Tonight's proving ground
Every weekend night is a crucial test in Ivy basketball. And
tonight, the Lions face just that as they take on Yale at 7pm. Columbia hasn’t
beaten the Elis in New Haven since 2008 and last year the Lions were embarrassed
in that game.
Again, the goals for this season have been set up by
increasing importance as I explained earlier this month.
Columbia basketball hasn’t had a winning Ivy record since Jack Rohan led them to a 10-4
conference mark in 1993. So, getting to the eight win mark within the Ivies is
the first hurdle.
But if the Lions want to keep the positive buzz going about
their chances to really content this season, winning tonight’s game is crucial.
It won’t be easy, but Yale is the weaker of the two teams CU faces this weekend
as Brown has the league’s top scorer in Sean McGonagill.
Flush with Cash
Columbia has announced that it far exceeded its own
expectations by raising $6.1 billion in its capital campaign.
Can we carve out some of that cash to offer a super salary
to a great new head football coach? And what about building a real on-campus
field house and gym? No matter how much money Columbia has already raised with
this campaign, I guarantee you that many alums would line up to give more cash
for those two things alone.
History Time
In honor of the Super Bowl being played here in the NY/NJ
area, the Museum of the City of New York is featuring some pictures of football
players from 19th century and naturally Columbia is well
represented.
You can see the entire exhibit here, but I’ve posted some of the Columbia
pictures below.
Since these above photos predate Baker Field and even Columbia’s
games at the 158th Street Polo Grounds, I believe these pictures
were likely taken at the original Polo Grounds at the northern tip of Central
Park on 110th Street. Generally, Columbia played its games right on
the Morningside campus. But in the transitional years while Columbia was moving
the school from Madison Avenue to its current location, Central Park was quasi home
field.
More vintage Columbia football pictures from 1914 were
released this week on the Bowery Boys website.l
They include shots of football practice right on campus, like the one below:
19 comments:
Jake, a real on-campus field house and gym would be great. But the direct question for a Bollinger is why, with all that money to spend, is he too incompetent and too uncaring to hire a first-rate football coach and assistants who know what the hell they're doing?
The only thing we'll get from Lee B. Is that insulting , crappy, arrogant. Ignorant letter he sent to Spectator.
I love to dream too, but why, given Columbia's chronic space problems, would anyone build an on-campus field house and practice fields on the Morningside Heights and Manhattanville campuses? There's incredible pent-up demand from nearly every science department, not to mention every professional school, for more space. I COULD see a new gym being built up at Manhattanville integrated with a large residence hall for grad students; in fact, I think such a building's been penciled in.
On campus facilities for football were practical 75 years ago; today there's no chance and it's not just because Bollinger doesn't care about sports. It's because Columbia's in the middle of Manhattan and has to feed its departments and schools first if it wants to remain in the top tier of world universities.
Continuing from above....In another post you mentioned that Bob Shoop is doing well in the coaching biz. I remember when he was hired as HC at Columbia, Shoop adopted the slogan "No Excuses," showing he was well- versed in Columbia's football misery. When he was fired, as I recall he honored his word and made no excuses.
Bollinger doesn't have a shred of the honor that Shoop does. Lee doesn't even bother to make excuses, he simply ignores the alumni and passes the collection basket. My only satisfaction is knowing he won't get a cent from me until both football and basketball win an Ivy title, he fills every seat in our miniature stadium and expands it, and replaces our high school gym with a college basketball arena. What does LB do with all these billions? He must burn money faster than the President of the U.S.
My 2 cents re all above:
One key point not really addressed so far re PM tenure is that CU's rep/stability as a destination for future coaches would be significantly damaged if we fired any coach only 2 years into a 4/5 year contract. It has nothing to do with the pay-out, but with perceived impatience or panic. Few coaches would want to come to an employer which has that kind of history. So perhaps there is some method to the madness. And again, next year he totally owns the team and the results.
