GRob pulled a P

Watching SU gift wrap a win for Pitt on Saturday was enough to make any Syracuse fan cry. But the post-game reading and analysis is what really gets to me. GRob had more "I Don't Knows" in his Sunday Press Conference than Bill Cosby's "Himself"


Press Conference Details Here

On not being good enough to finish the game:
“I’ll look at it and check it out on both sides of the ball. I don’t really know what the answer is, other than they made some plays we didn’t make and we have to assess why. I don’t get replays and all those other things. I don’t know where breakdowns are or what side of the ball they’re on or if it’s in the kicking game. That’s what we have to assess.”

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeez............

D-Webbs Blog

"I can say this, on the defensive side of the ball, I felt a comfort zone out there with our players, for the first time all season," Robinson said. "It's the first time all year that I have felt that they were out there functioning together. I don't know when I say reassess or changes, they're still young players that I think are improved. On the offensive side of the ball, that offensive line, again, of the first seven players that play, five of those are young. But they've improved a good amount and I think they can develop some more. I think the wide receiver position is only going to get better. I really do. I see it looking cleaner and cleaner. I think they're competing with each other which is a good thing. That's kind of where I see it. I don't know about any wholesale changes as much as ... also, it's trying to utilize our people to the best of ... I think it's more an understanding of what we have better. Now, it's a matter of trying to put guys in the right spots."

Hell, the only thing he left out was "I'm really excited". I will say this, as an SU fan you learn not to get your hopes up. But dammit, in the first quarter I was about as excited as I've been since the Gross/Robinson merger. The offense, for once, looked solid. And I mean solid. Cam looked decent under center but most importantly, Pitt had to punt a few times! Once the momentum really started to shift in the second half I felt it coming - that collapse of biblical proportions. And there it was.... Now the run game had been solid, mind you. Brinkley was having what looked like a breakout game. Pitt had just scored to nod things up at 24. Took their sweet ass time doing it too. Syracuse needed to respond and I remember looking at the TV trying to distinguish just who in the fuck just ran for a yard or two. Then it hit me.... Boonahs not in the game. So I figured maybe he was fighting off an injury and I figured he'd be back out... nope. Not that series. Antwon Bailey got the call. Antwon 'backup to Hogue' Bailey. What the fuck?? I say again that Brinkley had looked SOLID up to that point, over 100 yards on the day solid. This had me scratching my head the hardest since the prevent defense against Cincy.

The Axeman

"Doug had hurt himself, tweaked his ankle," Robinson said. "I felt we really didn't have him at full speed. Antwon is a guy that has been very impressive to us. The idea was, we're playing to try to win the football game, and when Curtis needed a blow, we needed to put him in. We were going to use Doug just because he's such a fine blocker for third down situations."

Huh?? none of that made sense. Youre playing to win and your work horse who hasnt let you down all game is on the sideline?? Curtis needed a blow?? I'm taking it that means he needed a breather?? How in the fuck does he need a breather when the Pitt scoring drive took almost 5 minutes?? Antwon's been really impressive to you?? Great. And just lemme guess, you're really excited.

Brinkley on not playing that series:

"That was very frustrating. I wanted to be in the game, but at the end of the day it's a coach's decision and the coach decided to put somebody else in. I wasn't hurt or nothing. I wasn't tired. I mean, my momentum carried me throughout the whole game. My adrenaline was rushing from the first play. I ain't get tired throughout any minute of the game.

My guess is nothing short of death would have kept him off the field if he'd had his way. Just another great move by a coach who's days are pretty much fucking numbered. I got flashbacks with this one. I really did. The 2000 VPI game where SU blocked a Hokie punt and then sat on the ball. The 1999 Rutgers game. The prevent defense against Cincy in 2000. Yeah.... the decision to leave Brinkley on the sideline for arguably the most important series of the season had P written all over it.

The worst part is, SU really had a chance in this one. Yet in the 4th quarter they couldnt tackle Otto if they tried. Every Pitt score sank me lower and lower into my chair. Has the hoops schedule come out yet??

You'd Better Watch Out!!!!

I've got to hand it ol' Gregger. Even in the face of ultimate DOOM he's always got something optimistic to say.

On his belief that Syracuse will win soon:

"When it happens, it doesn't gradually happen," Robinson said of success. "It explodes. We're all battling our ass off. I'm really excited about it."

So there you have it folks. 4 years of waiting is about to pay off!! Syracuse is gonna storm out of the gate and roll over the conference in route to a BCS berth!! Hot damn!! I'm pumped!!

