We call ourselves

[sutomcat]

View attachment 198643

For those that are curious, this picture was taken on a Centro bus headed from Manley Field House to Hancock Airport. The year was 1975. The team was headed to San Diego to play in the first Final Four in the program's history.

The people in the picture are Larry Kelley (forefront left), Jimmy 'Bug; Williams (with glasses), SU team physician Dr. Bruce Baker, Larry Arrington and Bob Parker.

Larry Arrington, member of Syracuse basketball's 1975 Final Four team, dies of cancer

Larry Arrington, a sophomore on Syracuse's 1975 team that advanced to the Final Four, died last month after a battle with cancer.

www.syracuse.com

 

[Chip]

My first memories of SU hoops are 1983-84, I was in 5th grade, teacher was rabid (for SU). She got us all into it. Happened to be Pearl's freshman year, which probably helped. Was hooked from then on.

Football just wasn't on my radar for some stupid reason. I obviously knew about 1987 and our arrival nationally, but didn't really catch the rabies until my freshman year at SU, 1991.

I wish in hindsight that my parents, while fans, were more into attending games live. That would have helped.

 

[50YRsofCuse]

Rabid Cuse fans. I know I am! When did you become rabid?

Mine began during the Louie Bowie reign.

Mine came with the Ernie Austin and Bill Smith era. Still remember the tough games with such powers like Lafayette (Tracy Tripucka), St. Bonaventure (Bob Lanier) and Niagara (Calvin Murphy). I remember one of Greg the Kid Kohl’s first games and he fouled out in like 2 minutes (or less).

 

[DoctorBombay]

Uncle taught at Syracuse. My brothers & I would spend a couple of weeks every summer, visiting from Downstate.
Jimmy Lee, Roy’s Runts, Dennis Duval (sooo good- loved him!).
One summer i went to Thornden Park pool and a rabid water bug nipped me. Didn’t think much of it till years later in Manley FH watching my first game as a student: vs Rutgers w/ Jammin’ James Bailey! That’s when it hit- foaming at the mouth, spewing profanities, wild-eyed irrational behavior! No cure- just the way i like it!

 

[HyattsCuse]

The 1987 undefeated season for Syracuse football was the beginning (at least from what I remember). My dad took me to the Colgate game that year. I was in 2nd grade and still have faint memories of the excitement in school that year following the team. Die hard 'Cuse football and basketball fan ever since.

 

[walsh2012]

When did you become rabid?

when i was accepted in early 2008

that being said, i did go to the SU/GTOWN game at MCI in 03. My middle school played on the court before the game and got tickets to the game after.

 

[Eric15]

8 years old, 1990 Georgetown game when Thompson was ejected. I had it recorded on VHS and would just watch it over and over to the point where I basically had the entire game choregraphed on my head.

 

[NC_Orange]

Born in the D.C area with Georgetown signs all around me. Hated that dull, Grey uniform so gravitated towards the bright orange rivals. Was in my pre-teen years when John Wallace was at SU and he became my favorite player.

 

[Trueblue25]

First full season I can remember in its entirety through was ‘02/‘03. Im lucky to have a Dad that had seasons and took me with him for a lot of the games.

It’s hard not to love a team with Melo, G Mac, Kueth, Josh, Billy, Hak, Craig and on and on

Though I became a lifelong Kueth fan during the Shumpert years, I gotta admit my favorite player on the championship team was Jeremy McNeil.

I cried laughing every block. He was as big as a building to me

 

[pattycuse]

Born in the Cuse, my father was an alumni and an employee. I was in second grade during the magical 1987 run- I remember my teacher writing everything in orange chalk on the board during the entire Final Four run. The late 80s/early 90s were a great time to be a kid growing up as a Syracuse fan- the football team was winning huge bowl games annually and the basketball team was must see TV. I got my masters degree at Syracuse in the early 'aughts' and have been a season ticket holder in both sports for almost 20 years. Love traveling to watch the teams on the road (especially in the NCAA tournament- Boston in 2003, Memphis in 2009 and Chicago in 2016 are particularly fond memories) although having a young family has made that tougher in recent years.

