There Used To Be Clocks Here

2010 Big East Prospectus Part 2: Connecticut

Editor’s Note: This is part two of an eight part series giving analysis of each of the eight teams in the Big East Football Conference, proceeding alphabetically, but ending with Syracuse. Two new teams will be released each weekday for the next four days, leading up to the start of the Syracuse Football season. Feel free to use the comment section to supplement the facts and analysis presented, however the opinions will stand. Enjoy and I hope you are looking forward to the new Big East football season as much as I am. Part 1 can be found here.

Connecticut

Preview – Coach Randy Edsall has publicly called for a “put up or shut up” to Notre Dame to join the Big East in football. He wants the league to expand. I like him a lot for this. And that’s where the liking ends. This former Syracuse player and staff member is the perfect villain for the Orange, and the Big East in general. The once laughing stock is a legit big time program thanks to smart recruiting and a boatload of state money from Connecticut for facilities. And they are pretty good on the field. QB Zach Frazer reclaims his starting spot after being injured most of last season. RB Jordan Todman (235car, 1188yds, 5.1avg, 14 TD) returns and should be a huge part of the Huskies offense this season as Zach Frazer has had mixed results previously. Additionally Frazer has shown some questionable decision making in the past. The offensive line and receivers are solid however. Similarly the defensive line is solid again and the linebackers are the strength of this defense. UConn is a good defensive team and should make some big plays this season.

Key Returning Players – RB Jordan Todman, QB Zack Frazer, LB Lawrence Wilson

Key Losses – RB Andre Dixon, FS Robert Vaughn, DE Lindsey Witten

My Thoughts – The Huskies will win some games this season as they have their traditionally weak non-conference games and will do some damage in the league. The success of the Huskies rest on Frazer. If he can find success in the passing game the Huskies will win some big games in the league, but if not this team will struggle. While UConn will do well in the league and get to a nice bowl game, they will fall short of the league title, leaving them still below an elite program.

Will We Beat Them – This game is in the Carrier Dome, which does bode well for the Orange. Additionally, the perceived slight at the end of last year’s UConn game by going for a score in garbage time should add fuel to the fire. Similarly to the revenge Syracuse took on Rutgers this past season, Connecticut could find themselves on the wrong end of a beatdown. However I just think that Connecticut will have another year of bragging rights at the hand of the Orange. But don’t fret SU fans, Syracuse will dominate them on the hardwood again this winter.

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Editor’s Note: This is part one of an eight part series giving analysis of each of the eight teams in the Big East Football Conference, proceeding alphabetically, but ending with Syracuse. Two new teams will be released each weekday for the next four days, leading up to the start of the Syracuse Football season. Feel free to use the comment section to supplement the facts and analysis presented, however the opinions will stand. Enjoy and I hope you are looking forward to the new Big East football season as much as I am.
Cincinnati
Preview – “Kelly knew when to get out.” The Idiots on Sports are using this tagline at the core of their thoughts on Cincinnati. And they could very well be right. Cincinnati by all accounts is on a downswing after a few very good years at the top echelon of the Big East heap. Newly minted coach Butch Jones comes in from Central Michigan after three pretty good years. But with some major players for the program leaving or graduating recently can Butch really sustain the winning ways of the program and bring another league championship to Cincy? They still have QB Zach Collaros (93/124, 1434yds, 10 TD, 2 INT, sacked 2 times) who stepped in quite nicely when Tony Pike went down to an injury. And despite losing probably the best wideout in the nation in Mardy Gilyard, they still have a playmaker in Armon Binns (61rec, 888yds, 14.6avg, 11 TD). They also have a sold RB in returning starter Isaiah Pead (121car, 806yds, 6.7avg, 9 TD). The offense will be fine. The defense has far more questions as they switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3. They also lose some of their best playmakers from last season. If Cincinnati loses games, chances are it will be either because the defense was not up to the task, or a couple of key offensive injuries occurred.

