Time to exercise the demons (long)

[Marsh01]

26 years ago I was so sure we were about to win our schools first national championship. It was our time. After watching year after year of teams cutting down the nets this was the year that the Syracuse Orangemen were going to be the ones cutting down the nets.

I was a high school junior (16 years old) and I still remember the excitement that we felt in school that day. Anxious, nervous, excited and just couldnt wait until the game tipped off. I went home, did some homework and went outside and shot hoops until my mother called me in for dinner that night. At the dinner table my father and I talked about the game that night. We talked about how it was our time and that we were going to finally celebrate a National Championship. We talked about going to the airport again after the team won to greet the team like we did after the North Carolina game.

After dinner I went back outside and shot more baskets playing in my mind how the game would go and pretending that I was on that team and how I would feel when we won. I came in and after a shower I went to my dresser and carefully picked out the clothes I would wear to school the next day. A brand new pair of Orange sweatpants (the ones that said SYRACUSE down one of the legs). A brand new Syracuse T-shirt. My lucky Syracuse hat. I had it all laid out and when I went to school the next day I would be one of the many students who would wear their gear and celebrate the city's first basketball championship.

I watched the game with my father on a 13 inch color TV in a small family room. Adjacent to the family room was a den that I had converted into a small nerf hoop court that when I would watch games would shoot. It helped me overcome my nervousness during timeouts, halftime, etc. I was never nervous during the game. I knew that this was our time and destiny would be on our side. We pulled ahead by 8 points with 13 minutes left and I couldnt believe how great of a feeling this actually was. With one minute left I couldnt believe that in a few short moments we would be watching our team celebrate in the middle of the Superdome floor as college basketballs champion.

When DC missed the FT I didnt even flinch. We would stop them and win this game. I still remember watching Keith Smart cutting to the corner and watching Howard Triche follow him. When the shot went up I remember my father yelling "miss it and its over". When the ball went in I still didnt flinch. I dont know if it was a shock of it actually going in or the fact that I still thought we were going to win. I still thought it was destiny and we would somehow pull out a miracle win.

Watching Keith Smart pick off the inbounds pass and hearing Brent Musberger say "Indiana wins the championship, Keith Smart's the hero" hurt more to me than hearing a family member had passed away. My father and I stood in silence while we watched Indiana celebrate in the middle of the floor. That was supposed to be us. That was our celebration. I quietly made my way up to my bedroom and immediately crawled into bed.

When I woke up the first thing I saw when I got out of bed was the clothes I had laid out for school. I still wore them to school that day although it wasnt the same. I still remember one kid in my HS had on a plain grey sweatshirt that in red magic marker on the front of it said "Ha-Ha...One Point."

People say that winning the championship in 2003 (in New Orleans) exorcised the 1987 demons. I say bullstuff. Not for me it didnt. Yes we finally won our title but that game in 1987 would always haunt me. I have waited 26 years to have a rematch with Indiana in the NCAA tournament.

This is our chance to exorcise those demons.

 

[Shenexon]

Wow...what an inspiring story. Thanks for setting the stage in a way that only you can.

 

[PeteCalvin]

If you choose to exercise demons, I suggest Sweatin' to the Oldies. That is pure torture no matter who you are.

 

[JoeCollege]

Wow. That. Was. AWESOME. I swear we grew up in different houses together.

I cried that night for the first time since my grandfather died, and the last time until my uncle died. Truly one of the worst nights of my high school years, so in some respects I've had a great life.

My son now does the nerf thing when he's nervous during a game. After the G'town game in the BET he took all of his SU gear and left it in a pile on the floor for the garbage. It's all back in its rightful place.

Thursday night as we barrel down the interstate to Florida, his assignment is to connect my phone to a charger and try to stream the game video live while I listen to an XM broadcast assuming there is one.

 

[HarrisonJBounel]

That would be "exorcise", not "exercise". But I agree with the sentiment.

