I don't want Thanksgiving Weekend home games for the simple reason that the atmosphere is subdued. Even when we are really good it is an effort to get students back on campus. If you are flying that weekend, you are likely not changing your tickets. It also puts a strain on BC fans from beyond the Boston area to get back during a holiday weekend that is also one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
If BC completely avoids home games Thanksgiving Weekend, then the Syracuse series has to find another date, because as it stands now, BC is hosting Thanksgiving Weekend every other year. Another permanent weekend might give the series a little bit more notoriety. Without the Syracuse series, BC can just be the road team for whatever other ACC team is not in a rivalry game. (It would be a rotation of NC State and Wake).
Football is a fun part of of Thanksgiving Weekend. I love watching BC play. Let's keep up the tradition...just not at Alumni.
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It's ashame BC hasn't had a real rival since Holy Cross.
It would be cool to have BC/Cuse at a neutral site every Thanksgiving weekend -- say Yankee Stadium or the Red Bulls stadium (which actually would be ideal were it not so...less than ideally located).
Agree, Georgia Eagle. With the venues only 30 miles apart most people didn't have to travel far to either one. Of course, the demographics of 1968 for both schools was more New England-centric than now, but it was a great rivalry. That and the fact that we played a home-and-home basketball series every year with them.
I think neutral site games are a bad idea for BC. We struggled to put people in Fenway which is as close as it comes and tickets weren't hard to get. My hypothesis is that 40% of the attendance on any given game against Wake/Syracuse/NC State/Louisville/MAC team/1AA team is only in attendance because they already had the tickets as part of their season ticket package so they decide to show up, and that those people wouldn't go buy a ticket otherwise for that particular game.
Also, I agree that attendance and atmosphere for BC/Syracuse would definitely be better on a weekend earlier in the season. Most years at least one of these two teams won't be good.
Uconn and UMass have the potential to be bitter rivals but they suck so bad, no one cares.
Exactly. I’d love to go to a BC-Cuse game, but never do because it’s always on Thanksgiving weekend (except for 2016).
Unrelated but does anyone know the extent of Brown’s knee injury? Is it a torn ACL? I haven’t seen the exact diagnosis anywhere, just that he is out for the remainder of the season. The reason I ask is that there is a significant difference in rehab time between an ACL and say an MCL. One of which would require him to miss spring and possibly summer practice while the other would not
Yeah I'm on board with trying neutral site in NYC for Thanksgiving weekend. Give it 2-4 years, and see how it goes.
Honestly, who really cares about playing Syracuse? I don’t . But I agree about the holiday game. I’d like to see no games at BC on Thanksgiving weekend. So long as alternative is not the Dome - god awful place for football.
Agreed.
NYCEAGLE: Daz will not tell you b.c. Daz wants to give off the perception of hope for next year. "We have tons of injured players returning, solid leaders" Yeah, what you don't mention, Addazio, is the fact that these were brutal injuries (i.e. Strachan, Brown & Baker) and not everyone returns back to full form, look at Hilliman for gods sake. His slew of excuses is insulting to the intelligence of BC alums and fans. We aren't dumb and don't buy into this b.s. We all know the stats
- 1-13 vs. ranked teams
- 13-26 in the ACC
- 4 of the 10 worst losses in BC football history occurred last season (outscored 202-24 lolololol)
- 1-31 when trailing at half (good measure of a coach via halftime adjustments)
Why don't you point that out, Jon Homerperel.
The proverbial... ya gotta gooo
One of the problems over the years with playing Syracuse at the Dome in November is the upstate NY weather. I well remember years when we started out to attend the game and didn't get past Binghamton due to snow and icing conditions on I-81.
One long ago game at old Archibald Stadium my Dad and I sat through rain, freezing rain, sleet, sneet, snow (6 inches), and a 20 degree drop in temperature all in one day.
In 1964, SU was our home opener and BC won on the last play with a desperate toss into the Beacon Street end zone. There's some good rivalry history with SU.
I think we should still play SU; but earlier in the year.
What does he mean in the article when he says on Thanksgiving weekend the crowd is subdued at Alumni? The crowd is ALWAYS subdued at Alumni.
Listen Tony. I don't know who you are. Nor do I care. But let's get this straight. A Chardonnay buzz is much more subdued than a whiskey buzz. Couple that with imported French blue cheese or a nice Kikorangi blue from New Zealand and you get a homefield advantage when we're on offense. Very quiet. Peaceful, in fact.
I think Tony went to Providence. Ask Knucklehead.
Never had a problem filling Alumni or Fitton Field for that game the Saturday after Thanksgiving - although capacities we're smaller.
But the whole landscape has changed, as we know. The Syracuse game means more to me than it does for younger fans, but it was better earlier in November (best was September 1964 ☺️)
It is interesting people don't think Syracuse is a rival. They are and you aren't paying attention. Syracuse has been pounding us physically since Rettigs last year. The cheap shots on their sideline at Alumni the last two home games. Syracuse looks at it as a rivalry.
TGS's "son" goes to Providence supposedly. Chose Providence because the BC tour guide had purple hair and a nose ring, he declared. I don't think he really has kids though.
Not much better on Thanksgiving weekend than to watch your school play a game against a name opponent.
The post is designed to elicit comments. No real BC grad agrees with anything a Syracuse grad says. BC doesn't sell it games on a regular weekend what is the hangup with Thanksgiving.
They will be gunning for Dillon's health.
Dazzler needs to remember the kid was seriously injured in high school.
Another bizarre comment from CT. Not surprising however. It takes the cake as the most strange thing I have ever read here, in English.
I'm with KH on this - I hate Syracuse and I have always seen this as a rivalry game. Certainly a must win game for a successful season.
