It’s March 18, 2005. The place is Worcester, MA. The setting is the first round of the 2005 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The game is 15-seed Vermont against 2-seed Syracuse. The game broke brackets, and T.J. Sorrentine became a UVM legend.
Tom Brennan (Burlington Free Press)
It’s GOOD!! (photo The Vermont Cynic)
In classic David v. Goliath style, the upstart Vermont Catamounts beat the Syracuse Orange 60-57 in overtime. The clincher was T.J. Sorrentine’s 3-pointer, which broadcaster Gus Johnson described this way: “Sorrentine, hit that one from the parking lot!”
Tom Brennan, the long-time Vermont head coach (1986-2005), had announced his retirement before the tournament, and the win was an exclamation point on his career.
Relatively few people know that Brennan was also a poet, and he often read his poems on a radio show he hosted. Given that avocation, here’s my poem to commemorate that historic game that took place 21 years ago this week.
“SORRENTINE FROM THE PARKING LOT”
When TB spoke his rhyme at Saint Raphael’s, the kid from Pawtucket was sold.
And an unspoken pact was made: Let’s break the mold!
Sorrentine hopped on a bus to Burlington and talked championship-or-bust every single day.
More than a few asked: What did that Rhode Island kid just say?
TB scheduled a bucket list.
It would’ve gone much smoother if Sorrentine hadn’t broken his wrist.
But the injury made us all stronger.
And TB got to be with the kid from Pawtucket a year longer.
At Allen Fieldhouse, the Cats gave the Jayhawks a scare.
Yes, it was undeniable: Hehn had the best hair.
Against UCLA, Taylor owned the paint, but the refs did the Cats no favors.
Man oh man, Timmy Time would’ve made a great Ben & Jerry’s flavor.
In Vegas, TJ played early-morning poker and figured that TB’s infinite patience had finally worn thin.
Instead, TB took a seat and said: DEAL ME IN!
As for that historic night in Worcester, some fingered Syracuse as Final Four-ready.
Unfortunately for the Orange, magical Mopa was money!
Not for a second did Martin let his man go free.
Somewhere, Shooter was pointing at a screen, screaming: THAT’S THE WAY YOU PLAY D!
In the final stretch, way off the top of the key, Sorrentine slowly dribbled the ball.
Alas, he shook off the play, hoisted, and Gus made his iconic call.
Oh, Sorrentine, Oh, Sorrentine, you took us on such a ride.
When you backpedaled down the court, you seemed to glide.
At the buzzer, there was a Taylor smile and a Kyle embrace.
Jon Hart is the author of Man versus Ball: One Ordinary Guy and His Extraordinary Sports Adventures and its undeserved sequel, Unfortunately, I was available.
