Spring Practices will be closed again this year

[anomander]

I think at this point it would be easier to assume that all Spring practices will be closed, no matter who the coach is. If some year, they are open, view that as a pleasant surprise. Otherwise, it seems like it's the standard operating procedure.

Almost makes me think they should close the Spring Game. I'd love for it to be open, and for coaches to really use it as a competitive scrimmage where important depth chart analysis can occur. But if you're going to close spring practices, then that probably means you are going to run a vanilla Spring Game for the public. Which kind of makes it a waste of what could be a very important development practice.

Personally I think football coaches are way too paranoid about this stuff, but it doesn't really upset me. Like I said, SOP.

While we are at it let's just close the real games to the public as well. It's not like this isn't entertainment or anything. The only reason they are able to make the money they do coaching a sport is because of the popularity of it, and guess who makes the sport so popular?

Honestly I really don't care that much, but I do think it's a bit ridiculous.

 

[Whitey23]

I understand why practices were closed last year--new coaches, new system, etc.

It seemed like that system is still waiting to be fully installed. My guess.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Perhaps we're installing a new offense. Would make sense given the coach we have and the players we now have.

 

[richard levy]

Don't want to give Florida st and Clemson a chance to scout us?

 

[SmilinBob]

Would be cool to watch but if this is what floats their boat...that's fine. Just win a bunch of games this fall and I couldn't care less what they do in the spring.

 

[SUinNYC]

Perhaps we're installing a new offense. Would make sense given the coach we have and the players we now have.

I do think the offense will look a bit different this year. Dare I say...exciting?

 

[Rocco]

Perhaps we're installing a new offense. Would make sense given the coach we have and the players we now have.

This is one of the main reasons. Not brand new, but major tweaks.

 

[OrangePA]

While we are at it let's just close the real games to the public as well. It's not like this isn't entertainment or anything. The only reason they are able to make the money they do coaching a sport is because of the popularity of it, and guess who makes the sport so popular?

Honestly I really don't care that much, but I do think it's a bit ridiculous.

I would like to think that coaches are fairly reasonable and rational people.

They don't do things or establish policies for no reason.

It is very possible that the staff plans to add components to the offense and defense that they would prefer to keep under cover.

So, I have to defer to the staff.

And, of course, if the team wins nine games next year nobody cares if practices the spring before were closed.

We play the game to win and that's what the staff is attempting to do - win.

As the father in the movie "Hoosiers" told the other townspeople who wanted to attend practice, "let the man do his work"

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I would like to think that coaches are fairly reasonable and rational people.

They don't do things or establish policies for no reason.

It is very possible that the staff plans to add components to the offense and defense that they would prefer to keep under cover.

So, I have to defer to the staff.

And, of course, if the team wins nine games next year nobody cares if practices the spring before were closed.

We play the game to win and that's what the staff is attempting to do - win.

As the father in the movie "Hoosiers" told the other townspeople who wanted to attend practice, "let the man do his work"

Agreed, it may anger 10-12 people total. Fact is nobody really cares and it's not that big of a deal

 

[jr4750]

Agreed, it may anger 10-12 people total. Fact is nobody really cares and it's not that big of a deal

Touche IB. I just don't get the anger. Ok, so perhaps from a marketing standpoint they are hurting themselves, slightly... but if we win one more game because of it next fall, isn't it worth it! Does anybody really care if someone is playing horribly or wonderfully in the Spring. That does nothing to get us into a bowl in FALL!

 

[CuseLegacy]

A little OT but the folks complaining about the Athletic Department might be interested in this. First am I the only one on this Board to receive a survey from the University? The survey was looking for input on the future direction of the University, whether it should emphasize more local community involvement versus global/international emphasis. Also it asked what departments could use improvement... including the Athletic Department.

 

[OttoMets]

I think the university figures the die-hards aren't going anywhere, so decisions like this aren't critical in a push to increase attendance. The problem is that die-hards are your grass-roots, unpaid marketing department - which the university continues to show no inclination to cater to in any way, shape, or form. Which I imagine means our die-hards are less "die-hard" than fans at other schools, and less interested in acting as the unpaid marketing arm for the school. Which then makes bringing in new fans much harder and dependent on a spectacular season (or more likely, two) to get attendance back up.

I started supporting the athletics department at UAlbany after I got a Masters from there, and UAlbany has consistently worked much harder at making me feel my support was appreciated and valued than Syracuse has. I thought that might be because they competed at a lower level and both had to and could work harder. Then I married a Penn State grad who supported PSU athletics, and after getting catered to by the Nittany Lions endlessly I realized that Syracuse University is just utterly clueless at lower level donor creation/maintenance. It really does seem the only thing SU is willing to put any effort into is the gigantic "grand slam" donations. Those folks don't really care about open football practices...and therefore neither does Syracuse.

It's been this way for 20+ years - it seems to be deeply imbedded in the institutional culture at SU. I doubt it's going to change any time soon.

Agree.

I've said it before: Colgate acts like my money matters. Syracuse doesn't. Giving to Colgate comes with tangible benefits. Giving to Syracuse doesn't (and it's not just the lack of access to practices, which I could take or leave).

When mapping out my discretionary spending for the year, guess which school gets the money?

