Sometimes I Hit the Nail on the Head

The following is from a piece by Dana O'Neil of ESPN that I read today:

"As I watched the final seconds tick away in a 93-78 St. John’s win over third-ranked Duke, I kept thinking of Gary Charles.

The longtime director of the Long Island Panthers, Charles is one of those guys you go to when you want to get your arms around what matters and who matters in New York City basketball.

Back in September, I called him and asked him what the most important thing Steve Lavin could do at St. John’s.

“Win back New York...Everybody’s been waiting for that. There’s nothing like sitting in the Garden, watching St. John’s. People want that back.’"

I wrote a similar opinion in my January 11th post: "St. John's fans have been waiting for so long to go crazy in the Garden that the boost to the program if the Red Storm can win tomorrow (against Syracuse) would be enormous."  It turns out that the Orange beat St. John's pretty easily, but St. John's more than redeemed themselves today when they blew out Duke today at the Garden.

Since St. John's and Duke have been scheduling this game regularly, there have been some great games.  I saw the Red Storm roll into Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2000 and beat the Number 2 Blue Devils. Bootsy Thornton hit a contested 3 at the buzzer in one of the most exciting college basketball games I have ever seen live.  There were 8 future NBA players participating in that game, blocking shots into the seats, going coast to coast and throwing down monster dunks, and hitting 3's that normal college players have no business attempting.  By the way, the definition of isolation is being the only SJU fan at the deathtrap that is Cameron 5 minutes after Duke loses.  I may have been the only person in that hot box wearing red and clearly would have been lynched if they had found out I went to a state school. 

In an equally great game the year before, Bootsy dropped 40 on Duke at the Garden.  Duke wound up winning in overtime, but Thornton and Artest were absolutely amazing.  Recently, Duke has dominated the series, but this year's game has re-kindled a flame that had been burning out.

I am so looking forward to St. John's competing at the Garden, because there is no other venue like it.  When St. John's ascends to being one of the top teams in the country again, NYC and the Garden will rock.  Believe me, there's  nothing like it.