Your Best and Worst Dome Memories

[IthacaMatt]

Best: SU basketball… a LONG time ago. I don’t remember who SU was playing. I know it was cold. SU was in their prime. None of our usual group wanted to go. My father-in-law surprised me and said he still wanted to go up to the game. He was a really nice guy - but henpecked like you could not believe. But a heart of gold and a deep desire to enjoy life. He got few opportunities.

He and I enjoyed the game from our usual seats, and even had a beer - maybe two. I know SU won. When the game was over I was ready to take him home, but he surprised me again and said, “How about we go for a beer?” I willingly agreed.

We ended up at one of my favorite spots - Riley’s on the north side. We sat just having beers and talking about SU basketball and life in general. It was gold. I had lost my own father ten years earlier, and we enjoyed each other’s company, though we never went out together before that. But you could tell he enjoyed not going home and probably felt like he was getting away with something, like a kid. A chance to be the man he was when he was younger, before life, and marriage and heart disease beat him down. It was a great night.

The next day I received the phone call that he had died at home. RIP Fred. And thank you.

That was my best Dome memory.

I don’t have any bad memories.

Oh my gosh. Didn't see that twist to the story coming.

 

[Eric15]

Several nacho related gaffes in here….

I've probably told this story before, but during the 2004 Pitt game (sitting next to Doc5120 ) a woman behind me spilled an ENTIRE container of nachos/cheese/salsa ALL over my head and shoulders. It was like I was on a Nickelodeon show. It took me like 10 seconds to process how much of a mess I was. She handed me one solitary napkin and didn't apologize.

If the roles were reversed and I did that to someone else I would have gone to the bathroom and brought them back a handful of wet paper towels and told them I would get them whatever they wanted from concessions.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Worst was the Penn State game against Penn State in 2007. I left at halftime and my younger self thought the football program was dead

Best was Clemson 5 years ago tomorrow.

That was the game that they did the whole Express PR at the Landmark, right?
Oh, we were a national embarrassment in that game.

 

[Millhouse]

Best VT 98
Worst I think it was vs Louisville in 08 when an antibiotic allergy wrecked my liver around halftime. I think we actually won for the first time in a hundred games I attended but I was miserable for a month following

 

[Cusefan0307]

That was the game that they did the whole Express PR at the Landmark, right?
Oh, we were a national embarrassment in that game.

Yup. It was actually 2008. We were down 38-6 at the half.

 

[OrangeDW]

Yup. It was actually 2008. We were down 38-6 at the half.

I remember we got a turnover on one of the first plays of the game.

Then we turned it right back over the next play. Then they scored on a long play, possibly on the next play. Game over.

 

[Chip]

Worst I think it was vs Louisville in 08 when an antibiotic allergy wrecked my liver around halftime. I think we actually won for the first time in a hundred games I attended but I was miserable for a month following

Ironically, also in my favorite moment runner up list.

 

[Stevenson]

Best: Nebraska 1984 or Penn State 1987. WVU 1987 honorable mention

Worst: working security at Grateful Dead concert stone sober 1984

 

[OburgOrange]

Best..tie. PSU and WVU in 87. To this day the loudest I have ever heard the dome. Both games.

Worst. NCSU. Revenge time this weekend

 

[SUfanNC]

That was the game that they did the whole Express PR at the Landmark, right?
Oh, we were a national embarrassment in that game.

Dennis Quaid was at the game and I feel he may have done a speech at halftime This was my worst game for sure.
it’s been said 1000 times but VT in 98 was the only year I had season tickets and that catch was on my side of that end zone. Someone said they rushed the field but I rushed to m street and 44s.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Best: Nebraska 1984 or Penn State 1987. WVU 1987 honorable mention

Worst: working security at Grateful Dead concert stone sober 1984

I was going to bust your chops and say "You must not have been sober, because the Dead played the Dome in '82 and '83" - but it turns out that I'M the one who forgot there was also an '84 show! LOL

 

[Bulldog04]

i know my worst was the Purdue game when I saw my nachos Grande come in a cardboard box with a sealed cup of cheese. Quite unforgettable!

 

[javadoc]

Haven’t seen a ton of football at the Dome. We were a basketball family growing up and then I moved away.

