Orangeyes Daily Articles for Thursday for Football

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Welcome to National Handshake Day!

The last Thursday of each June, people across the nation observe National Handshake Day.

Of all the various forms of greeting, the handshake is perhaps one of the most ancient.

The origin of the handshake is hard to pinpoint. As it is a non-verbal mode of communication, it may have existed before written records. Theories suggest it was a way for medieval knights, Roman soldiers and other weapon carrying men to check for hidden daggers by grasping each other’s forearms in greeting.

Archaeological ruins in ancient Greece support this theory. The funerary stele depicts two soldiers shaking hands and dates back to 5th century BC.

SU News


Syracuse Football: Pieces are falling into place for Dino Babers in 2018 (itlh.com; Esden Jr)

Syracuse football fans feel split on the Dino Babers experience thus far. But one insider says the pieces are falling into place for a magical 2018.

What side of the fence are you on as it pertains to Dino Babers? On one side of the fence, the Syracuse football squad has taken a top-25 win in each of Dino’s two seasons.

While opponents of the Babers’ movement would say, look at the record man: 8-16. Both of these sides have fair arguments. So let’s see what a third party thinks about this interesting situation.

Our good friends at Athlon Sports is back at it again, this time ranking every college football head coach in the country, here’s how Dino Babers fared:

56. Dino Babers, Syracuse
Babers has recorded back-to-back 4-8 seasons to begin his tenure in Syracuse, but the pieces are beginning to fall into place entering 2018. The Orange have pulled off a couple of big upsets (Virginia Tech in 2016 and Clemson in ’17) and had close losses to Florida State, Miami, LSU and NC State last season. With three signing classes and the progression of the roster to fit his schemes, Babers has Syracuse poised to improve in 2018. Prior to taking over with the Orange, Babers went 19-7 in two years at Eastern Illinois (2012-13) and 18-9 at Bowling Green (2014-15). He also has stops as an assistant from a handful of programs, including Purdue, Arizona, Texas A&M, Pitt, Baylor and UCLA. Babers is regarded as one of college football’s top minds on offense and is 45-32 overall in six years as a head coach.
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Dino Babers Eyeing a Number of Texas Tech Commits – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Aki)

Dino Babers has had success at both poaching recruits while also fending off potential predators. Now, he’s encroaching on an entire school. On June 21, Babers offered three players, two of which were Texas Tech commits and the third committed to the Red Raiders the next day. As of now, Maverick McIvor, Tony Bradford Jr. and Keeyon Stewart all remain committed to Tech.

All three players hail from Texas, like the rest of Texas Tech’s recruiting class. The Lone Star State has not been a place that Babers has recruited heavily. SU only has three players on its roster from Texas. One is quarterback Chance Amie, who Babers sniped out of the Houston Cougar’s clutch on signing day, defensive end Alton Robinson, but he came from junior college, and Koda Martin, who is a Texas A&M grad transfer and son of an Syracuse coach.

However, that could all be changing. Martin’s father, Kirk, is now the quarterback’s coach for the Orange and hails from Texas. He was a successful high school coach in Texas and surely still has strong ties to plenty of high schools and coaches in the state. Both Bradford Jr. and Stewart played about half an hour away from Martin’s school, Manvel High School. Along with that, Babers has spent plenty of time in Texas as an assistant with Baylor and Texas A&M.

We have seen Babers have plenty of success funneling Florida prospects to SU, which is good given it’s the state with the most pros. Texas is another powerhouse coming in at third in NFL products. We have seen so many schools in both states have success by recruiting in their own backyards. If Syracuse can continue to pick up players from both, Babers will continue to bolster his program.
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Finding the trends: Helpful tips to know before betting ACC football during the 2018 season (cbssports.com; Fornelli)

There are no sure things when it comes to gambling, but if we look at the history of how teams have performed, we can see trends emerge. I've gone through college football data since the beginning of the 2008 season in search of these trends, and I've found plenty of them.

Today I share with you the things I've discovered in the ACC. Now, merely following these trends will not assure you riches beyond your wildest dreams, but they will arm you with useful information to help you make more informed decisions when putting your money on the line.

All records listed below are against the spread (ATS)

	FAVORITE	UNDERDOG	HOME	AWAY	NEUTRAL
All games	450-454-21	373-337-16	409-415-18	341-309-15	73-67-4
ACC play	240-278-12	278-240-12	245-263-11	245-263-11	N/A
Nonconference play	210-176-9	95-97-4	164-152-7	78-64-4	63-57-2

ACC vs. Everyone

BIG TEN	BIG 12	PAC-12	SEC	INDEPENDENTS & G5	FCS
18-23-3	14-16	11-16	52-49	129-93-3	61-52-5

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ACC network is a year away from launching, but its challenges are clear (pilotonline.com; Teel)

Athletic director Warde Manuel told Michigan’s Board of Regents last week that his department’s share of Big Ten revenue was $51.1 million in 2017-18 and was projected at $52.1 million for 2018-19.

In its most recent federal tax filing, the ACC reported that the average distribution to its schools in 2016-17 was $26.6 million – a little more than half the Big Ten’s haul. Two points about the striking contrast:

First, neither the ACC nor its members have revealed their 2017-18 shares. Moreover, no one has projected 2018-19 numbers.

Second, sports isn’t Monopoly. A more modest pile of cash – none of the Power Five conferences is impoverished – hasn’t prevented ACC teams from thriving nationally in football, men’s basketball and the Olympic sports.

But Manuel’s presentation to Michigan’s board, plus the Southeastern Conference’s average distribution of $40.9 million in 2016-17, reaffirms that the ACC needs its impending cable channel to generate considerable revenue.

A partnership with ESPN, the ACC Network is scheduled to launch in August 2019, its earnings potential the subject of rampant speculation and, among athletic directors, much anticipation.

The ADs wonder because they’re investing millions in on-campus network production facilities. They worry because sustaining a business long-term with a fraction of your competitors’ resources borders on impossible.
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Other

NYS Blues Festival, Brad Paisley: 14 things to do in CNY this weekend (PS; Pucci)

With the New York State Blues Festival returning to town and a pair of concerts at the Lakeview Amphitheater, this weekend should be a fun one for live music fans of Central New York.

NYS Blues Festival

The New York State Blues Festival has expanded to three days this year, giving fans even more opportunities to enjoy the free music at this Downtown Syracuse festival.
Blues-rock sister duo Larkin Poe headlines the Thursday night festivities, while CNY native Paulie Cerra takes top billing on Friday. NYS Blues Festival veteran Anders Osborne (pictured above) headlines Saturday night.
Where: Clinton Square, Syracuse.
When: Thursday, June 28, starting at 5 p.m.; Friday, June 29, starting at 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 30, starting at noon.
How much: Free admission.

Styx and Joan Jett

Come sail away to the St. Joseph's Heath Amphitheater at Lakeview this weekend, where 80s hit makers Styx and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts will take the stage Thursday for a night of classic rock.

Tesla will open the show.

Where: St. Joseph's Heath Amphitheater at Lakeview, 490 Restoration Way, Geddes.
When: Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m.
How much: Tickets start at $29.50.
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