I miss the Blarney...

[phillydad]

seeing many of you famliar faces there, pre-game anticipation, post game celebrations, buzz about the Big Dance, what will be our seed?...

Bilas was talking last night about the ACC starting a day earlier to get that coveted Sat night championship game and how it will rival the electricity of the old Big East Sat 9pm championship game. No way.

 

[cuseguy]

seeing many of you famliar faces there, pre-game anticipation, post game celebrations, buzz about the Big Dance, what will be our seed?... Bilas was talking last night about the ACC starting a day earlier to get that coveted Sat night championship game and how it will rival the electricity of the old Big East Sat 9pm championship game. No way.

For people who never, or rarely, attended the Big East tourney, that was one part that they'll never understand. We built friendships and maintained them thanks in part to the Big East tourney and the other games we attended together.

It's a huge loss.

 

[Bayside44]

You guys miss your youth.

That place was a dump, the service blew, and the last time I was there UEO and and I almost had a fight with 2 clowns who ran their mouths at a lady while the staff predictably did nothing. At lease Stout probably passes basic health code rules.

 

[Brian Orange]

The ACC final on Saturday night is a nice move, but Saturday night in Greensboro is nothing like Saturday night New York.

 

[cuseguy]

You guys miss your youth. That place was a dump, the service blew, and the last time I was there UEO and and I almost had a fight with 2 clowns who ran their mouths at a lady while the staff predictably did nothing. At lease Stout probably passes basic health code rules.

It didn't have to be the Blarney.

Besides, last time I was there for the BE tourney, the last BE tourney, we went upstairs. A lot more room to move around. I think I ate their once or twice over many years.

It wasn't just the Blarney. It was the people, and now I rarely see them.

Now I just text them from my couch.

 

[Bayside44]

It didn't have to be the Blarney.

Besides, last time I was there for the BE tourney, the last BE tourney, we went upstairs. A lot more room to move around. I think I ate their once or twice over many years.

It wasn't just the Blarney. It was the people, and now I rarely see them.

Now I just text them from my couch.

Fair enough I get that. It's the ideal and not the actual place.

I wasn't a fan of Greensboro (getting sun was a nice change of pace for hoops though) but this traveling circus is going to get a more of our fans involved in these games that don't live a quick trip away from the Garden.

There just seems to be an awful lot of lamenting going on, but we have new adventures ahead.

 

[TOL22]

For people who never, or rarely, attended the Big East tourney, that was one part that they'll never understand. We built friendships and maintained them thanks in part to the Big East tourney and the other games we attended together.

It's a huge loss.

I agree! Requiem for the Big East isn't just a 30 for 30 episode

 

[SUMBA]

seeing many of you famliar faces there, pre-game anticipation, post game celebrations, buzz about the Big Dance, what will be our seed?...

Bilas was talking last night about the ACC starting a day earlier to get that coveted Sat night championship game and how it will rival the electricity of the old Big East Sat 9pm championship game. No way.

I recall sitting with you in an afternoon session against Cincy. Gerry made a running one hander with the clock running down. We were at the other end of the court and couldn't believe they were reviewing it to see whether it was a three. No one could possibly make a three pointer like that. After the review, they ruled it a trey, which gave us a one point lead. We won the game and went on to win the BET that year.

The saddest part: As of last Friday it didn't officially happen.

 

[KaiserUEO]

the booze fest was great, it brought everyone together. family, board friends, college friends, work friends, City friends, everyone...couldnt walk 10ft without knowing someone.

there was many a saturday where i would wake up at 4pmish, put on espnews to refresh my memory if i had to go to the Garden that night, was actually relieved Syracuse lost...and just crawled into my local 'Cheers' for some food for the 1st time in 24hrs +, forced down a few beers and then moved on to the Jack & cokes just in time for the tip of what would inevitably be a great game.

end of an era in more ways than 1.

 

[MaxFischer]

The BET was huge fun and I echo the sentiments raised by many here. Met a lot of good folks on 33rd Street. A lot of us had a lot of fun pre and post game at the Blarney, Stout and...in some more extreme instances (Kaiser, RD, looking in your direction)...all points north, south and otherwise. It will probably never be the same, but we will have the (hazy) memories...

 

[TexanMark]

Friendships developed at the Blarney will pay it forward...I met nycfan in NYC years ago...who do I see in ATL in '13 on the street? Some drunk with great endurance, walking at a 30 degree list. As I remember I was ticket broker between nycfan and JJReddawg in the ensuing chaos to transfer F4 tix. It is good to be a Cuse fan.

 

[Madbiker]

seeing many of you famliar faces there, pre-game anticipation, post game celebrations, buzz about the Big Dance, what will be our seed?...

Bilas was talking last night about the ACC starting a day earlier to get that coveted Sat night championship game and how it will rival the electricity of the old Big East Sat 9pm championship game. No way.

