Columbia football, an entity so many people could not believe could fall even further in status and prestige, has done just that in 2013.
The Lions are being blown out by historic margins, the statistics are galling, and now there’s even personal controversy hampering the team as its two best players have been suspended.
For fans like us who support this team emotionally and financially, some of us for many decades, we are at a new all-time low.
So what can we get for all this suffering that can at least turn it into the dues we pay for a real improvement in the future?
The answers are pretty simple and clear.
Columbia football, and Columbia athletics in general need a complete house cleaning.
We can’t just fire another coach and hope for a different result this time.
The changes must be far more far-reaching than that and definitive.
We must:
1) Replace Dianne Murphy as Athletic Director right away
2) Replace Pete Mangurian as Head Football Coach the moment the season ends
3) Bring in an outside consulting/expert group to make the replacement hires and evaluate the positions and effectiveness of everyone in the athletic department.
4) Do NOT allow anyone who has had a leadership position or position of influence in any past hiring process to participate or interfere in any way with the overhaul process.
It’s that simple. It’s that complicated.
I ask all of you to help get this done.
(sorry I accidentally deleted the previous comments on this, but I wanted to keep this post on the top of the page)
(sorry I accidentally deleted the previous comments on this, but I wanted to keep this post on the top of the page)
66 comments:
There's no way you're getting rid of my influence so easily! I will hire Rex Ryan as soon as he is fired by the Jets.
Since the beginning of the league in 1957, Columbia has averaged 1.54 championships per year, far and away the lowest average in the Ivies. That is 89 championships in the last 56 years out of 1,755.
Ms. Murphy's record as AD for the past 5 years is 1.6 championships, which equals absolutely no improvement. There is clearly no urgency or accountability within the U re sports, and there never has been.
R Forzani '66
Unless Murphy goes there will never be any accountability. And I don't think she has a clue about how to build a football program.
I hope you know that this blog is at the very center of all things wrong with this program, and no just because this is your blog does not give you the right to say what ever you want, especially if it means you are mentally crippling the people who are reading this. You are as much at fault for this season as anyone on the inside. How you ask? focusing on the negative week after week and SHOVING IT IN EVERYONES FACE, no wonder everyone is upset and disheartened all you do is whine like a pmsing middle school girl you and many of the other returning posters on this blog. Frankly jake i can see why the athletic department doesn't want you around- you are the exact definition of what they are trying to move away from- negative nay sayers who makes a big stink about everything when in reality you have no idea how to fix the problem.
That being said this season clearly has not gone according to plan for anyone, clearly it hasn't for the coaches. does that mean that we just give up and say aw fuck him and move on? given the fact that you HATE Mangurian (because he wont give you the time of day) that would be a great answer to you. Here is why you are wrong, the majority of this team is young, and have never played fb at this level, and even if they have, they have never played on this columbia team, a team that is a mix of players from every year freshman through senior. This season's obstacle is finding flow and learning how to play on this columbia team. finding team chemistry takes a while and frankly it can be very difficult, especially with all the changes that are constantly being made and the bull shit coming from your blog. There is only one head coach of columbia football and right now there are about 50 who think they are him. NEWS FLASH- none of you are PM, so all of you who continue to state what the team should and shouldn't do please tell me why you aren't a coach in the ivy league, or at the college level in general? My guess is that you don't get it, seriously YOU DONT GET IT! coaching is a job that requires extensive research and they must experiment with trial and error. That is all that is happening here, nothing more or less. There are injuries, MAJOR injuries! critical players are out because of injury, that also effects our record, things would have gone differently if our first game was different we would still have two of our best players. that is no ones fault its just a fact that we are having to deal with.
This is the exact reason why YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, you lack the ability to keep your emotions from clouding your judgement.
I get it guys, the scoreboard speaks for itself, and we are suffering major losses but with the constant adjustments the team is having to make i don't see how everyone battering the program is changing anything for the better.
