My First St. John's Game

I grew up in a house with three sisters, so every now and then my Dad would walk into the living room and say, "Hey Kev, c'mon." When I heard it, I just got up and went. If I asked where we were going, he'd usually say, "We gotta get out of the house," and take me to the park. On this particular Saturday he had a different plan. "We're going to the game," he said. I didn't know what game it was or where it was, but I was always happy to go with my Dad because it was usually fun.

We got in the car and he explained we'd be going to the St. John's basketball game. I was about eight or nine and didn't know what St. John's was, but I knew I wanted to go. He said we had to pick up a few guys first, and he drove a few blocks to Mike's Pub. It was the kind of place where you could smell the stale beer from the street when you walked by. I didn't know who we'd be picking up, but when we walked in I saw all the guys who stood on the corner of the church block after Mass on Sunday (87th Street and Jamaica Avenue, which is now Jimmy Young Place). There were about ten guys at the bar, and they all greeted my Dad. They each had a beer or two, and my Dad got me a pint glass of Coke and gave me a quarter to play the pinball machine. When they were finished, we took three of them with us and went to Alumni Hall.

When we got to the ticket booth, my Dad reached into his pocket, took out two dollar bills, and folded them. Then he said to me, "Watch this, Kev. This is how you get a good seat. You throw the guy a deuce on the side, see?" He slid the folded bills to the side of the window. The guy took the money, checked the seats carefully, and gave my Dad two tickets. My Dad held them up to show me with a big smile on his face, and we went in. My Dad loved the coach, Lou Carnesecca. He told me to watch him as he gyrated up and down the sideline, but the best part was when he took off his suit jacket. I think the guys from the pub had an over/under bet on when it would happen, because when he did, it got a big reaction from them.

To be honest, I don't remember who was playing or who won. I just remember thinking how cool it all was: the noise, the excitement, the band, the students cheering. It was all a blur, but I always had a great time just being out with my Dad. I especially loved it when he introduced me to his friends. "This is my boy," he'd say, with such pride and joy. It always made me feel good.