We are old people who mail handwritten letters and make phone calls while the rest of the world sends e-mails and texts. We are English-speaking tourists, dropped into a city square in Sicily, trying to understand what everyone is saying.
We are sports-crazed Bostonians, blissfully unaware why the rest of the country makes such a big deal out of college football.
Comments
There seemed to be a lot of enthusiasm during Doug Flutie's years at BC.
I don't even think anyone read this article, either.
Bumpyt wrote:"There seemed to be a lot of enthusiasm during Doug Flutie's years at BC." That ended 28 years ago, which was exactly Dan's point. Div. I major sports (FB/BB) are a sewer, anyway. Better not to be involved.
But what is the point of this article? That Boston has no quality college teams? Therefore, we ignore college athletics -- and are even more noble for that? What drivel? As soon as BC restores its football or basketball program, they will get all of the fawning coverage they could want. Including Dan's.
But let's go further. College sports is indeed a sewer, and BC helped create that environment by its greedy, hypocritical, shameless exit from the Big East to the ACC. They deserve no one's loyalty, but not because they are bad. Because they are a willing part of the problem, thanks to thjeir previous AD and their all-too-current President.
Dan: Truer words were never spoken. Boston College should hold its head high as a program that graduates its athletes, the majority of whom will never play a down in the NFL. Most of the BCS top programs seem to follow the NASCAR mantra: "If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying." And the exploitation of "one and done" in basketball is even worse. At least in Hockey and Baseball, there are two paths to the pros: Go to college, get an education, and play your sport, or go play in junior/ full professional transition leagues (OHL,QMJHL, AHL, A-AAA ball and independent leagues) to try to make it to the big time.
Is Left Out saying Universitites like Stanford and Michigan do not graduate their players or do not have outstandng academics? Eastern Liberal Elite Reality Check please, the world actually begins at Rte 128, not ends. The ultimate problem of college football is the insatiable quest for revenues (remember Elizabeth Warren's $300k salary) by colleges that have a nearly 1:1 ratio administrators to students, but the lack of understanding everyone cannot have a winning season no matter how large the stadium (do the math). Holy Cross lost out way back when it refused to join the Big East Basketball, the hill is too steep to climb now, if they even care. Alumni everywhere need to wake up, change things, or just renew their season tickets and enjoy the show!
No one cares because the level of play is poor. If BC started winning some games then it would be a far different story. Let's hope that a new regime can be brought in that can raise the level of the program that a world-class city deserves.
I've said the same thing for decades now, and here's an opportunity to say it yet again.
The vast majority of college graduates (well over 90%) in the greater Boston area didn't go to BC and don't care about a school that isn't their alma mater. If you're one of those people reading this who think that they should care because BC represents the area, I challenge you to name two players on any UMass team, who also represents the area.
Hey, the Salem States of the area don't even have their SCORES reported in the Boston papers. I'm not asking for an atricle and photos, just the lousy score!
This column is nonsensical. The message seems to be “we don’t care about sports played by 19 year-olds because our 19 year-old teams don’t win. But breathlessly discussing sports played by 24 year-olds is honorable and right.” Pure comedy, Dan.
When I went to BC in the mid 80's, having spent my youth in the South, I made the following observation: BC Football will never gain the status it yearns... because BC cannot attract top football talent from the South (white and black kids alike). Same story today. Always was and always will be. Member of the ACC or no.... expanding the stadium, chasing away alumni and long-time tickets holders with high ticket prices and demands for larger donations... all just falls on deaf ears because BC is not, and never will be a football school. And that's ok with me. Always was and always will be.
Shorter Shaughnessy column: I wish Holy Cross still played relevant football games, because then it would be super important.
Holy Cross/ Boston College , Football those where the best time for me. Today it all about the all to mighty dollar.
Unfortunately Boston College I think would be better in the Patriot league with Holy Cross.
Nobody cares about anything BC does except for Bob Ryan and the other alums. This is just not a college sports town. Any truth to the rumors that BC is about to join the Big 10? Ha!
Which one of these college towns has successful pro franchises? I don't think people rip on those who follow college football or basketball. They don't have the alternatives that we have. It's actually pretty simple why we don't care about Spazz being fired. BC's just a lot lower on the food chain.
Who cares? Especially if the players themselves don't seem to care.....BC was horrible this season. Absolutely horrible. The coach should have been fired last year or the year before. We can't care more than they do.
I watched the B.C. games with pride as we have for over 66 years, torn between Notre Dame and B.C. until B.C. emerged and took us into many great seasons, basketball, hockey, baseball and always a threat i!! n the Big East!! We are always close to graduating all our athletes and isn't that what college sports are all about ? That expensive education is why we came to Boston College--- a very well educated society is our only hope in our developing world !!
Sometimes the truth hurts. Other major cities with Pro Sports alternatives, eg. NY, DC, Philly, Detroit, have a much higher level of interest in college sports. No potential college recruit who is interested in local fan support will go to BC.