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[QUOTE="Consigliere, post: 4597023, member: 559"]
Ok, we’re doing this? I’m 66!

Roy Danforth was the head coach my freshman year in 1974-75. We knew next to nothing about the skinny kid with the big glasses sitting with him on the bench.

Obviously a true sports icon whose impact goes well beyond Syracuse, but whose heart and soul are pure CNY.

Beyond basketball, I will always be proud to be a Syracusan and relish the way Jim championed, protected and defended the community throughout his career. Who can forget the “Hawaii isn’t any different than Syracuse in July” quote.

He has proven to be a fiercely loyal underdog who has to fight for a scholarship, had to fight for the head coach job and had to fight for the immense respect he so deeply deserves. If this made him seem defensive and cold at times it also kept the passion burning through more than five decades.

A quick story. A close friend and fellow orange fan was at a public event that Jim was speaking at. My friend’s brother in law was a prostate cancer survivor who had recently been diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. He had never met Coach, but went up to him, introduced himself and told the story. He asked Jim if he might take some time and Fire off a short email or such just to give him some encouragement. Coach asked if the brother in law could talk on the phone and asked my friend if he would call him. He then spent ten full minutes on the phone telling the cancer patient to fight, be strong and shared some of his cancer journey. He was called to the podium twice before finally signing off and inviting the man to a game as his guest.

I choose to consider that a truer portrait of the man rather than a argumentative press conference or two.
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