I miss the Blarney...

[Bayside44]

Well my southern cracker (can I say that here?) friends are fired up for Brooklyn.

Don't sleep on DC, it's a great venue that gives you a lot of The Garden feel. I am sure we can find a semi-condemned bar somewhere for The Blarney crowd.

 

[billsin01]

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.

I think the issue isn't just that cuse fans lived a quick trip from NYC -- it was that we played northeast schools located a quick trip from NYC. I know for me that meant I met up with not only Cuse fans but my buddies who went to providence, seton hall, uconn, nova, etc. You are never going to replace that. You just won't. The ACC is fine, but losing the northeast is miserable, IMO.

 

[billsin01]

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 was at that game too. Phenomenal.

 

[billsin01]

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

Not. even. close. Am I the only person on this board with a boatload of friends who went to other traditional BE schools? ND is the only one even remotely close of the three you mentioned.

 

[billsin01]

Well my southern cracker (can I say that here?) friends are fired up for Brooklyn.

Don't sleep on DC, it's a great venue that gives you a lot of The Garden feel. I am sure we can find a semi-condemned bar somewhere for The Blarney crowd.

Yeah, DC will be fun. Of course living there makes it that much better. When are they doing DC?

 

[cuseguy]

I think the issue isn't just that cuse fans lived a quick trip from NYC -- it was that we played northeast schools located a quick trip from NYC. I know for me that meant I met up with not only Cuse fans but my buddies who went to providence, seton hall, uconn, nova, etc. You are never going to replace that. You just won't. The ACC is fine, but losing the northeast is miserable, IMO.

This is something that is rarely mentioned, but it's so true.

Our rivals before were our neighbors. I used to run into fans of other Big East schools frequently in my travels throughout the northeast, and even more so here in Connecticut. But it also might be a fan from Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall or Rutgers. Heck, my doctor is a Georgetown grad.

The small talk, the good natured ribbing, just added to everything.

It's like giving up your high school rival that was just miles away for one that's in another state.

It just isn't the same, and it never will be, for that simple reason, no matter how some might try to twist it.

 

[billsin01]

This is something that is rarely mentioned, but it's so true.

Our rivals before were our neighbors. I used to run into fans of other Big East schools frequently in my travels throughout the northeast, and even more so here in Connecticut. But it also might be a fan from Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall or Rutgers. Heck, my doctor is a Georgetown grad.

The small talk, the good natured ribbing, just added to everything.

It's like giving up your high school rival that was just miles away for one that's in another state.

It just isn't the same, and it never will be, for that simple reason, no matter how some might try to twist it.

Yeah, and the g'town point is a great one too b/c any g'town fan was a fun target in the garden

 

[Bayside44]

You guys actually know a Seton Hall grad? Or for that matter a PC one? Never mind the new additions after 2003.

Guess it depends on where you are - I know more Duke grads than all the Catholics and old BE (minus SJU) combined. SU's profile more fits where we are on the whole than where we were considering who came with us.

 

[jec1521]

You guys actually know a Seton Hall grad? Or for that matter a PC one? Never mind the new additions after 2003.

Guess it depends on where you are - I know more Duke grads than all the Catholics and old BE (minus SJU) combined. SU's profile more fits where we are on the whole than where we were considering who came with us.

I was planning on attending Seton hall myself. And i know a ton of PC grads. (Too many. They're like an annoying cult)

 

[Bayside44]

I was planning on attending Seton hall myself. And i know a ton of PC grads. (Too many. They're like an annoying cult)

I just looked, the whole school (PC) is 3800 undergrads. My high school in those days had 3K students.

 

[longtimefan]

Not. even. close. Am I the only person on this board with a boatload of friends who went to other traditional BE schools? ND is the only one even remotely close of the three you mentioned.

Not talking about friends, or even acquaintances. The point I was responding to was that the old BE was full of northeastern private school "folk", and the ACC is populated by southern state school sorts. My response was that schools such as Duke, Miami and ND are home to plenty of northeastern transplants.

 

[orangehomer]

Greensboro is a joke. if I wanted to watch basketball games on sedatives I would just abuse prescription drugs rather than travel there to get bored out of my mind.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Who knew the Blarney even served food?

Odd walking in the area today on the way to work.
A pack of guys in Villanova shirts made me smile.
Then a guy wearing "Creighton."
Creighton?
Big East?
Nothing says "over" like Creighton in the Big East.

 

[cuseattle]

LIRR to Penn Station...

 

[sutomcat]

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.

Agreed. It was hard last year missing the BET.

So much great stuff. MSG, the Blarney, Manhattan, all the great people you run into when you attend a BET. It can't be replicated, and it certainly wasn't in Greensboro.

No offense to Greensboro, but it is a small, boring city than was reminded me of Syracuse, except it had much worse traffic and organization, and was less interesting, had less things to do, and was a little (okay a lot) less cold.

This year, with nothing to attend, nowhere to go, it really hurts. I miss everything, from the long train ride down to Penn Station, to the Irish waitresses at the Blarney that somehow remembered that I drank ginger ale each year to the dollar pizza slices and the trees budding in Central Park, always about a month ahead of Syracuse.

