Cuseregular
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- Aug 21, 2011
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Oh where to start after this weekends events. Do I go glass half full or glass half empty. Well in keeping with the overall tenor on here the last few days, lets go and start with the dark side. Have to say that in my 43 years of going to these events this was as dour a football event that I recall since the 70's.
No energy from the field, no energy from the kids, no energy from us in the stands. Lethargy all the way around with a "learned helplessness feeling" permeating until, finally, 3/4 of the way into the "game" when some of the kids woke up not just continuing to go through the motions. I don't recall ever being as depressed in the stands watching the team. It really reminded me of the 70's when I would look at the physicality of the team with respect to the "look test" and conclude we look for like a MAC or FCS team than a team with a strong div 1 historic tradition. Very disturbing when combined with the on the field action. From appearances we all were thinking that we have a long way to go. But appearances...more on that later.
Anyway, keeping in glass half empty mode, the haphazard way of how the day was put together with some of what was already chronicled on here, along with some of the other aspects that have effected some of us personally (like most likely losing our FINE lot in the continued evolution of the University causing a counter effect of a continuing devolution of some the fan base and support of the program from reading comments on here and from listening around town).
Combined with other things like me trying to get my '59 national championship ED signed football donated up there for a while (ultimately a no go without enough interest on their part to make it happen). Things like not having the basic competence in being able to let the fandom know the time of the event and then not sticking with it. And on and on.
Collectively it does add up and cause an exhaustive fatigue when it comes to SU football. It is what it is I guess and before I made a spring game post I wanted to give it a couple days to get a grip on it and a couple days perspective.
And the conclusion I've come to is that I'm either a masochist or my orange blood goes too long and too deep to bail now. I think back to the early days (70's and 80's for me) and the perspective I had back then. As a fan I really didn't expect anything in return for my "fandom" and going to the games and being a "supporter". Nothing.
I'm embracing that perspective again. It isn't life and death this thing. It's fun and regardless of how dopey they do and run things up there (very dopey BTW), I'm embracing the fun. Even with a struggling team I and most of the rest of us are die hards with no end in sight. Why?
The product is pretty reasonable really financially, and most significantly some of the best times I've had in life are centered around these events and the family and friend interactions that occur. That realm has mushroomed and grown exponentially with this great board and the great people we now spend a lot of time with, both in person at such august event like the spring "game" as well as bantering on here with the good, the bad, and the ugly.
That's huge gents (and ladies), as lets face it very few in our immediate realms are in this deep on this Orange stuff so it's been pretty awesome to get to know so many others who share this lack of balance. As for the big picture I realize that there isn't enough of "us" to sustain this program, so with what's going on lately and how they're handling things up there and putting all their eggs obviously in a "win and they will come" approach, they better hope and pray that success is on the horizon because the general tone out here in the 'Cuse isn't good right now. And that's not just with people on this board who are complaining believe me.
But enough of all that....lets go to the positive and glass half full. Despite the logistical problems noted the Club 44 experience was amazing. Near gourmet fare that Tomcat chronicled made this the best keep secret in SU gastronomic history. The combo with the lax game makes it a no brainer $ event. The mishandling of things logistically that created a no care with respect to the fandom isn't going to change apparently, so whatever.
The one thing about a spring game that is true is that it means very little in terms of what happens with the X's and O's on the field in terms of if it means success or failure the following fall based on that. This due to the unique variables such as injuries, not the usual formations and play calling and just the general "wing it" attitude that occurs. But what you can tell is what I mentioned earlier getting a feel for the general athleticism, size and abilities of how they look and who can and do what.
Hopefully my negative impression beyond few obvious players in this regard was due to the (as usual) crazy amount of injuries to so many key players. So keeping that in mind I'm jettisoning my earlier 70's pessimism and embracing the Lemoynecuse approach for now. Hopefully this isn't folly and once back healthy this perception improves. This team can have an over the hump season. Why?
