SYRACUSE -- So in the past two months I've flown United, US Airways, American, Alaska Airlines and, today, for Hofstra's game tomorrow night at Syracuse, JetBlue. JetBlue is by far the winner and it really starts with the seats - comfortable leather ones with actual leg room in front.
No offense to Alaska Airlines - nice enough flight attendants, et. all - but I'm sure its coach seats are prohibited somewhere in the Constitution. I'm 5-10 and 160 pounds and scrunched doesn't begin to describe it. Another reason JetBlue wins: mini tvs in every seatback. It is fed by Direct TV - complete with 39 channels - making the 1 hour 20 minute flight to Syracuse seem almost TOO short. This could be the only way New York area residents can see Rutgers in its bowl game: book a flight on JetBlue.
Travel pet peeve No. 377: People in the window seat who shut the window shade. Some woman sitting next to me - I was in the dreaded middle seat - on the flight up here suddenly pulled down her shade. She nudged me not a minute later to get up because she had to use the restroom. Was it really necessary to close the window shade for that? Strange.
Anyway, to the game. Syracuse is coming off an 84-79 loss to Drexel - a CAA team that should challenge for the conference title - while Hofstra has had 10 days off since an unimpressive three-point victory over winless St. Francis (N.Y.). Does this add up to a blowout at the hands of the Orange? Not necessarily. Syracuse will have the advantage up front (Hofstra hasn't had the edge there all year and likely won't the rest of the season), led by senior forward Demetris Nichols, whom Hofstra coach Tom Pecora called a "monster." Nichols leads the Orange, scoring 18.5 points per game and adding 5.1 rebounds. He scored 31 against Drexel.
But Syracuse will not easily match up with Loren Stokes, Antoine Agudio, Carlos Rivera and Zygis Sestokas. The first three played well in 2004 when Hofstra lost 80-75 at Syracuse and helped the Pride that day shoot over 50 percent from the floor. Non-Big East visiting teams almost never do that at the Carrier Dome, which has never been known as a great place for shooting. Still, in talking to Antoine Agudio yesterday after practice, he said he felt the baskets in the Carrier Dome were "shooters' rims." Few visiting teams would agree with that but if Agudio and his teammates believe that, that's all that matters.
Expect Hofstra to play well. The pick is still Syracuse - the rebounding advantage should be enormous for the Orange - but in a closer game than some may think.