Bleeding Orange

Throw a Bowden in There for Good Measure

2008-10-13T13:07:00.003-04:00

Tommy Bowden was releived of his coaching duties this morning by Clemson.

Clemson, who was supposed to compete for an ACC title in Bowden's tenth season, was 3-3 and coming off a loss to Wake Forest.

Most surprising to me about this story, however, is Clemson QB Cullen Harper's (and his father's) comments concerning the firing.

"It's what he deserved."

"I'd call it karma," (Cullen's Father said) "I thought it needed to be done. I think anytime a head coach or someone in a leadership position starts to place blame on his coaches and players, it weakens their respect on the team. His past experiences have shown he's done that."

Wouldn't you know it, Harper was benched after the loss to Wake this past week in favor of Freshman QB Willy Korn. So, you know, he, nor his father, sound like a couple of bitter biscuits.

There are a couple of reasons this story is relevant to Syracuse football. First, the obvious one is that Bowden will no doubt be speculated as a candidate for the head coaching job that is going to open up at Syracuse sometime between now and the end of the season. It's inevitable, he's going to be mentioned quite a bit around Syracuse for at least the next few weeks, and probably the next few months.

Second, this helps us all further push the question: HOW COME GREG ROBINSON HASN'T BEEN FIRED YET?

Clemson is 3-3. One of their losses is to 2nd ranked Alabama, another to 21st ranked Wake Forest on the road. My, my, how I would like to tell Clemson fans how good they have it right now. In fact, their program is very comparable to Syracuse's at the end of the Coach P era. Probably not at this point, but if you look at the two programs on the surface they are both in inferior conferences where their success is often overlooked in the scramble for everyone to "succeed" by going 10-1 and going to a BCS bowl game.

Bowden led Clemson to 8 bowl games in 9 (full) seasons. Greg Robinson has won 8 TOTAL GAMES in 3 and a half seasons at Syracuse!

How in the WORLD does Greg Robinson still have his job? Justification was that firing Robinson would show "panic" in the program. Well Bowden is gone... and as far as I know there isn't any out-of-hand rioting on the Clemson campus. Death Valley hasn't imploded under a wave of civil unrest because the head coach is being removed. So if that's not happening at a place where it was questionable whether or not to fire the coach... why would it happen at Syracuse? Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE wants to see Greg Robinson gone ASAP.

If Bowden had to go... Greggers certainly MUST.

Orange in the NFL

2008-10-13T12:33:00.009-04:00

Here's how our Orange Alums fared in the NFL this weekend:

Marvin Harrison (Colts): 3 catches for 83 yards and 2 TDs (W)

Josh Thomas (Colts): 1 tackle (W)

Morlon Greenwood (Texans): 8 tackles (6 solo) (L)

Tanard Jackson (Bucs): 3 tackles (2 solo), 1 INT (W)

Olindo Mare (Seahawks): 1 50 yd. FG, 2 PATs (L)

Donny McNabb (Eagles): 23/36 for 280 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 4 yds rushing (W)

Players featured are those who made statistical contributions in game box scores

8-33: West Virginia Reaction

2008-10-12T09:21:00.005-04:00

No, the West Virginia game wasn't quite the onslaught many SU fans thought it would be since the beginning of the season. But, in some ways the loss was even more depressing than if they had been blown out.

For some reason, the football gods really HATE our shade of orange this year. Week to week, especially lately, not only do they lose, but they do us the great horror of giving us a faint flicker of hope that deep down reminds us of better times. In the end, and even deeper down, we know that this team can't turn the hope into a W.

The good news in all of this is, for the second game in a row, the 11 players on the field actually looked like a football team. The first drive was a great example of what the offense could be. However, it also represented how frustrating watching this team is. The offense came out after the defense forced a three and out on West Virginia's first drive and methodically moved down the field after starting at their own ten. The drive was a wonderful mix of run and pass, and Cam Dantley looked as comfortable in the offense as ever. But, penalties and miscues cut short a drive and resulted in only 3 points instead of 7. Unfortunately, that was Syracuse's best drive of the day.

The Defense looked MUCH improved. It was clear West Virginia was more conservative than usual with Pat White on the sidelines, but the defense played its best game all year. The tackling was a thousand times better than in any game this season, and though Noel Devine had a day of days, the Orange only allowed 17 points. They're still not as quick as other teams, and their schemes are lacking, but it was very refreshing to see good tackling, good coverage, and strong fundamentals. They even put some pressure on the quarterback in this one. At one point in the second quarter I had to text my brother, "Who the hell are these guys and where is Syracuse."

Pat Shadle's 53 yard field goal was awesome. That thing would have been good from 65.

Syracuse out-gained WVU in total yards by nearly 80, 346-268. NO ONE thought that would ever happen on the road in West Virginia, even if the Mountaineers were missing Pat White.

Noel Devine did have 188 yards on the ground. He's good. We're not. I'll actually take holding him to under 200 yards when Pat White is on the sidelines and Devine is seeing the bulk of the offensive action. It was clear from the very beginning of the game that Devine was the only threat to Syracuse's defense... which is pretty sad for West Virginia if you ask me.

Curtis Freakin' Brinkley. 28 carries. 144 yards. He's plays with enough effort for the whole team. Perhaps someone can explain to me, then, why Greg Robinson, for the second game in a row, decided to sit him down for a series and give freshman Antwon Bailey 1st and 2nd down carries during a 3 and out. Really, Greg? REALLY?

The harsh reality of this one was that Greg Robinson fell to 8-33 as Syracuse's head coach. Syracuse fans have to deal with the circus that is the Greg Robinson "situation," so there's really no reason to go into more detail other than... How is this guy still coaching? It's pretty clear at this point he'll finish out the season. We're going to have to try and ignore him like an annoying younger sibling and hope he just tires himself out and goes away.

For the first time in a long time, though, I have some optimism about whether or not this team can win some more games this year. For a little while I actually thought the Orange might pull this one out. Games like this one also give me a lot of hope for the future. I think games like this show the Orange can win and that there is some talent on the team. The motor is fine, the frame looks strong, it's just the man behind the wheel doesn't have a clue how to drive.

Correction: Not Completely Screwed?... Not so Fast...

2008-10-11T12:00:00.004-04:00

Pat White isn't playing today against Syracuse. Let me be the first to say...

...that doesn't mean a damn thing. We'll lose by 20... I have insider information...

.....enough said?

THE EXPRESS: BEST MOVIE EVER!

2008-10-11T11:09:00.004-04:00

I'm probably a bit bias... but I'm officially giving The Express an 8 out of 10. And, that's probably a bit lower than I would score it if I wasn't an SU fan, because I'm deducting one point for some minor historical inaccuracies, and another point for... well, you'll see at the end.

All joking aside, it really is a pretty good flick. It's heartwarming, it's action-packed, and it's about my favorite thing in the world (outside the fam and friends, of course); Syracuse University athletics.

I thought Dennis Quaid did a pretty good job portraying a 1950-1960s head football coach and the intensity they usually had. I have no idea what the real Ben Schwartzwalder was like, but the character seemed believable and his relationship with Ernie Davis seemed believable as well. Also, I don't agree with the claims I've heard that the part portrays Schwartzwalder as a racist. Instead, I think the character is displayed as a product of the harsh, segregated times people lived in during the late 50s and early 60s, who was trying to avoid potentially racial driven problems that existed around every corner. I don't think that makes you a racist... a little prejudice, yes, but that's really not the same thing.

Rob Brown was an okay fit for the part of Ernie Davis. He's on the quiet and shy side and remains pretty soft-spoken throughout the film, except for at a few key moments. He wasn't physically big enough for the part, though. I understand players back then weren't as giant as they are now, but Rob Brown looked like the smallest player on the field, when in actuality Davis was probably one of the biggest (6'2", 215). But, I digress as I'm splitting hairs here.

By far the best part about the movie was the football scenes. I have no qualms about saying this was the best "football" movie I've ever seen. The football was extremely believable. It wasn't like "Remember the Titans" where every single play was the quarterback ducking below a high-jumping linebacker and then scrambling away from a small army to throw a 99 yard touchdown pass to the back-up wide-out who leaps over 6 defenders and after catching the ball is hit in mid-air, causing him to do a back flip while still holding onto the ball when he drops back down from 30 feet in the air and breaks both legs when he hits the ground. There are some exaggerations about Davis fumbling and then on the very next play making a leaping interception in the end-zone, but the action is still realistic. Rob Brown does a nice job running the ball as well. His style and his moves are quick, and he makes it look like he may have played some football back in his day.

