Tucker on 44

[sufandu]

If this played out right, switching could make him more money, kinda like when a star player switches teams or changes numbers (Lebron, Kobe). All the people that already bought his 34 would go out and get the 44 too.

 

[JeffCuse]

This whole thing makes me so sad. Gross screwed this up and no one will fix it.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Absolutely sad that Syracuse ran him off of this number.

He was ALL about wearing it very early in the season.

Now suddenly he doesn’t……..not a good look for the university in my opinion

Yup. No players were alive when anyone wore it. It’s an irrelevant tradition officially. Sad Floyd’s death served to essentially close the door permanently on the tradition.

Hope the school never attempts to sell a 44 jersey again it’s a huge insult to the fanbase and will just make people angry.

Wildhack sucks.

 

[two3zone]

Only Syracuse could screw something up that is so easy in more ways than one.

And probably spell his name wrong if he did wear it.

 

[David321]

44 Watch: Sean Tucker Wants to 'Create Own Legacy'

The Syracuse star running back recently appeared on a podcast and discussed potentially wearing the legendary number.

www.si.com

This doesn’t sound like someone who is even salty, let alone leaving.

 

[OrangePA]

Good for him. No more needing the approval of past players and families to deem you worthy. With the circus that this has been, a whole new generation will honor the number 34 and his current merchandise won't go out of style

Sean is going to break all of their records anyway so if he doesn't get #44 we might as well mothball it permanently.

Wrong take.

Nobody will remember No. 34.

Just as nobody remembers No. 47.

 

[kcsu]

I don't think 44 means as much to these kids as we may think it does. In todays social media driven world, it's all about "your brand." It makes sense he'd want to make a name for himself with his own number. I'm in my mid 30's and have all the 44 merch littering my mancave, but the only one I can really remember wearing the number is Konrad. Thats 4-5 years before these kids were even born.

It does bother me that he seems to have changed his tune on the number in the last few months. I don't think that happened after some deep thought...but because of what's transpired on the field and behind closed doors during that time.

Hopefully we're just overreacting...

The timing is odd

 

[NineOneSeven]

26/211/3 on Saturday

 

[sufandu]

This whole thing makes me so sad. Gross screwed this up and no one will fix it.

At this point it's not on Gross. The number was quietly unretired a while ago. All they needed to do was issue it. This whole fiasco feels like the bikini model scene at the end of Dumb and Dumber.

 

[rrlbees]

The timing is odd

Timing of what?

 

[kcsu]

Timing of what?

Tuckers reversal on wanting 44.

 

[sufandu]

I don't think 44 means as much to these kids as we may think it does. In todays social media driven world, it's all about "your brand." It makes sense he'd want to make a name for himself with his own number. I'm in my mid 30's and have all the 44 merch littering my mancave, but the only one I can really remember wearing the number is Konrad. Thats 4-5 years before these kids were even born.

It does bother me that he seems to have changed his tune on the number in the last few months. I don't think that happened after some deep thought...but because of what's transpired on the field and behind closed doors during that time.

Hopefully we're just overreacting...

We know it's not important to younger kids for the exact reason you stated. This has been our opportunity, seemingly now missed, to change that. Had we given it to Tucker, younger kids fall in love with it and then learn the legacy because of that. I really started to follow SU in 1990. Terry Richardson wore it then and never quite fulfilled the hype. However, because he wore it and people talked about it, I learned about our rich history of RBs and specifically the 44s. Tucker wearing it would have been so much more significant to maintaining the legacy.

 

[sufandu]

Wrong take.

Nobody will remember No. 34.

Just as nobody remembers No. 47.

Quite true. 44 is not famous because of one guy. It's famous because of the lineage. We've had two great players wear 39 (I actually found some pics of Csonka wearing 34 too). How many of those jerseys are in the crowd now?

 

[Trueblue25]

Makes whatever Tucker said to Babers on the sideline vs UL all the more intriguing

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Quite true. 44 is not famous because of one guy. It's famous because of the lineage. We've had two great players wear 39 (I actually found some pics of Csonka wearing 34 too). How many of those jerseys are in the crowd now?

Probably very few, because Nike only sells 44's lately.

Years ago Nike made other numbers, but not recently.

If Syracuse had better teams, Nike would have more inventory available.

 

[sufandu]

Probably very few, because Nike only sells 44's lately.

Years ago Nike made other numbers, but not recently.

If Syracuse had better teams, Nike would have more inventory available.

