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No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Sacagawea Day!
Sacagawea (also spelled Sacajawea and Sakakawea) is believed to have died on today's date in 1812, and today we honor her contributions and courage. The daughter of a Shoshone chief, and part of the Lemhi band of the Shoshone tribe, she was born in May 1788 in the Lemhi Valley, near the Salmon River and the Rocky Mountains, in present-day Lemhi County, Idaho.
The Hidatsa tribe was enemies of the Shoshones, and they kidnapped Sacagawea in 1800 and brought to a Hidatsa-Mandan settlement in North Dakota. In 1803 or 1804, she became the property of fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau, who took her as one of his wives. Sacagawea's name means "bird woman" in the Hidatsa language—"sacaga" means bird and "wea" means woman. But, the Shoshone and some others claim that her name means "boat pusher" in the Shoshone language.
SU News
What’s next for SU football’s Class of 2020? (hint: find a QB) (PS; Bailey)
Early signing day has come and gone.
Syracuse football signed 18 prospects and landed a transfer commitment from ex-Florida offensive lineman Chris Bleich. There was cause for both celebration and frustration within the fanbase, but now the Orange coaching staff must turn its attention to what’s next for its Class of 2020.
And so, we shall too.
There are two questions to be answered...
How many more players can Syracuse take?
This is never a fun question to answer, even for someone who enjoys math. As we’ve discussed in the past, there are two scholarship caps that limit the number of players SU can have.
The first: no more than 85 rostered scholarship players.
The Orange currently has 62 scholarship players with at least a year of eligibility left; offensive lineman Mike Clark left that group earlier this week when he announced a head injury ended his career. It’s likely additional attrition occurs during this offseason, be it by way of transfer or medical disqualification. Such news may start to trickle out after SU head coach Dino Babers makes the coaching changes he said were coming after the regular season.
The second cap: no more than 25 initial counters each academic year
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Will SU football ever make a jump in recruiting? Early signing day recap (podcast) (PS; podcast; Bailey & Whigham)
Another year. Another class of three-star guys, many of whom had limited Power-5 options.
That’s been Syracuse football recruiting for the last 15-plus years. The Orange has just one Top 50 class since the 247Sports.com composite starting keeping track in 2003 -- 45th in 2007, in case you were wondering. And that rate of talent acquisition has made it difficult to win consistently in Central New York.
Will it ever change?
On this episode of the Syracuse football podcast, Julian Whigham and I discuss that long-running rut and the factors that could lift SU to a Top 30 or 40 class. We also dig into all the action from the early signing period, including why Dino Babers can’t land a quarterback and what the commitment of Florida transfer offensive lineman Chris Bleich means for the program.
From Germany to Canada to Florida and everywhere in between SU Football has new stars (cnycentral.com; Tamurian)
Syracuse Football made it official on Wednesday, signing 18 new players as part of the Class of 2020.
Now that the dust has settled, it’s a great opportunity to look at the class now and how each signee could project at the next level. When offers are referenced, we’re using the lists compiled by our good friend Mike McAllister at CuseNation.com which is part of the 247 Sports Network.
Often times, fans and analysts go by the "star system" but in a lot of ways a more accurate indicator of a prospect's potential is going by the level of schools interested in that player.
Even that though, is far from a sure-fire way to know what will happen.
Consider Eric Dungey was a fringe 2/3 star player coming out of high school in Oregon and finished his college career as one of the best to ever wear Orange.
Many 4 or 5-star players in years past, Syracuse or elsewhere never quite panned out for one reason or another.
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NYSSWA's RoadToSyracuse.com: Recruiting, 2020 letter of intent list (roadtosyracuse.com)
Recruiting: Letter of Intent Day, 2020
The list of New York seniors who've verbally committed to sign Division I-A letters of intent by early February 2020:
For the sake of consistency in comparing from year to year, the above list includes only players who (a) committed to their college during the first week of the signing period in February or (b) cleary were Division I-A recruits who briefly delayed their decision.
