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Danes History Revisited


olddog71

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Dane Pound,

 

With your permission, I would like to "reprint" the story of the Albany-Siena game from 1974 on the eve of this year's installment. The article appeared on page C-10 of the Times Union on Sunday, February 10, 1974.

 

“A built-up flood of emotion from a highly-partisan Albany crowd was as big a factor as any in State’s nail-biting victory over visiting Siena Saturday.

“Roughly three-quarters of the Standing Room Only crowd were Great Dane rooters, and they packed University Gym early and then decorated it with huge, mostly profane posters.

“Many of State’s fans saw the game as a chance for their smaller underdog Danes to knock off a bigger, more publicized team.

“For Rudy Vido (State ‘75), beating Siena was a strong feeling that had been burning inside. ‘It’s like the difference between good weather and a snowstorm,’ he said.

“Siena’s fans’ reactions before the game ranged from a modest, ‘Siena will win,’ to an analysis of why the Great Danes would be in trouble tonight.

“The tension between Dane fans [and] Siena counterparts rose steadily as the second half of the JV game wore down on.

“Although outnumbered, Siena’s supporters were up to the task, screaming word-for-word with the Albany crowd, including its most vocal group, the Albany State Potter Club.

“By game-time, everyone of the nearly 3,000 spectators were psyched and ready.

“When Siena dominated the first half, the gym belonged to Indian fans, and they took full advantage of it, hurling chants and taunts at the Albany majority.

“Halftime brought relief for the subdued Albany fans, when some of their members paraded their posters around the court.

“Regrouping as the Albany team did, the State fans came alive in the second half.

“By the time the minutes dwindled down to a precious few, the Great Dane partisans, whom Doc Sauers said were worth a good 10 points to his team, reached full stride.

“The sides of the gym became seas of clapping hands with clenched fists of victory jutting in and out.

“The Albany fans[‘] favorite tactic, stomping feet and rhythmic [clapping] took on the characteristics of a fast approaching train, spurred on by their team’s rally.

“And though the Siena fans battled to the buzzer with their team, State got in the last word both on and off the court.

“The second after the game was decided, the Dane rooters got in the last chant of the evening, ‘Check that score!”

 

Less than a week later, I attended a basketball game in the Hudson Valley where I teach. The refs doing that game were talking animatedly about the Albany-Siena game. Especially emphasized was the observation that the refs working the Albany game could not hear each other’s whistles, so loud were the State fans.

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If memory serves, this was the first year that Siena used its D-2 scholarship players and was considered a big favorite.  The Danes won 84-83 on a Bryon Miller jumper over Siena's prized recruit, Steve Walters.

10670[/snapback]

Thanks for the extra history, Statefan. I did not realize that Siena was already giving out athletic scholarships then.

 

All I know was that is was a wonderful win - a gift that kept on giving for several years afterward.

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