And if other numbers sold in quantities that justified Nike selling them, they'd made them. I don't know what jersey sales were like in the early '80's. My guess is that if 47s were be sold, the numbers dropped shortly after Morris graduated. 44 still sells despite no player wearing it for 23 years.

 

[Reyes39]

We know it's not important to younger kids for the exact reason you stated. This has been our opportunity, seemingly now missed, to change that. Had we given it to Tucker, younger kids fall in love with it and then learn the legacy because of that. I really started to follow SU in 1990. Terry Richardson wore it then and never quite fulfilled the hype. However, because he wore it and people talked about it, I learned about our rich history of RBs and specifically the 44s. Tucker wearing it would have been so much more significant to maintaining the legacy.

Completely agree...SU completely botched this.

I fully expect them to now try to overcorrect this mistake by offering 44 to a 3 star kid that ends up going to Central Michigan

 

[Cuse181]

Transferring to Alabama where he'll run for over 2000 yards next season and win the Heisman in a landslide (all while still wearing #34).

He’d never be a featured back with only 1 year in the offense, that’s not how saban operates.

 

[Cuse181]

he’s one of my favorites, all time. And I do believe we’ve got a core nucleus if it sticks…

But play devil’s advocate for just a moment in regards to the portal… it’s a real concern.

That means nothing in regards to Sean’s thoughts, which I don’t know one iota about.

But if Oklahoma/Texas/Auburn/whoever big name texted you, and said hey what’s up, 80k coming this weekend, you’ll be our bell cow, ps check out our NLI opportunities and draft history… how would you respond at 20 years old?

Hopefully saying no, because you’re only playing 1 more year and you’re already getting national attention, all that going to the BIG 12 or SEC does is put you up against bigger defensive players and increase you’re injury risk. You’d need to introduce yourself to an entirely new fanbase (which is not his personality) and even then you might only make 50k-100k, is 50-100k worth risking the millions you can make staying in a system that is literally built around you? I think he’s smart enough to see leaving really only offers you marginally better returns in the long run.

 

[dollarbill44]

Would like to see Crouse, or one of the dealerships step up and get a deal with this kid. If nobody in Syracuse does a deal with him i think we can pretty much put a fork in SU being even a minor player in NIL.

Maybe run a TV ad with Sean running to the rescue of an old lady having a stroke and carrying her to Crouse.

 

[sufandu]

Hopefully saying no, because you’re only playing 1 more year and you’re already getting national attention, all that going to the BIG 12 or SEC does is put you up against bigger defensive players and increase you’re injury risk. You’d need to introduce yourself to an entirely new fanbase (which is not his personality) and even then you might only make 50k-100k, is 50-100k worth risking the millions you can make staying in a system that is literally built around you? I think he’s smart enough to see leaving really only offers you marginally better returns in the long run.

Yeah. Some are comparing the situation to Kenneth Walker, but it's not apples to apples. Walker went from a situation where he was having to share carries and running for under 600 yards to one where his carries have more than doubled as a featured back. Tucker is already a featured back getting all the carries he wants. Making a move has more risk and less reward for Tucker than it did for Walker.

 

[sufandu]

Maybe run a TV ad with Sean running to the rescue of an old lady having a stroke and carrying her to Crouse.

With him breaking a finish line tape ahead of an ambulance.

 

[rrlbees]

Tuckers reversal on wanting 44.

We don’t know when he changed his mind. Could have been weeks ago. So we don’t know the timing.

 

[billorange44]

The best thing fans can do is buy Tucker's jersey number 34 in the future. Don't buy anything with the number 44. It's meaningless as a number to anyone outside of local fans.

Maybe having all those T's and hoodies printed with number 34 had something to do with it. Money talks and BS walks!

 

[721Comstock]

Yeah. Some are comparing the situation to Kenneth Walker, but it's not apples to apples. Walker went from a situation where he was having to share carries and running for under 600 yards to one where his carries have more than doubled as a featured back. Tucker is already a featured back getting all the carries he wants. Making a move has more risk and less reward for Tucker than it did for Walker.

Well - Tucker gets a lot of potential TD’s vultured by Shrader, so he might consider going someplace that’s less likely to happen.

But mostly - to a program that doesn’t struggle mightily just to qualify for a bowl game.
He’s never been to one, and there’s no guarantee if he returns that it’ll happen next year.

I want him to stay as much as anybody, and truly hope he will.

But I’m also a realist, and he’s gonna have opportunities elsewhere presented to him, that he’d be crazy to not at least consider.