NY Daily News: Fix Columbia Football

[DFW HOYA]

"It all raises the question of whether it is finally time for New York’s Ivy League entry to pull the plug on the high-profile sport, or whether administrators should listen to the coach, Pete Mangurian, who insists the program will eventually get its act together.

“If the environment will let us do it, we will fix this,” said Mangurian, a former NFL assistant who has the support of the administration and will likely survive this year. “There’s not a doubt in my mind we’ll get there, but we’ve got to be tough about it.”

Other Columbia coaches have said the same thing, only to suffer unspeakable indignities. Columbia hasn’t won the Ivy crown since 1961."


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/bondy-losses-pile-lions-press-article-1.1512009#ixzz2kLIz7vkW

[RichH2]

An issue that has puzzled many for decades.Why cant CU be good even just once in awhile. Over the years they've had some good coaches ,who failed. Do they spend less than rest of IL on football? Is it the culture of failure that weighs the program down? This year lost their star QB and season spiraled into the toilet. But every year seems to have a similar list of reasons to lose. From what I've seen it takes 4-6 years to turn around a losing program. Interesting to see f Mangurian can do what so many others failed to do.

[bonarae]

I'm afraid that the football administration and the athletic department at Columbia won't listen for calls. Just ask Idaho, New Mexico State or Valpo.

Remember that SMU football took 2 decades to recover after the dreaded Death Penalty.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Another poorly-written story about FCS football loaded with unimportant facts. "Unspeakable indignities." Really?

[Franks Tanks]

Maybe they should've kept Lafayette on the schedule to get at least a one win per year.

[ace93]

I, for one, hope they keep the program alive. Even in down years it is a great chance for victory for my Rams.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Raise your hand if you've been to a Columbia game recently. Very nice facility, but, literally, you can't get there from Morningside Heights. Plus the anti-football culture is deeply seated on campus. Any hey, it's a beautiful fall Saturday afternoon, you're a young, hyper-intelligent student from Korea or India, you're in New York City and you have a couple of hours to kill. Hop a "1" to 215th Street? Or take it the other direction to Chambers or South Ferry? Hmmm . . . .

[Go Green]

I'm afraid that the football administration and the athletic department at Columbia won't listen for calls. Just ask Idaho, New Mexico State or Valpo
.

Valpo canned their coach with a game to go.

Granted, it took a 72-12 loss to Butler to do it.

[Go Green]

An issue that has puzzled many for decades.Why cant CU be good even just once in awhile.

This article from 1986 goes into some of the disadvantages that Columbia historically faced.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065589/1/index.htm

This year in particular, it was 1) injuries, 2) second-year coach playing "his" guys to build for the future (read: freshmen & sophomores), 3) off-field stuff that resulted in distractions and suspensions and 4) a tough nonconference schedule that did nothing to build team confidence.

Put them all together, and you get disaster. If they can't be competitive this Saturday against a pretty weak Cornell team, then they could go down in history as the worst Columbia team ever. And that's saying something.

[ace93]

Raise your hand if you've been to a Columbia game recently. Very nice facility, but, literally, you can't get there from Morningside Heights. Plus the anti-football culture is deeply seated on campus. Any hey, it's a beautiful fall Saturday afternoon, you're a young, hyper-intelligent student from Korea or India, you're in New York City and you have a couple of hours to kill. Hop a "1" to 215th Street? Or take it the other direction to Chambers or South Ferry? Hmmm . . . .

Why do you say you can't get there from Morningside Heights and then at the end of your post describe a method of getting there?

[jimbo65]

I attended this year's Columbia game at Fordham. Left when we were up 45-0. Ended 52-7. Three other teams put up 50 or more against them. They lose their game by an average 40 points. Fordham has had a winless season but was never this poor. The Lions are overmatched versus the Patriot League and Ivies. Reviewed their roster and they have players from all around the country, but apparently not the right ones. I sure don't know what the answer is, if there is an answer. Actually felt empathy towards the players, not the administration, but the players.

