When it comes to the 44, it's not complicated...it's just time.

[rocklloyd]

Floyd Little’s wife says his dream was for grandson to wear No. 44: ‘If he doesn’t get it, then it’s fair game’

DeBorah Little, the wife of the late Syracuse running back, weighs in on un-retiring the program's iconic jersey number.

www.syracuse.com

DeBorah Little, the wife of the legendary Syracuse football running back Floyd Little, said Friday that she would like to see their grandson wear the No. 44 if he attends Syracuse in two years.

“I’d like to see Blaze Little-Jones wear No. 44. That was Floyd’s dream since our grandson was born,” DeBorah Little said when asked if she would like to see Syracuse running back Sean Tucker wear the program’s iconic jersey number.

DeBorah Little, who delivered a heartfelt speech to honor the life of her late husband during halftime of Syracuse’s football game against Clemson, said the Little family has asked that the number be reserved until their grandson has the opportunity to wear it. She said Jones-Little is currently a junior in high school.

I could not hear a word that was said. They want to save it for grandson? Unreal.

 

[JackBauer44]

It’s becoming a bit of a chore to find ways to support this administration and their thinking.

 

[kcsu]

Tucker leaving will be a nightmare.

 

[chop block]

I could not hear a word that was said. They want to save it for grandson? Unreal.

Yeah I thought it was weird to go on about how you have make sure the next to wear 44 has such and such qualities, but you can just give it to my grandson

 

[OrangeDW]

 

[FrancoPizza]

Tucker leaving will be a nightmare.

You’ve heard this?

 

[Doc5120]

Tucker leaving will be a nightmare.

Yes it would be. But why are people saying he would? He's a featured back who will play 1 more season before going to the NFL. I have to imagine he's quite happy. All of a sudden we have a great player and we make general statements...we better do "x" before he leaves. I doubt retiring or unretiring a number would make/break him going anywhere. "I can't have #44. I'm outta here!" I just don't see that at all. We're talking about Sean Tucker, not Taj Harris.

 

[Cuseregular]

Well done

 

[qdawgg]

#44 the number on an SU jersey is the property of Syracuse. If it’s now the right decision for the university to unretire a bad choice, then it’s the universities choice. At this point and after this weekend, the whole, it’s our relatives # thing is coming off more and more selfish. Just my feeling.

 

[Doc5120]

You’ve heard this?

This is the same guy who said we were all banged up and implied we'd be missing all sorts of starters against Clemson. The only guy I recall who was missing was Bleich, and I believe he tried to play very early on.

 

[690West]

You’ve heard this?

He’s not going anywhere.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Yes it would be. But why are people saying he would? He's a featured back who will play 1 more season before going to the NFL. I have to imagine he's quite happy. All of a sudden we have a great player and we make general statements...we better do "x" before he leaves. I doubt retiring or unretiring a number would make/break him going anywhere. "I can't have #44. I'm outta here!" I just don't see that at all. We're talking about Sean Tucker, not Taj Harris.

Tucker's not leaving over a jersey number.

I'd worry more about players leaving if Dino and the staff get fired.

 

[Doc5120]

Tucker's not leaving over a jersey number.

I'd worry more about players leaving if Dino and the staff get fired.

That I agree with.

 

[OrangeDW]

Yes it would be. But why are people saying he would? He's a featured back who will play 1 more season before going to the NFL. I have to imagine he's quite happy. All of a sudden we have a great player and we make general statements...we better do "x" before he leaves. I doubt retiring or unretiring a number would make/break him going anywhere. "I can't have #44. I'm outta here!" I just don't see that at all. We're talking about Sean Tucker, not Taj Harris.

Assume it’s just typical miserable CNYer rhetoric.

 

[JeffCuse]

Not only do I think there is a 0% chance he would ever say that, I worry this false narrative runs the risk of contaminating his character, and giving cover to an admin that should have none on this issue.

I'd let this storyline die.

 

[BrooklynCuse]

Yes it would be. But why are people saying he would? He's a featured back who will play 1 more season before going to the NFL. I have to imagine he's quite happy. All of a sudden we have a great player and we make general statements...we better do "x" before he leaves. I doubt retiring or unretiring a number would make/break him going anywhere. "I can't have #44. I'm outta here!" I just don't see that at all. We're talking about Sean Tucker, not Taj Harris.

I agree, he’s the featured back here and will be next year as well. He can get drafted out of SU just as easy as anywhere else. So one would think he stays.

But he didn’t look too happy with the decision of Dino kicking on Friday. He looked downright mad and maybe he would like to win some college games

 

[Moontan]

Little’s grandson could earn/receive #44 after Tucker leaves.

 

[djorange1989]

Little’s grandson could earn/receive #44 after Tucker leaves.

He has to earn an offer here first

 

[qdawgg]

Tucker's not leaving over a jersey number.

I'd worry more about players leaving if Dino and the staff get fired.

Or players leaving if DB stays.

 

[FrancoPizza]

He has to earn an offer here first

What are his current offers? Tuck will be in the NFL anyway by that point so that’s no excuse.

 

[RandomGuy]

Tucker leaving will be a nightmare.

Indeed. 44 is a nice recruiting tool to keep him here, in the age of NIL.

Even if he gets injured, it will be a nightmare.

