Here's the Sad Truth About Tonight's Game

[Col. Bleep]

The headline says it all.
That's the way this game will be framed in the highlights tonight.

How could it possibly ever get to this?
There's no excuse - NONE - for letting this actually become the case.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/coll...rgetown_meet_maybe_for_iDlY2U99E7OfCnaFprFqjO


It's time for a DOMING.
GO ORANGE!

 

[orange79]

Calm down. It's been said all along (by JB in particular) that they want to continue playing G'town and St. John's every year. And I believe I have heard that at least G'town is receptive to it.

 

[SmilinBob]

I'm not so sure the Johnnies would want to continue to help SU outdraw them at the garden. MSG may want it but I really am not so sure st. johns would. As for GT, I think that will continue.

 

[Townie72]

Puhleease!

When we are in the ACC, interest in playing this game will drop like a stone.

There have been very few SU - GU games that have meant anything since the 1980's. We 28 and 14 against them since then.

They essentially disappeared during the whole Esherick era.

Even I can hardly remember the old JT Jr period in which the rivalry actually meant something.

GU can't fill the Verizon Center. They advertise to sell tickets continually in the Washington Post and at Orioles games. Their fan base is miniscule.

This is a "once great" rivalry.

 

[SmilinBob]

I bet Maryland would love to take gt's place and would be thrilled if the SU/GT series ends.

 

[44PRIDE]

Tend to agree this is a once-great rivalry that has gone totally stale. I think once JB retires, this series (along with most of the old big east rivalries) will retire with him.

 

[Townie72]

I bet Maryland would love to take gt's place and would be thrilled if the SU/GT series ends.

Good point, Bob.

 

[jordoo]

We don't need St Johns to play at MSG every year. If they won't play us we will play someone else we pack the place MSG will be happy to have us.

As far as Gtown and Nova, they would be wise to keep playing us as long as they can. Even if on our end its to keep our recruiting strength in the DC, Balto and Philly areas I think it helps to keep Gtwon and Nova brands looking more national especially with the BE looking at no SU, Pitt, WVU and soon Lville. That severely weekens the bball conference from the jump and if Uconn can't keep it going after Calhoun they are in serious trouble as a bball powerhouse.

 

[Frozen]

If SU plays a one-off game at MSG every year (independent of the Coaches vs. Cancer, Preseason NIT or Jimmy V), I'd prefer it to be against St. John's as opposed to some other team simply because it goes in the books as a true road game as opposed to a neutral site game.

 

[Orangemen]

Honestly, this series holds nowhere near the importance to me that it once did.

It's almost odd to hear the press talk about how great it is, and how important this game is, because personally, I feel only a fraction of that for this game.

For me, the teams I really want to beat are UConn, Pitt, and Louisville. Georgetown is probably 4th, I guess, though Nova has been a big game, though maybe not for a couple years.

It's definitely a generational thing, but I'm 33, and I'd bet that if you look at fans younger than I am, they feel even less about this game. How big can the rivalry be if at least 25-35% of the fan base does not consider it to be the biggest one?

 

[NKR1978]

If SU plays a one-off game at MSG every year (independent of the Coaches vs. Cancer, Preseason NIT or Jimmy V), I'd prefer it to be against St. John's as opposed to some other team simply because it goes it the books as a true road game as opposed to a neutral site game.

I'd rather it be UConn - each school gets to sell 1/2 the tickets. But other than that, St. John's would be good. I wouldn't even mind if SJU never came to the Dome.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I'd rather it be UConn - each school gets to sell 1/2 the tickets. But other than that, St. John's would be good. I wouldn't even mind if SJU never came to the Dome.

I know they've been a great rival, but I just don't understand why people want to keep playing UConn. We want them to disappear into the abyss of history, like Holy Cross and Seton Hall and UMass and St. John's - and Georgetown.

 

[Townie72]

As opposed to the NY Post’s headline that this could be the last SU v. GU game, the Washington Post has a comment buried in their story about tonight’s game that the future of the rivalry is “clouded”.

In fact, the Washington Post and the local TV and radio media have had almost nothing to say about the changes in the Big East and the likely impact on Georgetown basketball. I think it’s because they really don’t want to be critical or negative. GU and John Thompson, the elder, have always had a “protected status” at the Post, as opposed to Maryland’s program and coaches which are regular targets.

Nothing will force this issue to the media’s attention more than the first meaningful basketball game between SU and Maryland. This will be akin to divorcing one wife and then carrying on a highly-public torrid affair with her worst enemy.

It’ll be huge and the Terp fans and supporters are going to rub Georgetown’s noses in it.

For what might be the first time, the reporters will start asking GU officials how they like being in a Conference with CFL, USF, SMU and the rest of the southern and western commuter schools.

The ratio of Maryland fans to GU fans in the DC area is at least 10 to 1 in favor of Maryland. These two were supposed to start playing one another years ago and the first game was at GU’s home court, the US Air Arena. 90% of the crowd was Terp fans. The return game --- which was supposed to be at Maryland was never scheduled.

