sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Chocolate Day!
Chocolate Day celebrates chocolate, the sweet treat that is made from the cocoa bean. The holiday takes place on what some accounts say is the anniversary of when chocolate was introduced in Europe, in 1550. There are various chocolate days throughout the year, and this one is also commonly known as World Chocolate Day, and sometimes as International Chocolate Day.
Chocolate comes from a bean called Theobroma cacao. The word "chocolate" itself comes from the Spanish, and it stems from the Aztec word xocolatl, which means "bitter water". The Aztecs pounded the cacao beans and drank them without adding any sugar, and they thought the beans came from the gods. Indeed, Theobroma means "food of the gods". Cocoa beans are about 50% "cocoa butter" and 50% "chocolate liquor". Hernando Cortés brought cocoa beans back to Spain, and a chocolate drink that included sugar became popular right away. This seems to contradict the accounts that say chocolate wasn't introduced in Europe until 1550. The word "chocolate" first appeared in print, in England, in 1604.
SU News
Trend Analysis: Syracuse Football Recruiting (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football recruiting. What has it looked like over the last five cycles? We decided to look at the positional and locational trending, but combining the last five full recruiting cycles (2017 through 2021) to see which positions the Orange targets the most and which states have been the most fruitful.
Note: The percentages listed below are out of the total number of players Syracuse has signed during the five recruiting cycles from 2017 to 2021.
BY POSITION
| Position | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Defensive Line | 17.86% |
| Offensive Line | 16.07% |
| Linebacker | 16.07% |
| Wide Receiver | 13.39% |
| Safety | 9.82% |
| Cornerback | 7.14% |
| Running Back | 7.14% |
| Tight End | 6.25% |
| Quarterback | 5.36% |
| Kicker/Punter | 0.90% |
BY LOCATION
| Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Florida | 17.85% |
| New York | 7.14% |
| New Jersey | 7.14% |
| Pennsylvania | 6.25% |
| Canada | 5.36% |
| Georgia | 5.36% |
| North Carolina | 5.36% |
| South Carolina | 4.46% |
| Texas | 4.46% |
| Washington DC | 4.46% |
| Connecticut | 3.57% |
| Michigan | 3.57% |
| Illinois | 2.68% |
Petco Park in San Diego. Photo Credit: Bernard Gagnon.
Orange Watch: 2021 Syracuse football's MLB stadium bowl possiblities - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
Item: Joining the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, the ACC has two other bowl affiliations at Major League Baseball parks this upcoming season, one of which would provide a return home for Dino Babers.
The first order of business in the critical sixth season at the helm for Babers is a winning season. That will take care of bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018, lower the temperature of the hot seat for the coaching staff, and reward the players and fans following last year’s 1-10 debacle.
In the always competitive ACC, a couple of wins is all the difference between the six Tier One bowls, and the four Tier Two games.
Here’s a look at the 2021 conference bowl lineup:
College Football Playoffs – It’s a season in which Miami Garden’s Orange Bowl hosts one of the national semifinal games, meaning if the ACC championship game winner doesn’t qualify for the four-team CFP, it likely has to settle for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta or the Fiesta Bowl in suburban Phoenix. Neither are a bad consolation prize. The other semi-final site is the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Tex., with the national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Tier One ACC Bowl Games – As in Syracuse’s successful 2018 campaign with an 9-3 regular season record and Top 15 ranking, the team after the league titlist is slated to play in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando against a Big 12 team. Joining the Pinstripe Bowl on the Tier One list is the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, which moves to Petco Park, the Padres home stadium, along with a major renovation project to ensure that a football field fits into the dimensions of an asymmetrical baseball field.
Babers grew up in San Diego in a military family in that military-based city, before heading to Hawaii to play his college football. How ironic would it be if in a season in which all eyes will be on the program to get back to postseason play, that success occurs in his hometown?
To get there, the ‘Cuse would likely have to finish no worse than 8-4 for a trip west to meet a Pac 12 opponent.
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Syracuse football recruiting: 3-star South Carolina DL DJ Jackson releases Top 6 (247sports.com; Bailey)
Class of 2022 defensive lineman DJ Jackson included Syracuse football in his Top 6 on Sunday. A 6-foot-2, 270-pound rising senior at Sumter High School in South Carolina, Jackson took an official visit to Central New York in June. He's also considering South Carolina, North Carolina State, Coastal Carolina, Charlotte and Appalachian State.
Jackson spoke with SyracuseOn247 two weeks ago, recapping his weekend on campus and expanding on his recruitment. He's since taken an official visit to CCU with trips to NC State (July 25) and South Carolina (July 31) scheduled for the future.
"After my time at Syracuse, it really bumped them up on my list," Jackson said previously. "Great environment and people."