If it's a UNC-Duke final the atmosphere will be electric in Greensboro because their fans will pack the place and they have intense feelings about the rivalry. It's like a Syracuse-UConn final in MSG. If it's any other teams in the final, not that much. If SU can get to the final in Barclay's it will be a great atmosphere.

 

[cto]

There is nothing comparable in Greensboro. The Coliseum in in a strip mall in the middle of nowhere surrounded by acres of parking lots. Aside from the games themselves... there is ZERO atmosphere. I was not planning on returning this year (last year was enough).

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Friendships developed at the Blarney will pay it forward...I met nycfan in NYC years ago...who do I see in ATL in '13 on the street? Some drunk with great endurance, walking at a 30 degree list. As I remember I was ticket broker between nycfan and JJReddawg in the ensuing chaos to transfer F4 tix. It is good to be a Cuse fan.

It is not a list...it is a lean.

In fact, it is the "Freddy Lean".

It dates back to the early 80s and has been Trademarked...

How he can do that for hours at a time is incomprehensible.

How he can hold his body at a 45 degree angle yet keep the bottom of his beer glass parallel to the floor so as to spill not one single drop might just be the eighth wonder of the world.

 

[phillydad]

I recall sitting with you in an afternoon session against Cincy. Gerry made a running one hander with the clock running down. We were at the other end of the court and couldn't believe they were reviewing it to see whether it was a three. No one could possibly make a three pointer like that. After the review, they ruled it a trey, which gave us a one point lead. We won the game and went on to win the BET that year.

The saddest part: As of last Friday it didn't officially happen.

I remember it well. That was the "Overated" year.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I remember it well. That was the "Overated" year.

So...if we now find out that we didn't win ten games that year, does this mean that Gerry didn't really play that year?

I'm confused.

Is this Hot Tub Time Machine 3?

 

[esmorange]

I went to BE Tournament for 25 consecutive years, early on we spent a lot of time at the Blarney Rock and The Penta Hotel, but as the years went by less and less time around there, we spent more time at McSorley's, The St Marks Hotel, Il Vagabondo restaurant, Sparks etc. Actually in the last several years the garden became quite a decent food spot in between games. Over the years saw a lot of great basketball (Including the infamous shot to P Ewing's gut by Pearl, the 6 OT Win over Connecticut etc, met a lot of great friends, Partied a lot, ate some great food, got to know the City pretty well, all in all I miss it quite a bit. In 2 years the ACC tournament will be in Brooklyn not Manhattan but still NYC looking forward to attending it.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Brooklyn will be great, but it still won't be the BET at the Garden.

There's a reason why it's the only borough that hates being called New York.

The core fan will be different too, it's no longer northeast private school folk, but southern state school ones.

 

[Brian Orange]

the booze fest was great, it brought everyone together. family, board friends, college friends, work friends, City friends, everyone...couldnt walk 10ft without knowing someone.

there was many a saturday where i would wake up at 4pmish, put on espnews to refresh my memory if i had to go to the Garden that night, was actually relieved Syracuse lost...and just crawled into my local 'Cheers' for some food for the 1st time in 24hrs +, forced down a few beers and then moved on to the Jack & cokes just in time for the tip of what would inevitably be a great game.

end of an era in more ways than 1.

Your first paragraph PERFECTLY sums it up.

 

[longtimefan]

Brooklyn will be great, but it still won't be the BET at the Garden.

There's a reason why it's the only borough that hates being called New York.

The core fan will be different too, it's no longer northeast private school folk, but southern state school ones.

Well, Duke, Miami and ND, among others, are full of northeast private school folk.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Well, Duke, Miami and ND, among others, are full of northeast private school folk.

The Louisville people I met at the BET were very friendly and knowledgeable.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Brooklyn will be great, but it still won't be the BET at the Garden.

There's a reason why it's the only borough that hates being called New York.

The core fan will be different too, it's no longer northeast private school folk, but southern state school ones.

Scalpers gonna have a field day.

Usher: Ticket ain't no good.

Southern Fan: but I bot this heeah ticket from a fiiine upstanding gentl'man outside who dun tol' me they was excellent seats. I Donna undustand how y'all can say it's no good.

Usher: Look, it an 't no fukkin' good, ok. It's been scanned. You got another ticket or what.

Southern Fan: uh, no.

Usher: Den, get fukkin' lost. You're holding up da line.

 

[Ghost]

So...if we now find out that we didn't win ten games that year, does this mean that Gerry didn't really play that year?

I'm confused.

Is this Hot Tub Time Machine 3?

Bravo. lololol

 

[KaiserUEO]

Well, Duke, Miami and ND, among others, are full of northeast private school folk.

So let me add...

...or worse.

 

[Cowtown]

Well, Duke, Miami and ND, among others, are full of northeast private school folk.

Some wag around here called Duke, "U of NJ-Durham."