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The Daily OrangeFB | Clayton: On grandest of stages, Robinson finally has reason to smile
By John Clayton
Posted: 11/22/08, 10:25 PM EST Section: Sports
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Greg Robinson danced. No really, he danced.
He stood there, with his team on the most famous field in college football, engulfed by the Notre Dame band as it crowded around them and blared the Irish fight song. He bobbed up and down and side-to-side, and his players followed suit. Earlier, in those initial, blissful moments after Syracuse's 24-23 upset of Notre Dame, Robinson's team had chanted "G-Rob, G-Rob," a salute to a coach they loved but never could win for.
Maybe someday, when Greg Robinson reflects on his career at Syracuse, that chant will resonate in his head. He will remember this moment, one of his last as Orange head coach, when all of his failures and shortcomings at SU were masked by a thrilling win on college football's most hallowed ground.
In the grand scheme, this win holds little meaning. Syracuse will play out its final game of the season at Cincinnati next week with little consequence.
But for one night, Greg Robinson could smile. This was his win. A glimmer of triumph set amidst the misery of the last four years.
And here it was, encapsulated in a scene, as Robinson and his team celebrated and the sounds of Notre Dame's band faded into the chilly, black night. The 57-year-old head coach, who six days earlier had been fired, couldn't deny it was a special moment.
"The first college football game I ever saw was in the LA Coliseum," a giddy Robinson said after the game. "It was 1960. It was Notre Dame versus USC. I'm telling you I wasn't rooting for USC. So it's very special for me.
"That whole scene right there, I'm really glad we were a part of it."
Special, despite the game's tempered stakes. This isn't the same Notre Dame team that Robinson saw that day in 1960, whose golden helmets once shined at the pinnacle of the college football landscape. This year's Irish team is now 6-5. Its coach, Charlie Weis, faced Saturday many of the same questions Robinson did leading up to his firing.
He stood there, with his team on the most famous field in college football, engulfed by the Notre Dame band as it crowded around them and blared the Irish fight song. He bobbed up and down and side-to-side, and his players followed suit. Earlier, in those initial, blissful moments after Syracuse's 24-23 upset of Notre Dame, Robinson's team had chanted "G-Rob, G-Rob," a salute to a coach they loved but never could win for.
Maybe someday, when Greg Robinson reflects on his career at Syracuse, that chant will resonate in his head. He will remember this moment, one of his last as Orange head coach, when all of his failures and shortcomings at SU were masked by a thrilling win on college football's most hallowed ground.
In the grand scheme, this win holds little meaning. Syracuse will play out its final game of the season at Cincinnati next week with little consequence.
But for one night, Greg Robinson could smile. This was his win. A glimmer of triumph set amidst the misery of the last four years.
And here it was, encapsulated in a scene, as Robinson and his team celebrated and the sounds of Notre Dame's band faded into the chilly, black night. The 57-year-old head coach, who six days earlier had been fired, couldn't deny it was a special moment.
"The first college football game I ever saw was in the LA Coliseum," a giddy Robinson said after the game. "It was 1960. It was Notre Dame versus USC. I'm telling you I wasn't rooting for USC. So it's very special for me.
"That whole scene right there, I'm really glad we were a part of it."
Special, despite the game's tempered stakes. This isn't the same Notre Dame team that Robinson saw that day in 1960, whose golden helmets once shined at the pinnacle of the college football landscape. This year's Irish team is now 6-5. Its coach, Charlie Weis, faced Saturday many of the same questions Robinson did leading up to his firing.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
g33k
posted 11/24/08 @ 12:44 PM EST
Get this stupid mutha fooker outta here please
Adam
posted 11/25/08 @ 12:31 AM EST
Outstanding article.
For all the negatives surrounding this guy (and we know that list is near endless), he's still a good guy who despite all he did wrong here deserved a chance to smile. (Continued…)
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