According to the Syracuse Post Standard, tomorrow at 11 am Syracuse will announce that the football team will play 3 games at the new stadium in the Meadowlands from 2012 through 2016. Reports are that the Orange will play Southern California there in 2012 and Notre Dame in 2014 and 2016. All three will be "home" games for the Orange. In another state. Four and half hours from campus. Let me repeat that - a home game.
When the issue first surfaced last year in connection to a possible 10 game series with Notre Dame, I ranted vociferously against such a move. While that series never came to be, my mind still hasn't changed. The move is an admission that Syracuse isn't a major Division I football program - because you know who gives away home games? I-AA schools and teams in non-BCS conferences, that's who.
While the disastrous Greg Robinson era plummeted to the program to the lowest point in its proud history, that doesn't mean it's time to start acting like Northeastern. One can only imagine what would have happened to the Syracuse-Penn State series if Gross had been the AD when it ended. I'm guessing SU would have signed up for 6 games in Happy Valley and 4 SU "home" games in Philadelphia.
While we'll never have access to what the games could potentially mean to the University financially, we have to assume they stand to make more money in the Meadowlands than they would at the Dome. That, combined with the current athletic director's infatuation with New York City, is the only reason to agree to such a thing.
While the reasoning for such a move will be laid out tomorrow, look for explanations like: the games will expand Syracuse's footprint; they will allow the team to play games in front of the University's NYC alumni base; and most importantly the games will allow SU to "become New York's team."
All of those reasons are crap - and here's why.
- Playing a few games in New Jersey will do nothing to make in-roads in recruiting the NYC metro area. Rutgers sucked for 100 years and they played every home game in the region. You know how they turned around their fortunes? They started winning games. You know what gives you the best chance to win games? Playing home games -in your own stadium.
- While playing in front of the NYC alumni base is a nice thing, it's not going to fill the building. Syracuse didn't fill the building the last three times they had games in the Meadowlands. For the Notre Dame games look for at least 75 percent of the fans to be rooting for the Irish. Personally, it takes me the same amount of time to get to Meadowlands as it does the Dome, but that's not the point. The point is many schools have alumni located in major urban centers - but those schools aren't following their alumni around.
When the issue first surfaced last year in connection to a possible 10 game series with Notre Dame, I ranted vociferously against such a move. While that series never came to be, my mind still hasn't changed. The move is an admission that Syracuse isn't a major Division I football program - because you know who gives away home games? I-AA schools and teams in non-BCS conferences, that's who.
While the disastrous Greg Robinson era plummeted to the program to the lowest point in its proud history, that doesn't mean it's time to start acting like Northeastern. One can only imagine what would have happened to the Syracuse-Penn State series if Gross had been the AD when it ended. I'm guessing SU would have signed up for 6 games in Happy Valley and 4 SU "home" games in Philadelphia.
While we'll never have access to what the games could potentially mean to the University financially, we have to assume they stand to make more money in the Meadowlands than they would at the Dome. That, combined with the current athletic director's infatuation with New York City, is the only reason to agree to such a thing.
While the reasoning for such a move will be laid out tomorrow, look for explanations like: the games will expand Syracuse's footprint; they will allow the team to play games in front of the University's NYC alumni base; and most importantly the games will allow SU to "become New York's team."
All of those reasons are crap - and here's why.
- Playing a few games in New Jersey will do nothing to make in-roads in recruiting the NYC metro area. Rutgers sucked for 100 years and they played every home game in the region. You know how they turned around their fortunes? They started winning games. You know what gives you the best chance to win games? Playing home games -in your own stadium.
- While playing in front of the NYC alumni base is a nice thing, it's not going to fill the building. Syracuse didn't fill the building the last three times they had games in the Meadowlands. For the Notre Dame games look for at least 75 percent of the fans to be rooting for the Irish. Personally, it takes me the same amount of time to get to Meadowlands as it does the Dome, but that's not the point. The point is many schools have alumni located in major urban centers - but those schools aren't following their alumni around.