A complete house cleaning will not change the program if people don't get an attitude adjustment. your attitude sucks Jake. Oh btw your so called donations? all I see you donating is bad publicity to the football program and that doesn't give you the power to make decisions.. especially if your "donations" are hindering the program
GO LIONS WE ARE ROOTING FOR YOU!!
and just so i'm clear, I am not going to leave because i disagree with what you say, I am going to fight you and rip you apart every step of the way jake, get ready..
"A complete house cleaning will not change the program if people don't get an attitude adjustment."
So the fans' disappointment and criticism caused Murphy's NINE years of failure in football and men's basketball? Are you joking?
There's nothing personal about this. When you have a catastrophic failure in any organization, everyone, down to the guy who fills the Coke machine, gets canned. There's no alternative. You can't humiliate the school week after week and expect to keep your jobs. The personnel in the athletic department aren't stupid; they know what's inevitably coming. Dust off your resumes and leave with some dignity.
The previous email came from the Hot Dog Committee...fyi.
The tone and the bias are clear.
Hey Pal (above), it's "The Nathan's Hot Dog Committee", get it right! They paid good money for it! Geeze!
Actually, I think that long diatribe came from a parent of a new player or possibly a relative of a current coach.
What these relative newbies don't understand is that people like us, who have come to hundreds of games, rooted our heads off, donated millions of dollars total, etc. have the right to demand much, much better. And as soon as we accept losing and sit back and shut up, then you can really kill this program for good.
No one here, new fan or old, former bench warmer or All Ivy Columbia Hall of famer, former coach, etc. has any reason to apologize for what we're trying to do and for calling this debacle what it is. And we can beat back those who say we don't have the right to demand and get more.
Yeah, we don't get it??? Stay the course... Give Pete two more years... Believe in "The System" Are you freakin kidding me? This guy is a cancer and he needs to go!
Jake is the least emotional of any of the posters. You, on the other hand, sound exactly like a morally crushed Pete Mangurian lashing out because nothing has gone your way, your ego is punched in the gut because you thought you were the right man for the job and you bombed. It's politics. That's how you got the job. What we want are the right people to get this program on its feet. News Flash: the negativity here, though crass at times is on target. It is not even close to what Pete would get had he fouled up a major program. So buck up and ship out. We don't want you or the people who hired you having anything to do with CU football.
What I am not shocked by in that diatribe is the excuse he used of the major injuries.
I was waiting for the excuses to come and immediately after the injuries took place, I said to myself...oh no...Mangurian just bought himself a reprieve this season.
I guess we're all the suckers because that is the reason Mangurian and Murphy could care less about what we have to say because in their minds....they get a hall pass this season.
Not even close to acceptable!!!
Incredible overreaction by requesting the firing of Dianne Murphy. She has done an excellent job as Director of Athletics. Most sports at Columbia have upgraded under her reign- wrestling had 3 finalists at the EIWA and a 3rd place finisher at Nationals (highest in Columbia's history); baseball won the Ivy title, Women's tennis won the Ivy title, Men's Cross Country is presently ranked 8th in the country, and while I haven't followed every sport I know that there have been major successes in track, swimming, fencing, archery,men's tennis, etc. Plaudits to Dianne Murphy for doing such an excellent job. To blame her for the lack of success in football is beyond irrational. And in reference to football, Mangurian is only in his second year. How about some patience?
Dickstein-
What would any other Ivy League school do if their fball team went winless?
They would do a massive evaluation of the program to understand the problem.
The buck stops with Murphy.
She's gotten the football HC hiring decision wrong several times.
Bollinger needs to clean house.
Jake
You are the Cancer of this team and program .
Surace at Princeton. 1-9 ,1-9, 5-5, currently at the top of the league. You guys would have fired him after year two. Silly.
