By Euclid 419er

As I was mulling over possible ideas for the Four On The Fourth feature, I was looking to do something quirky and a bit off the beaten path.  But after days of brainstorming, I realized I couldn’t see the forest for the trees.  After all, on the 4^th of July, we don’t just focus on our presidents – that’s for President’s Day.  Just as we focus on our national symbol on Flag Day and our national addiction to consumption on Thanksgiving.  On the 4^th o’ July, we reflect generally on what makes this country great – freedom, liberty, the Whopper, the list goes on.  So as we reflect as a nation on why we’re proud to be Americans, for my “Four For the Fourth,” I offer my reflections on the top four things that make me proud to be a Syracuse fan.

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(4) The Dome

A controversial pick as the fourth thing I’m proud of the most as a Syracuse fan.  Naysayers will say that a dome cedes a potential home-field advantage – the cold and the snow.  But I don’t buy it.  Maybe our players – in particular our kickers, punters, snappers and holders – could get extra practice time outdoors to get a feel for the ball when it’s slippery or hard as a rock.  But when it comes down to it, if we played outdoors under a foot of snow and in temperatures south of freezing, our players would be just as miserable as those from South Florida.

I’m proud of having the largest single-game on-campus attendance in basketball every year.  The ‘Nova game this past season was remarkable, both because of the way ‘Cuse dominated, as well as the fact that a population the size of Ithaca was there to see it.  The Dome is something to be proud of because it’s part of our identity.  It’s unique.  When people think Syracuse, they think of the Dome – the only on-campus venue in America where you can buy beer at a collegiate event.  Who doesn’t take pride in that?  Having a widely recognized venue is a key ingredient of a robust legacy.

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(3) Orange

I’m standing in line for a beer at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia during halftime of a recent Syracuse-Villanova game when I was verbally accosted by another beer-seeker. ‘Nova fan?  Nope.  A Syracuse fan, enraged by my selection of shirt.  You see, I was donning a blue long-sleeve tee-shirt with orange lettering, hardly the appropriate apparel if my goal was to stand out among the home crowd.  By not wearing orange, I had laid down my sword.

As a widely recognized venue is key to a robust legacy, so to can be a color.  And I’m not talking Stanford Cardinal here (you ever see an aerial shot of the 1999 Rose Bowl between Stanford and Wisconsin? Red vs. Redder).  I’m talking Orange.  I’m talking find-your-buddies-in-a-crowded-bar-in-under-five-seconds orange.  I’m talking make-no-mistake-you-know-damn-well-who-I’m-rooting-for orange.  When we dropped the “-men” and “-women” from our moniker a few years back, plenty of folks blasted the move as blatant political correctness.  But I gotta tell you, seeing those dense orange letters emblazoned across the chest of our power forward says to our opponents deal with this and the eye-piercing inferno behind me.

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2) Boeheim

Not everyone gets to be a fan of a school with an iconic coach.  We do and I’m not afraid to remind those that don’t.

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1) The Hardware

When arguing sports with friends who foolishly chose to attend other schools, there are few better trump cards than the hardware Syracuse basketball took home in 2003.  Winning a championship, especially when you are a student at the university, is one of the most prideful moments a sports fan can have.  You are untouchable. Your foes can do nothing but stand back and acknowledge that your team is in fact better than theirs.  Would I still be just as proud to be a Syracuse fan had we not made the fabled run in 2003?  Of course.  But there is no question I love answering more than, “Were you there when they won the championship?”  I was, my friend, and let me tell you all about it.