Sleeping With the Enemy: Siena Saints Blog

[KingDane]

Agreed.

Gloves came off then.

 

I think my first Albany-Siena game (a hockey game) the players couldn't come back out from the locker room until the state troopers got there because the crowd was going at each other.

 

You should have been there in 1972 when some Siena punk attempted to rip the "EEP says Siena Sucks" banner down resulting in a massive brawl with over a minute left in the game. The refs cleared the floor and declared the game over.

 

Where was the 72 game played? What sport?

How ridiculous were the lcc punks back then? They couldn't be as ridiculous as they are now.

 

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but in the late 60's I think I remember seeing Albany play siena at McCloskey High School, and I think once in the Armory on Washington Avenue.

 

The referees ended the '72 game at the Albany State gym with just under two minutes left on the clock and Albany ahead by a few points. Some siena guys walked around the floor from the other side and tried to pull a home made 'Siena Sucks' banner away from some Albany fans. A great disturbance ensued and additional siena guys came right across the floor while the game was going on, to join in. The fight quickly spilled onto the floor and the refs called the game.

 

The bitterness of the rivalry was sweet and very much a product of the times.

 

In the late 60s and early 70s, Albany State was very representative of public universities where anti-war sentiments, hallucinogenics, and sex (birth control pills were the favorite food) were rampant. 1968 was also the first year of the EOP Progam at Albany. I believe the incoming freshman class of 1967 had only 4 African American students and prior to that, to the best of my knowledge, only one black man had ever played basketball at Albany. Certainly none had ever played at siena.

 

Siena, was a small, suburban catholic school, all white. They cut their hair, they wore plaid straight-leg pants and blazers. They were throwbacks at a time when things were changing in America. siena was about two decades behind. Doing them on the basketball court was like Keith Richards pulling Rosemary Clooney's hair while doing her from behind.

 

I can't speak for Doc Sauers, but I'm pretty certain (at least I like to believe) he truly disliked both siena and their coach, Bill Kirsch. In the mid-seventies the 'indians' moved up to D-1 and announced very publicly that they were withdrawing from the Capitol District Christmas tournament and would play Albany only one more time - at their new gym on the siena campus. They were the darlings of the media then as now. In fact prior to one Albany-siena game, Albany's campus was referred to by one T-U sports reporter as "Dirty Doodleland". The local TV sports guys were all about siena.

 

For anyone who questions their arrogance, in 1977, dunking was prohibited. Prior to the start of that last game, during their layup drills the first two siena guys smugly dunked their layups. Therefore, before the game started, Albany was allowed, and made, two technical foul shots. Albany, still D-3, went on to win the game 62-49 in what was the culmination of the rivalry until it resumed in the 90's.

 

Feelings are obviously not as strong today, but its fun to pretend they are. While some may see them play in the NCAA tournament now and root for them because they are a 'home team', there are those of us who never can and never will.

[Doc]

Amazing stories about the fights. If anyone with some first hand memories about these brawls and wants to do a write up, would be a great guest feature on the blog. I know I'd love to read.

[Clickclack]

The arrogance of LCC fans is astounding. I don't think a whole lot of UA fans will ever cheer for them, I know I used to but that time has passed as I've become more tied to this program. BING them!

[uofalbany]

The arrogance of LCC fans is astounding. I don't think a whole lot of UA fans will ever cheer for them, I know I used to but that time has passed as I've become more tied to this program. BING them!

 

Glad to hear you finally came to your senses.

 

I first heard about siena back in the mid 80s. From the get go,

I've considered it to be a poor excuse for a small, private college - or for an institute

of higher learning in general. Students and/or their parents try to get them in siena, when all of the respectable, private colleges have denied them enrollment. If all else fails, try siena. If a student needs the coziness of a small, dinky school, then siena is fine. Other than that, siena seems to be one of the biggest higher education frauds in the country. Dump your cash into the garbage bin, just to say they went

to a 'private' college.