Sunday's game was particularly satisfying as my three year old screamed every time Syracuse scored. Looks like I've started raising another Orange fan...

 

[GooseMutt]

Born in the Cuse, my father was an alumni and an employee. I was in second grade during the magical 1987 run- I remember my teacher writing everything in orange chalk on the board during the entire Final Four run. The late 80s/early 90s were a great time to be a kid growing up as a Syracuse fan- the football team was winning huge bowl games annually and the basketball team was must see TV. I got my masters degree at Syracuse in the early 'aughts' and have been a season ticket holder in both sports for almost 20 years. Love traveling to watch the teams on the road (especially in the NCAA tournament- Boston in 2003, Memphis in 2009 and Chicago in 2016 are particularly fond memories) although having a young family has made that tougher in recent years.

Sunday's game was particularly satisfying as my three year old screamed every time Syracuse scored. Looks like I've started raising another Orange fan...

Love this write up

 

[supp]

8 years old, 1990 Georgetown game when Thompson was ejected. I had it recorded on VHS and would just watch it over and over to the point where I basically had the entire game choregraphed on my head.

Same but older than you. I was lucky enough to get in the Dome in the nosebleed seats. Loudest crowd I've ever heard there.

 

[Eric15]

I think I've successfully indoctrinated my 6 year old son. On his own this morning (after drawing a Power Ranger) he said he was going to write the first names of all our players. Marek obviously first because he's his favorite by far.

 

[hplare]

Same but older than you. I was lucky enough to get in the Dome in the nosebleed seats. Loudest crowd I've ever heard there.

1941 or 42. Very little TV in the city, but a radio repair shop nearby had a round screen Zenith that he kept running in the window at night. Have no idea how but SU games were shown back then. Actually very little programming available otherwise. So on a snowy night, and as regularly as possible, I'd stand outside and watched the Cuse play someone, couldn't tell who in rather fussy b&w, and no idea of the score without sound and absolutely no graphics.
Later that year, I took a bus to the Hill and saw "Billy "the bullet" Gabor and the Orange for real and have never stopped.

 

[rrlbees]

The year JB and some kid named Bing played on the freshman team and my father said we were getting season tickets the following season because that Bing kid was going to be pretty good.

 

[DoctorBombay]

1941 or 42. Very little TV in the city, but a radio repair shop nearby had a round screen Zenith that he kept running in the window at night. Have no idea how but SU games were shown back then. Actually very little programming available otherwise. So on a snowy night, and as regularly as possible, I'd stand outside and watched the Cuse play someone, couldn't tell who in rather fussy b&w, and no idea of the score without sound and absolutely no graphics.
Later that year, I took a bus to the Hill and saw "Billy "the bullet" Gabor and the Orange for real and have never stopped.

Now this...this is fricken’ awesome.

 

[Bball44]

Grew up in Rochester and seemed like there was always a good Section V guy on the roster: Byrnes, Bouie, Monroe, Wallace, Blackwell etc. Stewart would have been nice...

 

[NineOneSeven]

I don’t think I’ll love anything more than I love Syracuse, outside of the obvious humans in my life.

 

[NineOneSeven]

1941 or 42. Very little TV in the city, but a radio repair shop nearby had a round screen Zenith that he kept running in the window at night. Have no idea how but SU games were shown back then. Actually very little programming available otherwise. So on a snowy night, and as regularly as possible, I'd stand outside and watched the Cuse play someone, couldn't tell who in rather fussy b&w, and no idea of the score without sound and absolutely no graphics.
Later that year, I took a bus to the Hill and saw "Billy "the bullet" Gabor and the Orange for real and have never stopped.

This is good stuff.

 

[JustPherU]

Early to mid seventies, Sweet D doing his pre game routine was awesome.I think I enjoyed the Freshman team just as much as varsity.My dad took me to the Buffalo Auditorium in 75 for the ECAC Championship against the Bonnie’s.

 

[RoatanCuse]

Back in the Dave Bing & James Arthur Boeheim backcourt days. Did you know JAB averaged 40+ points in HS? Then the Pearl vs. Walter Berry era. Yup...it got me rabid!