sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Free 7-Eleven Slurpees are here just in time to fend off this summer's heat wave.
In honor of the convenience store chain's 96th birthday on Tuesday, 7-Eleven is giving everyone a free small Slurpee drink at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores that day. This is the 21st consecutive year of the giveaway promotion that has become a summer staple.
Here's a secret: You don't have to wait until Tuesday to get a freebie. You can get also get a free small Slurpees on Monday if you are a member of the 7Rewards or Speedy Rewards loyalty program. You can get it inside the the rewards apps (while supplies last).
SU News
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...journey-to-syracuse-was-anything-but-ordinary (SI; McAllister)
JJ Branham committed to Syracuse Monday night, but his journey to the power five program was anything but ordinary. Out of high school, Branham was a three star recruit with double digit offers. Including from power five institutions such as Boston College, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kentucky and Pittsburgh. Ultimately, he signed with Eastern Michigan as part of their 2019 recruiting class. After redshirting for one season, he elected to transfer.
Branham said he chose to transfer out of Eastern Michigan because it was not the right fit for him. That is when things took an unexpected turn. Other schools did not come calling which left him without a home. Literally.
"I was homeless for a couple months," Branham said. "I got a job and got an apartment after that. My first job was at a discount store called Rose's."
That was the beginning of a period where Branham was out of football for two years during which he worked various jobs. He did not play during the 2020 season nor the 2021 campaign. That was when he felt he was at his lowest point until answered prayers changed his life's direction.
"January of 2022 I got in touch with Blinn," Branham said. "One day I was watching my highlights with my friends and I literally busted out crying because I knew I was at one point in my life then and now I was at the lowest. I talked to God that night and prayed, went to sleep crying. He told me to make another Twitter so I made a Twitter. The first team I hit up was Blinn College. They were the first one to hit me back.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/recruiting/juco-running-back-jj-branham-commits-to-syracuse (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football has landed junior college running back JJ Branham. Branham, who will join the Orange for the upcoming 2023 season, announced the decision on social media Monday night. Branham ran for 648 yards on 107 carries (6.1 yards per carry) with seven touchdowns last season at Blinn College. Blinn is considered one of the best junior college programs in the country. He was named to the All Southwest Junior College Football Conference First Team in 2022.
Branham, listed at 5-10, 205 pounds, played at Northland High School in Columbus (OH) and was originally part of the 2019 recruiting class. He signed with Eastern Michigan in the 2019 cycle over offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kentucky, Pittsburgh and others. Branham redshirted during the 2019 season before transferring out. He gets the covid year of 2020 to provide another year of eligibility. That leaves him with two years to play two at Syracuse.
The Orange's running back situation entering the 2023 season is far from secure. With the ongoing situation involving LeQuint Allen, leaving him currently suspended and suing the school to get reinstated, Syracuse has added some insurance in the talented Branham.
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Where do Syracuse and the ACC fit into conference realignment? (ornagefizz.net; Aitken)
Every Power Five conference has been changing as of late. Well, except for the ACC.
The Big 12 just added four new schools this summer, Texas and Oklahoma are headed to the SEC next year, and UCLA and USC are making the jump from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten. But the 15 ACC schools have stuck together through an era of heavy conference realignment in college sports.
However, even though change hasn’t happened yet, there have certainly been concerns about the future of the ACC. During this year’s conference meetings in May, news broke that a group of schools dubbed “The Magnificent 7” had formed.
The group is a collection of seven schools in the ACC: Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. They’ve been exploring possible ways to get a higher payout from the conference, and reportedly have also looked into whether or not the current conference contract could be broken before it ends in 2036.
With the meeting wrapped up, it seems as though the dust has settled for now. No path to breaking the Grant of Rights has materialized, and Florida State athletic director Michael Alford has even said “The ADs and the universities are very unified.”
For the time being, the ACC has held onto all 15 of its teams, and that’s good for SU. Syracuse would be put in a very tough spot if conference realignment results in teams leaving the ACC.
It’s clear that SU is on the outside looking in. Most of “The Magnificent 7” schools have a bigger football brand than Syracuse in the modern era, and have a much easier path towards getting an invitation to the SEC or Big Ten, the two biggest conferences in college sports.
