep his 24 from highschool but would be thrilled with the honor of getting to wear 44 at cuse. Secondly Strickland himself is talking about the honor of getting to wear 44. No I personally am a big fan of retired numbers and believe that's an honor for past players. But I also see the case for in syracuse case to use this as a reward for great play. I don't think it should be given right out of highschool but like Eric told us if a true beast emerged... I think the movie went along way to reviving the mystic of the 44 for the kids coming in and when you hit the dome experience at the facility and the awards area the kids can't help but to feel the excitement the school has for 44
Expand...

It's a decent tradition in 2014 though, according to some who know much more than us.

Bring it back - why play with 51 cards when the 52nd could lead to a big hand?
 
SUfanNC said:
I think there is truth in what you say but I don't think it means all kids could care less. I'm sure some want to make their own number a big deal and I think that is a good thing but you can't tell me that there are kids out there that wouldn't like to carry tradition on either. Look how many kids grew up wearing the number 23.
Expand...

Lots of James Mungro fans out there!
 
Last year Michigan's Devin Gardner changed his uni #12 to #98 for the rest of his career (changed as a Junior) to honor Tom Harmon... I don't really know who the deuce Tom Harmon is or what he meant to Michigan fans and their history, but his change of # was a distinct difference and fostered the desire in me to find out more. I believe Syracuse could do something similar with #44... if anything, it can regenerate some national interest in the number and what it represents for the Orange. I think it could be a good thing.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...gardner-wear-no-98-rest-010726829--ncaaf.html
 
JDubbin said:
Last year Michigan's Devin Gardner changed his uni #12 to #98 for the rest of his career (changed as a Junior) to honor Tom Harmon... I don't really know who the deuce Tom Harmon is or what he meant to Michigan fans and their history, but his change of # was a distinct difference and fostered the desire in me to find out more. I believe Syracuse could do something similar with #44... if anything, it can regenerate some national interest in the number and what it represents for the Orange. I think it could be a good thing.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...gardner-wear-no-98-rest-010726829--ncaaf.html
Expand...

Yep I forgot about that. Fact is kids sometimes like to be a part of tradition and to be able to carry it on. I agree not all kids fall into this but I would bet there are plenty that would.
 
JDubbin said:
Last year Michigan's Devin Gardner changed his uni #12 to #98 for the rest of his career (changed as a Junior) to honor Tom Harmon... I don't really know who the deuce Tom Harmon is or what he meant to Michigan fans and their history, but his change of # was a distinct difference and fostered the desire in me to find out more. I believe Syracuse could do something similar with #44... if anything, it can regenerate some national interest in the number and what it represents for the Orange. I think it could be a good thing.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...gardner-wear-no-98-rest-010726829--ncaaf.html
Expand...

Tom Harmon won the Heisman Trophy with Michigan in 1940.

He's also the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs

MV5BMTU0NTU3OTU3NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwODg2NDE1._V1_SX214_CR0,0,214,317_AL_.jpg
 
So far Ban has given us insight into three much discussed items:

- Uni's and recruits
- the 44 debate
- Stars and recruiting services

(Not to mention into our team his son, his recruitment, etc. - all fantastic stuff)

Thanks, Bam!!!
 
Whoah...I always get a little GI upset when a thread on a committed kid gets bumped. Especially when the kid is a top ten kid from NJ.

Yes the irony here is not lost on me.
 
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