Hello one and all!
As I think about all the games I have witnessed over the years one holds a special place in my heart, not only because the game was fantastic, but also due to the circumstances that brought us there.
The 2017 Division II Men’s basketball East Regional in Syracuse was an odd duck right from the start. I had the privilege of broadcasting my typical two games in the first round while doing sideline reporting when I didn’t have the headset on. The first game I called was the Southern New Hampshire upset loss at the hands of Southern Connecticut. The Owls were dealing with suspensions and had already packed their belongings before the committee stunned everyone and made them a seven-seed. The game was a dud from a competitive standpoint. What stood out was how fortunate I was to have the call of Michael Mallory’s layup as he became the Northeast-10 Conference's all-time leading scorer and dropped a career-high 42, which is just six points shy of the NCAA Division II Tournament first-round record. The game also took an eternity to play with 57 personal fouls and 73 free throws. Sludge had a better pace than that affair!!
On day two, a few people were feeling under the weather and I just tried to stay away from anyone with the sniffles, because we were about to get a massive snowstorm and the last thing I needed was to be sick as a guest in my good friend and colleague Don Familo’s home! To this day, I’m not sure how I managed to get my car from Don’s to the gymnasium after the blizzard. It was a horror movie and a chase scene all in one, except I wasn’t being chased. There were no lines on the road just white. Snow covered all. It was on Monday where Chris Granozio, who had been the voice of over a dozen regional title tilts, told me he was too sick to broadcast. So here I was stepping foot in the gymnasium a day later when I see a Pack Network employee who told me, “Game is cancelled.” You see, cancelled, means something much different to me than postponed. While the two are interchangeable to some, they actually mean far different things. I was sad and then I wasn’t as I quickly learned the game would be played Wednesday at 3 pm for the last spot in the Elite 8…
There was some debate whether or not to play the game without fans, but there were fans for the All-NY event between St. Thomas Aquinas and Saint Rose. About 40 people braved the elements. It was a distinct privilege to paint the word picture and goes to show you often it’s better to be lucky than good. If you’re interested, here are the game highlights as put together by the great people at Pack Network.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqDwaKY2J24
1) As you can tell I was a little amped. I’m excitable and emotional, but after all the years covering the region, having the opportunity to call a Regional Final was humbling.
2) I never could have imagined a nearly empty gym for a game of that magnitude, but now it’s commonplace.
3). The referees were outstanding, led by the fantastic Carl Luciano. The game ending on an official’s video review was anticlimactic at the time, but such a fitting way to culminate easily the most bizarre regional I’ve been a part of.
My Favorite Things
This week I take a look at my Top 4 team nicknames (NOT LOGOS—we’ll get to those in a future article). I like unique and double meanings as you’ll soon see!
4) Firebirds— University of the District of Columbia (UDC):
I’ve never been a car person, but I love the way UDC Firebirds rolls of the tongue.
3) Knights — Queens College
I confess, every time I think of Queens Knights, I think of chess! There are plenty of ________ Knights around, but this one stands out mainly because of the borough where they reside.
2) Setters— Pace University
Pace Setters!! A nickname and a saying you can use in everyday life. Pure Genius!!
1) Penmen- Southern New Hampshire University
The SNHU website describes a “Penmen” as a nickname “designed to evoke memories of the spirit of the hardy New England colonials.” I’m not sure if it does that, but it’s a unique nickname!
What’s your favorite nickname? Tweet us!! https://twitter.com/D2EastHoops
We’ve got more content coming up this week. Stay tuned for the SUPER 75. This week Steve (women’s) and Chris (Men’s) will reveal their best small forwards in their long and storied careers covering the region.
Until next time, when we’ll do it all again, Always do what is right and not what is easy! Stay Safe everyone!
Have a comment or question? tpmccaffrey@gmail.com