Flacusian
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After hearing the news last year that Syracuse was going to be leaving the Big East for the ACC I was stunned with disbelief at first and it didn't seem real that it could be happening. The plethora of articles which followed the announcement helped me to understand how the inexplicable could have actually come to fruition. As it turned out, the departure of Syracuse and Pitt was only the second act of a tragic drama that was to play out and ultimately spell the end of Dave Gavitt's dream in 1979 of forming a primarily basketball conference made up of teams in the northeast. It's difficult to not see the irony in the fact that the real race to the bottom began almost immediately after Gavitt passed away.
That dream of Gavitt's was destined to become the best basketball conference in history and provide a level of college basketball that would produce 3 of the 4 teams in the 1985 final 4. It was hard to believe, but there it was, for all to see, Georgetown, St. Johns, and Villanova with Memphis State thrown in just to keep the whole affair from being an entire embarrassment of riches. Certainly few had given Villanova any chance of winning the National Championship but their having been tested and toughened by the rigors of conference play and the genius of Rollie Massimino who looked more suited to be a shoe salesman at JC Penny's or perhaps a used car salesman proved to be the combination which got it done.
The story of the Big East was replete with all the things that make for a great story. The rise of this collection of small Catholic schools and a few others who who had become National powers in the world which was accustomed to such juggernauts as Kentucky and UCLA as being the heir apparent for the National Title. And then there were the coaches. Louie Carnaseca and his sweaters, John Thompson and the towel, Rollie Massimino ranting and raving while looking like Danny DiVito. The professorial and plaid bedecked Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino, and Jim Calhoun.
Prior to the formation of the Big East I can recall the big thing to do was to go to the NIT back when it was a decent post season tournament. The Big East formed at the same time that my interest in college basketball, specifically Syracuse Basketball began. I was lucky enough, living in Connecticut to be able to go down to the Garden for the BE tournament. I would go with a group of 5 buddies and we'd take the train from New Haven down to the City, walk up the steps and staring us square in the face was Madison Square Garden with BIG EAST TOURNAMENT boldly emblazoned on the Marquee. Of the group, we were all fans of different Big East schools. 2 from Uconn, 1 from PC ,1 from Villanova, and myself and 1 other insanely Syracuse.
Looking back, those trips down to the Garden were some of the best times I ever had and certainly tops with regards to sporting events. There was the camaraderie, the rivalry, the ball breaking and kidding mixed with copious amounts of beer, laughs, all set to the backdrop of incredible college basketball with players like Pearl, Walter Berry, Mullin, Pinone, Ewing...and the Garden was the Mecca.
I don't know what to expect with all that is happening with this topsy turvy mixed up conference reconfiguration. Perhaps we will forge some new exciting rivalries with the likes of Duke and North Carolina. I try to keep an open mind about it. But like the days of my youth.. when I made that pilgrimage down to the Mecca with my buddies, the Big East and all it's glory is now about to be something of the past, never to be regained. And like my youth, it seemed like it would never end. But it did. I don't really long for the days of my youth or wish to be younger... God forbid! But it's with quite a bit of certainty that I think the excitement of Syracuse Basketball in the heyday of the Big East Conference is something which will never again be matched and will forever remember those days and that Conference as the "Good Old Days" of college basketball.
All that having been said... let's get on with the business of getting another National Championship! LGO!!!
That dream of Gavitt's was destined to become the best basketball conference in history and provide a level of college basketball that would produce 3 of the 4 teams in the 1985 final 4. It was hard to believe, but there it was, for all to see, Georgetown, St. Johns, and Villanova with Memphis State thrown in just to keep the whole affair from being an entire embarrassment of riches. Certainly few had given Villanova any chance of winning the National Championship but their having been tested and toughened by the rigors of conference play and the genius of Rollie Massimino who looked more suited to be a shoe salesman at JC Penny's or perhaps a used car salesman proved to be the combination which got it done.
The story of the Big East was replete with all the things that make for a great story. The rise of this collection of small Catholic schools and a few others who who had become National powers in the world which was accustomed to such juggernauts as Kentucky and UCLA as being the heir apparent for the National Title. And then there were the coaches. Louie Carnaseca and his sweaters, John Thompson and the towel, Rollie Massimino ranting and raving while looking like Danny DiVito. The professorial and plaid bedecked Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino, and Jim Calhoun.
Prior to the formation of the Big East I can recall the big thing to do was to go to the NIT back when it was a decent post season tournament. The Big East formed at the same time that my interest in college basketball, specifically Syracuse Basketball began. I was lucky enough, living in Connecticut to be able to go down to the Garden for the BE tournament. I would go with a group of 5 buddies and we'd take the train from New Haven down to the City, walk up the steps and staring us square in the face was Madison Square Garden with BIG EAST TOURNAMENT boldly emblazoned on the Marquee. Of the group, we were all fans of different Big East schools. 2 from Uconn, 1 from PC ,1 from Villanova, and myself and 1 other insanely Syracuse.
Looking back, those trips down to the Garden were some of the best times I ever had and certainly tops with regards to sporting events. There was the camaraderie, the rivalry, the ball breaking and kidding mixed with copious amounts of beer, laughs, all set to the backdrop of incredible college basketball with players like Pearl, Walter Berry, Mullin, Pinone, Ewing...and the Garden was the Mecca.
I don't know what to expect with all that is happening with this topsy turvy mixed up conference reconfiguration. Perhaps we will forge some new exciting rivalries with the likes of Duke and North Carolina. I try to keep an open mind about it. But like the days of my youth.. when I made that pilgrimage down to the Mecca with my buddies, the Big East and all it's glory is now about to be something of the past, never to be regained. And like my youth, it seemed like it would never end. But it did. I don't really long for the days of my youth or wish to be younger... God forbid! But it's with quite a bit of certainty that I think the excitement of Syracuse Basketball in the heyday of the Big East Conference is something which will never again be matched and will forever remember those days and that Conference as the "Good Old Days" of college basketball.
All that having been said... let's get on with the business of getting another National Championship! LGO!!!