The wardrobe is AWESOME! I hope the varsity jackets and throwback polo shirts are available on ebay or something soon. The film did a good job of portraying what players and coaches wore before, during, after and between games. Old pennants and banners were pretty cool to look at as well. Syracuse merchandise today is a little too fancy for my liking (though I still buy it all). I wish I could find some of the vintage things they used in the film.

The Saltine Warrior made an appearance, which made it difficult for me not to immediately give the movie a 10. It's funny... it's a movie with undertones about racial insensitivity... but they have no problem throwing a fully wardrobed Native American all ready for battle in the background with no mention of why... I still think its the best mascot ever (sorry, Otto, you're a wuss)... and I'm part Native, so I can think so all I want without it being insensitive... I think.

The ending is sad, very sad, for a number of reasons. I have personal experiences with leukemia, so it pulled at me a little harder than it will at others, maybe. It's just sad on many levels, but also uplifting at the same time. The emotion of the film is balanced very well, and I didn't leave the theater completely depressed (except for when I thought about the point I make in the last paragraph).

So, 8 out of 10.

One point deducted for the minor historical inaccuracies like the team traveling to West Virginia instead of playing them at home.

The other point is being deducted for how sad I was during the movie because a lot of the time all I could think about was how far Syracuse football has fallen. A once proud program has turned into the laughing stock of the Big East, and for the most part the laughing stock of College Football (thanks, G-Rob, you partially ruined a MOVIE about the college team I live and breathe with). It's sad to think that if a dramatic turn isn't made, the only time I'll get to see Syracuse win a football championship is in a movie, on a fake field with fake actors playing mostly fake rolls. That's an underlying, harsh reality of the movie that devoted Orange fans will have to endure.

Bitter Sweet Weekend

2008-10-10T18:36:00.004-04:00

Short and Sweet:

1) (Bitter) West Virginia Preview: We're completely Fucked

2) Review of THE EXPRESS (Sweet) Pending... seeing it tonight @ 9:30 EST

Lane of Opportunity?

2008-10-01T22:11:00.003-04:00

As we all know by now, there is a lot of speculation (not as much as about Lloyd Carr it seems, though) about this handsome fellow becoming the next head coach of our beloved Syracuse Orange Football squad.

So far, a lot of fans have cited a lot of reasons for and against the idea of bringing in Lane Kiffin mid-season. There are a MILLION reasons for it. However, just like everything else, Greg Robinson has to go ruin it all and give us a ton of reasons NOT to do it... at mid-season, or even at all.

Reason to: He's not Greg Robinson. That's probably the reason causing the Orange faithful to drool over such a candidate. Our salivating is probably currently caused by either: The awful taste of an 8-32 record, or the bloody wounds of an injured jack(ass)rabbit that is Gregory Robinson. And lets face it, most of us at this point would rather have a week-to-week raffle to decide the head coach.

Reason NOT to: Lane is a "west-coast" guy, just like Greg Robinson. Greg Robinson, who at one point openly told reporters he'd be out-recruiting Greg Sciano at Rutgers in no time, had no ties to the East coast and therefore found it hard to recruit... or he didn't find out at all since the FOUR commits we have for next season make it seem like he didn't even try. Greg Robinson's recruiting may be the only thing almost as bad as his coaching. Judging Lane is from a similar area with limited, if any, ties to the area... not good

Reason to: Lane Kiffin is young. He's only 32 years old. He can relate to young players and coach with an attitude that better suits a young, inexperience team.

Reason NOT to: Lane Kiffin is TOO young. He's only 32 years old and has limited head coaching experience. Which leads us to another....

Reason to: He has SOME head coaching experience. Greg Robinson had NONE.

Another Reason to: Great recruiter. He oversaw many great recruiting classes at USC.

Reason NOT to: USC is NOT Syracuse. USC pretty much recruits itself, especially lately. The Trojans have restored themselves as the best college football program currently running, and their success does not go unnoticed... neither does G-Rob's non-success.

Reason NOT to: He's the only real candidate out there right now. Rushing to hire a guy just because he's available is not a very good reason. He has no ties to the university, to the area, or to any of the players on the current team. People might expect immediate success, and at this point that's just not possible.

Reason to: He may be the best candidate out there, even at the end of the season. A lot can happen between now and then, but Lane's resume is almost too good to pass up. It's too good to pass up, especially when we could have a leg up on everyone else.

Reason NOT to: Greg Robinson is still the head coach. Wait... no, that's a good reason to hire Lane Kiffin. or anyone for that matter. We all know it. Greg Robinson needs to be fired, and he needs to be fired now. When you have ESPN doing countless (2) pieces about the "steep fall of the program," it really can't get any worse (cross your fingers because G-Rob has a way of proving that wrong ALL THE TIME).

Honestly, it's probably safe to say most Syracuse fans are on the fence about this matter. On one hand, its a great idea. On the other, waiting until more candidates with stronger ties to the area may be a better option to take, even if it means forfeiting to the inevitable fact of 1 win on the season.

Still, this whole situation has presented itself as the "quick fix" Orange fans have been looking for. it's almost like the football gods are teasing us... waiting for us to A) Redeem ourselves by letting go of the antichrist of college coaching, or B) Screw up completely, hire another west-coast guy highly recommended by Pete Carrol, and subject ourselves to an eternity in college football hell. No matter what happens, I don't think we can wait much longer to make some sort of significant change.

But, First thing's first.

Scoop to Redshirt

2008-09-28T23:10:00.004-04:00

It appears as if Syracuse guard and cheese-steak lover Scoop Jardine might be red-shirting this season after playing most of last year with a stress fracture in his lower left leg, the Post-Standard reports.

Right on cue after another devastating loss by the football team at home, some bad news rubs off onto the basketball program.

No, Scoop is not a devastating loss. But, eventually he could be. If we learned anything last year it was it never hurts to have experienced guards on the floor in tight games that have seen some real pressure and can handle it accordingly. So, it won't be like missing Devo or Andy, but this definitely takes a body away, and after last year it's always good to have as many bodies available to play as possible.

Props to Scoop's heart and dedication to the team, though. He fought pretty hard through what is probably a pretty painful injury all season long. He played pretty well considering that fact, as well as the fact he was a freshman that wasn't originally supposed to see much PT anyways.

"I had to play," Jardine said. "We had six guys. I thought it'd be all right if I could just get through the season."

Scoop averaged just over 9 points a game in the last 10 games of the season. (Too bad his team-first attitude never rubbed off on Onte Greene... No D... get it?.... Lame?.... I know).

Scoop never really wowed anyone last year, but he was a solid guard who provided solid play for most of the minutes he was in action. The Orange look to be a pretty deep team to begin with. But, with the depth of the Big East this year it is critical to have a deep bench full of players that can play productive minutes. So, though the removal of Scoop doesn't help, it's not quite what the team and Orange fans had to go through last year with the losses of Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf.

Bottom line: The team is still pretty talented and pretty deep. Also, it appears as if they have every "position" filled:

Smart/Athletic/Do-it-all Point-Guard: Jonny Flynn
Inside/Outside Slashing Off-Guard: Devo
Sniper: Andy Rautins
Strong/Athletic swingman: Paul Harris
Inside Bruiser: Arinze Onuaku
Hustler: KRISTOF!
Long, Lean, athletic 4 man off the Bench: Rick Jackson

All of that plus a couple pretty good recruits in Mookie Jones and Kris Joseph. While I'll miss Scoop and the energy he brought to the team off the bench, it's a far cry from losing the starting backcourt again. BUT, this would probably hurt the Orange most when Jonny or Eric are in foul trouble, or late in games when the team needs an extra ball-handler on the floor. We'll just have to wait and see how things go.

He's Trying Really Hard....

2008-09-28T10:59:00.002-04:00

Greg Robinson, in a piece done by ESPN concerning the absolute free-fall of Syracuse football, said that we should all know he's working as hard as he can.

That may have been the first absolutely brilliant move G-Rob has made in his head-coaching career. Why? Because we apparently are not supposed to know exactly what he's working so hard for.

But it all makes sense now... he's TRYING to get fired. There's no other explanation.

First, he punted after having a 4th and 1 with a 14-3 lead at home against a 2 touchdown favorite. The man has won just 8 of his first 40 games as a head coach and he's worried about
not seeming desperate.

"We had the lead," he said. "We had the lead right there. It was sitting there. It was more than just a fourth-and-one. It was almost two. It was two, really, if you were down where I was. And it was out on the 45-yard line or whatever. Uh uh. That's desperate. That's desperate, in my mind."

Oh, well, thank you so much for clearing that up, Mr. Robinson. You're absolutely right. There's no reason whatsoever for you to act desperate at this point. Especially since you've now clarified that it was 4th and "almost 2" instead of 4th and 1. Is this guy serious? Would ANYONE have questioned whether or not he should have gone for it if they didn't get a first down? Would ANYONE have said to themselves, "That move seems a little too desperate to me."

