Question about fandom & Pearl

[samspann1]

how many of you became SU fans because of Pearl?

I definitely fall into that category - Pearl wasn't the sole reason that I got into SU basketball, but he was a pretty big part of the reason. I remember being mesmerized as a kid, watching him toy with defenders, and handle the ball like it was a yo-yo in his hands, all the while, with that huge, ear-to-ear smile. I can say that I very well may not have gone to grad school at SU had it not been for my love of SU basketball

Sorry for the LAMP nature of this post...I just had to vent.

Thank you, Pearl

 

[AirForceOrange]

My first memories of Syracuse basketball are the Louie and Bouie Show, The Pearl, The General, D.C., Rony and Stevie...

 

[Jeremy L.]

I'm not part of this group, but I was 11 years old and met Pearl in New Orleans in 2003. He let me take a picture with him. The world lost an amazing human today.

 

[SUGIANT]

I was a fan before Pearl. But definitely a fan of his!

 

[pearl31]

<---

 

[OrangeViking]

I'm started in the Roy's Runts era, but I want to emphasize, getting Pearl to come to Syracuse was HUGE for the basketball program. Syracuse got the
NUMBER 1, top recruit in the nation. I've watched this program grow from the raised hardwood floor sitting on the dirt floor at Manley to 36,000 at the Dome and regular appearances in the NCAA tournament. A lot of this, we owe to Pearl. If he does not end up memorialized in bronze outside the Carrier Dome, it would be an injustice. People should be collecting money for a statue. I'd sure donate what I could.

 

[RF2044]

I was a fan before Pearl. But definitely a fan of his!

Definitely before Pearl, but Pearl was the quarterback of the team when I was in grade / middle school, which were my sports formative years -- where my love of SU sports really crystalized. I wore #31 on junior high basketball team because of Pearl.

 

[xc84]

I was a fan before Pearl. Kid Kohls was the first "star" I watched...then Sweet D and Marty Byrnes... Louie/Bouie. Each of these kicked it up a notch...and Pearl kicked it up another level. He was great... a fan favorite. Always a good show and always had fun doing it.

 

[kuethstheman]

Bill Smith was my first star. Many since but Pearl was the brightest of all of them.

Though I have a vague memory of watching Dave Bing while sitting on my father's shoulders.

 

[Shawn91111]

1st game I went to was during Pearl's soph season against Nova'. 6 years old so too young to recall him, but became enthralled with the atmosphere he provided at the Dome.

 

['72 Orange]

Bill Smith was my first star. Many since but Pearl was the brightest of all of them.

Though I have a vague memory of watching Dave Bing while sitting on my father's shoulders.

Bill Smith was my first also. Although we had some nice teams and players in the intervening years, the Pearl took us to the next level and made us a legitimate "big time" program.

 

[HastingsCuse]

Although I attended games at Manley (including the Magic Johnson games as a LeMoyne student) I did not follow the team closely. I was living in Botswana, Africa from July 1980 until April 1983 as a Peace Corps teacher and a result lost complete touch with Cuse sports. I never even saw the Dome until the Fall of 1983. I developed my addiction to Cuse Hoops because of Pearl. As a law student we had access to great seats and I attended every game Pearl ever played in the Dome including preseason games and exhibition games against "Athletes in Action". etc. I blame my first year "C" in torts since the night before the exam I went to the Dome instead of studying. (I think the game was against Utica College coached by Larry Costello.)
I saw games against Ewing, Mullin, Michael Jordan, and ending with the ugly home loss in the NCAA tournament against David Robinson and Navy. I can still see the the half court shot coming right at me!
We'll miss you Pearl!

 

[orange2win]

At that time (1983), there was limited TV coverage of college basketball. I was very excited to read in the JN that SU had received a commit from a Brooklyn McDAA. Such captures for us were rare. The McDAA game would be live on TV too, so my expectations were sky high.

I can recall vividly the game starting and the Pearl bringing the ball up the court, casually walking, bouncing the ball between his legs and behind his back as he surveyed the court ahead. He had an arrogance, a confidence in his style that was supreme. The opposition seemed to agree, looking memorized. Suddenly he exploded, like he was shot out of a canon, passing all before him in a flash, for an easy dish off under the basket to another and a quick score. I gasped. I had never seen such talent at the guard position before in my life and this guy was actually coming to Syracuse. Whoa!!!

Pearl received MVP in that game. It was just the beginning of the many thrills ahead. The Pearl had no equals.

