Before Syracuse-Vermont, An Offering To The Gods

So I have this theory. Crazy? Maybe. Well, probably, but hear me out anyway. It’s possible, just possible, that JB was put on this earth solely for the purpose of bringing misery, and ultimately destruction, upon the fine people of upstate New York and SU fans everywhere.

Many of you here are probably too young to remember his earlier days – such as in the 1980s when his teams would at times inexpicably lose double-digit leads in the final minutes of a game. (OK, that still happens, but not nearly as much as it used to.) And the free throws — my God, the free throws! How is it possible that year after year, his teams shot so poorly at the stripe that the team still has a reputation for it? He willed it, that’s how. Untold nights of misery and gnashing of teeth in Syracuse. Losing the final game in Manley Field House. To Georgetown, no less.

But it wasn’t enough. He had to get expectations higher, so they could be dashed that much more. He brought his team to the NCAA finals in ‘87, losing on a last second shot. In ’91, his team became the first 2-seed to lose in the first round of the tourney. Since then, every time a 2-seed loses in the first round (which isn’t often), we’re reminded of it. ’96 brought another trip to the finals and another defeat.

People were geting frustrated. He had to do something to get them back on his side. The ’03 run cemented his place in the hearts and minds of SU fans, silenced (most of) the naysayers, and allowed him to get to work on his grand plan.

He asked himself: what would be the ULTIMATE humiliation in college basketball? What could he inflict on the populace that they could never, ever live down? How about being the first 1-seed to lose in the first round. Nothing could be worse. It’s that simple.

So he put his plan in motion this year. He limited significant game time to 7 players, and only 7 players, and started saying he had ‘7 starters’ to get inside the minds of announcers and selection committee members to hide this shortcoming. No one else off the bench has significant experience in an important game.

And then, inexplicably, the center goes down with a quad injury in the last few minutes of the last game before the tourney. JB covers up enough so that the selection committee members still give SU a 1 seed. And they have them playing, of all teams, Vermont. If you’re an SU fan, ’nuff said.

Like I said, it’s crazy. And long-winded. But the pieces fit. Facts are facts. The stage is set. And tonight, probably just before midnight, we’ll know for sure if it’s truly armageddon (at least for SU fans).

Of course, if we win, just ignore this whole post. And my apologies to the coach.

best post to this incredible site yet … thank you Sean!

awesome!