Why did you become a fan of Seton Hall basketball?

[NittanyPirate]

There's an obviously high amount of negativity surrounding this board and our program, yet so many of us remain passionate about SHU basketball. If there's a story behind why, or maybe even when, you became a fan of Pirate basketball, I'd be interested in hearing about the different backgrounds that led us to this great program and site. If you have a moment, please share.

 

[Turiddu]

My Dad took me to see the team many moons ago and I was mesmerized by Walter Dukes and from that moment on I was hooked.The ride has not always been smooth ,but I have loved being a Pirate fan despite the current turmoil and disappointment. I have met so many lifelong friends through the years, and now living in DC miss the actual attending at the Prudential Center.

In 1989 I told one of the great fibs in my career. The Chairman of Johnson and Johnson requested that I go with him and others to a meeting in Paris. I made up a story about my daughter's sixteenth birthday as a reason that I could not go. The reality was I was on my way to he Final Four.

 

[anon_x0d8d0dquuo4t]

Saw my first game on TV with my Dad, an alum, during the Ken House era--barely remember it. My older brother went to the hall, graduated in '75, and my first game was vs. St Francis, with an ineligible freshman named Glenn Mosley standing between The bleachers at halfcourt. "He any good," I asked? "They say he's a good rebounder we'll see when he starts playing next semester."

Listened to most games on the radio during the Ramsey years and thereafter. The nearr comeback against NC in the Garden, the assist record by Paul Lape in the Garden vs St Pete'S that clinched the 1st NIT in many years. The big win vs Looie's Johnnies, led by Ed Searcy and Beaver Smith---the game that Mosley set the shot block record that stood for years. Those are the early years for me as a Pirate fan

I started rooting for the Hall about the same time i began. Rooting for the NY Giants, neither were good, but I rooted anyway. I guess that's the definition of a fan. The victories are sweater when they aren't expected as an underdog.

 

[seton1996]

First time became interested in Seton Hall basketball was during final four run, I was in high school and really didn't follow college basketball until that point.

Over next few years was able to go to a few games as my uncle used to get tickets through his work.

Eventually went to the school and was hooked.

 

[BostonBlackie]

I remember being 9 or 10 and taking an old undershirt and painting Seton Hall on it with #5 (we had won the NIT that year). With that on, I rolled up pairs of socks and shot at an imaginary basket on the door frame. My father started taking us to games the following winter. I loved everything about Walsh gym, especially the Bon Ton potato chips. Four years later I befriended Tom Sheridan, the longtime custodian in the gym. He counseled and encouraged me and cleaned some mops out of locker #1 and gave it to me. It was closest to the court and the shower. I slapped a lock on it and never gave it up until I graduated from the Prep.

 

[SnakeTom]

There's an obviously high amount of negativity surrounding this board and our program, yet so many of us remain passionate about SHU basketball. If there's a story behind why, or maybe even when, you became a fan of Pirate basketball, I'd be interested in hearing about the different backgrounds that led us to this great program and site. If you have a moment, please share.

My older brother went to Seton Hall and took me to games when I was a kid. I also would watch SHU play on the old channel 13 when it was still a New Jersey (pre-PBS) station. Then when I went to the Hall during the Nick Werkman era I was hooked.

Tom K

 

[BostonBlackie]

Fred Sayles ("Uncle Fred" on the daytime kid's show) did play-by-play, right?

 

[bobojcd]

I grew up on Turrell avenue. I rode my bike around campus as a kid because it was safer than riding around the neighborhood.

In middle school I became friends with a kid named Steve Bryant whose older brother Mark was a heck of a basketball player at Columbia High. As we were finishing up our 8th grade, Mark was committing to the Hall, and my Seton Hall fandom was born.

So without Mark Bryant I wouldn't be a fan, that's for sure. The more interesting question is, without Mark Bryant what would the program even look like? We think we're in bad shape now, imagine if Bryant doesn't come to SHU. PJ gets canned circa 1987, by '89 instead of making a final four run , maybe we're hoping we can compete in our new conference, the A-10.

 

[Pirate64]

Fred Sayles ("Uncle Fred" on the daytime kid's show) did play-by-play, right?

Uncle Fred's show was Junior Frolics. WATV.

 

[Pirate64]

I showed up on campus in 1960 as a frosh. . Our first game was against St. Anselm's . The tradition back then was to ring the big bell in front of Corrigan ( aka B Building) when we won. Well as the buzzer sounded my dear roommate Hank Herbermann ( RIP) and I raced out of Walsh because we wanted to be first to ring the bell . And we were.. A fond memory of long ago.

.4 months later on March 17th, 1961 the scandal broke and SHU basketball was de-emphasized for nearly a decade.

We have had a few great highs but many many lows in my 54 years of rooting.. Coaches and AD's come and go but loyal fans- and especially guys on this board- remain hopeful for a solid PROGRAM someday.

 

[NittanyPirate]

I have no connection/affiliation to SHU so my story is a little different.

I was about 9-10 years old when I noticed my dad intently watching an NCAA tournament game. Having never watched a college basketball game before, I asked him about the teams he was watching. He told me all about this battle between good and evil(Seton Hall vs. UNLV). I remember my impressionable mind being terrified by Jerry Tarkanian. Seton Hall may have lost but they won a young fan. The next year I used my allowance to buy a Big East basketball yearbook and Street & Smiths magazine. I spent everyday during silent reading time of 4th grade to memorize as much as I could about Jerry Walker, Terry Dehere, etc.

To my dad's surprise, I've stayed loyal to the program ever since.