- Notre Dame and USC are national opponents. The games will be on TV. What additional exposure is gained by playing in a different building? Just because there are more people in the NYC area, it's not like more people will stumble past the building on their way to get a loaf of bread, wander in and discover SU football. You know what would be better exposure? Upsetting one of those teams in the Dome, with the building going nuts and having it be the lead story on SportsCenter. Recruits could actually get a feel for what an amazing venue Dome is for big games.
- College football in NYC is non-factor. It's a professional town. NYC is about the Yankees and the Mets. Its about the Giants and the Jets and every other pro team that makes its home down there. As far as college games, if it's not basketball, it doesn't really matter.
So who are the losers in all this? The season ticket holders, of which, I am one. I've got premium seats and shell out substantially more money for my tickets than your average $100 season package. I drive 2 hours one way for every home game. With this deal all season ticket holders get robbed of the marquis game on the schedule 3 seperate times. The fact that I can get to the Meadowlands fairly easily is a non-factor, I want to see these teams play IN THE DOME. In front of a HOME CROWD.
What is most appalling is the Southern California game, which was already slated for the Dome. It's one thing to cut a bad deal with Notre Dame, it's another to announce that a game against the most successful college football team of the last decade is being taken out of your building and given to NYC. One would have to wonder how Daryl Gross' relationship with his former employers played into that decision? Did they ask him to move the game? From the outside looking in, it sure looks like a nice gift the Doctor gave to his old pals in Los Angeles.
The bottom line is that in my opinion, it's a desperate, bush league move to give away home games. Ask any Bills fan if they like having 'home' games in the Sky Dome (or whatever the hell it's called now.)
So who are the losers in all this? The season ticket holders, of which, I am one. I've got premium seats and shell out substantially more money for my tickets than your average $100 season package. I drive 2 hours one way for every home game. With this deal all season ticket holders get robbed of the marquis game on the schedule 3 seperate times. The fact that I can get to the Meadowlands fairly easily is a non-factor, I want to see these teams play IN THE DOME. In front of a HOME CROWD.
What is most appalling is the Southern California game, which was already slated for the Dome. It's one thing to cut a bad deal with Notre Dame, it's another to announce that a game against the most successful college football team of the last decade is being taken out of your building and given to NYC. One would have to wonder how Daryl Gross' relationship with his former employers played into that decision? Did they ask him to move the game? From the outside looking in, it sure looks like a nice gift the Doctor gave to his old pals in Los Angeles.
The bottom line is that in my opinion, it's a desperate, bush league move to give away home games. Ask any Bills fan if they like having 'home' games in the Sky Dome (or whatever the hell it's called now.)
In the long run it's 3 games, not the end of the world - but the message it sends speaks volumes - at least to me anyway. Maybe I'm wrong, although I doubt it. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
3 comments:
This post could not have been more dead on! I wholeheartedly agree with every word of it. The total and utter infatuation with becoming NY's team has to end, it just isn't catching on, start winning some games and you won't have to try to become NY's team, because you are the only bigtime program in the State for the most part and furthermore you (Gross) are calling it NY's team well guess what, there is more to NY than NYC so focus on people who care about upstate and Syracuse Athletics. NYC isn't really one of those places unless its March and the big east tourney is at the Garden. Plus last time I checked the meadowlands is in NEW JERSEY. This is a horrible horrible deal.
The biggest losers are the Syracuse students. As a Rutgers fan I can't imagine the students and season ticket holders being told that our "home" games are going to be played in Baltimore and Boston. The distances are similar (but there are direct fast trains from New Brunswick NJ to both those locations).
I agree completely with you on this, Neph. We are in no position to give away home games particularly against high profile opponents. I listened to you on the wner site as well; great job. I am glad to see that your head is done exploding at least for now. Also, this is neither here nor there but I cannot take much more of the Brett Favre saga. A great QB in his day but I cannot handle the soap opera anymore. At this rate he will be collecting Social Security and still playing Hamlet as to whether or not to retire. Take care and keep blogging. Uncle Dave
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