Hopefully the last crying children of 2010.
As a Christmas present to all you loyal readers we won't bore you with reading about the Drexel smackdown. Instead we wish you a great holiday and we'll be back next week with a lot of coverage of the Pinstripe Bowl and Kansas State, as well as the start of the Big East in basketball. Until then, take care!
Labels: Crying Child, Holidays Are Enjoyable
Happy Easter from the folks at Orange::44, who remind you that the football season is only a few months away!
Labels: Crying Child, Happy Easter, Holidays Are Enjoyable, Syracuse Football
One more crying child before the year ends.A very Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours from all of your friends here at Orange::44!
Labels: Holidays Are Enjoyable
Today's tip of the hat goes to the Marketing Department at SU Athletics. I guess I shouldn't be THAT happy for them, for finally implementing something that should have happened years ago, but baby steps are always appreciated. For the first time I can remember (and I base this on the time since I began freshman year in Fall '00), all Syracuse University students will be admitted to the football game this weekend for free. Sure, they need that pesky, hard to come by SUID -- so for the students going out drinking on Friday night, you might want to keep your SUID in a safe place.
It was difficult to tell what the student attendance was for last week's game against Akron, because it was Family Weekend (fka Parents' Weekend), so there was no student section. But I think we all know what the student section attendance was for the West Virginia game: let's just say I've had more people show up to a marching band party in my basement on Ackerman. So from a marketing standpoint, this makes perfect sense: dwindling student attendance + a noon game + Halloween weekend + the best team in the conference (or possibly the country, if Doug Marrone is to be believed) = free admission.
So of course, I'll add to the cliche "Now there's no excuse" mantra. I also expect to see some great Halloween costumes at the Dome. Please don't dress as bleachers. Also, you're all gonna get schooled by the costumes Brian and I have. This mystery prize being discussed: we own it.
On a different topic, what's ultimately better for Syracuse: beating Cincinnati to stay in the hunt for a possible bowl berth, or Cincinnati winning out for a shot at a BCS Championship?
Editor's Note: Unbelievable that for once we are chronicling the exact opposite of a daily disaster. For once SU Athletics got it right.
Labels: Athletic Department, Football, Free admission, Halloween, Holidays Are Enjoyable
How the hell is this not on the list?!?!Pat Forde of ESPN.com wrote an article with the hottest college basketball rivalries. Now I firmly believe that Syracuse v. Georgetown is one of the hottest these days, and of any and all days. But I could understand if maybe the big national media overlook it. What I cannot believe is after the best game of the year last season in college basketball Syracuse v. UConn did not make it. (Editor's Note: It is either Connecticut or UConn, not UCONN. UConn is an abbreviation of University of Connecticut and thus the U is capitalized and Conn is abbreviated appropriately as such.) Either would be acceptable for a rivalry in the Big East, the best basketball conference in the nation, without question. Villanova v. Pitt does warrant inclusion these days, but Syracuse v. Georgetown or Connecticut deserve to be on the list somewhere. He gave honorable mention to Rutgers v. Seton Hall, the "Jersey Brawl". No, sorry Pat. Not even a question. How is it a true rivalry when both teams suck? Either way, this list is ridiculous and a joke, and any good fan of college basketball could see that. Even while drunk. H/T to Amanda.
On that note, I'll be out of Blog Central this weekend for the grand national holiday of Independence Day, celebrating our amazing American heritage and their love of brewed beverages. I love holidays connected with American History, and this is the best one of all. Have a great long weekend and enjoy yourself!
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Drinking, ESPN, Georgetown, Holidays Are Enjoyable, Rivalries, UConn
This was four years ago. Seems like an eternity.Today is always a day of reflection for me. If you are a loyal, long time reader of this blog you know that it is my birthday today. But if you are a keen Syracuse fan, you know that this is a bittersweet day in football lore. In 2001 on this date, it was the last time Syracuse won a bowl game. The then Insight.com Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, was the site of where Syracuse took on Kansas State and won 26 to three. Syracuse finished #14 in the nation with ten wins, and as it was my freshman year and my first Bowl Game I thought it could not get any better than that. Sadly I was right. The team then failed to reach a bowl game the next two years, only to do so in 2004 by being embarrassed by Georgia Tech in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.
