ATLANTA — Of all the Syracuse memorabilia in the basement of Neil Gold’s home in Manlius, N.Y. — posters, sneakers, tickets — a small, shiny object stands out above the rest.

A 2003 national championship ring.

Gold, who some consider to be Syracuse’s biggest fan, has been to every basketball game — home and away — since 1996. He has befriended officials, coaches and players. He has witnessed the worst losses and happiest wins, including the fateful night in New Orleans when Syracuse took home the national championship. Now, he’s in Atlanta with his family to watch what could be another history-making moment for Syracuse.

Back in 2003, Gold watched from the stands as Carmelo Anthony and the Orangemen grabbed the school’s first national championship. At the end of the game, his mind went blank, he said. Hysterical crying ensued.

“The one thing I always say about that is they can never take that away from me,” he said.

Following the win, Gold was sitting in his office at work when he received a call from SU Athletics.

“And they said, ‘We want to know your ring size because we’re giving you a ring’ — I’m crying just talking about it,” he said with a smile.

In comparison, this team’s appearance in the Final Four was more unexpected. Fans knew the potential of former stars Anthony and Gerry McNamara, Gold said, but with this year’s team, there’s a certain element of surprise.

The Orange defense, he said, is unlike anything he has seen before. The team is long, tall, expansive, and has the potential to make a lot of shots. And Gold thinks that will happen tonight.

But one of the biggest differences in this year’s team is the feeling of family. Gold said members of this year’s team have been defending each other, on and off the court.

“If somebody says something about one of the players that might be a little negative, they’ll be defended immediately by everybody else,” he said. “And that’s important.”

Gold’s journey to become Syracuse biggest fan began when he first stepped foot on campus as an undergraduate in 1966. Like most students, he went to every home game and fiercely supported the Orange. But it wasn’t until more than 25 years later when he experienced a “game-changer.”

In 1996, the Final Four round was hosted in New Jersey, just beyond Gold’s back yard in Long Island. Despite his excitement at the opportunity, tickets were either unavailable or too costly.

Instead, the Gold family attended an SU pep rally in New York City. With his then-10-year-old daughter in tow, Gold, interested in getting tickets, was directed toward a man holding a manila envelope. After conversing with Gold and his daughter, the man offered him three tickets at face-value price.

“And I cried. I cried,” he said. “Because you have no idea what this meant to me.

“That day, I said, ‘I gotta get more involved with the school, I have to give back.’”

He has not missed a single game since.

Last December, his family moved to Manlius, where Gold built a home dedicated to his Orange passion. Every season, he will place a new, autographed basketball schedule on the wall of his office. He is involved at the university through various committees and has been helping his daughter, Amanda, run a couple of businesses in the downtown Syracuse area.

Today, sitting in the lobby of the players’ hotel — he always stays with the team — Gold greets and converses with multiple friends, including assistant coach Mike Hopkins’ father and brother.

“There’s the favorite fan family,” joked a friend passing by.

Gold said since moving to Central New York, his stress level has decreased. On Friday night, he spent time in the hotel lobby simply soaking in the moment.

“It’s really hard to describe this feeling, it really is,” he said about the experience. “It’s really hard to describe the way I feel. It’s just wonderful.”

But he is also happy for the team. The Gold family knows and loves this year’s players — and they love them, too.

“I love to get hugs from the boys,” said Helene, Gold’s wife.

“It’s a special group of boys off the court,” added Gold’s daughter Amanda. “This team, I feel like they’ve embraced the fans more.”

Gold’s tournament predictions include an SU win against Michigan and a tight victory over Louisville for the national championship. But the celebrations will take place at home in Syracuse, complete with a parade and possible meeting with the team that won it all.

And maybe another ring?

Said Gold: “Well that I’m not thinking about that, but I’m sure that if it’s possible, they would do that for me.”

Published on April 6, 2013 at 3:25 pm

Contact Maddy: mjberner@syr.edu