So what are Syracuse’s options if (and that’s a big if) the ACC as we know it ceases to exist?
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Syracuse football: Three areas the offense can improve in 2023 (TNIAAM; Wall)
While Syracuse Orange football fans worry about the 2023 Orange offense, a look back show some candidates for improvement. The status of Garrett Shrader, LeQuint Allen, and the state of the offensive line may be unknown right now, but let’s take a look at some ways the Orange could be more efficient with the ball this Fall.
The cfb-graphs.com website contains a lot of data which looks at Expected Points Added (EPA), which is a metric used “to calculate the added point value of every play.” To put it simply, it’s a measure of an offense’s explosiveness. The Orange ranked 90th in EPA on offense in 2022 and when you can’t create explosive plays, it means you need to grind out scoring drives. This works when you have a talent advantage, but if you want to knock off better teams, you’d better be able to hit some big plays.
Here’s three areas where we’ll be looking to see Jason Beck’s offense improve in 2023
Yards before contact
No matter who takes a hand-off (or for designed Shrader runs), it’s important that the Orange offensive line does a better job of creating initial holes. Yes, Syracuse loses Matthew Bergeron but injuries last year meant this group lacked continuity. Even if individual talent is down, cohesiveness and play-calling could create better situations for this group to allow the backs to enter the 2nd level more often.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/syracuse-2023-training-camp-position-preview-tight-end (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football is expected to kick off training camp in the next month or so with the season less than two months away. All Syracuse continues its series previewing each position headed into training camp with the tight end position.
PREVIOUS POSITION PREVIEWS
Quarterback
Running Back
WHAT WE KNOW
Oronde Gadsden. Gadsden is going to start at tight end and be a focal point of the offense. Just as he was last season. He is more of a wide receiver than a tight end in terms of skill set and frame, but is listed as tight end by Syracuse. Gadsden lines up as a split out tight end where he creates matchup problems. Too big for a defensive back, too fast for a linebacker. Last season, Gadsden had 61 catches for 969 yards and six touchdowns.
WHAT WE DON'T
Who else? Behind Gadsden there are a bunch of question marks. Max Mang is the only one with significant playing experience. He, however, is not a big receiving threat, though is a solid blocker. The other options, David Clement, Steven Mahar and Dan Villari, have not seen consistent action (Clement is a true freshman). Mahar and Villari have been in the program and are both athletic options with potential to be receiving threats.
BIGGEST CONCERN
No one emerges behind Gadsden. Having an option other than Gadsden to be a receiving threat from the tight end position would help with depth and giving Gadsden a rest. It also takes some pressure off of him. Gadsden is going to get a bulk of the snaps, but having another option would be beneficial.
BIGGEST STRENGTH
Gadsden is a matchup nightmare. Teams could not cover Gadsden last season without diverting extra attention to him. That opens things up for everyone else, including running lanes for quarterback Garrett Shrader. Simply put, Gadsden is one of the top matchup problems in the ACC and will be a major weapon for the Orange offense in 2023.
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #21, DB Bralyn Oliver (TNIAAM; Wall)
It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get ready for a critical season for the Orange.
Up next is….
Name: Bralyn Oliver
Position: Defensive Back
Year: Redshirt Sophomore
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 194 lbs
Hometown: Anderson, SC
High School/Previous College:: Hough (Louisville)
2022 stats: Oliver had five tackles in nine games last season. He saw time in the secondary and on special teams.
2023 projections: Syracuse has a lot of players competing for playing time in the defensive backfield and Oliver should be in the mix. The staff seems to like him at safety so he’ll likely be backing up the group of Justin Barron, Jason Simmons and Alijah Clark.
How’d he get here?: Oliver had committed to Oregon State in the transfer portal before flipping to Syracuse in December. Out of high school, he had offers from schools like Georgia, Florida, Florida State and Oklahoma.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Three stars all around. He was ranked as a top 50 player in North Carolina where he spent his senior year.
Money quote: Oliver’s ready to be a difference maker for the Orange defensive backfield.
