GaelsFootball
March 2nd, 2009, 08:07 PM
Iona College has lost the greatest fan, man, friend, and trainer that they will ever have. He was known around campus as JB and was loved by every Iona athlete ever to play here. JB Buono has been apart over Iona for over 50 years. Granted Iona may not sponser a football program anymore, but JB was a great advocate for the football team around here and to be honest a part of him died when they dropped us. He loved small college football and opponents and fans may have noticed him on our sidelines giving the opposing players the "devil horns".
Even at 97, JB would come and lighten the mood of camp and 2 a days and tell stories to us ranging from the war, women, football, life, and how were going to kick everyones behind tomorrow.
JB would come out and celebrate wins with the football team at the bar across the street known as The Beechmont which has Iona pictures all over the walls with JB photos and articles sprinkled in. He was the first one to congradulate us after and win and the first one to hug us after a loss and say we got 'em next week.
Without JB football would have never started at Iona. He would tell us stories about the beginings of the program. When the program was cut, we saw less and less of JB around campus. Now that "his boys" were gone he had less of a reason to come around. We were the closet team to him and the coming days after the announcement you can see it in his eyes and his voice that he was hurting just as much as a player who just lost his team. To be quite frank, he hated President Ligouri and the whole administration.
I encourage everyone to check out icgaels.com, as they have put together various articles about the man. I hope you take a minute or two out to check it out as you may learn about a great FCS football fan and legend which was just lost. God Bless
Even at 97, JB would come and lighten the mood of camp and 2 a days and tell stories to us ranging from the war, women, football, life, and how were going to kick everyones behind tomorrow.
JB would come out and celebrate wins with the football team at the bar across the street known as The Beechmont which has Iona pictures all over the walls with JB photos and articles sprinkled in. He was the first one to congradulate us after and win and the first one to hug us after a loss and say we got 'em next week.
Without JB football would have never started at Iona. He would tell us stories about the beginings of the program. When the program was cut, we saw less and less of JB around campus. Now that "his boys" were gone he had less of a reason to come around. We were the closet team to him and the coming days after the announcement you can see it in his eyes and his voice that he was hurting just as much as a player who just lost his team. To be quite frank, he hated President Ligouri and the whole administration.
I encourage everyone to check out icgaels.com, as they have put together various articles about the man. I hope you take a minute or two out to check it out as you may learn about a great FCS football fan and legend which was just lost. God Bless