Seven McGee leaves Rochester East for California ... again (newyrorksportswriters.org)
If he changes his mind one more time, a certain high school athlete can apply to change his name from Seven McGee to Seven Transfers.
The Democrat and Chronicle reported this week that the well-traveled McGee has left Rochester once again to transfer to a California school for which he'll presumably play his senior season before heading off to a major-college football program.
His departure from East High earlier this month to enroll at Centennial High in Corona, California, about an hour away from Los Angeles, marks the sixth time that McGee has changed schools since the start of junior high. It's also the third time in less than a year that he has pulled up stakes to go coast-to-coast in the middle of a semester.
The paper reported that East High superintendent Shaun Nelms released a statement Tuesday regarding McGee, lauding the talented running back (an all-state pick in 2018) as "an incredible student, athlete, and teammate who contributed to the culture of East, both off and on the field."
McGee could only be a spectator this past football season as East reached the Section 5 Class A final. He was ruled ineligible by Section 5 in both football and basketball for being out of compliance with the NYSPHSAA transfer rule after returning from another Narbonne High in Harbor City, California, in May. He had left East early in the 2018-19 basketball season.
He had previously bounced from Rochester to California to Rochester once before.
Comment: Go ahead and criticize me for semi-ridiculing a high school kid who by all accounts is talented and likeable. But if you see the problem here as me rather than the guidance he's getting from adults as he bounces from coast to coast, then you're missing the big picture.
Early signing period: Two obvious takeaways from the early signing period for Division I football prospects:
(1) We're on our way to another relatively thing list of New York signees between now and February, but somehow six different Big Ten schools have lined up platers from our state.
(2) Syracuse University has signed more players from Germany (two) -- I think they play in Section 12 of the NYSPHSAA, right? -- this week than from New York (one).
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Steelers Sign Jamal Custis to Practice Squad - Syracuse University Athletics cuse.com)
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Syracuse University wide receiver Jamal Custis to their practice squad yesterday. Custis joins the Steelers in the midst of the team's push for one of the AFC's two wild-card spots. He takes the place of receiver Amara Darboh, who was recently promoted to the 53-man roster.
Originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in April, Custis caught four passes for 32 yards for the Chiefs in the preseason before being released.
At Syracuse, Custis was an All-ACC Second Team choice as a senior in 2018. He led the Orange with 906 receiving yards on 51 catches, including six touchdowns. Custis also proved to be a valuable contributor on special teams, making two tackles and recovering a fumble as a gunner on the punt team. In 40 career games at Syracuse, Custis had 64 receptions for 1,048 yards and eight scores.
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Syracuse Football: Chandler Jones solidified himself as an Arizona legend (itlh; Queripel)
Former Syracuse football linebacker, Chandler Jones, is headed to his 3rd Pro Bowl. In the process, he is among the Cardinals greats. Here are the details.
The Arizona Cardinals are struggling this year, but one of their biggest bright spots has been former Syracuse football stud, Chandler Jones. He has wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks ever since he entered the league, and 2019 was no exception.
This season has been a record-breaking year for Jones, and he can still shatter some records in the final two games of 2019. His most recent accolade was his third pro-bowl selection. Jones is respected as one of the best at taking down the opposing quarterback, and that earned him a ticket to Orlando.
He is still in the race for the top spot with the most sacks in the league this season against Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Shaq Barrett. The Bucs linebacker has 16.5 sacks in 2019 while Jones sits in second place with 15.
Not only is Jones making waves around the NFL, but he is making his way to the top of the Cardinals record books. Chandler Jones has already achieved the most sacks in a single season of any Arizona Cardinals player in history with 17.
Still, with two games left, he only needs 2.5 sacks to beat his personal best and to solidify himself as one of the best Arizona Cardinals of all-time.
On the all-time leaderboard, the former Orange linebacker is just a half-sack away from tying Calais Campbell, at number two on the Cardinals sack list, per the football database.
Chandler Jones is also tied with Shaq Barrett and TJ Watt with the most forced fumbles caused this year. Now, if Jones can force one more fumble, he would be atop the leaderboard this year.
