Tonight's Dinner
- Thread starter Eric
- Start date
That’s a grown man right there.Mark looks great.
Towerofshred
Member
Omg!!! My worst fear.
Im a Jets fan and thought this is the year.... for both Jets and Johnnies. And now its only the Johnnies.
EJoyce waa knocking people out of the way and was about to jump over tables to do cpr
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Also thanks again to JSJ absolute best ! As always a pleasure to see my friends Panther Ejoyce Nycredmen class of 65 Beast Sig Ep David Russel and to finally meet billthetruth who is another great guy. I’m forgetting some so apologies but just an absolute fantastic event !
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Make it 10
L J S A
Well-known member
They 100 percent thought you were interviewing somewhere else.
Mike Zaun Returns
Well-known member
As a Jets fan reading this last night I damn near choked on my drink. Panic takes a while to wear off thanks to our conditioning over the years
. Looks like it was a great night. For the first time ever I purchased the MSG plan. I’ve been waiting for the right time & that is now.
Last night was an incredible event. Best attended men's basketball dinner and most money raised. Saw many of you (mike missed fansince65 and his wife) Wendell, too.
Right off I can tell you the night was much more about how it felt to be there than what was said or who was there. The positive vibe, the palpable excitement, and the sense of community of alums and fans who have supported and rooted and waited for a very long timeband the sense that the time has arrived.
I sat with Rick and Chris Ledlum. Chris us such an amazingly good and nice kid, who was flanked at the table by my daughter and the daughter of a great friend of mine who also sponsored the evening. By the end of the night they were all friends. I told Chris that if this team wins they will all be as well known and admired as professional players and this season will be his most rewarding.
Being around Rick is like being with one of the guys you've known forever. He is razor sharp but has no pretenses or airs about him. He golfed in the morning out east as part of a commitment to Kentucky that he had rescheduled too many times and forgot of the conflict with the dinner. He said he took a helicopter to the event last night because it was cut too close and laughed and said, "And they paid for it (the Kentucky guys)" Rick brought a flew of family, nephews and one of his sons and it's clear that he is very close with all of them.
All in all i think i knew easily 100 people there. There are lots of faculty and administrators who have had tickets for years and always come to events. Professor Jack Clarke is likely the most beloved, biggest supporter, and biggest fan among them.
Rick was brutally candid when he told the audience that these are all great kids and very good players, but not a single one can play defense. He spoke at length that each of them will need high motors and get in better shape. He said Soriano has 10% body fat (another terrific kid) but is in bad shape. He said he is here right now, raising his hand just above his waist, but can get to here with hard work, raising that hand to above his chest. Rick went up and down the roster speaking about each kid and having them stand up as he introduced them. Three had classes they couldn't get out of, and Rick seemed incredulous about that.
He knows a ton about the former players in attendance and acknowledged Boo Harvey and Bernard Rencher as guys he has known since their hs days. He was effusive in his praise of Mark Jackson who he said he called "Baby Magic" as he recalled the mistake the Knicks made in trading Mark as Rick left. Mark Jackson delivered a tight 3 or 3 minute speech that heaped praise on Rick as a coach who is responsible for his 17 year playing career, one who had Mark believing he was better than Magic Johnson. He praised Coach Carnesecca who was among the first to call Mark after he was fired (Mark's words) from ESPN and how his 98 year old coach asked if he needed anything whatsoever.
Bill Wennington spoke and he is a Johnny thru and thru, and connects with people so easily. Vin from storm bid on 4 tickets to a nets.bulls game that Wennington donated and when Bill came off the stage went right to Vin and high fived and half hugged him.
Cragg and Shanley spoke and both were great.
Rick spoke that his goal is to win a national.champiomship here and no one in the room doubted it was possible.
Open practice Sunday and I wouldnt doubt a sizeable crowd. Players will sign autographs and take photos after.
Suddeny unbeleivably there is a prospect that the next 6 seasons will pay for much of the suffering of the recent past.
Right off I can tell you the night was much more about how it felt to be there than what was said or who was there. The positive vibe, the palpable excitement, and the sense of community of alums and fans who have supported and rooted and waited for a very long timeband the sense that the time has arrived.
I sat with Rick and Chris Ledlum. Chris us such an amazingly good and nice kid, who was flanked at the table by my daughter and the daughter of a great friend of mine who also sponsored the evening. By the end of the night they were all friends. I told Chris that if this team wins they will all be as well known and admired as professional players and this season will be his most rewarding.
Being around Rick is like being with one of the guys you've known forever. He is razor sharp but has no pretenses or airs about him. He golfed in the morning out east as part of a commitment to Kentucky that he had rescheduled too many times and forgot of the conflict with the dinner. He said he took a helicopter to the event last night because it was cut too close and laughed and said, "And they paid for it (the Kentucky guys)" Rick brought a flew of family, nephews and one of his sons and it's clear that he is very close with all of them.
All in all i think i knew easily 100 people there. There are lots of faculty and administrators who have had tickets for years and always come to events. Professor Jack Clarke is likely the most beloved, biggest supporter, and biggest fan among them.
Rick was brutally candid when he told the audience that these are all great kids and very good players, but not a single one can play defense. He spoke at length that each of them will need high motors and get in better shape. He said Soriano has 10% body fat (another terrific kid) but is in bad shape. He said he is here right now, raising his hand just above his waist, but can get to here with hard work, raising that hand to above his chest. Rick went up and down the roster speaking about each kid and having them stand up as he introduced them. Three had classes they couldn't get out of, and Rick seemed incredulous about that.
He knows a ton about the former players in attendance and acknowledged Boo Harvey and Bernard Rencher as guys he has known since their hs days. He was effusive in his praise of Mark Jackson who he said he called "Baby Magic" as he recalled the mistake the Knicks made in trading Mark as Rick left. Mark Jackson delivered a tight 3 or 3 minute speech that heaped praise on Rick as a coach who is responsible for his 17 year playing career, one who had Mark believing he was better than Magic Johnson. He praised Coach Carnesecca who was among the first to call Mark after he was fired (Mark's words) from ESPN and how his 98 year old coach asked if he needed anything whatsoever.
Bill Wennington spoke and he is a Johnny thru and thru, and connects with people so easily. Vin from storm bid on 4 tickets to a nets.bulls game that Wennington donated and when Bill came off the stage went right to Vin and high fived and half hugged him.
Cragg and Shanley spoke and both were great.
Rick spoke that his goal is to win a national.champiomship here and no one in the room doubted it was possible.
Open practice Sunday and I wouldnt doubt a sizeable crowd. Players will sign autographs and take photos after.
Suddeny unbeleivably there is a prospect that the next 6 seasons will pay for much of the suffering of the recent past.
Zoom interview.
I know the other two guys but who is the one on their left?
redmen4life
Well-known member
anyone else get the sense RP is trying to temper expectations? it seems like every chance he gets he's pointing out the faults. this team has been practicing since july. with one more month to go. there'd had be a significant improvement given how RP talks about the team.
He is straight shooter and motivator. I know for a fact he has been on Joel to get in super shape since day 1, a win/win for SJ & JS’s pro future. Rick also expected more growing pains on defensive side of court and equally candid about that, refreshing!
My guess he knows this year will be a battle in BE, dancing an expectation, but most importantly he is building program foundation and in 24-25 season he expects us to really make big noise in Dance. In year one if they make any noise in Tourney w so many new faces, imo that is a cherry on the cake
He certainly knows how to play the room for sure and temper the outside expectations. Shrewd man.