Sunday, October 30, 2005

 

The Second Coming of Major Applewhite, Take 3

Despite the best efforts of a new face at QB, sophomore Joe Fields (given the start in place of the erratic Perry Patterson), Syracuse fans experienced more of the same on Saturday as the Orangemen (1-7, 0-5 Big East) lost a nailbiter to the always ferocious Cincinnati Bearcats.

While Fields finished the day 5-9 and was pulled for Patterson towards the end of the game, he apparently accomplished enough to impress the head coach:

"I don't see great arm strength (in Fields)," SU head coach Greg Robinson said. "I see a little competitor out there who is feisty as all get out and he did what I thought he would do - compete - and that's his game."

In other words, he's Major Applewhite... hey, whatever gets you through the night, Coach.

Comments:
major was the best pure UT QB ever, including Bobby Layne. Not the most robust physically, but cretainly the most cerebral, and saving Vince Young, the most effective. He did more with with a skill set limited by stature and injury than anybody. Mack Brown made a deal with the devil: he benched his best player in favor of the guaranteed high draft pick with hall-of-fame bloodlines.

Never mind: Applewhite is a notoriously clever and serious filmhound. Watch the Big 12 championship or the Holiday Bowl from those years and tell me he sucks, I dare you.If you Orangemen are so foolish as to ditch him, I'm sure the Horn will be only too happy to scoop him.

A Texas fan, I have in the past been impressed with the Syracuse football pedigree: Ernie banks, James Brown, Donovan Mc Nabb. I'm sure there are others.

Get some good football talent, then tell me your coaches suck.

cordially Yrs.,

spursfan
 
Yes, the "deal with the devil" theory. Ah, yes. Clearly this is what happened.[/sarcasm]

[reality]Major had bad knees, and Chris Simms outshined Major in the spring and in practices. Simms was better at getting the ball to 3 very talented WRs, plus very talented TEs and RBs.

Mack Brown is in the business of coaching a team that wins 9-13 times per year. He wants to earn his salary and keep his job. So any charge of favoritism is silly. Mack has always been willing to start underclassmen who are faster and better than upperclassmen -- as long as they're prepared.

Was Major awesome? YES (mostly). Were we happy he was on the bench? NO. Was Simms perfect? No. But neither was Major.

In Major's favor are his heart and mind. He has the guts and drive of a champion (like Vince). His leadership is good, although not as strong as Vince's. And as a backup, Major was always ready. Just too bad that Mack took so long to put him in, for the few games that Chris imploded.

Major would have won the 2001 Big 12 championship game, but it took 4 turnovers for Mack to bench Simms. Major turned that game around, and he'll help turn around Syracuse. Don't make the same mistake Mack made. Give Major enough time.
 
Question: Is "anonymous" Phil Simms or Chris Simms? I'm not a Longhorn fan, but it killed me to see Applewhite benched in favor of Mack Brown's pet. There is abosulutely no comparison between the two as college QBs. Applewhite far outshone Simms.
 
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