[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9032-9035]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1945
 CONGRATULATING SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM FOR WINNING 
      2003 NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce be discharged from further consideration of 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 142) congratulating the 
Syracuse University men's basketball team for winning the 2003 NCAA 
Division I men's basketball national championship, and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bass). Is there objection to the request 
of the gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 142

       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 81-78;
       Whereas the Syracuse University team was led by freshman 
     Carmelo Anthony, who was voted the 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 two 
     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 by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (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 the Clerk of the House of Representatives 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Brooklyn, New York (Mr. 
Towns); pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Syracuse University's Orangemen. 
Monday night, our university laid claim to the school's first Division 
I men's basketball national championship after defeating the University 
of Kansas 81 to 78 in a heck of a game. In addition to the players and 
coaching staff, many deserve recognition, including school 
administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, students, and one of the most 
loyal fan bases in collegiate athletics.
  Mr. Speaker, as you may know, Syracuse has been to the Final Four 
before. Monday night's championship game proved for Head Coach Jim 
Boeheim that the third time is the charm as his team came full circle 
to defeat the national powerhouse of Kansas in the Louisiana Superdome, 
avenging a heartbreaking loss in 1987 to Indiana in the same facility. 
Preparing for a championship match-up against a senior-led Kansas team 
is not easy, and Coach Boeheim deserves much of the credit for his 
young team's outstanding determination and accomplishment. His team got 
back on defense and slowed down the Jayhawks' ferocious fast break.
  Knowing Coach Boeheim personally, as I do, I would like to 
congratulate him sincerely today from the House floor. He is Syracuse 
basketball. Coaching his alma mater for 27 years, and being part of 
Syracuse basketball for more than half of his life, this championship 
is deserved not only for all of Syracuse's supporters and community but 
certainly for the coach himself. Also deserving praise this afternoon 
is Assistant Coach Bernie Fine, who has been with Jim Boeheim for many, 
many years and the rest of the fine Syracuse coaching staff.
  Syracuse's championship team was led by Final Four Most Outstanding 
Player, Freshman Carmelo Anthony, and with outstanding support from 
Gerry McNamara; another freshman, Bill Edelin; Kueth Duany, a senior;

[[Page 9033]]

