sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to O. Henry Pun-Off Day!
The O. Henry Pun-Off is a yearly spoken word competition that takes place every May at the O. Henry Museum in Austin, Texas.
Started in 1978, the Pun-Off gathers fans of wordplay to celebrate the pun, which English poet and literary critic John Drydencalled "the lowest and most groveling kind of wit."[1] The event has been organized and run since 1990 by Austinite Gary Hallock. A support group of former and current contestants was formed in 1990 to formalize the unwritten rules of the competition(s) and provide guidance and support for future events. Under the umbrella title of "Punsters United Nearly Yearly" (a.k.a. PUNY) this collection of loosely knit wits continues to be the public face of the event through its website, Yahoo Group and Facebook page.
Participants in the annual event compete in one or both of the two areas of punning prowess: Punniest of Show, which features individuals performing a 90-second prepared piece filled with puns; and PunSlingers, which pits individual punsters in head-to-head bouts of spontaneous punning on a randomly selected variation of traditional topic themes.
SU News
How do Carrier Dome renovations compare to other schools' new or planned stadiums? (PS; Mink)
Syracuse University and its fans are shelling out more than $100 million to renovate the Carrier Dome over the next four years, a substantial financial commitment to a building that has badly fallen behind peer athletic venues.
The renovations announced earlier this week feature a permanent roof, a new videoboard and improved lighting, Wi-Fi and sound. The changes, scheduled to be completed by 2020, enable Syracuse football, the only major-college football team to play its home games in an indoor stadium, to feature unique pregame and halftime entertainment.
But they also fall short of a growing, financially beneficial trend in college sports -- the addition of premium seating that serves as a spigot of cash for athletic departments and further takes the financial burden off multi-million dollar facility upgrades and other department needs.
A review of recently completed or planned stadium renovations across the country shows premium seating, such as luxury suites, loge boxes and club seats, are as much a priority for athletic departments as any other new stadium upgrade.
It is one Syracuse has not mentioned in the first phase of its renovations, which will also include air conditioning, new restrooms and new concession stands by 2022.
University officials have indicated a desire to do more, which likely includes the enhancement and addition of premium seating and amenities, but with no timetable for a second round of renovations, it appears it will be at least five years before any headway is made.
"There is an appetite to continue to do more," Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack said, "and we have a menu that our teams work from, and it's all designed to enhance the fan experience."
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Syracuse Football: Brisly Estime ‘fails’ physical with CFL team (itlh.com; Esden Jr)
Former Syracuse football star Brisly Estime apparently failed a physical with a CFL team. ITLH breaks down fact vs fiction on this latest report.
The NFL is a cut throat business. Nothing speaks to that more than the latest situation with former Syracuse football star Brisly Estime.
Let’s go back to the beginning. At the conclusion of the 2017 NFL Draft, Estime wasn’t selected, but he quickly fielded several calls and decided the New York Jets would be the optimal landing spot.
That made a lot of sense because the Jets have been awful on special teams. Their last kick return touchdown was in 2012 (Joe McKnight) and so was their last punt return touchdown (Jeremy Kerley).
Special teams is Estime’s trump card if you will. Don’t believe me? Check out this trip down memory lane (courtesy of Stephen Bailey of Syracuse.com):
“He was named All-ACC special teams twice during his time with Syracuse and led the nation in punt return average (17.7 yards) as a senior in 2016. The previous season, he set an ACC record for punt return production at 18.1 yards per attempt.”
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State of the Program: Patience still necessary for Syracuse... (theathletic; pay article; Walters)
Part of a continuing series examining the Power 5 and top Group of 5 teams for the 2018 college football season. Other entries by conference: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | Pac-12 | SEC | G5/Independents
Despite having been raised in San Diego and attending college in Honolulu, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers never learned to surf. And that’s not the half of it. “There’s a very good reason why I never learned to surf,” says the Orange’s third-year coach. “It’s because I never learned to swim.”
It can be assumed that no one was more disappointed by Babers’ negligence in natation than his father, Luther Babers, who served 21 years in the United States Navy.
An uncharitable scribe might attempt to polish this historical gem into an apt metaphor for the current state of Syracuse football (e.g. “It’s been back-to-back 4-8 seasons at Syracuse, and Babers and the Orange can no longer afford to tread water”). Not us, though. That type of...
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ACC Football Rx: UPDATE: 2018-19 Bowl Schedule (accfootballrx.com; HokieMark)
Here is the complete 2018-19 Bowl Schedule:
The full bowl schedule is out, via the FBA pic.twitter.com/r0or7Y27dh
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownCFB) May 15, 2018
OBSERVATIONS:
There are only 6 bowls on broadcast (over-the-air) television - 2 before Christmas, 4 after - and the ACC is tied into 2 of them: the Belk Bowl (ACC/SEC on ABC) and the Sun Bowl (ACC/Pac12 on CBS).
No ACC team will play on New Year's Day 2019 unless one is selected as an at-large to the Fiesta Bowl. The SEC and Big Ten have that day virtually locked down.
Evenings are a different story, however - ACC teams will play in at least 3 and possibly as many as 6 bowl games in prime time.
Other
White City Amusement Park was located on the western shore of Onondaga Lake
Should a beach be built on Onondaga Lake? The survey says... (PS; Coin)
The results are in for an informal survey on whether to build a beach on Onondaga Lake, and it was a close vote.
In an online survey held on the Onondaga County Legislature Republicans' website, 51 percent of respondents favored a beach, compared to 49 opposed.
The final tally was 300 yes, 286 no.
"We want to thank every one for taking the time to give us their feedback," tweeted OnCoLeg Republicans.
County Executive Joanie Mahoney's office is asking the legislature to accept a $330,000 state grant to study whether a beach could be built on Onondaga Lake, probably at Willow Bay. The county has to kick in $110,000 of personnel time to get the grant.
The county's Ways and Means Committee will consider the proposal Monday. The Environmental Protection Committee already approved it.
The Legislature would decide whether to build a beach and for how much.
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