Sherman Douglas - yesterday | Syracusefan.com

Sherman Douglas - yesterday

cto

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CherrieHoop and I were having refreshments at half time, when suddenly, Cherrie says "Sherman!" to a nice -looking guy standing next to me. It was indeed Sherman Douglas -- whom no one else had recognized. He was dressed in a sports jacket and tie and was there with his daughter, a delightful high school senior who is interested in attending SU next year (standard parent and child college visit thing). Anyhow, Cher and I had a nice chat with father and daughter before returning to our seats for the second half.

Then, when we were leaving the arena at the end of the game, Sherm and his daughter were trying to enter the hallway to the locker room (to which they had been invited). Security guard would not let them in. Cherie and I start telling the guard ... "It's Sherman Douglas, let them in." Guard's reaction was like: "I have no idea who Sherman Douglas is, but he is not going to the locker room." I say: "He's one of the greatest players in Syracuse history." Guard clearly did not care (so much for my persuasive powers). Guard finally told Sherm and daughter to go back to the floor and exit through players' tunnel and talk to the guard there. I hope the second guard had more common sense than the first one.
 
Somebody should have said to that guard turnaround look up at the honored jerseys see #20 up there that's the guy you aren't letting back there. I hope Sherm got back to the locker room. I remember his days with Celtics I was too young to remember his SU days but my Dad who is SU alum called him JB's greatest PG ever, and I remember him being upset when we lost his last game( I now know its the Elite 8 Illinois game in the MetroDome)
 
Somebody should have said to that guard turnaround look up at the honored jerseys see #20 up there that's the guy you aren't letting back there. I hope Sherm got back to the locker room. I remember his days with Celtics I was too young to remember his SU days but my Dad who is SU alum called him JB's greatest PG ever, and I remember him being upset when we lost his last game( I now know its the Elite 8 Illinois game in the MetroDome)

Yeah. As soon as we got out the door, that is what Cherie said she should have said. But it was about a minute too late. Just an odd scene.
 
Unbelievable, the guard should be ashamed to be in the Dome if he knows so little.
I know you get to hobknob with lots of important people, but Sherman Douglas? Wow. My favorite player ever.
 
CherrieHoop and I were having refreshments at half time, when suddenly, Cherrie says "Sherman!" to a nice -looking guy standing next to me. It was indeed Sherman Douglas -- whom no one else had recognized. He was dressed in a sports jacket and tie and was there with his daughter, a delightful high school senior who is interested in attending SU next year (standard parent and child college visit thing). Anyhow, Cher and I had a nice chat with father and daughter before returning to our seats for the second half.

Then, when we were leaving the arena at the end of the game, Sherm and his daughter were trying to enter the hallway to the locker room (to which they had been invited). Security guard would not let them in. Cherie and I start telling the guard ... "It's Sherman Douglas, let them in." Guard's reaction was: "I have no idea who Sherman Douglas is, but he is not going to the locker room." I say: "He's one of the greatest players in Syracuse history." Guard clearly did not care (so much for my persuasive powers). Guard finally told Sherm and daughter to go back to the floor and exit through players' tunnel and talk to the guard there. I hope the second guard had more common sense than the first one.

Sherman Douglas is my all-time favorite player from SU.

He's been semi-reclusive since retiring from the NBA, so it was great to see him at the Dome. BTW, your story is hilarious!

How was he doing, CTO? Did you know him personally at all [beyond recognizing him, I mean]?
 
I had a couple of classes with Sherm when he was a senior and I was a sophomore. Sat next to him in both so we talked a lot. Really nice, humble, soft-spoken guy. People would ask for autographs in class. I asked when was the first time anybody asked for his autograph. He said 9th grade. I asked if it was cool. He said, "It was then".

When he turned pro, I went to see him play against the Knicks. I was standing under the basket during shootaround, in my SU sweatshirt. Guy standing next to me is screaming "Sherman, Sherman!" Sherm walks over and I figure he's going to talk to the screamer. He walks right by the guy, says hi to me and shakes my hand. Funny.
 
Little known fact: Douglas shares the same birthday with Joe Morris, one of my favorite football players.
 
Sherm is one of my all time fav's as well but he doesn't look like a basketball player to the average joe. Biggest heart to ever lace up sneakers on the hill imo though. First time I remember seeing him play was at a preseason scrimmage they used to have at Auburn High School and he played Pearl pretty tough.
 
If you want to be a guard at the Dome for sporting events you should have to pass a basic SU sports history test, and the most basic would of course include the general.
 
Sherman looks great, he just doesn't age and looks like he could still play. I was shocked when he entered at half-time alone with his daughter and no one seemed to recognize him. CTO and I were so impressed with his adorable daughter and Sherman was so unassuming. I mentioned I wished he had been here for Midnight Madness but he didn't really answer why he wasn't there but his daughter didn't know about it and said she wished he had attended.

The guard showed no recognition when we just happened to see Sherman attempting to enter the back door of the lockerroom with a pass in hand. When we told the guard who he was, he said he knew (not from the look on his face) but stated it didn't matter, he had to enter from the court. Sherman politely said "okay". What was interesting was that a number of cheerleaders went past all of us and not one recognized Sherman either. Then I remembered that he was now 45 and not one of those cheerleaders was even alive when he took the court.

I wonder if he wanted to avoid a scene entering from the court. He was such an awesome player - the lob pass and his special floater is what I remember like yesterday.
 
Great story... It's posts like this that keep most of us coming back!
 
If you want to be a guard at the Dome for sporting events you should have to pass a basic SU sports history test, and the most basic would of course include the general.

Agreed -- thats just absolutely embarrassing. The General should have free reign of the place
 
If they made it to the lockerroom, I am disappointed that the press did not interview him.
 
I just youtubed some videos of Sherm (I couldn't help myself), man was he good. He didn't just have eyes in the back of his head but on the sides too. I vaguely remember watching him play. I wish I had been just a little over so I could have understood how good he was better while he was here.
 
I just youtubed some videos of Sherm (I couldn't help myself), man was he good. He didn't just have eyes in the back of his head but on the sides too. I vaguely remember watching him play. I wish I had been just a little over so I could have understood how good he was better while he was here.
Here you go--my favorite play of all time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9oYwJkQlLI
 
What's amazing about that play was that he perfectly led Stevie on the pass...
And that it was a true no-look. Watching Stevie levitate was nice too.
 
Sherman looks great, he just doesn't age and looks like he could still play..

Indeed he does - still plays Kenner League games at Georgetown against guys half his age.

Bummer that the security guard wouldn't let him in. Not a job I'd want, but still - 2,000-point scorers shouldn't get turned away from the locker room. A little less than an appropriate welcome.

Edit (found my Kenner bookmarks): http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/063010aaa.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...0/07/16/AR2010071604523.html?wprss=rss_sports
 
It was nice that they waited until the under 4 in the second half to announce he was there. By then everyone had left. After the made the announcement I was able to find where he was sitting. He had pretty good seats so someone from SU had to know he was there before then.
 
Indeed he does - still plays Kenner League games at Georgetown against guys half his age.

Bummer that the security guard wouldn't let him in. Not a job I'd want, but still - 2,000-point scorers shouldn't get turned away from the locker room. A little less than an appropriate welcome.

Edit (found my Kenner bookmarks): http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/063010aaa.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...0/07/16/AR2010071604523.html?wprss=rss_sports

The second article was a very cool read--thanks for sharing that!
 
The second article was a very cool read--thanks for sharing that!

Happy to; I'm just sorry I missed Sherm last summer. We saw a lot of Kenner League ball in 2009, but he wasn't playing that season. Very cool stuff.
 

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