SWC75
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Recently I got a postcard from SU listing some events that will occur next week. It appears to be a celebration of Syracuse from 50 years ago and the Class of '64. I was Class of '75. But the card was still special to me because of the picture on the front.
Fifty years ago this week I attended the first Syracuse University football game I ever went to. It was October 10, 1964. Pre-seaosn #9 ranked Syracuse University had gotten off to a 2-1 start, losing on a tipped pass on the last play against Boston College but then crushing visiting Kanss and Gayle Sayers 38-6, as a sophomore wearing #44 named Floyd Little ran for five touchdowns. I remember watching the Holy Cross game on TV. Mel Allen, recently fired by the Yankees, did the play by play. Holy Cross surprised the Orange by taking a 0-8 halftime lead but we totally blew them out in the second half, 34-0, (I wonder what Schwartzwalder's speech was.). The next week we played an undefeated, 3-0 UCLA team. They inherited our #9 spot but we had reappeared at #10, (they just had a Top Ten in those days).
I had finally convinced my Dad, at best a luke-warm sports fan, to get tickets for an SU game. Unfortunately he caught cold that week and Mom told me it might be that Dad couldn't go, (and she had no interest in sports so she wasn't going to take me). She told me to prepare for the possibility we might not go. But Dad was loving and loyal and we did go. it was a cold day that anticipated the coming winter. Sunshine alternated with cold but a cold wind kept blowing. Syracuse dominated the first half but had trouble punching it in. We were only up 6-0 but it was beginning to snow and those California beach boys were probably looking at the first snow flakes they'd ever seen, marveling at them but wondering how many of them there would be. Floyd Little waited at the SU 10 or thereabouts for a UCLA punt. he caught it at the 10 yard line. I've always had to take my father's word for what happened next, as a large man with a larger coat stood up in front of me, (I was about to turn ten years old).
What Dad said was that Jim Nance had come over and hit a UCLA gunner so hard that the hapless Bruin went flying into the air. Floyd then ran under the airborne Bruin and sped down the sidelines and and then, (as I recall: I could see down the field), across the field, running away from the pursuit on a 91 yard punt return that broke the game open. The score mounted throughout the second half, (it eventually reached the final of 39-0), and so did the snow. Poor Dad and I were part of a human snowbank. But we weren't as cold as the those UCLA beach boys looked. The game was still going when Dad insisted we had to leave "to beat the crowd". (I have always found it a better idea to let the crowd beat me. I get to see the whole game and getting out of the parking lot is actually easier.) As I looked back, the sun was out again and I looked at the SU team and, with the sun lighting everything up, the orange of their helmets and pants seemed like the orangest orange I had ever seen. It still does.
On the cover of the post card, entitled "Time of Your Life" I a picture of Floyd running with the ball in that game. (I'm sure it's not the 1966 game that had a very different result as that game was played in a rainstorm and the sun is clearly shining: it's also not the 1965 game in LA because people have coats on. Also it's obviously a 50th anniversary thing.) It's possible that the picture might be of the punt return but it isn't snowing, (at least it doesn't show). The sun is shining but that was the type of day where it could be snowing with the sun shining. Anyway it's that game, 50 years ago. I'd feel old but somehow all the times of my life seem to equally available to my mind, especially when they are that vivid.
Memories are like different rooms of the same house.
(I was not able to find that picture online, unfortunately.)
Fifty years ago this week I attended the first Syracuse University football game I ever went to. It was October 10, 1964. Pre-seaosn #9 ranked Syracuse University had gotten off to a 2-1 start, losing on a tipped pass on the last play against Boston College but then crushing visiting Kanss and Gayle Sayers 38-6, as a sophomore wearing #44 named Floyd Little ran for five touchdowns. I remember watching the Holy Cross game on TV. Mel Allen, recently fired by the Yankees, did the play by play. Holy Cross surprised the Orange by taking a 0-8 halftime lead but we totally blew them out in the second half, 34-0, (I wonder what Schwartzwalder's speech was.). The next week we played an undefeated, 3-0 UCLA team. They inherited our #9 spot but we had reappeared at #10, (they just had a Top Ten in those days).
I had finally convinced my Dad, at best a luke-warm sports fan, to get tickets for an SU game. Unfortunately he caught cold that week and Mom told me it might be that Dad couldn't go, (and she had no interest in sports so she wasn't going to take me). She told me to prepare for the possibility we might not go. But Dad was loving and loyal and we did go. it was a cold day that anticipated the coming winter. Sunshine alternated with cold but a cold wind kept blowing. Syracuse dominated the first half but had trouble punching it in. We were only up 6-0 but it was beginning to snow and those California beach boys were probably looking at the first snow flakes they'd ever seen, marveling at them but wondering how many of them there would be. Floyd Little waited at the SU 10 or thereabouts for a UCLA punt. he caught it at the 10 yard line. I've always had to take my father's word for what happened next, as a large man with a larger coat stood up in front of me, (I was about to turn ten years old).
What Dad said was that Jim Nance had come over and hit a UCLA gunner so hard that the hapless Bruin went flying into the air. Floyd then ran under the airborne Bruin and sped down the sidelines and and then, (as I recall: I could see down the field), across the field, running away from the pursuit on a 91 yard punt return that broke the game open. The score mounted throughout the second half, (it eventually reached the final of 39-0), and so did the snow. Poor Dad and I were part of a human snowbank. But we weren't as cold as the those UCLA beach boys looked. The game was still going when Dad insisted we had to leave "to beat the crowd". (I have always found it a better idea to let the crowd beat me. I get to see the whole game and getting out of the parking lot is actually easier.) As I looked back, the sun was out again and I looked at the SU team and, with the sun lighting everything up, the orange of their helmets and pants seemed like the orangest orange I had ever seen. It still does.
On the cover of the post card, entitled "Time of Your Life" I a picture of Floyd running with the ball in that game. (I'm sure it's not the 1966 game that had a very different result as that game was played in a rainstorm and the sun is clearly shining: it's also not the 1965 game in LA because people have coats on. Also it's obviously a 50th anniversary thing.) It's possible that the picture might be of the punt return but it isn't snowing, (at least it doesn't show). The sun is shining but that was the type of day where it could be snowing with the sun shining. Anyway it's that game, 50 years ago. I'd feel old but somehow all the times of my life seem to equally available to my mind, especially when they are that vivid.
Memories are like different rooms of the same house.
(I was not able to find that picture online, unfortunately.)
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