However, the real turning point came in the game with, as you say SU up by 8 (52-44) with 12-13 minutes to go. We had taken command of the game, beating them physically with our superior athleticism, and were about to blow it open. Greg Monroe was leading a 3 on 1 fast break. He could have drove and dished for an easy two, and a ten-point lead and continued momentum.

Instead, Monroe pulled up for a three-pointer (first year of the three pointer in the NCAA's), and missed. IU got the rebound, scored in transition, killed our momentum, and the game quickly deteriorated for us into the type of one-possession, high-tension game which played to IU's favor. It became a game of coaching skill between Bobby Knight in his prime versus a relatively inexperienced (for those stakes) Jim Boeheim.

 

[Marsh01]

my grammar sucks. Exorcise. Thanks Beadle!

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

26 years ago I was so sure we were about to win our schools first national championship. It was our time. After watching year after year of teams cutting down the nets this was the year that the Syracuse Orangemen were going to be the ones cutting down the nets.

I was a high school junior (16 years old) and I still remember the excitement that we felt in school that day. Anxious, nervous, excited and just couldnt wait until the game tipped off. I went home, did some homework and went outside and shot hoops until my mother called me in for dinner that night. At the dinner table my father and I talked about the game that night. We talked about how it was our time and that we were going to finally celebrate a National Championship. We talked about going to the airport again after the team won to greet the team like we did after the North Carolina game.

After dinner I went back outside and shot more baskets playing in my mind how the game would go and pretending that I was on that team and how I would feel when we won. I came in and after a shower I went to my dresser and carefully picked out the clothes I would wear to school the next day. A brand new pair of Orange sweatpants (the ones that said SYRACUSE down one of the legs). A brand new Syracuse T-shirt. My lucky Syracuse hat. I had it all laid out and when I went to school the next day I would be one of the many students who would wear their gear and celebrate the city's first basketball championship.

I watched the game with my father on a 13 inch color TV in a small family room. Adjacent to the family room was a den that I had converted into a small nerf hoop court that when I would watch games would shoot. It helped me overcome my nervousness during timeouts, halftime, etc. I was never nervous during the game. I knew that this was our time and destiny would be on our side. We pulled ahead by 8 points with 13 minutes left and I couldnt believe how great of a feeling this actually was. With one minute left I couldnt believe that in a few short moments we would be watching our team celebrate in the middle of the Superdome floor as college basketballs champion.

When DC missed the FT I didnt even flinch. We would stop them and win this game. I still remember watching Keith Smart cutting to the corner and watching Howard Triche follow him. When the shot went up I remember my father yelling "miss it and its over". When the ball went in I still didnt flinch. I dont know if it was a shock of it actually going in or he fact that I still thought we were going to win. I still thought it was destiny and we would somehow pull out a miracle win.

Watching Keith Smart pick off the inbounds pass and hearing Brent Musberger say "Indiana wins the championship, Keith Smart's the hero" hurt more to me than hearing a family member had passed away. My father and I stood in silence while we watched Indiana celebrate in the middle of the floor. That was supposed to be us. That was our celebration. I quietly made my way up to my bedroom and immediately crawled into bed.

When I woke up the first thing I saw when I got out of bed was the clothes I had laid out for school. I still wore them to school that day although it wasnt the same. I still remember one kid in my HS had on a plain grey sweatshirt that in red magic marker on the front of it said "Ha-Ha...One Point."

People say that winning the championship in 2003 (in New Orleans) exercised the 1987 demons. I say bullstuff. Not for me it didnt. Yes we finally won our title but that game in 1987 would always haunt me. I have waited 26 years to have a rematch with Indiana in the NCAA tournament.

This is our chance to exercise those demons.

I have similar feelings about the 1996 NC game against Kentucky. I was 17 years old, and was so ready for SU to win. I thought that John Wallace would carry the team and slay those Wildcats. I had heard all the hype, and I knew that Miss. St. just got smacked by us in the Final Four, and that Miss. St. beat Kentucky. We had more than a chance at this game.