Dear "I hope you know that" it seems to be that you are trying to intimidate the blog. If the coaches can't (1) win and (2) can't handle the criticism then they had better get out of the coaching profession. If someone is a Division 1 coach or AD and thinks they won't have weeks like these, they are in the wrong place. You have to win and you have to be accountable for your program.
As for Jake, Jake is the greatest resource the athletic alumni have. Jake demands accountability from the athletic department. Goodness, it is so long over due.
Example, the boston Red Sox sucked for generations. The fan base refused to accept it and demanded changes and firings. They even demanded a change in ownership. John Henry's group was brought in and became responsive to the fan base. Results: three World Series champions in nine years. Lesson: don't attack the fan base, pay attention and be responsive to achieve success.
Jake, persevere on! To my core I know you are on the correct path. Thank you for your imagination, courage, intelligence, patience, and genuine caring about our football program.
Someone real close to the program......
Dickstein. You are a moron. And so is anyone who doesn't see the value in this blog. You jerks are the reason the univ is so complacent about the program. Smart-en up jerks. You can't fix anything till U admit its broke.
Jake, this blog is awesome.
No we wouldn't have fired Surace at this point because as bad as Princeton was in year two, they were better than year one. At this point Columbia is much worse than it was in year one of mangu
Does anyone know the real story why those kids were suspended??
Seriously, even though I happen to be one who thinks PM deserves a bit more time beyond this year to try and gain control of the ship, the "rip you apart every step of the way" and "Cancer of this team and program" commenter (I'm guessing it's the same person) is way out of line. If the coach and AD won't speak candidly about what's been going so wrong (and even if they do, for that matter), then others are going to speak up at will. Going after Jake is obviously just blaming the messenger.
Though obviously anyone who calls a pantheon Columbia athlete like Bob Dickstein a moron is no better than the other guy, either.
Blueblood u and your moron buddy Dickstein can hand in your jersey and go out with Mang. I never heard of Dickstein. So he's a legend huh. Joke
Clearly, the players are trying hard. But, neither PM, nor Murphy nor anyone else is dropping passes, overthrowing receivers, missing tackles and blocks.
Whatever, I am firing Jake's blog; too much venting, unsubstantiated allegations by Jake and many others.
Byeeeee
Dear "I hope you know that",
There are 3 quarterbacks at the program all recruited by PM. One got injured. The other two are playing.
Now let me get this straight.....here is your quote,
"There are injuries, MAJOR injuries! critical players are out because of injury, that also effects our record, things would have gone differently if our first game was different we would still have two of our best players. that is no ones fault its just a fact that we are having to deal with. "
Who is bitching and moaning here??????? Who is making excuses. Two major injuries included one QB. Who recruited the other two guys? Do you think there is one Division 1 football team that won't get their QB injured? Are we the only team that has injuries in Division 1. Who is the one who knows nothing about college football? We have two injuries and that is why we continue to lose by 50+ points?
Another quote of yours,
"coaching is a job that requires extensive research and they must experiment with trial and error. "
Ah, maybe part of his research and experiments might involve having back up plans for injuries. Different players, alternative attacks and strategies.
Give us a break Mr "I hope you know that", you are the one being negative and making excuses and bitching.
We have had two of the three biggest losses in all time Ivy history in our last eight games. Two of our best players and a co captain have been suspended. Where is the hope?
Let's do this.....we beat Yale last year. This year we have one more of PM classes. Let's see how our scores progress vs Yale from last year to this year? That should be a good yard stick. Didn't Pete say by the end of the second year you should have a good idea where the program is heading.
Hope to hear from you. Saturday night?????
