Perhaps this post should be titled how quickly the Lynah Faithful forget.
I have heard a lot of talk over the past year about getting rid of
McCutcheon, and, while I'm the first to admit that Cornell has had more
than its share of problems recently, I don't think all this talk is
justified.
 
Cornell fans should take some time to remember what McCutcheon has done
since he got there.  He stepped in right after the 86-87 season in which
Cornell finished nineth in the ECAC, not making the playoffs.  In his first
season, he took that team to a third place finish.  He also turned around a
lot of attitudes on the ice.  Instead of sitting in the penalty box, guys
like Rob Levasseur were actually playing hockey.  In 86-87 Cornell was the
most penalized team in the conference;  in 87-88, they were the least
penalized team.  With the exception of last year, McCutcheon teams have
never finished worse than fifth in the ECAC.
 
Part of the problem is that the Faithful have been spoiled.  We're used to
seeing good hockey, we have faith in the talent of our team, and that leads
to high expectations.  That's understandable, but sometimes people take that
too far.  A friend of mine once referred to the 91-92 season as an "aweful
year".  I'm sorry, but I don't think finishing fifth and playing in the
ECAC championship game can be classified as an aweful year.  Instead of
looking at the accomplishments of that team, a lot of fans complained that
we didn't get home ice for the playoffs.
 
Yes, I have my own little gripes about McCutcheon (the lack of an effective
power play for example), but I can also appreciate what he's done for the
team as well.  Just remember, if he leaves, there is no guarantee that his
replacement will be better.  In fact, he could be a whole lot worse.
 
Paulette Dwen
Cornell '89
Let's Go Red!