Then of course December 29th, 2004 that was the day at brand new Athletic Director DOCTOR Gross fired Coach P after a six win season. Six wins seems like a lot these days considering that Greg Robinson managed ten wins in four years.
So today is yet another day in a yearly status check that I personally take of where we are in terms of football. While some things got better (the offensive line), some things got worse (Greg Robinson’s win %). Because even if you are a nice guy, and the team gets better, if you do not win games you lose your job. So Syracuse hired alumnus Doug Marrone. He has about eight months to get the team ready to compete again. Will we go to a bowl game this coming season? It is doubtful. Will I feel a whole hell of a lot better about paying money to see this new team? Absolutely. No where to go but up. But I already feel a lot better about our chances of winning more games or at least staying in games.
A year from now I will be out of school, already working for a bit I am sure. The season will be over again, and we will know right away if this is the man to return the football team to prominence, or at least put Syracuse back on that road. While I am not sitting in a sunny location blogging from a hotel near a bowl site right now, hopefully sometime within the next five years I will be. Syracuse traditionally has given me pretty great Birthday presents.
Then of course December 29th, 2004 that was the day at brand new Athletic Director DOCTOR Gross fired Coach P after a six win season. Six wins seems like a lot these days considering that Greg Robinson managed ten wins in four years.
So today is yet another day in a yearly status check that I personally take of where we are in terms of football. While some things got better (the offensive line), some things got worse (Greg Robinson’s win %). Because even if you are a nice guy, and the team gets better, if you do not win games you lose your job. So Syracuse hired alumnus Doug Marrone. He has about eight months to get the team ready to compete again. Will we go to a bowl game this coming season? It is doubtful. Will I feel a whole hell of a lot better about paying money to see this new team? Absolutely. No where to go but up. But I already feel a lot better about our chances of winning more games or at least staying in games.
A year from now I will be out of school, already working for a bit I am sure. The season will be over again, and we will know right away if this is the man to return the football team to prominence, or at least put Syracuse back on that road. While I am not sitting in a sunny location blogging from a hotel near a bowl site right now, hopefully sometime within the next five years I will be. Syracuse traditionally has given me pretty great Birthday presents.
Labels: Football, Holidays Are Enjoyable
One more crying child for 2008.A very Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours from your friends at Orange::44! (H/T to Kevin for the photo)
Labels: Holidays Are Enjoyable
This was the picture in Troy's Christmas Cards in 2000.It’s Wednesday, so it is time for Sean from Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician to answer my questions. He was nice enough to do it before he took off for Christmas. It’s been a couple of weeks since we last inquired each other, so we cover basketball and a bit of football news. Enjoy the Syracuse holiday knowledge feast before you.
1. Orange::44: It's been a wild ride for the basketball team since we last chatted. They lose to Cleveland State, but then have won since, including a big one at Memphis. Thoughts?
Nunes: At the end of the day, you have to take 12-1. Regardless of the Cleveland State outcome....WE'RE 12 and frickin 1!!! How did that happen?
It had been a weird ride though. We had games where it really felt like we were a 12-1 team and we've had some games where we felt like a 6-6 team. I can't tell if its that we play to the level of our opponent or that we're just still gelling in so many ways, even as we keep winning. I still have so many questions about the future of this team. I could see them going 12-6 in Big East play and I could see them going 9-9. The point is, we know they're good but we really don't know HOW good they are yet. It's way too early to anoint them as Big East championship contenders, but at the same time that's not out of the question if a couple things break right.
2. Orange::44: What are your expanded thoughts on the entire Devendorf situation now that it's been a few days since the decision?
Nunes: I think that the University didn't get it exactly right but they ended up a lot closer to what the punishment should have been. If Eric Devendorf isn't a scholarship athlete on our basketball team with Jim Boeheim publicly defending him, I think he would have facing a much harsher penalty. Maybe not "suspended for the entire semester" harsh but much more so than 40 hours of community service. That amounts to a slap on the wrist at the end of the day and was more of an attempt by the Judicial Board to save face on all sides than anything else. They win cause Devo still gets punished. Devo wins cause he'll be back in uniform within 2 weeks. The accuser "wins" because there was punishment that fit the crime.