It's not that Murphy doesn't care about football, she wants to ride off into the sunset with a legacy of finally bringing a winning football team to CU. The problem is that she is clueless as to how to do it and her enormous ego makes her think she does. She always believes she's always the smartest person in the room and can do no wrong – she’d think that if she were sitting down with Stephen Hawking. She also wants to surround herself with nothing but yes men and women. She's given Pete everything he wants, even if it's the detriment of other programs (which is why there is a lot of bitterness towards football by other coaches and a certain amount of joy at seeing PM go down in flames). She's reportedly even run off staff who Pete didn't like, even if other coaches did. Yes, teams have been successful and won Ivy titles (still far fewer than our fellow Ivy schools) but if you ask many coaches they’ll tell you they are winning in spite of Murphy.
The fact remains that we are subpar. I run a business and we have under performed....I don't sit there and give excuses as to why that is. I state to my colleagues I have made mistakes and I don't blame others for our lack of success. Football or any sport is no different. The coaches have to accept the responsibility for the team's performance. There is nobody else to blame.
Curious as to what staffers Adam has run off to please PM? Please share your info.
Adam=MDM. Friggin iPad.
If you are not happy with Murphy then stop making donations. Murphy is better then Reeves > Al Paul. Is she the best AD in the league (no) . If you are not happy with her then stop making donations.
Mr Dickstein. As a parent of a current player, I really don't want to hear about how well baseball , wrestling,tennis and cross country are doing . This is not what my son signed up for. He busts his butt everyday at practice , he plays solid and hard in the game.Please don't tell me what a great job she is doing , she is not . Any other AD would have been fired for what has happened to football at CU. Dont insult my intelligence , telling my son , the rest of the team and all the parents , what a great job she is doing , just adds more fuel to the fire.
I don't know what to say really.
Three minutes
to the biggest battle of our professional lives
all comes down to today.
Either
we heal
as a team
or we are going to crumble.
Inch by inch
play by play
till we're finished.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
and
we can stay here
and get the shit kicked out of us
or
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.
Now I can't do it for you.
I'm too old.
I look around and I see these young faces
and I think
I mean
I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make.
I uh....
I pissed away all my money
believe it or not.
I chased off
anyone who has ever loved me.
And lately,
I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror.
You know when you get old in life
things get taken from you.
That's, that's part of life.
But,
you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is football.
Because in either game
life or football
the margin for error is so small.
I mean
one half step too late or to early
you don't quite make it.
One half second too slow or too fast
and you don't quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second.
On this team, we fight for that inch
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.
I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know
if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.
Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy
who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.
That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
That's football guys.
That's all it is.
Now, whattaya gonna do?
Embrace the CU revolutionary spirit and change our football program forever!
teachermike196@hotmail.com
A note to Jake & Friends:
I think many of your comments have an touch of sexism and jealousy. It seems to me that it bothers you that a woman is an athletic director who is in a position to run an athletic program that is successful in men's and women's track and field, men's and women's cross country, baseball, men's and women's crew, archery, men's soccer, men's and women's fencing and men's and women's tennis. You guys stand on the sidelines and complain while Ms. Murphy has skin in the game and produces results.
Bill Campbell is a multi millionaire who went from being a coal miner/teacher's son to a top position in Silicon Valley. He is one of the few wealthy people who goes home to his roots and donates money to his old school system for computers and a football field. I wonder how many CU grads he has helped get jobs in the Valley and on Wall Street. It looks to me like he has a lot of skin in the game.
President Bollinger is the guy who brought the equal rights case for admitting minority students victoriously from the U. of Michigan to the U.S. Supreme Court.
He is now leading the expansion of CU with a vision toward providing a quality education for more students of all races, creeds and sexes. I think he also has a little skin in the game.
I would make one common sense suggestion that no matter who is the football coach he or she would have a much easier go of it with a practice football field on the new campus. President Bollinger has only to set aside about 120 yards of turf.
Finally I am not a shill for any of the parties involved. I was a Marble Hill kid of the 50's who climbed over Baker Field fences to see the likes of Army, Navy and Rutgers play CU for free. I never bought a baseball in my young life because the foul balls and home runs off of the bats of CU baseball players and their foes were mine for the keeping. By the way, Dr. Archie Roberts would have made one hell of a major league first baseman or outfielder.
