Thamel

[JrodCuse]

Terrible hire after Terrible Hire ???
Grob - agree, as bad as it gets
Marrone- brought program out of the depths
Shafer - despite the current tone the book is still out

Grob - the worst.
Marrone - decent in the fact he brought us from a laughing stock to a team that opponents weren't instantly chalking up to a W, but he still cut bait earlier than expected and left the program in a difficult place, with almost all of its offensive weapons graduating as seniors and transitioning from the Big East to the ACC, which no matter how you look at it is a massive step up in difficulty. So he was a decent hire but how he left us turns it from decent into pretty bad.
Shafer - I love this guy, I'd want him to coach my kids that I don't have yet, but I don't think he is fit to be the coach. Maybe he turns this all around over the next few weeks but would anyone here be surprised if we see a punt from Louisville's 42 yard line or a timeout that we all scratch our head on? If I gave you a job and said you have 3 years to learn from your mistakes, but you kept making the same ones, wouldn't it be time to reassess? Again I love that he has that fire and the kids play hard for him, but that is only going to get a team so far when they keep tripping over themselves with silly decisions. So is he a terrible hire? I don't know. I root so hard for him but 7-6, 3-9 and what is looking like 4-8 is not a good hire.

So that leaves Marrone as the sole "non-terrible" hire but even in the way he left the program doesn't make it a good hire. Maybe terrible was a strong word but these 3 hires and the circumstances surrounding them is a large part for the SU death spiral, especially when coupled with our facilities issues, which is finally getting fixed. We're still sub-par in recruiting compared to our peer schools though. 5-10 decent players does not make a solid team.

 

[Cheriehoop]

"I have a better chance of doing shampoo commercials than Syracuse winning out." --Sean McDonough

Wasn't Sean speaking during the SU-FSU broadcast on halloween about SU's schedule and SU's chances on winning out regarding chances of being bowl eligible? He didn't just randomly tweet an irrelevant rip of SU. (speaking of irrelevant like Thamel did) He was honestly giving an assessment of SU's chances during a relevant professional broadcast. I wasn't saying that alums should be unprofessional homers when assessing an SU program in the performance of their jobs. Hey I could be all wet but I do think there's a distinct difference. I don't think you have to be a polyanna not to like Thamel's random tweet and wonder why he made it. Again just my opinion.

 

[Briancuse]

I think Thamel is just a frustrated alum and fan, just like we are.

 

[SUFan44]

I think Thamel is just a frustrated alum and fan, just like we are.

I think there's more to the story than that.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Wasn't Sean speaking during the SU-FSU broadcast on halloween about SU's schedule and SU's chances on winning out regarding chances of being bowl eligible? He didn't just randomly tweet an irrelevant rip of SU. (speaking of irrelevant like Thamel did) He was honestly giving an assessment of SU's chances during a relevant professional broadcast. I wasn't saying that alums should be unprofessional homers when assessing an SU program in the performance of their jobs. Hey I could be all wet but I do think there's a distinct difference. I don't think you have to be a polyanna not to like Thamel's random tweet and wonder why he made it. Again just my opinion.

He may have been giving a honest assessment...but that =/= professional.

 

[DownTheField]

I think Thamel is just a frustrated alum and fan, just like we are.

I think it's definitely more than that. He always slams Boeheim and the basketball team as well.

 

[rrlbees]

I may be way off and there may be no connection, but I always got the sense he started going negative shortly after the Bernie Fine fiasco. At one point I think he tweeted he was in Syracuse, I assume to get a story. I don't think I ever saw a big story from him. He may have been tossed out on his backside. Again, I'm making some guesses here. But in pretty sure his negativity started shortly after the Fine story broke and he was fired.

 

[Macky44]

Wasn't Sean speaking during the SU-FSU broadcast on halloween about SU's schedule and SU's chances on winning out regarding chances of being bowl eligible? He didn't just randomly tweet an irrelevant rip of SU. (speaking of irrelevant like Thamel did) He was honestly giving an assessment of SU's chances during a relevant professional broadcast. I wasn't saying that alums should be unprofessional homers when assessing an SU program in the performance of their jobs. Hey I could be all wet but I do think there's a distinct difference. I don't think you have to be a polyanna not to like Thamel's random tweet and wonder why he made it. Again just my opinion.

Sean ALSO had alot of good things to say about the program throughout the entire broadcast. Not even close to the same.

 

[Finwad32]

Interesting, a 2-min Google search on Thamel brings up multiple negative occurrences he's involved in somehow.

