Throw in the towel?

[Towerroad]

Should we just throw in the towel on Football? 9 winning seasons since 1980. Columbia does not play hockey or lax, Penn does not play hockey. Is football really worth the effort if we are not competitive?

[Trotsky]

Should we just throw in the towel on Football? 9 winning seasons since 1980. Columbia does not play hockey or lax, Penn does not play hockey. Is football really worth the effort if we are not competitive?

Not yet.  There's still probably a shitload of alumni $$$ tied to it.  Give it another decade for our equivalents of Monty Burns to croak.  By then youth football will probably be dead anyway because of the adverse health effects.  Do the Ivies have boxing teams anymore?

[RichH]

Not as long as Columbia exists. Three winning seasons in the last 50 years. Five since the founding of the league in 1956. In 24 out of the last 60 seasons (40%), they failed to win 2 games.

I can remember without researching three times where Cornell had an chance at a League Championship entering the final week.

Columbia plays on, so should we.

[Towerroad]

Not as long as Columbia exists. Three winning seasons in the last 50 years. Five since the founding of the league in 1956. In 24 out of the last 60 seasons (40%), they failed to win 2 games.

I can remember without researching three times where Cornell had an chance at a League Championship entering the final week.

Columbia plays on, so should we.

Just because Columbia makes bad decisions should we?

[Trotsky]

Not as long as Columbia exists. Three winning seasons in the last 50 years. Five since the founding of the league in 1956. In 24 out of the last 60 seasons (40%), they failed to win 2 games.

Never give up.  Never surrender.

[ugarte]

Not as long as Columbia exists. Three winning seasons in the last 50 years. Five since the founding of the league in 1956. In 24 out of the last 60 seasons (40%), they failed to win 2 games.

I can remember without researching three times where Cornell had an chance at a League Championship entering the final week.

Columbia plays on, so should we.

Just because Columbia makes bad decisions should we?

Losing is not a reason to stop. Holy crap, man.

[Towerroad]

Not as long as Columbia exists. Three winning seasons in the last 50 years. Five since the founding of the league in 1956. In 24 out of the last 60 seasons (40%), they failed to win 2 games.

I can remember without researching three times where Cornell had an chance at a League Championship entering the final week.

Columbia plays on, so should we.

Just because Columbia makes bad decisions should we?

Losing is not a reason to stop. Holy crap, man.

It is not necessarily a reason to continue either. If it were a question a year or two or a few seasons that is one thing. But sometime you just have to say, "We are not good at this, lets take the precious resources we allocate to this activity and reallocate them." I don't know if football at Cornell is so profitable that it carries its own weight or not.

I am being a bit of a devils advocate here but I think it is a healthy topic. MIT, Cal Tech, U of Chicago don't have teams and they are all fine schools.

[RichH]

Not as long as Columbia exists. Three winning seasons in the last 50 years. Five since the founding of the league in 1956. In 24 out of the last 60 seasons (40%), they failed to win 2 games.

Never give up.  Never surrender.

Long may it wave.

[Roy 82]

Should we just throw in the towel on Football? 9 winning seasons since 1980. Columbia does not play hockey or lax, Penn does not play hockey. Is football really worth the effort if we are not competitive?

Not yet.  There's still probably a shitload of alumni $$$ tied to it.  Give it another decade for our equivalents of Monty Burns to croak.  By then youth football will probably be dead anyway because of the adverse health effects.  Do the Ivies have boxing teams anymore?

I agree that football as we know it may be endangered as more and more data on the health effects comes in. Unfortunately, the brain health issue is also seriously affecting ice hockey. Perhaps ice hockey could more easily make adjustments without fundamentally altering the nature of the sport.

BTW, My 2 cents: Losing itself is no reason tothorw in the towel. Econmics and other priorities maybe. But football is iconic.

[KeithK]

BTW, My 2 cents: Losing itself is no reason tothorw in the towel. Econmics and other priorities maybe. But football is iconic.

Especially so for college athletics, at least at schools that aren't masquerading as semi-pro teams.  If the program is graduating its student athletes and there aren't significant off field issues then I see no reason that the win-loss record should be important in the fate of the program.  And FWIW I have essentially no interest in Cornell football (precious litle for the NFL either these days).

[Towerroad]

Should we just throw in the towel on Football? 9 winning seasons since 1980. Columbia does not play hockey or lax, Penn does not play hockey. Is football really worth the effort if we are not competitive?

Not yet.  There's still probably a shitload of alumni $$$ tied to it.  Give it another decade for our equivalents of Monty Burns to croak.  By then youth football will probably be dead anyway because of the adverse health effects.  Do the Ivies have boxing teams anymore?

I agree that football as we know it may be endangered as more and more data on the health effects comes in. Unfortunately, the brain health issue is also seriously affecting ice hockey. Perhaps ice hockey could more easily make adjustments without fundamentally altering the nature of the sport.

BTW, My 2 cents: Losing itself is no reason tothorw in the towel. Econmics and other priorities maybe. But football is iconic.

The Freshman beanie used to be iconic as well.

[Chris '03]

Should we just throw in the towel on Football? 9 winning seasons since 1980. Columbia does not play hockey or lax, Penn does not play hockey. Is football really worth the effort if we are not competitive?

Cornell women's hockey winning seasons 1980-2009 (:
80
81
86
89
90
91
96
98

I don't recall anyone clamoring to shut it down in 2005.

[Rosey]

BTW, My 2 cents: Losing itself is no reason tothorw in the towel. Econmics and other priorities maybe. But football is iconic.

Especially so for college athletics, at least at schools that aren't masquerading as semi-pro teams.  If the program is graduating its student athletes and there aren't significant off field issues then I see no reason that the win-loss record should be important in the fate of the program.

+1. This is the only point that really matters to a program like Cornell's.

And I have zero interest in Ivy League football. I just happen to think that if the alumni and administration want to keep it going, and the students still have interest in playing, then they should play. If you or I don't want to pay it any attention, that's fine too.

[Towerroad]

Should we just throw in the towel on Football? 9 winning seasons since 1980. Columbia does not play hockey or lax, Penn does not play hockey. Is football really worth the effort if we are not competitive?

Cornell women's hockey winning seasons 1980-2009 (:
80
81
86
89
90
91
96
98

I don't recall anyone clamoring to shut it down in 2005.

Title IX considerations would have weighed heavily. For another, football has not been to a Bowl (Frozen 4 equivalent) since the 30's.

I am not necessarily clamoring to shut football down. I go to the game every other year when Cornell is in Cambridge and enjoy myself throughly. The Band always wins. But I think this is a question that should be asked.

After all, Cornell decided that it was not interested in Nursing or Nuclear Reactors. Times change.

[mountainred]

The Ivies started as a football conference and I think the Ivy Agreement specifically states that there must be round robin competition in football (and in as many other sports as possible).  Dropping football probably means dropping out of the Ivy League, which is not going to happen.