Then, later in the game, after Pitt tied the score at 24, Robinson sat Curtis Brinkley, who had gained 107 yards on 14 carries (a 7.6 avg.).

"Curtis needed a blow," Robinson said.

How did Brinkley feel about the move, you might ask?

"I wanted to be in the game," he said, "I wasn't hurt or nothing. I wasn't tired. I mean, my momentum carried me throughout the whole game. My adrenaline was rushing from the first play. I ain't get tired throughout any minute of the game."

Kudos to Curtis Brinkley. That's the attitude I like to hear coming from true competitors. G-Rob on the other hand should just hand the headset over to... Otto at this point. But he won't, because he's working his tail off to turn this thing around, so long as "working his tail off" doesn't involve taking risks or jeopardizing his oh-so-valuable head-coaching reputation.

Such is the culture Greg Robinson has created for the football program at Syracuse University, and now we, the fans, have to swallow hard and ride it out.

Everyday. It. Gets. Worse.

Panthers Win

2008-09-27T19:07:00.003-04:00

22 Big East Games. 20 Losses. Thats the real story of the Syracuse-Pitt game Saturday at the Dome. Other key points however, include 2 real positives Citrus Nation can take from the loss, and, as usual, Greg Robinson's.... strategery.

First, the team, and the defense for 3 quarters, apparently showed some real fight that I haven't seen in this team in a couple years. The player's effort has never matched G-Rob's (horrible) attempt to look fired up and enthusiastic on the sidelines. Today, the guys out there actually somewhat resembled a football team... (at least that's what Dick MacPherson said on the post-game show... I unfortunately had to work until the end of the 3rd, so I only saw what I've come to expect from the product on the field... a blown 11 point lead that turned into a 10 point loss).

Anyways, the fight was there, but the tackling was apparently pretty poor and the defense still lacks the ability to make stops when it absolutely HAS to.

Second strong point to hang our hat on: G-Rob is one day closer to his inevitable walk out the door.

(Example:

MY FIRST THOUGHT WHEN I LEARNED SU WAS UP BY 11 IN THE 3RD: Still a statistical chance to win the Big East.

MY SECOND THOUGHT: S#!+, that means there's no way Gregory loses his job this week, or at any point mid-year.)

So, though it's pretty sad, that is a plus (harsh, but true) that we can all focus on in the next few days. I don't normally wish for anyone to lose their job, but I think G-Rob will be ok with the 4.4 million dollars he's stolen from ...errr... been paid by the University. I also don't root for Syracuse to lose, but theres no harm in finding the positives in a negative.

This would be the best time to fire Robinson (other than last year, in hindsight). As the Axeman wrote, it makes almost too much sense at this point to let him go. But, in a stunning (not really) move, G-Rob, thinking strategically (or not at all) benched Curtis Brinkley (his best offensive player so far this year) for a critical 4th quarter drive after Pitt tied the score at 24 (and for the seemingly 1, 085th time in 5 games sealed his fate as the worst coach in BCS history).

With Syracuse's offense desperate to answer, Robinson inserted true freshman tailback Antwon Bailey into the game. Bailey had yet to play this season through the first four games. Now, he was being asked to generate some ground game at a pivotal point in the game. Bailey rushed for 2 yards on his first carries and 3 on his second. On third down, there was confusion just getting the play called from the sidelines. Cameron Dantley barely got the snap in time to beat the play clock and was thrown for a 4-yard loss on what may or may not have been some type of quarterback draw. The end result - three and out. Pitt scored on the next possession with what proved to be the winning points on another Lee field goal.

So how did the Orange get themselves in such a mess at that stage of the game?

Robinson said tailback Doug Hogue had sprained his ankle and that starting tailback Curtis Brinkley needed a chance to catch his breath. Of course, why did Brinkley need to catch his breath after the Pitt offense ripped off an 89-yard drive that took 4 minutes and 41 seconds? (Donnie Webb & Bud Poliquin of the Post-Standard)

I know if my job were on the line, or completely shot for that matter, I'd sit my starting halfback who had gained approx. 100 yards on the day in the most important drive of the young, but seemingly long and endless, season.

What is so upsetting about that point is not how dumb Greg Robinson is, but how much of a coward he looks like by making that call. A day after the Washington Post.com reports how coaches who's jobs are hanging in the breeze face the challenge of stepping up, fighting, and leading their teams through everything, G-Rob sits his best chance of fighting back.

What does that say to the players he's supposed to be leading? I'll tell you. It doesn't say "I believe in all of you... and that all of you can be successful out there." No, what a move like that really says is: "Kids, when the chips are down and the odds are against you, there are still risks that are too great to take in life... walk away from those battles, and save yourself for the next one. Oh, and punt on 3rd down... or when you're down by 20 on the road at the opposing teams 45..."

I'm not sure Jim Brown, as G-Rob put it, "knows I'm doing all I can and working my tail off." I certainly don't believe it.

Soooo... You're telling me there's a chance?

2008-09-26T14:03:00.003-04:00

At the beginning of the College Football season, everyone thought it was possible for OSU to beat USC. Everyone just thought it would be Ohio St.... Not Oregon St.

Why is this important to College Football? Some are citing the help it gives to the now wide open National Title Race. I, on the other hand, see one more reason this helps the world of college football.

What color was Oregon St. wearing last night? That's right... ORANGE! Its the power of the best color in the spectrum of refracted light and if there is one team that has more orange power than any other its THE Orange.

We may be able to look upon this win by Oregon St. and think, "Man, thats when everything turned around." Maybe the current Orange will be so inspired that they'll come out this weekend and fight their tails off for a win. Probably not, but it's nice to think it could happen. It's nice to think that maybe, a couple of years down the road, when we have a new coach and a new system and a new culture, that we'll be able to celebrate defeating a ranked team at home again.... wouldn't that be grand?

OrangeNews

2008-09-25T12:03:00.004-04:00

+ Orange(women) land big recruit

+ Damone Brown is doing pretty well for himself in the NBDL

+ US Women's Lacrosse team to play at/against SU

...and since I'm too lazy to write about any of that, I certainly don't want to do the work of previewing the rushing clinic that will be put on us by Pitt this weekend

....We're in trouble....

But, Can He Play Football?

2008-09-25T11:52:00.005-04:00

As reported this morning by the Post-Standard, star lacrosse recruit Kevin Drew will do his best Deion Sanders impression... Orange style.

Drew will double up and walk-on to the basketball team as well as playing lacrosse.

So, the obvious question that we have left to ask is... how is his tackling? He's used to wearing shoulder pads, cleats, and even a helmet... and there is no real reason to think that if he's athletic enough to play lacrosse and basketball at SU, then he should certainly be able to work his way onto the football field as well.

Greg Robinson could not be reached for comment. An unsolicited call from Daryl Gross is pending...

SU Football's Dunce of the Day

2008-09-24T13:11:00.004-04:00

Has it really gotten to the point where we have to appoint someone that has anything to do with the Syracuse Football program with the "Dunce of the Day" award?

Every, SINGLE day I wake up and think to myself, "Okay... Now, SERIOUSLY, there is NO POSSIBLE WAY the football program/Dr. Gross/G-Rob situation could be ANY WORSE!

But, ALAS... it is...

"The thing I really like is Daryl is very up front about that. Nobody is going around giving excuses." - Nancy Cantor

That's Nancy Cantor's statement today in a story by Donnie Webb concerning the football programs inability to keep up with (get ready for this) the Syracuse Cross Country team, or their newly acquired Women's Ice Hockey team.

Well... I, for one, am completely relieved that Dr. Gross is taking care of those two tradition-rich programs!

I digress for a moment, however, to address just how dumb Cantor sounds when she makes statements like the one above (or any statement at all for that matter). If making and unsolicited call to ESPN to whine about how good of a job you're doing in the sports NO ONE CARES ABOUT COMPARED TO FOOTBALL isn't an excuse... then please, comment at the end of this post and tell me what is! The whole justification of giving Gross a contract extension is an excuse that reflects the football situation.

However, I tried some of Gross' tactics and they worked. For instance, I just told one of my professors that I'm not coming to class for the rest of the semester. You know what I told him? That I'm doing such a great job in my yoga and pottery classes, that he should ignore the fact I won't be doing ANYTHING for him the rest of the year. Using Nancy Cantors logical thinking, he gave me three A's instead of just one because I "didn't make excuses."