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ACC News
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article277163973.html (newsobserver.com; podcast; Ovies & Giglio)
ESPN’s Wes Durham hangs out with Ovies while Giglio is on vacation. Perfect timing since we’ve officially entered college football “talking #szn.” It’s clear Clemson and Florida State are in position to be atop the ACC this upcoming season, but who will be fighting for the 3rd spot and potentially more? Wes and Joe seem to agree on who that’ll be. Meanwhile, the NBA announced their in-season tournament. It’s a good idea, but Ovies wishes it went a little more outside the box. It inspired a conversation about what the ACC could do to spice up their regular season by reimagining the ACC Tournament.
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https://www.si.com/fannation/colleg...tball-expansion-notre-dame-realignment-update (SI; Parks)
College football conference expansion and realignment is in the air once again, with around 10 percent of the FBS already making their moves official in time for the 2023 football season, with more to come next year, too. Where does that leave Notre Dame and its cherished independence?
According to athletic director Jack Swarbrick, it leaves the Irish right where they are, confirming in comments to On3 Sports that Notre Dame has every intention of staying independent in football going forward.
"There have been times when people thought giving [Notre Dame's independence] up was inevitable," he said. "I don't get that sense right now."
Notre Dame was a target
Ever since the Big Ten shocked the world and voted to add USC and UCLA in 2024, all eyes moved directly to Notre Dame, which was repeatedly connected to that conference by insiders and media speculation, owing to geography, football tradition, and the school's academic standards.But amid those rumors, three important factors seemed to be in Notre Dame's corner which allow the school to maintain its football independence: 1) its contract with NBC to show home football games; 2) the school's access to the College Football Playoff and bowl postseason; and 3) being otherwise able to avoid any unwanted financial consequences of not joining a conference.
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CBS Sports releases ACC head coach rankings ahead of 2023 college football season (on3.com; Smith)
With the college football season right around the corner just a few months away, CBS Sports ranked the top coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The ACC didn’t see many head coaching changes this offseason, with just two new additions to the conference. But nonetheless, many of college football’s best still reside in the ACC.
The ACC’s top-ranked coach likely won’t surprise many, as Dabo Swinney is fresh off of leading his Clemson Tigers to their eighth ACC title since he took over the program in 2009.
But after Swinney, there are a handful of potential surprises on the list, which can be fully seen below.
1. Dabo Swinney
Swinney’s run in the ACC conference is hard to deny, as he led the Tigers to an 11-3 record last season to mark his 12th consecutive season of leading Clemson to double-digit wins. CBS also ranked Swinney the No. 3 coach overall at the Power Five level, only sitting behind Georgia‘s Kirby Smart and Alabama‘s Nick Saban.He enters year 16 at the helm of Clemson with an impressive 161-39 record, and will do so with a new offensive coordinator, as former TCU play-caller Garrett Riley joined Swinney’s staff this offseason.
2. Dave Clawson
Clawson comes in at No. 2 in CBS’s ranking after leading the Demon Deacons to their seventh straight bowl game appearence, capping off the season with a 27-17 win over Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl.Wake Forest finished the season 8–5 last year under Clawson, but only won three conference games last season. They had some struggles last year, losing four of their last five regular season games, and will look to bounce back this season behind Clawson without the services of star quarterback Sam Hartman.
3. Mike Norvell
Nobody rose up the list more compared to last season than Florida State head coach Mike Norvell, who led the Seminoles to an impressive 10-3 record, achieving their first double-digit season since 2016.Norvell has maned an impressive turnaround in Tallahassee, achieving more wins last season than his first two seasons combined with the Seminoles. He returns a large majority of his talent and production on both sides of the ball from last season, which has some thinking this could be the year they return to ACC Championship glory.
4. Mack Brown
North Carolina head coach Mack Brown is by far the most experienced head coach on the list, as he’s entering his 35th season as a collegiate head coach.Brown led the Tar Heels to their best finish since his return to the program in 2019, as North Carolina finished the season 9-3 record highlighted by an impressive six-game winning streak. And with star quarterback Drake Maye returning under center, they will likely continue to be one of the hardest teams to beat in the ACC.
5. Dave Doeren
NC State‘s Dave Doeren rounds out the top five with last season marking a decade of his coaching tenure with the Wolfpack. He’s only not led NC State to a bowl game in two of his ten seasons at the helm, leading the team to a Duke’s May Bowl appearance last year following an 8-4 finish to the regular season.Doeren lost quarterback Devin Leary to Kentucky via the transfer portal, but led the Wolfpack to a 4-4 record last year following his season-ending injury.
