The NEW B.E. point of view at Syracuse.

[cygnus34]

As written by "ALL4SU"

 SU and the NBE - What We've Got (Long)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are a lot of opinions below about the teams and the conference, and perspectives on why one conference allignment or other would have better than what we've got.

From my perspective, I'm disappointed with the collection of schools for a lot of reasons. Geography is less a factor to me, because frankly if you look at a map, other than USF and excluding the BBall onlies, the conference kind of follows the northeast into the middle near south. Not really an odd footprint at all. Academics are an issue. Certainly, I would rather SU be associated with schools with as strong - or stronger academics than SU to keep the University vibrant and growing in reputation and standards.

But as far as the individual teams are concerned:

1-WVU - I like SU's rivalry with WVU. And while they are not a top national program, they are a program that has been very good on occasion and at least recognized nationally as a football school.

2 - Pitt - Again, I like Pitt as a rival. Perhaps not as strong a rival as WVU but still a rival. I think one of the problems with Pitt is that in the 70's and early 80's when SU sucked, Pitt was killing us. And in the late 80s and 90s when SU was much stronger, we were killing Pitt. (Something like 13 straight wins?) So the rivalry doesn't have the back-and-forth that we've had with WVU. That can change, and Pitt can become a much better rival.

3 - Rutgers - RU is like the little brother in the neighborhood who is always goofing around and trying to hang around with the big kids. You get kind of sick of him always hanging around and his Mom makes you watch after him. If Rutgers was good AT ALL in the last 25 years, they would be a rival. They're not. Even their entry in to the BE for BBall did not build a rivalry with SU. Could they become one? Sure. Maybe. But they've got to grow up and win some OOC games before they're legitimate. Beating SU last year does not make them legitimate. Not when they also lost to teams like UConn.

4 - Which brings me to UConn. They are certainly a rival in BBall. And their proximity (much like Rutgers) suggests that they can be for FB too. The thing about UConn is that, while RU has been TRYING to be a div 1 team for a century, UConn is not even on the national radar. NOTHING. Most of the people in the country still don't even know they play football in UConn.

5 - Cincy - I've always kind of liked Cincy, and thought they should be much better than they are considering their location in football-rich Ohio. It's a good location for SU both in terms of recruiting, and geography. I think Cincy could be a program that we could develop a good rivaly with in time. But, like RU, they don't get much respect nationally.

6 - L'ville. I think LVille has been getting better recently. But they're still not viewed as a national player.

7 - USF - I can't tell you one thing about USF except they're in FLA. And that is everyone's fascination. Could they be good? Sure. They have a ton of talent in their back yard. If they can start to continuously get the scraps from Miami, FLA and FSU that previously were going to other schools, then they will be pretty good. Not great, probably. But pretty good.

The big problem with all of the above, from my viewpoint, is that SU is in a NO-WIN situation. Most of those teams represent programs that if we lose, it is viewed as further evidence of our slipping from the top tier of Div.1 football, AND evidence of the improvement of their program. But if we win, it does nothing to help us. Because no one respects them anyway. Our ONLY hope is to win as many of these games as possible, and earn respect OOC. So in that respect I agree completely with people like Zak who aren't thrilled with the realities of the NBE. At the same time, being somewhat pragmatic, I recognize that this is What We've Got. And I will go to SU games against Cincy, and UConn, and RU and L'Ville and enthusiastically cheer like hell...and hope that SU gets back on top ASAP.

[smazza]

it will be a pleasure helping su struggle in their no win situation

[bulls96go]

good balanced post

he disses pitt so our win there is not as important

SU needs to step up and quick time to put up or shut your piehole.

if USF, UL and UCONN take off (all should benefit from more $$$) then SU will be left behind

[cuseroc]

Cuse will not be left behind by anyone in the new BE.

I wouldnt worry too much by the above post from the SU board. Thats an opinion from one person. Most Cuse fans are very happy at the potential of all of the fb schools coming into the BE. In that aspect, the BE officials new exactly what they were doing in bringing USF, Louisville and Cincy in.

[bulls96go]

SU still needs to step up in the next 2-3 years

wvu is the team with best chance to dominate BE early

top 2-3   UL, pitt, SU, USF best chance

others UCONN, RU, CINCY will have major work to do

advantage to UL and USF they will now have more $$$ to improve already good teams (usf's AD budget will double coming in to BE, usf just completed first rate facility and can use BCS tag and chance for NC to boost recruiting)

4th place in BE not near the same as 4th in SEC

so SU has their work cut out if they want to stay top 3 BE

bottomline every team in BE has some ingredients in place to be top 3

the ones that capitalize will reap great benefits

[BullDoug]

Don't sell UCONN's FB short.  They are rich and thier early success is similar to USF's w/the exception of two losses to the Bulls.

[Guest S.  Bien]

it will be a pleasure helping su struggle in their no win situation

smazza, you don't often do it, but this was one of those times when you captured the entire feeling in one of your fragmented phrases.

Frankly, things are what they are, and if Syracuse wants to wallow in what could have been or should have been then I don't mind beating the crap out of them, and leaving them for dead in the Big East.   Some SU fans wanted the ACC but they failed to rationalize that they would have been dead, doomed in the ACC.  Football would never, ever be competitive again.  Suddenly SU basketball would go from a dominant NE brand to having to go to Tobacco Road to compete in the backyard of Duke, UNC, WF, NCST, Clemson, and UVA.  FUN!  How do you sell that to kids?  It was such a bad move Boeheim was secretly lobbying against it, he knew the detriment of a NY team trying to compete in the deep south for basketball supremecy and talent.  

Hey at least they could probably continue to dominate in lacrosse.  If that's any solace.

Some SU fans are too dumb to realize they received a blessing in disguise.  They still get the basketball they always wanted, with MSG, and NE schools, to compete for NE talent, and it only got stronger.   They just suddenly have the opportunity to compete again in football, put themselves back on center stage, make some serious coin,  go to a few BCS games.  IF they want it.

I don't feel sorry for them, and if a few of them want to wallow,and whine then I can assure you we will give them something to whine about.

We've been taking more than scraps from the B3 in FL.  

[Papa_Bull]

Some SU fans are too dumb to realize they received a blessing in disguise.

I'm sure that Boston College fans will realize their mistake soon enough.

What I don't understand is the snobbery of some Syracuse fans.

Most really have no knowledge of USF.

USF just surpassed $250 million in research for the second consecutive year and is now among the Top 50 in the US. Syracuse is way down on the list by comparison.

In not too long a time USF will be on par with Pitt as one of the TOP major research Universities in the country.

Our football will reach that stature as well in short order, and Syracuse will be left in our wake.

http://reports.research.usf.edu/interactiveViewer.asp?ReportName=FY03-04_processed_awards.rpt

[smazza]

sbien- i thank you for your kind words

and your basketball angle  with a NY team in ACC country is likewise astute

i think snobs of boston and miami crowd will not dig southern cooking and just might clamour for a spot in new big east

[Apis Bull]

i think snobs of boston and miami crowd will not dig southern cooking and just might clamour for a spot in new big east

Won't happen, then they'd have to admit they were wrong.  We won't see that in our liftime.