Hakim Warrick, a sophomore; Craig Forth, a sophomore; Jeremy McNeil and 
Josh Pace. This young team demonstrated poise, presence, and pride in 
their performance throughout the tournament and all season long.
  This was really a fine year for this team, a very interesting team 
with great team chemistry. The first game of the year they lost to 
Memphis in the NIT preseason tournament. It was the only loss they had 
in the first 2 months of the season. It was a young team that jelled 
very, very quickly, led by Freshman Gerry McNamara, Carmelo Anthony, 
who many believe is perhaps the best basketball player in the country, 
certainly the best freshman. But it was the chemistry of the team that 
was really outstanding.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to single out a couple of the individuals 
who did not get a lot of credit during the year, but I think they 
deserve it. One is Bill Edelin, who is a young man who came to Syracuse 
University, made a mistake, and instead of getting negative and sour, 
he took his medicine. He was suspended from the team. And when he 
finally did come back, he missed the first 12 games of the year, but he 
contributed immediately when he came back. He stayed positive, he 
stayed focused, and he did a remarkable job.
  The other is Josh Pace, a young player, a greatly talented player who 
did not get a lot of playing time, but he stayed positive, he stayed 
focused, he practiced hard, played his role; and when tournament time 
came, he lit it up. He played great basketball.
  This team won all the tough road games this year. They beat Michigan 
State at Michigan State, which is pretty tough to do. That was an elite 
18. They beat Notre Dame at Notre Dame, a Sweet 16 team. And they beat 
Georgetown at Georgetown, and they were an NIT finalist. In fact, the 
only team to beat Syracuse in the last 2 months of the year was 
Connecticut, another Sweet 16 team. Very, very solid team.
  This was an interesting tournament, in that for Syracuse they had to 
play all of the great teams out of the Big 12 out west, arguably the 
best conference in the Nation this year. During the regular season, 
Syracuse played Missouri at Syracuse and defeated them. A very good 
Missouri team, a well-coached team, talented team. In the tournament, 
in the second game, they played Oklahoma State, one of the top teams in 
the Nation, certainly one of the top teams in the Big 12, and defeated 
them rather easily. The last three games of the tournament they beat 
three of the best five teams in the Nation and the three top teams in 
the Big 12, Oklahoma, Texas, and finally Kansas.
  This was a remarkable run through the tournament. They made us proud. 
Everybody in our community is excited. It is a small community. 
Syracuse is a city of about 150,000 people. It is sort of like Green 
Bay winning the Super Bowl. We have long winters, we have hardy souls 
who brave those cold days to go out, we have great fans, and we have 
very spirited and talented athletes. We are very proud of them. This is 
a great accomplishment for them and a great accomplishment for our 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I also rise to honor the Syracuse Orangemen on winning the first-
ever NCAA men's basketball championship title.
  I had Syracuse in the championship bracket, and I am proud to say 
that I was on board on the bus before they left Syracuse. I felt that 
they would be able to do it. I did not wait until they got to Bourbon 
Street. I felt they would be able to do it.
  I must admit that in 1996, I think it was, they were in the 
Meadowlands and they were playing Kentucky, and of course we thought 
that Syracuse would be able to be successful that night. Kentucky ended 
up winning, and Syracuse ended up finishing second. But Coach Boeheim 
did not give up. He stayed with it. He continued to recruit and bring 
in great athletes; and, Mr. Speaker, I applaud the efforts of these 
young men and coaches and wish them much success.
  As I think about the Syracuse team, I am reminded of a team that 
Coach Cal Irvin coached, because he reminds me so much of Coach Boeheim 
in terms of his commitment and dedication to his athletes and to 
winning. Of course, he had some great players. As Syracuse had Carmelo 
Anthony, Cal Irvin had Al Attles. And of course when I look at the 
character and the attitude of the players, I think about Carmelo 
Anthony and also the attitude of Al Attles.
  And then I look at the other players on the team that Cal Irvin had 
during those days: a guy by the name of Herb Gray, another guy by the 
name of Joe Howell, Hank Marshall, Charlie Harrison, Hugh Evans, Gerry 
Powell, and the list goes on. And then I look at the Syracuse roster 
and I look at each player and I can sort of compare them with those 
players that Cal Irvin had back in those days, and they were 
outstanding players.
  Let me just say that I think that Syracuse can be extremely proud of 
their accomplishments. I know that Coach Boeheim is proud. I met him 
many, many years ago. I was introduced to him by a gentleman by the 
name of Al Wooten, who was a football player at Syracuse. He introduced 
me to Coach Boeheim and said that Coach Boeheim was a person that had a 
winning spirit and of course had a winning attitude. And of course 
after 27 years he has demonstrated that. Because most people would not 
wait around for 27 years, but he did, and I think that he needs to be 
applauded for that. Today, with the competition being what it is, it is 
not easy to win a national championship. But winning a national 
championship with quality players, with people that have character, I 
think that is the key.
  So I would say to Syracuse and to the basketball team, you were able 
to win on the basketball court, now all you have to do is win in the 
classroom. And I am certain that as a result of that, you will do well 
in life.
  I know someone mentioned earlier, my friend, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Walsh), that Carmelo Anthony was probably the best freshman 
in the country. I would like to say that he is the best basketball 
player in the country, bar none. There is no doubt in my mind. To watch 
him and to realize he is a freshman and being able to do the kinds of 
things he did, there is no doubt in my mind that he is the best 
basketball player in the NCAA today. There is no question about it.
  I think the thing I really like about him is his character. He is a 
man who really is going to go places because he has the right attitude. 
I think more young people need to have that kind of attitude today. If 
they had that kind of attitude, I think a lot more of them would be 
much more successful. So I salute Carmelo Anthony for demonstrating to 
other young people in the world that you can have the proper attitude 
and still be good at what you do.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), my next-door neighbor from 
Utica and a Syracuse University graduate.
  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Who would have thunk it? The Syracuse Orangemen, not even rated in 
all the preseason polls, are national champions. And they provided a 
thrill a minute as they made the journey from being out of sight and 
out of mind to number one.
  Ever since its first season, the Syracuse University's men's 
basketball team has been winners. In its inaugural season, Syracuse 
held opponents to a combined 51 total points and went on to a winning 
record. That inaugural year was 1900, and the record was two wins and 
one loss; 103 years and 1,462 wins later, the Syracuse basketball team 
has reached the promised land: NCAA national champs.
  Head Coach Jim Boeheim has 653 of those wins over 27 seasons. That 
kind of record and longevity says something about this superior coach 
and decent human being. He is a winner; no one

