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Post by RockawayHoya on Mar 12, 2007 16:32:13 GMT -5
Great night at Cafe 31 after the game. FL has some pics up on FB that are just amazing considering how many different classes are represented. I was able to meet up with several people I haven't seen since graduation. It's amazing how the Hoyas have been able to bring so many people together for celebration after celebration this year.
I ran into Jahidi for the first time near the floor when they were cutting down the nets (great to meet you). Wish I could've matched more real people with their HT handles at C31 on Saturday night.
And although Jeff Green's mom incited a few sustained chants and cheers at C31, I kind of got the feeling she was a little uneasy when we started chanting "One more year!" as she left. Her face, which was literally glowing all night with a huge smile, became a nervous smile as she was heading towards the door to leave. I think she knows something we don't (or don't want to happen, if you know what I mean).
Still, what a glorious night. Combining the festivites at C31 with the crowd singing the fight song along with the pep band playing outside MSG in the rain immediately following the game, It doesn't get any better than that.
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hoyainspirit
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
When life puts that voodoo on me, music is my gris-gris.
Posts: 8,398 
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Post by hoyainspirit on Mar 12, 2007 18:22:01 GMT -5
Brilliant, SF. Absolutely brilliant!
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FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Proud Member of Generation Burton
Posts: 4,544
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Post by FLHoya on Mar 12, 2007 20:04:33 GMT -5
Great night at Cafe 31 after the game. FL has some pics up on FB that are just amazing considering how many different classes are represented. I was able to meet up with several people I haven't seen since graduation. It's amazing how the Hoyas have been able to bring so many people together for celebration after celebration this year. And here would be (most of) those photos: tinyurl.com/2gngdzI'm trying to get some tagging and stuff done but there's a lot of Hoyatalk in those photos. Unbelievable experience. |
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HoyaSpirit
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Gotta love Smitty - 1989 Big East Player of the Year
Posts: 305
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Post by HoyaSpirit on Mar 12, 2007 20:50:13 GMT -5
Brilliant SF - Shawshank rocks. I got chills down my spine by half way through the 2nd sentence when I got the scoop. Perfect.
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HoyaSpirit
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Gotta love Smitty - 1989 Big East Player of the Year
Posts: 305
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Post by HoyaSpirit on Mar 12, 2007 20:51:14 GMT -5
FL - I got this when going to your link above -
Page not found
Oops! Looks like you followed a bad link.
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FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Proud Member of Generation Burton
Posts: 4,544
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Post by FLHoya on Mar 12, 2007 21:10:11 GMT -5
FL - I got this when going to your link above - Page not found Oops! Looks like you followed a bad link. Okay it should be fixed (and edited in my previous post too) tinyurl.com/2gngdz |
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Post by JohnnyJones on Mar 12, 2007 23:13:43 GMT -5
It was raining Saturday night on our way out of MSG - I just looked up in the sky, stretched my hands out wide, mimicking Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption - THAT'S what it felt like to me for the Hoyas to finally win the BET again. Being shut out of a championship since '89, it felt like I was actually free again.... As dTRAIN said, we went to the Affinia for a little bit before heading back to Cafe 31 after The Saturday Night Slaughter.......had NO desire to leave, but finally trekked home to Long Island a bit before two. We just couldn't stop hugging, chanting, slapping hands, and just acting like idiots the entire night. The place was crawling w/Hoyas both before and after the game. Hopefully the collective enthusiasm of thousands could be heard by those near and far who were unable to attend the tournament this year when watching the game on TV. My voice is still about 65% capacity at best. When I arrived at GU in the Fall of 1988, I just assumed we'd be in the BET finals almost all the time, and of course would win many. Started out well, beating Cuse in my freshman year, but believe we lost to Providence my sophomore year before getting to the finals. Lost to the Hall in the finals my junior year, and in a heartbreaker to Syracuse my senior year (with 'Zo still getting Most Outstanding Player of the BET as a runner-up). Little did I know how infrequent our visits would be to the final after my graduation. Knowing how long it took to get back to the top and cut down that net, I soaked the whole thing in so the memories would last. It was very special. Disappointed I wasn't smart enough to bring a camera. I'll remember when we make our next championship run - here's to hoping that involves trips to six games in three cities rather than three games in one. Nicely done FHills. I am still recovering from those glorious 4 days in NYC. The BET '89 was one of the most memorable weekends of my college years, but as a freshman I didn't have nearly the perspective to fully appreciate it. That is why this Championship, after 18 years filled with a bunch of great moments, but also more than our fair share of heartache, was that much more special to me. I was really happy to be able to share that experience with some of my best friends and so many great and loyal Hoya fans who, in my view, deserved to be able to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of this fabulous team. I hope that after everyone who was in NYC this weekend has a chance to recover, others (in particular those with more perspective - and eloquence! - than me) will share their views on the BET '07. There were so many great highlights from the weekend and Saturday night especially. For me - one stood out - the JT III / J. Green hug when Green came out of the game. I have a number of Hoya memorabilia / pictures etc. framed in my basement. My favorite one is the front page of The Hoya in the first edition following our '89 BET win. The caption at the top of the page reads "The Beast is Back" and the picture taking up the entire page is Charles Smith being engulfed in a bear hug by JT Jr. on the sidelines in the waning moments of our convincing, never in doubt, win over Syracuse. 18 years is a long time, but maybe it was worth the wait. Hoya Saxa. |
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Nevada Hoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 18,727
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Mar 12, 2007 23:38:40 GMT -5
Thanks, guys, for the vivid recollections of the whole weekend. Only downer in reading the various posts is that I was not there. I greatly enjoyed the JCW last April in Las Vegas, but it could not top this one. What a wonderful present to all of us Hoya alumni and fans! Keep the momentum going.
