Why I’m a fan of the Syracuse Orange

Welcome to the refreshed Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician! To celebrate the new look and feel of our sports communities, we’re sharing stories of how and why we became fans of our favorite teams. If you’d like to share your story, head over to the FanPosts to write your own post. Each FanPost will be entered into a drawing to win a $500 Fanatics gift card (official rules). We’re collecting all of the stories here and featuring the best ones across our network as well. Come Fan With Us!

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Growing up in Rhode Island in the 80s meant I was around for the birth of Big East basketball and that’s how I was introduced to the Syracuse Orange. I remember watching Pearl his his half-court shot on the USA Network and I wondered what it was like playing on that rubber surface inside the massive Carrier Dome.

I wasn’t a fan of the Orange in those days. I know I rooted for Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament- hey I was young and I was loyal to the conference back then. I also pulled for the University of Rhode Island Rams against Syracuse back in the 1988 NCAA Tournament.

All that was before I decided to come to Syracuse for college. When I submitted my housing, I requested to live in Sadler because it was the closest dorm to the Dome. This turned out to be a great choice during the winter when I could head to basketball games without a coat.

When I arrived at Syracuse, the first campus building I ever stepped foot inside was Manley Field House. Some of my favorite moments were spent in that arena watching other athletes practice. It was in that arena where I saw a number of Orange athletes put in the effort to become All-Americans. It’s where I learned a lot about the pride that runs deep throughout Orange Nation, and it’s where I saw that wearing that Syracuse across your chest made you part of a much bigger family.

So many of my memories revolve around Syracuse athletics that it’s hard to imagine what life would be like had I taken a different path. Maybe I didn’t start off bleeding Orange, but after all this time, it’s safe to say that I’ve grown to have it pump through my veins.

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Again, share your own story over on FanPosts. I’m sure someone’s reason for rooting for the Orange far outpaces this one.

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