Maryland had the big plays, Syracuse had the big mistakes

/ September 23, 2014
Hey ma, Maryland is killing Syracuse ...

Hey ma, Maryland is killing Syracuse …

So it was a grudge afternoon, this Saturday trip to the Carrier Dome to see my alma mater Maryland while sitting side by side with KP watching his alma mater Syracuse.

Not so much.

First off, through 30 years of the best of and worst of stuff, a football game between our old schools felt much more like a great opportunity for me to stow away a six pack of Miller Lite behind the front seat of my Chevy and note his smile of slight surprise and complete satisfaction as I sat on the small wall and pulled out the tailgate brews after I parked in my favorite lot down the big hill from the Carrier Dome some 75 minutes before game time.

Yeah, catch a few-beer buzz, keep the cash in our pockets, ask KP to reminisce about his student days on the hill as — my turn for slight surprise as I realize this — we get ready to attend our first college football game together. The Syracuse-Villanova basketball game we took in when the ‘Cats had Easy Ed Pinckney came up, though, as KP brought up a great ESPN documentary he caught about the rise and fall of the Big East.

Ah, but back to my buddy’s college days. His first year was spent in the dorm called Mount Olympus, a high perch atop many steps. He said some days were spent planning how one trip down to the rest of campus could fill all his student needs. This I never knew about my best friend.

Then we strolled up University Avenue, stopped at the Sheraton tailgate, listened to a song from the band fronted by Gary Frenay and Arty Lenin, talked to a few folks I knew, watched other men ogle the two hostesses dressed in short, tight orange dresses …

Now the nickname is official.

Now the nickname is official.

And made our way to the dome. In which Maryland was the team that found a way to carve all big plays, the game-swinging plays, the momentum-changing plays, the eye-opening plays, while Syracuse mounted time-chewing, yard-gaining, otherwise satisfying drives, and then did something awful, stupid, or awfully stupid.

My eyes opened wide for my Terrapins’ 25-yard scoring pass, 90-yard scoring pass, blocked punt turned into a 4-yard touchdown run, 88-yard interception return for a touchdown. I cheered silently, into the meat of my upper arm.

And I felt true sadness — and yelled out in dismay — for Syracuse’s botched plays and numerous penalties. Because, of course, every other game, this season ticket holder with his dear wife Karen is rooting for the Orange.

With Maryland leading 31-13 at halftime, I walked the concourse in search of a raucous celebration from the couple hundred red-wearing Terp fans I’d spotting sitting en masse in the far corner. I spotted a guy on his cell phone and others in red walking singly to and fro.

The second half was somewhat of a snoozer, unless you’re the type that enjoys your squad getting near the goal line and then having crushing penalties move the ball back, back, back …

Maryland won 34-20 and goes into its first Big Ten regular season 3-1. I’m hopeful for break-even in the new conference, at least, despite getting hammered by the Orange in all statistical categories. Many Big Ten squads do not look that great so far this year. A bowl game, six wins necessary, is still on my hope list.

As for Syracuse, 2-1 heading to an 8 p.m. primetime Big Apple showdown Saturday against undefeated Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium before heading into its ACC season, well, correct the mental and physical blunders, and there is a lot of talent in evidence. A bowl game is still on my hope list for the Orange, too.

So not much was changed by Saturday’s life-changing clash that featured my alma mater and my hometown squad.

Oh, I did meet a cool fellow Maryland grad heading down that hill after that game, he wearing red next to his girlfriend dressed in Syracuse orange. Mouthy as I am, I called out how I’m confident we can beat Indiana in our Big Ten opener, and asked if he went to College Park or was just wearing the shirt. We discovered we were 20 years apart, 99 to 79, and he asked if I was in a frat. No, GDI, I answered. He didn’t seem to get upset at me for throwing out Gosh Darn Independent, which is what some folks uttered when frat and sorority folks appeared to be running the whole campus show. No, we talked about loving our time down there, and he talked about showing his Orange girlfiend our campus at Maryland games, and his rooting for Syracuse to always, forever, beat Duke in basketball.

Yeah, some common ties will always be there for me. Thanks for the reminder, Terps class of 1999.

Have you ever sat down with a longtime friend and discovered neat things about them you never knew, and what are your favorite tales you’ve learned? Fraternity/Sorority or GDI in reality and spirit? Are you more likely to ask a stranger in a your-team shirt if they went to your school or let them walk by and wonder forever, and if so, can you share what you discovered?

Related posts

33 thoughts on “Maryland had the big plays, Syracuse had the big mistakes”

  3. Mr. B,

    Although I am very happy that you had a wonderful time with your friend at the game, I have to admit that the rest of this post was like reading Chinese characters and trying to make sense of them. You see, I do not speak football and so, you lost me.

    Take this paragraph, for example: “Maryland won 34-20 and goes into its first Big Ten regular season 3-1. I’m hopeful for break-even in the new conference, at least, despite getting hammered by the Orange in all statistical categories. Many Big Ten squads do not look that great so far this year. A bowl game, six wins necessary, is still on my hope list.”

    HUH? Whatcha talkin bout Willis? You lost me at Maryland… LOL. 🙂

    All kidding aside (kinda), it sounds like a great time.

    Respectfully, The OTHER Mrs. B

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • This comment opens a window wide for me, Mrs. B.
      Now I know why your Mr. B was expected to miss the second half of an exciting college football at his daughter’s new college taking place right before the very eyes of he, his wife and the wonder from their genes to drive to a mall that would remain open for many hours after the end of the very game and the next day, too.