The article by Webb also cites how Gross stated:

"When I came into this situation, a lot of people were really upset about the old regime. But no one thought it could get worse, nor did I. We were all hoping for some success. We knew it wasn't going to happen right away. Sometimes when you have a coaching transition, there is a fallout with recruiting and those things aren't as stable as you want them to be. You know it takes a little while to grow properly. It takes a change in systems, all the dynamics were there that haven't clicked at all to the point we're not where we should be in year four. At the end of the day, it all falls on the athletic director."

Anyone else see whats wrong there? How about the fact that the first half of that quote is a lame, self-dignifying, self-satisfying, EXCUSE!? So, I didn't think it was possible, but Nancy Cantor is at least as intellectually inept as Greg Robinson. Sometimes I get the feeling that Dr. Gross goes home at night and cries. But he's not crying because he feels he's done a poor job, or because the football team has made him look like a fool. Instead, he's crying because he's stuck between two total blockheads, that are making him look equally as foolish with everything they say.

It's Gotten WAY out of Hand

2008-09-23T14:26:00.010-04:00

It's been a while... but the Bleeding Orange has returned. Grad school and a move have kept we away for a long time... (I left before the basketball season even ended), but if there's anything that can bring you back to blogging, its the stench of a rotting orange (the football program... what else?).

I'm probably not going to say anything that hasn't been said already by the many members of the orange nation bloggers. However, I thought it was probably time to come out and add my two cents to the millions of pennies that sit in the "Wow... we suck this bad?" pile.

I was at the Penn St. game a week and a half ago. It was one of the most depressing days of my life. My father has spent the better part of the last 24 years telling me what the atmosphere of a Penn St. game was like at the Dome. He would tell me of the hatred and the passion. But, alas, the rivalry has turned into a one-sided laugher. I never pictured it would look like this:

I've seen countless football games in the Dome. I was at every single game Donovan played there. I watched Keith Bullock run wild on defense and Marvin Harrison break the schools reception record. I even remember when Donovan Darius beat up North Carolina's punter! I never imagined there would days like the one's we are going through right now... Days where we have more missed tackles than passing yards, more interceptions than sacks, and more hanging heads than post season Cubs fans.

We can spend all day, all year, and probably will have to spend most of the next decade blaming the whole line of administrators who have played a part in this debacle. The players are...

Coach P: His on the field record does not match the discipline and game-planning issues he presented to the program. Yes, as Lee Corso pointed out, he had a pretty good record. But, if you were a Syracuse fan, as nunes pointed out, you know thats not the whole story. He had a tendency to get embarrassed on national television by A LOT of points (Purdue for example). So, yes he did play a large part in this.

Doctor Gross: He hired the next guy on this list... enough said. But, I'll say more. Everything about his mentality is wrong for Syracuse University. We are not USC. We never will be USC. They have 6 or 7 Heisman winners... Syracuse has one that Gross "honored" by making him a bronzed Nike Ad. He wants to turn the Hill into the Hollywood hills, and thats not what Syracuse is about. We have a history of being overlooked and underappreciated. We're not spoiled, and we're not dynastic, but we're also not too far out of range for anyone to ignore the shade of orange on the horizon. Amongst all the things Ernie Davis represents, that point should be one of the most obvious. We're the "almost forgotten." Hollywood made 700 Rocky films, but missed out on the Jackie Robinson story of college football until 2008? (see what I mean?) SU is cold, dreary, and often forgotten amongst the powers... three things Southern Cal has never been, nor ever will be. Gross tried to change a culture that didn't need changing, and he tried to change it to the extreme. It hasn't worked... at least not for football.

G-Rob: Where to start with this guy? Worst Coach in Division I Football. Defensive genius who can't coach how to tackle. Master recruiter who doesn't get recruits. Head coach who can't motivate, game-plan, make sense, or address the media in any sort of coherent fashion. I have no doubt he's a nice guy. I met him. He took his picture with me. He's very nice. But he's a terrible football coach. 8-31 speaks for itself. 2 conference wins in 3 years is pathetic. He should NEVER have another coaching job on any level higher than high school (that's not an exaggeration, its the truth).

But, through all this, there is one more player in this dreary nightmare that Orange fans are living through. That player, is the players. Jim Brown said it best on ESPN on Saturday morning... You can not have talent and still be able to tackle. You can not have talent and still be able to fight. Yes, the sad and apparent truth is that the players have fallen face first into the losing culture that Coach Robinson has created and maintained at Syracuse. They don't believe they can do it. They don't believe they can turn it around and they don't believe they can win. There's no heart, no competitiveness, and no fight.

I'm sure a lot of players are trying their hardest and playing their butts off. But for those who aren't giving their all: They should be ashamed to put on any uniform, let alone an Orange one. Losing doesn't make you losers, the way you lose, however, does. And the way the Orange are losing is embarrassing. So, while most of the blame does rest in the hands of administrators like Darryl Gross and Greg Robinson, at least some of the blame should be put in the hands of those who have forgotten how hard guys like Jim Brown and Ernie Davis worked to build a tradition they never thought would come crumbling down.

REBOUND... ANYONE GOT A REBOUND?

2008-02-18T20:54:00.005-05:00

Out-rebounded by 17 and shot 29%. That's all anyone needs to know. Oh, and that Paul Harris decided to put on a Louisville uni in the final minute. SLOW DOWN PAUL!

Outrebounded by 17. That means 17 more shot opportunites for Louisville. Which means if they make a QUARTER of them (about what we shot), they score and extra 8 points (if they're all 2 point baskets). The 'Cuse lost by 11, and the final two baskets were break-away dunks (flukes). (L'ville had 10 more shot attempts than the 'Cuse)

Equation { (-TO)+(+R)=W } still intact.

Still, not a bad loss. However, it almost forces the Orange to have to beat ND (who I think will eat us alive from outside the arch) on the road to have a chance at the tourney. I really don't see any other way to make the big dance besides getting one of these two (L'ville or ND) and then beating SH and at least splitting Pitt and M'quette at home. We DO know they have to win at least 2 out of the last 4 to make it in (under .500 in the Big East simply won't get it done.)

SIDENOTES:

I hate the zone, I always have (3 line is simply too close in college to play it). It's half the reason for such a large rebounding deficit. The other half is hustle. Having said that, being 7 players deep forces them to play 2-3. But I hate lazy. L'ville wasn't. The Orange were.

DONTE!? STOP SHOOTING 3'S! PLEASE! I know they look like good shots, but they're not when you're 5 for your last 37! (13.5%... seriously, does anyone else still want him outside instead of under the basket?).

*As I've said before... maybe it's a good thing he's playing like ass. We could use him next year.

Tough night for Jonny, too. But at least he hustles, and I don't see him making many bad plays/taking bad shots. Not to mention his heart is bigger than the rest of the team's combined.

Should of gone to AO more inside early in the second half. When he got the ball he dominated.

The roller coaster ride continues... bring on the Irish.

More Bubble watch/A little L'Ville Preview

2008-02-17T19:22:00.004-05:00

Found out where Paul Harris' head was during the minute stretch where he tried to unnecissarily Hak Warrick 2 Hoyas, linebacker a 3-point shooter, and forget there IS a 10 second rule in men's basketball... He was thinking how good post game tape would look in his rap video... or is it a porno?

Anyways... Ok, so a little more than half of readers say they hate losing to G'town more than to any other team. Kudos, that was my choice as well. Brian from Orange:44 did a wonderful breakdown of the debate and theres no way I could have done it better myself.

Some good things, and some bad things happened for the 'Cuse on Sunday.

Positives:

*Virginia beat BC... not really a big deal, but any boost in RPI, even a single point will be helpful at this point.
*Rutgers showed us how to beat ND. They went at Harangoonie (got 4 fouls on him) and kept him off the glass. Hibbert did it earlier this year, and AO and Rick Jackson just made Hibbert look like.. well... this

Negatives:

*Miami won- Now, Miami is 2 games under .500 in the ACC, and they don't really have a quality W since conference play has started. But, the Canes are arguably in the same boat as the Orange. They were ranked early, they've played a decent schedule, and the have a chance to win games down the road that would put them in. Orange fans don't need that.
*West Virginia won- They're on the bubble too. We can't have it come down to WVU or SU in? Which will the committee go for? Probably the team that waxed the other... advantage WVU.

Gotta root for UCLA against USC tonight. If the Trojans beat the Bruins AGAIN, barring catastrophy, they're probably in. Think about it, the committee will see a good team in a tough conference that beat a team that's been to the last 2 final fours TWICE. And they have OJ Mayo. I know it's not supposed to matter, but let's be honest, it probably does bode well for teams to have star power as a footnote on a Tourney Resume.

As for L'ville on Monday night: I think it's another team the Orange match up well against. It would be another great step toward an at-large bid. The team looks like it's found a rythm, but who knows which team will show up? We either NEED this one, or the one @ND.

MELO for ALL-STAR MVP!

