Doesn't this all sound so familiar? Tonight's rematch with UMass can't just be coincidental. It's the culmination of a season that has mirrored one of the great pieces of pop art ever committed to celluloid. I'm speaking of course of the blueprint for the 2007-2008 Syracuse Orange season...the film You Got Served.
Think about it. As the tagline says, "If you want respect, you have to take it." And if there's any lesson the SU men's basketball team has learned this year, it's that. All the pre-season hype in the world means nothing if you can't bring it on the dancefloor...or the basketball court in this case.
At the beginning of the season, SU ruled the roost. They were on top of the world. No one could out-serve them. They were the servers and everyone else was a servee:
But then UMass came to the Dome. It goes without saying that these "rich Orange County kids" from rural Massachusetts were underestimated from the start. I mean, how could they possibly match Syracuse's moves? How could they hang with the baddest crew this side of Philly? In their own house, no less! And yet...it happened.
We was just mad... 'cause tonight us suckas got served.
It truly was as if they had stolen our moves and used them against us. They walked out of the Dome with our money and left us high and dry. And Keven Federline was somehow involved...
After wards, things fell apart. The team's dynamic duo, "David" (Donte Greene) and "Elgin" (Paul Harris) had a falling out when Harris tried to "hook up with David's sister when he should have been taking care of business" a metaphor for Harris not concentrating on his "moves." The crew wasn't working as one unit anymore, everyone was dancing to their own beat.
In both instances, some of the crewmembers even got caught up in nefarious doings. At this point, I like to think that Coach Boeheim gathered the group together and said some words very similiar to those uttered by Steve Harvey's fantastically-named "Mr. Rad" in the film:
Working their way through the tourney, SU now finds themselves face-to-face with the one crew they never thought they'd have to see again...UMass. This is it. It's not about the crappy t-shirts anymore. It's not even about the championship.
It's about stepping up. It's about serving. It's about coming at these Minutemen "straight hood."
And straight hood they will be:
Think about it. As the tagline says, "If you want respect, you have to take it." And if there's any lesson the SU men's basketball team has learned this year, it's that. All the pre-season hype in the world means nothing if you can't bring it on the dancefloor...or the basketball court in this case.
At the beginning of the season, SU ruled the roost. They were on top of the world. No one could out-serve them. They were the servers and everyone else was a servee:
But then UMass came to the Dome. It goes without saying that these "rich Orange County kids" from rural Massachusetts were underestimated from the start. I mean, how could they possibly match Syracuse's moves? How could they hang with the baddest crew this side of Philly? In their own house, no less! And yet...it happened.
We was just mad... 'cause tonight us suckas got served.
It truly was as if they had stolen our moves and used them against us. They walked out of the Dome with our money and left us high and dry. And Keven Federline was somehow involved...
After wards, things fell apart. The team's dynamic duo, "David" (Donte Greene) and "Elgin" (Paul Harris) had a falling out when Harris tried to "hook up with David's sister when he should have been taking care of business" a metaphor for Harris not concentrating on his "moves." The crew wasn't working as one unit anymore, everyone was dancing to their own beat.
In both instances, some of the crewmembers even got caught up in nefarious doings. At this point, I like to think that Coach Boeheim gathered the group together and said some words very similiar to those uttered by Steve Harvey's fantastically-named "Mr. Rad" in the film:
Get yo' head up. You lost the money, it's gone. But, you can't lay around in yo' misery too long. Do not walk outta' this place and start to second guess yo' talent. You got yo' ass whooped tonight. But, I done seen y'all whoop a many a ass, right in the same place. Now, you lost. Lemme tell you somethin' my father told me, is: "If it don't kill you, it makes you stronger". Remember that.Now in the movie, they learn about the "Big Bounce," a $50,000 dance competition sponsored by MTV which will provide the winning crew the opportunity to perform in a Lil' Kim video. This isn't all that different than reality. SU learns about a basketball competition known as the NIT, sponsored by the NCAA, which will provide the winning crew the opportunity to wear shoddily-made merchandise. The team worked out their differences and came together just in time.
Working their way through the tourney, SU now finds themselves face-to-face with the one crew they never thought they'd have to see again...UMass. This is it. It's not about the crappy t-shirts anymore. It's not even about the championship.
It's about stepping up. It's about serving. It's about coming at these Minutemen "straight hood."
And straight hood they will be: