sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,269
- Like
- 109,113
Welcome to Martin Luther King Jr Day!
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.)[1] is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
SU News
Syracuse football recruiting: Get to know defensive back commit Eric Coley (PS; Bailey)
Each day leading up to National Signing Day on Feb. 1, Syracuse.com will take a look at one of Syracuse football's verbal commitments for the Class of 2017.
Completed profiles: quarterback Tommy DeVito, inside receiver Sharod Johnson, defensive end Zach Morton, linebacker Tyrell Richards, inside receiver Nykeim Johnson, offensive lineman Dakota Davis.
Today, we'll take a look at defensive back Eric Coley.
The basics
Name: Eric Coley
Position: Defensive back
Height: 6 feet, 1 inch
Weight: 185 pounds
High School: Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) High School
Twitter: @E_too_col
Recruit rating
Coley is rated three stars and the No. 125 cornerback in the Class of 2017 by 247Sports.com's composite rankings.
247Sports.com rates Coley three stars and the No. 87 cornerback this cycle.
ESPN.com rates Coley three stars and the No. 39 athlete this cycle.
rates Coley two stars.
At their request, this network is being blocked from this site. rates Coley three stars and the No. 52 athlete this cycle.
...
3-star N.J. WR Bryce Watts decommits from Rutgers football (nj.com; Hunt)
Toms River (N.J.) North athlete Bryce Watts has become the second player to decommit from Rutgers Sunday following Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) athlete Atrilleon Williams.
However, the implications of Watts' decommitment are much more serious as he had become a staple of Rutgers' 2017 recruiting class, while Williams is a class of 2018 recruit.
Who are the top 50 FB recruits in N.J.?
Watts was close with former Rutgers safeties' coach Aaron Henry, who it was revealed Sunday had left Rutgers for a coaching role with N.C. State.
The two had spent tons of time together recently via in-school and in-home visits leaving Rutgers fans nervous this would happen when the Henry new broke earlier in the day.
And although Watts hasn't admitted Henry's departure playing into his decision, it certainly couldn't have helped matters.
pic.twitter.com/vly8Bj3By8
-- Bryce Watts (@BryceWatts2_6) January 16, 2017
A 6-foot, 170-pound three-star and one of the biggest risers in the latest NJ.com Top 50, Watts is being heavily pursued by Virginia Tech, which has allegedly presented him the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball.
Watts has multiple ties to Rutgers as his mother and stepdad, Melonie and Kevin Hester, both ran track at Rutgers, and were pleased when their son first received his offer at junior day 2016.
On Feb. 23 of 2016, Watts revealed to NJ.com the he could see himself ending up at Rutgers, leading up to last year's Easter pledge. But at the time, Syracuse and Monmouth were his only other offers. In fact, Watts' unofficial visit to Syracuse, where he'd receive his offer from the school, is what he said convinced him that committing to Rutgers was the right thing to do.
...
Football: St. Joseph's Acceus, Fedd-Jackson commit to North Carolina State (northjersey.com; Iseman)
Two St. Joseph stars, and two of North Jersey’s top football players, have chosen their college destination.
Green Knights linebacker Louis Acceus and offensive lineman Joshua Fedd-Jackson committed to North Carolina State on Sunday.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Acceus, The Record’s Defensive Player of the Year, racked up 101 tackles (14 for losses), with 6 ½ sacks to help lead St. Joseph to a 9-2 record and the Non-Public Group 3 championship.
The Wolfpack is getting an explosive linebacker who routinely delivered ferocious hits and helped St. Joseph become one of North Jersey’s most formidable defenses.
Acceus had a slew of offers from major Division-I programs, including Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Syracuse, Miami, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.
But the family atmosphere at N.C. State is what ultimately sealed his decision.
“I was treated like family, when I was hanging with the players they treated me like one of their own,” Acceus said. “I’d only been with the guys two days and I feel like knew them all my life and I was real comfortable with the coaching staff. They’re all a great group of guys that I want to play for.”
Acceus was also a stellar running back, rushing for 862 yards and nine touchdowns on 150 carries.
Fedd-Jackson helped pave the way for Acceus and the rest of the Green Knights’ tailbacks.
An outstanding guard, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Fedd-Jackson also had a number of big-time offers from schools that included Boston College, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse.
Fedd-Jackson recorded 21 pancake blocks this past season.