When I was a senior we got busted for having a party and serving beer to minors. We had to perform 20 hours of community service and were placed on probation. Devo basically got the same thing plus 20 more hours.
I don't want to defend Devo...he did strike a female in the face and that's a pretty shady thing to do regardless of the circumstances. But thankfully it wasn't as bad as we first heard and ultimately, it won't hurt the team nearly as much as we thought it might.
3. Orange::44: How good was Andy Rautins against Coppin State and do you see this continuing for him?
Nunes: I'm very happy for the guy. He wasn't in a terrible slump but he certainly wasn't firing on all cylinders. Talk about perfect timing. It's great for him because now he's brimming with confidence. It's great for Jonny Flynn because now he knows he's got a great complimentary threat back that can cover for him when he's off, like he was. And we know we can survive without Devo when multiple players are doing their jobs.
Will Andy hit 8-9 three-pointers a night? Of course not. But the spark that he can ignite when he does get hot is a huge asset for the Orange and I think it makes us that much more dangerous.
Now as for his hair, well....we're still working on it...
4. Orange::44: Is Syracuse ready to take on a Big East team now?
Nunes: Sure! Bring on South Florida!
It goes back to the first question. What do we REALLY know about this team other than they play to the level of their opponent. So in theory, they should be able to hang with anyone in the Big East. Like we saw in the Memphis game, a lot of it comes down to our ability to force bad shots. If Notre Dame comes at us with their usual barrage of 3-pointers, a lot of it is going to come down to how many they make and if we adjust defensively. We haven't faced a player like UConn's Thabeet yet and although we have the bodies down below I don't know if they have the combined experience to keep him in check.
I feel good about our chances in the Big East, we're certainly one of the more battle-tested teams among them. But I honestly don't know how we measure up day-to-day with UConn, Pitt, G'town and the others just yet. Time will tell. It usually does.
5. Orange::44: How do you feel about the rounding out of the football staff Doug Marrone is putting together?
Nunes: On paper, it looks pretty good. Yeah, Rob Spence left Clemson under bad circumstances. But good coaches find themselves in bad situations all the time. I like the pedigree of these guys...Clemson, Tennessee, Georgia, etc...lots of experience to go around. Inasmuch as Marrone is putting together a staff that knows New York and the surrounding area, the hiring of Greg Adkins signals that Syracuse isn't going to just stay local either. I feel like Marrone is really surrounding himself with good football people that he can trust and I don't think you can ask for any more than that.
If you want Norm Chow and Dan Mullen, guess what...Norm Chow and Dan Mullen don't want to be here. So I'm going to trust that Marrone knows what he's doing based on the finding the guys that are available and can turn a program around quickly with strong recruiting and creative play schemes. All of a sudden it seems like the pieces are in place to get some good recruits and play an offense that fits what we have to work with rather than try to force it.
6. Orange::44: Is losing JUCO transfer Barnas anything, or are you not worried with five QB's on the team already and the fact he played in D-III?
Nunes: Well apparently now we find out the guy wasn't even going to play QB (maybe...if that's not just spin). You always have to remind yourself that Garrett Barnas hasn't proven anything on a Division 1-A level so it's hard to say he was going to come in and really make any waves. That said, if I'm left with Cam Dantley, Andrew Robinson and a trio of untested underclassmen...I'm not jumping up and down.
My guess is that Marrone and Spence want to find their own guy. Maybe they even have their eye on someone already and that's why they didn't want Barnas eating up the scholarship. I trust they'll find what they need. In the meantime they'll just make due with what they have. And if we are going to run a spread offense, I expect to see a little more of David Legree in the preseason.
7. Orange::44: Finally, what is your favorite holiday tradition?
Nunes: I hate to be so generic but I'm a fan of the whole opening presents on Christmas Day process. As a kid, we celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas (haha...suckers) but somewhere along the way we just veered towards Hanukkah only. Then when I got married my wife celebrated Christmas so we started it up again. It's a great excuse to pretend to be a kid again, and I'm almost always assured the newest version of EA Sports NCAA Football so I literally can be a kid again for a few hours afterwards.