GO ORANGE! Beat the Cards!

Last thing: Props to Nick from Nicks 2 Cents for pointing out Florida was missing from my Bubble teams to watch. They're probably one of the biggest threats to the Orange.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow... there's always... Tomorrow?

2008-02-16T23:24:00.004-05:00

Incase you missed it, Dwight Howard did this tonight.

So, it got me to thinking... who got their ass kicked worse on Saturday: The laws of physics/gravity? or The Hoyas?

I have been Inspired... enjoy the Inagural All-Annie Squad:

First team All-Annie this weekend:

1. Va. Tech
2. Colorado
3. Pitt
4. Mich. St.
5. G'town

6th Man...er.. woman... girl?: Mizzou

Honorable Mention: Gravity (above)

WE GOT MORE FORYA, HOYAS!

2008-02-16T19:19:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness G'town was in town to play the role of Annie for a second straight year. They always seem to arrive just in the nick of time.

Equation once again verified.

Orange: 11 Turnovers

Georgetown: 14

Result: Orange -3TO

Orange: 36 Rebounds

Hoyas: 30

Result: Orange +6

Plugged into equation: (-TO)+(+R)=W..... (-3)+(6)= Hoya Ass Beating (Orange W)

In all seriousness, it was a game the Cuse had to have, and they knew it. Everyone came to play and everyone stepped up big.

The big lead early was crucial. It got the crowd into it and made it very difficult for the Hoyas to do anything offensively.

Paul Harris played like a man (though at the end I was almost sure he had $ on the game), He has to be the player of the game. Made some mistakes in the end, but scored 22 and grabbed 8, plus hit some crucial free-throws down the stretch.

Silent Hero: Rick Jackson. Kids out of his mind. He's hittin free-throws, blockin shots, and makin Roy Hibbert look like he's the third best big man on the floor... AO was numero uno on this night.

Donte? Are you there? Um... good game... love the enthusiasm. 16 attempts from 3 land though? Don't you think someone shooting at such a low clip lately should maybe pull back a little? And 3 rebounds? You do know you're 6'11", right? Jonny outrebounded you. Hit the boards and the points will come. Take a lesson from this guy. He's 6'8", plus he can't have any depth perception with how close together his eyes are. He grabs 10 a game, so should you.

Great W. Need 3 more tho. I would like to think that if the Orange only get wins @L'ville on Monday and @ND a week from Sunday they'd be dancing. But that would mean they'd drop the last 3... not something the commies... I mean committee looks for on a resume.

Gotta split the next two... win @ the Hall, and beat either Pitt or Marquette at home. Then they'd be in great shape.

Other good news:

-Baylor is probably going to lose to Texas. We don't need any more bubble teams getting "quality Ws," so this is good.

-Zona lost. Another bubble team. However, their schedule strength is gonna get them in.

Bubble teams to root against:

Oklahoma (17-8, 5-5 Big XII) W today

Miss. St. (17-7, 8-2 SEC) W today

Arkansas (17-7, 6-4 SEC) L today

Maryland (17-9, 7-4 ACC) W today

Baylor (17-6, 5-4 Big XII)

Ohio St. (17-8, 8-4 Big 11)

UAB (17-7, 7-2 CUSA)

Pac 10 Bubble: Arizona St (16-7, 6-5), USC (15-8, 6-5) , Oregon (15-9, 6-6)... pray they beat each other up out west.

Big Win today. No more rushing the floor though, please. The Orange won a national title 5 years ago, have one of the best 10 programs in the country, and have been BE champs 2 out of the last 3 years. We're better than that.

Beat Georgetown

2008-02-16T00:07:00.000-05:00

It's not just a saying. It's an attitude. It's a lifestyle.

On a postive note I watched Marquette absolutely roll Pitt tonight. The Panthers even got L. Fields back.

I also saw the re-run of the USF game. Yes, it still stings.

And while the Orange have most likely put in an application to renew their lease in the NIT, the game today still has more meaning than any other game this year. It may not save the season, or clinch an NCAA bid (heck, it didn't last year), but it still matters. A W today would mean more than a bid in my mind anyway.

If we don't make the tourney, I still want to be able to say "We beat Georgetown."

It's honestly a holiday for my family and I. It probably is for all Orange fans... at least I hope it is.

Different game, same equation: (-)TO + (+)R = W.

Look for an Orange victory. These kids have too much pride to throw the season away.

GO ORANGE! BEAT GEORGETOWN!

2008-02-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Anyone know where this guy is?

2008-02-13T23:19:00.000-05:00

After some careful thought, chatter with some friends, and a good, long talk with Poppa Orange (my father, who has seen far more games than me), I can't change my stance on tonight's monumental loss. It's simply one of the worst EVER.

No, it's not a loss to 15th seeded Richmond in the first round of the NCAA's.

And no, it's not a loss to Vermont in the first round either.

It's not Keith Smart at the buzzer.

It's not Dee Brown fumbling at the goal line against NC State (Whoops, sorry, that's football).

It's not a 20 pt. loss at home.

It's not a home loss to a D 1-AA team (sorry, Michigan).

But, it's pretty friggin' bad.

The remaining games are, in no particular order, G'town, @ L'ville, @ SH, Marquette, @ ND, and Pitt.... the worst of the 3 six game stretches during the Big East season.

The orange are 6-6 in conference. They were just beaten by the worst team in the conference (don't argue otherwise, you're delaying your disappointment). Tonight they proved one thing... they can lose to any Big East team on the road.

Stats won't tell the story of this game. Unless you watched it, you have no idea how brutal it was. The defense took 5 steps backwards. Onuaku looked like a 170 lb. girl. Scoop looked lost. And Paul Harris looked... bad.

But you want to know the worst part? You want to know what really stings?...

....it's the chant I'll have to listen to for another offseason. The dreded 3 letters that Hoyas, Huskies, and Panthers alike will jab into us for at least the next 8 months....

N-I-T.....N-I-T.....N-I-T......N-I-T

WTF?!

2008-02-13T20:51:00.000-05:00

I didn't think it was possible. But the University of South Florida made Syracuse look like a JV team tonight. (Yes, I'm posting this with 5 and change left in the game. I'm a realist. Not an Idiot.) Trust me, I want to be one of those fans who claims they "didn't stop believing until the end!" But, I've seen my share of college basketball games, as well as my share of Orange contests... it's not in the cards tonight.

I want to know whether or not anyone can remember a worse loss for the Orange? Here's why.

1. South Florida is the worst team in the Big East. No excuse.
2. The talent on USF is to the talent on Syracuse as the talent on Virginia is to the talent on North Carolina. (harsh, but true)
3. Double-digit deficit throughout the game.
4. Syracuse had much more to play for.
5. The Orange had much more to lose.
6. If you watched it... the way they were manhandled, outplayed, out hustled, and out driven makes me sick.

Citrus Nation: Kiss the NCAA's good-bye. (unless we win out)

The one good thing about this game is that it is proof my equation from previous post works. (I WOULD HAVE LOVED IT IF IT DIDN'T)

2008-02-13T18:19:00.000-05:00

Short and sweet. Been a long day of work and classes.

The Orange invade South Florida tonight. Tough to think if they drop this one they're out of an NCAA bid. But it's only tough to think about because it would probably be true. Outside of winning out, the blemish of a loss to a 1-conference-win-team (1-10) would most likely be too much to overcome. That's what's riding on this game. The costs for losing outweigh the rewards of winning by far.

The Orange totally outman the Bulls. They have far better players (even with depth issues), better coaching, a better record, and they're playing their best overall-basketball of the season (last two losses are by 2 points each to arguably the two best teams in the Big East).

It's a simple formula for success tonight.

(-)TO + (+)R = W.

Less turnovers than the bulls combined with more rebounds as a team equals a win.

No prediction this time... I haven't been right yet, and I don't wanna jinx what I think should be a good night for the Orange.

BOO BLEEPING HOO

2008-02-12T12:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry Nova Nation, but you don't know disappointment.

First, I want to personally thank the refs for not allowing Nova a chance at even getting on the bubble... wouldn't want the Cats to eventually burst an Orange shaded one.

Second, Quit your friggin' whining.

Remember last year? When Syracuse finished ahead of you in the Big East with an IDENTICAL record? AND YOU MADE THE TOURNAMENT?! You are in no place to be whining.

Besides, as I posted yesterday, the head of NCAA officials (and retired VILLANOVA chairman of education and human services), Henry O. Nichols said,

"You see some people will say, 'Why call a foul 30 feet from the basket?' " he said. "But the kid with the ball got bounced backwards and had to go backwards and reset the entire play. That's an advantage for the defense. You call that foul. When Syracuse played Georgetown a few weeks ago, Syracuse was holding for the last shot, and the same thing happened and my guys no-called it. They should have called it."

