OrangeXtreme
The Mayor of Dewitt
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 215,738
- Like
- 376,241
Pretty good article here. I think it serves a purpose, reminding those that read it that teams from the Northeast have been relevant in the not too, too distant past. And with some investment, by both team, school and the ACC, Northeast football can be strong (or stronger) again.
One Thursday night on ESPNMentioning Rutgers football “success” with BC, SU, PSU, Pitt, and Maryland is a total travesty. The had a brief period where they sucked less. They were never good.
Just another reason to despise lacrosse.A big part of the problem is football is declining at the Pop Warner and HS level.
Definitely doesn't help.;A big part of the problem is football is declining at the Pop Warner and HS level.
It begs the question: where would those schools be without the money?"If you look at how things have turned since the breakup of the Big East, I don't know if that was a beneficial move for northeastern football for anybody outside of the financial aspect of it," one AD from a former Big East school said. "From a competitive aspect, I don't think anyone has been super successful. The loss of rivalries across the Northeast has not helped the cause."
Amen. It was a terrible decision made by money. Now that an article was written I wonder what the impetus is for that. Someone with some juice wanted that written.
Don't forget the ESB. It was MAGICAL...One Thursday night on ESPN
Tony Soprano was there too (RIP)
A big part of the problem is football is declining at the Pop Warner and HS level.
Having lived substantially in both the north and south, I can also point out that in the north, kids play several sports. In the south, kids pick a sport (or dad pucks a sport) and the kid sticks with it year round, year in and year out. Few are multi-sport athletes in the south, most coaches forbid it. Off season workouts and the seasons manage to take up about 10 months per year.Definitely doesn't help.;
My opinion is that HS football has never taken hold in the Northeast like it has in other areas of the country. With the exception of parts of Pennsylvania.
Kids don't grow up dreaming of playing in big football games for the local HS. Football is not especially cool to play. There isn't much interest in communities for the local HS football programs.
I don't think this is new and I don't think it is ever going to change. Schools in the Northeast are going to have to be good at identifying raw talent and have to rely on recruiting other areas of the country to fill out their rosters.
You need a good coaching staff that is willing to work harder to get the job done, and ideally has the charisma to galvanize the local community (and the whole state) and get them involved and enthusiastic. You need an administration at your college that is committed to football and willing to provide the facilities and staff needed to field competitive teams.
It is hard to get all this in place in the Northeast and ever harder to sustain it. But it is possible and I think there is generally going to be at least one program in the Northeast besides Penn State who will be really successful in a given year.
Just hope most years, that other team is Syracuse.
If we can convince Santa to move to the South Pole where there’s actual land, we can melt that ice cap and flood the coastlines. That’s the quickest way to catalyze a reverse migration.People laugh when I bring this up - but life in the south may get a lot tougher with climate issues. A population influx of people who care might help the NE.
I think the one sport specification is taking over the NE too. I blame that on travel ball.Having lived substantially in both the north and south, I can also point out that in the north, kids play several sports. In the south, kids pick a sport (or dad pucks a sport) and the kid sticks with it year round, year in and year out. Few are multi-sport athletes in the south, most coaches forbid it. Off season workouts and the seasons manage to take up about 10 months per year.
Not so sure it is a bad thing that kids in the North play a bunch of sports. They get exposed to a lot more of the world; different teammates, different opponents, different venues, use different skill sets, get different kinds of coaching.Having lived substantially in both the north and south, I can also point out that in the north, kids play several sports. In the south, kids pick a sport (or dad pucks a sport) and the kid sticks with it year round, year in and year out. Few are multi-sport athletes in the south, most coaches forbid it. Off season workouts and the seasons manage to take up about 10 months per year.
I don't think this is entirely true. HS football in the northeast has never been, and will never be, the dynamo that it is in the south or midwest. But there are towns all over Mass., CT, NJ, Long Island, MD, etc. where very large crowds turn out for Friday night football. We had a game in my county last fall that drew 10K people.My opinion is that HS football has never taken hold in the Northeast like it has in other areas of the country. With the exception of parts of Pennsylvania.
Kids don't grow up dreaming of playing in big football games for the local HS. Football is not especially cool to play. There isn't much interest in communities for the local HS football programs.
Thanks for really giving that some thoughtIf we can convince Santa to move to the South Pole where there’s actual land, we can melt that ice cap and flood the coastlines. That’s the quickest way to catalyze a reverse migration.
I was talking with my uncle who coached hockey at a CNYCL HS and he said his school can barely even field a football team these days.Definitely doesn't help.;
My opinion is that HS football has never taken hold in the Northeast like it has in other areas of the country. With the exception of parts of Pennsylvania.
Kids don't grow up dreaming of playing in big football games for the local HS. Football is not especially cool to play. There isn't much interest in communities for the local HS football programs.
I don't think this is new and I don't think it is ever going to change. Schools in the Northeast are going to have to be good at identifying raw talent and have to rely on recruiting other areas of the country to fill out their rosters.
You need a good coaching staff that is willing to work harder to get the job done, and ideally has the charisma to galvanize the local community (and the whole state) and get them involved and enthusiastic. You need an administration at your college that is committed to football and willing to provide the facilities and staff needed to field competitive teams.
It is hard to get all this in place in the Northeast and ever harder to sustain it. But it is possible and I think there is generally going to be at least one program in the Northeast besides Penn State who will be really successful in a given year.
Just hope most years, that other team is Syracuse.
All of your points are spot on. I add that not all kids develop into the prototype player for the chosen sport and thus, they have had a good time but HS or College is the end of the line. I see 6'0" and 6'1" walk on linemen walk onto UT, TAMU, OU, and other schools with no hope of seeing the field just to say they played in college because that is what they played their entire life.it is sad because these kids could play baseball or lacrosse or ... For Bees, soccer ... Or something else.Not so sure it is a bad thing that kids in the North play a bunch of sports. They get exposed to a lot more of the world; different teammates, different opponents, different venues, use different skill sets, get different kinds of coaching.
While they might not end up quite as polished and developed in any one sport, I think they end up better for all the additional exposure and experiences they get.
Maybe it costs a few a scholarship in football. But I bet a bunch find they are really good in another sport and end up with a scholarship for that sport.
This is good for the kids overall, IMHO.
Having lived substantially in both the north and south, I can also point out that in the north, kids play several sports. In the south, kids pick a sport (or dad pucks a sport) and the kid sticks with it year round, year in and year out. Few are multi-sport athletes in the south, most coaches forbid it. Off season workouts and the seasons manage to take up about 10 months per year.