Worst would be either the infamous Iowa Gerg game, or the Clemson game where I saw Devito in person first time and thought oh no, oh no….

Best is some game in the early 90s when Malcolm Thomas ran it, straight into a DB CRACK! and the defender was knocked cold out, went right to the rug.

 

[kcsu]

Best: SU basketball… a LONG time ago. I don’t remember who SU was playing. I know it was cold. SU was in their prime. None of our usual group wanted to go. My father-in-law surprised me and said he still wanted to go up to the game. He was a really nice guy - but henpecked like you could not believe. But a heart of gold and a deep desire to enjoy life. He got few opportunities.

He and I enjoyed the game from our usual seats, and even had a beer - maybe two. I know SU won. When the game was over I was ready to take him home, but he surprised me again and said, “How about we go for a beer?” I willingly agreed.

We ended up at one of my favorite spots - Riley’s on the north side. We sat just having beers and talking about SU basketball and life in general. It was gold. I had lost my own father ten years earlier, and we enjoyed each other’s company, though we never went out together before that. But you could tell he enjoyed not going home and probably felt like he was getting away with something, like a kid. A chance to be the man he was when he was younger, before life, and marriage and heart disease beat him down. It was a great night.

The next day I received the phone call that he had died at home. RIP Fred. And thank you.

That was my best Dome memory.

I don’t have any bad memories.

Thank you for sharing your special day.

 

[Roger N]

I gotta stop checking the ticketmaster map.

This threads simple. Share your best memory at the dome, and your worst. This is for football, no basketball.

Right nows a time to be excited and proud, so lets think about the journey along the way.

My best memory: Vtech win 2016. Nobody expected us to win. It showed me Dino was the real deal and likely the right fit for Cuse. We dominated the Hokies and had the most electric post game atmosphere in memory. It felt like pride and culture were returning to the hill and little did I know at the time we’d beat Clemson a year later.

Worst: The Lamar Jackson hurdle game. Stayed the entire game. Took it on the chin. Sat in nachos by mistake too. Awful. Honestly felt like that was rock bottom. Now I look back on it as my memory of witnessing greatness. But at the time it felt like there werent enough dome foams in the world to sit through another low point like that

Best - opening nite at the Dome. We had friends who had campus parking. I brought a container of Chili for a tailgate. Just to catch that first glimpse of green as I entered was thrilling.
2nd was the Nebraska game after losing to Rutgers the week before.

There are no bad times at the Dome

 

[Dave]

Best. Mike Siano catch against Nebraska. Worst Ed Koban dropped punt against Penn State. Latter punctuated by badmouthing him in a bar after the game and being chastised by his sister. I opined that she would have probably made the catch.

 

[Roger N]

I've probably told this story before, but during the 2004 Pitt game (sitting next to Doc5120 ) a woman behind me spilled an ENTIRE container of nachos/cheese/salsa ALL over my head and shoulders. It was like I was on a Nickelodeon show. It took me like 10 seconds to process how much of a mess I was. She handed me one solitary napkin and didn't apologize.

If the roles were reversed and I did that to someone else I would have gone to the bathroom and brought them back a handful of wet paper towels and told them I would get them whatever they wanted from concessions.

You should have given her a big hug and bury your head into her clothing

 

[Doc5120]

I've probably told this story before, but during the 2004 Pitt game (sitting next to Doc5120 ) a woman behind me spilled an ENTIRE container of nachos/cheese/salsa ALL over my head and shoulders. It was like I was on a Nickelodeon show. It took me like 10 seconds to process how much of a mess I was. She handed me one solitary napkin and didn't apologize.

If the roles were reversed and I did that to someone else I would have gone to the bathroom and brought them back a handful of wet paper towels and told them I would get them whatever they wanted from concessions.

Haha, I'll never forget that either.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Best - 2018 vs NC State - wildly entertaining game that got us back to bowl eligible but moreso the first game I ever took my (then 6 year old) son to. Probably ended up close to a 4 hour game but thankfully it was all action to hold his attention, along with the chipwhich ice cream sandwich we found on one of our walks.

