Coach Boeheim and his Orange still seething.

The NCAA Selection Committee must had a nice chuckle when theydecided to slot Vermont against Syracuse in the first round of the NCAATournament.  In case you have the shortest-memory in the world, let's get reminded on what happened last time.

In one of its worst post-season losses ever, Syracuse infamously suffered a 60-57 overtime loss to Vermont in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Syracuse was a 4-seed that year, while Vermont was a 13-seed. The loss was the final game for Syracuse seniors Hakim Warrick, Craig Forth and Josh Pace, who two years earlier had played key roles on SU’s national championship team.

I missed the Richmond debacleand many of the Syracuse fans from my generation did as well.  For us,the run Syracuse had in the early 90's is a part of history, notsomething we can tangibly remember.  But we can remember 2005.  We canremember how sure we were that the '05 squad was special.  We rememberthat it felt like SU could go deep in the tournament and end up, well,who knows.  We remember feeling like this was once again our year.

When we lost 60-57,it stung more than most other fans can imagine.  Syracuse fans feltrobbed.  Sure, the team could only blame itself for the upset, but,it's so much easier to blame Vermont.  Especially when theinsufferable  Tom Brennan went on to get an ESPN career based on thisone win.  And it seemed like anytime SU was playing, there he was athalftime to taunt us with his visage. A cruel reminder.

And then there's Taylor Coppenrath.  I mean, look at this schnook.  This is the reason Hakim Warrick never got to lead the Orange back into the Final Four? Unconscionable.

Syracuse fans have spent the better part of the last five years continually seething over that loss.  Just like the garbage fire that burns underneath Centralia, PAand forced all of the residents to move away, the Vermont losscontinues to simmer and smoke below the surface and we've been unableto put it out.

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