First memory of Manley Field House?

[All4SU]

I went to a Dance Marathon at Manley put on by the students. (For Muscular Dystrophy, maybe?) We’re standing around while nothing much is happening and there is a goofy looking kid standing there telling jokes to a “crowd” of maybe 15 people just standing around, me being one of them. I listened to him for about five minutes then moved on to something else.

The kid? He was a young aspiring comedian by the name of Jay Leno.

 

[sweetpea]

My first visit was as a 13 year old in the fall of 79 to SU's exhibition basketball game against the Russian National Team. SU won in a great game. A lot of folks wanted to see Red Bruin, however Erich Santifer impressed right off the bat. As a senior in high school in the fall of 83, my "Sports in America" class visited campus. Former QB, Dave "Pop" Warner took us on a tour through the dome into the locker rooms and then he got on our bus and we went out to Manley. It was media day for the basketball team. Andre Hawkins came over to our class and spoke to us for quite awhile. He couldn't have been more friendly. He pointed out Pearl coming into the gym and talked about the team. It was fun day to see Syracuse University and also to miss a day of high school class.

 

[Cheriehoop]

During my 4 years at Syracuse we only lost 1 home game. Manley was the greatest home court advantage in the country. It was LOUD and students in the end zones were right on top of the court. Opposing players could hear everything screamed at them. That Manley dirt had such a unique smell. We called it the smell of victory. At the last home game of my senior year my buddies and I scooped up a cup of that dirt. We put it in test tubes so we'd each have a souvenir. I still have it. Saw some great concerts in Manley too. Early in my freshman year saw The Lovin' Spoonful and I remember thinking, yeah this is college.

I was in high school (very late 60’s) and saw the Loving Spoonful playing on the hill across from Manley up the street from Oakwood cemetery. I don’t know if it was an impromptu little concert or what.

 

[sutomcat]

I was in high school (very late 60’s) and saw the Loving Spoonful playing on the hill across from Manley up the street from Oakwood cemetery. I don’t know if it was an impromptu little concert or what.

Cool. Was that at Morningside Heights Park?

Syracuse High Points 3: Morningside Heights Park and Reservoir (& Graffiti Gallery)

Syracuse, NY. Luna ascends the hidden steps in Morningside Heights Park. Photo: Samuel Gruber 2017. Luna at the summit in front of...

mycentralnewyork.blogspot.com

 

[Cheriehoop]

Cool. Was that at Morningside Heights Park?

Syracuse High Points 3: Morningside Heights Park and Reservoir (& Graffiti Gallery)

Syracuse, NY. Luna ascends the hidden steps in Morningside Heights Park. Photo: Samuel Gruber 2017. Luna at the summit in front of...

mycentralnewyork.blogspot.com

It was right next to the corner of E Colvin and Comstock directly west across from Manley. The guy I was dating wondered why there was a crowd at that corner as we were heading east on E.Colvin. So he turned around and parked across the street on the southwest corner where a little park was. We walked across E Colvin to watch it for a while. Not a normal place you’d find an impromptu band playing, Fun band. Guess it made me believe in magic.

 

[orangetom]

Many fond memories of Manley. I arrived in 1969 and remember the walks from Booth, Sweet D, Wich way to the NIT (parts I & 2), etc. My most vivid memory was not basketball related. I think it was the spring of 1970. There was a benefit concert (tickets were 1$) to support student protests (Kent St had just happened). I don't remember the bands except the Beach Boys were one of them. A large crowd had gathered at the front doors before they opened Manley. When they finally opened the doors, they opened only one set of double doors. People were literally being sucked through the opening. You had no control of where you were going. People were pressed up against the plate glass doors. I was shocked the plate glass didn't shatter. One of the scariest moments of my life. I finally literally got sh$t through the door opening. Never saw my two buddies the rest of the night. I've never been in a crowd situation like that before or since.

 

[bballbeadle]

My first memory of Manley was our game against George Washington/Mike Jarvis, the first game of the 94-95 season, when Michael Lloyd hit a 35-foot shot to send the game to OT.

Wait. Manley in 1994?

 

[Eric15]

I found Sportscenter highlights of that 1994 game against GW. Starts at 0:39 mark. I was wrong about it being a 35 foot shot for Lloyd, it was just outside the top of the key. And Dick Vitale rightfully was baffled that everyone was leaving when it was a 92-90 game. Why are Syracuse fans always in such a hurry to leave? It is one of life's mysteries I'll never understand.

I also loved the reference that it was "hours short of Boeheim's 50th birthday." Seems like a lifetime ago.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Many fond memories of Manley. I arrived in 1969 and remember the walks from Booth, Sweet D, Wich way to the NIT (parts I & 2), etc. My most vivid memory was not basketball related. I think it was the spring of 1970. There was a benefit concert (tickets were 1$) to support student protests (Kent St had just happened). I don't remember the bands except the Beach Boys were one of them. A large crowd had gathered at the front doors before they opened Manley. When they finally opened the doors, they opened only one set of double doors. People were literally being sucked through the opening. You had no control of where you were going. People were pressed up against the plate glass doors. I was shocked the plate glass didn't shatter. One of the scariest moments of my life. I finally literally got sh$t through the door opening. Never saw my two buddies the rest of the night. I've never been in a crowd situation like that before or since.