Worst - 1998 Va Tech - one of the most iconic comebacks and game winning drives and plays in Syracuse history. I was 14 and told we were leaving at halftime since some of the group weren't that interested in the first place and "we're not going to win this one anyway". I had no say in proceedings albiet made my thoughts known. Walking out heard the dome erupt with the kick return, got home to watch the end on TV while seething mad. Walked upstairs and said "We won" and not much else that night.

Most fun wild card - 2011 Wake Forest - Because of 1998 PTSD, I don't leave games early that are remotely in reach. Might have been 15k of us left in the Dome singing Don't Stop believing and to see Ant Bailey's majestic 53 yard TD run directly towards my seat. "He got the edge... Sweet first down... Wait, they're not catching him?!?! THEY'RE NOT GONNA CATCH HIM!!!"

 

[Orangello]

Worst was the Penn State game in 2007. I seriously thought they might shut down the program. PSU fans were total trash. Was sick how far we had fallen.

Best was ND 2003 when Walter Reyes went off for 5 TD's and 189 yards. My best friend from grad school was a huge ND fan and he finally shut up after that game. Then we exited the Dome to a complete blizzard. Crazy day.

 

[DoubleDee]

Best: walking in on opening night 1980. McNabb to Brominski (The Vomit Bowl) is a close second.

Worst is either Gendney just short against Miami or Tennessee loss.

 

[the villager]

Best and the worst was opening game the fact I would not get rained of snowed on at a SU home game again the best, the worst was the sweat running down my back and thinking Carrier dome and they couldn’t have the A/C working only to find out there was no A/C.

 

[MGDCuse]

Best was 2016 Va Tech. I had received 2 tickets for fathers day, 3 or 4 rows from the field behind our bench. My daughter went with me. We got to town late and heard the crowd erupt as we were walking up to the dome when Cuse scored on their first drive. Like others have said, we dominated them. It was never close. After the game, we hung out in the stands and watched the people celebrating the win on the field. As we were making our way out, we passed the wall of fame (outside the 220/230 section i think) that chronicles each year of the program. My daughter asked if my Grandfathers picture would be in there, ( He played for Cuse from 1936-39) to which I replied "Oh no, honey, maybe a team photo, but that would be it". She started looking and then said, " Who is this?" She was looking at the 1938 picture and a football engraved with the final score of the Cuse/Cornell game. 19-17. I was speechless when I looked at the picture and saw Duffy Daugherty standing with my Grandpa. I actually have that same picture in my Grandpa's scrapbooks that I inherited when he passed. Was a really cool experience to have with my daughter. She gave me a hug cause she could tell it was a little emotional for me. We wanted to take a picture of it but I left my phone in the car and hers ran out of charge. Haven't been back since but ill get one next time. Was a great weekend. Dinosaur BBQ is legit.

Worst was 1995 Boston College game. It wasn't supposed to start snowing until late that Friday night. It started around noon. By the time the wife and I got to the Ohio turnpike that evening, there were 4 or 5 inches on the ground already. I asked the tollbooth operator if the weather got any better further east. He just laughed and asked where we were going. Syracuse I said proudly. He laughed harder and said to turn around. I pressed on, determined to make it but about 25 miles later, the road got so bad, we had to turn around and head home. Watched the game on TV the next day with the unused tickets sitting on the kitchen counter. We kicked them in the peckers something like 56-28. I was so pissed i couldn't be there.

 

[SWC75]

Best: '87 Penn State. The most perfect October weather I've ever seen. Mid-70's temperature with a zephyr-like breeze and big puffy white cloud moving across the sky. I knew that on a day like this, nothing could go wrong and nothing did as we beat them for the first time in 17 years.

Worst: '97 NC State. Dreams of a national championship and Heisman trophy after blowing out Wisconsin the Kickoff Classic. We lose in OT to a team that had been bad but was now mediocre. We could have won it in regulation with a chip shot FG but Dee Brown decided to play 'hero ball' and stick the pigskin over the goal line, It got knocked out of his hands and recovered by the Wolfpack to set up their turn.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Worst - not officially the worst but probably my earliest dome memory. I was 7 or 8 years old and I was at my first basketball game. I was standing and cheering a lot. A couple of guys in the row behind us yelled at me to sit down. I felt embarrassed like I did something wrong. After my dad exchanged some words I spent the rest of the game afraid that a fight might break out.