Specifically, it appears (if I believe what I read in the paper saturday) the coach has evolved. Wizened up to see that you can't win with what you've been doing. His philosophy on the qb position makes me think contrary to what I was thinking in Nov. '11 that maybe indeed he doesn't have a death wish by trying to win big (and continuing to fail) with the current qb situation.
It interesting to recall when you look back at the seminal moments that reflect what the future may very well bring vis a vis success or failure. I recall in the GRob era watching him in the pregame with his team all too rah rah that I knew right then and there that he'd be a failure as a leader and a coach.
Had a similar premonition with Marrone down on the field watching the RU game with TexanMark. Losing that game and specifically several moments was the point at which I thought this regime was destined to failure too (specifically those moments were when we're dominating them and leading them and they're kicking out of their own endzone ensuring good field position for us, that this isn't the time to try and block a punt...whooops they did it anyway, penalty and first down for RU; similarly running up and down the field on them with success leading the game and about to put the game away on the one yard line, I'm thinking punch it in, sweep the corner, sideline out pass or whatever, don't at the one yard line run a slant with a bullet pass that could end up as a jump ball...oops again).
To his credit afterward he realized it and said so...so there's growth potential. And now with the qb situation with what I FINALLY read in the paper. (spare the the head coach here shouldn't have to to learn on the, we're different folks, it is what it is). I have hope. Hope that he realizes he has a player who can single handedly make the difference between a winning season and a losing season. And though Nassib will have the green light to run a little more this year he's not saying these things in anticipation of Nassib being that player who can do these things. Good kid, strong kid, character kid, but not enough of a dual threat guy. The other kid on the other hand...
We have a once a decade player here gang, whose Cam Newtonesque. Or more accurately has the potential to go down that type path. I've been propping this kid Broyld for two years now. They get it up there after seeing him. I'll bet right now that he's going to get 10-15 touches a game. A lot of which are going to come out of some type of wildcat formation this fall to compliment Nassibs qualities and take some pressure off him.
Nassib being Nassib which was equal parts good and bad with hopes for more good than bad this year with some help from AB this time around. This kids arm as I reported is awesome as demonstrated by the one throw he had (running right full speed, slowing turning full opposite left and throwing a dart strike to Loeb on the other side of the field), the others in warm ups. Unreal ability.
He'll be able to loosen up the defenses with some runs and some passes out of the wildcat as well creating on the run. He's CAN make all the throws with time and experience in this scenario. He's too valuable to not be at a position where he can use his strengths and that he has instincts with. That being qb position primarily. Of course as we've seen he'll be used in addition in the other packages from other positions but these are not his strengths in the WR/TE/RB positions. His instincts and abilities aren't maximized in these positions.
I'll say this right now, barring injury, suspension, etc. he'll be the qb next year. Loeb no chance. Kinder a bit surprising no chance unless he evolves the way Don Mcpherson did. But with AB he's already there physically. People need to understand this guy is the best talented athlete here in the modern era when accounting for size, speed, etc. His intensity is what you want your best player to have and hopefully that intensity can be keep in check and guided in the appropriate direction ala Scoop Jardine.
The back fields in Smith, Gulley, and AAM will be potent enough, the WRs solid to potentially spectacular, and the DB's stellar. Once Spruill is back the LB's will be serviceable to potent as well. The concerns, as usual will be the lines as we're going to miss Hay and Tiller if nothing else for their pure physicality. This underscores the need for a O and Qb that goes sideline to sideline in at least some of its approach vs. pocket drop back and whatever else we've been doing.
Like Lemoynecuse I'm optimistic that we take a step forward this year. There's always huge significant concerns up here, and despite the worst spring game experience in historical memory, this team, this staff, this program (with facility enhancements on the horizon) has the potential to have a break out year. Break out meaning more exciting to watch, along with a few more wins and being bowl eligible.
There, that's the glass half full approach and now I'll just have to cross my fingers that I don't have to go to the dark side glass half empty world again God forbid I hear some whacked out story before the fall that our best player has 1) blown an ACL in a horseshoe game, 2) is suspended indefinitely for being part of the Medillin Cartel, 3) has the first ever Cocyxx dislocation, or 4) went to the Fab Melo school of class attendance.
