Northeastern??
Today, Cuse is beating Northeastern, looking for its first win of the season. It would be a big win, even if Northeastern is only Division 1-AA. It might be the only win of the season. They turn the thing around, win the Big East, and play in a bowl game on New Year’s day. Well, maybe not. Northeastern plays the likes of New Hampshire, and Maine, and Hofstra, and Villanova. Now Villanova has a good basketball team, as well as a decent girls’ lacrosse team. But football? Still, Cuse would probably have a more competitive record if they played Nova, and Hofstra, and the rest of Northeastern’s schedule.
For some really weird reason, this past week the athletic department sent me a free set of DVDs from the undefeated 1987 season. It’s the hometown feed for three entire games that year: The first was a dominating win over Penn State in the middle of the season, a game that catapulted the Orange into national focus. Those with a long memory will recall that McPherson hit Rob Moore with an 80 yard touchdown pass on the very first play of the game. The second DVD was the last minute victory over Major Harris and West Virginia, probably the most exciting game I ever saw in the dome. And then there is the Sugar Bowl tie with Auburn, the game for which Pat Dye was sent hundreds of bad ties.
I remember seeing the West Virginia game with my dad, and I could still recall much of that last quarter, when five touchdowns were scored, and Cuse won in the final seconds, first on a pass from Donnie McPherson to Pat Kelly, and then on Michael Owens’ two point conversion. Heading into the fourth quarter, WVU had frustrated Donnie Mac all day, intercepting four passes. But he was spectacular in the final quarter, starting with a screen pass to Owens, who broke back across the middle, and ended up going almost 70 yards for a score; and then ending with the aforementioned pass to Kelly. The last touchdown drive began with under 90 seconds on the clock. In between, Moose Johnston ran about 25 yards for Syracuse’s other score, dragging about five guys the last few yards into the endzone.
I remember how loud the dome was that night. It was filled to the rafters; no one left early; in fact, almost no one sat during that last quarter. So while I was glad to get these DVDs from the University, and while I enjoy reminiscing especially about that West Virginia game, what’s the point of sending this gift at this precise time? Is it supposed to make me feel good about SU football? Inspire me to renew my season’s tickets for another year? Perhaps it will make me more forgiving of Coach Robinson, and Dr. Gross. Or maybe it will just make me wonder why I keep wasting my money. I’m no longer willing to waste my time. Today was a beautiful fall afternoon; so we made a fire in the fire pit, and cooked burgers and sausage over wood. I’ve got to develop better skills with the wood fire. But hanging out in the pit on a nice fall afternoon got the nod over driving into Syracuse, and watching the Orange beat a team they wouldn’t have deigned to play only a decade ago. Next year I should just save my money; skip the drive; and just watch the DVDs all fall. That would be a lot more fun.
For some really weird reason, this past week the athletic department sent me a free set of DVDs from the undefeated 1987 season. It’s the hometown feed for three entire games that year: The first was a dominating win over Penn State in the middle of the season, a game that catapulted the Orange into national focus. Those with a long memory will recall that McPherson hit Rob Moore with an 80 yard touchdown pass on the very first play of the game. The second DVD was the last minute victory over Major Harris and West Virginia, probably the most exciting game I ever saw in the dome. And then there is the Sugar Bowl tie with Auburn, the game for which Pat Dye was sent hundreds of bad ties.
I remember seeing the West Virginia game with my dad, and I could still recall much of that last quarter, when five touchdowns were scored, and Cuse won in the final seconds, first on a pass from Donnie McPherson to Pat Kelly, and then on Michael Owens’ two point conversion. Heading into the fourth quarter, WVU had frustrated Donnie Mac all day, intercepting four passes. But he was spectacular in the final quarter, starting with a screen pass to Owens, who broke back across the middle, and ended up going almost 70 yards for a score; and then ending with the aforementioned pass to Kelly. The last touchdown drive began with under 90 seconds on the clock. In between, Moose Johnston ran about 25 yards for Syracuse’s other score, dragging about five guys the last few yards into the endzone.
I remember how loud the dome was that night. It was filled to the rafters; no one left early; in fact, almost no one sat during that last quarter. So while I was glad to get these DVDs from the University, and while I enjoy reminiscing especially about that West Virginia game, what’s the point of sending this gift at this precise time? Is it supposed to make me feel good about SU football? Inspire me to renew my season’s tickets for another year? Perhaps it will make me more forgiving of Coach Robinson, and Dr. Gross. Or maybe it will just make me wonder why I keep wasting my money. I’m no longer willing to waste my time. Today was a beautiful fall afternoon; so we made a fire in the fire pit, and cooked burgers and sausage over wood. I’ve got to develop better skills with the wood fire. But hanging out in the pit on a nice fall afternoon got the nod over driving into Syracuse, and watching the Orange beat a team they wouldn’t have deigned to play only a decade ago. Next year I should just save my money; skip the drive; and just watch the DVDs all fall. That would be a lot more fun.
posted by pops | 6:26 PM
3 Comments:
I read somewhere that the Greek derivative of "nostalgia" would translate into a phrase: "the unappeased desire to return". So if the Cuse doesn't do something to upgrade the football program again, you are going to be condemned to a lifetime of watching CD's.
Oops, I meant watching DVD's, of course. Basketball practice starts in three weeks, yes?
A footnote to my posting. I read today that Northeastern's QB passed for career high yardage in the loss. That means, of course, that our pass defense is worse than the pass defense of all those Division 1-AA New England schools on Northeastern's schedule. So I know it was a big win and all that, but let's keep things in perspective.
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