 

[JRHEETER]

What are his current offers? Tuck will be in the NFL anyway by that point so that’s no excuse.

She doesn’t want it to be unretired till after her grandson may or may not play for Cuse and if he does play for Cuse it sounds like they will only do it if he gets the 44

after her son has either decide to go or not go to Cuse then she said she doesn’t care what Cuse does with the 44.

Didn’t exactly love what she was saying to be totally honest. Felt kind of selfish to me.

She did say that if they decided to unretire it before that whoever it was needed to have the same morals and what not as Floyd little, etc. I also took a little offense to this because it felt like she thinks Floyd was the only one who ever had the 44.

Either way, it sounds like Tucker will unlikely be wearing 44 while at Cuse and that’s a complete shame.

 

[MSOrange]

I think criticism of ADJW is misguided in this situation. If you look at the world outside of Central New York, it's not unusual to ask for permission/blesssing if you want to use a retired number.

Here are just a few examples from a quick search on the Google:

Colorado unretires 3 numbers for football recruits

Colorado will bring three hallowed football numbers out of retirement in response to growing requests from recruits. Byron "Whizzer" White's No. 24, Joe Romig's No. 67 and Bobby Anderson's No. 11 will all be worn again.

www.espn.com

For Patrick McCaffery, 22 is More Than a Number

After getting the blessing of a member of the 1950s

magazine.foriowa.org

Husky Football To Award No. 2 Jersey - University of Washington Athletics

SEATTLE – The University of Washington football program, along with the Chuck Carroll family, have announced that the previously retired No. 2 football jersey will

gohuskies.com

Now I realize that 44 is different in that it has been passed along over the years. But that's not ADJW that doesn't understand that. It's that bozo from California that didn't get that and sold it out for a good crowd vs South Florida. Now ADJW is just doing what others have done in the past who have wanted to use retired numbers and tried to get the blessing of the player or player's family to use it again.

There are a few things that I think ADJW deserves criticism for lately, but this isn't one of them. This mess fall squarely on Daryl Gross to me.

 

[rocklloyd]

I think criticism of ADJW is misguided in this situation. If you look at the world outside of Central New York, it's not unusual to ask for permission/blesssing if you want to use a retired number.

Here are just a few examples from a quick search on the Google:

Colorado unretires 3 numbers for football recruits

Colorado will bring three hallowed football numbers out of retirement in response to growing requests from recruits. Byron "Whizzer" White's No. 24, Joe Romig's No. 67 and Bobby Anderson's No. 11 will all be worn again.

www.espn.com

For Patrick McCaffery, 22 is More Than a Number

After getting the blessing of a member of the 1950s

magazine.foriowa.org

Husky Football To Award No. 2 Jersey - University of Washington Athletics

SEATTLE – The University of Washington football program, along with the Chuck Carroll family, have announced that the previously retired No. 2 football jersey will

gohuskies.com

Now I realize that 44 is different in that it has been passed along over the years. But that's not ADJW that doesn't understand that. It's that bozo from California that didn't get that and sold it out for a good crowd vs South Florida. Now ADJW is just doing what others have done in the past who have wanted to use retired numbers and tried to get the blessing of the player or player's family to use it again.

There are a few things that I think ADJW deserves criticism for lately, but this isn't one of them. This mess fall squarely on Daryl Gross to me.

agree with all but in our case it's not 1 family's number to be saved for a younger generation, right?

 

[JeffCuse]

I think criticism of ADJW is misguided in this situation. If you look at the world outside of Central New York, it's not unusual to ask for permission/blesssing if you want to use a retired number.

Here are just a few examples from a quick search on the Google:

Colorado unretires 3 numbers for football recruits

Colorado will bring three hallowed football numbers out of retirement in response to growing requests from recruits. Byron "Whizzer" White's No. 24, Joe Romig's No. 67 and Bobby Anderson's No. 11 will all be worn again.

www.espn.com

For Patrick McCaffery, 22 is More Than a Number

After getting the blessing of a member of the 1950s

magazine.foriowa.org

Husky Football To Award No. 2 Jersey - University of Washington Athletics

SEATTLE – The University of Washington football program, along with the Chuck Carroll family, have announced that the previously retired No. 2 football jersey will

gohuskies.com

Now I realize that 44 is different in that it has been passed along over the years. But that's not ADJW that doesn't understand that. It's that bozo from California that didn't get that and sold it out for a good crowd vs South Florida. Now ADJW is just doing what others have done in the past who have wanted to use retired numbers and tried to get the blessing of the player or player's family to use it again.

There are a few things that I think ADJW deserves criticism for lately, but this isn't one of them. This mess fall squarely on Daryl Gross to me.

We're going to have to agree to disagree here. He has the authority to, at the very least, be more aggressive, transparent, and open-minded in seeking remedies to the awful situation his predecessor put the University in around this issue. And beyond that, completely squashing enthusiasm like he did in those interviews was just a complete PR blunder. "We know the fans are excited about Sean and we have heard connections to the 44. We will be having discussions after the season, but i have nothing else to share right now." That it! That's what you say to punt the ball without alienating everyone.

This program wants to get people to care about the program. Yet they pair their awful on the field performance with a refusal to actually hear the fans regarding things NOT (apparently) tied to a multi-million dollar buyout.