I THINK the Beach Boys appeared as part of a week-long festival called Wooden Ships. My frosh year as well. The other artists, if I recall, were McKendree Spring, Peter Yarrow, John Sebastian, Seals and Crofts, and some others that escape me. The festival may have been in the fall of '69 but either way I went to every show that week.

I also recall seeing Jefferson Airplane in the fall of '70 at Manley. The now 83 year old but then young Grace Slick was about 5-6 months pregnant but she didn't seem to hold anything back onstage that night.

 

[mark79]

No Danny Schayes autograph though?

I used to watch Danny shooting hoops outside of Sammy fraternity

I went to a Dance Marathon at Manley put on by the students. (For Muscular Dystrophy, maybe?) We’re standing around while nothing much is happening and there is a goofy looking kid standing there telling jokes to a “crowd” of maybe 15 people just standing around, me being one of them. I listened to him for about five minutes then moved on to something else.

The kid? He was a young aspiring comedian by the name of Jay Leno.

I did the Dance Marathon in 75 to raise money. A friend of mine who lived in Booth with me offered to have his father (who was a VP at MSG!) get me a ball signed by all the current players to auction off. Walt Frazier, Earl the Pearl, Phil Jackson, Bill Bradley, Spencer Haywood signed that ball. Wish I would have bid myself!!

 

[sutomcat]

 

[storange]

Good Stuff

 

[IthacaMatt]

I went to a Dance Marathon at Manley put on by the students. (For Muscular Dystrophy, maybe?) We’re standing around while nothing much is happening and there is a goofy looking kid standing there telling jokes to a “crowd” of maybe 15 people just standing around, me being one of them. I listened to him for about five minutes then moved on to something else.

The kid? He was a young aspiring comedian by the name of Jay Leno.

My first trip to Manley was to see an SU basketball game that I won a pair of free tickets for on a radio sports trivia morning radio call-in show. I won tickets for the Blazers and the Orangemen (and also later for the pro lacrosse team, the Syracuse Sting) from these radio shows, back when I had a morning paper route. There are not many people up at 6:00 AM to call in to the radio station and suffer the busy signals in hopes of getting free tickets to something - anything - as an 11 year old boy with a paper route, waiting for his dad to get ready to leave.

So, I went to see the Orange there was probably for the Cornell, and maybe Penn State home games, midweek during December 1971 at the start of the season. Those would have been more likely for radio giveaway tickets than a Saturday home game. And you are less likely to give away seats later in the season; you're trying to persuade new customers to buy tickets for later that season, if not season tickets.

I, too, loved the Denny DuVal led pre-game warm-up routine, like the Harlem Globetrotters. It was amazing entertainment, and the crowd was just nuts, screaming and intimidating the hell out of the opponents. I imagine that's probably how people feel about pro wrestling. And the team was so entertaining, and played such fast paced run-and-gun ball! Won over for life.

Just a couple years later, I was running track meets there on the elevated wooden track, above the dirt floor. People neglect to mention the netting at the ends of the raised basketball to floor, to catch anybody if they ran too far. LOL.

Back then, security wasn't so tight on campus, either. And so we could run up to Manley from the Valley, get into the building and run laps on the track. Eleven laps to the mile.

I don't know that it smelled like "the circus had just left town", but running distance races on that 166 yard elevated wooden track was quite the experience! There was a bounce in the track that could really propel you to terrific performances. But the inside of your mouth was literally caked with dirt after running there for 5+ minutes. As someone else said in this thread, it would be considered unacceptable air quality today.

I agree with Tomcat's observation that once they put in the tartan floor and the pull out bleachers, it was a much improved facility, for both the fans and the players.

 

['72 Orange]

My first encounter with Manley Field House was during the Fall of my freshman year 1968 when the entire freshman class had to attend a formal orientation session. Guys had to wear dress slacks, jacket and tie if they had them and women wore dresses. Of course they hit you with the “look to your left and look to your right and one of you will not be here in 4 years.

The initial sporting event was the first basketball game that Fall after starting the year with 5 games on the road (all losses). We defeated Penn State 71-51 and I hoped that the team was back on track. I recall that the game took place the night before I left campus for Christmas break. I only showed up for the varsity game. If I showed up for the freshman game - not only would I see an entertaining group of athletes, but I would also have seen my high school friend play for the opposition that night which was Oswego.

Like some previous posters I also attended the Beach Boy concert. For some reason I seem to remember that no chairs were set up on the dirt floor (although I could be mistaken) and we had to deal with the smell of the ever present dust.

