As Sean already wrote, this was a special team and a special season. Last night's loss was heartbreaking because I think we all believed that, despite everything the team had faced all season, it really was special enough to get to the Final Four and beyond.

Seeing the dream end is tough. It leaves us emotional. With that in mind, I wanted to make a little list of things we should NOT be complaining about right now.

What Not to Say After Last Night's Game:

1. If only we had Fab Melo...
   Listen, I hear you. I know I found myself saying that a few times last night as Baye Moussa Keita had the ball knocked out of his hands or took it weak to the rim with two guys hanging off of him. It would have even just been nice to have another body in there to help distribute all the fouls being called!
   
   As fans, we need to move on. This team could have won last night, should have won last night without Fabricio Melo. I find myself wincing whenever I think of 2010 and losing Arinze. But something is different about that season and his injury than this one and Fab's mysterious suspension. I am not going to let that "what-if" memory stain another season. Fab was not on the bench. And this team was ready to play without him last night.
   
   Related, we should not be angry with Fab. Other than rumors, we don't really know what happened. And no one on the team, from Boeheim to the last walk-on, has said one bad word about Fab. If those guys can stay positive on him then so should we.
   
   
2. The refs blew the game!
   The refs sucked. There is no doubt about it. They were blowing the whistle and calling fouls on what they anticipated, rather than waiting to see if there really was any contact. They ruined the flow of the game and the whistle was giving me a headache. But the refs are not why we lost the game.
   
   Our guys were missing easy layups like they were Paul Harris in 6 overtimes. We have to make those shots. A team like OSU does not give you many opportunities. You get a fast break, you find yourself near the rim one-on-one, you gotta put it in. Cuse could have been up by 5+ at the half, or even without that, tied at the end of the game if they had just converted on these easy shots.
   
   Too many missed layups is much more of a factor in our loss than refs blowing the whistle too often.
   
   
3. Dion't Leave!
   We all want Dion Waiters to stay. We all want one more season so he can a) Be a superstar and lead us back to the Promiseland and b) Be a guaranteed lottery pick next season rather than a likely mid to late first rounder.
   
   But all signs point to him leaving. The more you get your hopes up, the more bitter you will feel when he inevitably chooses guaranteed millions over the fun of being an Orange amateur. I hate seeing nasty comments Tweeted at these kids. It embarrasses me as a fan. So prepare yourself now so when he does decide he is going to leave you can be ready, be supportive and be proud to cheer him on as another great Orangeman in the NBA.

So what should we be saying? That you're proud of Scoop and Kris and this team. That it was a special season. That they gave it all they had. That you're going to miss hearing announcers talking about kids from Philly.
And most important: that you're proud to be Orange.

Early on, I was all about the C.J. Fair::Josh Pace comparisons. He seemed to be the glue guy who was always there in the right place at the right time -- grabbing the clutch rebound, making a tough shot when no one else seemed to be able to put anything in, and so on.

But as Fair rounded out his game and showed us that he can actually shoot and do more than just be the glue guy, I felt the comparison wasn't fair to Fair. CJ is better than Pace, especially at this point in his career.

Then last night came. CJ Fair was the ultimate glue guy. Time-after-time we watched him fight for rebounds, be at the right place at the right time to nab a steal, and he consistently put in an awkward left-handed floater just like Josh Pace.

It was glorious to see. I had a huge smile on my face every time he touched the ball. And more than ever before, he reminded me of Josh Pace and how important that kid was to the team in 2003. Not a star, but an intricate piece to the success of the team whether he scored 5 points or 15.

I cannot wait until Saturday to see his reinvigorated, very Josh Pace-like C.J. Fair.

The Syracuse basketball team is starting to make me look bad.

Every approaching game, I look at the opponent before turning to my girlfriend to say, "This could be a tough one. I am worried." Then Syracuse proceeds to run away with a double-digit victory.

The next game gets closer and I, of course, repeat my concerns. Why wouldn't I? Before this year, season-after-season, my worries would have been validated with several frustrating losses by now.

But this year I just sound like an idiot. I look at the upcoming game, I say my spiel and she says loudly, "You say that every game!" "Yeah, but this time is different!" And it turns out to be exactly the same situation as the last: Syracuse plays lights out and rolls to a victory.

This season is so different than anything I've ever experienced as a Syracuse fan. I can't change the way I've been cheering for two decades now, and I have no idea how to explain it to others.

I just cannot turn on a game expecting domination. I am continually bracing myself for the bottom to follow out at least once. And no matter what I say, no one seems to understand.

I'm not alone on this, right? Are you getting the same flack from your friends and loved ones as you attempt to cheer the same way you always do? (i.e. whining, yelling, only happy when the final buzzer sounds and Syracuse has miraculously won)

Buried within a horribly written article, Gregg Doyel at CBS Sports makes some excellent points, including a strong case for the the immediate firing of Jim Boeheim.

