Whatever happens happens... but I'm not scared for SU

[OttosBestFriend]

I think Bernie is gonna go down in flames.

But at the end of the day, I think the Syracuse admins are doing a very admirable job of both being proactive and saying the all right things.

If SU's compassionate, accommodating, and altogether positive actions continue, I don't think Bernie's crimes will tarnish Syracuse University or the basketball program in the long run.

As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet Laurie Fine's balls on that.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Here's to wishful thinking.

Unfortunately, when there is bad press like this, it gets kids who might have considered SU, to not consider SU at all. Whether it be because of their parents feelings, or just not wanting any potential issues. I think this will take its toll on the program.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

I think Bernie is gonna go down in flames.

But at the end of the day, I think the Syracuse admins are doing a very admirable job of both being proactive and saying the all right things.

If SU's compassionate, accommodating, and altogether positive actions continue, I don't think Bernie's crimes will tarnish Syracuse University or the basketball program in the long run.

As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet Laurie Fine's balls on that.

I think this has already tarnished the University. Not everyone is looking at how it is being handled. All they know is that SU is getting bad front-page press across the entire country.

No way this does not have a deleterious affect regardless of how it plays out.

 

[Scooch]

I think this has already tarnished the University. Not everyone is looking at how it is being handled. All they know is that SU is getting bad front-page press across the entire country.

No way this does not have a deleterious affect regardless of how it plays out.

Agreed, although I do think that most people think SU's response has been appropriate, to this point. If further developments tarnish the credibility of the investigation from 6 years ago that will change that perception considerably.

Personally, I don't really care how this affects the basketball program. It's a basketball program. I care how it affects the university I graduated from and have a large chunk of my personal identity invested in.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Personally, I don't really care how this affects the basketball program. It's a basketball program. I care how it affects the university I graduated from and have a large chunk of my personal identity invested in.

Although I care about the hoops program, like you my primary pride is in the academic insitution I graduated from. I do care about that. I don't want to have SU's identity to be a sleazy jock school.

 

[elimunelson]

Agreed, although I do think that most people think SU's response has been appropriate, to this point. If further developments tarnish the credibility of the investigation from 6 years ago that will change that perception considerably.

Personally, I don't really care how this affects the basketball program. It's a basketball program. I care how it affects the university I graduated from and have a large chunk of my personal identity invested in.

i don't know how anyone can think differently Scooch if you are a graduate of the university. I guess if you are a townie, your allegiances are to the sports programs first. I honestly was fired up for the ACC because more than anything, it may bump us in the US News rankings. I know that is irrelevant but perception is reality and i hate BC being so much higher in that ranking than SU (esp when i live in boston and decided SU over BC back in the early 90s).

 

[Scooch]

Although I care about the hoops program, like you my primary pride is in the academic insitution I graduated from. I do care about that. I don't want to have SU's identity to be a sleazy jock school.

Yeah, I overstated my feelings by saying I don't care, because I do I guess, it's just a very secondary concern.

 

[Shenexon]

The most difficult thing I see for Boeheim & SU is that two of the boys (now men) making the accusations were Syracuse ball-boys. They weren't outside the purview of the school or Boeheim. Rather they were under SU's umbrella when the alleged abuse occurred. I'm not sure it changes things much but is one of the negative things being referred to in some of the articles in the media. Were they ball-boys before the alleged abuse or were they abused, then brought into the program by Bernie? I'm not sure how the ball-boy thing works and am not sure who oversees the program. Anyone have any insight into that?

 

[SUGIANT]

I think this has already tarnished the University. Not everyone is looking at how it is being handled. All they know is that SU is getting bad front-page press across the entire country.

No way this does not have a deleterious affect regardless of how it plays out.

I responded to apost on another non sport sight last week that used this, before any tape or further allegation, as an example of some greater hidden trend in college sports regarding child molestation. It is, indeed, wishful thinking to think this has not already put SU in a very bad light. Each day brings further revelations and I don;t think the end of these revelations is even near to an end.

I would have agreed last week that the Admin seems to be handling this issue correctly. But with the uncovering of this tape and whatever is coming next, if anything, I have no faith in what I don't know. I bet all the Penn St people said the very same things right up until Joe Pa was fired. I'm assuming the worst is yet to come...

 

[Dick_in_MI]

The most difficult thing I see for Boeheim & SU is that two of the boys (now men) making the accusations were Syracuse ball-boys. They weren't outside the purview of the school or Boeheim. Rather they were under SU's umbrella when the alleged abuse occurred. I'm not sure it changes things much but is one of the negative things being referred to in some of the articles in the media. Were they ball-boys before the alleged abuse or were they abused, then brought into the program by Bernie? I'm not sure how the ball-boy thing works and am not sure who oversees the program. Anyone have any insight into that?

That is a good point and is one of the things I'm concerned about as well.

As it pertains to JB, this could be one of the things that could eventually bring him down. Even if he wasn't directly involved, he oversees the program.

