Syracuse want to continue playig Johnies for MSG exposure

Per article recently posted on "sweet, sweet Lavin" website Jim B. wants to continue playing SJU....I have mixed feelings as they have deserted the big east and for that they should rot in hades.... Yet having the opportunity to kick their butts is most enticing.

St. John's should tell them to kick rocks and move on.

Per article recently posted on "sweet, sweet Lavin" website Jim B. wants to continue playing SJU....I have mixed feelings as they have deserted the big east and for that they should rot in hades.... Yet having the opportunity to kick their butts is most enticing.

I too have mixed feelings. I would love to beat them at MSG. But telling them to take a hike would also be appealing. Maybe a compomise would be playing them at MSG and calling it a nuetral site, but not every year.

I said this on RM and everyone there put their heads in the sand and told me I was a nice person; but the only thing that should be considered is whether or not playing Syracuse helps SJU.   

And to me that is an emphatic yes.   There is no other school that we can play that will draw attention and excitement like playing Syracuse.   Outside of Georgetown we arguably have more history with them than any other program; throw in their alumni base in NYC, and it's a natural rivalry regardless of what conference they are in.

Of course, no one wants to play them if we're not going to be competitive or have fan support; but shouldn't we anticipate those things during the Lavin years?  Or, should we plan for the worst?

Playing Syracuse at MSG is the closest thing we have to Duke hosting recruits for a UNC game, or Ohio State hosting recruits the weekend they play Michigan.  Even with Syracuse in the ACC, we're still going to be battling for the same recruits.   Look no further than Whitehead and Lawrence. 

Now that they are in a different conference I would make Syracuse part of the Holiday Festival.   The Garden would love to breathe new life into that event; and it would sell enough tickets that we could finally go back to a true tournament, with a champion who owns bragging rights.
Easy format:  SJU, Syracuse, 1 Maac team, 1 A-10 team.    Rotate the teams you want to invite.
Day 1: SJU v Iona,  Syracuse v Fordham
Day 2:  Most years ends up being SJU v Syracuse

To me that's a no-brainer for everybody involved.  SJU, Syracuse, MSG, the other local teams. 

It would be good for local basketball, continue a rivalry of ours, and give us a guaranteed marquee non-conference game every year.   
And even in a down year, beating them for the Holiday crown, would still be an accomplishment for the kids to take home and for Lavin to tell recruits.
Everyone who wants to "punish" Syracuse should realize that in many ways it benefits us to schedule them. 

Wouldn't like the "neutral site" scenario. Season tix fans would not get their seats and Syracuse would be allowed 50% of the seats.

I said this on RM and everyone there put their heads in the sand and told me I was a nice person;

Everyone?

Quote from: desco80 on July 18, 2012, 12:58:59 PM

I said this on RM and everyone there put their heads in the sand and told me I was a nice person;

Everyone?

Not enough that I should generalize, you're right.   

Quote from: Moose on July 18, 2012, 01:20:24 PM

Quote from: desco80 on July 18, 2012, 12:58:59 PM

I said this on RM and everyone there put their heads in the sand and told me I was a nice person;

Everyone?

Not enough that I should generalize, you're right.   

I just thought it was one poster in particular who seemed to attack.

Wouldn't like the "neutral site" scenario. Season tix fans would not get their seats and Syracuse would be allowed 50% of the seats.

Syracuse fans get 50% + or the tickets anyway. MSG is not a home court for SJU vs Syracuse, they have many NYC alumni. It is more like a nuetral court and when the NCAA evaluates us for the tourney it will serve us better not counting the game as a home game.

i would say we play them as often as we have played BC and Miami since they left the Big East; i.e., never!  not seeing their obnoxiuos fans again will be too soon.

Besides which what makes one think they would want to play us.  Accuse only plays non league at the football field and only selects those they can beat and we will not be one of those.

There are reasons to play them. To show our fans, and potential recruits that this is our home court. I do not think that this will be a powerhouse under Mike Hopkins like it is now. It is going to get harder to recruit to Central NY once Boeheim retires.

The only thing I'd like to avoid is giving SU a chance to play another BE team at MSG and take attention away from our program on our court.

I'm ambivalent about playing Cuse at MSG but wouldn't it be funny to get into a early season tourney with STJ repping the BE, Cuse the ACC, and WVU the Big 12. 

We should play 'em every year.........................................at CA.

I think we almost have to play them.  It's not as if SU has to play the Johnnies in order to play in NYC or even in MSG.  I highly doubt that MSG will turn down SU if SU's requests to play a game or even two there and Barclays certainly won't.  Given SU's draw in the city it's a no brainier for the arena's to sell the tickets and consessions.

If its going to happen anyways, why not benefit from it.

Agreed.  If SU wants to play there, it will happen.  We might as well be a part of it.

Would love to keep playing them. We're finally in position to give them the beating they deserve.

Watch and remember when things was a little less complicated....


Derrick Coleman vs. Malik Sealy Syracuse vs. St Johns 1990 Part 1

Watch and remember when things was a little less complicated....


Derrick Coleman vs. Malik Sealy Syracuse vs. St Johns 1990 Part 1

  Man, that Stevie Thompson was a tough SOB. 6'4" and he played down low for the most part.  Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Would love to keep playing them. We're finally in position to give them the beating they deserve.

We are finally in a position to keep up with. But a beating?

No thanks