When The Fizz checked Twitter a few months back and learned of freshman defensive back Jaston George’s super-abs, we hoped they might translate into an in-game impact. Turns out, he’s injured and it appears he’ll redshirt this season. As George himself puts it:
‚ÄúI’m doin aiit gtta gt surgery on my groin nxt week doe‚Äù
“tore some muscles n pieces of my hip bone”
‚Äúkant do no ‘lower body activity’ fha 3months‚Äù
Since he isn’t able to contribute on the field this year, Jas seems to have found a different place to contribute during games – the Twitterverse.
While his teammates were busy making Rhode Island look more like West Virginia or Pittsburgh, George fired off around a dozen tweets during the game, all of them completely unrelated to football.
Some of the highlights:
“Only thing on my mind is food”
‚ÄúEatin…eatin..yup I’m eatin lol‚Äù
‚Äú‚Äò@Sucka4Love14: Really want a chili cheese dog rite now…‚Äô- me 2 aint ish in hea to crush‚Äù
“Dangggg what imma eat nxt? Smh”
‚ÄúBurger king on smash so that’s pizza frm sbarro 2whoppers with cheese an a fry aiit I’m done till lata I’m full now‚Äù
‚Äú@iHEARTfuegs lol I’m on my fatboy ish‚Äù
Congrats to Jaston for both his tremendous appetite and his ability to creatively avoid curse words, but it still struck The Fizz as odd to see a member of the SU team tweeting a flood of non-football thoughts during a game.
You may question why he wasn’t on the sidelines, but injured Orange players aren’t required to be down on the field during games. Chandler Jones wasn’t with the team during the Rhode Island game, either.
Were George’s tweet-happy fingers doing anything wrong? Probably not. But it doesn’t reflect the “all-in” mentality Doug Marrone is looking for from his squad. Though he may not have broken any official rules (although disclosing injuries is not likely applauded by the coaches), he probably shouldn‚Äôt have been using social media in the middle of his team‚Äôs competition to talk about anything other than the game itself.
When Syracuse basketball plays road games, some of the younger walk-on players have to stay back in ‘Cuse. They’ll send out some tweets during games, but all of them give the impression that they’re following and rooting for their squad.
Jim Boeheim likely doesn’t object to the tweets from his walk-ons, but something tells us Marrone may feel differently about George’s tweets. They don’t fall in line with the image of a united, focused, no-nonsense program that Marrone is trying to create.
Personally for George, he might want to notice the cornerbacks have struggled for SU so far. The way the secondary is playing, the Orange could use Jas next season. He should be champing at the bit to contribute, not for another chili cheese dog.
Watching Syracuse‚Äôs games intently and studying up on Scott Shafer‚Äôs defense would only help his chances of earning playing time next season. Showing maturity and an emotional investment in the team’s performance could help prove George is ready to be counted on when he returns from injury. We’ve certainly seen SU athletes tweet more offensive commentary, but George’s “fatboy ish” during games can’t impress his head coach.
Posted: Andrew Kanell
