Syracuse Football: Are the Orange’s NIL hurdles real, or are they excuses?

Recently, I wrote about how I think sometimes bad calls can impact the outcome of a game, and in this case, it was the Syracuse football loss at North Carolina last Saturday.

Last season many, including myself, thought the amount of injuries adding up led to Syracuse football struggling later in the season, and it looks like this season that might be an issue, too.

And in his weekly press conference before the Florida State road game, Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers was asked about depth by Syracuse.com’s Brent Axe. His response certainly got reactions on social media.

After some shared his response, there were some who agreed, some who seemed shocked he said it, and some who said he’s just making excuses.

And then there were former Syracuse players who shared their two cents on the topic as well…two of them are former leaders of this program and voices most fans and players respect.

https://twitter.com/jnblack85/status/1711467688055226476

Are the Syracuse football NIL hurdles real, or are they excuses?

So is it possible that Coach Babers and those who support him aren’t just making excuses? Is it possible that there are hurdles that one faces at Syracuse University versus other programs especially those regularly ranked in the top 25?

In response to Mikel Jones’ post, Syracuse.com’s Emily Leiker noted in a shared post that it was Mikel being vocal about a nutritionist being brought to the program.

And even John Lally talks about the importance of taking care of players to go along with the amazing facilities he and others are providing the athletic department.

If they’re speaking out and Coach, who often is very honest but doesn’t try to rock boats is saying it, is there something wrong we should do something about or at least speak out regarding? Is this the best way for them to ask for help?

So is it excuses or is it entirely possible that maybe, just maybe, Syracuse football is facing real hurdles in its quest to be competitive against top teams? Is it possible that when facing adversity, Syracuse is not as well equipped as it could be? What if the players who left Syracuse in the transfer portal had NIL offers big enough to convince them to stay and there were big offers used to lure others like a Jared Verse to the Orange?

What if Syracuse football had NIL deals like Utah, where all 85 scholarship players got Dodge Ram truck leases? Or at the very least what if when an Oronde Gadsden II or Denis Jaquez Jr. or others go down to injury, behind them was a 4/5-star athlete with NFL potential to replace them?

In most cases, the ones who think that it’s just excuses will never be convinced otherwise. They just want wins and are frustrated at the losses (to which I can somewhat understand). And anything said is just an excuse.

I personally trust Coach Babers and those players enough that if they say it, I’m buying stock in it quicker than I would Amazon. These players and coaches are giving their blood, sweat and tears to improve this program and only want the best for it and the players in it. They’ve seen it and lived it and know it better than anyone.

And it’s also why I believe we are seeing a surge in NIL initiatives from former players and executives who recognize that more needs to be done to add players and depth to the roster.

Sometimes it’s entirely possible that there is justification for certain circumstances that lead to losses and it’s not just trying to make excuses. And if you aren’t willing to accept that, don’t be surprised if you bring in someone else only for them to face the same situations and struggles and no progress is made.

Or maybe let’s take a minute to listen and think about if what they’re saying is accurate and something we can change.