Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Ode to McNamara

I knew I had to get this post out while Gerry McNamara was still on the Jazz roster, which judging by what I witnessed in last night's pre-season contest, will not be too long. G-Mac looked slow, small and untalented last night, but things were not always so...

It was Spring 2004, and Rising Stock, Draft Guru and I were rocking Caesar's Palace during The Madness. One year previously, G-Mac and Carmelo were NCAA champions. Now, Carmelo had moved on to the Nuggets and more reefer while G-Mac carried the Orangemen of Syracuse. Their first-round tourney match-up was with a certain team from Provo that hadn't won a NCAA tournament game since 1988.  With such a scenario, the heuristic of not betting with your heart was thrown out the window: Rising Stock and I put our money on the Orangemen to cover with a 4 point spread (and by our money, I mean $20). After placing the bet, we sashayed into Caesar's VIP area for sports betting, doing so by simply acting like we belonged there. 

The game was an epic, seesaw battle, and we were going nuts the entire game in support of the Orange. Gerry McNamara was a cold-blooded assassin, filling up the rim with 43 points, including a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left to put Syracuse up by six. We were dancing in the aisles - we were making money, and the Cougars were making another 1st round exit. After a timeout, the ball was inbounded and some Orangeman commits a silly, needless foul - two meaningless free throws with our moolah in the balance. The first one goes down, but the second one clanks and Stock and I go nuts.

After we calm down and stop yelling, the guys seated behind us say, "Congratulations. How much did you win?" Stock proudly proclaims "$20! Did you guys have money on the game?" They answer affirmatively. When Stock follows up "Who for?", they reply "BYU, ten grand."

The moral of the story is never bet on the Cougars (who still haven't won a tourney game since '88). And a heart-felt thank you from your's truly to Mr. Gerry McNamara.

4 comments:

Pasty Gangsta said...

Excellent use of the words "heuristic" and "sashayed" in this post.

Anyone who bets $10,000 on a BYU Cougars basketball team is making a serious error. Rule #1 in hoops gambling: if a team doesn't have a single true athlete, thou shalt wager against them.

Michael said...

Hate to tell you this, but Gerry Macnamara has indeed always been slow, small and untalented.

Although that sure was a great day to be a Syracuse fan living in Provo.

Orlando said...

I agree with The Guy. McNamara always reminded me of a guy that should be working in a deli - if not for that incredible jumper.

Jon Sheley House said...

To "The Guy" if I were you, don't say that in Syracuse. Gerry is still, and always will be, a god to syracuse. And by the way, I would call that jump shot talent, and your forgetting he is the most clutch shooter in Syracuse history (see: 2006 big east tournament) G-Mac is not NBA material and I think everyone know's that, but he most certainly was an outstanding basketball player with grit, toughness, and that incredible jump shot. (which by the way wasn't that good, he actually missed a lot- 38% 3 pt shooter. but he made the big ones so i feel that it doesn't matter.)