You know you've turned into an old guy when - whiole watching a terrific sports event - you stop thinking in the moment, and start thinking in corollaries.
So it was with this wonderful Syracuse University win in the inaugural Pinstripes Bowl. In a magnificent second half in which both teams just kept scoring (corollary one: the football equivalent of the SU-Georgia NCAA basketball tournament game in 1996), Kansas State pulled within 36-34 on a touchdown with about a minute to go. All was set up for a thrilling, do-or-die two-point conversion attempt - which, if successful, would have left Syracuse with time to make a stab at a field goal - but the officials banged Kansas State receiver Adrian Hillburn with a penalty for excessive celebrating, a sin that consisted of offering a military-style salute to the crowd. That meant the conversion attempt was from a distant 18 yards out.
SU stopped it, and won.
Yes, to me, the call itself seemed excessive. But I immediately thought of an instance when Syracuse was on the wrong end of a similar call. It's the Carrier Dome, 1994, and Oklahoma is blowing out the Orange, 24-0. Syracuse begins an incredible rally that starts when defensive back Bryce Bevill chases down a guy at the goal line and strips of him the ball. When SU goes ahead deep in the fourth quarter, 29-27, the Orange spill into the end zone to celebrate - and get penalized for that spontaneous jubilance, with the yardage imposed on the subsequent kickoff. Oklahoma uses the great field position to move quickly for a field goal, and Syracuse goes down.
Conclusion? Syracuse played a memorable game at Yankee Stadium and earned a terriric win, linked to an unfortunate call - and old-timers in Syracuse can take pleasure in the victory, while understanding exactly why it stinks for Kansas State.
Source : http://www.syracuse.com/kirst/index.ssf/2010/12/syracuse_football_great_win_ba.html
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