Also our registration was in Archbold which was a horror show for all of the reasons previously listed by other posters.
I thoroughly enjoy these types of threads which take a stroll down memory lane and we all get to share our experiences. Especially when our memories get jogged and we recall some long forgotten moments.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

My first trip to Manley was to see an SU basketball game that I won a pair of free tickets for on a radio sports trivia morning radio call-in show. I won tickets for the Blazers and the Orangemen (and also later for the pro lacrosse team, the Syracuse Sting) from these radio shows, back when I had a morning paper route. There are not many people up at 6:00 AM to call in to the radio station and suffer the busy signals in hopes of getting free tickets to something - anything - as an 11 year old boy with a paper route, waiting for his dad to get ready to leave.

So, I went to see the Orange there was probably for the Cornell, and maybe Penn State home games, midweek during December 1971 at the start of the season. Those would have been more likely for radio giveaway tickets than a Saturday home game. And you are less likely to give away seats later in the season; you're trying to persuade new customers to buy tickets for later that season, if not season tickets.

I, too, loved the Denny DuVal led pre-game warm-up routine, like the Harlem Globetrotters. It was amazing entertainment, and the crowd was just nuts, screaming and intimidating the hell out of the opponents. I imagine that's probably how people feel about pro wrestling. And the team was so entertaining, and played such fast paced run-and-gun ball! Won over for life.

Just a couple years later, I was running track meets there on the elevated wooden track, above the dirt floor. People neglect to mention the netting at the ends of the raised basketball to floor, to catch anybody if they ran too far. LOL.

Back then, security wasn't so tight on campus, either. And so we could run up to Manley from the Valley, get into the building and run laps on the track. Eleven laps to the mile.

I don't know that it smelled like "the circus had just left town", but running distance races on that 166 yard elevated wooden track was quite the experience! There was a bounce in the track that could really propel you to terrific performances. But the inside of your mouth was literally caked with dirt after running there for 5+ minutes. As someone else said in this thread, it would be considered unacceptable air quality today.

I agree with Tomcat's observation that once they put in the tartan floor and the pull out bleachers, it was a much improved facility, for both the fans and the players.

I actually have no idea when my first trip to Manley was. My Dad kept the ticket of my first football game but not for my first basketball game,

I do remember being at the SIena game where we scored something like 144 points and I was at the Georgetown game that officially closed Manley.

 

[Roger N]

Just to tag on here, the National Sports Fedtival was held in Syracuse in 1982. Basketball was held at Manley. Team workouts were open to the public. I remember going and seeing the team representing the South Region going through their warmups at the north basket. Except for one guy warming up by himself at the south basket. Guy by the name of Jordan.

My first SU game attended was during the 1974-75 season. Wooden bench bleachers, the Kennel Club, and the haze. It may have been dust. Or something else. Or maybe a combination of the two. That was a fun team to watch. Rudy Hackett, Jimmy Lee, Chris Sease, Kevin King, Bug Williams, Larry Kelley, Steve Shaw, Earnie Siebert etc. Gave us a great ride to the Final Four.

One of my favorite memories of Manley was when the Russian National basketball team played SU in 1976. Everyone wore red, white and blue. I have never to this day, heard the whole crowd belt out the Star Spangled Banner.

 

[sufandu]

Mine is an exhibition volleyball game. It was the early '90's. I think it was the women's national team against the Chinese women's team.

 

[Brooky03]

My first memory of Manley is asking my dad what that building was that we parked next to and him telling me they played basketball there.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Freshman on the Mount- went to see the Louie & Bouie Show vs Rutgers and Jammin' James Bailey.
Later that year it was Corny Thompson and UConn, plus a concert featuring George Benson.

 

[Eric15]

One of my favorite memories of Manley was when the Russian National basketball team played SU in 1976. Everyone wore red, white and blue. I have never to this day, heard the whole crowd belt out the Star Spangled Banner.

Who won that game just out of pure curiosity?

 

[Roger N]

Who won that game just out of pure curiosity?

Russians

 

[Eric15]

Russians

That was just a few years after that extremely controversial gold medal game in Munich where the refs gave Russia like three separate chances to win at the end.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Lots of good concert memories at Manley. My mind is a little hazy about many of the details, but I recall seeing Clapton, I think with Muddy Waters. This was not peak Clapton.

I seem to recall seeing Santana, and maybe seeing Eddie Money there. Ring a bell with anyone else?

 

[birnam]

As a freshman (Class of 1970) -- on our first full day on campus, the Goon Squad herded all of us frosh down to Manley Field House to be officially welcomed by Chancellor William Pearson Tolley.

"Look to your left, and look to your right." said the Chancellor. "In 6 months, one of you will no longer be here."

The following day, a cartoon with that exact quote appeared in the Daily Orange (where, oh, by the way, I became assistant sports editor a few years later). The cartoon showed a skinny, scared freshman sitting there. To his left was a gigantic football player. To his right was a concrete post. Do the math.

 

[CuseFan]

Mine was in 1979 - convinced my parents to get us season tickets for the Louie and Bouie show. I was 14 I guess. Had a blast. Manley was rocking!