After high school I worked in warehouses for 2 years,3 years in Uncle Sam's Army with a combat tour in Vietnam,25 Years for UPS as a deliveryman and clerk,and finally
with the help of Gov. Mario Cuomo's Vietnam Veterans Tuition Award Program, Empire State College and Mercy College 10 wonderful years teaching Social Studies and Special Education to inner city students in the Big Apple. So before you pick on me too much, I've got a little skin in the game too.
Please all sides let your "e's go" and get together and light up that 50's peace pipe. As John L said, "Let's give peace a chance." Everyone get together, that includes all of the coaches, and help the STUDENT ATHLETES be competitive.
Bill Campbell does things for Bill Campbell...yeah let's count on 1 hand how many ex-football players got jobs from big bill. It's a small list. Teachermike u are obviously a non athlete so keep your thoughts to your self. Jerk.
teacher mike, i appreciate your comments and i can understand the points you are making. however, i dont quite see the "skin in the game" comment. for example, if the football team fails, how does that affect Bollinger or Murphy. People would not even blink if Bollinger came in as Columbia was never supposed to be competitive in Football and since he is the president of the unversity; it seems to me people would not hold it against him. Murphy would surely point to her other accolades, whatever they may be, and most people would chalk it up to her being successful in most sports, but CU was never successful in football so she gets a pass.
I, and several others on this blog, have literally had skin in this game and the only thing we ever asked was for the university to make an effort to be successful in all sports, including football. Given this is a largely a football blog, except when Jake focuses on other sports in season, we feel like we have been let down. Frankly, we have. i dont care what nationality, sexuality, color, whatever, the person making the decisions is, but I, and many others, want a concerted effort to improve this program now, and not tell us it is beyond saving because it isnt. We bleed Columbia blue and we have given our youth to try and make it a better place for the kids there today and for the kids tomorrow. There are no more excuses.
Des Werthman
Obviously Diane should remain the general AD while someone else comes in and takes over the marquee sports (football, M and W basketball) in a separate portfolio.
Rich Forzani '66
NOT ANONYMOUS
My second comment here; my first was the #2 comment.
What I plainly see here is an overabundance of emotionalism and narrow perspective and lack of knowledge.
I don't think any of us care if Dianne Murphy is a female or a polka dotted baboon; if she is brilliant or insightful or a really nice person. The bottom line is that she has NOT done the job in her nine years of tenure.
Certainly anyone can pick out specific "triumphs" such as baseball or archery, but her overall record as AD is abysmal. And that is a matter of record. In her last 5 years, she has brought us 8 team championships out of 181potentially available. This is an indictment not just of her ability but also of the entire rotten structure that is and has been the Columbia Athletic Department.
Yes, there are anomalies in the person of the odd effective and successful coach, but overall nothing has changed in the last 56 years. I totally agree with Jake; clean house, bring in an impartial expert entity, and keep the old boy cronies from making any decisions.
Aren't any of you disgusted by now?? Aren't you fed up with 56 years of futility? We have a total of 89 championships since the beginning of the league, out of 1755!! That's the lowest in the league, and Brown, second worst, has 33% more than us. PS, our overall lousy average of 1.54 champs per season for 57 years matches up pretty damn closely to Dianne's lousy average of 1.6 the last 5 years. So don't tell me or anyone how she's improved anything. She hasn't. She is ineffective and she has to go.
To the poster fourth from the top who slandered Jake and all loyal Lion fans, thanks for giving us the answer we've been been craving, which is why proud Columbia has the worst football program in the nation. iT'S JAKE'S BLOG! This blog gave The AD and the coach a brain freeze. This blog makes the players miss tackles, run slow, drop passes. This
blog makes the OL skinny and weak. This blog with its fans who know nothing about football apparently is read so avidly by the wise people in charge of football that it destroys their great knowledge and judgment. Let's shut down this blog. Then everyone can relax and watch Columbia go undefeated every year.
