Another basketball-related story from the Oprah event yesterday...

[cto]

While I was walking from the Schine Center lunch to the ribbon-cutting at Newhouse, an attractive young woman came up to me and said "Hi, Joyce." Quickly noting the puzzled look on my face (I am notorious for not recognizing faces), she quickly added: "I'm Demi Douglas, Sherman Douglas' daughter."

I had met Demi once ... very briefly... three years ago at a basketball game when she was a high school senior on a college visit to SU with her father. She is now a junior at the Newhouse School where she is doing very well. She clearly has a great future in PR ... because a gift for remembering faces is an invaluable asset.

Anyhow, her 1 pm class had been cancelled, but the students were given the following assignment: "Go to the ribbon-cutting ceremony... interview someone connected to it... and write an article about the interview." So since I am on the Newhouse Board... and a certain auditorium was the site of the day's two symposia, she decided I would be an appropriate interview subject.

We spent a delightful 30 minutes chatting. I hope she gets an A on her paper.

 

[bballbeadle]

I go off for a glorious Maine weekend and Oprah sneaks into town! Was there another Oprah story I missed?

 

[sutomcat]

I believe this is what Demi looks like. I can see some Sherm in her face.

 

[CusefanATL]

I work with and know Demi's mom well. Never met Demi, but have talked to her on the phone a few times. Her mom comes to watch some of the games with us.

I lobbied HARD for Cuse for about a year while she was still in HS. I like to think I had something to do with the final decision

Or maybe it was that her dad has some Syracuse background as well, who knows? :noidea:

 

[RF2044]

The craziest thing about that story to me is that my favorite all time SU player from my lifetime--#20, the General--has a daughter old enough to be a college junior.

Wow--time flies.

 

[realorange]

I go off for a glorious Maine weekend and Oprah sneaks into town! Was there another Oprah story I missed?

You won by going to Maine.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I work with and know Demi's mom well. Never met Demi, but have talked to her on the phone a few times. Her mom comes to watch some of the games with us.

I lobbied HARD for Cuse for about a year while she was still in HS. I like to think I had something to do with the final decision

Or maybe it was that her dad has some Syracuse background as well, who knows? :noidea:

She was visiting SU with her dad when Joyce and I saw both at half-time. We also spoke to her and hoped her college choice would be SU. Very sweet, articulate young lady - happy to see her attending SU. That was the same game that I saw Sherman attempting to enter the locker room. I couldn't believe it, the guard didn't recognize him and denied him entry. When I saw it, Joyce and I explained to the guard who Sherman was. Sherman was so humble and understated. He looked like he could still play, he was in great shape. He was so low-key it impressed me that he seemed so comfortable being incognito. Amazing what he accomplished at his height, a real warrior.

 

[RF2044]

She was visiting SU with her dad when Joyce and I saw both at half-time. We also spoke to her and hoped her college choice would be SU. Very sweet, articulate young lady - happy to see her attending SU. That was the same game that I saw Sherman attempting to enter the locker room. I couldn't believe it, the guard didn't recognize him and denied him entry. When I saw it, Joyce and I explained to the guard who Sherman was. Sherman was so humble and understated. He looked like he could still play, he was in great shape. He was so low-key it impressed me that he seemed so comfortable being incognito. Amazing what he accomplished at his height, a real warrior.

Maybe he could! Check out this article from a few years ago, about Sherman playing in the competitive DC Kenner summer league:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR2010071604523.html

 

[007]

The craziest thing about that story to me is that my favorite all time SU player from my lifetime--#20, the General--has a daughter old enough to be a college junior.

Wow--time flies.

I'm with you, Sherm was the Best.

 

[MadNY3]

If there was a Syracuse Mount Rushmore for Syracuse University's Newhouse/Sports/Executive Level people over the past several decades, there is no doubt CTO would be on that Final Four.

God Bless ya, Joyce for being so damn good to the 13244. On all levels.

 

[Alsacs]

While I was walking from the Schine Center lunch to the ribbon-cutting at Newhouse, an attractive young woman came up to me and said "Hi, Joyce." Quickly noting the puzzled look on my face (I am notorious for not recognizing faces), she quickly added: "I'm Demi Douglas, Sherman Douglas' daughter."