 

[NJCuse97]

I was later to the party. The '87 team is what caught my attention. I was in 6th grade I think at the time. I was a Nets fan, so I was aware of the Pearl. As I learned more of SU hoops, I learned more of him (again, being a NJ Nets fan helped gel my affinity for Orange hoops; Raf Addison, DC, Sherm). As a student at SU I was privileged to hang with Dwayne on two occasions. One is probably one of the best moments in my SU fandom memory as I was invited to tag along to dinner at Grimaldi's after the alumni game. Some big names of past and present were there, but everyone was deferential to the Pearl.

 

[sabach]

Pearl was my first SU hero. I was 13 and just getting into following SU hoops when he came to SU. Saw him for the first time in my first game at the Dome in January, 1984 against Oklahoma which was ironically led back then by Wayman Tisdale who also left us way too soon.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

how many of you became SU fans because of Pearl?

I definitely fall into that category - Pearl wasn't the sole reason that I got into SU basketball, but he was a pretty big part of the reason. I remember being mesmerized as a kid, watching him toy with defenders, and handle the ball like it was a yo-yo in his hands, all the while, with that huge, ear-to-ear smile. I can say that I very well may not have gone to grad school at SU had it not been for my love of SU basketball

Sorry for the LAMP nature of this post...I just had to vent.

Thank you, Pearl

I confess i knew nothing of Syracuse basketball until the summer before i attended in 1985, aside from knowing there was a Dome.

I have long since acknowledged that i was spoiled early, as i arrived to see a team with Pearl, Seikaly, Triche, Adison, and Alexis, with Sherm as a backup. Had season tickets, and i remember expressly how my friends and i used to laugh at Sherm when he got minutes, because it was such a drop-off from the mastery of Pearl. He turned into something, though... And, then, sophomore year, we beat North Carolina to go to the Final Four... I probably thought it was always going to be like that.

 

[rrlbees]

First hero was Bing for me. Family went to a couple games when he played on the freshman team with JB. Still remember my father saying we were getting season tickets the following season because Bing would be on the varsity and he was going to be a star. Then Bill Smith, Kid Kohls, Denny Duval. All childhood heroes. But when Pearl came along about 10 years later, it was more than a hero. As an adult, I knew I was watching a legend and someone who was helping take SU to a new level. The Dome and SU basketball took on a whole new "personality".

 

[OttosBestFriend]

I was a St. John's fan when Pearl played for the 'Cuse, but he was a huge part of why I elected to attend SU.

Starting in '83, my cousin, brother, dad and I attended all of St. John's games at MSG - and some at Alumni Hall - during the Redmen's heyday.

Every time 'Cuse came to town, the Garden was that much louder with throngs of orange-clad crazies going nuts for Pearl and company.

Those mid-80s 'Cuse teams were so much fun to watch - even as a SJU fan - and I remember thinking to myself as a kid, "if the Orange fans are this much fun here, it must be insane at the Dome."

So when it was time to pick a college, SU was my first choice and there really wasn't a close second.

 

[HOFCeluck]

You guys were lucky. I was two when Pearl was a Freshman

 

[CuseOnly]

I'm started in the Roy's Runts era, but I want to emphasize, getting Pearl to come to Syracuse was HUGE for the basketball program. Syracuse got the
NUMBER 1, top recruit in the nation. I've watched this program grow from the raised hardwood floor sitting on the dirt floor at Manley to 36,000 at the Dome and regular appearances in the NCAA tournament. A lot of this, we owe to Pearl. If he does not end up memorialized in bronze outside the Carrier Dome, it would be an injustice. People should be collecting money for a statue. I'd sure donate what I could.

Here, Here!!

I mentioned that he should have a statue outside of the Melo Center and I would definitely donate.

We should do it on here in honor of Pearl and with the same passion as OrangeEyes and his pursuit of the Ernie Davis Statue.

 

[Jake]

I was a fan going back to Roys Runts. But Pearl...was just ELECTRIC.

When you watch the old games, the crowd was more into it, because there was never any dead time. Every play could have been spectacular.

And every game was a fugging WAR.

 

[mark79]

I arrived on campus as a freshman in 1975, Roy's last year I believe. Louie and Bouie as well as Dale Shackleford, Marty Byrnes and Danny Schayes were all on the team during my era. Pearl arrived on campus after I graduated (magna cum mediocre I might add). I wish there was video of Pearl in high school, but I scoured the Internet and found nothing. I guess tv coverage was scarce. You'd think the McDonalds all America game would have been televised but maybe not. A beer to anyone who can find HS video and share it!!

 

[kirbivore]

I was noine yrs. old during Pearl's junior year, so I just make the cut of remembering him play.

 

[tee1222]

I was around 12 or 13 when I got into basketball and SU because of Sherm. I just missed Pearl
But even from the highlights still floating around, electric. Really wish I got to see him live. What an incredible handle.

 

[stuckinbig11]

Bill Smith was my first star.

Smitty taught me how to juggle long ago.