 

[richmondcuse03]

I may be way off and there may be no connection, but I always got the sense he started going negative shortly after the Bernie Fine fiasco. At one point I think he tweeted he was in Syracuse, I assume to get a story. I don't think I ever saw a big story from him. He may have been tossed out on his backside. Again, I'm making some guesses here. But in pretty sure his negativity started shortly after the Fine story broke and he was fired.

Most DO alums tend to be negative toward the school given the treatment they get by the school / athletic communications department when they were on campus...I can speak from first hand experience to this -- they pulled some dumb stunts that created a lot of bad will. I am sure this only continued when Pete was at the Post Standard. I didn't overlap with Pete but got to know him a bit -- he's a first class journalist but I think people expecting him to be in love with the school / athletic department because he went here is severely misguided. There's a big Us vs. them mentality when it comes to the DO vs say the school TV stations, which tend to produce more "homers" and "fans."

 

[SUFan44]

Most DO alums tend to be negative toward the school given the treatment they get by the school / athletic communications department when they were on campus...I can speak from first hand experience to this -- they pulled some dumb stunts that created a lot of bad will. I am sure this only continued when Pete was at the Post Standard. I didn't overlap with Pete but got to know him a bit -- he's a first class journalist but I think people expecting him to be in love with the school / athletic department because he went here is severely misguided. There's a big Us vs. them mentality when it comes to the DO vs say the school TV stations, which tend to produce more "homers" and "fans."

Again - he is unnecessarily being a dick. Don't expect him to be a homer by any stretch, but also don't expect him to go out of his way to be intentionally demeaning.

The words he used were intentional, sarcastic and meant to be over the top.

Unnecessary, too, especially from a national reporter about an "irrelevant" program.

Tirico and McDonough are Syracuse alums and obviously have pride in their school, but I don't think anyone that listens to them during a Syracuse broadcast thinks they are homers. I thought McDonough's exchange with Spielman during the broadcast Saturday was very fair.

Thamel's tweet was not only unfair but a dick move.

 

[Willy75]

Grob - the worst.
Marrone - decent in the fact he brought us from a laughing stock to a team that opponents weren't instantly chalking up to a W, but he still cut bait earlier than expected and left the program in a difficult place, with almost all of its offensive weapons graduating as seniors and transitioning from the Big East to the ACC, which no matter how you look at it is a massive step up in difficulty. So he was a decent hire but how he left us turns it from decent into pretty bad.
Shafer - I love this guy, I'd want him to coach my kids that I don't have yet, but I don't think he is fit to be the coach. Maybe he turns this all around over the next few weeks but would anyone here be surprised if we see a punt from Louisville's 42 yard line or a timeout that we all scratch our head on? If I gave you a job and said you have 3 years to learn from your mistakes, but you kept making the same ones, wouldn't it be time to reassess? Again I love that he has that fire and the kids play hard for him, but that is only going to get a team so far when they keep tripping over themselves with silly decisions. So is he a terrible hire? I don't know. I root so hard for him but 7-6, 3-9 and what is looking like 4-8 is not a good hire.

So that leaves Marrone as the sole "non-terrible" hire but even in the way he left the program doesn't make it a good hire. Maybe terrible was a strong word but these 3 hires and the circumstances surrounding them is a large part for the SU death spiral, especially when coupled with our facilities issues, which is finally getting fixed. We're still sub-par in recruiting compared to our peer schools though. 5-10 decent players does not make a solid team.

Marronr left two backs who combined had rushed for 2000 yards the year before he left, plus a decent o-line.

 

[orange79]

He's 100% right and I don't think he comes off as a bag that much.

You're right. Much more of than a . No reason, when you are supposed to be a journalist, to make a snarky statement like that. If he's a poster on a board such as this, that's one thing. If he's going to go the opinion route, get a columnist job. Don't try to sell yourself as a reporter.

 

[rrlbees]

Most DO alums tend to be negative toward the school given the treatment they get by the school / athletic communications department when they were on campus...I can speak from first hand experience to this -- they pulled some dumb stunts that created a lot of bad will. I am sure this only continued when Pete was at the Post Standard. I didn't overlap with Pete but got to know him a bit -- he's a first class journalist but I think people expecting him to be in love with the school / athletic department because he went here is severely misguided. There's a big Us vs. them mentality when it comes to the DO vs say the school TV stations, which tend to produce more "homers" and "fans."

For a long time though he was pro SU or at worst neutral. Then a switch was thrown and he became constantly negative.

 

[orange79]

Most DO alums tend to be negative toward the school given the treatment they get by the school / athletic communications department when they were on campus...I can speak from first hand experience to this -- they pulled some dumb stunts that created a lot of bad will. I am sure this only continued when Pete was at the Post Standard. I didn't overlap with Pete but got to know him a bit -- he's a first class journalist but I think people expecting him to be in love with the school / athletic department because he went here is severely misguided. There's a big Us vs. them mentality when it comes to the DO vs say the school TV stations, which tend to produce more "homers" and "fans."

