FIRST OFFICE UPSTAIRS, CORNER DESK — Welcome to my world. Excuse the floor. It’s a little dirty.

That stain? Not sure. It’s been there as long as I can remember.

The refrigerator? Forget it. Thing hasn’t worked in years.

Yeah, this is where I work. I spend more than 45 hours a week here. Upton Sinclair novels chronicle better working conditions.

But, save the frequent bitter rant, I’ve cherished my time in The Daily Orange’s office at 744 Ostrom Ave. Sometimes, a night here seems like an eternity. Other times, I wonder where the last two semesters went.

If nothing else, this place taught me that life is but a bunch of snippets, a few funny experiences strewn over time. Here now — with a nod to New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick — I empty my notepad and offer a collection of the best snippets, straight from the corner desk in this dingy little office.

n A great perk to this job is meeting interesting people. Sure, charismatic folks like Syracuse men’s basketball assistant coach Mike Hopkins and legendary men’s lacrosse coach Roy Simmons Jr. are great.

But my favorite person I met here is Jagdish Chander, a blind graduate student from India. He walks a mile and a half to school every day from his cramped apartment near South Campus. Think about him the next time you complain about climbing the stairs to Mount Olympus.

n I can’t think of a better school year to cover SU sports than this past year.

News-wise, this year was a gold mine. Consider that the SU football team experienced its worst year since 1982 and the SU men’s basketball team had its best since 1900 and the SU lacrosse team lost three games in a row for the first time since 1981 and Marianna Freeman quit after 10 years as Syracuse’s women’s basketball coach and Carmelo Anthony became the first Orangeman to leave early for the NBA since Billy Owens in 1991.

n Syracuse needs to take a hint from schools like West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Miami, Seton Hall, Rutgers and Notre Dame and start providing food for the media at men’s basketball games. The last two semesters, I’ve rationed myself far too often on Dr. Pepper in paper cups. No, adding Sierra Mist does not count as an upgrade.

Oh, and the watery spaghetti served at SU football games is about as subpar as the Orangemen’s secondary, which, in case you forgot, was the nation’s worst last year. Other than that, covering football games in the Carrier Dome is a charming experience.

n I nearly vomited when, after a men’s basketball game earlier this season, I witnessed one local broadcaster approach SU guard Gerry McNamara in the locker room.

The Talking Head placed his hand on McNamara’s leg and, as if answering a 1-900 line, groaned, “Gerrrrrrreeee …” to start his question. The broadcaster later propositioned SU players for autographs. Repulsive.

n Though this job has bittered me somewhat, I leave with mostly fond memories. Many SU athletes were amiable with the media, though the same cannot be said of some of their coaches. While I’ll refrain from passing ill-informed character judgments, my favorite — and most candid — quotes usually came from Will Hunter (football), Billy Edelin (basketball) and Sol Bliss (lacrosse).

n In addition to the Tolstoy and Plato garbage professors shove down your gullets, here’s some recommended reading: Gary Smith. Look him up. He’s a genius. And his writing actually makes sense.

n Astute observation by Daily Orange staff writer Chico Harlan: Essentially, every person can be boiled down, in his or her appearance, to look like a bird, a bear or a rodent. I’m a bird.

n Funniest line ever from a movie trailer: ‘We’ve discovered a mutant training facility in Upstate New York.”

n You are a loser if you are an adult and ask college athletes for autographs. You’re an even bigger loser — a degenerate, in fact — if you try to sell the autograph.

n For all my bitter rants (OK, they’re more than frequent), I truly admire the people with whom I shared this tiny office. Eli Saslow, Pete Iorizzo, Adam Kilgore and Scott Lieber put up with me, and, for that, they deserve thanks — and my life’s latest snippet.

So now, I’m moving on, hopefully to an office with a carpet.

Darryl Slater was an assistant sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his columns appeared regularly. E-mail him at dpslater@syr.edu.

Published on April 27, 2003 at 12:00 pm