Oh, and Egg Nog. If God had blood, this is what would course through his veins.
And I'm probably ask him to see a doctor about that cause it sounds bad. Yet delicious. Happy Holidays to you and Cusians everywhere...
Thanks you Sean, great work as usual. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you as well. I’ll be back later today with my complete wrap up of the football season just in time for Christmas, if you can stomach it.
Editor’s Note: This is another installment in the ongoing collaboration between Orange::44 and Nunes/Magician. Usually every other Wednesday Nunes::44 will appear here, while the following week Orange::44/Magician will appear on his site. Until then, enjoy Nunes/Magician articles and stay tuned to Orange::44 for complete postgame coverage from every Syracuse game.
1. Orange::44: It's been a wild ride for the basketball team since we last chatted. They lose to Cleveland State, but then have won since, including a big one at Memphis. Thoughts?
Nunes: At the end of the day, you have to take 12-1. Regardless of the Cleveland State outcome....WE'RE 12 and frickin 1!!! How did that happen?
It had been a weird ride though. We had games where it really felt like we were a 12-1 team and we've had some games where we felt like a 6-6 team. I can't tell if its that we play to the level of our opponent or that we're just still gelling in so many ways, even as we keep winning. I still have so many questions about the future of this team. I could see them going 12-6 in Big East play and I could see them going 9-9. The point is, we know they're good but we really don't know HOW good they are yet. It's way too early to anoint them as Big East championship contenders, but at the same time that's not out of the question if a couple things break right.
2. Orange::44: What are your expanded thoughts on the entire Devendorf situation now that it's been a few days since the decision?
Nunes: I think that the University didn't get it exactly right but they ended up a lot closer to what the punishment should have been. If Eric Devendorf isn't a scholarship athlete on our basketball team with Jim Boeheim publicly defending him, I think he would have facing a much harsher penalty. Maybe not "suspended for the entire semester" harsh but much more so than 40 hours of community service. That amounts to a slap on the wrist at the end of the day and was more of an attempt by the Judicial Board to save face on all sides than anything else. They win cause Devo still gets punished. Devo wins cause he'll be back in uniform within 2 weeks. The accuser "wins" because there was punishment that fit the crime.
When I was a senior we got busted for having a party and serving beer to minors. We had to perform 20 hours of community service and were placed on probation. Devo basically got the same thing plus 20 more hours.
I don't want to defend Devo...he did strike a female in the face and that's a pretty shady thing to do regardless of the circumstances. But thankfully it wasn't as bad as we first heard and ultimately, it won't hurt the team nearly as much as we thought it might.
3. Orange::44: How good was Andy Rautins against Coppin State and do you see this continuing for him?
Nunes: I'm very happy for the guy. He wasn't in a terrible slump but he certainly wasn't firing on all cylinders. Talk about perfect timing. It's great for him because now he's brimming with confidence. It's great for Jonny Flynn because now he knows he's got a great complimentary threat back that can cover for him when he's off, like he was. And we know we can survive without Devo when multiple players are doing their jobs.
Will Andy hit 8-9 three-pointers a night? Of course not. But the spark that he can ignite when he does get hot is a huge asset for the Orange and I think it makes us that much more dangerous.
Now as for his hair, well....we're still working on it...
4. Orange::44: Is Syracuse ready to take on a Big East team now?
Nunes: Sure! Bring on South Florida!
It goes back to the first question. What do we REALLY know about this team other than they play to the level of their opponent. So in theory, they should be able to hang with anyone in the Big East. Like we saw in the Memphis game, a lot of it comes down to our ability to force bad shots. If Notre Dame comes at us with their usual barrage of 3-pointers, a lot of it is going to come down to how many they make and if we adjust defensively. We haven't faced a player like UConn's Thabeet yet and although we have the bodies down below I don't know if they have the combined experience to keep him in check.
I feel good about our chances in the Big East, we're certainly one of the more battle-tested teams among them. But I honestly don't know how we measure up day-to-day with UConn, Pitt, G'town and the others just yet. Time will tell. It usually does.