We had a huge win against Syracuse in Foxborough on the way to the Cotton Bowl - and it was a tough win with a big punt return for a TD to ensure the victory.
Don't you hate Syracuse for the Diamond Ferry game that prevented us from going to the Fiesta Bowl?
Don't you hate Syracuse for beating us last year and the year before that? Etc.
Watch #94 - he likes to give QBs knockout concussions.
...for all the folks who thought BC would pay to buyout DAZ and hire Kelly:
UCLA is reportedly paying $12 million to buy out Jim Mora and will be hiring Chip Kelly.
Talk about out of our league!!!!
Exactly. The way things are going with the hoop team, we may see both Daz and Christian back next year, with a lot of talent returning for both programs. No one would have predicted that six weeks ago.
In agreement with hatred of Syracuse and that fact that they seem too have our number only fuels the fire, but also hate watching games in that dome. Neutral site game would be empty, no ideas for solution , but would love to play Miami every Thankgiving weekend......dreaming...
Didn't the ACC decide/dictate this?
There was never any chance that Chip Kelly would be coming to BC. Too big an ego and price tag for Leahy to let that happen. If you thought Jags saw this as a stepping stone....Think maybe guys like Ryan Day, Pete Carmichael or possibly Mike Vrabel as next coach.
Regarding rival games, they cannot be manufactured. For a rivalry to stick and be successful, there has to be an real connection (like geography, shared admissions pools, history, quality of programs, etc.) that will stirs up a fan base, taps into their mutual hatred/competitiveness and gets fans to come out to support the team, no matter current year record or weather. Unfortunately, I can think of only two schools that naturally do this for our community right now: Notre Dame and BU.
Obviously, we will always be just another game for ND, as they have plenty of much better drawing schools that "hate" them. And unless BU commits to a D1 football program, that rivalry will never happen on the football field. No matter how hard we have tried, we have never had a big connection with Syracuse. Geographically we may be close, but there is no history or connection between the two schools that matters.
The only other two schools I can see that could possibly fit this role in football: UCONN (if they can significantly improve their program) and maybe as a long shot (should their program ever fall back to earth), Clemson. In the meantime, I think we need to stop trying to manufacture this in football and accept that "annual rivalry" is not something we will have as part of our program.
BC93 - you make good points. It's interesting that the two teams you mention are UCONN and Clemson.
I play golf with s huge Clemson fan who states that when ND wakes up finally and realizes it must join a league (ACC) then UCONN will be invited.
Eventually the ACC would become (sort of) North and South Divisions.
ND, BC, Syracuse, UCONN, Pitt, UVA, VT, and maybe Duke.
Clemson, Miami, FSU, WF, NC State, UNC, GT, Louisville.
Seems like a lopsided Longshot dream to me. ☺️
If they schedule the game consistently it will become a rivalry. They were pushing Wake on Thanksgiving the first few seasons of I recall then it switched. And it cannot be a Thanksgiving rivalry if it is played two days after.
Chip shark jumped 5 years ago. He isn't going to do much UCLA.
We have the money to hire anyone just not the stupidity to fire an above average coach for 12mill for one who is 10% better.
UCLA is like the school in basketball that hires the mid major coach who goes on a run in the NCAA Tournament. The coach never pans out and is all about name recognition.
If they had a brain and they don't they would have gone after Shaw at Stanford.
Happy Thanksgiving. Play the Cuse in Sept. or Oct. Start the year with UMass at home, finish with HC at home. Save your better dates for ACC games. Thanks again ATL for the work you do. 2. Does anyone remember Finebaum denouncing Auburn and their QB after the Clemson game? He couldn't say enough negative things. What will he say if they beat his Tide?
What school would be dumb enough to hire a mid major basketball coach just because he went on a run in the NCAA tournament?
#stevedonahue #sweetgene
Holy Cross cannot be the final game of the season, unless BC's season were to end the week before Thanksgiving, as all FCS seasons must end the third week in November to set up their playoffs. Therefore, either BC plays on Thanksgiving weekend, or sacrifice their in season bye week.
He won his league 3 years in a row at a school that had done nothing in BB prior to him being there.
'Cuse views the game as a rivalry, and that helps explain how some of their less-talented teams beat ours (2004 (Ferri) and 2013 immediately come to mind). Until BC figures out how to match the intensity from their side, there will continue to be upsets. And yes, I can't stand them after 2004 and after getting to know quite a few obnoxious University of Syracuse fans over the years.
I like the rivalry as the season's final game. The game will draw well if one or both teams are good-- like 9+ wins good-- and that obviously depends on lots of other factors.
Right. Like they need to be good, successful and healthy at the same time. Hasn't happened years.
KHead, if u must know, TGS has three progenies. Oldest went to BC, middle went to Trinity, third at Providence. I’ve been on a ton of college tours. Believe me, BC is Catholic in name only now. They downplay Christian heritage big time on tours. There are only a few “real” Catholics schools left (Providence, Fairfield, etc). The rest have turned into lib cesspools.
Because a one-hour tour led by an undergraduate obviously tells you everything you need to know about a school’s religious identity...
TGS, You are wrong. And the progenies, if they actually exist, have no chance with you at the helm. You are exactly what is wrong with society. A complete hypocrite.
Right Tim. And if she is giving a tour of the school she has an affinity for the place which is what that school needs more of. Not the douchebag attitude of swine like TGS(in secure sally). The same guy who prefers the swine over the turkey bird on Thanksgiving.
Douche.
Someone said John Lamot looked like he got hurt late(r) in the UCONN game. Any info?
His name does not appear on the injury report list.
Some of the most disappointing BC losses I have experienced have been against Syracuse. To me that makes a rivalry. I don’t care when they play or where they play....I just want BC to beat them and slowly work the all time win-loss tally back in our favor. Go BC!
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