Memory Lane

OLV72 said:
Maybe not:) Thought he was around 90%, but see that he was only about 80%

Williams was a fan favorite back then. He stood up to Ewing at MSG. His last second shot rolled off the unlucky Nassau Coliseum rim in the last second of that Alabama loss. People today would not believe that the NCAA opening round game ten or so miles from campus was an easy ticket and maybe 3/4's full.
Click to expand...
Alabama was actually a second round game on a Sunday afternoon and blacked out on local TV. WE played Penn Friday night (Not the Penn game others have referenced which was in 1979). I was a Senior in HS and went with a bunch of friends one who was going to Penn in the Fall. The boys kept teasing him how outnumbered he would be and that he would get his asked kicked, well when the Quakers took the floor you would have thought we were at the Palestra. Definitely a pro Penn crowd. We were surrounded by Penn students and got really tired of the "lets Go Quakers" chants. Once we had the game in hand, I started a "Let's Go Amtrack" chant and told them to go home. Would have played eventual champ Carolina next had we beaten Alabama.
 
SJUNC said:
Alabama was actually a second round game on a Sunday afternoon and blacked out on local TV. WE played Penn Friday night (Not the Penn game others have referenced which was in 1979). I was a Senior in HS and went with a bunch of friends one who was going to Penn in the Fall. The boys kept teasing him how outnumbered he would be and that he would get his asked kicked, well when the Quakers took the floor you would have thought we were at the Palestra. Definitely a pro Penn crowd. We were surrounded by Penn students and got really tired of the "lets Go Quakers" chants. Once we had the game in hand, I started a "Let's Go Amtrack" chant and told them to go home. Would have played eventual champ Carolina next had we beaten Alabama.
Click to expand...
I was at the Penn game as well. At Nassau Coliseum and you are correct, Alabama game was blacked out locally. Imagine that today ..
 
GeorgiaRed said:
I was at the Penn game as well. At Nassau Coliseum and you are correct, Alabama game was blacked out locally. Imagine that today ..
Click to expand...
Went to the Bama game with a friend of mine who had tickets to the Ranger game that night at MSG and so he left our game at halftime. I've never let him live that one down. :giggle:
 
Howie71 said:
JUST MAGINE IF SJU MET KANSAS IN THE TOURNEY! I literally got my 54 yr old body off the couch and started playing "air" basketball dunking and blocking shots at the mere thought. 😁 #ZUBY #Beastmode #CharlesJeffersonFastTimes
Click to expand...
Just as long as AJ Storr doesn’t pull a Dwayne Polee on us.



 
SJUNC said:
Alabama was actually a second round game on a Sunday afternoon and blacked out on local TV. WE played Penn Friday night (Not the Penn game others have referenced which was in 1979). I was a Senior in HS and went with a bunch of friends one who was going to Penn in the Fall. The boys kept teasing him how outnumbered he would be and that he would get his asked kicked, well when the Quakers took the floor you would have thought we were at the Palestra. Definitely a pro Penn crowd. We were surrounded by Penn students and got really tired of the "lets Go Quakers" chants. Once we had the game in hand, I started a "Let's Go Amtrack" chant and told them to go home. Would have played eventual champ Carolina next had we beaten Alabama.
Click to expand...

Yes - thanks for the correction. I recall it was a Sunday afternoon because I was battling a pretty awful hangover. When the ref fouled out Mullin my hangover dissipated into full blown rage - a sign of the future of watching our games.

The first game of that doubleheader was a classic with Jim Calhoun of Northeastern versus Rollie and Nova. I believe it was OT, but no clue who won.
 
For many of us on this site , our St John’s fandom began long before 1985 . Just saying .

I was in grade school , going to Holiday Festival Triple Headers during the Christmas - New Year at the old Garden on 50 th and 8 th Avenue .

I became a Redmen fan when Coach Lapchick brought the team to my High School on Long Island ( Bayport) for a practice work out and scrimmage.

That team had Tony Jackson , LeRoy Ellis , Kevin Loughery , Ivan Kovacs , etc

I became a SJU student as a freshman in 1964 and saw the Lapchick NIT win in 1965 with Sonny Dove , the McIntyres , etc

Got Season Tickets in 1982 -87 for the Mull Berry , Mark Jackson era .


Fast forward to this year and this team and the run they are on and this 78 year old is dreaming of a NCAA title .
The Journey to that possibility will be what it is but , I never thought we would regain the greatness we once had long ago .

But , we did with a HOF Coach who truly loves this team , his team, the School , fans, Students , alums , etc . And , Louie !

Pitino is the right Coach for us and who would hsve thought , in 2 years , he would get us to the BE Title ?


So , regardless of how far we go in the Tournament , we have , once again , become a Winning Team , which has been our Heritage .