Jackson is rated three stars and the No. 149 defensive lineman this cycle by the 247Sports Composite. Three 247Sports crystal balls project him to stay in-state with the Gamecocks, which extended him a scholarship opportunity after he camped in Columbia on June 3.
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Disturbing Statistics in The Athletic’s ‘State of the Program’ Article – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Eads)
Dino Babers and Syracuse need a winning season or at least a competitive season in the worst way this fall. The Orange have won just six games over the last two campaigns and have started to lose the respect that was gained after 2018’s 10-3 surprise.
For those looking for reasons to be optimistic, the Fizz suggests you don’t go out to the nearest Walmart and purchase any of the preview content in the magazine section. The high profile publications have really let SU have it, and the quotes regarding the program are frightening.
Over at The Athletic, there are daily releases which hone in on one football team per day and paint the picture of where the program is at from a bird’s eye perspective. Typically, each beat reporter for the respected college team will write a brief synopsis regarding where the team is at, what the personnel looks like, and what the over outlook of the program is.
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Late Kick: Biggest swing games for ACC in 2021 (247sports.com; Kosko)
The ACC is going to be very interesting in 2021. Sure, Clemson is the big favorite again, but as good as DJ Uiagalelei is, he’s not Trevor Lawrence. Thus, that opens the door for other teams this season.
North Carolina and Miami are hot on the Tigers’ trail, but they do have to play each other without playing Clemson. Others like Florida State are intriguing squads that could throw a wrench into everyone’s plans.
247Sports Late Kick host Josh Pate broke down the biggest swing games in the ACC this year. All of these contests will go towards determining the final outcome of each team’s season and whether or not they can contend for a bowl game, the ACC title or even the College Football Playoff.
Without further ado, let’s dive into Pate’s selections for the games to circle on the ACC calendar, which he broke down on Late Kick.
BOSTON COLLEGE - VS. MISSOURI, SEPTEMBER 25TH
(Photo: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, 247Sports)
“I picked the Missouri game so not a conference game, but I picked that as their swing game in week four, because that is the start of a stretch of games where they're all going to be either very very short underdogs or very very short favorites,” Pate said. “Well, forget about the Clemson game aside from that one NC State Louisville Syracuse Virginia Tech Georgia Tech FSU Wake Forest. Those are all going to be competitive games….They'll probably be 3-0 when they play Missouri. Are they going to be an inflated 3-0 or are they gonna be a legit 3-0? That's the game that you'll find out.”
Boston College was a pleasant surprise in Jeff Hafley’s first season in 2020. Moving forward, they’ll be expected to improve, so a win over an SEC opponent can go a long way in 2021 as well as the projected future of the Eagles’ program.
LOUISVILLE - AT WAKE FOREST, OCTOBER 2ND
...Phil Steele's preseason ACC power rankings (247sports.com; Gates)
While the ACC has been thoroughly dominated by one team, the Clemson Tigers, over the past six seasons, there is some buzzing excitement over the coming season ahead. Whether their team is a true contender or a team that nobody sees coming this year, football is football and fans are always eager to follow their team’s journey through the season.
As is the case in most seasons, Clemson is the team that is expected to win the conference, and that is despite losing star quarterback Trevor Lawrence and replacing him with a rather inexperienced player in D.J. Uiagalelei. That’s how much talent is still in the program. But while Clemson might be the favorite, it isn’t an, “easy,” year for the Tigers.
North Carolina, with star quarterback Sam Howell, looks like a team that could give Clemson some problems this season and Miami is another team with some talent that could cause some issues in the ACC this year. It looks like it could be a fun and loaded season ahead. So how do the experts see this season shaking out in the conference?
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We have finally completed our game by game predictions for every ACC team and we now take a look at our projected conference standings and conference champion for the 2021 College Football season. Clemson is the heavy favorite in the Atlantic (and the ACC as a whole) but will the Coastal champion finally give the the Tigers a challenge in the ACC Title Game? We break it all down in our first conference recap of the season.
Miami Football players set to earn money with NIL Deal, American Top Team - ACCSports.com (accsports.com; Geisinger)
Miami football players will have the opportunity to make additional NIL money this year following a deal with American Top Team. According to a report from CaneSport.com, American Top Team — a training academy for MMA — has committed upwards of $540,000 in a deal that would pay Miami football players $500 per month to promote the gym through social media and personal appearances.
Currently, there are 90 football players on Miami’s roster. Those who choose to go for the deal will earn $500 per month, which translates to $6,000 per year. If all 90 players take the deal, this would equate out to that $540,000 total.
