I came from a family that was not into SU sports. We did get both newspapers and I read everything cover to cover. In those days, the Syracuse newspapers really featured SU sports and the coverage of SU football was vastly more in depth and comprehensive than what the PS attempts to do these days.
Lots of analysis. Lots of photos of key plays, with arrows, dotted lines showing where players would go and labels for the players. It intrigued me. I had started watching NFL games and knew the rules but I don’t remember watching college football on TV. Started listening to the radio broadcasts circa 1972. Joel wasn’t great at providing all the details you want listening to a game but he had a lot of passion and got me further interested to the point where I had to see them play in person. I remember asking my dad if we could go and he said no, we don’t care about Syracuse University in this household. He went to LeMoyne for his BS and Georgetown for his law degree.
By 1974 I had a paper route and had some money saved. I didn’t know anyone who went to the games so it was tough to get started. Had only been on campus briefly one time when my father took the family to Archbold to watch fireworks. But I consulted maps and found my way to campus. I think I walked from Eastwood, something I would end up doing many times the next 12 years or so.
I believe my first game was against Pitt that year. We lost in a pretty close game. If I remember right, tickets cost $4, which shocked me. I was used to going to Syracuse Chiefs games, where I believe the price was $1 a ticket. $4 was a small fortune to me. I think at the time, I was clearing $4 or $5 dollars a week working my paper route.
I did have the money but I was young, shy and was concerned if I went to buy a single by myself, I would be refused. A young man saw me eyeing the ticket booth and asked me if I needed a ticket. I said yes, wondering if this guy was going to give me a ticket. That would be cool! No, he wanted to sell me his ticket. For full price. But I knew I could buy a ticket from him without a problem so I said okay and after handing him 4 dollars, I had a ticket to a Syracuse football game.
I immediately headed over to the nearest entrance to the stadium and handed the ticket taker my ticket. Super excited. I was going to see my first college football game! This was one of my first great adventures!
He asked for my ID. I told him I didn’t have an ID (I didn’t even have a social security card; I was 14). Thought this was strange. We had gone to dozens of Chiefs games and no one was ever concerned about IDs.
He persisted. ’This is a student ticket. You have to show me your ID to get in.’ I of course had no idea there was such a thing as a student ticket. A bunch of thoughts raced through my head: That guy who sold it to me never warned me. I am sure he knew I was going to get boned trying to get in. What a jerk.
This is not fair. I am an idiot.
I told him I wasn’t a student. Told him I just bought it from a guy and didn’t know it was a student ticket. I think I even apologized to him for wasting his time. My eyes were already filling with tears as I was telling him this, realizing what had just happened. I turned my back from the stadium and starting the long, awful walk home. No football game for me. 4 dollars removed from my pocket. Great excitement to great disappointment in the span of 5 seconds.
I got about 5 steps away when I heard ‘Hey Kid. C’mon back.’
Was I imagining that? I turned back and took a peek at the ticket taker who had just broken my heart.
He was talking to me. And he had a little hint of a smile. ‘C’mon back’ he said again.
I cautiously walked back.
’I’m not supposed to do this. But go on in.’ He gestured for my ticket with one hand and waved to the concourse of the stadium with the other.
I didn’t have to be told twice. I was in the stadium in a flash, wiping my tears away as my utter despair changed again to pure joy.
10 seconds later, I had navigated through the dark, dank underbelly of Archbold and headed for an entrance to the field. It was about the only light anywhere close to me. As I went through the entrance, all that darkness of greys and blacks was replaced by a brilliant sunny day and the vibrant green of the playing field. I think both endzones were painted orange.
It was very much like the moment in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ when Dorothy leaves her house, goes outside and the film abruptly changes from black and white to color.
SU was playing. The tubas beckoned.
Hooked. Line and sinker.
The rest is history.
Props to the kind ticket taker who bend the rules and let a kid in using a student ticket. He is probably gone now but I will always remember that act of kindness.