Syracuse men’s basketball: asking AI to write an article about Jim Boeheim’s retirement

Jim Boeheim’s retirement is a subject that has been a topic of debate as of recent weeks. Following his comments to Pete Thamel earlier this month, there are plenty of people, even Syracuse Orange fans, who think the end of the road is coming sooner rather than later for the Hall of Fame head coach.

Well, in the spirit of adapting to the landscape of your playing field, I’m getting prepared for that faithful day already using the technology at our hands. Some of you might be familiar with the program ChatGPT, an open source AI program that responds to prompts that the user inputs. What I put into the program was simple:

“Write a news article about Jim Boeheim’s retirement as the Syracuse men’s basketball head coach”

Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images

The following is what the AI gave back to me. This hasn’t been edited in any way.

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SYRACUSE, NY - After a storied 45-year career, Syracuse men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim has announced his retirement from coaching. Boeheim made the announcement during a press conference held at the Carrier Dome on Wednesday morning.

Boeheim, who has been the head coach of the Orange since 1976, is one of the most successful and recognizable figures in college basketball. During his tenure, he has led Syracuse to 5 Final Four appearances, including a National Championship in 2003, and has amassed over 1,000 career wins, making him one of only two coaches in Division I history to reach that milestone at one school.

The decision to retire was a difficult one for Boeheim, who admitted that it was not an easy choice to make. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to coach at Syracuse for the past 45 years,” Boeheim said. “I love this program and this university, and I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished together. But I know that it’s time for me to step away and let someone else take the reins.”

Boeheim’s retirement marks the end of an era for Syracuse basketball, but the coach is confident that the program will continue to thrive under new leadership. “We have a great group of players and coaches here at Syracuse, and I have no doubt that they will continue to achieve great things in the years to come,” Boeheim said.

Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud praised Boeheim for his contributions to the university and the sport of basketball. “Coach Boeheim is a true legend, not only at Syracuse but in the entire world of college basketball,” Syverud said. “His dedication and passion for the game, as well as his commitment to our student-athletes, have been an inspiration to all of us. We are grateful for everything he has done for our university, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Boeheim’s retirement will take effect at the end of the 2021-2022 season. Syracuse has not yet announced a successor, but the search for a new head coach is expected to begin soon.

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Despite a couple of wrong dates and numbers (the AI coders do say that the program has limited knowledge about events after 2021), I’m confident that technology can help us through the troubled times that Syracuse Orange fans will face when Boeheim inevitably hangs up his quarter-zip for the final time.

Maybe the future isn’t such an awful place to be in.