[[Page 9034]]

can dispute that. As Casey Stengel would say, ``You can look it up.'' 
But most of all he is a teacher, a man with a proven ability to 
transform raw talent into skilled practitioners of the game. He does it 
with his measured and methodical and patient and persistent approach. 
Yes, he is a winner, but that is a team endeavor. More than that, he is 
an inspired and inspiring teacher. And we all know that is a solo act. 
And that is what produces champions.
  Further, he is the embodiment of an upstate New Yorker. He has 
remained loyal to his school and loyal to his community. For 27 years, 
he and Syracuse have been synonymous. That loyalty and longevity, 
combined with hard work, have paid off big time, not just for Jim 
Boeheim and not just for Syracuse University, but for all who love the 
game and watch with admiration and respect when the underrecognized and 
underappreciated come out on top. They got to that lofty position the 
old-fashioned way: they earned it.
  Congratulations, Coach Boeheim and Syracuse University. Pardon our 
pride, but so many of us are bleeding Syracuse orange; and we are all, 
in the phrasing of that colorful commentator Dick Vitale, 'cuse crazy.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Hinchey), who is a great Syracuse fan and his district goes 
almost to Syracuse, New York.
  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Towns), for yielding me this time; and I also want to express 
my appreciation to my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Walsh), for bringing this resolution to the floor this 
evening so that we can have an opportunity to congratulate this 
wonderful basketball team.
  We all recognize and admire the very justified pride that our 
colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), feels in this 
basketball team from the university that bears the name of his 
hometown. But all of us in New York share in that pride as well. 
Syracuse University is not a very large school, by some of the national 
standards; but it is a university in which we all share a great deal of 
pride.

                              {time}  2000

  It is a university that is known for its academic achievements and 
for its athletic prowess, and that athletic prowess was demonstrated 
earlier this week, as anyone who knows basketball and loves the game of 
basketball recognized as being one of the best basketball games that 
any of us have ever seen. It was played by two teams, each of which had 
great talent, and they played with all their heart, each one wanting to 
win.
  But it was the mighty Men of Orange from Syracuse University who 
emerged the victor, and tonight we share in their achievement and in 
their pride and we take this opportunity, along with their Congressman, 
to offer our deep congratulations for this terrific effort.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Quinn), a fine former basketball player from Siena 
University.
  Mr. QUINN. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by not only commending the 
Orangemen of Syracuse on their terrific win this past week, but also to 
thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) who is probably, beyond 
all people, more proud of his city of Syracuse and the university for 
not only what they do on the athletic field, but also academically, 
than any other person around.
  My district is probably as close to Syracuse as the district of the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) in the Bronx, but that does not 
make us any less proud of what Syracuse accomplished on their 
basketball team when they beat Kansas Monday night. They played the 
entire tournament showing the youth and their opponents, as they played 
them, that the notion that seniors win championships is incorrect.
  Led by super-freshmen Carmelo Anthony, Jerry McNamara and others, 
they allowed Syracuse and Coach Boeheim, after 27 years, his shining 
moment as a national champion in the NCAA.
  I have had to listen in my office to two Syracuse grads, Mike Tetuan 
and Katy Carter, all year long about how often they are going to win; 
and I thought that this win by Syracuse would put all of that to rest, 
and I would not have to hear the comparisons of that other super-
college power in Upstate New York, Siena College. However, on the 
opposite side, what this win has done is not quieted them down; that is 
all I hear from these two staffers now, that their young team will be 
back again and again.
  We hope that they are back because, down the road, we are hoping that 
this win and this kind of enthusiasm moves down the Thruway to Buffalo 
for our NFL Bills this coming season, and we can bring the NFL 
championship back to our great city.
  Syracuse, the Salt City, like Buffalo, which I represent, are 
sometimes known for two things: snow and snow. Some people ask, Why 
would young men and women go to Syracuse to play basketball? And as 
Steve Thompson, a former Syracuse basketball player liked to say, ``It 
never snows in the Carrier Dome.''
  For many years, I have said that Coach Boeheim is probably the best 
recruiter in the United States to get great players to Syracuse, New 
York, inside that dome on a Saturday afternoon, where I have been many 
times, sometimes with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), where 
Coach Boeheim has 30,000 people on a Saturday and takes down those Big 
East opponents, people outside the conference, and comes home a winner.
  The answer why people would want to go to Syracuse to play basketball 
is more simple than ever now, because Syracuse is the 2003 National 
Champion, headed by the longest-tenured coach in the NCAA, Jim Boeheim, 
and supported by alumni and fans everywhere, including Buffalo and 
western New York. We believe what Jim believes in, that Syracuse is 
where basketball ended this year, and it is where it will start next 
year.
  I am proud to add the voice of all of our friends and neighbors in 
western New York to the voice of the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Walsh) as a proud New Yorker, and say congratulations to the team, the 
staff and university, and most importantly, to Coach Boeheim for a job 
well done.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me say that basically a lot of my friends in 
particular thought that Syracuse was going to lose. After watching 
Kansas destroy Marquette, they felt if Kansas could destroy Marquette 
that way, Syracuse has no chance. But they did not realize that Coach 
Boeheim was able to make adjustments and basically shut down the fast 
break for the first half because of the fact that he was able to get 
back, and he stressed it with his team. So as a result of making 
adjustments, he proved one thing, that he is one of the greatest 
coaches in the country today.
  I think that any time a coach can make those kinds of adjustments and 
shut down a fast break like Kansas had, that shows that they know what 
they are doing.
  I would like to salute Coach Boeheim for his outstanding leadership 
and the fact that he was able to make the adjustment and show that 
coaching is very, very important. I want to salute him for that, and 
also to say to him, in terms of his players, it is always good if you 
have players that will respect you and will follow your lead, as his 
players did. It was very obvious that they listened to him and made 
adjustments, and as a result, they were successful. I would like to 
salute him for that.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
reserve the right to close.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  I really feel that the Syracuse team was an outstanding team, and it 
shows what can be done when you work real hard.
  I was just comparing Coach Boeheim with Coach Cal Irvin, who coached

