Memory Lane

Long Island native, not an alum, fan since '82 when I started playing HS basketball. My HS years overlapped with Mullin's college years, so they were good years to be a Johnnies fan. Some good years after that until Looie retired, but I can even remember a lot of fans saying the game was passing Looie by in the last few years - even though he had an Elite 8 team in his second to last year...

For my money I'll always think that the 89-90 team (Boo Harvey and Jayson Williams and seniors, Sealy and Werdann as sophs) was Final Four caliber until Williams got hurt in mid-season. One of my favorite teams.

I can also remember when I was in college and Pitino was at Providence, and I was convinced that Rick would coach the Johnnies when Lou retired. How great that transition would have been. (My college buddies recently reminded me that I used to say that all the time - back in 1987...) Of course the Knicks foiled that genius plan.

This year's team has to be up there with some of the very best Johnnies teams that I've ever seen. The impact of a truly great coach has never been more apparent. I love the defense, the toughness and the never say die attitude.

It's so funny - my wife said last night how nice it was that I wasn't getting frustrated all the time watching St. John's. She would always say to me "why do you choose to make youself miserable by watching all these games?" (She'd say the same things abot the Mets most of the time. ) She watched the last two games with me and said how much fun it was to watch this team play and how nice it was to see me enjoy it so much.

And then I remind her, as I often do, than "fan" is short for "fanatic"... that really explains everything, doesn't it?
 
I never went to St. John’s. Lived in Briarwood, Kew gardens and Jamaica estates. St John’s would be on channel 9. Fell in love with the Malik Sealy years. I was in high school and just picked up playing basketball myself. Malik was so smooth. I went to school in Pittsburgh and watched them when they came to play Pitt. The famous Felipe Lopez teams. I would buy my buddies season tickets. Watched the Ron arrest years and last BET championship in person. I thought that was a great team, I think this year may replace them in my mind as best I’ve seen. Being at the garden last night was a moving experience. I’m so glad to enjoy it with my son. I hope he picks up my passion for this team and program for the rest of his life. We stayed for all the festivities until security started asking people to leave the court. What a night, what a year. We are so fortunate. Rick, Father Shanley, Ed Kull, Mike Repole and the terrific players. Thank you
 
GeorgiaRed said:
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.
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Was that Bayside High?
 
Mean Gene said:
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!!
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I became a SJU fan in the 63/64 season. my good friend rick losche was a friend of larrys. larrys frat had season tickets. rick and I would buy larrys tickets when larry could not make the game. the magical season of 64/65 sealed my love of SJU basketball forever. season ticket holder 27 years until moving to florida.
 
I grew up in Rockland, but have family and friends in Queens. I wasn’t a high school high achiever, but wanted to go to SJU. I met Chris Mullin and the team in Breezy Point when I was a kid, they came to do a clinic or some such thing. It must have left an impression on me, because I knew I wanted to go to SJU.
I got in on academic probation, but made it to the deans list and graduated 4 years later to the day, in 1998. I remember watching the 99 and 2000 teams *damn schoonie Penn!*
I live in NJ now, but I’ve always kept an eye on the team over the years, even during the darkest days. I can’t believe we are here, I truly want the team to have the best chance to advance deep in the tournament, even with the committee giving us little respect. Others have said it, and I’m starting to believe, that “We are the team other teams dont want to play!”
 
Everyone has their story, MainMan’s was particularly touching. Here is mine.

My mom died suddenly when I was 7 and my siblings were much older and married and out of the house within a year when I was still in middle school.
My Dad who was a major sports fan got season tickets for me and a friend for the Johnnies from 1964-1975 and turned us both into lifelong Johnnie fans. My Dad also got Alzheimer’s in the late 1980s and passed on 1993. He would be very happy to see our Johnnies so successful and even happier to see his son ecstatic. Go Johnnies!!
 
section10 said:
I became a SJU fan in the 63/64 season. my good friend rick losche was a friend of larrys. larrys frat had season tickets. rick and I would buy larrys tickets when larry could not make the game. the magical season of 64/65 sealed my love of SJU basketball forever. season ticket holder 27 years until moving to florida.
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That’s great Section 10. The good old days are back buddy!!
 
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!
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Similar experiences except I started as a freshman in 1959-60. Loved those triple headers at the holiday Festival when it was the premier holiday tournament. Saw coach K as the point guard for Bobby Knight coached cadets of West Points. Stormed the court after the Redmen won the NIT championship for the Big Indian Joe Lapchick in his last game. I could go on and on about many other great memories the Redman have given me over the years but this has given me so many this year that have been shared with my son and granddaughter.
 
nettles said:
Was that Bayside High?
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jackfro said:
Similar experiences except I started as a freshman in 1959-60. Loved those triple headers at the holiday Festival when it was the premier holiday tournament. Saw coach K as the point guard for Bobby Knight coached cadets of West Points. Stormed the court after the Redmen won the NIT championship for the Big Indian Joe Lapchick in his last game. I could go on and on about many other great memories the Redman have given me over the years but this has given me so many this year that have been shared with my son and granddaughter.
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For me too, it started when I entered SJU as a freshman in 1960. The great Joe Lapchick coached varsity, and some guy named Lou Carnesecca coached freshman ball. 65 years of a lot of thick, and too much, needless thin.
 
Fandom started with an uncle who went to St. John's downtown Brooklyn in the late 40's early 50's got me started to think about colleges. First in my family to attend college, typical back then. In grade school and high school played a lot of BB in Foster Park in Bklyn (Flatbush). Got to St. John's SI in 1971, the team practiced in our tiny gym and I was already a fan and became an even bigger one. Met my wife on SI St. John's and both became double alums.

We were always so good from my beginning days late 60's, early 70's through the Artest years, then hit the doldrums. Now resurrected and back to where St. John's belongs. I hated to see us keep moving down the List of All Time college wins, we were top 5 back in the day.

Go Johnnies.

We are ......... St. John's.

I have so many friends and family members who are fans because of me and who are so happy right now. I am hearing from so many of them far and wide.
 
jackfro said:
Similar experiences except I started as a freshman in 1959-60. Loved those triple headers at the holiday Festival when it was the premier holiday tournament. Saw coach K as the point guard for Bobby Knight coached cadets of West Points. Stormed the court after the Redmen won the NIT championship for the Big Indian Joe Lapchick in his last game. I could go on and on about many other great memories the Redman have given me over the years but this has given me so many this year that have been shared with my son and granddaughter.
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Thanks for sharing your great memories .
 
kranmars said:
Moved to Jackson Heights in 1977, when I was seven. Went to Our Lady of Fatima from 4-8 grade.
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Grew up between Blessed Sacrament and St. Joan's parishes on the more urban side of Jackson Hts.

Played CYO ball on Fatima's field with the LGA planes flying so close you'd think a pop up would hit the fuselage.

Also Fatima had the best summer carnivals with the three-story slides, etc.
 
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