I totally agree with you, Greg.  As for other instances of "post-title
syndrome", Harvard had some mediocre campaigns after winning the national
championship in 1989 (when they posted a 30-3 record).  Mike Milbury
actually commented during the Harvard-Brown broadcast about how players
are put under tremendous pressure when their team is always expected to
be at or near the top.  But this is not just an RPI phenomena.  These
expectations also tend to mess with one's perspective.  Sure, RPI may
have lost to Army, but don't forget that they also sport a 5-0 record in
ECAC play!
 
Tony
H '94-5
GO CRIMSON!!
 
On Tue, 6 Dec 1994, Greg Berge wrote:
 
> I remember that while living in Albany in 1987, the
> fans and press were extremely demanding in their
> expectations.  The local (Gannett, I assume)
> rag, the Albany Times Union, treated any loss as an
> unforgiveable letdown and any win as a return to
> national championship form.  Everything was
> magnified to absurd proportions.
>
> Now, I don't think there's anything in the Troy water
> that makes RPI fans any different from the rest of
> us, so I assume the circumstance of their then recent
> national championship had a lot to do with this
> attitude.  This was probably exascerbated by two
> things: (1) the team declined to mediocrity almost
> immediately after winning their title, and (2) Troy is
> a one-team town, and they're it. (Aside: was Troy a
> big hockey town before the title?  I dunno.)
>
> I'd be interested in whether other teams which fit this
> profile have had a similar "post-title syndrome".  The
> recent national champions don't seem to fit the
> profile, except perhaps Bowling Green.  MSU
> seemed to go downhill soon after their title, but that
> is definitely not a one-team town.  Colgate and
> SLU had hard times on the heels of title game losses,
> but there is a big difference between runner-up and
> actually winning the title in the fans' psyche; just
> ask the Bills.
>
> Greg
> Malden, MA
> Let's Go Red!
>