sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,287
- Like
- 109,272
Welcome to Peach Blossom Day!
Peach Blossom Day is a Japanese holiday with a lot of names – Doll Festival, Girls’ Day, and Hinamatsuri.
Originally, Hinamatsuri was a religious holiday of sorts, in which people put dolls in miniature boats and sent them out to sea in order to get rid of their troubles.
Nowadays, the holiday does involve large displays of dolls, but is frequently used as a celebration of all things girly. Since the peach trees are usually blooming at this time in Japan, the blossoms are a large part of the celebration.
SU News
4-star athlete Zihir Lacewell, teammate of Tim Barrow, has Rutgers on top after visit (nj.com; Hunt)
The Rutgers football program has gotten off to a good start with a number of 2018 prospects now that their attention has turned to the next incoming class. One such prospect is Zihir Lacewell, a 6-2, 203-pound four-star, who plays linebacker, safety and wide receiver, all at a high level.
Rutgers has been recruiting Lacewell since his sophomore year, in large part due to the staff's connection with Tim Barrow, a class of 2017 wide receiver signee, who like Lacewell, attends Tottenville (Staten Island, N.Y.).
Hence, the Scarlet Knights have positioned themselves well early on in pursuit of Lacewell's services.
"Rutgers is at the top of my list, right now," Lacewell told NJ.com. "They make me feel the most comfortable."
Lacewell just recently came off his third visit to the banks.
"I went last week during the break with my friend Chris Campbell and Tim Barrow," he said. "I kind of felt at home. We watched them train, watched them workout, practice a little bit."
Lacewell is being recruited primarily by defensive backs coach Bill Busch, but also head coach Chris Ash, who both stay on Lacewell about his grades.
...
Recruiting: Michigan State offers versatile in-stater Jaylan Franklin (freep.com; Dorsey)
One of the most versatile prospects in Michigan for the football recruiting class of 2018 is Jaylan Franklin of Gibraltar Carlson. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder was in East Lansing last weekend and received some good news.
Franklin is rated a three-star prospect and the the No. 35 "athlete" recruit in the nation by . His ranking could move higher in the coming months, as he gets a chance to showcase his skills at regional camps and combines.
Franklin has scholarship offers from Michigan State, Iowa State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Cincinnati and a host of Mid-American Conference programs.
He has been to Michigan State on numerous occasions and has developed a solid rapport with the coaching staff. Coach Mark Dantonio offered him a scholarship during last weekend's visit.
“It was another great visit," he said. “Got to see everything again and went to practice. At practice, coach Dantonio pulled my mom and I aside and told me, and we just broke down. It's still running back through my head. I will never forget that moment.”
I asked Franklin whether he gave any thought to committing to MSU, which has four players pledged for 2018, and what he is looking for in a school.
“We talked, and I'm not ready yet,” he said. “I need to think about everything some more before I make such a big decision. No. 1 is am I comfortable there? Can I live there for four years? The schooling is also important. Does it have what I want to major in? Will the school help me get better as a player and as a person overall?”
...
Michigan WR has eight offers, no favorites (sc0ut.com; Trieu)
West Bloomfield's Taj Mustapha now holds eight scholarship offers with many other programs showing interest.
Mustapha (6-0, 185 pounds) had 47 receptions for 879 yards and nine touchdowns and his coaches say he is just scratching the surface. Syracuse, Buffalo, Ball State, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Western Michigan have offered and as of now, he claims no favorites.
"I’m thankful for all the offers and every university, program and coach is a favorite at this point in my recruitment process."
He has gotten to visit many programs including several of those who have offered.
"I’ve visited Toledo, Eastern, Western, Buffalo, Miami of Ohio, Central, Indiana, Purdue and Michigan State. I will be visiting in the near future BGSU, Ball State, Temple and Syracuse for their spring scrimmage."
Of the schools who have not offered, he says Iowa State, Central Michigan, Indiana, Temple, Minnesota, Florida Atlantic and Michigan State are showing the most interest.
Syracuse is currently his lone power-five offer and he has built a familiarity with many aspects of the program.
"I like the relationship, degrees offered and Twitter fans are awesome and supportive. I'm looking forward to getting on campus to meet all the coaches and view the facilities. Coach Reynolds and McCloud have been great. I can't wait to meet Coach Babers in-person."
...
Other
NY bird watchers flock to Oswego Harbor to see rare Clark's grebe (PS; Figura)
Bird watching enthusiasts from across the state have been flocking to the Oswego Harbor recently, hoping to catch a glimpse of a Clark's grebe - a western bird that's never been seen in Upstate New York before.
A medium-sized water bird that feeds mostly on fish, the Clark's grebe, which is black, white and gray colored, is a subspecies of the Western grebe. Adults have a wingspan of around 32 inches. The male and females look similar, according to allaboutbirds.org.
It normally winters in California and Mexico.
Kevin McGowan, an ornithologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, said to his knowledge "this is the first one that's been seen in this state."
Its appearance in the Oswego Harbor at the point where the river empties into the harbor has created a lot of excitement from birders as far away as New York City. An estimated several hundred individuals have traveled to Oswego the past few days to see it.
"There was one chap from Michigan who showed up," said Gerry Smith, an Onondaga Audubon member and avian ecologist.
The best vantage point for seeing the bird is at the docks at the E. Lee White Oswego Maritime Museum on the west side of the river. There is a chain link fence, though, that prevents persons from getting out on the docks.
...
