sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,271
- Like
- 109,127
Welcome to Slinky Day!
The Slinky was originally designed and sold in the 1940s. The inventor had accidentally knocked a spring off the shelf, and watched it ‘walk’ down a series of books, to a tabletop, and then to the floor where it neatly coiled itself. The creator, Richard James, had gone home to his wife Betty and said “I think if I got the right property of steel and the right tension, I could make it walk. “ It took the better part of a year, but he had done it. Making 400 Slinky units with a five hundred dollar loan, James and his wife had founded a company to make, and sell, this unique toy to the masses. With a dollar for a price tag, they were interesting, but not really a hit. Until the fateful day, that they were granted permission to set up an inclined plane in the toy section of Gimbles Department Store. Within ninety minutes, they had sold all 400 of the units, with more being requested. Only a year later, the Slinky was introduced at the American Toy Fair, the largest gathering of businesses that produce, and market, toys to various stores.
Since then, the Slinky has been marketed around the world, with both plastic and metal finding placement around the world in various forms. During the Vietnam War, United States troops used them as mobile radio antennas, as have amateur radio operators ever since. NASA uses them in experiments on Space Shuttles, and teachers use them to simulate the properties of oscillation in waves.
SU News
THE CHOICE IS YOURS: Run-pass option plays key role in Dino Babers' Baylor-style offense (DO; Libonati)
Read Part 1 of the Babers Offense Series here.
Nine plays, 24 yards and 3 minutes 22 seconds handling the ball yielded nothing. Dino Babers’ Bowling Green squad was faltering against Northern Illinois in the early going of last season’s Middle Atlantic Conference Championship Game.
Babers, Sean Lewis and Mike Lynch turned the game around on one play call. And then they called it again, again and again. At least 50 times they called the same style of play. They called it so much that Mack Brown and Dave Flemming, who broadcast the game for ESPN, noted how it was burning NIU. They mistook it solely for what they saw most of the time — an inside run out of shotgun.
But it was so much more.
The Falcons broke the game open during their third drive by running a run-pass option (RPO) play, also called a packaged play. It gives the offense the option to run or pass on the same play. BGSU ran an RPO play 8-of-10 times on the drive.
It was probably the first play they taught us when they got here.Ronnie Moore
The possession took 2 minutes 40 seconds, the Falcons sped 70 yards in 10 plays and the drive ended with a 4-yard run for a touchdown.
“Babers was the first time we really ran run-pass combinations like a lot,” said Ronnie Moore, a Bowling Green wide receiver. “That was our base play: run-pass combination.”
“It was probably the first play they taught us when they got here,” Moore added later.
Expect to see it in heavy doses in the Carrier Dome. An offense using RPO can make it so the defense chooses wrong on nearly every play. Babers picked up the Baylor-style offense when he coached with Art Briles at Baylor. The RPO concept was added to the offense while Briles was at Stephenville (Texas) High School.
...
Defense — 2016 Syracuse Football preview - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
With Syracuse less than a week away from kickoff, The Juice Online will be doing its annual week-long football preview. Check back in tomorrow as Jim Stechschulte previews special teams.
Just like the offense, the defense is undergoing a schematic change. Unlike the offense, the defense will be shifting to a less aggressive scheme. Under Scott Shafer, the defense was aimed at putting pressure on the opposition, looking to force them into mistakes. The new staff is employing the “Tampa-2” defense, a more zone-reliant defense aimed at limiting big plays by keeping everything in front of them.
That different style is also aimed at forcing mistakes, but in a different way. The old defense tried to get pressure on the quarterback and force mistakes directly. In contrast, the new defense is one where it tries to make the opponent string together long drives and execute repeatedly in order to move the ball down the field. The “Tampa-2” also aims to get pressure on the opposing quarterback by rushing four linemen, occasionally mixing in blitzes. The previous defense relied on pressure from all angles, putting the cornerbacks in man-to-man situations.
In addition to needing strong pass rush from the defensive line, the new defense ideally has some different personnel features. In the back seven, players who are taller and longer are ideal. All three linebackers, particularly the middle linebacker, should be fleet of foot to drop into coverage zones. They should also be bigger than the ones preferred under the previous coaching staff, who seemed to value speed over size among their linebackers.
...
Syracuse ranks first in Princeton Review's 'Students Pack the Stadium' category (PS; Carlson)
The Syracuse students will have some work to do on Friday night if they want to live up to the school's new (and undeserved) reputation.
The Princeton Review rolled out its annual ranking of colleges in a variety of categories and Syracuse students ranked first in the "Students Pack the Stadium" category.
For those accustomed to annually seeing silver bleachers where Syracuse traditionally sits its students during football games, or complaints that noon games are too early to ask students to shake off their hangovers, this ranking may come as a surprise.
Otto's Army, the student-run fan support group, has made noble efforts in recent years. Administrators, meanwhile, have occasionally taken to offering free admission to students, which should tell you something about the demand.
The explanation is likely that the Princeton Review's rankings aren't actually based on data or facts about student attendance, but instead reflect the perception of popularity.
The review describes its methodology like this: "Both lists are based on students' answers to the survey question: 'How popular are intercollegiate sports at your school?' "
So Syracuse students think sports are popular on campus. And for this, Syracuse certainly has Jim Boeheim's basketball program to thank.