GO HOYAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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DanMcQ
Moderator 
Posts: 32,829
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Post by DanMcQ on Mar 13, 2007 1:49:06 GMT -5
Echoing JJ and others, this BET was a treasure. 1980 was sweet because of the newness of the first one and the realization that Hoyas had just risen to supremacy in the East. 1982 was special because of the original young Ewing and the unstoppable freight train that was that year's team. You could see that each of those teams was as capable of winning the national championship as any other.
This BET falls right in with those two in part because of the unexpected rise of this team to the spot it hit Saturday night, when another young Ewing and his teammates laid a spanking on a very good team much like his Dad and his coach's Pop did with regularity in March 25 years ago. This one may even be sweeter when I think of how uncertain this team's destiny seemed earlier in the season. More than night and day, the transformation the players and coaches have brought about as this team has come together has been a real joy to watch. I think the Centennial weekend celebration went a long way to fostering the family that is Hoya basketball and giving the current team a real sense of place. While this team has swagger, it is more quiet confidence and hard work than boaShut uplness and stands in brilliant contradistinction to many other top teams today. There is no doubt that the 2007 Hoyas are capable of a postseason run comparable to those made by great Hoya teams of the past.
It is difficult to pick which game this weekend was more fun - the Friday night slugfest of basketball reminiscent of Terry Tyler's Detroit team's visit to McDonough in 1978 or the absolute demolition of a quality team in the final. The hugs for the Juniors were indeed special, but the moments before then when you could tell JTIII was trying to stay calm and contain himself were just as fun. Seeing the players yank the managers up on the podium to join the team picture said a lot about the guys while the final joyous emotion of JTIII calling out for the "We are... GEORGETOWN" cheer was an experience not to be forgotten.
One of the most unique things about this team has been their adaptability and focus in the face of challenge. This will be a key asset in the coming week and, I hope, a couple of weeks after that.
I can verify that Jack, and others, were a bit verklempt.
It is fun to have been on the bandwagon before the Seth Davises of the world jumped on - Hoya Saxa indeed.
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VelvetElvis
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
pka MrPathetic
Posts: 934
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Post by VelvetElvis on Mar 13, 2007 3:52:23 GMT -5
beginining liquid preparations at 3 PM and purchasing the max amount of beers for the entire game tends to cause emotional outbursts. I think the celebratory tug off of the Jameson might have been the kicker for those around you, Dan. It also became clear that Verizon Center policy on 2nd half beer sales exists to protect me from myself!
I also wished that I had been wise enough to bring a camera. It would have been helpful in piecing together the rest of the night. My favorite memory was buying a way too small shirt from hommjm and forcing an ND Law grad to wear it for the rest of the night, er morning! OK, I admit that is weak but it is one of the few things that I do remember. These things tend to happen when you take your final shot @ 5 AM. A couple of GU swim alums came strong to hole!
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HoyaSpirit
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Gotta love Smitty - 1989 Big East Player of the Year
Posts: 305
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Post by HoyaSpirit on Mar 13, 2007 4:53:50 GMT -5
There were so many great highlights from the weekend and Saturday night especially. For me - one stood out - the JT III / J. Green hug when Green came out of the game. I have a number of Hoya memorabilia / pictures etc. framed in my basement. My favorite one is the front page of The Hoya in the first edition following our '89 BET win. The caption at the top of the page reads "The Beast is Back" and the picture taking up the entire page is Charles Smith being engulfed in a bear hug by JT Jr. on the sidelines in the waning moments of our convincing, never in doubt, win over Syracuse. 18 years is a long time, but maybe it was worth the wait. Hoya Saxa. That was an all-time great photo. The Voice also had it on their full front page - whatever the size of that was (something like 15 x 12 inches?) it was sizeable and I had it on my wall that whole year. Smitty looked like a stick figure in the middle of Pops. And in classic Smitty form - he just looked non-chalant and humble. |
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Post by JohnnyJones on Mar 13, 2007 8:44:59 GMT -5
There were so many great highlights from the weekend and Saturday night especially. For me - one stood out - the JT III / J. Green hug when Green came out of the game. I have a number of Hoya memorabilia / pictures etc. framed in my basement. My favorite one is the front page of The Hoya in the first edition following our '89 BET win. The caption at the top of the page reads "The Beast is Back" and the picture taking up the entire page is Charles Smith being engulfed in a bear hug by JT Jr. on the sidelines in the waning moments of our convincing, never in doubt, win over Syracuse. 18 years is a long time, but maybe it was worth the wait. Hoya Saxa. That was an all-time great photo. The Voice also had it on their full front page - whatever the size of that was (something like 15 x 12 inches?) it was sizeable and I had it on my wall that whole year. Smitty looked like a stick figure in the middle of Pops. And in classic Smitty form - he just looked non-chalant and humble. No you are right - it was the Voice that ran that cover / picture. |
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