(Yeah, that joke was pretty lame.)
- Won 20 games against 37 losses (2002-2006);
- Contributed to Syracuse’s school record 11-game Big East Conference losing streak;
- Won a Big East Conference title (2004);
- Lost to Temple twice (2002 and 2004);
- Played under the direction of two head coaches (Greg Robinson and Paul Pasqualoni), two Directors of Athletics (Daryl Gross and Jake Crouthamel), and two Chancellors (Nancy Cantor and Kenneth “Buzz” Shaw);
- Managed to compile a one-win season (2005), Syracuse’s first since 1948 (1-8);
- Scored 1,289 points while yielding 1,589 (2002-2006); and
- Compiled a 15-14 Carrier Dome record (51.7%) (2002-2006).
The reason the preceding information appears is to illustrate a story.
Back in May 2002, I graduated from Syracuse with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. With Rudy Giuliani’s address still fresh in my mind, I walked out of the Dome and quickly felt a rush of relief and accomplishment.
I then proceeded to get bleary-eyed drunk.
Now, I wasn’t the greatest student in the world. I drank too much, watched far too much television, and generally put a higher priority on sitting in the Carrier Dome than sitting in class. I finished my tenure, however, with a respectable GPA and was intelligent enough to get into law school and subsequently graduate.
The point is, though, that I was far from a Rhodes Scholar and probably failed to achieve my full academic potential while enrolled as an undergraduate.
Like me almost five years ago, Perry Patterson and Company will walk on the Dome carpet for the final time. Each individual will feel that same sense of relief and excitement I felt. That relief, however, will likely be tempered by feelings of lost opportunity and squandered potential, not unlike my own experience.
The moral of this essay, I suppose, is that these 17 Orange-clad warriors deserve acknowledgement for their accomplishments, no matter how superficially disappointing. Contrary to popular belief, each one busted his ass day-in and day-out to succeed. They were subject to constant ridicule and criticism, probably to an unfair degree (this notebook included in that statement).
In the end, each member of this senior class will walk away as a member of the Syracuse University community having given of themselves so that others could find enjoyment and/or entertainment. For that, they deserve Orange Nation’s gratitude.
Thank you, Seniors.
Now, please learn how to block, because I am absolutely sick of watching this sieve of an offensive line.
This story makes you feel fuzzy inside. Just like hugging Otto. They may have sucked but they still deserve some applause and thanks at the end of the day for going out there and trying their best. As I've said the last couple of years..."They wanna be good! They just aren't."