OT: Why Are You An Orange Fan?

[Longtimesu]

I grew up on the "Nort" side of Syracuse in the 50's and 60's. We didn't have computers, Ipads, Ipods, Play Station, etc. So we played lots of sports to pass the time. I played in HS, watched and played against the old city schools, and the catholic league schools. It was a natural progression to watch SU b/ball at the old SU gym, and then at Manly Field house. Nothing else to do. Heck, we only had 3 TV networks as well.

 

[SC Orange]

My dad has had season tickets since before I was born. What made me a bigger fan was 1995-1996 season. It was the first time I went to every home game and John Wallace made me a lifetime fan. I remember stomping my 10 year old feet on the bleachers in section 123 as well as yelling so loud I'd lose my voice.

We still have the tickets even though my father and I now live in the south. Good thing my sister lives in cuse and goes to every game for me.

 

[stuckinbig11]

Arrived as a freshman in 1967 and went to every home football and bball (except one) through 1978, when a job moved me to the midwest. I was likely hooked on SU because I was a big Jim Brown fan, but the great freshman bball team of Smith, Finney, McDaniel, and Green etched it into my soul. As I have said many times, "Syracuse basketball is the meaning of life."

 

[RoysRunts]

In light of GoHamSU 's thread, I thought I would piggyback off it and ask a question I often think when I visit the board. I both grew up in Syracuse and graduated from SU, so I have been, and always will be, Orange for life. For those of you who did not grow up in Syracuse or the surrounding area, and did not attend SU... why are you a fan of Syracuse University sports? What drew you in or piqued your interest? What hooked your fandom? I am very interested to see your response.

because of the enjoyment of watching the underdogs beat the Big Boy's Mike Lee/Mark Wadach/Kevin King/Jimmy Lee/Greg Kohls/Ross Kindle that's why

 

[Cusefan0307]

Blood
Alumnus
Geography

 

[rrlbees]

Grew up in Binghamton, and played for Cuse Football in the 70's. Love the area and the fans and Josies Italian Rest

Did you know Randy Edsall?

 

[orange79]

I am an alumnus.

I understand Vanessa Williams is also an Orange fan but she is an alumna.

And together, you are alumni! You are still together, right?

 

[Marsh01]

I was born here
I was raised here
I still live here
I will die here
My father did the right thing and brought me to manley,archbold and the dome since i could walk

There was no discussion who to root for in my household and that goes for my current household now

 

[Tcuse]

Relatives
Moved to Ithaca Area
Lifelong sports fan, just missed Jim Brown by a couple of years.

 

[shermstheman]

Not from Cuseland. Took first job there (company flopped after one year) and I moved away- this was 1981. The fans were TREMENDOUS and loved the team win or lose. It was infectious...and like an infection it spread in me and has never let me go. I'd never changed allegiances before (or since) and I never will.

 

[MSOrange]

Born in Syracuse. It's in my blood. Simple as that.

 

[tee1222]

I was born here
I was raised here
I still live here
I will die here
My father did the right thing and brought me to manley,archbold and the dome since i could walk

There was no discussion who to root for in my household and that goes for my current household now

Just. Heck yeah. Bro!

 

[RF2044]

I was born here
I was raised here
I still live here
I will die here
My father did the right thing and brought me to manley,archbold and the dome since i could walk

There was no discussion who to root for in my household and that goes for my current household now

Pretty similar for me.

It was in the blood--my dad is an alum / die hard SU fan who started taking me to football and basketball games at an early age. I really love that we share the same passion -- makes rooting for our favorite squad so much more fun!

Let's Go Orange!!!

 

[llandz]

Also born that way. My mother graduated from SU undergrad in '49 and was almost done with her master's degree when my father proposed to her, and she dropped out of grad school. I went to football games starting in 1959. One game every year. When I applied to college I said I was not going where my mother went. It was my last choice. But somehow I ended up there. And yes, I got into most of the other schools I applied to. Somehow SU seemed to make sense. Funny, my father went to Wharton at UPenn. I never had any thoughts about that school. We always leaned as a family towards SU and doing SU related things.

