When your highlight of a basketball game is spending time with a former SU football punter, you know it was probably not the greatest game you've ever attended. But, hey, it was not as bad as it sounds. It was wonderful seeing Rob Long at the pre-game SU event on what was, ironically, the fourth anniversary of his diagnosis with brain cancer.. Rob looked great. And he said his periodic MRI this week looked even greater. So it WAS a great highlight.
Had an uneventful Amtrak ride to Philly yesterday for the game... and we dined last night at a funky restaurant we found on TripAdvisor called Victor Cafe. Good Italian food, but the real main course was provided by the waiters who are all aspiring opera singers. About every 15 minutes, one of them would sing a famous operatic aria. Going in, we were a bit dubious because it sounds hokey, but it worked. Highly recommend it for a unique dining experience.
And then there was the game. For about 39 minutes and 40 seconds, we were beating the 7h ranked team in the country on its home court ... in spite of some of the worst officiating I've ever seen (Hadn't those refs ever seen a travel before?).. But then, at the end, after Gbinije, Christmas and McCullough had all fouled out, the attrition caught up with us. I took a great picture (she says, modestly) of the three guys on the bench at the end of the game ... which proves one picture is worth a thousand words. Sadly, I am too technology-challenged to post it here... but if you're friends with me on Facebook, check it out. It really does sum up what happened.
It was also great seeing Billy Owens and Michael Carter-Willams at the game. I love it when former players come to cheer for the team. Both Billy and Michael were incredibly gracious in talking with everyone who approached them ... and posing for pictures with them all.
After the game, a bunch of us drowned our sorrows at the XFinitty thing in the sports complex where 99.9 percent of the HUGE crowd was there to watch the Eagles game on dozens of big screens ... and no one cared about our basketball game. There was literally no one there in Nova garb... they were all wearing Eagles stuff. I guess Philly really is a pro sports town.
So then back to the 30th Street Station and Amtrak. Folks who know me .. know how phobic I am about tunnels. So what happens on my ride home to Connecticut? My worst nightmare. The train comes to a screeching halt in the tunnel under NYC's East River ... because the train in front of us has broken down. So Ms Tunnel-Phobic spends nearly an hour under the East River until they remove the train in front of us. As a result, I missed my connection at Stamford.. and waited almost another hour for the next train home.
But, hey, it was not a bad day. It was great spending time with Rob Long and a lot of great SU fans/friends... And I felt encouraged about the basketball team. We lost, but we played a highly ranked team better than even on its court for most of the afternoon. If only those refs knew a travel when it was right in front of their faces.