When Wallace fouled out, I knew it was over. My girlfriend was sitting on the couch next to me, and was trying to comfort me but I was just staring at the TV. When the game was over, I switched the TV off, but just kept staring. I stared at a blank TV for about 30 minutes without saying a word. I couldn't process what had just happened. My girlfriend apparently left at some point during that time, but I don't remember it. I got up, went up to bed without saying a word. The pain of that game lasted for months.

The 2003 championship was great, but the sports fan innocence you have as a teenager is the time for championships. I would have appreciated it more at that point than in 2003. That team is still my favorite of all time.

 

[JoeCollege]

If you choose to exercise demons, I suggest Sweatin' to the Oldies. That is pure torture no matter who you are.

Nobody has a more extensive collection of Richard Simmons tapes, DVDs, books, and Richard Simmons-inspired clothes than PeteCalvin. The saddest day of his sorry existence was when his hairline receded to the point where he could no longer rock the Richard Simmons AfroPerm. It was 1990, and Pete was all of 19 years old. He hasn't been the same since.

 

[cuseincincy]

I was at Bobby Valentines Sports Cafe in Milford, CT. I left victory shots undrank on the bar. I remember calling my best friend back in Syracuse on the pay phone (remember those?) all I said was "Don't blame the kid, he had 19 freaking rebounds, he's going to win us a lot more games in the future." The game 2 years later when we blew them out of the gym did nothing to exercise those demons. I still cringe every time I see Keith Smart with the ball in his hands.

 

[No Hoyas]

Great story.
Aside from losing, the worst part for me was walking from the superdome to the french quarter after the game and having an older indiana fan tell me "Son, there's 2 things in life that dont last- dogs that chase cars and teams that dont make their free thows"

 

[PeteCalvin]

Marsh, you and I are like kindred spirits. We experienced that game in much the same way. And I too had a section of the house that was nothing but Nerf hoop, all day, all night.

Arb always says he has "feelings" about games, and they are never wrong. I get them sometimes as well. I had them before the GTwon game in DC. But I don't have them now. There are no butterflies. There is a feeling of confidence that our boys are coming to play and will seize destiny by the balls. As Brat said in his epic post, I will watch and enjoy. Anything is possible, but our time in this tournament is not done.

 

[No Hoyas]

Hey Marsh,
It wont make you feel any better but , we took a bedsheet from the hotel, bought a can of spray paint and unfurled our "Die you redneck hicks" banner as IU went into the locker room at the half.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Wow. That. Was. AWESOME. I swear we grew up in different houses together.

I cried that night for the first time since my grandfather died, and the last time until my uncle died. Truly one of the worst nights of my high school years, so in some respects I've had a great life.

My son now does the nerf thing when he's nervous during a game. After the G'town game in the BET he took all of his SU gear and left it in a pile on the floor for the garbage. It's all back in its rightful place.

Thursday night as we barrel down the interstate to Florida, his assignment is to connect my phone to a charger and try to stream the game video live while I listen to an XM broadcast assuming there is one.

You, Marsh and I must have come from the same mailman. Too much of a coincidence with the Nerf hoops. And my kids do the same Nervous Nerf Dance during games as well. Does that mean the same mailman came back 20 years later?

Never fear. That game will be streamed on XM. You'll get the Westwood One feed, but it'll be there. You'll need the OAA app to get Matt Park. I got the ESPN Radio app to catch 97.7 when I'm on the road and it switches to ESPN programming when SU games are on. Major bummer.