[bulldog10jw]

They could go the same route Penn took. A lot of big lineman who couldn't spell cat if you spotted them the c and the a

[LehighU11]

Raise your hand if you've been to a Columbia game recently. Very nice facility, but, literally, you can't get there from Morningside Heights. Plus the anti-football culture is deeply seated on campus. Any hey, it's a beautiful fall Saturday afternoon, you're a young, hyper-intelligent student from Korea or India, you're in New York City and you have a couple of hours to kill. Hop a "1" to 215th Street? Or take it the other direction to Chambers or South Ferry? Hmmm . . . .

You can get there from Morningside Heights. Students have the option of taking a free shuttle to the stadium. However, your other points are spot on. Interest in a perennial loser won't budge given the demographics of the university and its location relative to the stadium versus far more interesting and engaging attractions in Manhattan.

My brother just graduated from CU and made it to one game in his four years there, which--miraculously enough--was a win against Yale last year. Even free food and beer provided by the Athletics Department can't get kids to make the trip.

[Ivytalk]

It's all stacked against Columbia: losing tradition, lack of support, location, and general bad luck. That said, I don't see CU dropping football unless and until the whole IL calls it quits.

[frozennorth]

This article from 1986 goes into some of the disadvantages that Columbia historically faced.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065589/1/index.htm

amazing how much of that has changed. Columbia is three times larger, NY is one of the safest huge cities in the world, the subway apparently has less graffiti, villanova isn't dIII. But Columbia somehow still sucks

[Ivytalk]

They could go the same route Penn took. A lot of big lineman who couldn't spell cat if you spotted them the c and the a

Zing!:D

[Go Green]

I don't see CU dropping football unless and until the whole IL calls it quits.

Me neither. If Columbia was going to drop football, it would have already happened. And if they dropped football, they risk being booted out of the league. (Got to say that it would be fun watching schools trip over themselves lobbying the rest of the Ivy to be Columbia's replacement if that happened).

[DFW HOYA]

Remember that SMU football took 2 decades to recover after the dreaded Death Penalty.

Except SMU never really recovered.

In the 1980's, SMU was at a place Stanford is today--Top 10 rankings, Heisman candidates, first round NFL draft picks, big crowds everywhere they went. The Mustangs finished #2 in the final poll of the 1982 season, beat Pitt in the Cotton Bowl, but with a 10-0-1 record fell short against a Penn State team that won the Sugar Bowl with a 10-1 record.

The interening years were fraught with self-imposed academic restrictions (that was not SMU's biggest problem back in the 1980's) and a disarming lack of outreach to local recruits and the community. SMU is now averaging 17K per conference game in an on-campus stadium not much bigger than Princeton.

In recent years, TCU played in the Rose Bowl. Baylor had a Heisman winner. But when was the last time you heard SMU even mentioned in the Top 25?

[bonarae]

It's all stacked against Columbia: losing tradition, lack of support, location, and general bad luck. That said, I don't see CU dropping football unless and until the whole IL calls it quits.

Agree. I also agree with Go Green's sentiments that if Columbia drops, everybody else will follow.

[Go Green]

They could go the same route Penn took. A lot of big lineman who couldn't spell cat if you spotted them the c and the a

Would be curious to see if anyone from Holy Cross takes umbrage at this statement. :)

[Sader87]

What does umbrage mean?

[DFW HOYA]

What does umbrage mean?

Umbrage: taking offense

[Sader87]

sar·casm
ˈsärˌkazəm/
noun
noun: sarcasm; plural noun: sarcasms


1.
the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
"his voice, hardened by sarcasm, could not hide his resentment"


synonyms:
derision (http://www.anygivensaturday.com/search?biw=1093&bih=503&q=define+derision&sa=X&ei=YGqCUrORKMvdsAT00oC4AQ&ved=0CCsQ_SowAA), mockery (http://www.anygivensaturday.com/search?biw=1093&bih=503&q=define+mockery&sa=X&ei=YGqCUrORKMvdsAT00oC4AQ&ved=0CCwQ_SowAA), ridicule (http://www.anygivensaturday.com/search?biw=1093&bih=503&q=define+ridicule&sa=X&ei=YGqCUrORKMvdsAT00oC4AQ&ved=0CC0Q_SowAA), scorn (http://www.anygivensaturday.com/search?biw=1093&bih=503&q=define+scorn&sa=X&ei=YGqCUrORKMvdsAT00oC4AQ&ved=0CC4Q_SowAA), sneering, scoffing

[Bill]

Yet another reason why there should be a specific font for sarcasm :)

[ace93]

Yet another reason why there should be a specific font for sarcasm :)

Or that logic and common sense came in pill form.