Key Returning Players – QB Zach Collaros, WR Armon Binns, LB JK Schaffer

Key Losses – WR Mardy Gilyard, QB Tony Pike, DE Curtis Young

My Thoughts – Cincinnati is a team that should finish no worse than the middle of the Big East this season, but they do have the potential to shock some opponents that look better on paper. I’ve seen several polls that have them on top to sixth so it seems there are a lot of differing opinions on this squad. The offense should be top notch again, but the defense will not be nearly as good as they were last season and will allow some big plays and sustained drives. Depth is a huge issue on this team as a whole as well, and if injuries happen to a major position like QB again this season, they will not find as capable a player to step in as they did last season. The winning is over for Cincinnati. They will be good and will certainly make a bowl game, but they will not be in a BCS game again this year.

Will We Beat Them? – Syracuse was lit up last year on Halloween by this team in the Carrier Dome. While they will not be so easy to defeat this year, Cincinnati will probably have another league win over the Orange in Ohio. Syracuse’s defense should give Collaros some fits, and Syracuse will probably find success on the offensive side of the ball. But right now you still have to give the advantage to Cincinnati in a too close for comfort game for the Bearcats.

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The Orange::44 Legislation Project: Part 3

Gotta keep it classy people.

Editor's Note: This is Part 3 of a multi-part series on trying to codify fan behavior for the betterment of all college athletics and their fans as determined by my best judgment. Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here.
[THE LAW]
Brian Harrison’s Law of Fandom in College Athletics

Chapter 1: Fan Guidelines
Part C: Behavior


[Sec. 1(a)]

(a) GENERAL RULE: Fans, whether at a home stadium, neutral site, or away venue, shall cheer loudly for their team and never engage in behavior that would cast a negative light on yourself or fellow fans of your same college or university’s rooting interest, or that institution. Fans also must stay the entirety of the contest and clap for your team, win or lose, for their effort.

[Sec. 1(b)]

(b) EXCEPTIONS
    (1) Subsection (a) shall not apply if provoked into a public display of loyalty to their team in defense because of the actions of an opposing fan. However, one must only give an appropriate response, specifically proportional to the initial unreasonable attack.

    (2)
    A comment made that causes five (5) or more fans you did not attend the game with to chuckle or laugh in your area shall never be considered to have cast a negative light for the purposes of subsection (a).

    (3)
    The provision about leaving before the contest has concluded in subsection (a) will be void if there is an emergency situation.
[COMMENTS]

This is basically the “don’t be a dick” rule. You have to keep it classy and represent your school or the school you root for with dignity and decorum. Thus the general rule mandates that you support your team (which you should, and probably are doing, anyway), but more importantly you need to conduct yourself with decorum and class. That being said, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say sassy, entertaining things or heckle the living hell out of opposing players.

Also, I’ve always said and I’ve always believed real fans stay the game. Nothing will convince me otherwise. If the team is losing and you leave you aren’t a true fan. If you just want to get home five minutes sooner you aren’t a real fan. On top of that you’re the one paying money to see these athletes pay. Chances are quite a lot as well. Stay the game and cheer them for their effort and for the entertainment.

Exception (1) is basically similar to a self-defense claim. If some opposing fan says something that demands a public response you are allowed to do so. In short, you can be as rotten to someone else as they were to you, but only if they are initiating it. This may not be right, but it is the way of the world and it is fairly understandable. I didn’t want a law abiding person to get punished because some opposing fan is being above and beyond outrageous. Moral of the story is know where the line is and don’t go over it unless someone else does it first.

Exception (2) is the codification of the ancient and time tested truth that you have to be smart to be an asshole. If you’re smart and clever chances are it can be funny. If you want to yell something, no matter how outrageous, if it is funny it should be allowed. I’ve personally tested out this one in Madison Square Garden and it’s true.

Exception (3) is basically just granting the exception that you should be able to leave early for emergencies. This is common sense and does not warrant any more explanation, save for the fact that it needs to be a true emergency, not because you want to get home and watch Burn Notice.