But most of all I miss the people, most of whom frequent this board. There are an astonishing number of great SU fans to hang with. And that doesn't count all the fans of other BE schools I became friendly with over the years. Heck, I even miss some of those sleazy scalpers that always hung around in from of the Blarney.

DC will be a lot better next year. Brooklyn better still. And maybe someday we can return to MSG.

There are rumors about clauses in the New Big East contract with MSG that allow MSG to replace that conference with another due to poor attendance. If those rumors are true, MSG might be available sooner than 2026. And when I say available, I mean on the final weekend of the season. The ACC is not a third rate conference willing to play their tournament a week early to get some TV exposure and access to a decent venue, like the Horizon League, the B1G, the Atlantic Sun, the MVC and other undesirables.

After 8 consecutive years of BET sellouts, average attendance for the BET went from 20,057 in 2013 gto 14,556 last year. From the little I have seen this year, it looks like that number is going to go down even lower.

And then there is the problem of the Butler mascot vomited on the MSG court...

 

[cuseguy]

You guys actually know a Seton Hall grad? Or for that matter a PC one? Never mind the new additions after 2003. Guess it depends on where you are - I know more Duke grads than all the Catholics and old BE (minus SJU) combined. SU's profile more fits where we are on the whole than where we were considering who came with us.

Disagree. We're a Northeast school. Can't change that.

 

[Rocco]

The BET will be unrivaled IMO. Every year, I went down with 10-15 people on Wednesday. It was bananas.

The hardcore drinking that went on was college-esque. I remember me and a few of my buddies absolutely murdering a couple UConn fans in car bomb races. Waking up the next morning/afternoon not entirely sure where you are and then doing it all over again was the best.

The year Onuaku went down with that thigh injury, a bunch of GTown fans in front of us were cheering and clapping that he got hurt. It got ugly. I remember screaming "your motha's a Hoya!!!" repeatedly while they were being escorted out.

 

[SUMBA]

The Blarney was like an annual extended family reunion every March. It was a great place to catch up with people's lives. How is your family? How is the career going? were always asked before discussing hoops.

nycfan was the mayor of the Rock. He seemed to know everyone in the place. He introduced me to several board posters. This included several of his closest friends whom he had just met moments earlier. I think he needs to come out of his shell a bit.

After attending the BET pre and post game booze fests for years at the Rock, I became a regular. Even if I was two deep at the bar, the barkeep recognized me and always took my order before the Johnny and Jill come latelys who were closer to the bar than I.

I remember the look on some young SU fans faces when they realized with whom they were drinking. A fan was wearing a necklace crafted out of a 2003 National Championship ring. One of the recent SU grads commented on the jewelry. The wearer of the necklace confirmed that it was indeed authentic. The skepticism registered on the young fan's faces as they inquired as to how such a unique item could be procured. Their expressions changed quickly when the bearer of the necklace told them that she is rather closely related to a certain head coach. The young fans went from being skeptical to being awestruck instantly. One never knew who one might run into at the Rock.

If nycfan was the mayor of the Rock, Tomcat was certainly the controller. I recall him working tirelessly, fueled by double ginger ails, to make sure every SU fan who wanted a ticket got one. He also offered advice on recognizing fair market prices and fraudulent tickets. He was an absolute bulldog working the Rock and surrounding area to make sure tickets were procured.

Of course the all time legendary Rock story, which many posters witnessed, won't be repeated here. After all "What happened at the Rock, stayed at the Rock." One cryptic clue: it involved an ambulance...

There was the time when a poster left the Rock to answer a call. In attempting to rejoin our little group, the poster could not find us and insisted we had moved our spot near the Rock stairs. As I recall, the text got rather testy as the frustration grew about not being where we said we were. It turns out the poster had mistakenly wandered into Stout next door after their call. (Note: Unlike the incident above, this Rock story was placed on this very board by the poster in question, which makes it fair game...and fun!).

After the 6 OT game, I instinctively wandered over to the Rock. There were lines to get in and I looked for familiar faces. I ran into orange79 and another poster, who I can't recall (phillydad? nycfan?). We all high fived and talked about the fantastic event we had just witnessed. Mustering just about all that was left out of my strained vocal cords, I mentioned that the next work day was my early morning. I had to be at work at 5:30, which by that time was just a few hours away. The board pals physically turned me and pushed me toward the subway and told me to get my a** home. Those are great friends and it was good advice.

Yes, Stout was nicer, cleaner, and had better food. But it paled by comparison to the Rock in atmosphere and charm. Although perhaps I am a bit biased after being forced to do the perp walk out of Stout in front of a packed house...by TWO security dudes no less! I figured my Stout transgression would never have been noticed at the Rock so I stuck with the place I was most comfortable.

The bonds formed at the Rock were special. That they are no longer being renewed each March is indeed sad....

I miss the Rock too!

 

[Bayside44]

Disagree. We're a Northeast school. Can't change that.

We're going to have to branch out, demographics aren't in our favor that way, and there are way many CNY refugees in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

I tend to think of us as America's school.

 

[OttoMets]

Well my southern cracker (can I say that here?) friends are fired up for Brooklyn.

Don't sleep on DC, it's a great venue that gives you a lot of The Garden feel. I am sure we can find a semi-condemned bar somewhere for The Blarney crowd.

Rocket Bar smells like vomit. It'll do.