With only a 25 year hiatus in between .

Win it all!
 
SLYFOXX1968 said:
For many of us on this site , our St John’s fandom began long before 1985 . Just saying .

I was in grade school , going to Holiday Festival Triple Headers during the Christmas - New Year at the old Garden on 50 th and 8 th Avenue .

I became a Redmen fan when Coach Lapchick brought the team to my High School on Long Island ( Bayport) for a practice work out and scrimmage.

That team had Tony Jackson , LeRoy Ellis , Kevin Loughery , Ivan Kovacs , etc

I became a SJU student as a freshman in 1964 and saw the Lapchick NIT win in 1965 with Sonny Dove , the McIntyres , etc

Got Season Tickets in 1982 -87 for the Mull Berry , Mark Jackson era .


Fast forward to this year and this team and the run they are on and this 78 year old is dreaming of a NCAA title .
The Journey to that possibility will be what it is but , I never thought we would regain the greatness we once had long ago .

But , we did with a HOF Coach who truly loves this team , his team, the School , fans, Students , alums , etc . And , Louie !

Pitino is the right Coach for us and who would hsve thought , in 2 years , he would get us to the BE Title ?


So , regardless of how far we go in the Tournament , we have , once again , become a Winning Team , which has been our Heritage .

With only a 25 year hiatus in between .

Win it all!
Click to expand...
That's when I began for me before I went there in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The first game I remember attending was the ECAC Holiday Festival in 1985 and I saw Boo Harvey's game-winner in the preseason NIT in 1989 as part of the games I attended in childhood. The concept of a big time college basketball a 20-minute bus ride from home was always really cool to me. I was an undergrad when they won in 2000 and was there last night with several others I knew who went to St. John's at that time.
 
Last edited:
Growing up in Dutchess county in the 70' and 80's pre cable i wasn't able to watch a lot of games. Nor did i attend St Johns...Basically around Mullins freshman is when I got to see Big East games..most of my friends were Cuse or GTown fans ugh...but being a Lefty I fell in love with Chris's game and St Johns....as you all can attest a great start then a roller coaster after. But as I found in you guys and this site i wasn't alone for the ride...this has been one of the most enjoyable seasons ever....not just because we are winning. It's the kids leading us...How can you not LOVE Zuby and his smile RJ passion and drive to succeed, KR's demeanor..cool as they come...AScott with his do whatever it takes.sacrificing his body and sometimes his offense to win...Devion refusing to be held down...I can go on and on....they deserve their flowers and what's still coming to them...Thank u Father Shanley and Repole for bringing in the coaching God Rick Pitino...sorry for the run-on lol but hot damn We Are St Johns
 
I graduated SJU Pharmacy School in 1971 and have been a fan for many years. There have been a lot of up and too many down years to remember. Can't remember being as proud and and excited as I was watching last night's game.
This is a group that never gives up. You can never count them out because they always come back and give it their all and find a way to win.
 
All credit goes to my Dad may he rest in peace. He was an SJU fan since his HS classmate Kevin Loughery attended. Started me on this labor of love. We moved to Dallas in 83 and we would meet at a joint called The Point After to watch televised games. We would talk after every game for years up until his untimely passing. He is loving this.
 
SLYFOXX1968 said:
For many of us on this site , our St John’s fandom began long before 1985 . Just saying .

I was in grade school , going to Holiday Festival Triple Headers during the Christmas - New Year at the old Garden on 50 th and 8 th Avenue .

I became a Redmen fan when Coach Lapchick brought the team to my High School on Long Island ( Bayport) for a practice work out and scrimmage.

That team had Tony Jackson , LeRoy Ellis , Kevin Loughery , Ivan Kovacs , etc

I became a SJU student as a freshman in 1964 and saw the Lapchick NIT win in 1965 with Sonny Dove , the McIntyres , etc

Got Season Tickets in 1982 -87 for the Mull Berry , Mark Jackson era .


Fast forward to this year and this team and the run they are on and this 78 year old is dreaming of a NCAA title .
The Journey to that possibility will be what it is but , I never thought we would regain the greatness we once had long ago .

But , we did with a HOF Coach who truly loves this team , his team, the School , fans, Students , alums , etc . And , Louie !

Pitino is the right Coach for us and who would hsve thought , in 2 years , he would get us to the BE Title ?


So , regardless of how far we go in the Tournament , we have , once again , become a Winning Team , which has been our Heritage .

With only a 25 year hiatus in between .

Win it all!
Click to expand...
Great post! Both you and I are contemporaries. I became a St. John's freshman in 1965. Although I don't have your memories of being a high school student on LI because I was from CT, I do relate to your other St. John's basketball memories. A quick funny story. My St. John's classmates made fun of my CT accent but when I got back home, my CT friends got on me for sounding like I was from New Yawk.
 