In summation, go out there and root and even push the envelope. But never be a dick just for the sake of it or because you think it’s cool. It isn’t. It’s never acceptable to throw a beer on someone. It’s never acceptable to be racist. It’s never acceptable to be vulgar if children are around. Otherwise go nuts. Laptop jokes are still funny. Murder jokes… not so much.

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Monday Morning Quarterback 8/30/10

Any one of these young men could be a hero


Editor’s Note: The following article is a weekly feature from Orange::44 correspondent John Brennan (twitter @jbren) that runs every Monday morning during the football season called Monday Morning Quarterback, assessing the quarterback situation of Syracuse football.

Welcome to the first edition of Monday Morning Quarterback for the 2010 season here at Orange::44! It’s good to be back. We’ve had the luxury of Spring Ball, informal workouts through the summer, and training camp the past few weeks. It is now officially game week! The quarterback situation seems to be nothing like it was last season; no Greg Paulus to keep us busy. Head Coach Doug Marrone has been real hot on Ryan Nassib. So he’s our guy.

For those of you who read my article last season, you know I wasn’t a huge Ryan Nassib fan. I drank the Paulus Kool-Aid. I admit it. And what I saw of Nassib wasn’t very impressive. In fact, back then, I put my Weekly QB Watch probability for 2010 opening game starter as Charley Loeb 99%, Nassib 0%, and other 1%.

Looks like I was wrong.

That’s OK though. Like I said many times last year, Marrone knows what he’s doing, and I gotta trust him. He liked Nassib in the Spring, and he likes him now. He’s our guy.

Orange::44 proprietor Brian Harrison had an opportunity to see both Nassib and Loeb in action at the FanFest a couple weeks ago. His report was that Nassib was making some poor decisions, and Loeb looked pretty good. By that point, Marrone had already announced Nassib as the starter. So maybe Nassib was just having a bad day or something. I don’t know.

I guess what this boils down to is that there’s no QB controversy in Syracuse right now, and I’m trying to make one. Without one, this column is pretty worthless. More worthless than it is to begin with! But I guess, bottom line, as long as the team does well and wins with Nassib taking the snaps, then I don’t care.

The first hurdle to get over is Akron. Not an unfamiliar foe in recent years, Akron boasts, well, um, I guess they field a team. I’ll be honest, I haven’t done a scouting report. All I know is Syracuse is an 8.5 favorite going into this game. That means that people expect this offense to score points. Ryan Nassib, please make that happen.

The Weekly QB Watch

Since there’s no controversy, instead of listing the probability of who will start the next game, I will instead be devoting this section to performance guesses until such time as a controversy does develop. OK. Against Akron, Nassib will have two touchdowns and throw for 215 yards.

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The Orange::44 Preseason Week of Fury & Awesome


The season is about to begin. You're either excited or dead.
The summer is practically done, the kiddies are back in school, and it is time for another season of college football. And that means we break the bank with preview articles all week leading up to the kickoff of Syracuse's 2010 campaign this Saturday.
The schedule is as follows:
Monday: John Brennan begins his and our 2010 Campaign with a brand new edition of Monday Morning Quarterback, a weekly series that informs you of the quarterback situation at Syracuse and who will likely be under center on Saturday. I'll also be back for part 3 of the Orange::44 Legislation Project where we examine fan behavior at and around games.
Tuesday: Orange::44 begins its annual Big East Prospectus where we examine the eight teams that form the Big East football conference. We start with Cincinnati and Connecticut as we progress through the eight teams in alphabetical order but finishing with Syracuse.
Wednesday: We continue the prospectus with probably the best and worst the conference has to offer. We start with Louisville and end with Pittsburgh.
Thursday: We take a look at two very geographically different teams. We start with Rutgers and end in Tampa with South Florida.
Friday: The first Friday of the season is here, which means big things. Of course if you are inclined to check out Twitter you'll notice that the first #BeatWhoever of the season is in full effect. There will be #BeatAkron quips all day (and you can follow the Orange::44 staff @BH_Orange44 or @JBren). If you need a refresher, check out Hoya Suxa. We also finish the Big East Prospectus with West Virginia and finally Syracuse. As it is the day before a game we will of course do our usual preview of the game as well, to get you mentally prepared for the upcoming epic tilt that will be the most action the city of Akron has seen in years. I'll also be appearing on Matt Mc's Sports Fix, along with some other great SU Bloggers and personalties, in his second annual Season Preview show. Should be a blast so tune in or download the podcast.
So there is your schedule for the upcoming fun that is the start of college football and specifically Syracuse football. Tune in early and often all week and get ready to get your football on.

