Perspective

[eagle9903]

great post, depressing as hell, but interesting

[twballgame9]

I've been following since the Bicknell era, and would concur wholeheartedly on this analysis.

[Eagledom]

I've been following since the Bicknell era, and would concur wholeheartedly on this analysis.

I was at BC for 3 years of Bicknell (horrible years) and one year of Coughlin (still not a great year, but you are right about that Miami game showing BC was heading in the right direction). I totally agree with what you said about 1992-93 and 2007 (not so much last year). You are right about the overall feeling surrounding the direction BC football seems to be heading. Very depressing. I think what we need to turn it back around is youth and aggressiveness from the O-Coordinator. I think this can overcome whatever limitations Spaz might have. Not sure of the chances of that appening any time soon.

[jujmboeagle]

epic.

[DavidGordonsFoot]

bowtie for pres

[DomingoOrtiz]

1981-86 The good Bicknell years. Nobody expected Flutie. we all thought it was a fluke, and figured that when he graduated we would go back to mediocrity. That's why I have always felt a special pride in the 86 team which went to a bowl and beat either Virginia or Georgia (I forget). But Bicknell lost control, the administration wouldn't give him the stadium and facilities upgrades that he wanted, and it fell apart, and felt like the last Yukica years at the end.

.

Georgia; Halloran to Kelvin Martin to win it in Tampa.

[DrPeterV]

Based on this post, you are absolved from further Snark prosecution. Great post and an interesting read.

[Eagledom]

1981-86 The good Bicknell years. Nobody expected Flutie. we all thought it was a fluke, and figured that when he graduated we would go back to mediocrity. That's why I have always felt a special pride in the 86 team which went to a bowl and beat either Virginia or Georgia (I forget). But Bicknell lost control, the administration wouldn't give him the stadium and facilities upgrades that he wanted, and it fell apart, and felt like the last Yukica years at the end.

.

Georgia; Halloran to Kelvin Martin to win it in Tampa.

The sad thing about this post is that that was 23 years ago and it was our last real nfl receiver (apologies to Will Blackmon and Tom Waddle).

[Mosi]

My first BC game was in 1962 against Houston. BC won. I was just 4 years old. I don't think I have missed more than 20 home games total since that day. Seriously. And it feels like I can divide the experience into several distinct "epochs" since around 1970, when I began to be able to understand something about what was going on.

1970-1977 "We can play anyone in the country... for a half." This is what the Yukica years were like. Blow out 7 or 8 teams like UBuffalo, Holy Cross, UMass, and VMI by 35 points and then get blasted by Penn State and Pitt by 55 points and finish with a winning record every year. When BC beat someone like Texas in 76 everyone knew it was a fluke and not a sign of progress.

1978-80 Ed Chlebek. 0-11, 5-6, and a 7-4 with Yukica like blowouts.

1981-86 The good Bicknell years. Nobody expected Flutie. we all thought it was a fluke, and figured that when he graduated we would go back to mediocrity. That's why I have always felt a special pride in the 86 team which went to a bowl and beat either Virginia or Georgia (I forget). But Bicknell lost control, the administration wouldn't give him the stadium and facilities upgrades that he wanted, and it fell apart, and felt like the last Yukica years at the end.

1991-93 When BC lost to Miami at home in 91 on an unusually warm and very foggy Saturday night after Thanksgiving I said to my Dad as we walked out that I had a sense that for the first time in my life BC was on the edge of developing a "program" that might win and sustain itself over time. By 93 that was in place. THIS IS ONLY ONE OF TWO PERIODS IN MY 50 YEARS THAT I HAVE FELT THIS WAY. Then Coughlin took the shilling, and left, but there was a system in place.

1994- 96 The systemwas still there when Henning took over, but he wrecked it like a Green Line crash between Woodland and Eliot. By the time he left it felt almost as bad as Chlebek.

1997- 2006 The Obrien years are really hard to understand. He got talent, but never coached them up. Everyone here is familiar enough with that era that I don't have to chronicle it.

BUT the past two years saw the talent that O'Brien brought in coached up to a level that many suspected they could reach but never did. These two years were, for only the second time in my life, a time when I felt that BC was becoming a program rather than either an occasional fluke or an underperforming team of talented kids.

I already see that those SAME KIDS that played last year are being coached down to the level they were at before 2007. My fear is that we might be headed back to the years of the occasional "fluke" team.

College football is all about coaching and developing talent. Look at ND the past 10 years. We joke about the 5 stars, but there is clearly talent there. The problem has been about coaching and instruction.

45+ years of watching BC, and fewer than 5 years of "programmatic" success.

Substitute Navy (with Satubach) in 62 for Houston and we have the exact history Campie

my favorite cheer from the stands 'Yukika, you Bastard'

[1981Eagle]

Great post Campion. I didn't start watching BC until I was 10 yrs old in 1969. Your chronicle is spot on.

[Cadillac90]

Excellent post. Sums up BC football nicely. Although I share your same fears with Spaz at the helm, he should be afforded more time before we put the stamp on his coaching. I like what he's done on the recruiting front now let me see him win a big game (Saturday would be a nice start).