I had met Demi once ... very briefly... three years ago at half-time at a basketball game when she was a high school senior on a college visit to SU with her father. She is now a junior at the Newhouse School where she is doing very well. She clearly has a great future in PR ... because a gift for remembering faces is an invaluable asset.

Anyhow, her 1 pm class had been cancelled, but the students were given the following assignment: "Go to the ribbon-cutting ceremony... interview someone connected to it... and write an article about the interview." So since I am on the Newhouse Board... and a certain auditorium was the site of the day's two symposia, she decided I would be an appropriate interview subject.

We spent a delightful 30 minutes chatting. I hope she gets an A on her paper.

Very neat story. When I was a senior at SU they had the dedication ceremony for your auditorium that was named after you. I remember going and hearing about your story from Dean Rubin without knowing you were cto on this board. The stories about you giving it to Jack welsh were awesome.

If I knew it was you at that time I would have done a double take. Thanks for sharing I hope Ms. Douglas asked you for another person to contact to vet whatever you told her. Rule 1. That assignment is to always double source it is the tricky portion of that assignment.

 

[cto]

She was visiting SU with her dad when Joyce and I saw both at half-time. We also spoke to her and hoped her college choice would be SU. Very sweet, articulate young lady - happy to see her attending SU. That was the same game that I saw Sherman attempting to enter the locker room. I couldn't believe it, the guard didn't recognize him and denied him entry. When I saw it, Joyce and I explained to the guard who Sherman was. Sherman was so humble and understated. He looked like he could still play, he was in great shape. He was so low-key it impressed me that he seemed so comfortable being incognito. Amazing what he accomplished at his height, a real warrior.

Cher... I remember that so well. How we argued with the security guy to convince him to let Sherm into the locker room. At first I thought that was the same day as the Trevor Cooney t-shirt fiasco, but then I realized that had to be a year earlier when Trevor was a senior in high school. We have had some memorable experiences at the Dome... that do not appear in the box scores.

 

[007]

Cher... I remember that so well. How we argued with the security guy to convince him to let Sherm into the locker room. At first I thought that was the same day as the Trevor Cooney t-shirt fiasco, but then I realized that had to be a year earlier when Trevor was a senior in high school. We have had some memorable experiences at the Dome... that do not appear in the box scores.

Hey, is this the "Cher" that was married to Sonny?

 

[CusefanATL]

Here's another crazy thought. Now that another of my cousins are enrolled (one frosh, one soph), the younger one is close buds with Billy Owens' daughter. I must have texted them "say wha?" twenty times by now. Wouldn't be awestruck by Tom Cruise nor Britney Spears. But 8 degrees of SU basketball separation and I'm all

There is also another daughter thats Dad played bball but not at cuse (not Jordan...). I can't remember who. I'll try to find out later.

 

[Cheriehoop]

There is also another daughter thats Dad played bball but not at cuse (not Jordan...). I can't remember who. I'll try to find out later.

I know that Billy's son used to play for a D3 school in Pennsylvania.

 

[cuseincincy]

The craziest thing about that story to me is that my favorite all time SU player from my lifetime--#20, the General--has a daughter old enough to be a college junior.

Wow--time flies.

Yeah. I got to know Sherm a little hanging out on Marshall St and playing pickup over at Manley. I used to make him laugh because if I ever ended up matched up on him I usually ended up an my a$$. He used to play game after game and rarely took a shot that wasn't a layup. You can just tell looking at her picture that she probably has Sherm's smile.

 

[Madbiker]

Cool story. But now I feel old. Wasn't Sherm just a soph playing in the National Championship game?

 

[RF2044]

Cool story. But now I feel old. Wasn't Sherm just a soph playing in the National Championship game?

Yes sir. That was 1987.

 

[realorange]

Cool story. But now I feel old. Wasn't Sherm just a soph playing in the National Championship game?

Heck yes! Just my short term memory going-------I think?

 

[tee1222]

Heck yes! Just my short term memory going-------I think?

I used to have great long term memory. Or am I remembering that wrong.

 

[Upstate]

Joyce, with your connections, you can make sure she gets an A on her article

 

[OttoMets]

Maybe he could! Check out this article from a few years ago, about Sherman playing in the competitive DC Kenner summer league:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR2010071604523.html

I saw him play in Kenner that summer and will vouch for the fact that he can hold his own.

 

[jgeorge322]

I believe this is what Demi looks like. I can see some Sherm in her face.

wow, she looks a lot like her father.