Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSchonbrun: 'The Express' weekend marred by football team's futility
By Zach Schonbrun
Posted: 9/9/08, 12:50 AM EST Section: Sports
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"I'm in favor of it," was McKay's famous response.
Which is probably not too far off from the feelings of Syracuse Director of Athletics Daryl Gross, or head football coach Greg Robinson, or a whole litany of fans and team personnel that wish they could shut their eyes, tap their feet and make four insufferable years magically disappear.
All this negativity, on the week some California love comes to bail out New York's college team.
On Salina Street in downtown Syracuse, the lights were off in the Landmark Theatre on a dreary, gray Saturday afternoon, so it takes some imagination to envision a world-class movie showcase coming to the neighborhood in less than a week. The switch off from blue-collar to black tie seems a faraway reality at this point, and it even hints at desperation. A billboard mirage may even materialize in the distance: "Welcome, Hollywood (tell your friends)!"
The timing of SU's grand football festival - once thought to be perfect - now looks comically unflattering. No amount of movie star makeup can hide the scars on this program. No screenwriter can script more than a glimmer of hope as Penn State comes into town.
No person unfamiliar with the team will easily be made to believe that, yes, Syracuse once had a proud program, and, yes, Syracuse once had a Heisman Trophy winner, bowl-game appearances and successful records. Gross' toughest task this weekend may be explaining that while "The Express" is a historical biopic, it is not ancient history.
Nor is it science fiction, though, for as wave after wave of Hall of Famers walk down the orange carpet Friday evening, there will be the tangible presence of SU's gloried past - not just stitched cloth hanging from the Carrier Dome rafters.
This was always meant to be a week of nostalgia; a moment, Gross said after the announcement Syracuse would host the premiere, that the athletic department intended to embrace. It was always meant to be a week, more or less, that Syracuse could claim as its own and feel good about itself.
How many Big East schools have Hollywood hyping up their history? When's the last nationwide movie to open in the backyard of Piscataway, N.J., or Morgantown, W.Va.?
Kick-starting a beaten down fan base was the intention for the week of Sept. 12, but stirring up hype and excitement is not the only reason for the event. It's an opportunity for Gross to stay true to his relentless embracing of the past.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jeff Crew
posted 10/11/08 @ 2:36 PM EST
Mr. Schonbrun --
Good article, just too bad the SU team has lost its sparkle in recent years. Question: As you see it, is Robinson the future of SU coaching, or an interloper? At this point, my opinion is not hight--I don't think he's a match. (Continued…)
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