On Monday my father John Rampolla has been gone 20 years. My sports allegiances are all with his doing. Friday and Saturday I had the opportunity to bring my son to the semis and finals. When the horn rang out to see my son just cheering and so happy. A flood of emotion came over. I remember in 2nd grade seeing a poster in my classroom of Chris Mullin telling my friends he’s the best basketball player ever.

Ron Rowan’s shot and being with my dad and friends, cementing my dislike for Syracuse. Being in Montreal when they won their last championship and yelling at the Canadian people at bars as to how they can’t get the game on TV. Calling my dad and he told me all about the game.

Now I get to tell my son how happy my father would have been to be able to have watched yesterdays game with his two sons and two grandsons but he was watching over us for sure.

It was just a fantastic run. I may not be fortunate to be at every future important game but the love for SJU basketball is cemented in my son for sure.
 
I became a St.John’s fan in 1979. My Uncle Sonny was a huge St. John’s fan and started taking me to games at Alumni Hall. He would talk to me about the McGuire brothers , Sonny Dove and Frankie Alagia. He loved Looie also. The first game I saw was St. John’s vs Davidson when we had Reggie Carter, Bernard Rencher, Wayne McCoy, Ron Plair and Frank Gilroy. That was the starting line up for us. I’ve been a huge fan ever since. My Uncle is gone now but I know he’s looking down and loving this. I then started attending games with my buddy Larry Mushinski who pitched for St. John’s Baseball back in the late 60’s. Larry unfortunately passed away before this season started I feel so bad that isn’t around to see this. But, like my uncle, I know he’s looking down and loving this also. Just so many memories of the good times and the trying times. But, now we’re back baby!!! I just don’t want this to end until we cut down those nets in San Antonio!!
 
Beasts of the East said:
I woke up a few minutes ago, fully feeling euphoria, but not only in a haze of emotion. I'm flooded with so many thoughts in so many directions it's difficult to sort them all out.

I was born and raised in Queens, just 4 miles from St. John's. Like most of us here, I grew up in an era where a small kid could leave his house in the morning, and play on asphalt till it was dinner time.

St. John's was a reach school for me. Not academically, but where I grew up, a private university just wasn't in the cards for most kids.

After starting at a CUNY school, I transferred to St. John's for pharmacy. It was different here. I made friends easily, good kids. Within a few weeks it felt like home, a home I was proud to be a part of.

Almost immediately I was consumed by our basketball team. Between school, work, and commuting by bus, going to games was an impossibility.

Eventually got a car, pledged a frat, and going to games with the brothers became a regular thing. Student season tix were cheap, somewhere under $30, and as part of the booster club, sat behind the bench. That was more than 40 years ago, season tix I have to this day. My girlfriend soon got tix also. She's been with me at most games this season, and each of our kids and grandson occadionally join us. She was with me at the Garden last night, along with one of my daughters.

It's been a long, often frustrating road as a fan. The high water marks of the program since 85 have mostly been infrequent one and done appearrances in the NCAAs. But still, through all that, was an unshakeable feeling of ownership. This is my school, my borough, my team. It's my family. You know families - you can speak badly of your family to other family members, but to anyone else NEVER.

So This season has been a dream. A real, authentic, Queens dream. Keegan Bradley said he loves St. John's because everyone from Queens works so hard for everything they have. That's the identity of THIS TEAM, the identity of Rick Pitino, of every roster player. Play hard, play harder, never give up, not on a play, not on defense, not on the outcome. NYC ball. Winners play, losers sit. You want to play all day in a schoolyard - keep winning or you sit.

I now spend time in Fla. I flew home for every home game when I was there. Florida in March now on hold.

I can't mention this season without you guys. I saw a lot of you at the Garden last night, and know many more were present. I feel for you and am so happy that you guys got to experience this too. I won't name names. I very much like each of you, and yea, you are all family. It's clear when I see you in person, or when you go to bat for someone in need. It makes this all so special. St. John's is home and this isn't just sports, it's family.

Now let's enjoy the ride and get it done in the dance, however far till the music stops.
Click to expand...

I was a Suffolk kid of an SJU grad. There were a lot of us out in eastern Long Island!! But to me the NYC I knew growing up was Queens. Love this post.

(And the best food I ever had growing up was at my aunts in Jackson Heights…had no idea what baked ziti was capable of!)
 
hersheypa said:
I was a Suffolk kid of an SJU grad. There were a lot of us out in eastern Long Island!! But to me the NYC I knew growing up was Queens. Love this post.

(And the best food I ever had growing up was at my aunts in Jackson Heights…had no idea what baked ziti was capable of!)
Click to expand...
Moved to Jackson Heights in 1977, when I was seven. Went to Our Lady of Fatima from 4-8 grade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top