As far as facilities, I think that even Manhattanville is inconvenient, although far better than Baker. There are 2 possible alternatives; re-purposing an existing nearby structure and moving current tenants uptown, or taking a major step and considering using our huge political clout to develop a world class field house/practice facility on piers IN the Hudson River at the base of 116th. Football/soccer/baseball/track, along with student facilities and a top notch BB arena.
A secure pedestrian walkway over the park from Riverside, with a moving walkway.
The space is there; all it takes is money and influence. Gee, do we know any institution with those???
Bless you, Big Dawg, for thinking big but it will never
happen at CU. It already has all over the country but it won't here. It might leave a carbon fingerprint or annoy a minnow in the Hudson. It doesn't qualify for "agent of change" status, although the only successful "agents of change" in NYC have been the subway change clerks sleeping in their booths for $100,000-plus per annum after automation replaced them.
I understand what you're saying about firing coaches too quickly but we haven't so that isn't the problem, as in discouraging good coaches from hiring on at CU. If
that were the only alternative, we might as well
Cancel football because we'd just repeat the same mistake forever--hire an inadequate coach, fire him after three years, then repeat into eternity. That's what we HAVE been doing for eternity.
There's only one solution, which Bollinger will not do. That's for the President of CU to demand the AD and staff determine the best available people (available includes being willing to work in the Ivy League), make
A selection based on quality and nothing else, pay the market value for him and the capable assistants he will hire, and look him in the eye and tell him he has the full confidence and support of the Admin. (The Pres might need to hire a new AD at the same time or shake this one up.)
Otherwise, let's cancel football because I am so sick and weary of the annual charade/parade of BS these
People give us.
Larry Allen, Jr., son of Dallas Cowboys hall of famer committed to Harvard. He had 11 offers and played at DeLasalle at 6'4" 285. Plays guard and DT. The rich get richer.
who else is disappointed in basketball's performance this weekend?
Who isn't? Joe Jones' brother at Yale smacks us down as usual, Brown too.. This team needs to take the next step upward or soon it will be another same- old situation like football.
And women's bb needs to take any step. Coach Glance is new at CU but an old veteran coach, and has to show some results next season. This one is already shot.
The freshman on the girls bball team named Tori Oliver is playing well and someone to build around.
Is that actually all we have to get excited about? A Freshman on the girls basketball team? I am very happy for them but if that is all we have to be enthused about then we aren't getting it done...
WOF, isn't this the coaches first year? She's got a stud to build her program around. I know we want to win but as in Columbia tradition it's not gonna happen overnight.
You have missed the point. Football and men's hoops are so bad you are mentioning a freshman on the girls hoops team as a silver lining.
Our athletic dept is not getting it done...
Ok. I understand your point of view WOF. Has anybody imagined what it would be like if Columbia football and basketball could win titles in the same year. I imagine the scene of the sailor kissing the girl in the famous picture from WWII.
WOF, remember who you are talking to. She will never get the point because she is not here to contribute. She is here to monitor, troll and disrupt.
Al, I see I'm still in/on your mind. I love it!!!
The same year? I would think that the admin would begin an investigation if that ever occurred. They would say that, clearly, Columbia students are too smart to be good in sports...
We haven't won titles since the 60's in either sport!!! We may not ever win dual titles in the same century!
Never mind you then WOF, feed the troll. Good boy.
Danny/Earl and not so lately Bob (same person) addressing you does not mean you are on my mind, far from it. In fact, you are being used without your knowledge. You are not smart enough to know what a digital footprint is so finding the real you is easy. That plan is in motion. So Danny/Earl/Bob, you are just a tiny piece of a much larger strategy to really get under the skin of people who would flip their lid if they found out someone was intentionally trolling Jake's site.
Have fun dumbass.
Al, if "flushing me out" to paraphrase is not me on your mind, I don't know what is. Your a bonifide cyber stalker for goodness sake! Have at it. As a matter of fact, the NSA could probably use your "so called skills" Mr. Name Caller. What a petty and small person you are.
Al, did I do wrong by answering him/her? Should I just ignore?
I was only too happy to answer because the truth hurts (even plants)!
Post a Comment