BlogPoll 2010 - Preseason


The BlogPoll returns for 2010 and they've yet to revoke my voting privileges which is a plus. They have moved homes yet again from CBS to SBNation, a much more fitting home for it all. Just a refresher as to how this works. I'll post my poll, usually every Monday with some explanations, and you leave snarky comments if you think I'm being a fool. If you justify them well enough I'll change my ballot for resubmission. Then my ballot gets compiled and on Wednesday the actual ballot with all voters is released.
My Explanations:
I'm not really huge on preseason polls whatsoever. However they are making me do one, so this is one I've made to the best of my ability. You really can't tell until a game has been played but based on some scouting reports this isn't a bad list.
Alabama is #1 and how could they not be?
I think Boise State will be great again but because of their defense Ohio State edges them at #2.
I didn't really want to put Oregon this high up, especially with their QB violating the law last year. But I did because I think they still can be outstanding.
USC starts at #18, but they should make the choices easy and drop out by conference time for them. If all goes to plan.
What do you think? Complete moron or somewhat with it. Again this is preseason for week 1 so relax on this one. I don't know and you don't know. Week 2 you can lambaste me.

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The Podcasting Returns

Podcasting is back.

With training camp started for the Syracuse Orange football squad this week Sean from Nunes/Magician, Matt "The Glaude" from Hoya Suxa, and I chat about football and along the way we learn some life lessons. Episode 8 of Troy Nunes is an Absolute Podcast is now up. It's like 39 minutes of concentrated brilliance and was a lot of fun to do. Like this is pretty much the exact reason why I do these podcasts. Anyway, head on over to Nunes/Magician here to check it out. You can also download this or any previous episodes here.

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This is the easiest part to follow.

Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a multi-part series on trying to codify fan behavior for the betterment of all college athletics and their fans as determined by my best judgment. Part 1 can be found here.

[THE LAW]

Brian Harrison’s Law of Fandom in College Athletics

Chapter 1: Fan Guidelines
Part B: Apparel


[Sec. 1(a)]

(a) GENERAL RULE: An individual attending a game involving a primary or secondary team, either home or away, must wear either a primary or secondary colored item of the individual’s team.

[Sec. 1(b)]

(b) EXCEPTIONS
    (1) The provision allowing for the wearing of a secondary color shall not apply and it will be required that an individual wears the primary color of the team if the team’s nickname, identity, or significant impact on society relates to a specific color to a game at home or away. However if a person is wearing an official uniform or jersey that players wear or have worn in the past that is a secondary color that is not white, that uniform will be acceptable.

    (2) Exception (b)(1) shall be void if a specific white or non-qualifying piece of apparel has extreme significant sentimental value.

    (3) The provision stating that an item must be worn can be substituted for body paint or what would otherwise be a non-qualifying item if the non-qualifying outfit is a costume that is trimmed with the school’s color(s).
    (4) Subsection (a) shall not apply if in the event of a recognized special holiday or event you wear a conforming outfit of that special occasion to a game.

    (5) Subsection (a) shall be satisfied if in formal or business attire, accessories or shirts are of team colors or additional team related apparel is added.

[COMMENTS]

This is a fairly simple rule I believe. You just have to wear the colors of your teams when attending the games. This seems pretty obvious and something that most people do anyway. However, a lot of fans that attend games just go and do not care what they wear. This not only looks awful on television and in person, but if you are in fact a huge fan this sadly misrepresents you in public, especially on the road. If you even call yourself the most basic of fans you should be wearing team colors to a game.