      A-ha moment for The OTHER Mr. B. You were watching but not knowing what you were seeing! I get it.

      So. More simple on what I wrote above. A team needs to win six games in a season to be rewarded by playing in a bowl game. Maryland has three, with eight games left. Good chance, but anything can happen because I still don’t know how they will fare in their first season switching to a new conference. But that conference may not be overly talented this season. Syracuse has two wins with nine games left. Four wins needed against tough competition is a crap shoot at this point. But I am optimistic that both teams will make a bowl game.

      I hope you can make sense of that explanation. Or, just skip it altogether and go shopping.

      Respectfully, The sports-loving Mr. B

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Ha,ha! In my defense, we had time restrictions and only had that window to go to the MALL from hell! 🙂

        Can I tell you that I will be attending the Umass vs. Bowling Green Homecoming game this Saturday with Mr. B? Umass football is coming back to their stadium after playing away from their fans at Gillette Stadium, Boston last year. I have pride (Umass is my alma mater) and spirit, but you are right, I don’t quite get the game. I am sure if I tried and asked questions (I would drive Mr. B crazy with questions- though), I would be more into it. 🙂

        Thank you for the clarification on that paragraph, much appreciated! 🙂 I knew I could count on the other Mr. B to educate me patiently.

        Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going shopping. 🙂

        Like

      • I will answer any and all sports-related questions you pose, Mrs. B. Patiently. That’s the way new sports fans are made. 🙂 Enjoy your school’s homecoming game. You can have a great time on the hoopla alone for that. Tailgate, food, spot some old classmates, remember time spent in certain campus spots, drink adult beverages, and then … oh, yeah, root for the young men in the pads and cool-looking uniforms.

        This seems like a simple statement, but so much is going on that confused folks sometimes forget it and give up. Watch the football itself, carefully, and you’ll see the amazing things that go on around it, the runs and passes and catches and tackles. We’ll start with that one. Tell me how it goes, and if and when you want The OTHER Mr. B lesson No. 2.

        Enjoy the big Saturday! Sis-boom-bah. Go Minutemen. 🙂

        Like

  4. Mark, sorry about the loss, but so glad you had a nice time with KP. It sounds like you learned a lot, this is how it should be years later…
    I honk at BGSU license plates, I chat up people who have their BG shirts on, find out when they went. I also dated all 4 years (and married) a ‘Frat’ boy. Since I thought I should, I went through “Rush” and was asked back, but never asked to join in the Final Rounds. I went to my university advisor, who somehow?? located the ‘rejects’ (names) of sorority rush that year, my friends and I petitioned until we found one who would take us, and we were installed as Zeta Tau Alpha’s. So, in the end, it was a magnificent experience, getting all the ones who didn’t make it together and being one friendly and nice group of girls. I have told others who went to universities that had ZTA’s and told me they had a lot of ‘prestige’ amongst theirs.

    Like

    Reply

  6. Ah Syracuse, lets win some for Mark. I do love people stories. I’m thrilled when Husband can come up with one I’ve never heard. That usually happens when he’s around family and the memories start flowing with the sweet tea.

    Like

    Reply

  7. I have a lot of shirts from my employer, so I get asked often what year I graduated when in reality I just get a cheap, supplemented tshirt supply 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  8. must have been an up and down day for you, here’s a a happy season from here on out. michigan is having huge struggles this year and i’m not sure where it will go from here. i love to find out people’s stories, as i know you do, i would have talked to the person too, and i once found out a pretty conservative administrator believed that she had been abducted by aliens.

    Like

    Reply

    • Thanks, CBXB. I was thrilled when your Hawkeyes beat PIttsburgh, always rival of Syracuse. Yeah, my Terps play the Hoosiers. I’m glad Indiana beat Missouri. Maybe they got the good game of their system, you know? You guys start the Big Ten this week, too, at Purdue. There’s your big, fat W. Oct. 27 you vs. me. What will we do, my friend?

      Like

      Reply

  10. Keeping that social calendar busy, as usual. GDI, though I had never heard of that term–and like Liz said, we were JUST talking about that, Willis. If I had a few beers in me, I could be equally mouthy. More than once, i’ve wound up at a pool hall bar, talking with Vietnam vets about their pasts. You have to admit saying you were the “Class of 99” would have been pretty cool. Even though it’s so LAST century.

    Like

    Reply

    • Hey, I taught you a new one, Kerbey. Yeah, GDI used to anger up a few of the frat boys back in the day. It was all in fun, though. Truth be known, I was too poor to pledge as much as anything else. Yes, class of ’99 is pretty cool, very last century!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. Good questions, all 🙂 Am not a sports fan so much, but I like your spin on how it can bring folks together. GDI all the way, as evidenced by Kerbey and my comment thread on her yesterday’s post. (Speaking of, are you and she in cahoots with your posts? 😉 )

    I have a good friend I hadn’t seen in a while and learned that she loved reading cop books and had always wanted to be in law enforcement. Was floored as I thought I knew her well. Fast-forward four or so years later and she’s getting ready to graduate with a degree in law enforcement.

    Like

    Reply

    • Kerbey and I are in some sort of cahoots, only we never plan it. Go figure! Cahoot me, cahoot me not … I love the story about your friend chasing her passion like that. Pretty stinking awesome, Liz.

      Like

      Reply

  12. Mark, I love that you snuck beers in!

    It’s amazing to me how sure I can be so sure about knowing someone well and still…be thrown or surprised by a story I’d never heard… There’s always more to learn. ❤
    Diana xo

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.