Former Syracuse basketball star Marty Byrnes recovering after long battle with Covid-19

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[sutomcat]

Best wishes to Marty for a full recovery.

I think he is under appreciated by the SU fan base. Played just before the Big East/Carrier Dome/ESPN era. Back then only a few games were on TV and if you wanted to see the team play, you had to go to the games.

Got better every year, did everything well. Fundamentally sound, smart player. It is a shame he and other players of his era missed out on all the attention and hype that was soon to follow the program.

 

[Bill Orange]

Best wishes to Marty for a full recovery.

I think he is under appreciated by the SU fan base. Played just before the Big East/Carrier Dome/ESPN era. Back then only a few games were on TV and if you wanted to see the team play, you had to go to the games.

Got better every year, did everything well. Fundamentally sound, smart player. It is a shame he and other players of his era missed out on all the attention and hype that was soon to follow the program.

What Tom said and I'll add that he's a really great guy. He showed me how to shotgun a 24oz Schlitz Tall Boy my freshman year.

 

[stuckinbig11]

Best wishes to Marty for a full recovery.

I think he is under appreciated by the SU fan base. Played just before the Big East/Carrier Dome/ESPN era. Back then only a few games were on TV and if you wanted to see the team play, you had to go to the games.

Got better every year, did everything well. Fundamentally sound, smart player. It is a shame he and other players of his era missed out on all the attention and hype that was soon to follow the program.

and he played better than Magic Johnson, I was there.

 

[Ringostar57]

Get well!

 

[Bill Orange]

and he played better than Magic Johnson, I was there.

And I was at the press conference! Man, the Twitter would have blown up!

 

[sutomcat]

And I was at the press conference! Man, the Twitter would have blown up!

Funny the two players involved would become teammates so soon afterwards. I bet they had some laughs together about JB's reaction. That might have been the beginning of the end with JB and his relationship with the local press. He has no use for almost all of them (I believe they were the ones who voted for Magic instead of Marty).

 

[Bill Orange]

Funny the two players involved would become teammates so soon afterwards. I bet they had some laughs together about JB's reaction. That might have been the beginning of the end with JB and his relationship with the local press. He has no use for almost all of them (I believe they were the ones who voted for Magic instead of Marty).

Bob Snyder of syracuse.com nee P-S/H-J voted for Magic. That did not sit well with Coach.

 

[joct]

I met him when he was finishing up school and around the program a lot in the late 80's. Super nice guy. I think he spoke at the Hardwood Club or another event, and told the story of after a game against Niagara, then Niagara coach Frank Layden said "he will be Syracuse's next pro" after he had a good game against them. Then 5 years later Layden was with the Jazz, and then cut Marty, which led him to LA for that year. The way he told the story was pretty funny.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Marty was good guy and tough player.
Two weeks on a ventilator...yikes!
All the best ahead.
Lived in Lawrinson...where basketball players lived back when that was the place to be.
And he had 15 points in the classic game when the Orange beat Tennessee's "Bernie and Ernie" show in the NCAA's.
I won't ruin the vibe here by mentioning Western Kentucky.

 

[dasher]

and he played better than Magic Johnson, I was there.

I was there as well. That night felt like a heavy weight fight to me. We had a long winning streak at home (let's not talk about who and when it ended) and MSU was a threat to end it. JB put the game on ice too soon and MSU came back and tied the game. But we came right back and pulled away.

 

[dasher]

Funny the two players involved would become teammates so soon afterwards. I bet they had some laughs together about JB's reaction. That might have been the beginning of the end with JB and his relationship with the local press. He has no use for almost all of them (I believe they were the ones who voted for Magic instead of Marty).

They were. Jb already was considered a dick by the local media at that time. The kids I knew at the D.O. and at waer really didn't like him. On the other hand, like always with jb there is another hand, I helped a roommate with a Newhouse project where I was interviewed. Pain in the butt. Some kid called JB and he showed up for this kid's class and was interviewed by the student.

 

[dasher]

Marty was good guy and tough player.
Two weeks on a ventilator...yikes!
All the best ahead.
Lived in Lawrinson...where basketball players lived back when that was the place to be.
And he had 15 points in the classic game when the Orange beat Tennessee's "Bernie and Ernie" show in the NCAA's.
I won't ruin the vibe here by mentioning Western Kentucky.

You had to go there. The worst reffing in the last 30 seconds of that game. I think we were out of bounds but the shot should have counted. The good news is that the nightmares are down to two a week.