The first exception is more of a mandate though. If your school is specifically identified with a certain color, you have to wear that color and not white or a secondary color. For instance, in Syracuse’s case, you must wear orange. They are the Syracuse Orange, not the Syracuse White or the Syracuse Navy. Now don’t get me wrong, I own plenty of navy or white SU shirts, but I do not wear them to games. This is the same with Alabama being the Crimson Tide or Texas Tech being the Red Raiders. You see the point of the rule. However, this rule also must take into account the situation that Syracuse and various schools have where they wear navy football uniforms at home as their standard home jersey and not orange, which is their primary (and actually their only official) color. Thus there is the exception to the exception that if you are wearing an official jersey that is current or used to be worn that is a color that is not white, that should be acceptable. This is despite the fact that they do sell orange football jerseys seeing as they are not their standard uniform either home or away. But in a situation like basketball where there is clearly a home and away jersey, white and orange respectively, clearly no one should own the white one. Everyone should be wearing the orange jersey. Especially in the case of a team like Syracuse where it is their main identity as the Orange. White is the enemy of almost this entire rule.

Exception (2) is written in the case of some item that would be otherwise in violation has sentimental or personal value to an individual, so they wear it to all games. The word extreme is added because it needs to be greater then simple tradition or superstition. We are talking like on his death bed your father handed you something. It is monumental events that would let someone wear a white jersey in the Carrier Dome during a basketball game. Obviously extreme is a term that requires a judgment to be made, but you see the threshold that I’ve articulated in the father example. We are talking super meaningful. The point of this is there needs to be extremely compelling reasons to allow an individual to wear white or a non-conforming color to a game, especially when it is Syracuse or another specific school with an identified color.

Exception (3) allows for idiots to paint themselves if they want. I would never do it, but if that’s your thing go nuts people. The second half of the exception is what I’d dub “The Monkey Suit Exception”. Basically it allows people to dress up in chicken suits, gorilla suits, look like Green Man, or anything of the like, as long as you trim the outfit with team colors or various team related apparel. People like to wear that stuff for some reason. Orange man would easily be more awesome however. I know you're out there. Good work.

Exception (4) is the "Holiday Rule". Last year Syracuse played on Halloween and people wore various costumes to the game. This would also be the case that people wear Santa hats to basketball games over winter break. These are all acceptable in recognizing various points during the calendar year in which it would be acceptable to wear such outfits in society.

Exception (5) is the professional's exception. It lets people come right from work to a game and still be fans that are in compliance. If you are a woman and happen to have a blouse that is a team’s color you’re all set. For gentlemen you can wear a team tie, or at least a tie of a team's colors, to a game and be all set. Or obviously a dress shirt that is team colors. Lapel pins could also help, but either way you at least are showing visible support of your team.

Overall, the major point of this legislation is that people wear their team’s colors to games. Seems pretty basic, yet I see it violated all the time at any given game in the Salt City. This is pretty basic for a fan to follow and probably the easiest besides Part A's rules.

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The Orange::44 Legislation Project: Part 1

This should be passed by Congress, but it won't be.
[PREFACE]
With the summer approaching its end quickly, and football coming back soon, that means our annual summer hiatus here at Orange::44 is ending as well. We thought what better way to come back with a bang then start with a big refresher in fandom. We are all fans but a lot of fans, especially at Syracuse, have some bad habits. This series is designed to show the rules and regulations of fandom as I would legislate. As someone with a law degree this is the kind of junk you have to sift through in school and in the profession so for all you out there thinking about heading to higher learning in the law, just look at all the fun you can have. For the rest of you, read all the statutory words that should be easy to understand in their plain meaning and look for the comments to further explain the sections of the law and the justifications for them. This is a multiple part series that will lead us right into our annual Big East Football Prospectus. Don’t worry if you don’t agree with every part, we’ll allow you to file amendments when the series concludes, and the ones that make sense will be posted and full credit will be given. Once the process is done we’ll sign it into law and call out the fan base accordingly if people violate these laws. Legislative fun for all! #LAWYERED.

