Yes, There's Always Next Year!
I'm a huge fan of Syracuse athletics, which confuses a lot of people because I went to Dartmouth. It's actually not that confusing. I love college sports, and although I always supported the Big Green (not the official nickname, but that is a topic for another post), I need a team to support in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and Bowl Games. I think the last time Dartmouth enjoyed either of those was 1959 when Dartmouth lost in the first round to West Virginia (a year after they were one win away from the Final Four).
Growing up in upstate New York, there really no other team for you to root for. Your parents loved Syracuse, and Binghamton and Albany weren't anywhere close to having the sorts of athletic programs they sport today. I was too young to remember Joe Morris play and don't remember the heartbreak of Keith Smart's shot, but I haven't missed many moments since the days of Marvin Graves and Billy Owens.
As I sit here watching Syracuse get thumped in the NIT, upset that they shouldn't have even been in the NIT (Stanford, are you kidding me?), I remember the better teams. The basketball team competes at our near the top of the Big East, so there is no worry there. Besides, Duke and Notre Dame lost in the first round and UConn didn't make it, so I won't get too upset.
The football team is another story, but I usually don't start crying about their season until August.
UPDATE: As I wrote this, Syracuse put on a fierce comeback from 18 points down to cut the lead to one. It may seem meaningless, but I like the way this team fought back on the road. They could have easily given up since most of them would rather be playing for the championship or on spring break, but they played hard, which says good things about the players and the coaches at the program.
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I can understand that. I grew up all over but spent a lot of time in Oklahoma. No football team there. Moved to Miami and I adopted the fins. Been a dolfan ever since.
Can't wait til you start talking football. Is it football season yet?
My eyes glazed over once I realized you were writing about college basketball - but I read it anyway because thats just the kind of girl I am.
My wife went to law school at the 'Cuse, so I have many fond memories of going up to visit and seeing football and b-ball games in the Carrier Dome. Hopefully a return to glory will be in the cards some season soon. Last year it looked like the Big East was going to return to being one of the premier conferences in basketball but the wheels really came off this year.
I went to Penn State, which obviously has a big football tradition. Our mascot is the "Nittany Lion", and during games the student sections would yell "We want the Lion!" over and over until he ran over & was passed overhead up the bleachers to the top. Drunken fun for all.
Anyway, we were playing Syracuse one year - with their big hulking Orange of a mascot, and the students all began yelling "We want the Orange!" over and over. Orangy, being the dapper young mascot that he was, acquiesced, and ran over to the student section, where he was passed overhead up the bleachers...and dropped.
The entire student section then began screaming "Orange Juice! Orange Juice!"
This has nothing to do with anything, but your Syracuse post made me recall this most amusing of times.
Gracias, Manga,
Go WVU!
Sorry J/M, but not many thought our young team would do much this year. Granted the UCLA win was huge, but some were disappointed in the NIT vs NCAA. Me- we're a 1st seeded team going to the semifinals with 1 returning starter.
I always cheer for other Big East teams - when they're not playing us.
Hey, J-Unit, you are apparently not from far ENOUGH upstate--We also had St. Bonnie's to carry our hopes in MY version of that regional designation...I'm glad to have been directed here; I've missed your rhetoric, guy! Cheers.