Winning changes everything. Just for reference, I go back to Danforth and his runts. When JB took over he was just a younger, inexperienced version of what we see today. Same personality on and off the court, same philosophy regarding playing style, same relationship with the media, etc, etc. The difference for us back then was the magic of the Big East that Dave Gavitt created and the fact that SU, along with Georgetown, were the premier programs. The national TV coverage, the excitement of the post season at the Garden, the enormous crowds all made the program upper echelon. But most importantly the annual winning seasons made JB a local hero. WINNING made him an icon.
Fast forward a few decades. Whether age, change in conference, sanctions, reluctance to adapt to current basketball philosophies or a combination of factors, SU is no longer the quality program I grew up with. I feel sorry for the program, but as an old fart I am equally sorry that Jim held on so long that he has to go out on a negative. I'm inviting him to join us out here in retirement land. It's really not all that bad Jim, and your can still enjoy your passion as a spectator. One of your biggest fans.