This is going to be fun

 

[longislandcuse]

There's a huge article in the USA Today on the game tonight. The media is making a bigger deal of this than the fans it seems. Or maybe we're all just in denial and trying to downplay it because if it truly is the end, this is a sad, sad day. Hopefully G'town agrees to play us in an OOC game each year.

 

[NKR1978]

I know they've been a great rival, but I just don't understand why people want to keep playing UConn. We want them to disappear into the abyss of history, like Holy Cross and Seton Hall and UMass and St. John's - and Georgetown.

I don't disagree, but I think from an atmosphere and NYC area fan perspective, this would be a way to wean ourselves off of the BET.

 

[SmilinBob]

Good point, Bob.

I see your ny post thread and it makes a lot of sense for SU to start something with Maryland well actually go back to playing Maryland like we did pre big east. But, GT and SU are private schools and I'm not sure if that helps or hurts this rivalry and if we could fill the arena with SU fans against GT it would help us in the DC area and give us an edge over Maryland...I really am not sure which way I'd want to go in this.

 

[44cuse]

Puhleease!

When we are in the ACC, interest in playing this game will drop like a stone.

There have been very few SU - GU games that have meant anything since the 1980's. We 28 and 14 against them since then.

They essentially disappeared during the whole Esherick era.

Even I can hardly remember the old JT Jr period in which the rivalry actually meant something.

GU can't fill the Verizon Center. They advertise to sell tickets continually in the Washington Post and at Orioles games. Their fan base is miniscule.

This is a "once great" rivalry.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I disagree with that completely. The GT game means something to me every year because of the games in the 80's.

They are the enemy and for that reason it makes it great.

44cuse

 

[dollarbill44]

I question how we develop a rivalry with Maryland that compares to what we used to have with Georgetown unless Maryland can bring their program back. Right now, the future Maryland games are attractive only because of the locale, not the competition, imo.

 

[SU2NASA]

We'll still play Georgetown and we'll still hate those douchebags.

 

[TexanMark]

We'll still play Georgetown and we'll still hate those douchebags.

Exactly and either SJU or UConn will fawn over the chance to play an annual game at MSG.

 

[SBU72]

Honestly, this series holds nowhere near the importance to me that it once did.

It's almost odd to hear the press talk about how great it is, and how important this game is, because personally, I feel only a fraction of that for this game.

For me, the teams I really want to beat are UConn, Pitt, and Louisville. Georgetown is probably 4th, I guess, though Nova has been a big game, though maybe not for a couple years.

It's definitely a generational thing, but I'm 33, and I'd bet that if you look at fans younger than I am, they feel even less about this game. How big can the rivalry be if at least 25-35% of the fan base does not consider it to be the biggest one?

For me the point is that SU vs (Georgetown / UConn / Pitt ) is THE game of the BE season, bar none. No other game between two BE teams defines the Big East as one of those. For the ACC it is Duke - UNC. It will take YEARS if not decades for SU to even poissibly move into that role, if ever. Maybe by 2040. But until then, SU will be the step child asked to join, not a conference pillar.

 

[Moontan]

For the ACC it is Duke - UNC. It will take YEARS if not decades for SU to even poissibly move into that role, if ever. Maybe by 2040. But until then, SU will be the step child asked to join, not a conference pillar.

I suspect a few Orange wins at Cameron or the Dean Dome would move Syracuse toward the top of their "most hated" list.

 

[ForeverOrange]

I sure hope we keep playing Uconn somehow, it's funny reading that article and seeing that we have already sold more tickets for the Uconn game than the Gtown game. I like both rivalries, but I have to be honest and say nothing gets me going like beating Uconn's ass!

 

[RandygoCuse]

I'm not quite ready to write off the rivalry with Georgetown. We're drawing ove 30,000 on a weeknight. True, Georgetown is highly ranked, but that only emphasizes that this is still an important game. Our fans (I cannot speak for Georgetown's) still get more amped up than they do for other games and I feel like the players do too. And I also feel that playing them only once a year could bring more hype as both teams know this is their one and only chance during the season. No more possibly getting them back for a second regular season game or in the Big East tournament. Yes, i think it did die down a little before JT3 took over, but as long as both teams are competitive, I think the rivalry will live on and live on strong.

 

[Townie72]

I'm not quite ready to write off the rivalry with Georgetown. We're drawing ove 30,000 on a weeknight. True, Georgetown is highly ranked, but that only emphasizes that this is still an important game. Our fans (I cannot speak for Georgetown's) still get more amped up than they do for other games and I feel like the players do too. And I also feel that playing them only once a year could bring more hype as both teams know this is their one and only chance during the season. No more possibly getting them back for a second regular season game or in the Big East tournament. Yes, i think it did die down a little before JT3 took over, but as long as both teams are competitive, I think the rivalry will live on and live on strong.

Once we go to the ACC and Georgetown becomes an Out-of-Conference match up, the significance of the game goes way down.

The game hasn't been all that significant for most of the past 20 years.

Some will try and pump the game up ... for the sake of the nostalgia of the 1980's.

I'll always root against Georgetown. But at that point both Maryland and Virginia and Virginia Tech games will be bigger deals for Syracuse.