First, he says that Boeheim must be fired immediately, but it's not for defending his long time coach and friend:

"That's wonderful. That's loyalty. That's allowed. Good for you, Jim Boeheim. That's being a good friend."

I think many people would agree that if Boeheim went (horribly) wrong, it's when he called the accusers "liars" and said they were just "trying to get money."

But Doyel takes the wording from Boeheim's apology to point out why his original comments were so harmful:

"I deeply regret any statements I made that might have inhibited that from occurring or been insensitive to victims of abuse."

Too late. He should have thought about it on Nov. 18. Boeheim is the most powerful, most popular man in Syracuse. And for that guy, in that town, to ridicule Fine's accusers as liars and opportunists -- as deceitful frauds looking to make a quick buck -- Boeheim laid down a very public gantlet to anyone else who might have been interested in telling the police they were molested by Fine:

Come after Fine, and you're crossing me.

It is an excellent point. I want to say Doyel is wrong, but I don't know if I can.

The Orange play 'Nova in Philly on Jan 11. Tickets are already available on StubHub, but additional tickets from the box office go on sale in December since it's at the Wells Fargo Center.

Anyone have any experience trying to buy tickets for a game like this at 'Nova? Do they tend to sell out the big arena? Is there a chance I might actually snag tickets if I call the box office when they're available? Or is it possible when more tickets are released the StubHub price might go down?

I don't often buy tickets online. Just looking for a little coaching if anyone has any advice.

An incomplete list of things that recently happened to me:

1. I moved to Boston.
2. I realized this game on Thursday is only on ESPN3.

Given point 1, I don't have internet set up in my home yet so watching a game online could be a problem. But not watching is not an option.

Where do Boston Orange fans go to watch Syracuse football? And do we know if they can broadcast a game on ESPN3? Also, do they serve bologna pizza with extra bologna?

College Football Analysis: What to Expect From Syracuse Orange
This year, Syracuse returns most of the offense, but will have to replace several key defenders. One of the most intriguing Big East storylines this season will be whether the Orange offense is able to pick up some of the slack as the defense works in its new, younger starters. If that’s the case and the Orange can pull off a win or two against West Virginia, South Florida and Pittsburgh, they could be right there in the Big East mix at the end of the year.

Syracuse Orange spring wrap - Big East Blog - ESPN
"Spring answers" and "Fall questions" about Syracuse football from Brian Bennett of ESPN

Syracuse's Brandon Triche invited to the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp | syracuse.com
Triche will attend the camp along with Syracuse teammate Scoop Jardine. Both of the Orange guards participated in the CP3 camp last year.

Trevor Cooney’s Playing Time << 900 Irving
It’s hard not to be excited over the thought of Rakeem Christmas swatting shots into orbit or to let the idea of Carter-Williams going off for 40 drift into your head. But over those last few months, Trevor Cooney has to the wayside. As someone who’s drawn steady comparisons to Andy Rautins, a player who was beloved by the SU faithful, it’s important to take a look at what may be in store for him in his freshman season.

The Call of a Classic: Donation to Library of Congress includes broadcast of 1957 Cotton Bowl between Syracuse and TCU | syracuse.com
But this? This broadcast? It’s a rare find. A gift. And now it can be heard and enjoyed by the public. The 1957 Cotton Bowl broadcast is part of a massive archive of historic radio and television broadcasts that was donated to the Library of Congress by John Miley, of Evansville, Ind.

A rather monotonous reading explaining just how bitter and intense the Colgate vs. Syracuse football rivalry used to be.

The NACDA Director's Cup is an interesting way to measure a university's success in sports as a whole. Football and basketball get all of the attention, but focusing solely on them ignores numerous other champion-granting sports that the school also participates in.

So how do you recognize a school's broad success in all sports? I guess one way is to make a specific list of sports you want to recognize, devise a points system and then periodically calculate those points and convince athletic directors around the country that this matters. NACDA, congratulations, you have done that.

So it's no surprise that when Syracuse Athletics tells you all about it's 96 student athletes that have graduated this spring, they fill it all up with mentions of the Director's Cup, including how this set of students led Syracuse to a number 16 ranking last fall - the university's highest showing since the award was started in 1993.

This really is fantastic. As Sean noted in December, Syracuse got its groove back. We have fun teasing Dr. Gross but he really is working hard to make signature sports like basketball and football successful, but he's (mostly) not forgetting the smaller sports either. I guess that's why something like the Director's Cup is so important to him and Syracuse Athletics.

But what I think is also important is that these 96 athletes - competing in football and basketball but also running, rowing, swimming, lacrosse, soccer, field and ice hockey, tennis and volleyball - have not only largely been successful, but they've done it while getting a friggin' college degree! Graduating is a feat on its own, but to do it while splitting your time with a Division I sport and all of it's practices and travel and mental focus, is absolutely amazing.