Now, would you all be whining if Wallace had been bumped out of bounds, giving Villanova another shot at a win? Probably not. As college basketball fans we always argue to call a game consistently, both ways. Given there were over 40 fouls in the game last night, I'd say that call was pretty consistent. And besides, what in the name of James Naismith was that guy doing being anywhere NEAR J. Wallace? Don't blame others for your own stupidity.

Having said that, I personally don't make that call. You don't usually see it called, and it probably shouldn't have been. I HATE seeing G'town win anyways. But, all better for the Orange. Nova is probably out of the NCAA picture now, and everyone will say it's because they got screwed over....Yeah, like your 5 game losing streak was the ref's fault.

Message from Citrus Nation, to Nova Nation: How's it feel? I don't feel sorry for you in the least.

DC back to be our new DC?

2008-02-11T17:27:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay on this one. Old Orange Defensive Dunce Steve Russ is out.

Not newsworthy because: (1) the Defense probably could have coached itself to better performances. (2) Would anyone have noticed if Russ was there or not? Seriously, would you?

Perhaps newsworthy due to: Should this tell the nation of Orange Onslaught that Russ knew maybe he should take a demotion this year instead of being completely out of a job next year? Think about it, one more year with that defense and NO ONE would be knocking at his door. Programs looking to rebuild wouldn't look to someone who directed one of the worst D's in the nation. And those looking to remain on top... come on, I don't even have to say it. Syracuse went 2-10 last season and allowed 34.8 points and 468.7 yards per game. RB's could have ridden big wheels though the gaps in our "fense." Does this mean Russ believes the Orange are doomed to become Juice? Yikes! Scary to think about.

Definitely newsworthy for this reason: Dan Conley, one of Citrus Nation's favorite son's may be on his way back, and hopefully not for just a 7th year of eligibility. Though, perhaps DC could help the Orange more by tackling than teaching. Speculation courtesy of Nunesmagician suggests its all but a done deal.

We all remember Dan Conley, right. Number 49. 6 year vet. Game saving tackle against Rutgers on a 2 pt. try in his senior, well, third senior season? Anyways, any change at this point is a good change. And any change that brings in an alum with serious knowledge about playing linebacker, playing defense in the Big East, and how strong a defense needs to be gets my approval. After all, apparently Keith Bullock has a pretty good job somewhere down in Tennessee. And we were going to get a hold of any kids Coach P might have, but Pat Knight had no comment on how those things turn out yet. So let's stick with DC.

NOW They Call it!

2008-02-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

So the NCAA cheif of officials thinks Roy Hibbert fouled Jonny Flynn in the Orange's OT loss @ Georgetown.

Awesome! As if I needed more of a reason to feel like $#!T because the 'Cuse lost to G'Town, or if the Orange do, indeed, miss out on the tournament by a win or two for the second year in a row.

Why even say something like that? Is everyone trying to rub it in? Twist the knife? Does the whole world just hate the color Orange now? Or even worse... are people starting to agree with Doug Nottlieb? (Don't worry Trifecta, I respect and agree with what you're saying in the post... but you said it yourself, hell has gotta be freezing over, doesn't it?)

Point is, this mini-story doesn't make me feel better about this season. It makes me feel slightly better about the team, but not that much. Every team has its share of games throughout the season where it looks back and says, "we shoulda won that one." The OT loss to Georgetown was already one of those games. And I was ALMOST over it too.

Beware of the Lloyd

2008-02-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

So I was doing a little bit of reasearch for my "this day in Syracuse history" section of the blog, and I ran across a name I hadn't heard in years... Michael Lloyd.

Lloyd was supposed to be Adrian Autry's (one of my favorite players of all-time that hardly anyone mentions because he was kind of stuck between the greatness of ShermDoug and Poetry in Moten) replacement. He even wore the same number. With an already loaded team of talent consisting of All-Americans Lawence Moten and John Wallace, Lloyd was expected to bring his 34 ppg average from JUCO to the Big East and help the Orange make an outside run at a title. The Orange were ranked as high as 6th that season and Lloyd was partly why in a big way. Though the cuse lost their opener that season at George Washington, Lloyd exploded onto the Citrus Scene by scoring 27 points (25 in the second half). That season he also nailed a buzzer beating three-pointer at Providence to give Syracuse a 60-59 win (on a personal note I remember crying just after the ball went in because I was so happy. That's a true statement, cross my heart. I was 10 years old. Still waiting on confirmation from my father if the tears were orange). For the season Lloyd averaged 12 pointsBut Mike's tenure on the hill only lasted one season after a heartbreaking loss to defending champ Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament (thanks, Moten. Still love ya though).

Then it was discovered Lloyd had faulty transfer transcripts. He was removed from the team and the University.

But two years later another Lloyd stepped on the floor for the Orange. "Rock" Lloyd, who was a freshmen and a member of one of the greatest flame-out recruiting classes ever (LeSean Howard, Winfred Walton) had it not been for Etan and J. Hart, who still doesn't have a jumper by the way.

Rock didn't last long either. He left the team after just one season in Orange as well.

If anyone has any information about the whereabouts of either Mike or Rock Lloyd, please, let everyone know. It's imperitive to find out if it's worth recruiting anyone named Lloyd again or not.

One final note. Arkansas went to the Championship game in '95. Maybe its a good thing Moten called a time out with none left. I may not be here if they went on to lose two title games in a row ('95 to UCLA and '96 to the NBA's Kentucky Wildcats). Man they were loaded. Ouch. Sorry, I'll try never to bring that up again.

Leaving for all that Greene?

2008-02-09T23:26:00.000-05:00

It's probably, no, it's definitely too early to ask. But, being in the rush I am to get to next season, I thought it would be constructive. And before you get on my back harder than Doug Nottlieb on Jimmy B's, let me say I'm not giving up on this season. Three to four more wins and I think this team is in great shape to make the tourney. I just want a healthy team. The team we all know could be on the floor if it weren't for Canada and the state of Tennessee. But, I polled the bleeding readers, and it's pretty much split right down the middle. Donte is making it real hard to tell if we can start bragging about our 08-09 top-10 talent, or our 08-09 "imagine how good they would be if Greene weren't a Milwaukee Buck" team.

Personally, and what the hell do I know? I haven't played competitive basketball in months, the highest level I've played at is pick-up games against some D-III players, and my jumpshot only resembles Preston Shumpert's until it matters... his went in, mine don't. But, I have watched this team my whole life. I've watched NBA talent come in and out of the Dome over the past couple decades. Greene is one of the best (ESPN's Pat Forde currently has him ranked #6 on a mock draft board), but I think another year in school will do him, and his game, A LOT of good. Plus, and call me selfish, I want another NCAA title. Here's my take on D.Greene.

First, he's got a great shot for his size. An unbelieveable shot. But he relies on it too much. He's got some moves in the low-post, and what appears to be a great face-you-up or fade-away jumper. He can score in a variety of ways, but he often is too busy doing an imitation of J.J. Redick.

Second, he's a rather poor rebounder for his size. There's only one player I've seen at Syracuse that was as purely talented as Greene is, more so in fact, and his name is Carmelo Anthony (pause here for common recollections of nets being cut down and trophies being hoisted). Melo was great for many reasons. Besides the fact he could pretty much score at will, he also pretty much got rebounds at will. We all remember the road win that year at ND where Melo got the winning tip-in. A lot of his greatness was his work on the glass. Melo averaged 10 boards a game, and he was 6'8". Greene is 6'11". Greene does have some excuses because of the zone D, but again, he should spend more time working the glass and less time watching from the perimeter.

He's not a great ball handler. It is tough to be one at his height, but ball handling doesn't necissarily mean bringing the ball up the floor. Most of the time it just means taking care of it. That can mean either not turning it over, or ensuring a good shot is being taken on offense.

His D is, for lack of a better term, weak. I see most of his motivation on the offensive side of the ball, he is often in foul trouble due to poor decisions or poor man-to-man fundamentals, and he's playing primarily zone. In the Association, he'll be manning up against guys like Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard. Gulp.

He's got to get stronger, with the ball and without it. He has to learn how to hold his ground on the low block, and how to power through defenders without drawing a charge call. He's long, lean, and can jump through the roof. A little more strength is the only thing missing from his impressive physical make-up. I mean that in a strictly, totally straight way.

This may seem like I'm bashing Donte's game a bit. Perhaps I am. But in the long run, 2-15 against UConn might have been the best thing for SU Hoops. His game is as good as anyone's who's come over the hill, through the dome, and off to the NBA (except Melo, of course). I want to see him stay because I want to see him improve. I want to see this team improve. But mostly, I want to see the entire team together, with everyone healthy and with everyone having a year of experience under their belt. Just imagine the possibilities....