 

[hall58]

There's an obviously high amount of negativity surrounding this board and our program, yet so many of us remain passionate about SHU basketball. If there's a story behind why, or maybe even when, you became a fan of Pirate basketball, I'd be interested in hearing about the different backgrounds that led us to this great program and site. If you have a moment, please share.

 

[hall58]

There's an obviously high amount of negativity surrounding this board and our program, yet so many of us remain passionate about SHU basketball. If there's a story behind why, or maybe even when, you became a fan of Pirate basketball, I'd be interested in hearing about the different backgrounds that led us to this great program and site. If you have a moment, please share.

February, 1947. I was not quite 10. A friend of the family took me to a game vs Holy Cross. Holy cross was the NCAA champ that year. I knew nothing about basketball
but rooted hard. I later vwent to the Prep (50-54) and saw virtually all the home games as we lived little more than a mile from campus. Games started early - maybe 7 or 7:30 (?)so I could be home before 10. Saw the '53 NIT game at the old Garden. GO Pirates!!!

 

[BostonBlackie]

I showed up on campus in 1960 as a frosh. . Our first game was against St. Anselm's . The tradition back then was to ring the big bell in front of Corrigan ( aka B Building) when we won. Well as the buzzer sounded my dear roommate Hank Herbermann ( RIP) and I raced out of Walsh because we wanted to be first to ring the bell . And we were.. A fond memory of long ago.

.4 months later on March 17th, 1961 the scandal broke and SHU basketball was de-emphasized for nearly a decade.

We have had a few great highs but many many lows in my 54 years of rooting.. Coaches and AD's come and go but loyal fans- and especially guys on this board- remain hopeful for a solid PROGRAM someday.

 

[BostonBlackie]

Don't want to be picky, Pirate 64, but SHU played St. Anselm to open the season in 1962 (90-70). That was the first time they played.

 

[Vegas pj]

Kidnapped by aliens. Brainwashed. Told Ivy Hill were the dorms. OK, at night they looked like they were dorms like i saw at schools like Indiana & Nebraska. Decided to enroll as a result. (Proximity to NYC & a med school, originally per-med, didn't hurt either).

 

[Pirate64]

Blackie, I think you are right. If not St. Anselm's then it had to be Southern Illinois as the first game I ever attended at Walsh..
How could I forget, it was just 55 years ago.

 

[BostonBlackie]

Blackie, I think you are right. If not St. Anselm's then it had to be Southern Illinois as the first game I ever attended at Walsh..
How could I forget, it was just 55 years ago.

Some things you just never forget. This was one of them for me.

 

[anon_x0d8d0dquuo4t]

Sal mentioned Walter Dukes, I got two Sport Magazines from 1963 a few years back at a flea market. One had a big feature on Dukes and the other mentioned super sophs and Rich Dec (sp) was named. A small sample of 2 magazines, but there were few outlets then and here were two mentions of Seton Hall products in two Sport mags I bought without even opening. Just shows how much more respect the school had then in the media and how much more relevant it was. I gave the copies to a neighbor of my mom's who graduated in 64 at the Hall and he was going to show the copy to Dec who lived in neighboring Lincroft. The Dukes piece was interesting in that it painted him as a sort of intellectual Dennis Rodman---he had a law degree, owned a travel agency and a man who loved to read who marched to his own band.

 

[Seton75]

My brother in law was a year ahead of Chuck and he told me about Werkman when he visited my sister. Followed the team in the papers till I started school in 71. Now I have no say in the matter - I AM A SETON HALL PIRATE FAN

 

[buckfoston824]

went to my first game as a freshman in 2009.

Eugene Harvey hit an almost half court shot to beat the buzzer against St. Peters in the season opener and I have been hooked ever since.

funny how that shot says a lot about our program, we were all so hyped (relieved) to have beaten St. Peters at the buzzer

 

[Joe_T]

Sal mentioned Walter Dukes, I got two Sport Magazines from 1963 a few years back at a flea market. One had a big feature on Dukes and the other mentioned super sophs and Rich Dec (sp) was named. A small sample of 2 magazines, but there were few outlets then and here were two mentions of Seton Hall products in two Sport mags I bought without even opening. Just shows how much more respect the school had then in the media and how much more relevant it was. I gave the copies to a neighbor of my mom's who graduated in 64 at the Hall and he was going to show the copy to Dec who lived in neighboring Lincroft. The Dukes piece was interesting in that it painted him as a sort of intellectual Dennis Rodman---he had a law degree, owned a travel agency and a man who loved to read who marched to his own band.

Going into Richie Dec's senior year in high school (Seton Hall Prep), Street & Smith's had him a first team pre-season high school All American (IIRC, it was a long time ago, might have been second or third team), back when there were only 5 players selected per team.

 

[SnakeTom]

Fred Sayles ("Uncle Fred" on the daytime kid's show) did play-by-play, right?

Yes the play by play guy was Uncle Fred Sayles of Junior Frolics fame. He did everything at old channel 13 including calling the pro wrestling shows from ring side as well as the Seton Hall Pirate games. And yes Pirate64 is correct the call letters were WATV the only true New Jersey station that there ever has been.

Tom K

 

[shupat08]

Went to some games during PJ's 1992 & 1993 seasons, but don't remember much... First year under George Blaney we got season tickets, I was 8. I remember thinking Levell Sanders & Donnell Williams were GREAT! Don't remember much about Hurley & Griffin, lol.

I also really loved seeing Jacky Kaba and Chalres Manga grow during their time here. I loved how hard they played and really rooted for them to succeed.

I also remember being absolutely amazed and in love with Shaheen's game from the second he stepped on campus... That last George Blaney team was one of my favorites. Duane Jordan, Sha, Rimas, Donnell Williams, Levell Sanders.