...
Syracuse Football: Our goal is to be a premiere program in the North East (itlh; Esden Jr)
New head coach, Dino Babers embraces the challenge that Syracuse football presents. His goal is to be the premiere program in the North East.
Over the last 11 years, the Syracuse football team has had four different head coaches including Dino Babers. In that same time period, the Orange have only had three bowl appearances (all wins).
Continuity and Syracuse football rarely go hand-in-hand, but that’s the goal for Babers heading into his rookie season. Although he’s far from a rookie in terms of his experience.
Babers has had head coaching stints in Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green, appearing in bowls/playoffs every year. To bring that championship mentality to Central New York is going to take time.
He spoke about laying down the foundation for sustained success over the last several weeks. Babers knows this program has issues and he’s embracing the challenge.
Syracuse football hasn’t been “one of the premiere programs in the North East” since the Donovan McNabb days. For Syracuse to become a premiere program with that schedule won’t be easy.
The ACC conference is unforgiving, but perhaps the constant challenge of the Clemsons and Florida States of the world could keep Syracuse strong. They have all the pieces in place to make a turnaround.
...
FSU Football 2016 Preseason Preview: Game 11 at Syracuse (chopchat.com; Parker)
As we get closer and closer to the 2016 season kicking off in the world of college football, FSU football is preparing for their spot as one of the teams that will compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff when the regular season is over. The Seminoles will have their work cut out for them, with eight games against teams that went to bowl games in 2015 (including six of their first eight opponents) as well as one team that made a run in the FCS playoffs last season.
While it starts and ends with SEC opponents in the Sunshine State (two of the nine games being played in the state of Florida this season for FSU football), there are plenty of challenges in between and potential road blocks that could keep the ‘Noles from winning the fourth national title in program history.
How will the ‘Noles fare this season when they take the field for the 12 games currently on their schedule? Is there a team that will come out on top and keep FSU football from being perfect in a season of such hope? Here’s our look at how the Seminoles will do in the regular season in 2016.
Game Eleven – at Syracuse (November 19th)
Series Record: Florida State leads 8-1
For the third and final time in the regular season, the ‘Noles are on the road as the conclude ACC play with one of the league’s newer members. Since joining the conference, the Orange hasn’t been much of a problem for FSU football, but by this point on the schedule anything is possible and no one can be over looked.
With new head coach Dino Babers bringing in a high powered, fast paced offense into Western New York, it is going to take a while for the team to get adjusted to something different. A good sign is that quarterback Eric Dungey and wide receiver Eric Ishmael are the type of players you want for it…but the offensive line’s lack of depth and experience will keep things interesting this season.
...
Syracuse football depth chart: LT Cody Conway, DE Kendall Coleman among notable starters (newyorkupstate.com; Bailey)
Syracuse football released its Week 1 depth chart late Monday morning. Here's a quick breakdown of what you need to know from the two-deep:
Offense
- Sophomore Cody Conway jumped redshirt senior Michael Lasker for the starting left tackle job. Conway was viewed as the left tackle of the future by the old staff, and it appears his camp performance has earned him similar recognition from Dino Babers and Co.
- Redshirt senior wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo has won the starting outside receiver gig opposite junior Steve Ishmael. Etta-Tawo, a Maryland graduate transfer, beat out redshirt senior Alvin Cornelius and junior Jamal Custis.
- Sophomore running back Dontae Strickland staved off classmate Jordan Fredericks for the No. 1 running back spot.
- Junior quarterback Zack Mahoney held onto the backup quarterback spot.
- Senior Cam MacPherson beat out redshirt senior Josh Parris for the starting tight end job.
- Freshman offensive lineman Sam Heckel finished camp as the second-team center, though it's worth noting redshirt freshmen Evan Adams and Colin Byrne also saw time in the middle. Adams, who started camp at tackle, is now working behind Omari Palmer at right guard.
Other
Syracuse Chiefs' attendance increases, but long-term prognosis remains unclear (PS; Kramer)
The Syracuse Chiefs opened their 2016 "home'' season April 8 playing a doubleheader in front of no fans.
This wasn't one those gloomy, frosty nights at NBT Bank Stadium where a couple hundred hardy souls show up and a little exaggeration is used by saying no one was there.
This was two games at Lehigh Valley that counted as a Chiefs home opening because wet conditions made NBT unplayable for the first homestand. Lehigh Valley's park was still not fully fan-ready, so while the teams were allowed to play spectators were not let in.
It was an odd and eerie opener, but at least from there the picture got a little sunnier for Syracuse at the gate.
The Chiefs played their final home game of the season on Monday night against Pawtucket, a 9-3 loss. With 66 openings in the books, Syracuse averaged 4,157 fans per game (including the zero factored in for the Lehigh Valley opener). Among all International and Pacific Coast League teams, only the IL's Gwinnett (currently 3,289) and the PCL's Colorado (4,155) are doing worse.
The bright spot is that the Chiefs figure represents a second straight season of improvement in attendance in Jason Smorol's three-year tenure as general manager. Syracuse averaged 3,803 in 2015 and 3,743 in 2014.
"I am happy with it. I'm very happy we are where we are,'' Smorol said. "That's a really good number. I'm very proud of the staff for that.''
But is it enough to signal that the Chiefs remain pointed toward a more secure financial future?
...