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GT Takeover Day 2021 on ACCN (RX; HM)
GT Takeover Day 2021 on ACCN
Georgia Tech ACCN takeover day
6:00 AM - ACC Women's Volleyball: Georgia Tech VS Florida State7:30 AM - ESPN College Football Primetime: Georgia Tech VS Louisville
10:30 AM - ACC Tournament Championship (MBB): Florida State VS Georgia Tech
12:30 PM - Women's College Basketball: Notre Dame VS Georgia Tech
2:00 PM - ACC College Baseball: Georgia Tech VS Louisville
--- repeat from early morning ---
5:00 PM - ACC Tournament Championship: Florida State VS Georgia Tech
7:00 PM - ESPN College Football Primetime: Georgia Tech VS Louisville
10:00 PM - ACC Women's Volleyball: Georgia Tech VS Florida State
11:30 PM - ACC College Baseball: Georgia Tech VS Louisville
--- after midnight ---
2:30 AM - Georgia Tech Football Spring Game
4:30 AM - Women's College Basketball: Notre Dame VS Georgia Tech
There are six athletic events involving the Yellow Jackets included in the 2021 takeover schedule, with five of them being shown twice; only the Spring football game is not rebroadcast. However, there is no studio show scheduled for Georgia Tech.
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State of Florida State Football (RX; HM)
State of Florida State Football
In honor of Florida State's ACCN takeover day...To say that Mike Norvell's first season didn't go as well as he'd hoped would be an understatement.
- Spring practice was canceled due to the pandemic.
- His first game was a home loss to Georgia Tech.
- The Noles were humiliated by rival Miami.
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2021 ACC FB Divisions - Balanced or not? (RX; HM)
2021 ACC FB Divisions - Balanced or not?
Three years ago, we took a look at the ACC's football divisions to see just how unbalanced they had become [LINK]. At that time, 6 of the top 8 teams were in the Atlantic division, while the Coastal division housed 5 of the bottom 6!Was the situation any better in the 2020 season? Let's take another look (note: I have removed Notre Dame from these standings since they were only temporary football members)...
| Atlantic | W-L | Coastal |
| Clemson | 10-2 | |
| 8-3 | Miami | |
| 8-4 | UNC | |
| NC State | 8-4 | |
| BC | 6-5 | |
| 6-5 | Pitt | |
| 5-6 | Va Tech | |
| 5-5 | UVa | |
| Wake Forest | 4-5 | |
| 3-7 | Ga Tech | |
| Louisville | 4-7 | |
| FSU | 3-6 | |
| 2-9 | Duke | |
| Syracuse | 1-10 |
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Links, news and rumors - 2021 July 7th (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 2021 July 7th
From ESPN's "College Football Playoff conference breakdown: Contenders, sleepers and more", here is the ACC-related section:ACC
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From Liverpool to LSU? Warriors football player is ‘shooting for the stars’ (6 questions) (PS; $; Kramer)
Near the start of last school year, Liverpool football coach Dave Mancuso checked in with senior defensive lineman Hahmier Williams-Borges to see how his college plans were progressing.
Williams-Borges said he was all good. He was all set to go to LSU to compete for a spot as a walk-on.
“I said, ‘It sounds like you have everything all worked out,’” Mancuso said. “He’s a real quiet kid. When he said that, it perplexed me.”
Mancuso admired Williams-Borges’ drive but, like pretty much everyone else who pays attention to these types of things, doesn’t see anyone off his team leaping to the SEC. Williams-Borges, an All-CNY player this season, tallied three sacks and six tackles for a loss this year.
“He’s a big kid (6-3, 215). The problem is that at LSU, they are real big,” Mancuso said. “He’s a driven kid. I don’t think he can play at LSU, but who knows? People do surprise you. I’m going to be his biggest cheerleader.”
Williams-Borges said he was originally an Alabama fan, and had preliminary contact with the coaching staff there. LSU then caught his eye, and the school’s academic offerings matched nicely with his intended major of industrial engineering with a minor in business administration.
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Other
The Drop Tower ride is one of the many attractions at the Scene75 Entertainment Center in a former Macy's store in the Mall at Tuttle Crossing in Dublin, Ohio.Scene75
8 ways Destiny USA might bounce back: Can laser mazes, musicals and doctors save a struggling mall? (PS; $; Moriarty)
Destiny USA, the largest mall in New York, has a ton of empty space.
The Syracuse shopping mall is the largest mall in New York and one of the largest in the country. But it has lost some of its largest stores, including Best Buy, Sports Authority and three of its four department stores (J.C. Penney, Lord & Taylor and Bon-Ton).
How can Destiny’s owners replace them?
Destiny’s operator, Pyramid Management Group, scored a win recently when Hobby Lobby, one of the largest arts-and-crafts retailers in the country, signed a lease to go into the mall in March 2022. And Destiny’s director of marketing, Nikita Jankowski, said the mall hopes to announce soon another new large tenant.
But traditional retailers are increasingly hard for malls to lure as e-tailers like Amazon grow and consumer preference shifts toward open-air shopping plazas.
Instead, mall operators around the country, hit by similar market forces, have gotten creative in finding new and different tenants.
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