Rounding out ACC coach rankings
6. Pat Narduzzi – Pittsburgh7. Jeff Brohm – Louisville
8. Mario Cristobal – Miami
9. Mike Elko – Duke
10. Dino Babers – Syracuse
11. Jeff Hafley – Boston College
12. Brent Key – Georgia Tech
13. Tony Elliott – Virginia
14. Brent Pry – Virginia Tech
2023 ACC Football Countdown Continues - Superlatives, Best Uniforms, Throwbacks Helmets & More (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
ACC Superlatives
Best Uniform
Best Helmet
Best Throwbacks
Best Color Rish
2023 RSNs: The Spectrum Plan (RX; HM)
2023 RSNs: The Spectrum Plan
Are we getting close to an RSN resolution?
From Sports Business Journal: Charter creates sports package to deal with upended RSN market, posted on July 10th, 2023. Here are some of the key points, along with my comments [bold and italics are mine, also]...
The nation’s second-largest cable operator [after Comcast] has developed a new programming model to deal with the regional sports network crisis. Charter, which owns and operates Spectrum cable systems, will offer a lower-cost programming package without RSNs... splitting its expanded basic service, Spectrum TV Select, into two packages: Spectrum Select Plus, which will include RSNs and other higher-cost sports channels like league-owned channels; and Spectrum Select Signature, which will not have those higher-cost sports channels. The difference in cost, at least initially, is likely to be about $10 per month.
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Links, News and Rumors 2023 July 11 (RX; HM)
Links, News and Rumors 2023 July 11
Which teams are expected to have the best offenses this year?
Top 50 teams, ACC + ND:
__________
From ESPN: Northwestern fires football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid hazing claims
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Most Meaningful Games of 2023 (247Sports) (RX; HM)
Most Meaningful Games of 2023 (247Sports)
According to 247Sports, these are "College football's 23 most meaningful games during 2023 season" (with comments on ACC and Notre Dame games):
23. Texas vs. Oklahoma (Oct. 7)
22. Oregon State at Oregon (Nov. 24)
21. Tennessee at Alabama (Oct. 21)
20. Texas at TCU (Nov. 11)
19. UTAH AT USC (OCT. 21)
18. NOTRE DAME AT CLEMSON(NOV. 4)
Clemson exposed its Achilles Heel to the ugliest possible extent in South Bend last season after Notre Dame dominated Dabo Swinney's club from start to finish. It was an eye-opener for the Tigers, who were once again waltzing through a soft ACC slate prior to their first loss. Given the time and place of this one for 2023, the playoff selection committee will be watching this matchup intently. This is the first of several games involving Notre Dame and Clemson to be included within our most meaningful games list this season.
17. FLORIDA STATE VS. LSU (SEPT. 3; ORLANDO)
How's this for a Labor Day Weekend fireworks show to kick-off the 2023 season? The Seminoles and Tigers played an instant classic inside the Superdome last season and now battle again at a neutral site venue, this time, in the state of Florida. Given the preseason hype for both teams, we're expecting a top 10 matchup here. Florida State's other extremely important game comes at Clemson, which decides the ACC's top playoff threat. This is a game the playoff selection committee will be referencing several months down the road.
16. USC AT NOTRE DAME (OCT. 14)
USC's win over Notre Dame last season was the Trojans' first in their last five against the Fighting Irish and kept playoff hopes alive (until they evaporated against Utah shortly thereafter). This is always a hard-hitting rivalry affair, but this year's game comes much earlier on the schedule than normal, around the midseason point in fact. Losing to Notre Dame in South Bend would put USC's playoff hopes in jeopardy and would make for a pressure-packed final seven weeks of the season for one of the West Coast's favorites.
15. TEXAS A&M AT LSU (NOV. 25)
14. OHIO STATE AT NOTRE DAME (SEPT. 23)
13. ALABAMA AT TEXAS A&M (OCT. 7)
12. IOWA AT WISCONSIN (OCT. 14)
11. USC AT OREGON (NOV. 11)
10. OHIO STATE AT WISCONSIN (OCT. 28)
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Why Clemson Football Must Leave ACC For SEC Amid Expansion Rumors (clutchpoints.com; Alfano)
Conference realignment has become arguably the biggest topic in college sports over the last two years. Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten and more moves have ushered in a new era of realignment, creating a radically changing landscape in college sports. Clemson football is one program in particular that should consider a move to the SEC.