That said, DFW Hoya should be given a pass b/c Sader87's comment came on a new page and he likely missed the connection.

[Sader87]

Go Green's still pissed we beat the Indians for one of our 3 wins this campaign.....

[Bogus Megapardus]

`






http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/6853/ubez.png

[Pard4Life]

They could go the same route Penn took. A lot of big lineman who couldn't spell cat if you spotted them the c and the a

Sounds like Lehigh's current roster.

[Mr. C]

The quality of that Daily News article was equally as bad as the talent of the Columbia football team. Of course what would you expect from a writer named Flip?

The comparison to fencing was particularly interesting. I wonder how many people show up to watch Columbia's "world-class" fencing team?

[Pard4Life]

The quality of that Daily News article was equally as bad as the talent of the Columbia football team. Of course what would you expect from a writer named Flip?

The comparison to fencing was particularly interesting. I wonder how many people show up to watch Columbia's "world-class" fencing team?

Or track team. Or crew team. It seems like if it's a major sport, Columbia is determined to be terrible. A bit of silent protest to athletics at college, almost. Columbia should really be trying harder at basketball... I mean... NYC?! I could see students being interested in that sport.

[Bogus Megapardus]

I wonder how many people show up to watch Columbia's "world-class" fencing team?

Fencing is kind of a cult. Like wrestling, it draws more people than you'd ordinarily expect. However, only 20 Division I schools sponsor men's fencing. Of those, nine are FCS schools (seven of the eight Ivies plus Sacred Heart and Lafayette) and three others don't have football (Cleveland State, NJIT and Detroit Mercy). So it's not really tough to have "world class fencing."

[Pard4Life]

Fencing is kind of a cult. Like wrestling, it draws more people than you'd ordinarily expect. However, only 20 Division I schools sponsor men's fencing. Of those, nine are FCS schools (seven of the eight Ivies plus Sacred Heart and Lafayette) and three others don't have football (Cleveland State, NJIT and Detroit Mercy). So it's not really tough to have "world class fencing."

Wow; I never knew that. It's odd... I wonder how we developed our fencing tradition?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Wow; I never knew that. It's odd... I wonder how we developed our fencing tradition?

When you discovered that you suck at wrestling :D

[Pard4Life]

When you discovered that you suck at wrestling :D

Let's see... Student with sword vs. meathead neanderthal rolling around on a sweaty mat with other sweaty guys in awkward and highly suggestive poses? Intelligent choice there.

[Neighbor2]

You Lafayette guys have GOOD reason to be impatient with your coaching dinosaur, but this Lehigh fan is in awe of your stadium and PA announcer. The Lehigh announcer is so amateur and abrasive I rarely attend anymore.

Speaking of your magnificent facility, I would have preferred it over Yankee Stadium for the big game. Seems to me, 3000 temporary seats could have been added at your place with another 3000 watching on the big screen at a loud and crazy Kirby next door. College Hill would have been absolutely nuts that weekend.

Thoughts?

[Pard4Life]

The Lehigh announcer is so amateur and abrasive I rarely attend anymore.


"And now lagigregj and gentlmen, the marigfdjkg ninety-ewfldfd!!!"

http://media.lehighvalleylive.com/sports_impact/photo/bill-mccoach-3f8d0c3d15ae6618.jpg

[Pard4Life]

You Lafayette guys have GOOD reason to be impatient with your coaching dinosaur, but this Lehigh fan is in awe of your stadium and PA announcer. The Lehigh announcer is so amateur and abrasive I rarely attend anymore.

