[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 9, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SYRACUSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, as all of America now knows, Syracuse 
defeated Kansas in the national championship Monday night 81 to 78. 
This is the Syracuse Orangemen's first national championship. My, how 
long we have waited. But my, how sweet and deserved victory is.
  As you remember, in 1987, in New Orleans, the same building, the same 
site as this year's championship, Syracuse lost to Indiana by 1 point 
on an acrobatic shot by Keith Smart. Coach Jim Boeheim said: ``I think 
that building owed us.'' Well, the building did, and Syracuse is now 
the national champion.
  In a time of war, when so much sorrow is among us, it is a time for a 
little happiness, the happiness that the Orangemen brought New Yorkers, 
soldiers overseas who follow the game, and the tens and tens and tens 
of thousands of Syracuse fans across New York State and across the 
country.
  This is Jim Boeheim's first national championship. He has been coach 
for 27 years. His loyalty to his alma mater, Syracuse, is unparalleled. 
Now, Boeheim has been criticized for not being able to win the big 
game, but he has quieted his critics and has established himself as a 
legitimate candidate for the Hall of Fame. He called the win not a 
validation of his coaching skills but a testament to the talent of his 
players--typical of Jim Boeheim's modesty. This Syracuse team is a 
model for all of America. They have persisted and persisted and 
persisted. Coach Boeheim persisted and persisted and persisted, and we 
so admire him. His heart belonged to Syracuse.

  Jim Boeheim is Mr. Syracuse. As the old story goes, Boeheim was 
sitting on the beach in Hawaii with his former assistant, Rick Pitino, 
and Pitino's wife, Joanne. Someone posed a question: If you could live 
anywhere, where would it be?
  Rick picked San Francisco, and his wife Joanne picked New York City. 
``Syracuse,'' Boeheim said. ``Hawaii was just Syracuse in July,'' 
Boeheim sniffed. ``For 8 months a year, it's the best weather in the 
country, and the other 4 months we are playing basketball.''
  Well, the Orangemen had an amazing story this year. They came in to 
the season as underdogs, not even earning a ranking in the ESPN/USA 
Today coaches poll until February. They stormed through the regular 
season, finishing tied for first in the Big East, with a 13-3 record. 
They finished the regular season 24-5 overall.
  Of course, one of the biggest stories is the youth of this team. 
Where have we ever seen--ever--two freshmen guards lead as well as they 
have?
  Carmelo Anthony, a freshman and leader of the team, had 20 points 
Monday night, with 10 rebounds and seven assists in the final game 
against Kansas. You could see the pain on his face. He was playing with 
an injured back, but he kept going and going, as he has done all 
season. He scored a career high 33 points and had 14 rebounds against 
Texas in the semifinal. Many scouts believe he could be the No. 1 or 
No. 2 draft pick this year in the NBA lottery.
  How about Gerry McNamara, that feisty Irishman, a freshman point 
guard. He was huge in the championship game. In the first half, he hit 
six 3-pointers and scored 18 points.
  Hakim Warrick, only a sophomore, made the biggest play of the game. 
As all of us were sitting around holding our breath as Kansas came 
within three points, with 1.5 seconds left, Warrick made an amazing 
block of Michael Lee's 3-point attempt that would have tied the game.
  What a game it was, Mr. President. What a victory for Syracuse. All 
of central New York is cheering. It is 80 degrees and that orange sun 
is shining brightly over Syracuse in central New York this afternoon, 
and it will continue to do so for a long time. Because Syracuse has so 
many proud alumni and fans from one end of New York State to the other, 
there is a smile across our State this afternoon spreading from Buffalo 
to New York City.
  Mr. President, we are proud of the coach, Jim Boeheim; we are proud 
of the team, the great Orangemen; we are proud of the university, 
Syracuse University.
  I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble be 
agreed to en bloc and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table 
without intervening objection or debate, and any statements be printed 
in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 115) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

                              S. Res. 115

       Whereas on Monday, April 7, 2003, the Syracuse University 
     Orangemen men's basketball team won its first Division I 
     national basketball championship;
       Whereas Syracuse University won the championship game by 
     defeating the University of Kansas Jayhawks 81 to 78;
       Whereas the Syracuse University team was led by freshman 
     Carmelo Anthony, who was voted Most Outstanding Player of the 
     Final Four, and received outstanding effort and support from 
     Gerry McNamara, Billy Edelin, Kueth Duany, Hakim Warrick, 
     Craig Forth, Jeremy McNeil, and Josh Pace;
       Whereas the roster of the Syracuse University team also 
     included Tyrone Albright, Josh Brooks, Xzavier Gaines, Matt 
     Gorman, Gary Hall, Ronneil Herron, and Andrew Kouwe;
       Whereas Head Coach Jim Boeheim has coached at Syracuse 
     University for 27 years and been involved with the Syracuse 
     University men's basketball team for more than half his life;
       Whereas Coach Boeheim had previously coached in 2 national 
     championship games, including a heartbreaking loss in 1987;
       Whereas Coach Boeheim and his coaching staff, including 
     Associate Head Coach Bernie Fine and Assistant Head Coaches 
     Mike Hopkins and Troy Weaver, deserve much credit for the 
     outstanding determination and accomplishments of their young 
     team; and
       Whereas the students, alumni, faculty, and supporters of 
     Syracuse University are to be congratulated for their 
     commitment and pride in their national champion men's 
     basketball team: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the Syracuse University men's basketball 
     team for winning the 2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball 
     national championship;
       (2) recognizes the achievements of all the team's players, 
     coaches, and support staff and invites them to the United 
     States Capitol Building to be honored;
       (3) requests that the President recognize the achievements 
     of the Syracuse University men's basketball team and invite 
     them to the White House for an appropriate ceremony honoring 
     a national championship team; and
       (4) directs Secretary of the Senate to make available 
     enrolled copies of this resolution to Syracuse University for 
     appropriate display and to transmit an enrolled copy of this 
     resolution to each coach and member of the 2003 NCAA Division 
     I men's basketball national championship team.

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