When Tom Brady left the Patriots Re: Syracuse basketball

[Alsacs]

There was a portion of the “Patriots” fanbase that were Brady fans first and Patriots fans because of that. Around 10-15%. Who became Bucs fans because Brady left.

I am wondering as it pertains to Syracuse basketball how many fans are Jim Boeheim fans first and root for Syracuse basketball because of him and if he wasn’t the coach would lose interest or switch team.

The point is do you think that he is bigger than the Syracuse program or not?

One potential losing season is not why their is a portion of this fanbase frustrated.
It’s NOT entitlement. It’s wanting to see everything done with our resources to be as good as we can be.

That is the frustration.

 

[Cuse1055]

Jim Boeheim has been the coach of Syracuse for as long as I’ve been alive. He is all I know in terms of leading the program BUT he is not the program. Syracuse is my home and my team and that will never change, even after coach decides to step away.

 

[stuckinbig11]

I have been a Syracuse fan since Fall of 1967 when I was a freshman. Boeheim's success when he took the reins cemented the deal for my lifetime.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I laugh at all the "fans" over the years that are not fans of Boeheim but are fans of Syracuse basketball. And saying this like 20 years ago. None of these people know another coach but they still root for the team in spite of not liking the head coach. So, assuming the next coach does as well, and that is a huge assumption, I think Syracuse basketball would be bigger and better than ever.

 

[MSOrange]

Jim Boeheim has been the coach of Syracuse for as long as I’ve been alive. He is all I know in terms of leading the program BUT he is not the program. Syracuse is my home and my team and that will never change, even after coach decides to step away.

Exactly how I feel. I know some posters here have flat out admitted they are JB fans first. But I'm only 45. I'm hoping to have many more years of cheering in front of me regardless of who is coach. I love JB and what he has done, but I guess I've been mentally prepared for the possibilty of him not being coach for awhile now because nothing lasts forever.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Locals and alumni will still be fans after JB retires.

The amount of people who are JB only fans is extremely small, but there’s also people who can’t stand him so I think him retiring has a net zero affect on who roots for us.

 

[JustPherU]

I have never met anyone that was a fan of a college team change their fandom to another team because of a coaching change.Just doesn’t happen.

 

[Cuse1055]

At the pro level, I was getting very restless towards the end of the Marvin Lewis years as a Bengals fan. It seemed like ownership was content with mediocrity and just kept bringing him back. Hopefully SU can have a Zac Taylor like hire when the time comes.

 

[orangecuse]

No doubt, Syracuse, the university, over the individual, JB. I'd guess that the vast majority of fans of Syracuse basketball feel that way, and a similar percentage to Brady (if not less) strictly because of JB. It's not as if JB is this warm and fuzzy personality that people flock to, they are fans of JB because he wins (or has won) at Syracuse University first and foremost. If JB wasn't as successful as he has been, the tolerance level relative to putting up with his personality traits, shenanigans, etc. would've been far far less.

Syracuse University did have success prior to JB, they were in a Final Four in '75 with Jimmy Lee & company.
So, there was already a following and success. Now, IMO, what really made JB attain a lot of the success he ended up reaping, correlating with the direct elevation of the program, was the advent of ESPN, the Dome, and the Big East Basketball conference. Really, game changing type stuff, that at the time, wasn't in any way foreseen, certainly not by him. JB himself wanted no part of playing in the Dome when this elevation of the program began, so it's not as if he had foresight, etc, relative to the broader scope.

I'm not implying that he doesn't deserve credit, but he had absolutely nothing to do with ESPN's arrival, the Dome's or the Big East Conference. That then, was a similar parallel to the huge advantages we see today on the football side relative to those schools that are dominating the landscape, in large, due to their extreme facility, infrastructure, etc. advantages.

 

[UnknownOrange]

This is not even close to the same thing. People don’t switch teams with college sports. You can add teams in instances like a son or daughter going to or playing at another school.

Syracuse fans really only know JB but when he retires, they won’t pack up and go root for Michigan

 

[690West]

Poster moqui said the following in 2019. He’s the only one I know moving on when JAB retires:

“i've said this before: when boeheim goes, i'll probably stop following syracuse basketball. i've come to realize that, for me, syracuse basketball is boeheim basketball. it's all i know. and as i'm not an alum and i haven't been a local in over 20 years, why would i keep loyalty to a team in a sport that has become so difficult to watch? it'll be all nba for me when he hangs it up”

 

[orangecuse]

Poster moqui said the following in 2019. He’s the only one I know moving on when JAB retires:

“i've said this before: when boeheim goes, i'll probably stop following syracuse basketball. i've come to realize that, for me, syracuse basketball is boeheim basketball. it's all i know. and as i'm not an alum and i haven't been a local in over 20 years, why would i keep loyalty to a team in a sport that has become so difficult to watch? it'll be all nba for me when he hangs it up”

Well, he's also the poster who vehemently insisted that Taurean Thompson was recruited here to replace Christmas at the 5 spot. Moreover, insisting that Jon Bol Ajak was our top priority 5 recruit while we were swinging and missing on all those other highly rated/regarding 5's at the time. So, there's that.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

I get what you are trying to say but I don't think it really fits. I think there are a lot of powers that be that are huge JB fans and they allow him to be above the program. But at the same time they are big SU fans. They will still be here after he leaves. They might not be as $upportive, but that is normal. If they were being practical they would put SU first, but they are too close to him. He has a 40+ year relationship with these people. That is why it will be very hard to put any pressure on JB. I just hope our AD isn't one of these people.