What's this? According to my license I wasn't born yesterday. Hell, a few years ago I may have bought into statements like those. TNIAAM calls em 'Gregisms'. And you just have to love how most of them end with "I'm really excited". Now I just laugh my ass off when I read one because I keep picturing Homer Simpson saying something mean to Ned Flanders, only for Ned to smile and say "O-kalie Doke-alie!"

I have to hand it to the Coach. Aparently he's sure that he'll be coaching the rest of the season and he's pumped up to the point where the sides of his mouth are gonna touch his eyes from smiling so much.

I love this one:

"You know what? It [Syracuse football] ain't as bad as people think."

Lemme guess its worse? You can't be serious. Every article I read paints those God Awful numbers for all to see; 8-31, near the bottom in both offense and defense. I get a laugh sometimes when I'm watching the game because I just keep imagining G-Rob standing on the sidelines grinning to himself "heh heh heh... nobody knows it yet but we're gonna put up enough points to shoot the roof right off this place.... my master plan is almost complete...... heh heh heh"

Only 8 more games to go. To tell you the truth, I'm really excited. Really I am.

Done With 'The Herd'

I'm officially done with "The Herd" and that tasteless, smart ass, know-it-all shitwad who's name it bears. I didn't get to catch it today, and I'm glad because I enjoyed my sausage biscuit this morning and I otherwise wouldn't have been able to keep it down. Thank You Sports Hump for bringing this to my attention.

While doing a segment on coaches that need to go, he responded to a Syracuse caller (calling for GRob's removal of course) with:

I agree, he needs to get out of that Dumpster that's on Fire. That campus looks like it should be in the middle of Baghdad. You know, Syracuse is one of the most ugliest campuses I have ever been on. It's a school with NO FOOTBALL TRADITION in a cold climate where nobody wants to go. The buildings are god awful ugly, it's a gloomy place. Just an ugly situation in a ugly town.

And your face is the ugliest I've seen in my life. You look like a fucking extra from Futurama. For someone who acts like the biggest know-it-all this side of my boss' house, you sure need an education on Syracuse's football tradition. Lemme tell you something, you scrawny ass little puke. You will see me ice skating in hell the day I tune in to listen to your putrid ass show again. ESPN radio is part of my everyday morning here at work. I enjoy the topics and keeping up with everything thats going on in the world of sports. Sometimes I might just send an email or two in during the show. Long story short it helps my morning go by fast. And I must say that your show has ALWAYS been my least favorite. So thank you for giving me a reason not to listen to your arrogant mule shit any longer. Last year after you did the Washington game up there you came on your show the next morning and made the same smart ass comment about the campus belonging in Baghdad. How about some new material? You know mother fuckin what?? I let that shit slide last year. But the 'No Football Tradition' shit I won't let slide. And just how in the fuck would you know what Baghdad looks like anyways?? Lemme guess, you know as much about Iraq as you do about Syracuse football? I've had it with your crap. Your show is by far the weakest ESPN has to offer. And that's putting it mildly so let me conclude by saying that you have fucking recieved your last email from this SU fan you asshole.

If my calculator reads right....

Donnie Webb is reporting that disguntled Raiders coach Lane Kiffin may or may not be on AD Darryl Gross' radar.

The timing may be perfect because according to this, plus what Ive read on Raider message boards today, Kiffin may be on his way out of Oakland sooner rather than later.

College fans will probably know him best for running that high octane USC Trojans offense as well as bringing in a truckload of talent to do it with. Going by Dr Gross' requirements he fits the bill in more ways than one. On top of having ties to USC, he's got NFL experience. He's a proven coordinator. And most of all, he's got that Pete Carrol stamp of approval. Kiffin's father, Monte Kiffin is Tampa Bay's Defensive Coordinator and one of the most repsected in the NFL. The only downfall with Monte Kiffin is that he's also G-Rob's former mentor and we've seen the fruit of G-Rob's coaching. Do the math and an announcment that G-Rob is gone just maaaaaaay be in the very near future. Rumors are even floating around that Dr Gross is planning on meeting with Kiffin.

This is all speculation of course, but it may be what's in store for the program. I'm not against it by any means. Ive read alot of fans today opposed to this because Kiffins another West Coast guy with no college head coaching experience. I think he could bring a truckload of talent in just on what he did at USC alone. From what I've read Raider's owner Al Davis won't let him run the team his way (gee what are th odds huh?) and wants him out. I wanted Dr Gross to get the ball rolling on the transition in coaching. Well its all speculation at this point but......who knows

Who Needs a Stress Ball??

With so much stress mounting during SU games and so many things in the living room worth hurling, we here at the O'Zone want you to be safe this season.

Remember this past Saturday when SU had all the momentum in the world after recovering a Penn St fumble only to give it right back??

