In chronological order, I'll run down all of the notable stories and moments of 2009. Have at it...
JANUARY
Even as it was just getting started, we knew that 2009 was a snowball about to catch fire. Jonny Flynn made poster-meat out of Rutger' Mike Rosario. The gauntlet was laid down for Syracuse basketball. Some folks wanted #44 back...one in particular did not. UConn Coach Geno Auriemma & an SU basketball player got a little trippy. We wished Greggers well at Michigan. And wished Scoop Jardine would stick to stripes. Everyone wore their finest for the Orange-Out. We welcomed Ridiculously-Good Looking Charley Loeb to the fold. Paul Harris cement his place in Syracuse lore via YouTube. Contact was made with the absolute magician himself. And we figured out who's bust should rest atop Mount Cusemore.
FEBRUARY
Watched Christian Bale and Jim Boeheim go at it. Welcomed the greatest 116th-ranked football recruiting class in history. Got more homoerotic than we'd ever thought we could. Beat Georgetown, their fans and some drums. Feared for Paul Harris' life. Prepared for The Rowaning of Women's Lacrosse. Realized when Art Jones torn his pec muscle that Satan still had plans for SU football. Found out that Jackson gave Onuaku a blow. Discovered the awesomeness of JimBoeheim.com. And put our favorite SU athletes in our mouths.
MARCH
Got the night terrors from Eric Devendorf. Witnessed The Paul Harris Experience. Learned that Coach Q has a passion for fashion. Watch the basketball team have a great team, even if they didn't dress like it. Found out our football team can dance, dance, dance. Brawled with Seton Hall in the BET. SIX OVERTIMES. Accosted Eric Devendorf...homoerotically. And made a contest out of it. Played one more OT in the BET just for the hell of it. Got a 3-seed. Wished David Oku well. Defended Eric Devendorf. Hated on Stephen F. Austin. Celebrated our Sweet 16 after beating Arizona State. Listened in on an intimate Andy-Devo conversation. Recognized that hating Eric Devendorf was an official sport. Watched Rick Jackson smell it but wondered who dealt it. Remembered that made-up time Ray Allen dominated SU. Checked out Jonny on the cover of SI. Didn't particularly enjoy watching Oklahoma dismantle Syracuse. Pondered if Jonny & Paul would move on. Welcomed Ryan Nassib to the top of the depth chart. Watched Jim Boeheim be awesome.
APRIL
Bite our fingernails as Jonny Flynn tested the waters. Watched the SU football gig wreak havoc on Doug Marrone'e complexion. Watched SU basketball expectations soar. Kept a running tab on football scholarships. Freaked out as The Big Three all went pro. Missed Paul Harris already. Devo, too. Questioned Jonny's statements. Watched Doug sweat next to an explosion! Thought SU Basketball needed a publicist. Wondered aloud about this Paulus fellow. Pondered the SU Basketball All-Decade Team. Worried Boeheim was losing it. Welcomed the impending Paulusination of SU. Finally welcomed Cody Jamieson to the playing field. Went into PaulusWatch mode. Sent Tony Fiammetta to Carolina. Questioned Andy Rautins' photo ops. Checked out Mike Hopkins' legs. Prepared Coach Mac for his trip to the Hall.
MAY
Doug Marrone proved himself a two-sport star. Ron Seikaly spun the ones and twos. Handed out some SOBs. Got to know SU walk-on Chris Basile's penchant for robbery, hoped Andy Rautins would get his stuff back. Got creeped out by Otto. Welcomed Greg Paulus to the fold officially. Ended PaulusWatch. Met Doug Marrone. Pondered about this Greg Paulus guy. Met Andy Rautins' brother. Had low football expectations. Watched SU win another lacrosse title. Gave Donte props for saving lives.