Utah football receives commitment from JUCO All-American defender Marquise Blair (deseretnews.com; McDonald)
The University of Utah football program on Sunday continued to get immediate help for its defense, as it received a commitment from Dodge City Community College All-American linebacker/safety Marquise Blair, multiple outlets reported.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Blair was named a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American after a 2016 season in which he had 99 tackles, four interceptions, four forced fumbles (three recovered) and three sacks.
Originally from Wooster, Ohio, Blair was once committed to Syracuse and eventually chose the Utes over Michigan State, among other schools.
Blair is the 12th player to commit to Utah as part of its 2017 recruiting class and the fifth from the junior college ranks.
He did not immediately return a request seeking comment.
For Western’s Lester, the thrill is coming home (detroitnews.com; Paul)
Tim Lester’s bond with Western Michigan University began with a spur-of-the-moment car ride to Kalamazoo back in the mid-1990s.
As a senior at Wheaton Warrenville South High School, located due west of Chicago, he decided to take a solo trip to the smallest, least-known school that had been recruiting him.
He also was high on the radars of West Virginia and Missouri, but a knee injury that senior year quieted things down.
So Lester hit the road without even telling his family.
When he returned, he had plenty to tell.
“He came home and said, ‘I think I like it there,’” said Pat Lester, Tim’s mother. “With kids, they get that feeling, and they know this is where they want to go.”
The next trip to Kalamazoo, Lester brought his family — and, as Pat Lester said, “That was it.” He committed to then-coach Al Molde.
Two decades later, Lester is the head football coach at his alma mater, having been introduced as P.J. Fleck’s replacement Saturday.
It was a homecoming that’s been expected since Fleck left for Minnesota a week ago. Lester was a candidate for the job four years ago, but lost out to Fleck — who took the team from 1-11 his first year to 13-1 and the Cotton Bowl this past year, his fourth.
During those four years, Lester bulked up his resume, with three years at Syracuse in the ACC, including some time as offensive coordinator. He spent the last year at Purdue in the Big Ten, coaching quarterbacks.
...
College football: Lester has tough act to follow at WMU (southbentribune.com; AP)
Tim Lester knows he's got a tough act to follow at Western Michigan.
But Lester, who was hired to succeed P.J. Fleck as coach of the Broncos football team on Friday, says he'll keep what his players like from the old regime while putting his own stamp on things.
"I'll do it my way, but the results need to be the same," Lester said at an introductory news conference Saturday at Western Michigan. "(Players) need to know I care about them as a person, a student, that they're getting out into the community to grow their character. (Fleck) had a different way of doing it.
"I won't fight the past, because I like the way he built it," Lester said. "But we're going to continue to build with the same thing in the future."
Lester, 39, spent the 2016 season as the quarterbacks coach at Purdue after spending two years at Syracuse as its offensive coordinator. He also was the head coach at Division II Saint Joseph's in 2004 and coached at Division III Elmhurst from 2008-12, compiling a 40-23 record.
Lester played at Western Michigan in the late 1990s, setting school records in passing, and was an assistant at Western in 2005-06.
He found out he got the job Friday afternoon and was in Kalamazoo that evening, meeting current players and recruits on a key recruiting weekend for the school.
...
Other
Plains storm system headed for Upstate NY; freezing rain advisories issued (PS; Coin)
A storm system that has dumped crippling ice on the central Plains is headed for Upstate New York.
The system will weaken by the time it reaches New York tonight, and will likely bring a few hundredths of an inch of ice instead of the half-inch or more it left in the Midwest.
The ice in Upstate could be enough to cause slippery roads tonight and Tuesday morning, though. The National weather Service has issued freezing rain advisories for much of Upstate.
The rain will move from west to east. It could hit Western New York about 8 tonight, and reach Syracuse about 6 a.m. Tuesday.
The weather services issues freezing rain advisories "when icing is expected in the affected areas, but not enough to disrupt travel or damage trees and power lines."
This ice could cause slippery spots on roadways and sidewalks. "Walking and driving could therefore be difficult, but not impossible," the weather service said.