Murphy being a woman is inconsequential. There are plenty of excellent AD's who are women (Debbie Yow comes to mind) and plenty of bad AD's who are male. It's about wins and losses, especially for marquee programs. That isn't happening here.1.6 titles a year? That doesn't cut it, it's poor leadership regardless of gender.
I agree, the feminist argument is ludicrous. Even though I am slandered on this blog relentlessly I do agree with the sentiments. I admit I made a mistake in hiring Coach Mangurian.
very funny! (and juvenile)
Unfortunately, this blog has now given the incumbents as easy excuse for the train wreck of a season that we are having. Losing Nottingham and Adebayo were crushing losses, to be sure. But now the athletic establishment can say that we are undermining team morale with each separate crib de coeur. If you want change, you will not achieve it on this blog, although you might make yourself feel better with each "Network" moment. And withholding your contributions will not help, since Bollinger is the greatest fundraiser in Columbia history and the dollars keep coming. Better to write, not email, Bollinger and as many trustees as you can imploring them to make this thing work. There will come a time if nothing is done when the League will give up on us. Let us do,what we can to make sure that it never reaches that point. And for goodness sake, let's rally around the players and their families for the next four Saturdays.
Excuse the typos. Too early in the morning. As should be an and crib should be cri ( no Freudian slip please)
Jake, Lets say your daughter got into trouble at school. Big trouble. Would you want the Principle and PTA president telling everyone in the school and neighborhood what she did ? If she is punished by the school ,is that enough or should she be BBQ in the public eye? The athletic department nor the university do not owe you or anyone else any explanation about why the three kids were suspended. Actually they probably would have preferred that no one even know they were suspended at all. I am sure the coach had no choice and given the currant situation,he is probably not happy about it ,but he did what he had to do. A no win for him and the team. The three kids should be ashamed that they knew better then to risk their team from this.
Bill Campbell
And I agree not to choose the next coach. In fact I will direct my philanthropy to the Arts and Sciences so that I can tell the Dean of the College whom to recruit and hire as faculty.
Bill Campbell
above comment is not true. the one above it is.
above comment is not true. the one above it is.
Bring in Tim Pernetti as AD. Let him pick the next FB coach. If the Old Lions want a safe pick then see if you can ask Harvard for permission to talk to Bob Scalise.
The status quo-Murphy and Mangurian will result in the oblivion of the football product. The team(coaches, system, players) that exists now is a total embarassament. This cannot continue.
I have never asked for an explanation for why the players were suspended.
... And I would never publish it here.
Jake
I thank you for your blog! I think many of the people at Columbia are in denial at how bad it is.
I happen to know that Jake has known for at least three days why the players were suspended. But he hasn't said anything because he always protects the players privacy to a fault. Those who think Jake just vomits out every piece of info don't know much about him. As a parent of a current player, I have confided in him many times and the stories never came out. Sometimes I wish they had.
Men's golf and tennis, fencing, wrestling have always been successful at CU. Bid has been the tennis coach for over 30 years. Please do not pin any of those successes on Dianne as she had zero to do with it. She certainly made a great hire with Borretti/baseball and for that she gets credit. However, she was charged with turning football and basketball around. Football has gone backwards to where once again we are the laughing stock of the country. Basketball sideways at best although I do think we are now competitive in the league. She tried to go to West Point a few years ago so she clearly is looking for a change. Let's oblige her and move on. This football guy is not the guy. We made Garrett leave after one year and he was a far superior coach ( with questionable tactics) why should this guy get three years? He makes zero attempt to embrace the alums except when he needs money for the program or jobs for the players. Adios amigo......
Jake , you do not need to publish why players were suspended. It's really non of our business!
Can we get info on why the team Chaplain was "let go"? That should be discussed.
