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Message: [QUOTE="Cuseregular, post: 4088282, member: 185"] Townie through and through. But, also almost an alum, long story I’ll try to make short. As I wrote a post on in the Verse recruiting thread my Syracuse loyalty goes deep as if I went there. Difficult for many to understand though maybe not for many here. To get it across gonna have to go down the narcissist path a bit to get it it across. It’s become all the deeper since connecting with similarly invested friends the past 15-20 years through Fine Mess who similarly share the passion. As life has gone on hs and college friends have moved to all areas of the country thus connecting less, these guys and gals have taken the enjoyment, meaning and connection/loyalty to the next level in these later years. This crew has become some of my best friends from this shared love of all things SU. The early years: my mother worked at SU and wasn’t just a devoted SU employee but a hardcore passionate fan of the athletic programs letting me tag along. The BEST moments of my youth were centered around SU sporting events connecting with family and friends tailgating etc. celebrating the good times commiserating in the bad, just like today. Freezing your arse off in the snow and rain in the concrete bowl of archibold makes for a lifelong connection! And then the football angle that almost made me “both” an alum as well as a townie. My hs coach at west genny was an SU alum connected to Coach Ben and Ernie, played/went to SU, was successful there, and remains a huge life influence connected to SU, then big time, now to a lesser extent. So back then……..Coach O’Leary and Coach Mac made an impact on me that has lasted a lifetime when they (lightly) recruited me out of hs. The interactions with those two larger than life personalities are the life moments you never forget, including the recruits go to spot with lunches at Danzers. But Like Pitt, PSU, NC, NC st., RU, etc. all looked but none offered a scholarship and instead offered as a walk on as I was a gangly 6’1” 195lb kid coming out of hs (no such thing as weight lifting programs in hs back in the late 70’s/early 80’s). Wanted to play some football for four years so turned down offers from FCS type schools and went the academic route to Div 3 Hamilton. From discovering weight lifting in college turned into a 6’2” 235 lb, AA etc. type kid, still holding many D records there to this day, some in 3 years (played 4 but one years stats were lost!), was the “Div 1 kid playing Div 3” on the pro tryout, point is almost did go to SU (again) as shortly after starting at Hamilton was looked at once more and almost transferred thru Coach O’Leary back to SU. Never forget laughing with Coach O about the “egg heads” as he called them at Hamilton but by then I’d found my niche with an eye already to the post football/college world and reality. Was the toughest, but best for many reasons, decision ever made in staying where I was. Football is a relatively small fraternity so stayed connected in the SU world so, yes, I’m a townie dedicated Cuse fan but in many respects feel like I’m university connected too. Regardless from all this and this place here, the Cuse passions and loyalty have always and continue to run deep which is why this is a special place as with anyone who finds themselves here these are all same qualities we share. Here’s hoping and looking forward to more good times to celebrate going forward. LGFO! [/QUOTE]

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