 

[OttoMets]

A little OT but the folks complaining about the Athletic Department might be interested in this. First am I the only one on this Board to receive a survey from the University? The survey was looking for input on the future direction of the University, whether it should emphasize more local community involvement versus global/international emphasis. Also it asked what departments could use improvement... including the Athletic Department.

I did. It was a good survey.

Odd that SU doesn't respond to so many suggestions or complaints but is happy to throw money at a research company to run off some surveys, but whatever. We'll see what they do with those opinions.

 

[CuseLegacy]

I did. It was a good survey.

Odd that SU doesn't respond to so many suggestions or complaints but is happy to throw money at a research company to run off some surveys, but whatever. We'll see what they do with those opinions.

I'm wondering that with a new Chancellor it might make a difference.

 

[Bayside44]

I'm wondering that with a new Chancellor it might make a difference.

IF he cares about open practices he should be fired. That's up there with chalkboard erasers.

 

[CuseLegacy]

IF he cares about open practices he should be fired. That's up there with chalkboard erasers.

Huh? I was responding about the survey asking about if improvements were needed to the Athletic Department. I could care less if the practices are open that is the discretion or the coaches.

 

[javadoc]

Agreed, it may anger 10-12 people total. Fact is nobody really cares and it's not that big of a deal

I think they've learned by now that fans aren't coming back to the games in any significant way until they win more. So closing spring practices makes sense, if they honestly believe that it gives them a competitive advantage, or at least keeps pace with the competition. Fan outreach is a cart-and-horse situation. Winning is the key. Without it, everything else is ineffectual.

 

[Zcuse]

Let's be honest here. If you were the head football coach, and you could make the decision to let people watch your practices... If you opened them, you'd got 50-100 great diehards, and the potential 1 assistant from each of your future opponents getting the chance to see what you are installing, and how you will use your personnel... Would you do it?
I personally would not. Call me paranoid, but any edge is an edge I'd want. If we were talking 20k per practice, and it was a way of life in the area (SEC type of following), I might buckle. But I'd always lean for the edge in surprising my opponent if given my choice.

 

[Bayside44]

Huh? I was responding about the survey asking about if improvements were needed to the Athletic Department. I could care less if the practices are open that is the discretion or the coaches.

The survey would validate if the complaints have any real negative impact within their universe.

My bad on the open practice thing.

 

[Orangeyes]

Now that I'm back in Syracuse, I reached out to HCSS's secratary to ask if spring practices will be open. The answer: Sorry, but no.

Sounds like it is Spring Game only.

I'm going to make impassioned pleas, and I hope others do the same. But it's not looking good.

Closing practices is a good thing.
1. You ensure that dads don't bring their kids and grow future fans

2. You keep the few fans who are interested away

3. You make sure no unnecessary excitement is generated about the program

4. You minimize interactions between fans, coaches, admins and players

5. You make sure kids don't develop interest in players and develop favorites

6. You keep the program disconnected from the community

It's all good

 

[Orangeyes]

It really does seem the only thing SU is willing to put any effort into is the gigantic "grand slam" donations. Those folks don't really care about open football practices...and therefore neither does Syracuse.

It's been this way for 20+ years - it seems to be deeply imbedded in the institutional culture at SU. I doubt it's going to change any time soon.

Those grand slam donors get to see practices

 

[Orangeyes]

I would like to think that coaches are fairly reasonable and rational people.

They don't do things or establish policies for no reason.

It is very possible that the staff plans to add components to the offense and defense that they would prefer to keep under cover.

So, I have to defer to the staff.

And, of course, if the team wins nine games next year nobody cares if practices the spring before were closed.

We play the game to win and that's what the staff is attempting to do - win.

As the father in the movie "Hoosiers" told the other townspeople who wanted to attend practice, "let the man do his work"

Andy I hear what you are saying but if you want to attend practices they aren't going to deny you. Tom, Eric, Rick, John, Joe, etc enjoy seeing practices too. Others replying in this thread are either out of the area or never bothered going to practices anyways so it doesn't matter to them Having grown up with the program and having gone to practices all my life it's like nicotine withdrawal. We all want the program to win but there is a lot of unnecessary paranoia going on within the program and among some of our posters. This program needs more public relations not less.

 

[anomander]

Andy I hear what you are saying but if you want to attend practices they aren't going to deny you. Tom, Eric, Rick, John, Joe, etc enjoy seeing practices too. Others replying in this thread are either out of the area or never bothered going to practices anyways so it doesn't matter to them Having grown up with the program and having gone to practices all my life it's like nicotine withdrawal. We all want the program to win but there is a lot of unnecessary paranoia going on within the program and among some of our posters. This program needs more public relations not less.

I totally agree. Pretty unnecessary paranoia, if that is even the reason? Like you said this program needs as much positive public relations as it can get.

 

[OttoMets]

I totally agree. Pretty unnecessary paranoia, if that is even the reason? Like you said this program needs as much positive public relations as it can get.

That's what bothers me: paranoia. (Though I also recognize that opening practices seems an easy way to expand the fan base and make some of the long-time customers happy.)

An institution of higher learning shouldn't tolerate that anti-social weirdo coach behavior. If there's a legitimate reason to close practices, fine. If it's because these overgrown meatheads think they're splitting the atom and worry about their grand secrets being revealed to spies from other schools, they need to get a grip.

 

[CuseOnly]

I wasn't kidding about flying a drone over practice.