Eds. Note: The actual anniversary of this notebook's inception was March 12th. However, given the circumstances dictated by NCAA Selection Committee Chairman Gary Walters, the celebration has been postponed until this date.
The copy below reflects what was to be published two weeks ago. As I neither have the desire nor time to change the prose already penned into my legal pad, it appears unabridged and, unfortunately, untimely. The single exception to this is a note below further illustrating this notebook's poor effect on Syracuse University athletics.
How important is the calendar date of March 12th? In a word, "indispensable." It may come as a surprise to many, but a lot of socially relevant stuff happened on this date in history. A sampling includes:
1664 - New Jersey became a British colony as King Charles II granted land in the New World to his brother James, the Duke of York;
1922 - Author Jack Kerouac is born;
1923 - Wrestler Mae Young is born;
1930 - Indian political and spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi begins a 200-mile march to protest a British tax on salt;
1933 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt gives his first in a series of conscious-soothing fireside chats;
1938 - Anschluss: German troops occupy Austria creating the circumstances necessary for Germany's annexation of Austria the next day.
1946 - Liza Manelli born.
1947 - Former President Harry Truman announces his aptly-named Truman Doctrine;
1993 - Janet Reno sworn in as Attorney General (Janet Reno's Dance Party to premiere soon thereafter);
2002 - Homeland security chief Tom Ridge unveiled a color-coded system for terror warnings (orange, accordingly, not considered "good"); and
2005 - Orange:44 created and publishes first in a series of over 400 irrelevant essays.
The genesis of this blog was simple - to celebrate Syracuse's fourth Big East Tournament Championship. The layout of the notebook was markedly different and the prose, which is still a point of embarrassment, was just as simple as the blog's look:
Rather than relive many essays of note, it may be a more useful exercise to chronicle the number of terrible moments that have happened to Syracuse since this notebook's inception. It is no secret that since the onset of this site's occupation of internet real estate that there has been an unmitigated butterfly effect on Syracuse athletics. That effect, however, is not particularly desired:
Through all the travails, however, this exercise has been enjoyable. As a consequence, an announcement will be made in a few weeks regarding the future of this notebook. Orange::44 will not perish, but rather move into some new digs with an expansionary format and feel. The end result, at least theoretically, is to promote a new blog experience for the average Syracuse fan.
As always, to everyone that reads this mess on a somewhat frequent basis, Brian and I say "thank you." To everyone that we read on a somewhat frequent basis, "thank you."
The copy below reflects what was to be published two weeks ago. As I neither have the desire nor time to change the prose already penned into my legal pad, it appears unabridged and, unfortunately, untimely. The single exception to this is a note below further illustrating this notebook's poor effect on Syracuse University athletics.
How important is the calendar date of March 12th? In a word, "indispensable." It may come as a surprise to many, but a lot of socially relevant stuff happened on this date in history. A sampling includes:
1664 - New Jersey became a British colony as King Charles II granted land in the New World to his brother James, the Duke of York;
1922 - Author Jack Kerouac is born;
1923 - Wrestler Mae Young is born;
1930 - Indian political and spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi begins a 200-mile march to protest a British tax on salt;
1933 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt gives his first in a series of conscious-soothing fireside chats;
1938 - Anschluss: German troops occupy Austria creating the circumstances necessary for Germany's annexation of Austria the next day.
1946 - Liza Manelli born.
1947 - Former President Harry Truman announces his aptly-named Truman Doctrine;
1993 - Janet Reno sworn in as Attorney General (Janet Reno's Dance Party to premiere soon thereafter);
2002 - Homeland security chief Tom Ridge unveiled a color-coded system for terror warnings (orange, accordingly, not considered "good"); and
2005 - Orange:44 created and publishes first in a series of over 400 irrelevant essays.
The genesis of this blog was simple - to celebrate Syracuse's fourth Big East Tournament Championship. The layout of the notebook was markedly different and the prose, which is still a point of embarrassment, was just as simple as the blog's look:
Coming into Thursday, who would have thought that SU would hold 20-point advantages in each contest?Eds. Note: For the record, Syracuse lost that contest against Georgetown. Big surprise, right?
Just a super effort.
Now, if the lacrosse team can manhandle Georgetown out in California tonight, the cherry on the sundae will officially be laid.
... And Greg Rommel, the "Orange Fox", stormed the Southern California sand to deliver lacrosse liberty to the west coast masses....
Rather than relive many essays of note, it may be a more useful exercise to chronicle the number of terrible moments that have happened to Syracuse since this notebook's inception. It is no secret that since the onset of this site's occupation of internet real estate that there has been an unmitigated butterfly effect on Syracuse athletics. That effect, however, is not particularly desired:
- Syracuse, in consecutive seasons, experienced first-round exits from the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship;
- Syracuse experienced its worst season on the gridiron and failed to show any marketable signs of tangible improvement one year later;
- Jim Boeheim suffered his worst loss ever in the Carrier Dome;
- A first-round exit from the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship, the first such pre-Final Four sortie in 22 years; and
- A historic snub from the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
Through all the travails, however, this exercise has been enjoyable. As a consequence, an announcement will be made in a few weeks regarding the future of this notebook. Orange::44 will not perish, but rather move into some new digs with an expansionary format and feel. The end result, at least theoretically, is to promote a new blog experience for the average Syracuse fan.
As always, to everyone that reads this mess on a somewhat frequent basis, Brian and I say "thank you." To everyone that we read on a somewhat frequent basis, "thank you."
Mazel Tov. Sharing the same day with Mae Young...that's legendary...
It's been fun. Thanks for letting me waste my time for fun and no profit.
Congrats guys!