The Wright Stuff... kinda

2008-02-08T19:08:00.000-05:00

To begin with, the poll has closed, and an amazing 13% of you readers miss the disservices of Josh Wright. It's amazing only because I thought that was a high percentage.

And Dougie has struck again. I wouldn't exactly say that I would put the 'cuse in the tournament if I were on the committee, but I certainly don't need Doug Gottlieb to answer the question for me. We all know his answer. It's like asking Bill Belicheat about spygate. Dougie's going to say three things, in no particular order, and not word for word, but that go something like this,

"Well, you can't fault Syracuse all the teams they've playe outside their conference suck."

"Devendorf would help, but remember, the committee won't take injuries into account."

"They can play their way in, but as of right now, they're out."

All of which translate into:

"I fucking hate Syracuse for no reason. I don't know their team that well. In fact, I hardly watch them. I'm paid to sit here and make what seem to be major decisions with no real knowledge or understanding of the teams... just of numbers that hardly ever really mean shit. I only do this cuz i missed out on my big break of being a hobbit in 'The Fellowship of the Ring.' WHAT DOES RPI STAND FOR?!"

Jay Bilas made a good point, citing that the Orange had only 1 win against the RPI top 50, while Indiana has 0. Also, as NunesMagician pointed out, the Orange are the only team IN THE NATION not to play a team with an RPI of 200 or above (201, 202, etc.).

Finally, sorry blog readers (all six of you), but I never got to blogging about this year's football recruiting class. I wanted to, and I know it's important, but I don't want to get my hopes up. I think all us SU fans can understand why. Besides, I don't like getting too hyped about high school athletes going to D-1 schools. We never really know how good most of them are going to be until they're playing against better competition than 17 year old pizza-faced, grocery baggers.

Case and point--------:

FUConn!

2008-02-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

...as if it wasn't bad enough the Orange have lost to the top two teams in the Big East by a combined score of 4 points, now I have to listen to Dicky V's duke-enduced boner hit his microphone for the next two hours. Plus, the team that shouldn't be in our conference (ND, but you knew that), and Harangoonie are waxing the Hall by 25. Translation, people are gonna see they beat an average team and think they're good, that SU lost to a legitimate team at home and say they still haven't beaten anyone, but then forget because the stupidest-looking point guard in the nation is leading the Dookies against the most dominant big-man to ever play without any shoulders and his tar-heels. FUCK! If the Giant's hadn't won the Super Bowl the bottle of wine i'm drinking would be more than half gone already!

There's really no story to the SU game... oh, except for Donte going John Starks with a 2-15 performance. But though they lost, they played pretty well because of...

-only 8 turnovers
-shot 78% from the line

these stats usually mean wins. Unless you also do this...

-1-8 shooting by Greene behind the 3-pt. line
-37% shooting
-critical mistakes in the final 2 minutes
-0, zero, nada, none, zilch bench points

First, no one is going to beat a top-25 team with 2 guys (Harris and Flynn) scoring 72% of your points. Yes, I like to be exact, and yes, John Wallace called and he thinks that stat is fake, but it's not. Second, there is no reason for Kris O. to foul Craig Austrie (89% FT shooter) with 1:11 left while down by four. It's my personal opinion that if you can't get a stop there, you at least have to foul someone else. Third, not getting the defensive rebound in the final 5 seconds hurt... a lot. But, if you think about it, unless Flynn got said rebound, there's little chance SU gets a quality shot anyways due to the fact they didn't have a timeout, cuz last time I checked, it's not 1984, Pearl Washington wasn't out there, and we weren't playing Boston College. For those of you that don't understand the reference... here in paragraph 3

To make things worse... Duke is up by 9 right now. I fucking hate both these teams, especially because of all the souless, so-called college basketball fans surrounding me in WESTERN NEW YORK that are Duke fans because they hated getting made fun of in high school so they picked the team that won all the time, or that are UNC fans because of Michael Jordan (By the transitive property... ex: They hated getting made fun of in high school so they rooted for the Bulls in the NBA, so they are Jordan fans, making them North Carolina fans... even though they never saw MJ play there).

Visual Example- Man on the right. Future Example: Kid on the left

#19 UConn/Syracuse Preview

2008-02-06T13:10:00.000-05:00

This is a pretty big one. If the Orange can grab a win at home from the Huskies they'll be in pretty good shape headed down the tough stretch they've got left. UConn is on a roll, possibly one of the best rolls in the country. In their five game winning streak they've spanked Marquette (why are they still ranked 16? Last couple times i've watched them they've gotten absolutely housed), gotten a huge road win at Indiana (then ranked 8), and defeated very good teams Louisville and Pittsburgh.

In the meantime, the Orange have pulled off three wins in a row, two being on the road, and they've actually looked more and more impressive each game. Arguably, they are playing their best basketball of the season so far.

Having said all that, I personally like this match up. Syracuse looks like one team that shouldn't be outmuscled by UConn's size and physical play. Arguably, the Orange are a stronger team overall. AO matches up well with Thabeet. Greene can shoot over anybody Calhoun puts him up against. Flynn, in my mind, is just as good as A.J. Price. Kris O. is as Scrappy as Jeff Adrien, though not as athletic. And there isn't a guard in the country that is as strong as Paul Harris. I think SU is the best match up for UConn in all of the Big East.

UConn is not a great 3-point shooting team, so look for the game to game improving zone pretty much all night. They are, a great rebounding and defensive team, however. Also, the Huskies are a well balanced scoring team, with five players averaging double figures. On one last note, the Orange average 80 pts per... UConn, 79.

I'm taking the Orange in this one. With the home crowd and an across-the-board even matchup, I think the Orange get it done with a score like 85-77.

BIG KEYS:

(As always) Limit the turnovers

Stay out of foul trouble

Keep Thabeet off the boards

Jump out early... get the crowd into it

Utilize Donte Greene... UConn has no one that can really guard him

Finally, read this if you care a lot more about this than Dookie/The Carolina that cares about basketball.. Husky Manifesto

These just make this that much better...

2008-02-05T22:52:00.000-05:00

My Giants only win the Super Bowl 1 out of 14 seasons... so when they do I reserve the right to put the links to my favoite recently made T-Shirts on my blog... I'm betting that unless you're a Patriots fan, you'll enjoy these too...

Not all Pats fans are assholes... they can be dickheads too
Believe
Make History
Scandal
Not So Fast
A month and a half ago... NO... Now... I could see it
David Tyree has a T-Shirt
And my personal Favorite

And here's just the top five people I want to hear from concerning the Giants win:

5. Dallas Fan... It must hurt twice as much when your division rival won in the year you were allegedly supposed to be the only NFC contender
4. Philip Rivers... run your mouth now. Eli did what you couldn't (and no one belives he would have done it on two good knees).
3. Rodney Harrison... I just want to know if his old, slow ass has enough 'roids to get him through next season
2. T.O. ... Has he choked on his popcorn yet?
1. Tiki Barber... And we all thought he was an asshole before the Giants won

Rivalry Week? Not as Much so for the Orange

2008-02-05T11:29:00.000-05:00

It's ESPN's rivalry week in college basketball. I've already watched Louisville v. Marquette, Kansas v. Missouri, and even Gonzaga v. St. Mary's (St. Mary's being ranked is a joke by the way... they've been rolled by any viable opponent they've played... no, i'm not counting Oregon as a viable opponent).

But every year I take a look at the Rivalry Week schedule. I scroll down until I see "Syracuse" and then over to see their opponent. And every year I'm disappointed. Every year I see "UConn" instead of "Georgetown" next to my beloved Orange.

And while UConn is a great opponent as well as a great team... they are NOT Georgetown. It's sad that just because Georgetown had a few down years, or because the Universitys aren't very close to each other at all, casual college basketball fans started considering UConn our common sense opponent during "Rivalry Week."

SU/UConn has Boeheim/Calhoun. Its got the back to back titles in 03/04. Its got Melo/Emeka. and who could forget when UConn was no. 1 and (all rise) Gerry put the Orange back and crushed the no. 1 out of the Huskies. But what was a bigger win?... the next one...

this one---------------------------------------->

Nope. UConn/Syracuse will never be Syracuse/Georgetown. Syracuse/Georgetown shaped the Big East Conference. Arguably, (look it up, if you can) their rivalry helped to push college basketball to the forefront of network sportscasting. The battles between Ewing and the Orange and "The Pearl" and the Hoyas are the building blocks of what is still, in my mind, the most competitive and exciting conference in the country.

