Long Island Calling

SU Freshman Donte Greene enter the NBA Draft.

Mistake.

#1. Blog more!

#2. Stop blogging solely about SU basketball.

Well, one of these took care of itself tonight. In the quarterfinal round of the NIT, SU blew a 20 point lead and ultimately lost the game to UMass in the last 30 seconds. On one hand, I’m stunned. On the other, I am not because the same issues tripped them up this game that have all year- lack of bench and experience.

Sigh. Now I can stop paying attention to sports until football season.

But I can always look back on happier time, like this evening below, the night SU won the championship.

This is what happens when I’m feeling sick:

1) I go to sleep two nights in a row around 8:30 p.m.

2) I totally forgot that SU played ball last night

Of course, it doesn’t help that they keep putting my team’s game on the one ESPN station Cablevision doesn’t carry- ESPNU. I don’t know who to blame on this one- Cablevision, because generally speaking, they suck or ESPN- because they need to keep my school’s “favored nation” status going. Come’on…aren’t half of the staff there Newhouse grads?

Either way, despite TV programming irregularities, SU triumphed over Maryland yesterday. From what I read at this recap here, these kids are playing like they really want to win this thing, despite the fact that it is the NIT. Good for them and good for the fans! This bodes well for next year.

Oh yeah and um…March Madness started yesterday. It’s amazing how much I don’t pay attention to it when SU is not in. Though this game from last night caught my eye, Belmont almost beat Duke!

Now where me pills.

As predicted here earlier (and throughout the SU nation),  SU faces off against Robert Morris at the Dome for the first round of the NIT.  Robert Morris is a team? Sounds more like an accountant .  The game is on at 8 pm on ESPNU, which means I likely won’t see it, since Cablevision does not have this channel.

Get yo game face on

UPDATED- The deju vu continues.  Bounced out in the first game today against Nova. Ugghhhh… Jim Boeheim and the team better get used to seeing this banner:

And this year when we don’t make the big dance, Jimbo should keep his mouth shut.  Last year he had a legitimate argument.  This year he’s got nothing.

The upside- at least in the NIT, the frosh can get some more experience under their belts.  That can never hurt in the long run.

Sigh.

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Same place, different year. Being an SU alum and megafan of the b-ball team has not been easy these past couple of years since Melo took us to the promised land. I got a taste and now I want back. As Rick James said “Championships are a hell of a drug”…or something like that.

Anyway, this is how it’s been since that great season:

2003-2004- No Melo, but still a solid team with Hakim, Pace and co. We lost to a respectable Alabama team in the Sweet Sixteen. Upsetting, but you know how hard it is to repeat.

2004-2005- This one broke my heart Fredo. Warrick’s final year. 27 wins and Big East Championship title. So what happens? They lose in the first round of the NCAA tourney to f***kin Vermont. That killed me! Forget what Boheim said the other week about the Pitt game. The Vermont loss was one of the worst since the Keith Smart’s shot in 87′ and the Spider’s win in 91′. When those happened, I was a kid who didn’t follow the team. This one though, I saw and it was worse than watching this year’s Oscar’s.

2005-2006- Scrantonicity! G-MAC personally tears a hole through the Garden and takes a mediocre SU team to ultimate victory in the Big East. Too bad he was playing with an injured groin the whole time, which caught up to him and the rest of the team in the first round of the NCAA tourney where we lost to Texas A&M.

2006-2007- The great white hope graduated and ultimately, another up and down year, with rising stars Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris working the Seniors who never really blew up- Roberts and Watkins. Demetrius, however, was the solo bright spot on the team and averaged 18 points a game. By the end of the year, we were on the bubble and then it popped. We did not get bid to the big dance and instead got sent to the Not Invited Tournament, where we played with the enthusiasm of Britney Spears‘ discipline coach. Clemson beat us in the quarterfinals.

2007-2008- Deju vu. While this year has also been a roller coaster ride, there is a considerable silver lining. We have some awesome new freshman, include co-Big East rookie of the year Jonny Flynn and Donte Greene. They ended up getting a lot more playing time due to the injury loss of Devendorf and Rautins, while guys like center Onuaku and juco transfer Ongenaet have really stepped up their game. But once again, the team finds itself on the bubble, after one too many avoidable losses, including the earlier mentioned meltdown vs. Pitt and the mystifying loss to South Florida, who’s Big East record was so bad that they didn’t even make the tournament this year.

So tomorrow it begins, the Big East Tournament. And guess which team is kicking the whole thing off:

If SU can least get to the Semis, they may have shot at the NCAA Tournament. If they make it to (or somehow win) the final game, we are in. But first up is Nova’. Not as much fun watching them lose as it is to watch the Philadelphia Eagles tank or SU beating Uconn, but a win would no doubt be enjoyable.

Let the games begin!

And I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom!

Seriously, this ain’t just a shout out to one of the best hip-hop songs EVER…I really do have to introduce myself. I realized with the first blog entry yesterday, I didn’t really say much about myself. I mentioned the various Manhattan hoods that I lived in, but that was about it.

My name is Scott Rosenblum. I recently turned 32 years old and a mere 2 1/2 months ago, I married the love of my life, Sue Hodara, a beautiful, wonderful playwright. You can find out more about her and her work at her Web site - www.suehodara.com and her blog Sue’s News. Everyday she does or says something that that blows my mind, which is really cool. Also, anyone who can put up with my shit on daily basis is worth a shout out on this blog. Love ya baby!

Career wise, I am public relations professional, which frankly makes writing this blog mildly ironic for the fact that part of my job these days is researching and reaching out to bloggers on daily basis. As for the firm I work with, for the moment it will remain nameless, only for the fact that 1) I don’t know how my boss will feel about me writing a blog, 2) I’m unsure if I am ready for them to know about my ramblings here and 3) and so far, this is not a blog about about PR or about work.

Other than that, I graduated from Syracuse University, and I am am huge college basketball fan, particularly SU and Big East B-Ball. As the season progresses, I will likely lapse into moments where this will blog will turn completely orange and blue. You’ve been warned!

I leave you with two things (seriously, who am I talking to? Does anyone know this blog exists yet?) . Today Sue and I ate brunch at delicious restaurant. If you are ever in Huntington, NY - check out Prime. This will be added to a new page I just created featured my Strong Island Picks. Whether it be restaurants, events, places to go, or just cool stuff, I will link to it there.

Lastly- a pic of when Sue and I got married:

awwwwwwww!!!!