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The Daily OrangeFB | Running out of time
With five games left, Greg Robinson is almost out of chances
By Andy McCullough
Posted: 10/31/08, 2:23 AM EST Section: Sports
Those are just the on-field issues.
Off the field, things keep tunneling downward, a bizarre downhill spiral:
• Three games into the season, Robinson and Gross were criticized on ESPN's College Gameday, one week after Penn State eviscerated the Orange, 55-10. ESPN commentator Lee Corso blamed Gross for firing former head coach Paul Pasqualoni and triggering the program's freefall.
• An unsolicited Gross called ESPN.com a few days later to explain his feelings toward Robinson. "It isn't working out," Gross told ESPN's Ivan Maisel. "It's very disappointing … He has some work to do out in front of him."
• A group of football alums, led by former standout fullback Rob Konrad, wrote a letter to Gross in early October about solutions for the swooning program. The group endorsed Florida assistant Steve Addazio as the next Orange head coach.
• Last Wednesday, the athletic department denied a New York Times report that said Syracuse had hired a consulting firm to search for Robinson's replacement. The report said the firm had contacted Randy Edsall - SU alum and current head coach at Connecticut - about taking the job next year. Gross said the report was untrue.
While this swirls around the team, the players insist they don't listen. "We try not to really pay attention to the media or the newspaper or the clippings or whatever, what have you," Lobdell said. "We just pay attention to what we can control and what really affects us. Hearsay or what have you, it has no effect on this team."
"Yeah, don't believe it," said Curt Lox, a sports psychologist and associate dean at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. "Of course they pay attention."
How could they not? It's only human nature. If Robinson were to go, the majority of the coaching staff would depart with him. And coaches and players have a special relationship. "These people are surrogate parents for these guys," Lox said.
"They're really tight with these people," Lox added. "And they care very much about them."
Off the field, things keep tunneling downward, a bizarre downhill spiral:
• Three games into the season, Robinson and Gross were criticized on ESPN's College Gameday, one week after Penn State eviscerated the Orange, 55-10. ESPN commentator Lee Corso blamed Gross for firing former head coach Paul Pasqualoni and triggering the program's freefall.
• An unsolicited Gross called ESPN.com a few days later to explain his feelings toward Robinson. "It isn't working out," Gross told ESPN's Ivan Maisel. "It's very disappointing … He has some work to do out in front of him."
• A group of football alums, led by former standout fullback Rob Konrad, wrote a letter to Gross in early October about solutions for the swooning program. The group endorsed Florida assistant Steve Addazio as the next Orange head coach.
• Last Wednesday, the athletic department denied a New York Times report that said Syracuse had hired a consulting firm to search for Robinson's replacement. The report said the firm had contacted Randy Edsall - SU alum and current head coach at Connecticut - about taking the job next year. Gross said the report was untrue.
While this swirls around the team, the players insist they don't listen. "We try not to really pay attention to the media or the newspaper or the clippings or whatever, what have you," Lobdell said. "We just pay attention to what we can control and what really affects us. Hearsay or what have you, it has no effect on this team."
"Yeah, don't believe it," said Curt Lox, a sports psychologist and associate dean at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. "Of course they pay attention."
How could they not? It's only human nature. If Robinson were to go, the majority of the coaching staff would depart with him. And coaches and players have a special relationship. "These people are surrogate parents for these guys," Lox said.
"They're really tight with these people," Lox added. "And they care very much about them."
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
kowalski44
posted 10/31/08 @ 8:51 AM EST
It's time to cut him loose for the sake of the Players and the sake of the program and university.
Let him go and move Mitch up as interim Head Coach please. (Continued…)
Marc LeVine
posted 10/31/08 @ 10:34 AM EST
Daryl Gross is a fool. Kowalski44 is right and it is what I and others have been saying for awhile - dump Robinson, install an interim coach and see how the team reacts to the change, as you keep your eyes open for the next coach - who might, in fact, end up being the interim coach. (Continued…)
Alan
posted 11/01/08 @ 4:17 AM EST
When Robinson gets his just firing , it will take at least 3 years to build a respectable team...much longer if we get a clone of Robinson. If you were highly regarded ,why would you want to play for a rebuilding team ? Get a new AD while we are at it !
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