Freezing rain hit Syracuse last Tuesday, covering sidewalks and streets with a glaze of treacherous ice. The forecast then was for just a few hundredths of an inch, but some parts of Central New York got much more, up to a quarter of an inch. That's because warm air high in the atmosphere moved in more quickly than expected.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.)[1] is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
SU News
Syracuse football recruiting: Get to know defensive back commit Eric Coley (PS; Bailey)
Each day leading up to National Signing Day on Feb. 1, Syracuse.com will take a look at one of Syracuse football's verbal commitments for the Class of 2017.
Completed profiles: quarterback Tommy DeVito, inside receiver Sharod Johnson, defensive end Zach Morton, linebacker Tyrell Richards, inside receiver Nykeim Johnson, offensive lineman Dakota Davis.
Today, we'll take a look at defensive back Eric Coley.
The basics
Name: Eric Coley
Position: Defensive back
Height: 6 feet, 1 inch
Weight: 185 pounds
High School: Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) High School
Twitter: @E_too_col
Recruit rating
Coley is rated three stars and the No. 125 cornerback in the Class of 2017 by 247Sports.com's composite rankings.
247Sports.com rates Coley three stars and the No. 87 cornerback this cycle.
ESPN.com rates Coley three stars and the No. 39 athlete this cycle.
rates Coley two stars.
At their request, this network is being blocked from this site. rates Coley three stars and the No. 52 athlete this cycle.
...
3-star N.J. WR Bryce Watts decommits from Rutgers football (nj.com; Hunt)
Toms River (N.J.) North athlete Bryce Watts has become the second player to decommit from Rutgers Sunday following Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) athlete Atrilleon Williams.
However, the implications of Watts' decommitment are much more serious as he had become a staple of Rutgers' 2017 recruiting class, while Williams is a class of 2018 recruit.
Who are the top 50 FB recruits in N.J.?
Watts was close with former Rutgers safeties' coach Aaron Henry, who it was revealed Sunday had left Rutgers for a coaching role with N.C. State.
The two had spent tons of time together recently via in-school and in-home visits leaving Rutgers fans nervous this would happen when the Henry new broke earlier in the day.
And although Watts hasn't admitted Henry's departure playing into his decision, it certainly couldn't have helped matters.
pic.twitter.com/vly8Bj3By8
-- Bryce Watts (@BryceWatts2_6) January 16, 2017
A 6-foot, 170-pound three-star and one of the biggest risers in the latest NJ.com Top 50, Watts is being heavily pursued by Virginia Tech, which has allegedly presented him the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball.
Watts has multiple ties to Rutgers as his mother and stepdad, Melonie and Kevin Hester, both ran track at Rutgers, and were pleased when their son first received his offer at junior day 2016.
On Feb. 23 of 2016, Watts revealed to NJ.com the he could see himself ending up at Rutgers, leading up to last year's Easter pledge. But at the time, Syracuse and Monmouth were his only other offers. In fact, Watts' unofficial visit to Syracuse, where he'd receive his offer from the school, is what he said convinced him that committing to Rutgers was the right thing to do.
...
Football: St. Joseph's Acceus, Fedd-Jackson commit to North Carolina State (northjersey.com; Iseman)
Two St. Joseph stars, and two of North Jersey’s top football players, have chosen their college destination.
Green Knights linebacker Louis Acceus and offensive lineman Joshua Fedd-Jackson committed to North Carolina State on Sunday.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Acceus, The Record’s Defensive Player of the Year, racked up 101 tackles (14 for losses), with 6 ½ sacks to help lead St. Joseph to a 9-2 record and the Non-Public Group 3 championship.
The Wolfpack is getting an explosive linebacker who routinely delivered ferocious hits and helped St. Joseph become one of North Jersey’s most formidable defenses.
Acceus had a slew of offers from major Division-I programs, including Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Syracuse, Miami, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.
But the family atmosphere at N.C. State is what ultimately sealed his decision.
“I was treated like family, when I was hanging with the players they treated me like one of their own,” Acceus said. “I’d only been with the guys two days and I feel like knew them all my life and I was real comfortable with the coaching staff. They’re all a great group of guys that I want to play for.”
Acceus was also a stellar running back, rushing for 862 yards and nine touchdowns on 150 carries.
Fedd-Jackson helped pave the way for Acceus and the rest of the Green Knights’ tailbacks.
An outstanding guard, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Fedd-Jackson also had a number of big-time offers from schools that included Boston College, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse.
Fedd-Jackson recorded 21 pancake blocks this past season.