 

There are few institutes that are worth even a fraction of their private school tuitions. Siena is the farthest from one of these institutions as one could possibly get. I began my college career at a private school, and soon realized that 1) the students were pathetic, spoiled, & adolescent and 2) I was wasting a ton of money for no particular reason. Hence, the move to a much bigger, much better, and much more cost effective option.

[UAalum72]

The '72 game was at University Gym, which opened in 1969. Back then we often played $iena twice at year, once in the Capital District tournament over the holidays with RPI and Union. Now-state senator Jim Tedisco set the University Gym scoring record of 42 (no shot clock, no three-pointers) for Union against $iena.

 

Before the ARC opened in about '74, the evil Indians played their home games at Troy High, Mechanicville High, and then at the Washington Ave. Armory.

[olddog71]

You should have been there in 1972 when some Siena punk attempted to rip the "EEP says Siena Sucks" banner down resulting in a massive brawl with over a minute left in the game. The refs cleared the floor and declared the game over.

 

If I remember correctly, that game ended, as you stated, with about 1½ minutes to play. The score was 72-56 for Albany.

 

In another Siena game, played at University Gym, UA came from behind to win the game by one point with each team in the eighties. I heard about a ref who did the game who said the noise level in that gym was so loud that he couldn't hear his colleague's whistles.

 

Every Albany student who attended the Siena games greatly disliked (okay, hated) Siena. Not only were the Siena students preppy, but many of the Siena adult fans were just as bad. I saw Siena women wearing mink stoles to the games. My mother-in-law couldn't tolerate the new clothing styles and didn't like UA students, in particular. Once she told me, "Those Albany students . . . they're just plain dirty."

 

I can't imagine what could happen if the new Division I rivalry took on the dimensions of the old DIII times.

[alum73]

I was at the 72 game. Back then we used to chant "Beat St. Rose", they replied with "Beat Albany High". I should feel ashamed to have participated in the 'body tossing' that day, but oddly, I don't.

[statefan]

You should have been there in 1972 when some Siena punk attempted to rip the "EEP says Siena Sucks" banner down resulting in a massive brawl with over a minute left in the game. The refs cleared the floor and declared the game over.

 

 

In another Siena game, played at University Gym, UA came from behind to win the game by one point with each team in the eighties. I heard about a ref who did the game who said the noise level in that gym was so loud that he couldn't hear his colleague's whistles.

 

 

 

You might be thinking of the 1974 game. My recollection is that it was Siena's first year having D2 scholarship players and we were basically playing a rotation of three freshman guards and three senior forwards/center. Siena was heavily favored, but Byron Miller hit a jump shot virtually at the buzzer to win.

[KingDane]

You should have been there in 1972 when some Siena punk attempted to rip the "EEP says Siena Sucks" banner down resulting in a massive brawl with over a minute left in the game. The refs cleared the floor and declared the game over.

 

 

In another Siena game, played at University Gym, UA came from behind to win the game by one point with each team in the eighties. I heard about a ref who did the game who said the noise level in that gym was so loud that he couldn't hear his colleague's whistles.

 

 

[/q

 

You might be thinking of the 1974 game. My recollection is that it was Siena's first year having D2 scholarship players and we were basically playing a rotation of three freshman guards and three senior forwards/center. Siena was heavily favored, but Byron Miller hit a jump shot virtually at the buzzer to win.

 

Some of the Albany stars of those years wouldn't probably be real competitive today, but I think Byron Miller would be a stud.

[bob87]

I was at the 72 game. Back then we used to chant "Beat St. Rose", they replied with "Beat Albany High". I should feel ashamed to have participated in the 'body tossing' that day, but oddly, I don't.

 

 

 

I wouldn't be ashamed of that. I would be far more ashamed if after that, I paid LCC for tickets to any of LCC games(condoning them and every thing evil they stand for) unless they were playing UA and there was no other way to get tickets for that game.

I am ashamed that I paid money for games to them a fair number of times in the 90's and to a lesser extent the early to mid 00's.

[YO DAMIEN]

loving this thread, keep the stories coming guys

[DanesRGood]

loving this thread, keep the stories coming guys

 

Agree! As a graduate from the mid-90s it's GREAT to hear these old stories!!

[alum73]

It's better to be young!