Let's use that as an example. Now the first thing that usually happens is "SON of a BITCH!!!!" or "FFFFFUCK!!!" comes screaming out of your mouth. Then comes the decision, 'what to throw'??

Selection:

When we're pissed off at something SU does or doesnt do during the game, you dont have alot of time to think. Here's where we can help. When chosing an item to be thrown in anger, you have a number of options. Anything that's breakable, or has some serious weight to it is out... unless youre hardcore, and in that case we give you some mad props! You certainly don't want to throw anything of value to your wife or signifigant other. For that matter, you don't want to throw something AT anything of value to your wife or signifigant other. You don't want to chuck the remote for obvious reasons, even though its probably the closest option. The best thing to keep within arms reach is a nice soft, heavy pillow. You know, the kind you can punch and it still leaves the inpression of your fist in it. One of those can be your best friend the next time SU defenders are no where to be found once a pass is caught. Stay away from firm pillows because they have way too much bounce to them. You're likely to break something on the bounce after it hits the target.

Where to throw:

Just like a QB, you'll need to be aware of your surroundings when its time to chuck that pillow across the room. Walls are a 'No no' because of all the decorations and pictures they have on them. The front door is the way to go because theres nothing in front of it and its usually the strongest door in the house. A strong, sturdy front door absorbs the impact of the pillow and won't let it bounce too far. I've found that our front door can take a whole games worth of pillows. Those soft, heavy pillows I mentioned earlier are perfect and will make a nice big THUD against the door that you can be proud of.

The right pillow can be found at most garage sales or flea markets fairly cheaply. I'd suggest stocking 2 or 3 for those occasions where throwing one just won't cut it. With the way our football team has performed you may want to get 4 or 5. We think you'll find this advice helpful this season once you're pissed the hell off. Good luck Orange fans and happy chucking!

Stats All Folks!

For those SU fans calling for G-Rob's head, I'm officially on board. I've sat idle on this issue long enough. This was a bad hire in the first place. Every Orange fan knows it. Dr Gross knows it. The product being put on the field is proof enough. For the 2 SU fans who aren't aware, G-Rob is 7-31 3 games into his 4th season and facing a must win (yes, you read that right) this weekend against AA Northeastern. Its obvious that barring a miracle, and I mean a big one, he's gone after this season. As Dave Rahme explains,

"Since Greg Robinson assumed the reins in 2005 the Orange is 5-16 at home. It has won one game there to a BCS school, a 20-14 decision over Connecticut in 2006. Its average margin of defeat in those 16 Dome losses is roughly 35-15. Seven of the last eight teams to visit the Dome have scored at least 40 points, the exception being Rutgers (38) last season. Three have scored at least 50."

There it is. Syracuse has beaten 1 BCS school at home under Robinson. He's got to go. So the debate now is, do you let him finish the season? Or do you can him now? I say can him now. Its not as if Syracuse would be sending a bad message to potential coaches like most would argue. I really dont see how that would send a bad message. Any coach who goes 7-28 in his first three seasons, then goes 0-fer in his first 3 games of the 4th would expect to be history by now. I mean seriously, who would honestly say "Man, they did Robinson wrong up there at Syracuse" if Gross were to can him this minute? Anyone who does I would simply point out that Robinson was retained after posting the only 2 - 10 loss seasons in school history. Despite not being competitive for the bulk of his tenure, he was retained for a 4th season anyway. I'm telling you, if Gross were to go ahead and can him, no one is going to be shocked. No one is going to say "This is an outrage! I'm apalled!"

Just trust me on this one.

Why delay the inevitable?? Lets be fair and say that 98% of the SU faithful is tired of watching of the product thats being put on the field week after week. Its no secret that the attendance is dropping from one home game to the next and will continue to plummet. Its no secret that we've come to expect to be manhandled by even the likes of MAC bottom dwellers. There's been no progress up to this point. Theres been no change, so make one. Right at the top. This was Gross' hire in the first place. So here's his chance to make up for it. He needs to say 'Enough is enough, its time to go'. The fans who attend games are expecting to go 1-11 this season anyway. So why not at least make the change they all want? I mean seriously, the miracle of running the table in the conference ain't gonna happen. G-Rob is done. So make it public, promote an assistant, and stop delaying the inevitable. Because there literally is no way to go but up. SU is not going to look any worse under a promoted assistant than it will under Robinson. Give the fans what they want and get the transition process started. Enough is enough.

Sums It All Up

I know I said last week that we'd hit the low point but I was wrong. I saw it on Saturday. Here it is, summed up at the end of the game in one stat:

Players of the Game:
Syracuse: Patrick Shadle 2 FG (44,44)

I'm Calling Upset!

