I remember exactly where I was and what was doing both times Syracuse played Kansas State in a bowl game.
For the Fiesta Bowl, I was hosting a New Year's Eve party at my house, getting heckled by my friends as we watched the Orange get pummeled. Then one of them ran through the screen door onto my deck.
For the Insight.com Bowl, I wisely watched the game by myself in my living room. My screen door remains intact.
I remember the emotions, the cheers, the jeers and the general sense of what both teams were like on those days.
Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, who was actually present at both games, is a little less solid on the details.
"I remember we won one and lost one," he said.
"The first one is the one you'd like to remember a little bit more," Snyder said. "Both of them were in Phoenix in the two bowls that they have down there."
When asked what he thinks of the Syracuse team, Snyder provides a very elaborate, very nice and very vague statement.
"From what I've seen and what I know at this point in time, I think they have done a nice job of reinstilling the intrinsic values that are so significant, I think, in athletics," Snyder said. "At one time, that was very prominent at Syracuse. There's a toughness that goes with that program, and I think they've redeveloped that in the right way."
In other words, "I hear good things but I honestly haven't watched one single second of gametape on them all year."
The Pinstripe Bowl has released specifics on what the two teams will be doing in the days leading up to the bowl game. Press ops, abound! The teams will arrive on or around December 26th and from there it's an all-out, non-stop media blitz...
- Sunday, Dec. 26
- TBD - Syracuse arrives at Grand Hyatt New York
- TBD - Kansas State arrival at Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
- Monday, Dec. 27
- 10:00 a.m. - Syracuse clinic for invited Bronx youth at Macombs Dam Park
- 7:00 p.m. - Welcome dinner for both teams at Yankee Stadium's Legends Suite Club (closed to media)
- 4:00 p.m. - Syracuse workout at Timex Performance Center
- TBD - Kansas State workout
- Tuesday, Dec. 28
- 8:30 a.m. - Breakfast at New York Stock Exchange with head coaches, three players from each team and New Era representatives
- 9:30 a.m. - Ringing of the opening bell at New York Stock Exchange
- 10:30 a.m. - Select Kansas State players visit Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
- 11:00 a.m. - Syracuse team practice at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center
- 1:00 p.m. - Syracuse media availability at Atlantic Health Jets Training Facility
- 1:30 p.m. - Kansas State media availability at Atlantic Health Jets Training Facility
- 2:00 p.m. - Kansas State team practice at Atlantic Health Jets Training Facility
- 6:30 p.m. - World Yacht cruise around New York Harbor for Syracuse and Kansas State (closed to media)
- 7:30 p.m. - VIP cocktail reception at Brasserie Ruhlmann at Rockefeller Center (closed to media)
- Wednesday, Dec. 29
- 8:00 a.m. - Breakfast for teams at Hard Rock Cafe New York in Times Square (closed to media)
- 11:00 a.m. - Syracuse team walk-through at Yankee Stadium (closed to media)
- 12:30 p.m. - Head Coaches press conference at Yankee Stadium
- 1:00 p.m. - Kansas State team walk-through at Yankee Stadium (closed to media)
- Thursday, Dec. 30
- 1:30 p.m. - Gates open
- 2:30 p.m. - Bands perform for invited high school performing arts students at Macombs Dam Park.
- 3:27 p.m. - Kickoff
I know the Stock Exchange event calls for only the head coaches and three players but you're going to need a S.W.A.T. force if you think you're going to keep DOC Gross from that photo op.
I do love that while in New York City, one of the world's cultural and culinary centers, the players will be eating at the Hard Rock Cafe.