Some guys have flat-out earned it, earned the respect of the guardians of the games, of their peers, of the people who wrap themselves in a warm blanket of college basketball for a lifetime because there are riches in the relationships and the struggles and the beauty of the game.
No wonder why Fordham coach Tom Pecora had to clean out the messages on his cell phone three times yesterday. And that was before 6:30 last night.
Pete Gillen, Ray Nash, Jack Curran and Rollie Massimino all left messages. There were so many handshakes and pats on the back when Pecora showed up recruiting at Chaminade High on Long Island yesterday, he might wake up a little black and blue today.
This is what happens when one of the guys who never had anything handed to him gives back before the nameplate has been secured to his office door.
Pecora led Fordham to one of the most improbable and memorable wins in city college basketball history. Down 60-39 to St. John’s with less than 16 minutes to go Saturday night, Pecora asked his players to do what he has done all his life — grind.
Don’t worry about the scoreboard or the stats or the fans crammed into the stands at Rose Hill Gym. Just play the next play. Then play the next one.
When a person does that, as Pecora has, when a team does that, as Fordham did Saturday night, amazing moments are made.
The Rams stunned St. John’s, shocked the city and delighted thousands of long-suffering Fordham fans by pulling off an 84-81 triumph.
“This wasn’t about me,” Pecora said yesterday. And anyone who knows Tom Pecora knows it has never been about him.
“This was for these kids,” Pecora said. “This was for the fans. They got to storm the court. There’s nothing better for a college kid. This is for a long-suffering community. Everyone gets to share in this.”
Everyone, of course, except St. John’s. It was bad enough the Red Storm of the Big East blew a 21-point lead against Fordham of the Atlantic 10, but after the game St. John’s coach Steve Lavin made a stunning comment.
“Because of the last two losses we have to get two wins that, looking at the schedule before the season, you might have thought you wouldn’t get,” he said.
Lavin was referring to the last two losses to St. Bonaventure and Fordham. The Red Storm was favored to win both games, but no coach is supposed to acknowledge he had some games circled as ‘Ws’ and others as ‘Ls.’
You look at the St. John’s schedule now and how do you not think, “Well, Coach doesn’t expect to beat Connecticut, Syracuse or Pitt.” Or, “Coach had ‘Ws’ penciled in over St. Bonaventure, Fordham and, who, Davidson?”
That’s bad form.
Fordham, which won the Battle of The Bronx over Manhattan earlier in the week and now the Battle of the Five Boroughs over St. John’s, is 5-4, having equaled the Rams’ win total over the last two seasons combined.
Pecora knows there are no quick fixes. There are going to be some nights when the bus is being warmed up with five minutes left.
But now he has something tangible he can hold up to his players and to notable Fordham alums such as Mike Breen and Michael Kay, who attended the game as proof that better times are near.
“We’re going to keep working at it,” said Pecora. “I don’t know any other way.”