The Confidential

Syracuse game # 2

This is the round that most Syracuse fans cringe over.  I’m sure the Syracuse haters will say it should be the first game by bringing up the 1991 #2 vs # 15 loss to Richmond  – which a co-worker (and Richmond alum) of mine brings up every year at this time even though I didn’t know him until a decade later.    However, several will remember a 1987 Championship game run surrounded by an early exit to Navy in 1986 and to URI in 1988.  While there are several other early exits that stung these two were the harshest.  Although Navy had David Robinson, the game was played at the DOME!  The URI loss was even worse because the expectations were higher for that season, and hey, why not another run deep into the tournament.  I was on vacation and recall desperately searching for an establishment with a TV in the afternoon running around frantically with a group of guys trying to get to see the game and the expected win.  At some point near the search, for the younger readers please understand – no iphones – we knew the game was close to being over and had no updates.  Suddenly, a group with URI on their shirts sees us with Syracuse shirts and blurts out, “Syracuse – ha, ha, we just beat you!”  Talk about an awful way to find out and not even have a chance to live through the agony of watching the game.

For a program like Syracuse, The Sweet 16 is considered a must.  Its easy to nit pick past that point, but getting the game 2 win is critical towards validation of at least a relatively successful season (and justification of the seed they got).  The defense looked great last night and hopefully this was the offensive awakening they need, but Cal is playing basically a home game tomorrow so this could be a game for Orange fans to sweat out.

On another note, the Orange Lax team is off to a very good start especially with an impressive win over Johns Hopkins on Saturday.  Looking forward to discussing lacrosse on here – I’m just holding out hope that the Orange will go deep into the tournament and the lax discussions can wait.