JUNE
Welcomed G-Mac back to Syracuse. Feted SU legend Matt Gorman. Met The Melo Center. Ate tacos with Gerry. Watched the SU football players disappear. Perused the depth chart. Anticipated the new Jones Brothers album. Checked in on the King of Kings League. Said goodbye to Sean Williams. Listened to Donte Greene wish he could come back. Heard the best pig-carcass-related-drug-deal story in Syracuse history. Sent Greg Paulus to New Orleans for osmosis. Got nominated for an ESPY. Felt bad for Jonny when Minnesota drafted him. Paul & Devo...not as much. Wanted to lay where KO laid. Felt bad for European kids playing American football.
JULY
Watched Syracuse take over the NBA Summer League. Got ready for a lot of noon football. Questioned Pat Forde's logic. Wished Doug Marrone could take a better photo. Enjoyed the Ryan Miller-LeBron James-Nike fiasco. Wished Curtis Brinkley a speedy recovery. Lost the ESPY to the Arizona Cardinals Missed out on the Yankee Stadium plans. Dropped plans to play Virginia Tech. Welcomed Gerry McNamara to the SU staff. Worked out a sweat system for Marrone. Pondered the official SU blogger role. Admired Andy's new 'do.
AUGUST
Grew concerned over the lobster intake at Big East Media Day. Welcomed Fab Melo. Learned a lot. Realized Jim Boeheim really really liked Tiger Woods. Perused the brand new team photos. Learned about Tremendous Standpoint. Met Ryan Lichtenstein. Feared Delone Carter's arms. Figured we'd never keep a weakside linebacker on the team. Gave up home games to play USC/Notre Dame in New Jersey. Made our own football uniforms. Handed Greg Paulus the keys to the car. Send Shane Raupers on his way. Feared the wrath of Marrone. Got creeped out by Rob Spence. Saw a lot of orange. Turned down color-coded Bud Light cans. Debated Syracuse-area pizza. Feared a drawing of Delone Carter. The Devil wore Orange. Funded the underprivileged Syracuse football program.
SEPTEMBER
Took some Dougmarrone. Wondered why Jim Boeheim couldn't milk cows. Began a new Quest. Ogled Mikhail Marinovich's abs. Almost beat Minnesota. Hated on Syracuse students. Worried about the fragility of Jim McKenzie's psyche. Welcomed back the Fauxhawk. Learned how to hate Methodists from Coach Mac Lost "well" to Penn State. Hated Pat Forde. Watched Otto end swine flu. Actually won a football game! Marveled at the legend of SHAMARKO. Questioned Greg Paulus' musical taste. Beat Maine, went to .500. Put the finishing touches on Ernie Davis Hall. Fought the Carrier Dome beer policy.
OCTOBER
Unveiled Ernie Davis Field. United against The Wave. We lost to South Florida anyway. Questioned Mike Williams. Lost to West Virginia as well. Handed out some Tremendies. Avenged ourselves by beating Akron. Disliked Rep. Marion Berry. Got a courtesy ranking in basketball. Got beat up by Cincinnati.
NOVEMBER
We were shocked over Mike Williams' quitting. Watched Doug Marrone get a little choked up. Shut It Down. Lost a basketball game to LeMoyne. Learned the Tao of Mike Williams. Got to know Professor Larry Elin's thoughts on us. Tried to think of a worse week for SU sports. Wished Paul well in Maine. Got steamrolled by Pitt. Celebrated Jim Boeheim's 800th. Got Kragthorpe'd. Ended our Quest. Grossed-out Syracuse sports history. Went to New York, beat up Cal and then North Carolina. Watched Tobias Harris learn a valuable lesson. Beat up on Rutgers like old times. Defeated Cornell behind Triche. Got jobbed by Edsall, UConn. Re-educated Mookie Jones.
DECEMBER
Watched Marrone battle Edsall. Said goodbye to some assistants. Got scared by the lacrosse schedule. Beat up on Maine. Then Florida, causing one player to poop himself. Moved up the rankings. Questioned the merits of the Big Ten. Wished Devo well in Reno. Put women's basketball team in historical perspective. Survived Big East test against Seton Hall.