 

[Eric15]

I think he is under appreciated by the SU fan base. Played just before the Big East/Carrier Dome/ESPN era.

I've always said that our players from the 1970s never seem to get enough attention/credit.

Rudy Hackett, Dennis Duval, Marty Byrnes, Greg Kohls, Jimmy Lee, etc.

The SU basketball historical narrative always seems to be Dave Bing and then Louie/Bouie and then Pearl.

 

[dasher]

I've always said that our players from the 1970s never seem to get enough attention/credit.

Rudy Hackett, Dennis Duval, Marty Byrnes, Greg Kohls, Jimmy Lee, etc.

The SU basketball historical narrative always seems to be Dave Bing and then Louie/Bouie and then Pearl.

yes, and it isn't fair. And the school and JB are somewhat responsible. Rudy should have had his number retired long ago. Look at his numbers. And he took us to our first final four. Jim Lee hit the biggest shot in Syracuse history up to that point.

 

[orangemass]

yes, and it isn't fair. And the school and JB are somewhat responsible. Rudy should have had his number retired long ago. Look at his numbers. And he took us to our first final four. Jim Lee hit the biggest shot in Syracuse history up to that point.

No doubt. Those 70s teams were the beginning of my fandom. Loved those teams

 

[Col. Bleep]

Rudy Hackett and Jimmy Lee may be the best inside/outside combo the Orange ever had.
Rivaled only by Derrick and Greg Monroe...who is THE most underrated shooting guard ever. (44% from 3 in '86-87).
Rudy was an absolute monster.
Jimmy was deadeye cool.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

I remember him for his outside pump fake getting the defender to go airborne he then would then lean in...good and going to the line for one..the old fashion way!

 

[721Comstock]

Rudy Hackett and Jimmy Lee may be the best inside/outside combo the Orange ever had.
Rivaled only by Derrick and Greg Monroe...who is THE most underrated shooting guard ever. (44% from 3 in '86-87).
Rudy was an absolute monster.
Jimmy was deadeye cool.

The 3pt line was closer then.

It wasn’t remotely as big a part of the game then as it is now, so defending the 3 wasn’t a thing teams focused on.

And “money” was the 4th or 5th guy on opponents scouting reports when game planning for Cuse - so he got a lot of open shots.
Which, to his credit, were money.

 

[storange]

Best wishes to Marty for a full recovery.

I think he is under appreciated by the SU fan base. Played just before the Big East/Carrier Dome/ESPN era. Back then only a few games were on TV and if you wanted to see the team play, you had to go to the games.

Got better every year, did everything well. Fundamentally sound, smart player. It is a shame he and other players of his era missed out on all the attention and hype that was soon to follow the program.

Excellent player for the Orange, I can help but think of the night the Orange beat the Lobos in the championship game of their tournament and after the game Marty did not get MVP , Joel Mariness “ Marty Byrnes has JUST BEEN CHEATED “

 

[Bill Orange]

Excellent player for the Orange, I can help but think of the night the Orange beat the Lobos in the championship game of their tournament and after the game Marty did not get MVP , Joel Mariness “ Marty Byrnes has JUST BEEN CHEATED “

That Lobo Classic was the genesis of the standing and clapping tradition at home basketball games.

 

[sutomcat]

Excellent player for the Orange, I can help but think of the night the Orange beat the Lobos in the championship game of their tournament and after the game Marty did not get MVP , Joel Mariness “ Marty Byrnes has JUST BEEN CHEATED “

Good read here. I believe the name is Ross Kindel though.

Loboland - A Blast From The Past--The 1977-78 Lobos--Part 3

<img src='/uploads/912/13052.gif' alt='redpawmidsize' align=left border=0 hspace=3 vspace=3>The third installment of "A Blast from the Past: Storming

rvls.co

 

[Bill Orange]

Good read here. I believe the name is Ross Kindel though.

Loboland - A Blast From The Past--The 1977-78 Lobos--Part 3

<img src='/uploads/912/13052.gif' alt='redpawmidsize' align=left border=0 hspace=3 vspace=3>The third installment of "A Blast from the Past: Storming

rvls.co

Correct on Ross. They also referred to Danny's father as Dolph Hayes.

 

[stlorange]

LOL, I remember the Lobo classic. I was living in Chicago at the time and couldnt get the score late at night so I called a radio station in Syracuse (WSYR?) to find out.

 

[storange]

Us old guys remember sitting next to the radio. Only a couple games a year were televised.