Sydney Johnson, in simpler times

I hate Lane Kiffin.

I disliked him at Tennessee, but ever since he jumped ship after a year of SEC football and left for the greener pastures of USC and the PAC-10, I’ve loathed Lane Kiffin. To me, he symbolizes everything that’s wrong with coaches in NCAA sports — phony smiles, good haircuts, no loyalty, and a devotion to winning only as an end to their own means.

So, why am I talking about Lane Kiffin? Just to make it clear that Sydney Johnson is no Lane Kiffin.

Because after a week+ now of having the Tiger sports fan inside me curled up in the fetal position, mourning the loss of our men’s basketball coach, I think it’s starting to all make sense. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think I would have done the exact same thing. Is this the sports fan equivalent of Stockholm Syndrome? Entirely possible! But hear me out anyways.

The Princeton Ceiling

What was Sydney Johnson’s ceiling at Princeton?

Pretty much exactly what he accomplished last year.