Utah football receives commitment from JUCO All-American defender Marquise Blair (deseretnews.com; McDonald)
The University of Utah football program on Sunday continued to get immediate help for its defense, as it received a commitment from Dodge City Community College All-American linebacker/safety Marquise Blair, multiple outlets reported.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Blair was named a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American after a 2016 season in which he had 99 tackles, four interceptions, four forced fumbles (three recovered) and three sacks.
Originally from Wooster, Ohio, Blair was once committed to Syracuse and eventually chose the Utes over Michigan State, among other schools.
Blair is the 12th player to commit to Utah as part of its 2017 recruiting class and the fifth from the junior college ranks.
He did not immediately return a request seeking comment.
For Western’s Lester, the thrill is coming home (detroitnews.com; Paul)
Tim Lester’s bond with Western Michigan University began with a spur-of-the-moment car ride to Kalamazoo back in the mid-1990s.
As a senior at Wheaton Warrenville South High School, located due west of Chicago, he decided to take a solo trip to the smallest, least-known school that had been recruiting him.
He also was high on the radars of West Virginia and Missouri, but a knee injury that senior year quieted things down.
So Lester hit the road without even telling his family.
When he returned, he had plenty to tell.
“He came home and said, ‘I think I like it there,’” said Pat Lester, Tim’s mother. “With kids, they get that feeling, and they know this is where they want to go.”
The next trip to Kalamazoo, Lester brought his family — and, as Pat Lester said, “That was it.” He committed to then-coach Al Molde.
Two decades later, Lester is the head football coach at his alma mater, having been introduced as P.J. Fleck’s replacement Saturday.
It was a homecoming that’s been expected since Fleck left for Minnesota a week ago. Lester was a candidate for the job four years ago, but lost out to Fleck — who took the team from 1-11 his first year to 13-1 and the Cotton Bowl this past year, his fourth.
During those four years, Lester bulked up his resume, with three years at Syracuse in the ACC, including some time as offensive coordinator. He spent the last year at Purdue in the Big Ten, coaching quarterbacks.
...
College football: Lester has tough act to follow at WMU (southbentribune.com; AP)
Tim Lester knows he's got a tough act to follow at Western Michigan.
But Lester, who was hired to succeed P.J. Fleck as coach of the Broncos football team on Friday, says he'll keep what his players like from the old regime while putting his own stamp on things.
"I'll do it my way, but the results need to be the same," Lester said at an introductory news conference Saturday at Western Michigan. "(Players) need to know I care about them as a person, a student, that they're getting out into the community to grow their character. (Fleck) had a different way of doing it.
"I won't fight the past, because I like the way he built it," Lester said. "But we're going to continue to build with the same thing in the future."
Lester, 39, spent the 2016 season as the quarterbacks coach at Purdue after spending two years at Syracuse as its offensive coordinator. He also was the head coach at Division II Saint Joseph's in 2004 and coached at Division III Elmhurst from 2008-12, compiling a 40-23 record.
Lester played at Western Michigan in the late 1990s, setting school records in passing, and was an assistant at Western in 2005-06.
He found out he got the job Friday afternoon and was in Kalamazoo that evening, meeting current players and recruits on a key recruiting weekend for the school.
...
Other
Plains storm system headed for Upstate NY; freezing rain advisories issued (PS; Coin)
A storm system that has dumped crippling ice on the central Plains is headed for Upstate New York.
The system will weaken by the time it reaches New York tonight, and will likely bring a few hundredths of an inch of ice instead of the half-inch or more it left in the Midwest.
The ice in Upstate could be enough to cause slippery roads tonight and Tuesday morning, though. The National weather Service has issued freezing rain advisories for much of Upstate.
The rain will move from west to east. It could hit Western New York about 8 tonight, and reach Syracuse about 6 a.m. Tuesday.
The weather services issues freezing rain advisories "when icing is expected in the affected areas, but not enough to disrupt travel or damage trees and power lines."
This ice could cause slippery spots on roadways and sidewalks. "Walking and driving could therefore be difficult, but not impossible," the weather service said.
Freezing rain hit Syracuse last Tuesday, covering sidewalks and streets with a glaze of treacherous ice. The forecast then was for just a few hundredths of an inch, but some parts of Central New York got much more, up to a quarter of an inch. That's because warm air high in the atmosphere moved in more quickly than expected.