 

[chlywtr]

i set up my sister's stuffed animals along the sidelines as i held court in my nerf pantheon as a school boy......and i remembr the sting of that IU game in 87...now, my daughter and i shoot hoops everynight in a room of our house and i actually said the other night "triche with the block" (ala hakim) as i stuffed her jump shot and my 3 year old said "daddy, why did you do that?".....i had no real explanation that a 3 year old would understand

 

[OrOrange44]

26 Years ago I was a field geophysicist for Newmont Exploration working in Nevada. Game day we did an electrical survey outside of Hawthorne Nv. The head of our crew had a meeting in Elko at one of the mines the next day, so we packed up and hit the road. My consistent whining allowed us to stop for the game in little Austin Nv., a sleepy little mining community. The 1st 2 bars we went in did not have TV and finally we found a place w a small TV way up in the corner above the pool table. Needless to say my enthusiasm for SU soon won over the locals and before long, and promises to buy several rounds of drinks, I had the whole bar rooting for SU. WOW when the KS shot went in I have never seen a bar so quiet in my life.
I was crushed and I did alot of imbibing from Austin to Elko that night.
I still feel that pain and would love to see this team play a solid 40 mins and kick some IU ass !!!!!!
OO44

 

[CusefanATL]

<------- AHEM

After dinner I went back outside and shot more baskets playing in my mind how the game would go and pretending that I was on that team and how I would feel when we won. I came in and after a shower I went to my dresser and carefully picked out the clothes I would wear to school the next day. A brand new pair of Orange sweatpants (the ones that said SYRACUSE down one of the legs). A brand new Syracuse T-shirt. My lucky Syracuse hat. I had it all laid out and when I went to school the next day I would be one of the many students who would wear their gear and celebrate the city's first basketball championship.

 

[Marsh01]

<------- AHEM

First college basketball championship...sorry!

 

[CusefanATL]

First college basketball championship...sorry!

FYI great story... i was too young in 87 (1.5), still too young to really be truly invested in 96 (10.5)... but this brings back great memories of being 17.5 for 2003. I can tell you play by play of that entire weekend.

i hope you and my dad and everyone else exercise your demons tomorrow.

 

[im4cuse]

That would be "exorcise", not "exercise". But I agree with the sentiment.

However, the real turning point came in the game with, as you say SU up by 8 (52-44) with 12-13 minutes to go. We had taken command of the game, beating them physically with our superior athleticism, and were about to blow it open. Greg Monroe was leading a 3 on 1 fast break. He could have drove and dished for an easy two, and a ten-point lead and continued momentum.

Instead, Monroe pulled up for a three-pointer (first year of the three pointer in the NCAA's), and missed. IU got the rebound, scored in transition, killed our momentum, and the game quickly deteriorated for us into the type of one-possession, high-tension game which played to IU's favor. It became a game of coaching skill between Bobby Knight in his prime versus a relatively inexperienced (for those stakes) Jim Boeheim.

Agree that was big. He was off balance on the release and no one ready to rebound. Just before then I turned to my wife and said "We are going to win this game". Which, believe me, I wasn't expecting. Also big was how quick they scored after Triche missed the FT. Took only a few seconds (Smart again) and the lead was down to one. Our seats for the final (which I bought off some Providence fans) were almost parallel with the basket; I swear I was looking right into Smart's eyes as he shot the last one. Would be a nice irony if Brandon hit a GW jumper!

 

[swish7]

Great story. You and I are about the same age, though I was a sophomore at the time.

I wish my mother was as into Syracuse sports as I became. The only games I went to were when friend's parents had extra tickets. It would be cool to have memories from Manley, etc.

For whatever reason, I do not remember watching the game that night. I know I did, but I do not remember specifics. I recall being devastated when Smart hit that shot, and we didn't call a TO.

I recall the aftermath. A friend from a neighboring HS put a putter through his TV when Keith Smart hit that shot. His action remains my biggest memory from that moment. It raised my awareness of how passionate people could be about something...

Another friends sister was assaulted in the rioting on M street that night. The family was devastated. All The next day the kids at my school reflected on their varying disappointments, and shared these stories. If somebody had pulled that ha 1 point thing, they probably would have been sent home.

Time to exercise the demons indeed!

 

[RF2044]

Great story, Marsh. I remember being absolutely devastated after the loss [I was a sophomore at the time] -- my dad and I turned the TV off and just sat in silence for a long time. Just a crushing defeat. And like you, I'd gone to the UNC game to get to the final four [one of the best games I've ever attended live--I've probably watched that game 100 times on tape], as well as the airport to greet the team that night.

