By Mark David Blum, Esq.

Dear Coach Boeheim. For the record, I deeply resent your commentaries to the media about the lack of luster and enthusiasm from the audience. I was among the crowd at the DePaul game rooting for the Orangemen with the gusto of an all weather fan. My seat was right on the half court stripe and I had a bird’s eye view of the entire game and was able to look over your shoulder throughout.

It is a terrible thing you have done. Syracuse Orange fans suffer through the worst of weather, the most expensive of parking, the horrendous Dome food, the butt numbing metal bench seats, and the endless nosebleeds from the seats. We sweat and then freeze and cheer and yell and waive and wave as one Orange team after another goes down in defeat. Be it yourself, or Coach Pasqualoni or now Coach Robinson, it has been a long time since there has really been reason to scream and shout at the Dome.

Having grown up at with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dodgers and having been to both their home palaces, not once have I screamed and shouted as much as I have at Syracuse Dome events. I can remember my first years in Syracuse such as back in 1989 when Georgetown Coach John Thompson was ejected on technicals during the last game of the season. All those Sherman Douglas to Derrick Coleman alley-oops gave me erections. My lungs still have not yet healed from the yelling. I was also in the Dome when Gino Toretta came to town and the Orange almost beat Miami. Reporters on national television announced the noise in the Loud House exceeded that of standing next to a 747 taking off. Over the years, I have screamed and shouted and cried many tears. Of late, the ‘Hill’ is fast becoming known as ‘Heartbreak Ridge’.

Coach Boeheim, I consider you to be one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time. Your stats notwithstanding; I grew up with John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins and learned well the ways of winning coaches. Since 1988, I have studied your style and respect and admire how well you bring a team to peak performance in time for the tournament. The regular season has always been an experimentation period for your teams and it is obvious you work with different set ups and configurations in anticipation of the Big East and NCAA Basketball Tournaments.

It befuddles me completely about what specifically you complain. The crowd at the game certainly was cheering and there was a good wave going for a while. Maybe if the Syracuse band played more instead of all those commercials and droll announcements, the audience fever may stir. If the cheer leaders and dancers could find a little more energy instead of sitting still, the crowd may react. Those t-shirts being thrown to the lower levels really does leave 80% of the audience out of the loop. Oh, and next time, don’t be afraid to focus the kiss-cam on same sex people. I told the lawyer friend who invited me that if the camera panned to us, I was going to give him a big old wet one. The point, Coach, is that if you want the audience involved, you have to involve us in the game instead of just finding new ways to separate us from our money.

For example: You might want to enhance your team’s inside game. With the sole exception of Devendorf, all the team’s production is coming from the outside. Had it not been for the 3-pointers of Caufin, DePaul would have had one in their win column. Caufin does need more playing time and is definitely going to be a great guard.

Also, this kid Smith has all the fire and zeal of a Michael Jordan and the dashing good looks of Carmello Anthony. But, if Coach, if you don’t slow him down and teach him to pass the ball and work the team into the play, the turnovers are just going to pile up. During the entire DePaul game and later also during the UConn game, the entire team was failing to gather offensive rebounds or even penetrate to take the inside shot. The ball handling was pathetic and again, Mr. Smith keeps going on his tears toward the basket and shooting before his team crosses the half court line. In fact, even during set plays, offense or defense, most of the team is just standing there flat footed and only moving in reaction to the ball. Regardless of their shooting, the Orangemen have failed to set the tempo in any game I have seen.

We love you Coach Boeheim. Truly, you and your teams are among that which give us the most pride to live in this god forsaken wasteland. Maybe you are frustrated with the level of play on the Court. I can assure you that we share your frustration. Nothing is more miserable than being on your feet cheering only to see your team throw away an opportunity to score.

This Sunday, I again will be there to see the rematch with St. Johns. Last time the two teams played, I recall Syracuse giving up a substantial lead only to lose by four. Is that not the same near miss scenario of DePaul and the eventual outcome against UConn?

Say what you will about Syracuse and Her fans. Like it or not, we are there for you and your teams. Coach Boeheim, the bottom line is that if you want a loud house, then give us something to be loud about. Otherwise, don’t be such a loud mouth.