[[Page 9035]]

North Carolina A&T University for many, many years, how he always 
stressed working hard. When I look at the results of the Syracuse team 
and I look at the results of the North Carolina A&T team from many, 
many years ago, I can see the similarities between the two teams, the 
coaches as well as the players. I think that today means more than 
anything else.
  Al Attles is one of the finest individuals I have ever met, and they 
tell me, and from what I have seen and heard, that Carmelo Anthony is 
the same kind of individual. When I look at the outstanding players he 
had, going right down the roster, I think this is what it is all about 
today, having players that have character, having players that 
understand how important it is to follow rules and regulations.
  I am hoping that all of the young people in America were able to look 
at them and see in terms of the type of attitude that they demonstrated 
in this play that night as they won the championship. They won it with 
pride. They were proud. They were not people who were always arguing 
with the referees and arguing with each other. I think when teams work 
together, it shows what they can accomplish.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of my colleagues from all 
across the State who came here this evening to enjoy this pleasurable 
event. It has been a little time to gloat perhaps, certainly enjoy and 
bask in the glow of victory.
  New York State from time to time has these upstate-downstate 
differences. Clearly there is no difference here. We have Brooklyn and 
Hudson Valley and Buffalo and Utica, Syracuse; all of the way across 
the State, people have been very supportive. The East Regional 
Tournament was in Albany, and they turned Albany orange. It has been a 
great run for our school team.
  This is a championship season. It is something that not everyone gets 
to enjoy.
  I had a daughter who played on a State championship soccer team in 
high school, and there is a special feeling that comes from that, not 
just for the players and the coaches, but for the community, for the 
people who watched them and suffered their losses and bit their 
fingernails and turned their knuckles white when they had close calls. 
This really unified our town.
  Syracuse has had this basketball tradition for over 100 years, but we 
have never gotten to the national championship and won it. We have been 
there. We lost to Indiana back in 1987, a last-second shot by Keith 
Smart. Everybody in Syracuse knows where they were when Keith Smart 
made that shot. It was a defining moment. But to have this team go back 
to the Superdome and to see that last-second shot by the Kansas player, 
Lee, from the same spot that Keith Smart let that shot go from, it just 
shows there is justice in this world.
  The team chemistry was terrific. These young people did not know how 
good they were, but they found out. The country had no idea how good 
they were, but the country found out. Their egos did not get in the 
way. They played team basketball. The coach had them playing together 
beautifully, and everyone up home is enjoying it.
  I wanted to come before the House and take the privilege that I have 
to share that moment. My family is tied up inextricably with Syracuse. 
My father was the mayor of Syracuse. He was a Member of Congress from 
Syracuse. I am second generation. I am from Syracuse.
  Somebody said a long time ago that victory has a thousand fathers, 
loss is an orphan. There are thousands of fathers and mothers and 
brothers and sisters who are enjoying the heck out of this week. I hope 
they continue to enjoy it for a long time to come. We may never get a 
championship season again. We may get one next year, or in 15 or 20 
years. The fact is, we have one now; let us enjoy it and thank God for 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Burgess). Without objection, the 
previous question is ordered on the concurrent resolution.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the concurrent 
resolution.
  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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