Speaking of your magnificent facility, I would have preferred it over Yankee Stadium for the big game. Seems to me, 3000 temporary seats could have been added at your place with another 3000 watching on the big screen at a loud and crazy Kirby next door. College Hill would have been absolutely nuts that weekend.

Thoughts?

The majority of us are significantly disappointed that the game was moved. More casual fans or alumni in general are pretty happy. But yes, it would have nuts on the Hill... and some exposure for our campus and facilities. I am still going though. Others like c2 say they will not.

[Neighbor2]

You got it, Pard4Life!

The fella might be a really good guy . . . but he's AWFUL as a PA guy. I truly am a 'neighbor.' I live just a few hundred yards away from the stadium. I can hear his booming voice all year round as he covers several other athletic events. It's ugly. Even worse inside Stabler Arena. Why, oh why, does Lehigh allow this to continue?

[Pard4Life]

You got it, Pard4Life!

The fella might be a really good guy . . . but he's AWFUL as a PA guy. I truly am a 'neighbor.' I live just a few hundred yards away from the stadium. I can hear his booming voice all year round as he covers several other athletic events. It's ugly. Even worse inside Stabler Arena. Why, oh why, does Lehigh allow this to continue?

xlolx Maybe we can rope RichH2 into this... he doesn't like the PA guy either.

Meanwhile, Pards have a PA announcer who was a finalist for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs job... Jim is a great PA announcer; always informative and witty here and there. And an occasional burp every few years.

[Pard4Life]

....and this thread has been hi-jacked straight to Center Valley...

[Bill]

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18505&stc=1

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

Funny!

[LehighU11]

Or track team. Or crew team. It seems like if it's a major sport, Columbia is determined to be terrible. A bit of silent protest to athletics at college, almost. Columbia should really be trying harder at basketball... I mean... NYC?! I could see students being interested in that sport.

Hey, the Lions won the Ivy League championship in baseball last year!

As awful as LU's announcer sounds, I don't think it would make much of a difference if we replaced him with someone else. The Goodman sound system is a joke. Two measly megaphones that are hidden behind shrubs and point down the field, rather than towards the stands. After visiting Towson in the 2011 playoffs and hearing their ridiculous sound system that made it feel like a Jay-Z concert, I'd say Goodman is long overdue for a new system.

[Pard4Life]

Hey, the Lions won the Ivy League championship in baseball last year!

As awful as LU's announcer sounds, I don't think it would make much of a difference if we replaced him with someone else. The Goodman sound system is a joke. Two measly megaphones that are hidden behind shrubs and point down the field, rather than towards the stands. After visiting Towson in the 2011 playoffs and hearing their ridiculous sound system that made it feel like a Jay-Z concert, I'd say Goodman is long overdue for a new system.

You need many improvements to Goodman. People complained about the scoreboard since the day it opened... you cannot see it on a very sunny day. And yes, sound system is awful. I do not understand why people go ga-ga for Goodman. It's just a cement grandstand built on asphalt and angled away from the field. View is nice, though I've only ever sat on the visitors side.

[RichH2]

Hey, the Lions won the Ivy League championship in baseball last year!

As awful as LU's announcer sounds, I don't think it would make much of a difference if we replaced him with someone else. The Goodman sound system is a joke. Two measly megaphones that are hidden behind shrubs and point down the field, rather than towards the stands. After visiting Towson in the 2011 playoffs and hearing their ridiculous sound system that made it feel like a Jay-Z concert, I'd say Goodman is long overdue for a new system.

Goodman for all its beauty needs a new scoreboard and a sound system that was not lifted from the LIRR

[Go Green]

Jake (owner of the Columbia football blog) throws down the gauntlet.

http://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2013/11/13/letter-editor-fire-murphy-and-mangurian

[Go...gate]

I like Goodman and Fisher. Classic Eastern College football venues. I wish Colgate's was as nice.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Jake (owner of the Columbia football blog) throws down the gauntlet.

http://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2013/11/13/letter-editor-fire-murphy-and-mangurian

Wow. Pretty harsh.

Does Mr. Novak peruse AGS on occasion? Or would it fill his mind with "wrong" ideas? :D