 

[GENESEO1983]

Roy Danforth was 148-71 at Syracuse prior to JB getting the job so this certainly wasn’t a program which he had to save. It’ll be exciting to have a new coach with a fresh outlook……..this program has become stale with yes men as the assistants. It’s time for a whole new staff……

 

[MikeSU02]

There was a portion of the “Patriots” fanbase that were Brady fans first and Patriots fans because of that. Around 10-15%. Who became Bucs fans because Brady left.

I am wondering as it pertains to Syracuse basketball how many fans are Jim Boeheim fans first and root for Syracuse basketball because of him and if he wasn’t the coach would lose interest or switch team.

The point is do you think that he is bigger than the Syracuse program or not?

One potential losing season is not why their is a portion of this fanbase frustrated.
It’s NOT entitlement. It’s wanting to see everything done with our resources to be as good as we can be.

That is the frustration.

For me, the program is always bigger than JB. Always.

I’m an upstate NYer and went to undergrad and grad at SU. Been a fan of all things SU for as long as I can remember.

SU is bigger than any single person.

I think the fans of JB vs fans of the program will also be impacted by how JB ends his time here.

As Brian Flanagan said, “everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn’t end.”

 

[Halfmooncuse]

I’m still a fan of Swartzwalder

 

[justgold315]

With the obsession over Hopkins, I think Alsacs is partially right. I don't think diehard Syracuse fans are going to change loyalty, but I think there are going to be people potentially following multiple teams. With John Beilein coaching Lemoyne and his kids growing up nearby, I also loosely followed him where he went and his son went. I don't think I ever rooted for WVU or UM over in any sport.

 

[Cuse1055]

With the obsession over Hopkins, I think Alsacs is partially right. I don't think diehard Syracuse fans are going to change loyalty, but I think there are going to be people potentially following multiple teams. With John Beilein coaching Lemoyne and his kids growing up nearby, I also loosely followed him where he went and his son went. I don't think I ever rooted for WVU or UM over in any sport.

I wonder if Hop’s loyalty to JB ended up hurting him. Had Hop not left, who knows how well he would have done as the coach here as opposed to most likely not making it to next season as UW’s head coach. Obviously we’ll never know the answer.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

This is different. We likely would have won plenty of games w/o JB it just would have been with 10 or so different coaches.

Chances are we don't get the next hire right and need a Cam Newton before we get Mac Jones. I'd rather go outside the program for Cam.

Our casual nationwide fanbase has been decimated last few years due to poor regular seasons. JB is why we have one but we need to find the guy to bring that back.

 

[Owens guy]

I’m one of those national fans you may be referring to. I live in Minnesota and have absolutely no connection or reason to follow Syracuse basketball.

I saw Pearl play on TV when I was about 12 years old and feel in love with Syracuse basketball as I have followed or watched almost every single Syracuse basketball game since. I’ve only been to Syracuse twice in my life. Once on a late 1980s family vacation to New York when my parents drove out of our way visiting Cooperstown & Niagara Falls so I could buy tons of Syracuse gear at Manny’s. The other time to see my only Carrier Dome basketball game against Rutgers during the Todd Burgan era.

JB is the only Syracuse coach I know. I love watching his teams play, watch all of his press conferences and he has been very nice to me the couple of times I met him. It’s very sad for me to see JB making some very questionable coaching moves the past few years.

I understand time works against all of us and it’s likely best for the program if JB retires soon. I will still be a Syracuse basketball fan but I honestly don’t know if I will still be a die hard Syracuse fan after JB is gone.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

I’m one of those national fans you may be referring to. I live in Minnesota and have absolutely no connection or reason to follow Syracuse basketball.

I saw Pearl play on TV when I was about 12 years old and feel in love with Syracuse basketball as I have followed or watched almost every single Syracuse basketball game since. I’ve only been to Syracuse twice in my life. Once on a late 1980s family vacation to New York when my parents drove out of our way visiting Cooperstown & Niagara Falls so I could buy tons of Syracuse gear at Manny’s. The other time to see my only Carrier Dome basketball game against Rutgers during the Todd Burgan era.

JB is the only Syracuse coach I know. I love watching his teams play, watch all of his press conferences and he has been very nice to me the couple of times I met him. It’s very sad for me to see JB making some very questionable coaching moves the past few years.

I understand time works against all of us and it’s likely best for the program if JB retires soon. I will still be a Syracuse basketball fan but I honestly don’t know if I will still be a die hard Syracuse fan after JB is gone.

The Syracuse style of O BBall and star players drew in fans like you, and recruits too. It is why I fell in love with Cuse. Unfortunately that style hasn’t existed since 2012. That is a long time. If the next HC isn’t O minded, I think we see a lot of fans become casual fans.

 

[sufandu]

Poster moqui said the following in 2019. He’s the only one I know moving on when JAB retires:

“i've said this before: when boeheim goes, i'll probably stop following syracuse basketball. i've come to realize that, for me, syracuse basketball is boeheim basketball. it's all i know. and as i'm not an alum and i haven't been a local in over 20 years, why would i keep loyalty to a team in a sport that has become so difficult to watch? it'll be all nba for me when he hangs it up”

That's an interesting take, given that JB is at least part of the reason we currently look so ugly. I get that the college game isn't what it used to be, but I watched a few teams recently that were fun to watch. The NBA has always been more skilled than college. The main difference is we used to get to watch future NBA stars play in college for 3-4 years.

 

[Newhouser]

I cheer and support University over any coach, and the current situation does not influence that.

 

[Scotch]

Well, he's also the poster who vehemently insisted that Taurean Thompson was recruited here to replace Christmas at the 5 spot. Moreover, insisting that Jon Bol Ajak was our top priority 5 recruit while we were swinging and missing on all those other highly rated/regarding 5's at the time. So, there's that.

He had some wild takes.

 

[LoveShack]

It's pretty simply and i said this during a game last week. I root and cheer for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back (or the names on the roster)