Please God how bout a little luck for this program....if you made it this far, congrats, you're an orange masochist like me.
No energy from the field, no energy from the kids, no energy from us in the stands. Lethargy all the way around with a "learned helplessness feeling" permeating until, finally, 3/4 of the way into the "game" when some of the kids woke up not just continuing to go through the motions. I don't recall ever being as depressed in the stands watching the team. It really reminded me of the 70's when I would look at the physicality of the team with respect to the "look test" and conclude we look for like a MAC or FCS team than a team with a strong div 1 historic tradition. Very disturbing when combined with the on the field action. From appearances we all were thinking that we have a long way to go. But appearances...more on that later.
Anyway, keeping in glass half empty mode, the haphazard way of how the day was put together with some of what was already chronicled on here, along with some of the other aspects that have effected some of us personally (like most likely losing our FINE lot in the continued evolution of the University causing a counter effect of a continuing devolution of some the fan base and support of the program from reading comments on here and from listening around town).
Combined with other things like me trying to get my '59 national championship ED signed football donated up there for a while (ultimately a no go without enough interest on their part to make it happen). Things like not having the basic competence in being able to let the fandom know the time of the event and then not sticking with it. And on and on.
Collectively it does add up and cause an exhaustive fatigue when it comes to SU football. It is what it is I guess and before I made a spring game post I wanted to give it a couple days to get a grip on it and a couple days perspective.
And the conclusion I've come to is that I'm either a masochist or my orange blood goes too long and too deep to bail now. I think back to the early days (70's and 80's for me) and the perspective I had back then. As a fan I really didn't expect anything in return for my "fandom" and going to the games and being a "supporter". Nothing.
I'm embracing that perspective again. It isn't life and death this thing. It's fun and regardless of how dopey they do and run things up there (very dopey BTW), I'm embracing the fun. Even with a struggling team I and most of the rest of us are die hards with no end in sight. Why?
The product is pretty reasonable really financially, and most significantly some of the best times I've had in life are centered around these events and the family and friend interactions that occur. That realm has mushroomed and grown exponentially with this great board and the great people we now spend a lot of time with, both in person at such august event like the spring "game" as well as bantering on here with the good, the bad, and the ugly.
That's huge gents (and ladies), as lets face it very few in our immediate realms are in this deep on this Orange stuff so it's been pretty awesome to get to know so many others who share this lack of balance. As for the big picture I realize that there isn't enough of "us" to sustain this program, so with what's going on lately and how they're handling things up there and putting all their eggs obviously in a "win and they will come" approach, they better hope and pray that success is on the horizon because the general tone out here in the 'Cuse isn't good right now. And that's not just with people on this board who are complaining believe me.
But enough of all that....lets go to the positive and glass half full. Despite the logistical problems noted the Club 44 experience was amazing. Near gourmet fare that Tomcat chronicled made this the best keep secret in SU gastronomic history. The combo with the lax game makes it a no brainer $ event. The mishandling of things logistically that created a no care with respect to the fandom isn't going to change apparently, so whatever.
The one thing about a spring game that is true is that it means very little in terms of what happens with the X's and O's on the field in terms of if it means success or failure the following fall based on that. This due to the unique variables such as injuries, not the usual formations and play calling and just the general "wing it" attitude that occurs. But what you can tell is what I mentioned earlier getting a feel for the general athleticism, size and abilities of how they look and who can and do what.
Hopefully my negative impression beyond few obvious players in this regard was due to the (as usual) crazy amount of injuries to so many key players. So keeping that in mind I'm jettisoning my earlier 70's pessimism and embracing the Lemoynecuse approach for now. Hopefully this isn't folly and once back healthy this perception improves. This team can have an over the hump season. Why?
Specifically, it appears (if I believe what I read in the paper saturday) the coach has evolved. Wizened up to see that you can't win with what you've been doing. His philosophy on the qb position makes me think contrary to what I was thinking in Nov. '11 that maybe indeed he doesn't have a death wish by trying to win big (and continuing to fail) with the current qb situation.