[THE LAW]
Brian Harrison’s Law of Fandom in College Athletics Chapter 1: Fan Guidelines
Part A: Allegiances


[Sec. 1(a)]
(a) GENERAL RULE: A college or university sports fan must only support one (1) school in Division 1, 2, and/or 3. The primary team of the individual will be the school at which he or she attended or attends. An individual may choose up to two (2) secondary teams in another athletic division, providing for a selection of no more than one (1) primary team and two (2) secondary teams to support, each in their own athletic division.
[Sec. 1(b)]

(b) EXCEPTIONS

    (1) Subsection (a) shall not apply when an individual is married or engaged to someone from a non-established rival school. If married or engaged a person may be free to adopt a spouse’s primary team as a secondary team to support, no matter what division the individual’s primary or secondary teams are in. This then allows for a selection of a possible four (4) teams total. No other teams are permitted.

    (2) Subsection (a) shall not apply if your primary team does not field a team in a certain sport that an individual is a fan of. In this instance it would be permissible to support a secondary team in that sport only, regardless of division, and only if that school is not an established rival of your primary team.

    (3) The subsection (a) provision about a person’s school that they attended becomes their primary school shall not apply if a person never attended a college or university. In that case a person may pick any primary team at will.

    (4) Subsection (a) shall not apply if a person lives in the near vicinity of a college or university they did not attend and they wish to make that school or university their primary team. In that case, as long as a person discontinues showing support for their initial primary team and/or the school they attended, this will be allowed. Otherwise the nearby school may only be added as a secondary team, allowing for up to four (4) total teams. This exception is void if the nearby school is an established rival.

    (5) In the case of a transfering student, the new school shall be their primary team, and they will discontinue all support for the previous college or university institution. If it is the case that an individual goes to graduate school, the primary team shall remain the undergraduate institution and the graduate institution shall become a secondary team except in the case of an established rival. This again provides for a total of four (4) teams, three (3) being secondary.


        [Sec. 1(c)]

        (c) DEFINITIONS

          (1) COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY

            (A) A college or university constitutes the following:

              (i) An institution of higher learning requiring the completion of high school or their equivalent before enrollment;
              (ii) An institution recognized by the NCAA to compete in intercollegiate athletic contests.

          (2) SUPPORT

            (A) Support for a team constitutes the following:

              (i) Yelling or participating in cheers designed to boost a team’s performance or hindering that team’s opponent;
              (ii) Purchasing/wearing items or apparel of a team, especially while at an athletic contest;
              (iii) Purchasing season tickets of a team;
              (iv) Painting a part of your body in some manner with team colors;
              (v) Using any media source to communicate arguments for or in defenses of a primary or secondary team or to disparage an established rival or any other college or university.

          (3) PRIMARY TEAM

            (A) A primary team constitutes the following:

              (i) A team a person feels the most affinity or loyalty for;
              (ii) A team that a person shows the most support for.

          (4) SECONDARY TEAM

            (A) A secondary team constitutes the following:

              (i) A team that a person feels a slight affinity or loyalty for;
              (ii) A team in a different athletic division from a primary team a person has a tangential connection with.

          (5) ESTABLISHED RIVAL

            (A) A team’s opponent will be considered an established rival if:

              (i) The team’s opponent is a member of the same conference as the team; or
              (ii) The team’s opponent is:

                (I) A yearly feature on the team’s schedule, regardless of conference affiliation; and
                (II) There is a long, recognized history between the two colleges or universities.
            [COMMENTS]
            The theory behind this opening piece of the legislation is to define the parameters of rooting attention a person gives to any team or teams. Basically, this assures that a person only has one rooting interest or one horse in the race. This is especially to assure that people, when enrolled at one particular college or university, or is an alumni of a particular college or university , whole heartedly supports that team and discards any secondary allegiances from family, growing up, or any other external sources.

