‘Twas the Night before Cusemas: 2020 edition

A holiday gift to all Syracuse Orange fans from all of us here.

‘Twas The Night Before Cusemas

’Twas the night before Cusemas, when all through the Dome

Not a creature was stirring, the fans were all home

The jerseys were hung by the lockers with care,

In hopes that more script soon would be there;

Otto’s Army were nestled all snug in their beds;

While visions of Cardoso dunks danced in their heads;

And Coach Q in business casual and Boeheim’s clear mask

Had made sure their teams were up to the task

When out on the Quad there arose such a clatter,

Otto sprang from their bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the gate he flew like Justyn Knight

Tore open the doors and peered out in the night

The moon light on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave a lustre of orange to objects below

When what to Otto’s wondering eyes did appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight Orange-clad reindeer,

With a coach in the front yelling out loud

Otto knew in a moment Coach Mac emerged from that cloud

More rapid than a cross in the box, his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

”Now Tiana now Quincy, now Chase and Paulina

On, Declan on Emily on, Kinglsey and Florine!

To the top of the nation! Wins will come fast

We’ll win ACC titles and do well in each class!”

As leaves that before Anferny Sinclair kicks fly,

When they meet with an obstacle pass it right by;

So up to the new roof the coursers did flash

And then, in a twinkling, Otto felt a slight splash

The prancing and pawing caused moisture to seep

As Otto drew in his head, and was drying his cap

Down to the turf with a slide tackle came ol Coach Mac

He was dressed in his sideline best from his head to his foot,

But his Nikes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of pinnies he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! His smile, how merry

His cheeks were like oranges, his nose like a cherry!

His mouth was drawn up in a smile

And it spread across his face like it went on for a mile

The sound he made as he clapped his hand

Made shockwaves felt all across the land

He had a broad face and not much of a belly

That look when he smiled, turned Otto’s legs into jelly.

He had a welcoming look he was a jolly old elf,

And Otto grinned when he saw him, before spinning himself;

The stare from Mac’s eye and a point to his head

Soon let Otto know the image referees sure dread

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a smirk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up to the roof he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle

And away they all flew to South Campus quick as a missile

But Otto heard Mac exclaim, as he drove out of sight—

“Crackin’ Cusemas to all and to all a good night!”