I have all you folks beat. Born in 1942, I, SU class of 1964, just turned 81. In my earliest years, on game day if my parents were not at Archbold, my father, SU class of 1926, would set up a card table in our living room and work on his scrap book while listening to SU football games on WSYR. WSYR came in fine, despite living 2 hours (by Thruway) east of Syracuse. At the time, I was 4 or 5 years young. Before the Thruway, we drove on route 5 to 'Cuse, a heck of a trip.
I was probably 6 years of age when I saw my first game at Archbold. I was so little that I hardly could see over the people sitting in front of me. Our annual seats were on the north side concrete 1/3 of the way down on the 45 yard line. I remember as a little kid on those cold November days how cozy I felt sitting among the adults with their winter coats and the cigarette smoke actually smelling good as it intermingled with the cold air.
I remember things the young people here don't know, like the post World War 2 quarterbacks Bernie Custis, Avatus Stone, and terrific athlete Pat Stark. I remember seeing nationally famous SU baton girl Dottie Grover. I remember when SU, Colgate, and Cornell were known as The Big Three, and the other two guys actually would beat SU. Saw a Cornell game at Schoellkopf Field after a snow storm, in October 1957; I have its program.
I watched the SU Alabama 1953 Orange Bowl 61 to 6 loss on TV. Took us years to get over it. SU probably should not have gone to that bowl, and I think we were not the first choice of the bowl anyway The band's unis for that game were nice looking dark blazers and straw hats, that they wore for a few years after, even in the Syracuse bad weather.
Met Les Dye, who my father somehow knew. Les became the SU athletic director.
Saw Jim Brown's first varsity game. It wasn't long before my father wondered why he was not starting; I think he began on the 3rd string. Saw him score 43 points against Colgate.
I, as a high school senior, attended all the home games of the '59 national champs and one away game vs Boston U at Fenway. Dad tried out a colored TV, new back then, just happened it was during the weekend SU played UCLA that year, so saw the game in color. The TV went back to the dealer on Monday.
As a student, and as I've mentioned before, for the school year ending June 1962, football players on my floor, Sadler 2, were Dick Easterly and Bob Stem next door, Pete Brokaw and John Brown across the hall, and Ernie Davis and John Mackey in room 264. Met Jim Brown when he visited the floor (I was the first to see him when I came back from class) to see Ernie who never showed, so I and some floor mates had a nice conversation with him. Saw the 71 to 0 Colgate game. Was in the student section near the field when the powder of the cannon that was shot off after a TD exploded, injuring students on the field near it; the cannon was never again used in Archbold.
Probably have seen in person, watched on TV or computer, or heard on the radio all or part of 95% of SU football games. Donated about 35 items from my or my father's collection of SU memorabilia to Jim Ridlon's assemblage of 100 years of SU football.
I am a proud Syracuse U fan, one who goes way back.