            The real impetus of this section of the law is to stop dumb students from schools to root for the team they grew up with even after enrolling at a different school. For example, if you go to Syracuse, and when Seton Hall comes to town you wear a Seton Hall jersey while in the Syracuse student section, that should not happen. Ever. This would ensure that if you go to a school, which you or your parents are paying for you attend I might add, that then becomes your one and only allegiance, as it is supposed to be. If you wanted to go to Seton Hall you should have gone to Seton Hall son. Face it, Seton Hall is easier to get into than Syracuse. It is the intent of this legislation to prevent double allegiances, especially in conference, and especially with rivals.

            This legislation would also cure the very public offense of wearing a rival school’s apparel on your campus. This would also eliminate even just another division team’s apparel. However, as specified, this would not affect hometown allegiances with different divisions of interscholastic competition. The best example would be rooting for Syracuse, a Division 1 school, and then a Division 3 school from your hometown, or perhaps that your father is a proud alumnus of.

            This legislation allows for an engaged or married person to adopt their significant other’s team as well, to promote marital harmony in the house. However, notice that this exception does not allow for that adoption if the spouse went to an established rival school. Despite a lasting bond of love being present, that is not enough to override the fact that you married a rival. While this rivalry should be friendly, it should be maintained and enforced. It was written as engaged or married, because simply dating is not enough of a bond to allow the adoption of another team. When you get serious, so can your love of someone else's team.

            Of course not everyone goes to college as well. It has been the policy of this legislative body never to exclude the hometown crowd. Therefore we provide that any person that did not attend college can pick a primary team, and that people that live in the vicinity of a school can incorporate that into the schools they support. Local support is always critical to a program, no matter the level of competition.

            A transfer rule is in effect, allowing for the situation to which a student transfers to a different undergraduate institution. If that is the case, the primary team clearly should become the new institution. There is a reason you transfered after all. Similarly, it provides for the situation, much like many people have, of individuals attending graduate school. Obviously if you go to a graduate school in a different division this situation is moot to the primary team issue, however obviously rivals are not allowed (why are you attending a rival's graduate school?). However, your education is most important, and you still have your primary team anyway.

            It should be very obvious, but there is a running theme of not allowing any exceptions for making an established rival a primary or secondary team. The established rival rules will be more flushed out in the next section as well, however it is necessary to be included statutorily in this section as well.

            There is also an exception for when your school does not field a team in a sport you particularly enjoy. This could be called the “Lacrosse Exemption” or the “Title IX Exemption” or anything of the like. It allows for you to root for a different school in the same division that plays a sport your school doesn’t have. That seems fair.

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            Delone Carter Update

            Is no news good news?

            Delone Carter was due back in Syracuse City Court this afternoon for a Pretrial Conference. We learned that this appearance was cancelled at his attorney's request, and currently don't know when the next date will be.

            What does this mean? Well, it could be a number of things. My initial reaction was that there's still not a deal worked out with the District Attorney's Office, and Carter & his lawyer wanted more time to work that out. But, typically, the Pretrial Conference is actually that opportunity to engage in plea negotiations. So that might mean that Carter is still gathering evidence or doing something else to put together a package for the DA. In other words, maybe he's not done with that 200 hours of community service that he reportedly will have to do to get back into school -- and he wants to negotiate with the DA having completed that. And quite frankly, I think he gets a better deal if the DA knows that he's back in full standing with the University.

            A fair number of my criminal cases also have a companion family court case, both arising out of the same incident (DV or some visitation issue or whatnot). I often delay the criminal case as much as possible until the family court case is resolved, so then I can go to the DA and say "this was really a family court issue, and it's all resolved now, so please give my client a break." This could be the Delone Carter strategy.

            Or, a very plausible explanation is that Carter's lawyer was double-booked today or on vacation. Lawyers are people, too.

            As more information becomes available on the status of the case, Orange::44 will keep you updated on what it all means, so keep coming back!

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