Yes! You read that right. I'm calling for an upset this weekend when Penn State comes to the Dome for the first time in 2 decades. Let me take you back to last season for a minute. Its OK. You can put the vomit bag down for a minute. Remember when SU, following 3 straight waxings to start the season, went to a 30+ favored Louisville and pulled what was then the biggest upset ever going by the point spread? The week prior to the game every single SU fan was calling for GRobs head while reaching for their hoops schedule. Sounds a little like this week huh? This weekend Penn State is favored by nearly four touchdowns.

I'm a firm believer in the fact that history repeats itself. And while the easy thing for me to do is to point out just how bad the program has fallen, I thought I'd shed a little optimism. With the football team getting a glimmer of hope from watching the much anticpated film, "The Express" this week, I don't think the stage could be set any better. I don't think an SU upset could be more riper than this weekend. While we tend to focus on the negative, think back to the Louisville game. Remember how good it felt to be all over the College Football news? To see everyone talking about our team?? Sure things couldnt be any worse for SU fans right now. But I'm feeling optimistic about tomorrow. I'm hoping the Dome is electric and SU pulls yet another royal upset for the whole country to talk about.

ESPN's Brian Bennett blogged this week:

"Unfortunately, history is about all that Orange football fans can hold onto these days, because the present is a complete cataclysm."

History has a strange way of repeating itself. Here's to hoping SU is ready for a curtain call.

I'm calling it now.

SU 34 - PSU 31

The Low Point

I didn't bother posting about last week's loss to the fucking Wildcats. So many other had pointed out just how fucking unprepared Syracuse was, especially for the hurry up-no huddle offense. But this week's fucking debacle deserves a post, and a few F-Bombs. So excuse the fucking F-Bombs but theyve been a long time coming. I think one F-Bomb for each fucking point that Akron hung on our beloved Orange should just about cover it. Before I start I do want to point out that the running game has at least shown improvement. As a matter of fact, if you want to take one fucking positive, that would be it.

You've got to be fucking kidding me. I though last years fucking embarrassment at Miami of fucking Ohio was the low point of the G-Rob era. This is it. Right fucking here. Right fucking now. No cute little fucking tagline for this post. No fucking picture of Akron celebrating or Syracuse with their heads down. Just the truth thats become very difficult to fucking swallow. This is the fucking low point. If you want to sum the game up in one fucking stat, here it is:

3rd down conversions:
Syracuse 3 for 9
Akron 10 for 14 and alot of that on 3rd and fucking long

Dave Rhame points out that the most embarrassing 3rd down fucking conversion for Akron came on 3rd and 23 when Dennis Kennedy took and inside draw 35 yards to the fucking house putting the Zips up 14-nil. I'd have to agree.

This is the fucking low point. Its the second year in a fucking row that G-Rob and Co. have been manhandled by a lower tier MAC team. And as much as this team is struggling now, the one thing it DID NOT need is a fucking quarterback controversy. The decision to fucking bench Robinson came as a shock to me. I mean the one fucking positive that everyone fucking pointed to before the season started was the fact that the QB position was in fucking stone. Now we'll know whether good ol A-Rob (I never got any other suggestions for a nickname, you lazy bastards!) would have performed better than Dantley. Because to be fucking honest, Cam put up some pretty good numbers. Especially for a first fucking start. But this was Greg Robinson's fucking QB that he brought in to run his fucking system. So he overthrows a few fucking recievers and you bench him after the first game? Granted, I was pissed at his performance against fucking NW. But geeez, cut the kid some fucking slack! Now if this had been going on for 3 or 4 fucking games and a change needed to be made then I would understand. But for crying out fucking loud it was the first game and it was on the fucking road! Oh and here's another suggestion; if you're going to make a change that fucking drastic, how about announce it earlier in the fucking week so that Dantley has a chance to fucking get ready and your team can make fucking adjustments? I say again THIS TEAM DOES NOT NEED A FUCKING QB CONTROVERSY RIGHT NOW!!!

The Defense, which was supposed to be Robinson's fucking strong point, has looked like absolute fucking shit. Then again, there were a few of us who fucking warned other SU fans to ask any fucking Kansas City Chiefs fan about G-Robs fucking defenses. And I'll hand it to G-Rob. He took the fucking blame for the poor defensive fucking showing on Sat. Said Robinson, "It comes right down to coaching. It comes right down to me". He knows he's fucking gone. He fucking has to. Barring a miracle, and I mean a miracle, he's fucking canned at the end of the season. The tiny minute fucking improvement in offensive fucking production so far is greatly overshadowed by the W-L fucking record.
We've all heard the same ol fucking jokes about the end zone that can't be fucking found, or 'you can't spell 'Suck' without 'SU", but this shit aint fucking funny no more.

This is the low point Orange fans.