13 years ago today....

[MaroonOil]

I remember thinking it couldn’t get any worse, then I made the mistake and went to the Egg Bowl that year. Mannn

Auburn game didn’t even hurt as much, it’s Auburn. LA TECH & Egg Bowl, just awful. I remember being even more mad asking a buddy on things I saw with the players late in some games. My buddy played for Croom. He openly admitted Croom should have conditioned them more exercise wise for games one year but everyone ‘loved’ him.

 

[Smoked Toag]

I remember thinking it couldn’t get any worse, then I made the mistake and went to the Egg Bowl that year. Mannn

Auburn game didn’t even hurt as much, it’s Auburn. LA TECH & Egg Bowl, just awful. I remember being even more mad asking a buddy on things I saw with the players late in some games. My buddy played for Croom. He openly admitted Croom should have conditioned them more exercise wise for games one year but everyone ‘loved’ him.

Yep, Croom being a 'disciplinarian' was a myth. A big one. He tried but just couldn't get it done. He was more of a Dabo/Orgeron type that should have played the role of motivator rather than X/O schemer, and maybe he could have been better about discipline had he done that, because you almost go about it a totally different way. Croom had no confidence, only arrogance, and the players saw that.

 

[TheStateUofMS]

The Brandon MacRae jet sweep had me hyped. Then we did nothing (if I'm remembering that correctly).

 

[MaroonOil]

I mean I don’t buy the no arrogance on Croom, arrogance comes with a confidence.

Anyways, I was told he was stricter on the grades for his players, unlike Jackie. Strictly speaking player wise, all I ever heard was that he was really well liked.

One of those things, in which we have all probably experienced. You know at some point, someone is in the wrong seat on the bus but only the ‘bosses’ can remove them. Anyways. I wanted it to work out with Croom, excellent man & knows his stuff but in over his head with college head coaching.

 

[vhdawg]

Pretty sure Byrne had made up his mind even before the Egg Bowl. There were rumors circulating in the stands about him being let go after the game before that game ever kicked off. Probably had a lot to do with how we played that night.

I saw Greg after the Georgia Tech game two months earlier, and I'd known him for two or three years at that point, and seeing the look on his face after that game, I knew Croom being fired was DEFINITELY on the table.

 

[patdog]

He was definitely stricter in terms of the locker room and S&C work. He got rid of a lot of bad apples on that front. But in terms of off-field trouble, he couldn't have cared less.

 

[Mjoelner]

Yep, Croom being a 'disciplinarian' was a myth. A big one.

There was a poster on here who's signature during the Croom error was something like "13 arrests - 13 wins" and he updated it with each arrest and win.

On that same note, I'm friends with the former SPD chief. About a third of the way through Mullen's tenure, I asked him about the Kang, Croom and Mullen and the trouble from their teams. He said the only difference between Jackie and Croom was that Croom was too lazy to come get them out of jail at 2am on Saturday night and would wait until Sunday. He said they never had any trouble out of Mullen's teams.

 

[FISHDAWG]

I had repressed that memory, but thanks for bringing it back. I drove back from 52-0 in Gainesville, and I drove back from the South Carolina RAT touchdown pass, but that drive back from Ruston was the longest drive ever.

our paths must have crossed somewhere ... memories I had also repressed

 

[FISHDAWG]

....Sylvester Croom took nine months of positivity and good will with him to Ruston, Louisiana, and we got to watch all of it evaporate in the span of three hours.

Who else was there??

at least it helped bring Mullen to us and that's all that can be said in a positive manner about that game

 

[Drebin]

I saw Greg after the Georgia Tech game two months earlier, and I'd known him for two or three years at that point, and seeing the look on his face after that game, I knew Croom being fired was DEFINITELY on the table.

The look on his face matched the look on all of our faces, I'm sure. That is another road trip that sucked.