No one is expecting him to be in love with the school. Not being a would be nice, though

 

[Scooch]

It's really not important.

 

[Alsacs]

Thamel was somebody that Dr. Gross was close with and fed stuff to him. Gross wanted Thamel while at the NY Times for the whole Orange in the Apple Campaign.
Thamel got butthurt when the BB stuff happened and he didn't get what he wanted from JB and company(rightfully so I might add JB owed him nothing). Since Fine and with a new AD not kissing his "ring" Thamel hasn't been friendly to the program.
He is just a spoiled sportswriter who thinks the people he covers should make his job easier and holds grudges when they don't.

 

[MikeSU02]

That seems out of the ordinary from his usual Twitter persona.

I don't need a cheerleader, but that language had a mean-spritedness to it, which isn't his usual style.

He's been making it seem like Beamer has almost walked on water, then comes out with this tweet about Cuse.

Not a fan of it.

 

[Macky44]

Most DO alums tend to be negative toward the school given the treatment they get by the school / athletic communications department when they were on campus...I can speak from first hand experience to this -- they pulled some dumb stunts that created a lot of bad will. I am sure this only continued when Pete was at the Post Standard. I didn't overlap with Pete but got to know him a bit -- he's a first class journalist but I think people expecting him to be in love with the school / athletic department because he went here is severely misguided. There's a big Us vs. them mentality when it comes to the DO vs say the school TV stations, which tend to produce more "homers" and "fans."

Cause that makes a ton of sense. I hate the school i spent a quarter of a million dollars at while getting my education.

 

[elimunelson]

It's really not important.

Most writers have agendas. Live in Boston and you will realize Pete Thamel isn't even remotely negative compared to curmudgeons like Shaugnessy and Ron Borges.

I'm sure stuff started with Bernie Fine. That was creepy as hell and i'm sure the university went bunker mentality on it. Who knows and who cares. If you win then any one holding a grudge looks truly foolish. When you stink and continue to do things inept it doesn't move any needle.

School has enough cheerleaders in the media to get concerned with one who is negative.

 

[storange]

Most writers have agendas. Live in Boston and you will realize Pete Thamel isn't even remotely negative compared to curmudgeons like Shaugnessy and Ron Borges.

I'm sure stuff started with Bernie Fine. That was creepy as hell and i'm sure the university went bunker mentality on it. Who knows and who cares. If you win then any one holding a grudge looks truly foolish. When you stink and continue to do things inept it doesn't move any needle.

School has enough cheerleaders in the media to get concerned with one who is negative.

Strange, but I think the opposite is true, It seems alot of the SU grads in the sports media feel pressure not to become cheerleaders. During the NCAA hoops deal the SU alum stayed quiet it was Bilas and non SU people that stated that the penalties were too harsh. I have not noticed a lot of SU cheerleading in the media. Now talk about Lou Holtz and the ND people, they without shame plug ND constantly (Holtz past tense )

 

[Bayside44]

Strange, but I think the opposite is true, It seems alot of the SU grads in the sports media feel pressure not to become cheerleaders. During the NCAA hoops deal the SU alum stayed quiet it was Bilas and non SU people that stated that the penalties were too harsh. I have not noticed a lot of SU cheerleading in the media. Now talk about Lou Holtz and the ND people, they without shame plug ND constantly (Holtz past tense )

Bilas' granddad went to SU. Wonder if that has anything to do with his love affair for the Cuse.

 

[shandeezy7]

Strange, but I think the opposite is true, It seems alot of the SU grads in the sports media feel pressure not to become cheerleaders. During the NCAA hoops deal the SU alum stayed quiet it was Bilas and non SU people that stated that the penalties were too harsh. I have not noticed a lot of SU cheerleading in the media. Now talk about Lou Holtz and the ND people, they without shame plug ND constantly (Holtz past tense )

Holtz is still current tense. Heard him on the SiriusXM College Football pregame show this past Saturday. Didn't really listen to what he was saying though. Spent most of my time wondering how much of his saliva was all over his microphone.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Holtz is still current tense. Heard him on the SiriusXM College Football pregame show this past Saturday. Didn't really listen to what he was saying though. Spent most of my time wondering how much of his saliva was all over his microphone.

 

[Roger N]

Marronr left two backs who combined had rushed for 2000 yards the year before he left, plus a decent o-line.

And only 1 or 2 of the asst coaches