"The Georgetown-Syracuse rivalry is something that is synonymous with the Big East. The specialness of that game was ingrained in me growing up." -- John Thompson III

Duke didn't stop hating North Carolina because NC had a few down years. And it never matters whether or not Ohio St. or Michigan are any good in a given year. They still hate each other. They still could each win on any given night in those rivalries just because of the mass hatred built upon each heartbreaking loss or nerverecking victory. Hell, Kansas beat the ever-livin' outta Mizzou last night and no one at ESPN is switching KU's biggest rival to Kansas State.

As John Thompson III put it after being asked why beating Syracuse was a bigger win than beating then top-ten ranked Duke a few years back, he said, "Because it was Syracuse."

And last year, the win on senior day would have been this special...

...no matter what G'town was ranked.

Rivalries are historic. They don't change because one team succeeds and the other fails. They aren't started because the coaches are battling each other for spot after spot on the all-time division-1 win list, or because one coach builds a team that can challenge the other's historical precense within the conference. And they certainly aren't created by network television stations. Nope, argue all you want. Believe what you want. But it won't be rivalry week for this Orange fan until Georgetown comes to town.

18-1! (Thanks largely in part to an SU Orange)

2008-02-04T00:44:00.000-05:00

I never admitted this on the blog (0nly been four posts), but I'm a Giants fan... I've been my whole life really... not a joke,

Hey... Red Sox fan, Celtics fan, or (especially) Patriots fan... I bleed Orange... but Blue and Red aren't far from my heart. And who scored a TD in Super Bowl XLII?... David Tyree did, that's who....

And where did he go to college?...

You know where...

Hall Done Monk-eying Around

2008-02-03T11:52:00.000-05:00

Art Monk is finally in the hall of fame. The 8-year wait is over. And he deserves it.

Washington Post Story

Monk truely had a great NFL career. Some highlights were:

183 Straight games with a reception (2nd to Jerry Rice)
Led the league in receptions (106) in 1984
3 Pro Bowl Selections '84, '85, '86
Redskins all-time leader in Receiving Yards
12721 Career Receiving Yards (12th all-time, more than Michael Irvin)
940 Career Receptions (7th all-time)
68 Career Touchdowns
3 Super Bowl Championships ('82, '87, '91)

BIG win over 'Nova

2008-02-03T01:54:00.000-05:00

In the words of Will Farrell in Anchorman, “Don’t act like you’re not impressed!” I don’t want to say I was wrong just yet… well, YES I do, but I don’t want to jinx today’s performance by the undermanned Orange against Villanova at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Even though it came against a team that had lost three straight, including one at home to lowly Rutgers, the win Saturday afternoon was probably the most impressive for the Orange so far. Syracuse displayed far more maturity than they are supposed to have by answering 28

Villanova points in about the first 10 minutes with a 21-3 run that spoke volumes about how much the team had grown since a mere 3 days ago in an ugly win at DePaul.

Paul Harris, who I have been very critical of at times, came through big after turning it over 3 times in the first four minutes and managed to score 28 points and grab 7 rebounds. Donte Greene stepped up his rebounding, Flynn controlled the game very nicely, and the Orange did something wonderful that they can build on in their remaining games to come- they came back from a double-digit deficit, took the lead, and held onto it (for the most part) for the remainder of the contest. They also stepped up their defensive intensity after the first 10 minutes and held the Wildcats to only 45 points after allowing 28 within the first 10 minutes. Holding Scottie Reynolds to zero first half points was also a big key for the Orange. Scoop even got to make an appearance in his home city, though it was very brief.

My last commentary about the future of the Orange’s season did not express much confidence in the team. However, I will not sell them short on how absolutely amazing it is they are 6-4 in the conference after having roughly only six to seven real contributors available on a nightly basis. Not to mention one of their losses is to G’town on the road (in OT). Not too shabby. Its taken the collective great play of everyone involved to get the team to this point, and the maturation of players, especially Ongenaet, has provided us with a glimpse of how special this team would be with Rautins and Devendorf, how determined it is to be successful despite not having them, as well as how special they could be next year (especially if Greene decides to stick around… crossed fingers… but doubtful). I AM very impressed.

Post Standard Box Score Here
Hightlights Here
Syracuse.com reactions Here

Key Stats: Syracuse Outrebounded Villanova by 12. The Orange also shot 21 more free throws than the Wildcats.

Nova Reaction Here

The Orange gets a 4-day rest before UConn visits the Dome on Wednesday, Feb. 6th. UConn has won five straight, including wins over then 8th ranked Indiana, Louisville, and 21st ranked Pitt (Saturday).

@Nova Preview

2008-02-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here's a game preview for the Nova game on Saturday Feb. 2. And here's hoping it's not a repeat of the game a few weeks ago... afterall, it is on GROUNDHOG'S DAY!!!!

Shooting Breakdown-

FG% : Orange: 49% Nova: 44% Advantage: Orange

FT% I don't even need to look.... Advantage: Nova

3Pt Orange: 34% Nova: 35% Advantage: Push

Syracuse holds a few distinct advantages in this game. They are a better shooting team overall, for one. Secondly, Syracuse has a rather big size advantage over the Wildcats.

The Orange also have four guys that can really score the ball and that average over 12 pts. per game (Harris, Flynn, Greene, and AO). Nova has one in Scottie Reynolds. SU is currently playing, dare I say, better, having won their last two while Nova has lost their last three. Nova's last win was against the Orange.

Nova has a few advantages of their own. They have homecourt and they have a much deeper bench.

Background stories to think about:

Scoop doesn't get to play in front of his hometown crowd. Rick Jackson does.

Jay Wright is the best dressed coach in College Basketball.

Syracuse actually has an advantage by not playing in the Pavilion on Nova's campus. Small, crowded, hostile environments can be brutal and scary to young teams such as the Orange.

SU Keys to Victory:
Stay out of foul trouble (this will be a re-occuring theme)
Utilize size and go inside
Don't let Scottie Reynolds beat you... make their other, inconsistent players do it

Prediction: Orange-66 Nova-68
I hate picking against the Orange, but their depth problems will be too much to overcome against a team in DESPERATE need of a win.

Here's the best Nova blog in my mind... hopefully they give us a preview from their perspective...... I Bleed Blue and White

Orange Squeeze

2008-02-01T12:12:00.000-05:00

I hate to say it... but the Orange are in trouble.

Yes, the Orange beat DePaul and got their first Big East Road victory.
Yes, they are also three Onuaku made free throws in OT from being one half game out of first place in the conference.
Yes, they've done all this with seven/eight scholarship players (Which is nothing short of amazing I might add).
And yes, they are missing arguably their two best outside threats to matching knee injuries.

But I dred the Rollercoaster ride might be coming to an end and the free-fall may be starting for the Orange (I'm not negative-nancy, I'm a realist). And here are a few reasons why...

One... Out of the 16 teams in the conference, Syracuse, dispite having played Georgetown on the road, have played against the 16th ranked in conference schedule. That means Syracuse has played the easiest Big East schedule to date, and they've managed a 5-4 record (amazing considering their lack of depth. But think about it, the other than G'town, Syracuse hasn't really played a significant BE team on the road.

Two... with the injuries, departures, and suspensions of virtually all their guards, Paul Harris will be forced to handle the ball more.... and if you watched the DePaul game you know that is absolutely NOT a good thing

Three... I'm scared Donte is gonna stop caring. He's leaving, and I think it's safe to say at this point he knows it and us fans have to come to the realization if the Orange don't start reeling off some W's, Greene is gonna start looking to, excuse the play on words, $Greener$ pastures, if you know what I mean. Although I did see him dive for a loose ball the other night for the first time ever. My point is, Greene has been looking out for his draft status all year, and if he helps the team win once and a while, its an added bonus for him. I'm not tryin to bash the guy, but his lazy effort on defense and the fact that he's 6'11" and averages nowhere near 10 rebounds a game should tell us all something about his hustle, and who's best interest he has in mind first. He's a top 10 draft pick right now, and I don't see him as the kind of guy who wants to stick around and do two more semesters worth of exams and paper writing.

Four... Super Jonny is gonna get tired. The kid plays 40 mins. a night and a whole season of that is gonna wear on him.

Five... Free throws. They win and lose close games... we've been dealing with it for years, and it's not a particular strength of this team.

Six.... @Nova, UConn, G'town, @L'ville, @ND, Pitt, Marquette. Those are seven of 'cuse's last nine games... good bleeping luck getting THREE wins outta those seven. The other two are road games @USF and @Seton Hall... and road wins in conference are hard to come by with seven scholarship players and a lack of experience.

Bottom Line: Don't be surprised if the orange struggle to get 18 wins. I don't wanna look at it that way, but with injuries, stolen food cards, and Paul Harris playing guard... it might be better to face the music now rather than later.