5. Orange::44: How do you feel about the rounding out of the football staff Doug Marrone is putting together?
Nunes: On paper, it looks pretty good. Yeah, Rob Spence left Clemson under bad circumstances. But good coaches find themselves in bad situations all the time. I like the pedigree of these guys...Clemson, Tennessee, Georgia, etc...lots of experience to go around. Inasmuch as Marrone is putting together a staff that knows New York and the surrounding area, the hiring of Greg Adkins signals that Syracuse isn't going to just stay local either. I feel like Marrone is really surrounding himself with good football people that he can trust and I don't think you can ask for any more than that.
If you want Norm Chow and Dan Mullen, guess what...Norm Chow and Dan Mullen don't want to be here. So I'm going to trust that Marrone knows what he's doing based on the finding the guys that are available and can turn a program around quickly with strong recruiting and creative play schemes. All of a sudden it seems like the pieces are in place to get some good recruits and play an offense that fits what we have to work with rather than try to force it.
6. Orange::44: Is losing JUCO transfer Barnas anything, or are you not worried with five QB's on the team already and the fact he played in D-III?
Nunes: Well apparently now we find out the guy wasn't even going to play QB (maybe...if that's not just spin). You always have to remind yourself that Garrett Barnas hasn't proven anything on a Division 1-A level so it's hard to say he was going to come in and really make any waves. That said, if I'm left with Cam Dantley, Andrew Robinson and a trio of untested underclassmen...I'm not jumping up and down.
My guess is that Marrone and Spence want to find their own guy. Maybe they even have their eye on someone already and that's why they didn't want Barnas eating up the scholarship. I trust they'll find what they need. In the meantime they'll just make due with what they have. And if we are going to run a spread offense, I expect to see a little more of David Legree in the preseason.
7. Orange::44: Finally, what is your favorite holiday tradition?
Nunes: I hate to be so generic but I'm a fan of the whole opening presents on Christmas Day process. As a kid, we celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas (haha...suckers) but somewhere along the way we just veered towards Hanukkah only. Then when I got married my wife celebrated Christmas so we started it up again. It's a great excuse to pretend to be a kid again, and I'm almost always assured the newest version of EA Sports NCAA Football so I literally can be a kid again for a few hours afterwards.
Oh, and Egg Nog. If God had blood, this is what would course through his veins.
And I'm probably ask him to see a doctor about that cause it sounds bad. Yet delicious. Happy Holidays to you and Cusians everywhere...
Thanks you Sean, great work as usual. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you as well. I’ll be back later today with my complete wrap up of the football season just in time for Christmas, if you can stomach it.
Editor’s Note: This is another installment in the ongoing collaboration between Orange::44 and Nunes/Magician. Usually every other Wednesday Nunes::44 will appear here, while the following week Orange::44/Magician will appear on his site. Until then, enjoy Nunes/Magician articles and stay tuned to Orange::44 for complete postgame coverage from every Syracuse game.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Coaching News, Football, Holidays Are Enjoyable, Nunes/Magician
It was as tasty as it looks.Thanksgiving and turkey comas have put me behind on my blogging. However, later tonight we will have my BlogPoll entry, the final report card for Greg Robinson, as well as a Virginia basketball post-mortem. Also, the Colgate game wrap up will appear tomorrow, as well as some other festive basketball and football articles. Enjoy your leftovers.
Labels: Basketball, Football, Holidays Are Enjoyable
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, from your friends at Orange::44.Labels: Holidays Are Enjoyable
America... F**K YEAH!Happy Birthday America! While there are currently no Syracuse based sports occurring this time of year, it is still a good day to reflect on what makes America so great. Your Syracuse experiences, good or bad, are a part of that proud American tradition and that is something worth celebrating. As someone who has spent most of their adult life studying and working in government in this great nation of ours, I can honestly say we still have the best system around. So forget about those high gas prices, lagging economy, and the woes of the impending football season for a day and enjoy your friends, family, food, and the thought that men who you have never heard of fought in the 1700’s for the freedom you enjoy today. I’ll be back next week with actual blog articles and more content from Orange::44. The self imposed hiatus for work should be lifted soon, despite a few evenings of night court next week. Yes that show was awesome, but no, that is not how it is in real life… most of the time. Happy 4th of July!
Labels: Holidays Are Enjoyable