At minimum, I also see JB likely getting some disciplinary action for his comments. Lots of fans have spinned them as "defending his friend", but they are thinking like sports fans and not school administrators. JB went over the top in his comments and "defense of a friend" has to take a back seat to what you say when you are a de-facto mouthpiece for the University. You have to be dignified and show some restraint.

Jimmy has a history of occasionally saying some dumb things but usually that's to or with the local media. When your comments make national news and are talked about almost as much as Bernie's transgressions, you have reflected poorly on your employer.

So even if he survives, which I expect he will, he needs a slap on the wrist for shooting his mouth off in a very public and premature way.

 

[Scooch]

I would have agreed last week that the Admin seems to be handling this issue correctly. But with the uncovering of this tape and whatever is coming next, if anything, I have no faith in what I don't know. I bet all the Penn St people said the very same things right up until Joe Pa was fired. I'm assuming the worst is yet to come...

Disagree with that part, Penn State reacted about as horribly as possible to things as they broke. I mean right from the start they knew a grand jury was investigating Sandusky for at least a year, if not longer, before the findings were released. And yet they were totally unprepared to address the report when it came out. Then their idiot President gave "unconditional support" to his dipsh!t AD and Finance guy as attention started to grow. It was a case study in how not to manage a bad situation.

Chancellor Cantor gave a pitch-perfect statement initially, and SU has largely hit all the right notes since. Although I do agree that the freight train is gathering momentum, and there may soon come a point where no PR spin will be able to keep us looking good, or at least not monstrously bad.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

The most difficult thing I see for Boeheim & SU is that two of the boys (now men) making the accusations were Syracuse ball-boys. They weren't outside the purview of the school or Boeheim. Rather they were under SU's umbrella when the alleged abuse occurred. I'm not sure it changes things much but is one of the negative things being referred to in some of the articles in the media. Were they ball-boys before the alleged abuse or were they abused, then brought into the program by Bernie? I'm not sure how the ball-boy thing works and am not sure who oversees the program. Anyone have any insight into that?

If Lang can be believed (and in my mind that is still an open question), he was already a ball boy when Bernie began abusing him. Lang, again according to him, recruited his step-brother, Bobby Davis, to become a ball boy, after which time Bernie began abusing Davis. What's unclear to me is whether or not the abuse of Bobby Davis started before or after he moved into the Fine's home. It sounds as though the abuse that occured during a couple road trips happened at a time when Bobby Davis was a member of the Fine household and was functioning as a babysitter for the Fines.

I'm sure investigators are contacting anyone who served as a ball boy at Cuse over the past 7-10 years, if not over the past 35 years.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Disagree with that part, Penn State reacted about as horribly as possible to things as they broke. I mean right from the start they knew a grand jury was investigating Sandusky for at least a year, if not longer, before the findings were released. And yet they were totally unprepared to address the report when it came out. Then their idiot President gave "unconditional support" to his dipsh!t AD and Finance guy as attention started to grow. It was a case study in how not to manage a bad situation.

Chancellor Cantor gave a pitch-perfect statement initially, and SU has largely hit all the right notes since. Although I do agree that the freight train is gathering momentum, and there may soon come a point where no PR spin will be able to keep us looking good, or at least not monstrously bad.

I think the real issue is, fans of other schools and people in general see a chance to pounce and bury Syracuse. Then you have the uneducated masses who just hear a snippet of a news story about the ordeal and incorrect things stick in their heads. I got a call from my cousin in Tennessee two days ago, "Wow, so your buddy Boeheim up there really like touching kids huh? How long was he doing that?" Guilty by association in small minds.

 

[NovaOrange]

I wish I had your same attitude every morning I wake up terrified of what I might read next.

 

[SUGIANT]

i don't know how anyone can think differently Scooch if you are a graduate of the university. I guess if you are a townie, your allegiances are to the sports programs first. I honestly was fired up for the ACC because more than anything, it may bump us in the US News rankings. I know that is irrelevant but perception is reality and i hate BC being so much higher in that ranking than SU (esp when i live in boston and decided SU over BC back in the early 90s).

Being a former "townie" (live in Colorado now) I do care about the sports programs but "All" of SU is tied to the City of Syracuses, and the surrounding areas, identity. It is the cities top employer and I personally take just as much pride in the fact that I hear the Newhouse School of Broadcasting and other schools, quoted in articles ranging from politics to entertainment. I take pride in the school itself and while I could never have the same vested interest in SU as someone that was lucky enough to go there, I think I can have as much pride as it represents a significant part of my life from a time when I was very young until now. The sports programs are just the most visible part of that and my ability to express it, they provided me contact to home when I served in Desert Storm and as I've moved across the country due to career. I am associated to SU by most of my friends because of this. My son wants to go to SU because of this connection, eventhough his connection is much less tenuous having lived away from Syarcuse since age 5. "Townies" may not have graduated from SU and maybe many of them do only care about the sports program, but if they do they don't see the bigger picture and how it could be affected if SU is affected negatively by this scandal. I don't necessarily agree that most "townies" see it that way, btw.