ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The video boards are just part of Fordham’s improved athletic programs. (Photo by Elizabeth Zanghi/The Ram)

When I attended Ram Town, the basketball program’s annual event that opens the seasons of both teams, what struck me most were the new video boards that have been installed on either side of Rose Hill Gym.  The boards are huge and they look terrific. I loved the way that the athletics department made use of them at Ram Town, putting contestants up on the screen so every student could get a good view of what was happening. I love the Rose Hill Gym, but even I have to admit it often looks antiquated. The boards made for a great modern upgrade.

The new video boards are symbolic of a larger movement in Fordham sports. Fordham is well on its way to becoming a major sports school once again.

These new boards are just the latest in a number of small changes that are making the Fordham athletics program look more and more like those at major sports schools.

In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell points out the potential of little changes to have big, dramatic effects. There is no single event that changes an equilibrium. It takes a lot of small, incremental changes to shift the balance. These changes cause things to rise or fall in one dramatic moment called a “tipping point.” We are witnessing an athletics rise firsthand here at Fordham.

It is without question that this shift began with the Fordham football team. This year’s Rams, who themselves have a new video board at Jack Coffey Field, have taken the program to heights never seen before. The team has accomplished more than expected for a team with stands on just one side of the field. And, they’ve done it with small, incremental changes.

It began with hiring Joe Moorhead, a coach from the University of Connecticut’s major football program. Moorhead had no prior head coaching experience, but, being an alumnus, knew just how to ignite a previously small-time program. Moorhead brought with him Michael Nebrich and Tebucky Jones Jr., two players with experience on a big stage. He installed his own little adjustments, like promoting the 212 degrees idea. The boiling point of water is 212 degrees. Water does nothing at 211 degrees. That little extra effort, that one extra degree, makes a big difference.  It is an idea that has caught on across Fordham Athletics.

These little changes have made Fordham a program on the rise. A small sign of this ascension even appeared in Fordham’s 32-30 win over Holy Cross this past weekend when, late in the fourth quarter, a man in a green  body suit streaked across the football field. It was a stunning event that doesn’t usually happen at a place like Fordham. No one seemed sure of how to react. No one chased the streaker, a common practice when such a thing happens at a major sports school.

I loved that a Fordham football game had a streaking fan. It wasn’t just hilarious to watch, it meant that a Fordham football game had become an event big enough to warrant a streaker.

All across Fordham sports, the tide is beginning to turn. The women’s basketball team had a historic season and almost won an A-10 championship. New York State’s Mr. Basketball, the top prospect in the state, Jon Severe, refused offers from other major programs to play here at Fordham.

I am convinced that all these little things mean that a Fordham tipping point is coming. The new video boards in the Rose Hill Gym are soon going to be displaying some brilliant play, just as their counterpart over at Jack Coffey Field has been doing.

Of course I could be wrong. I could just be overly optimistic. But, think about the possibilities. What if the football team’s success begins to rub off on the basketball teams this winter? Isn’t it wonderful to think about?

All of these little changes must be more than mere coincidences. Coach Moorhead and Coach Gaitley’s terrific work, a streaking fan and the new video boards all point towards a larger shift. Fordham is on the way up.

Categories: Overtime, Sports

Tags: Max Prinz, Sports