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Syracuse Lacrosse: Are We Reacting Or Overreacting?

This isn't the first time Syracuse has lost a tourney game it probably shouldn't have, and this isn't the first time John Desko's name has stirred emotions.

By Matt McClusky
USA TODAY Sports

What the hell is an overreaction, anyway?

I'm wondering -- rhetorically, of course --  because that tweet literally hit the feed seconds after Syracuse's season sank. Timely? I'd like to hope so. A little bit of trolling? Probably. A little bit of shock? I guess so, although I think we all knew the Orange could lose that game, any game. But while I wasn't advocating for John Desko's firing, I was at least, in some fashion, attempting to open up the discussion. Is that okay? Wondering if it's time to talk about separating from a coach that has won five national titles, the latest coming just five years ago?

I don't know but I do know people have opinions, maybe overreactions even, on Desko.

And if not Desko, who in the world would be the guy to turn the program over to anyhow?

Oh, okay then. Whhheewww, that's actually really intriguing!

Anyway, there were quite a few more "move on from Desko" tweets than I expected, but that's not to say the fan base has given up on Desko.

Plus, it seems fairly logical that the heavyweights of the game like Syracuse can't be expected to run the table every single season.

What an interesting theory: fans want the game to keep growing, but that growth probably comes at the expense of their favorite program. Lacrosse is forever "the fastest growing sport" according to players, coaches and fans, and while it'll never be football or basketball, it is expanding -- and that means fewer "gimmies" in the season and in the tourney.

So is that it? Syracuse with Desko isn't really slipping as much as it's just attempting to adapt to change. Hell, we all seem to throw it away, but remember last Memorial Day?

And it's not like the fans aren't coming out to the Carrier Dome to see the Orange. It's probably due to the ACC schedule, but Syracuse led the country in attendance this season -- a season that seemed off the rails from February through mid-March!

Still, for all the reasons or excuses, it feels like we are in a pivotal time for Syracuse lacrosse.

Reminds me of the criticisms of Jim Boeheim circa 1990, but that doesn't mean it's not valid for Desko now. Final Fours and titles are kind of just expected around here. And for all the talk of expansion in the game, shouldn't that also be a knock on Desko? As the game has become inclusive, Syracuse has faltered more often than in the past.

Of everything I've read on this, Sean's column on asking questions about the program really hit the nail on the head.

My guess is that Desko has earned enough cred for none of those things to happen if he doesn't want them to happen. But as great as 11-win regular seasons are, there's only so many of those SU fans will endure so long as they end before Memorial Day Weekend.

Syracuse Lacrosse is held to a high standard. Perhaps a higher standard than any other program at SU. If that seems unfair, well, the program only has itself to blame for that.

Interesting how the definition of success, while clearly understood in terms of a dictionary, can actually have so many meanings. The same goes for every action and reaction for that matter, it's always about context.

So what the hell is the context here, anyway?

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