The Ten Best DOC Gross Quotes After Stepping Down as Syracuse AD

Simultaneously the weirdest and most-predictable thing to come out of the shake-up in Syracuse Orange athletics was last week's mini-press tour by former AD DOCTOR Daryl Gross, who wanted to it clear that he was going to step down anyway and the timing of all of this is a TOTAL COINCIDENCE, YOU GUYS.

We went through all of his press and radio interviews and culled the very best quotes that Gross leaves us with. #Brand never dies. #Brand simply evolves. Such is #Brand.

10. "Today, I am announcing that after 10 years of leading the Syracuse University Department of Athletics, I have decided that it is time for me to take on new challenges." (via)

What curious timing, your decision...

9. "It wasn’t like because there’s an NCAA problem I’m going to step aside. That’s not the reason." (via)

8. "You get to point where you maximize what you can maximize and then you need fresh eyes on things. I felt like this was the time.'' (via)

Looking at the state of Syracuse Football and the current reputation of SU Athletics, I think we can all agree that everything is maximized and can't possibly get any better...

7. "You've seen the report. It's too bad that certain things have been interpreted the wrong way. Obviously, I'm not here for big portions of it." (via)

You mean the report that encompasses violations that focus on things from 2002 to the present? The place you started working at in 2004? If you're not here for big portions of it, what's the correct adjective to describe the portions you ARE here for?

6. "We (he and Syverud) had some great conversations and we came up with a wonderful plan.'' (via)

Sounds great and wonderful!

5. "The brand is very, very strong. I think we will get through this period gracefully. In a classiest way. It is in great shape to hand it off to help the athletic department to move forward." (via)

No matter what else happens, #Brand.

4. "Every day we went to work trying to do the right thing and trying to make the right decisions, and tried to do it with as many people and has many conversations as possible. That's something you should do in life. That's my feeling on it."  (via)

And yet we still got platinum uniforms. So many platinum uniforms...

3. "It's unfortunate. Folks just don't just have enough data. When you don't have the data, I can't react to that." (via)

Why? Why can't you react to it? Why can't you write a long-ass explanation saying here's where everyone is wrong and this is what's correct? Why is that an impossibility?

2. "It’s like being in a NASCAR flying around the track race after race after race and trying to win at everything and off the field," he said. "Now I can be part of the pit crew and try and help it from the outside and help the institution." (via)

That's Gross's justification for moving from AD to "special assistant to the Chancellor" and an adjunct professor. Just like it's common for a CEO to all of a sudden decide they'd rather be a regional junior sales manager at the same company. Happens all the time.

1. via the DO's Brett Samuels, who somehow left this out of his piece.

Gross: "A painter like Picasso, he paints a certain style. You never go into a museum that just has Picassos... Let’s get a Monet in there."

— Brett Samuels (@Brett_Samuels27) March 20, 2015

This guy...