 

[We Are Syracuse]

Dad played football at the Cuse... Mom taught at the cuse.. And I was born in the cuse... Da cuse is in the house oh my gawd

 

[Motensocks]

Born in Long Island.
Father was a huge Knicks and St.Johns fan. I saw a game of syracuse vs St Johns during John Wallace frosh season and between he and Motensocks I have never looked back since. I also wanted to play for coach as well but 6'4 power forwards don't workout.

 

[CU44SE]

Mom and Dad came to Syracuse from Green Bay (Reason We are massive Packer fans) in 1985 when he got transferred here. They got season tickets to Cuse football and basketball games for something to do and they started bringing me at a very young age (2 years old). Iv bled orange, green, and yellow ever since.

 

[SUintheVille]

Moved to Syracuse (Liverpool) from PA at 14. Went to high school there...began following Cuse basketball religiously. Didn't go to SU (except for a course taken as a HS senior). Been in Louisville for years, but am still as deep of an Orange fan as ever and always will be.

 

[Shermthegeneral]

For me, I was surrounded by basketball at an early age. My father was a basketball coach at a local high school in the utica area. While my father coached, which was early 80's to early 90's, SU use to send out season passes to all the local coaches. I must have seen 15 games per year from 83 to 93. I think the thing that solidified me being such a huge fan was the 85-86 season and The Pearl. As a 6th grader, it was so exciting watching that team that year. So many great games that year capped off by the Georgetown win with the Pearl hitting a 15 footer with 13 seconds left to win the game against the. #1 hoyas

 

[Opus]

In light of GoHamSU 's thread, I thought I would piggyback off it and ask a question I often think when I visit the board. I both grew up in Syracuse and graduated from SU, so I have been, and always will be, Orange for life. For those of you who did not grow up in Syracuse or the surrounding area, and did not attend SU... why are you a fan of Syracuse University sports? What drew you in or piqued your interest? What hooked your fandom? I am very interested to see your response.

I do not fall in that category but will answer any way. My very first game in person was Dec 1st 1978. It was the Carrier Classic. Yes *newbs* the Carrier Classic started in Manley. My dad got tickets from his boss and we sat right behind the SU bench. It was against Western Michigan. I don't know why but I remember they had a player named Mike Seberger. At that time SNL was HUGE. They had a skit about 'Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Coke. Coke? No Coke, Pepsi! I just remember the student section (Zoo!) doing that (subbing Seberger for cheeseburger) when Seberger touched the ball We won, then the next night night was Iona with Valvano coaching and the heralded Jeff Ruland at center. Roosevelt was Roosevelt. *Put the block in the ledger*. Hell SI wrote about that game. http://www.si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1094411/index.htm Yes, I bleed Orange.

 

[orangefan13]

Because Syracuse basketball is like...

 

[suttree]

Born and bred in the great Salt City.

Grew up on Tipperary Hill.

I cried when we lost in 1987, and I cried when we won it all in 2003. My wife still reminds me that I shed more tears over the national championship than I did when I married her.

I have been a direct beneficiary of Saint Joyce's good works.

Syracuse Basketball is life. I was born into it as a townie and, though I've moved far away to Texas, I represent as a fan at all possible times. This program is one of the main things that makes life worth living. Hell yes.

GO ORANGE

WAR DAMN OTTO

 

[jekelish]

Already a 10 page thread on this topic...http://syracusefan.com/threads/where-are-we-from-fan-history.13843/

So my son is about to turn 3 and I need someone to tell him Santa isn't real and everyone dies. I also have to work at a baseball game I really don't want to go to and could really use a rain cloud. What's your schedule like the next few days?



Also, my dad and his whole family are from Marcellus so I was born into SU fandom despite being from Vermont. I'm an alum but that's mostly a product of being born with orange blood.

 

[LAOrange]

Grew up in Sylvan Beach. Went to Syracuse. Cheerleader in my Freshman year. Sweet D and the Lees. The Manley Zoo. But the single biggest reason was that when I was out on the road in the 80's, wherever the job took me, SU was always news. Boeheim managed to get the team in the Top 20 consistently so we were on TV and in the papers consistently. We were easy to follow.
When people say that rankings don't matter, they're wrong because they don't realize the impact it has in other parts of the country. Now SU is so big that I only had to watch three or four games on the computer this year. The rest were on TV... in Southern California.