In this new era, further realignment rumors have reached a fever pitch. One of the biggest said rumors involves the ACC, with half the conference reportedly unhappy with its grant-of-rights agreement. If this does lead to the conference's downfall, each school should have no trouble finding a new home.
That said, there is arguably no fit more natural than Clemson to head over to the SEC. The Tigers have already felt like an SEC team throughout the College Football Playoff era, and now they may have a chance to make it official.
If that chance is there, Clemson must make the move to the SEC for these reasons and more.
Why Clemson football must leave ACC for SEC amid expansion rumors
Rich RivalriesSure, Clemson has some great rivalries in the ACC. The Tigers' clashes with the likes of Florida State, Georgia Tech, NC State, and more have endured for decades. However, the Tigers also have plenty of rivals in the SEC for a team that isn't in said conference.
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Other
Micron pays $1.4 million for land to build a child care center near planned fab in Clay (PS; $; Coin)
Micron Technology has bought its second parcel of land in Clay, this time to build a child care center to support its planned semiconductor plant nearby.
Micron paid $1,425,000 for a 30-acre lot on Caughdenoy Road, about a half-mile north of the planned fabrication plant, or fab. The lot has several buildings, including a house built in 1920.
“This investment marks our progress towards the megafab project and commitment to building the workforce of the future, which will require high-quality childcare options,” the company said in a statement. Micron representatives declined to provide any details about the center.
Micron has provided child care for employees for years at its Boise, Idaho, headquarters. The company is building a new, larger center nearby to serve parents of a new fab Micron is building there.
Providing child care is also one of many requirements chip makers need to provide if they want to compete for billions of federal dollars for building new fabs. Micron has said it needs that federal funding, from the federal CHIPs and Science Act, to make construction of a fab in Clay profitable. The Biden administration has imposed several requirements on companies that hope to get a slice of the $52 billion CHIPS pie, including hiring union labor for construction and providing child care for employees.
Micron broke ground in May on a new child care center in Boise. That center will accommodate 124 children when opens and can be expanded to care for 208 children.
The center in Boise is for Micron employees only. It will be operated by the Treasure Valley YMCA, located in Boise.
Micron has about 5,000 employees in Boise. The new fab there would employ another 2,000 people.
Micron has said the fab in Clay will be four times larger than the one in Boise. The Clay fab would have 9,000 employees if it is fully built out in 20 years, the company has said.
This is Micron’s second outright purchase of land in Clay. In May, the company bought an acre on Caughdenoy Road, just across the road from National Grid’s Clay substation. Micron confirmed it bought that parcel “to support the utility infrastructure” of the fab.
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The underside of the shelf fungus donated to the Town of Camillus History Society shows the carvings of players' names from the 1930 team. The top name, "Hess" was either Mary Lou MacKaig's father or uncle. Both were on the team. Courtesy of the Town of Camillus Historical SocietyCourtesy of the Town of Camillus Historical Society
This weird, old fungus is the last relic of one of CNY’s great underdog high school teams (PS; $; Croyle)
In the annals of Camillus Town Hall sits one of Central New York’s weirdest tributes to a group of legendary underdogs: a trophy made from a shelf fungus for “The Ironmen,” a two-sport squad that took home unexpected county titles in both basketball and football nearly 100 years ago.
Yes, that’s right, one of CNY’s greatest teams celebrated their achievements with a giant mushroom.
A shelf fungus, also known as a bracket fungus, is a polypore which grows on trees and fallen logs in damp forests. They can become rock hard and be carved into works of art and jewelry.
David and Mary Lou MacKaig of Gorham Road in Elbridge discovered the “big hunk of fungus” while sorting through the possessions from Mary Lou’s mother, Eva Hess, who passed away in 2012.
At first glance, it looked like just a big mushroom. But on the underside was carved the names of the players and coaches from “The Ironmen.”
At the top of the list is the name Hess, which could be Mary Lou’s father, Harvey, or uncle, James. The bottom of the list has the name “Gibbons,” flanked by the word “Coach.”
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