Shouldn't we all be focused on the fact that if we lose to Yale and Princeton defeats Cornell tomorrow, we will be mathematically eliminated from the Ivy title race?
Jake, we owe you a sincere debt of gratitude! Thank you so much for all that you selflessly do for the athletes, alums, and the university! We know that you only have their best interest at heart! Keep up the good work!!!
scheduling problem ,thats all
good point on the scheduling problem. Hopefully Murphy can do something to get Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth, et al off the schedule, then we can compete!
With regards to the player's suspension, it does not matter what the reason was, the fact is it happened. It was bad enough to require a punishment. The question really is ...what is going through these senior boy's minds to get in such a position to be suspended in the middle of the season. They were high level players. The punter had so much to lose especially. This year should have been the highlight of their college football career.
I don't agree with their actions or how this will affect the team but I also can't help but think there wasn't more to it. My philosophy is they just didn't care anymore..no respect for the coach, no hope for winning and they had lost all hope for anything improving this year. I believe their actions either consciously or subconsciously were purposeful. It is sad that this is what has happened. Could it be this is a punishment for what has happened this year? I have to wonder and I cannot rule that out...if this was a cohesive team they would never have gotten in trouble....this too should be one of Jake's red flags...FYI.. I know what they did.
Think about it..what leads these intelligent senior boys to make such a stupid error in decision making their senior in college with only a few games left...I don't believe it was because of stupidity..
I'm really sad because my son is on the team. It is heart breaking to hear the pain in his voice. He has gone from being angry about the losses to being without any emotion. And as he says that's much worse. The drive is gone. We continue to tell him to persevere. My hurt breaks for these kids. Demoralized beyond our comprehension. When you lose all self confidence then how does it ever get better? If your coach doesn't believe in you then who will? I don't even know what to say any more. We tell him to play strong every week...what else can you say. IF PM was really stating that he does not think these boys are tough (in his interview in the Spectator post Brown game) then he has no clue what they have been through...and that saddens me the most...these boys love football but what has happened to this program is pathetic.
Hoping for a win this weekend. Always in support of these dedicated boys! GO LIONS!
Very much appreciate what the above football parent had to say about the emotional state of her son. Could only imagine what this must be like until now before the eloquent post.Once again Old Lion has it right. Let rally round the sons of knickerbocker with all our strength. Regardless of what our feelings are for the current state of affairs-the boys DESERVE this much....
How about we show our support for the players by getting them a new AD and a new coach? How about THAT?
Perhaps in due time. More importantly they're going to go on national TV and represent your school at high noon in 2 days at Yale Bowl. Let us attend.....
Jake, thank you for this blog. I am a former player and I know you care about the program. The people calling you part of the problem are laughable. A winner would take the criticism,ask himself why and consider it as being viable.
I don;t agree with everything you say and I am still not sure what to believe about PM, but I will continue saying that his curious personality and his lack of regard for former players is not helping him.
We need a President who really cares about football. Until that happens things will never change...
To the parent who says she know what the two young nen did. Well I happen to know as well. To say that the two young men i dont care anymore is nuts. Everytime they hit that field they give it all they have. If you really know you would know it could have been any of our sons.Anybody who know or have talk to them would know. I just find it funny that after four years of being young mmen in good standing on and off the field todo a total flip I dont know. my sons on the team as well and feel the two are great guys and do not deserve this for what happen. PM may think this may help him in some way but I really dont think so. MG was not playing anyway he's healing from last week so what do that tell you. PM may have just lost two who played for the coaach. Anybody who has played the game know you gotta won't to play for your coach. I wish the two well and look forward to seeing them on the field.
I would doubt many are playing for mangurioops there goes some more records. U think the kids play for each other at this point. There is nothing worse than apathy, which the parent above described. It seemingly is the common element at columbia. Not apathy for playing, but more if nobody cares about what is happening here than how are we supposed to go out there and compete. They haven't given up they just don't understand why people won't help.
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