For all the Jews in the house, it's sort of like the Passover song, Dayenu. I'm not a religious man (I call myself a "Jew for the jokes"), but when you grow up going to Pasover seders every year a few things stick in your head. The word "dayenu" essentially means, "It would have been enough" and the Passover holiday remembers the Jews escape from Egypt and Pharaoh and how God was there for them. So the song is saying, "If He had only done this one thing it would have been enough. If He had only done this one other thing it would have been enough."

So what I'm trying to say, in a round about way is, if these 96 kids did nothing but get a college degree, dayenu. If they had done it while being a Division I student athlete, dayenu. But they got their degrees while being a Division I athlete all while being good enough to compete in championships and be some of the best athletes in all of college. "Dayenu" doesn't even really do the accomplishment justice.

Instead, I say Mazel tov! You make us proud.

Folks in the Boston area, look up in the sky! Do you see the mesh shadow against the clouds? It's the Syracuse Lacrosse Signal and it's calling you!

Tickets are still available for the quarterfinal game against Maryland on Sunday at noon. That's not enough for you? How about the opportunity to stick around after and boo the heck out of Duke when they play Notre Dame in the following game? I thought you might like that.

Plus, tickets are only $20 and include parking.

Actually, it looks like Boston is only a five and a half hour drive from Syracuse. That's practically the same thing as driving to a basketball home game at Madison Square Garden! So no one has an excuse.

You can buy the tickets by calling the Dome box office at 1-888-DOMETIX. I just talked with an agent and she said there were a "decent amount left." That makes me think there currently isn't going to be enough Orange in the stands at Foxborough. Please, let's Orange that place out!

Syracuse and its 2011 opponents dominate first round | Daily Orange Sports Blog
If the bracket for the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament looks like Syracuse’s schedule, well, that’s because it pretty much is. The Orange has played all but one team that moved on to the second round, and ironically enough, that team is Maryland. Cornell, Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Duke and Notre Dame all won their respective games and are moved on to the second round.

Lax Tournament Update | Daily Orange Sports Blog
Let’s take a look at what happened in the rest of the tournament and the other quarterfinal matchups.

Syracuse University lacrosse team's next game will be previewed tonight on ESPNU | syracuse.com
Check out ESPNU tonight at 10 for a preview of the upcoming lacrosse NCAA matchups including Syracuse vs. Maryland.

Donovan McNabb: If former Pro Bowl quarterback can't find a starting gig, will the Ravens come calling? - baltimoresun.com
If Marc Bulger leaves Baltimore as a free agent this offseason to become a starter elsewhere, the Ravens will likely be in the market for another able veteran to back up fourth-year quarterback Joe Flacco. Might that veteran signal-caller be Donovan McNabb, who is on the outs in Washington?

Something to keep an eye out for this Sunday - the hidden ball trick that Maryland pulled on UNC in the first round of the NCAA lacrosse tournament (via syracuse.com):

We'll be able to pretend we know more about Rick Jackson's NBA prospects after the Draft Lottery tonight. In the mean time, he continues to get invited to NBA combines and will be heading to Chicago this week as one of only 54 draft-eligible prospects heading that way.

Is this a big deal? Tell us, Mike Waters:

Last year, 48 of the 53 players who went to the Chicago combine were either drafted or played in the NBA last season.

I like those odds.

He is also one of only five Big East players invited (though Ben Hansbrough sprained his ankle and will not be participating). Keep an eye out for any coverage of the combine and let's hope for the best for our big man.

The #NunesClass hashtag; it started innocently enough around 9 a.m. I noticed a few people on Twitter mention it and it hit me that this wasn't just any other Monday. Today, the little bloggers of Syracuse were gonna get all grown up. Our very own Professor Keeley was about to drop some knowledge and I could be a little fly on the Twitter wall following along. So exciting!

By 11 a.m., it had taken over my Twitter stream. By noon there was a lot of mentioning of dog sweaters and I got really confused. But, I couldn't pull my eyes away.

If you can't be in Syracuse, in the classroom, I guess the #NunesClass hashtag is the next best thing.

Also, can a few of the folks in attendance do us a solid and Tweet some photos? We all want the opportunity to see Sean in his professorial jacket that hopefully has orange elbow patches sewn on to the elbows.

You can try to keep us out but you can't stop us from traveling!

Loads of folks were in DC this weekend for the game. Many had tickets, others did not. Regardless, Syracuse fans came from near, far and wide to invade Georgetown's city.

The morning of the game we all got together at a bar next door to the Verizon Center.

Some of us got there at 9am to find hundreds of Georgetown students in line waiting to snag their seats for the game:

We took that opportunity to walk up and down the street clad in all Orange and listen to them scream and yell and try to talk trash.

That was a lot of fun.

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