It interesting to recall when you look back at the seminal moments that reflect what the future may very well bring vis a vis success or failure. I recall in the GRob era watching him in the pregame with his team all too rah rah that I knew right then and there that he'd be a failure as a leader and a coach.
Had a similar premonition with Marrone down on the field watching the RU game with TexanMark. Losing that game and specifically several moments was the point at which I thought this regime was destined to failure too (specifically those moments were when we're dominating them and leading them and they're kicking out of their own endzone ensuring good field position for us, that this isn't the time to try and block a punt...whooops they did it anyway, penalty and first down for RU; similarly running up and down the field on them with success leading the game and about to put the game away on the one yard line, I'm thinking punch it in, sweep the corner, sideline out pass or whatever, don't at the one yard line run a slant with a bullet pass that could end up as a jump ball...oops again).
To his credit afterward he realized it and said so...so there's growth potential. And now with the qb situation with what I FINALLY read in the paper. (spare the the head coach here shouldn't have to to learn on the, we're different folks, it is what it is). I have hope. Hope that he realizes he has a player who can single handedly make the difference between a winning season and a losing season. And though Nassib will have the green light to run a little more this year he's not saying these things in anticipation of Nassib being that player who can do these things. Good kid, strong kid, character kid, but not enough of a dual threat guy. The other kid on the other hand...
We have a once a decade player here gang, whose Cam Newtonesque. Or more accurately has the potential to go down that type path. I've been propping this kid Broyld for two years now. They get it up there after seeing him. I'll bet right now that he's going to get 10-15 touches a game. A lot of which are going to come out of some type of wildcat formation this fall to compliment Nassibs qualities and take some pressure off him.
Nassib being Nassib which was equal parts good and bad with hopes for more good than bad this year with some help from AB this time around. This kids arm as I reported is awesome as demonstrated by the one throw he had (running right full speed, slowing turning full opposite left and throwing a dart strike to Loeb on the other side of the field), the others in warm ups. Unreal ability.
He'll be able to loosen up the defenses with some runs and some passes out of the wildcat as well creating on the run. He's CAN make all the throws with time and experience in this scenario. He's too valuable to not be at a position where he can use his strengths and that he has instincts with. That being qb position primarily. Of course as we've seen he'll be used in addition in the other packages from other positions but these are not his strengths in the WR/TE/RB positions. His instincts and abilities aren't maximized in these positions.
I'll say this right now, barring injury, suspension, etc. he'll be the qb next year. Loeb no chance. Kinder a bit surprising no chance unless he evolves the way Don Mcpherson did. But with AB he's already there physically. People need to understand this guy is the best talented athlete here in the modern era when accounting for size, speed, etc. His intensity is what you want your best player to have and hopefully that intensity can be keep in check and guided in the appropriate direction ala Scoop Jardine.
The back fields in Smith, Gulley, and AAM will be potent enough, the WRs solid to potentially spectacular, and the DB's stellar. Once Spruill is back the LB's will be serviceable to potent as well. The concerns, as usual will be the lines as we're going to miss Hay and Tiller if nothing else for their pure physicality. This underscores the need for a O and Qb that goes sideline to sideline in at least some of its approach vs. pocket drop back and whatever else we've been doing.
Like Lemoynecuse I'm optimistic that we take a step forward this year. There's always huge significant concerns up here, and despite the worst spring game experience in historical memory, this team, this staff, this program (with facility enhancements on the horizon) has the potential to have a break out year. Break out meaning more exciting to watch, along with a few more wins and being bowl eligible.
There, that's the glass half full approach and now I'll just have to cross my fingers that I don't have to go to the dark side glass half empty world again God forbid I hear some whacked out story before the fall that our best player has 1) blown an ACL in a horseshoe game, 2) is suspended indefinitely for being part of the Medillin Cartel, 3) has the first ever Cocyxx dislocation, or 4) went to the Fab Melo school of class attendance.
Please God how bout a little luck for this program....if you made it this far, congrats, you're an orange masochist like me.