2003 took some of the sting out of the Keith Smart shot. We'd finally ascended the hill. But I still cringe every time I see the replay, which has been something like a million times since 1987. Back in 2004, I actually watched the '87 championship game when it was being replayed on ESPNU. Funny thing is, it was a pretty good game--well played, and exciting. Except for that shot.

Indiana earned my eternal enmity that day--would LOVE to exorcise that demon right along with you, Marsh!

 

[shandeezy7]

FYI great story... i was too young in 87 (1.5), still too young to really be truly invested in 96 (10.5)... but this brings back great memories of being 17.5 for 2003. I can tell you play by play of that entire weekend.

i hope you and my dad and everyone else exercise your demons tomorrow.

I have no recollection of the Indiana game, but obviously seeing that shot over and over and over again still makes me seethe. I was 11 years old in 96 and remember being devastated when John Wallace fouled out and I knew that we had no shot from then on. '03 was complete Nirvana for me. I was 18 years old, a college freshman, and I celebrated that win until it wasn't possible to celebrate it anymore.

But I want this win so bad. Not for myself, but for my dad, and the Marsh's of the world, who had to go through the heartbreaking pain of coming thisclose to seeing their team win a national title, only to have it ripped away from them at the last possible moment. Here's hoping our guys know the significance of this game and they come out firing on all cylinders!!!!

 

[Phillymoose]

ok, I'll play. Maybe it will be therapeutic?

I was a sophomore at SU, and was in a friend's apartment in Toad Hall. (still there? it was off campus housing near Haven)
There were 4 of us, and we were all really intense sports fans across the board, so the nervousness in the room was palpable. I remember that I had several major tests that week, and a big one the next day - and thinking to myself if we won, and I partied like I intended to party - I had a decent chance of failing out of school. (The prospect didn't bother me one bit.)

When we went up by 8, one of my friends got up, walked across the room and kissed me on my forehead. It was a surreal moment for sure, but purely platonic. My response was 'not yet' - which in retrospect is a funny and disturbing response on a great many levels. (I am laughing as I write this.) My point was simply that it was too early to celebrate! I remember stepping outside at one point during a commercial break for some fresh air, and I could hear people shouting and celebrating on their way to MStreet. I told one of my friends that it was some seriously bad karma for people to celebrate like that before the game was over. (Presumably it was the same morons who then rioted on Mstreet and caused all kinds of damage later that night.)

The Monroe missed 3 was definitely the turning point. DC takes all the blame for the missed FT, but Triche had missed the front end of a 1 and 1 a few minutes before that - that was equally huge.

After it was over I gathered my books and studied. Sadly, I ended up doing well on all my tests.

 

[CuseTroop]

I remember it like it was yesterday. Earlier in the day I recall my parents planning my upcoming first birthday. I remember drooling on the dog, and spitting up some gerber, still upset that I hadent been picked to be the famous Gerber baby. When the game tipped, I was fast asleep...



I was one year old. I have no memory of this Keith Smart fella you all talk about. I have no memory of an Indiana loss... And that wont change this week. LGO!

 

[CiscoCuse]

I still have bad memories of that game & night! I was 36, at the time...me and several CUSE friends went o a local Sports Bar in Tampa (The Pressbox), like we did for every CUSE tournament game, we were regulars there! We sat in the same spot, ate the same chicken wings, pitchers of beer etc. It was great when they beat UF we were surrounded by Gators fans...and had the last laugh! We new it was in CUSE's destiny to go all the way. When we beat NC, my neighbor (a NC guy) would not speak to me for a month...and then after we whipped up on Providence, I felt the Championship was there for the CUSE. Well, since that night, I have not ever seen the replay (except the incessant Keith Smart clip that CBS / ESPN puts on)...I still have the VHS tape of the game...and I swear, I will burn it after CUSE beats Indiana this Thursday! Let's Go ORANGE!! !!!