The who what where and why part 2

This is the second part of my riveting post about the who, what, where, and why we are bloggers. I spoke to my good friend Sean over at Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician. It's a think-piece. Think-piece about a mid-level band(blog) struggling with their own limitations in the, you know, harsh face of stardom.(sorry watched almost famous last night). So lets get down to it.....

Why did you decide to start a blog about Syracuse sports?
Sean- I had started a couple blogs about a bunch of random topics, including movies and general sports. But nothing really stuck. After about a week or so I'd get bored or forget about it. It wasn't until I started Nunes that I finally stuck with it. Plus, it made me a better fan cause it forced me to pay attention to the minutia that I never noticed before.

What were your first memories of a Syracuse sporting event?
Sean- This is a horrible confession but when I was younger I was a fairweather Georgetown fan and as such, I hated Syracuse. I have absolutely no frame of reference as to why I liked them, other than that they were extremely popular and I was 13. But I remember watching Syracuse and hating everything about them. Their color, their players and that God damn balding jerk on the sidelines. What does it mean that I now whole-heartedly root for the team I despised second only to Duke as a teen? When I finally break down and see a psychiatrist I'm sure they'll tell me.

What was your most heart breaking Syracuse moment?
Sean- God, what a question. So many to choose from. I'm gonna go with our loss in the Sweet Sixteen to Michigan State in 2000. I was watching the game at a jam-packed Darwin's (R.I.P.). When I say it was packed I mean if a fire broke out, none of us would have stood a chance. And Syracuse was mopping the floor with the Spartans in the first half. I don't remember exactly but we were up by double digits. And there was absolutely no doubt in any of our minds that we were not only going to win the game but also the national title. No doubt. Halftime was a mess of celebratory shots, horrible renditions of "Sweet Caroline" and sloppy high-fives.Then the second half happened. The rest is history. I can't describe it really but the mood after the game was...dire. No one wanted to keep drinking (and that's saying a lot). Everyone was just absolutely drained. There's very few times that most fanbases have their hearts broken because it takes a lot for the stakes to be high enough...but that was one of them.

What was your happiest Syracuse moment?
Sean- I've told this story a few times but it was the Virginia Tech game in '98. Obviously the game was amazing and McNabb's last-second pass to Brominski was the stuff of legend. But it was the circumstances for me that made it so memorable. My mom was up that weekend visiting and we snuck her into the student section (those of you who were or are students know how lax the security is). As McNabb and the Orange lined up for that final play I told my mom we were about to charge the field. At this point, I thought it was a good idea to explain to her what exactly that entailed. McNabb threw the pass and then we jumped the rail. As the students and players merged on the field, Donovan came running right at me. I got ready to high-five him and complete the perfect Syracuse football experience. He raised his hand...and high-fived my mom as he ran by.

Daryl Gross came into Syracuse with grand visions of national championships, was he blowing smoke up our ass or is he smoking something really expensive?
Sean-I'm sure the good doctor believed it when he got here. Problem is, his vision seems to be more of a marketing campaign than a thorough athletics campaign. It's been more about gaining traction in media markets than winning the battle in the trenches. It's all too big picture instead of trying to take care of the little things. At this point, worry about getting us back to a bowl game. Then we'll talk championships.

Who would win Notre Dame or Syracuse in the "I suck as a coach bowl"?Very good question. How stupid to UCLA and Louisville feel, being the "respectable" programs who lost to these teams?
Sean- It would be an offensive explosion, that's for sure. I'm envisioning a 3-3 tie that is decided in a sumo-off between Patrick Shadle and Charlie Weis. Advantage: Shadle.

Other than your own, what blog do you get out of bed and think I can't wait to see what they wrote next?
Sean- Call me vanilla but I check Deadspin first every day. It's not #1 for nothing. And in spite of the fact that writes about the Boston Red Sox and pro basketball incessantly, I'm a Sports Guy reader. Oh and Every Day Should Be Saturday is required reading for all college football fans.

Thanks Sean for your time, you are a gentleman and a scholar!

Stay Tuned for Orange 44 and The Axeman's answers