Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Syracuse set to honor RB legends with Plaza 44

Syracuse broke ground on "Plaza 44," an area near the athletic center that will honor running back greats Ernie Davis, Jim Brown and Floyd Little with statues.

It also announced it has unretired the sacred No. 44, much to the joy of many Syracuse supporters. Both ideas are good, paying homage to the players who made No. 44 so special and the meaning the number itself holds.

Syracuse.com columnist Bud Poliquin is not so sure about the statues idea, though. In a column Tuesday, Poliquin writes that it might be a better idea to wait until Brown and Little are no longer living, lest they commit crimes that would embarrass the university. Here are his words:

"Of course, there is no debating the football brilliance of Davis, Brown and Little, who combined to rush for 7,181 yards, score 691 points and win a Heisman Trophy in 83 games of carrying the ball for Syracuse teams that went 64-24. Few would argue the logic in erecting some kind of campus shrine in their athletic honor.

But the problem here is that two of those fellows — Brown and Little — are still alive, which is a dandy thing for them but a potentially troubling one for "Plaza 44." Because, well, you never know. Brown, who has already had his well-chronicled brushes with the law, may yet hold up a train. And Little, so far a sterling member of society, could still pilfer some crab legs from a grocery store.

Which would mean that SU, guilty of premature adulation, would have some 'splaining to do."

The hesitation is understandable. Florida, for example, had to dig up Aaron Hernandez's All-American brick from its stadium after he was charged with murder. Joe Paterno's statue came crashing down. We have become conditioned now to think about the worst-case scenarios, especially when honoring athletes and coaches.

Syracuse has opted to give Brown and Little the benefit of the doubt, choosing to honor former players while they are living -- a trend that has only grown in recent years. Nick Saban has a statue. So does Bobby Bowden. Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier statues stand in front of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, honoring them for winning the Heisman. Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson and Cam Newton are honored similarly at Auburn. John Harbaugh just got a statue at Miami (Ohio), joining the illustrious "Cradle of Coaches." South Carolina is finishing up a George Rogers statue, set for debut before the season starts.

The list goes on. While it is true that many have debated whether coaches and players should be immortalized to begin with, it is undeniable that Brown, Floyd and Davis made an impact on Syracuse. If the university wants to honor them with statues, then it should.

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