The Carrier Dome Experience for Visiting Players

[Townie72]

A few years ago I had a conversation with ex-Georgetown player, Dwayne Bryant. He was coaching boy's basketball at a local prep school and one of his assistants is a good friend of mine.

Because I'm a Hoya BB hater from way back and generally think the worst of anything connected to JT Jr, I was surprised ---even shocked --- at how good a guy Dwayne was.

In the course of our talk, I asked him about playing in the Carrier Dome. I was thinking it must been an difficult experience for the Hoyas. Imagine how it must feel to hear and almost feel that tsunami of boos when you go out on the court.

Dwayne lit right up when he started talking about the Dome experience. "It was fantastic", he said. "It was so much fun. The huge crowds. All that noise. And the crowd was really into the games. It was a great experience.

Dwayne said that he respected everything about the SU program from the players to JB to the crowds. He said that Syracuse was almost unique in the Big East as a "Big Time" Program.

So when you see the UNC players tomorrow ---- and UNC is unquestionably a "Big Time" program --- you can bet that at least some of them are going to be saying to themselves, "Wow, this is fantastic".

Swofford at this juncture looks like a genius inviting SU and Pitt into the ACC. Not only does the ACC have the great showcase of SU basketball at the Dome but SU and Pitt are both going to cause a lot of interest and excitement when they play at the other ACC venues.

 

[tbonezone]

" it's like the rims were moving... "

 

[im4cuse]

A few years ago I had a conversation with ex-Georgetown player, Dwayne Bryant. He was coaching boy's basketball at a local prep school and one of his assistants is a good friend of mine.

Because I'm a Hoya BB hater from way back and generally think the worst of anything connected to JT Jr, I was surprised ---even shocked --- at how good a guy Dwayne was.

In the course of our talk, I asked him about playing in the Carrier Dome. I was thinking it must been an difficult experience for the Hoyas. Imagine how it must feel to hear and almost feel that tsunami of boos when you go out on the court.

Dwayne lit right up when he started talking about the Dome experience. "It was fantastic", he said. "It was so much fun. The huge crowds. All that noise. And the crowd was really into the games. It was a great experience.

Dwayne said that he respected everything about the SU program from the players to JB to the crowds. He said that Syracuse was almost unique in the Big East as a "Big Time" Program.

So when you see the UNC players tomorrow ---- and UNC is unquestionably a "Big Time" program --- you can bet that at least some of them are going to be saying to themselves, "Wow, this is fantastic".

Swofford at this juncture looks like a genius inviting SU and Pitt into the ACC. Not only does the ACC have the great showcase of SU basketball at the Dome but SU and Pitt are both going to cause a lot of interest and excitement when they play at the other ACC venues.

I happened to catch Swofford on the Tim Brando show early this week. Mostly about FSU and football understandably, but when it turned to hoop discussion, I was ready for him to also beat the conference chest about Cuse right near the top, and maybe credit to the other newbies like Pitt and ND (who had just beaten Duke). You know -- "we are not missing a beat". Instead crickets. Indeed he mentioned Louisville coming next year and what an addition that will be, equally as much as Cuse. Maybe after this weekend he'll realize we really are in the league, but I was struck by the fact that we really ARE an interloper here -- the cousins from "up north" but not really part of the family. And not just because he sounds like he could be running a NASCAR team. Bottom line, there a huge difference in more ways than one between Providence and Charlotte (or wherever the hell the ACC offices are). Cheers.

 

[Rocco]

Dome Sweet Dome. Nothing like it.

 

[tbonezone]

we are indeed the acc interlopers. but they's comin' to our house! elbows off the table. them's our rules!

 

[rocklloyd]

I think we're all starting to realize that ACC hoops needed us badly.

 

[Opus]

I think I remember a couple years (in a row?) where a Georgetown freshman came in and lit up the Dome?