But even better than that, Chandler with that additional forced fumble would tie former Arizona Cardinals legend, Adrian Wilson, for the most forced fumbles in Arizona history according to pro football reference.
In the coming weeks, the Cardinals will face the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. In these two games, Chandler Jones has a lot of history on the line. The former Syracuse Orange is etching his name into NFL history one sack at a time.
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Boston College Football: Roster Updates For December 19, 2019 (si.com; Black)
Boston College had it's annual early signing day yesterday that brought in ten recruits. As reported on BC Maven, four star lineman Kevin Pyne will indeed be part of the Class of 2020 and will be enrolling early with the Eagles. He was not announced as part of the class yesterday, but Boston College eased some fan's anxiety by announcing it on Twitter this morning
Some other news:
* Kicker Ben Sauls who also was committed to Boston College but was not listed yesterday will gray shirt and join the roster in January. Find it interesting that the Eagles are going to hold off on having him on the team given the lack of experienced kicking depth after Aaron Boumerhi graduates.
* File this under items we missed during the coaching search, but tight end/full back Isaiah Miranda has entered the transfer portal. He had one big touchdown reception for the Eagles against Syracuse after Hunter Long went down with an injury. The redshirt sophomore will have two years of eligibility left with the Catamounts
* Cornerback Aaron Gethers entered the transfer portal after Steve Addazio was fired, and it appears that he has already found a home. He announced on Twitter yesterday that he will be joining Western Carolina. He saw some playing time as a redshirt freshman and should have three years of playing time remaining.
* The other transfer Evan Stewart is heading to URI next season
* Running back Quin Stott, who also entered the transfer portal, announced he will be playing for Merrimack. The Newburyport native was a walk on this year, and should have all four years of eligibility left when he joins the Warriors.
* Anthony Brown has been a name that everyone wants updates on. I've been asking around and haven't heard much.
11 Things to Know About UVA Football as the Team Preps for the Orange Bowl (virginia.edu' Reid)
The popular Christmas song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” is especially true for University of Virginia football fans this month.
For the first time in school history, UVA – following an exciting regular season that featured a streak-breaking victory over Virginia Tech and an Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division championship – will play in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
With the Hoos set to take on the University of Florida on Dec. 30 in Miami, here are 11 things to know.
The Game
UVA fans can buy tickets here. Those that cannot attend can also purchase tickets from UVA’s allotment to be donated to service members from the Homestead Air Reserve Base and youth and family members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. That gives UVA fans credit for buying tickets – helpful in future bowl-selection deliberations – while doing some good for others. A win-win.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. Those who can’t make it to Miami can watch the game on ESPN.
Bowl History
This will be UVA’s 21st all-time bowl appearance and third in a row under head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who took the Hoos to the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2017 and the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, last season.
UVA’s first bowl appearance was the 1984 Peach Bowl, when legendary coach George Welsh was at the helm. Led by quarterback Don Majkowski, future All-Pro offensive lineman Jim Dombrowski and running back Barry Word, the Cavaliers defeated Purdue University, 27-24.
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Winners, Losers And What’s Next After College Football’s Early Signing Period Begins (forbes.com; Ching)
Clemson has consistently recruited well under Dabo Swinney, but the Tigers have yet to see a class of signees recognized as the nation’s best.
That could change in February.
After the first day of college football’s early signing period, Clemson holds the nation’s No. 1 class according to 247Sports Composite, ESPN and . The Tigers’ 2020 class – a group that includes six five-star prospects according to the 247 and Rivals rankings – includes No. 1 overall prospect Bryan Bresee (per 247 and Rivals) and two other players (defensive end Myles Murphy and quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei) who rank among the top three overall prospects according to at least one recruiting service.
Reeling in those blue-chippers’ signatures made it a banner day at Clemson, but Wednesday was not especially dramatic for Swinney’s program. The Tigers missed out on one of the top remaining five-star prospects – defensive end Jordan Burch picked rival South Carolina, although he had not submitted his letter of intent as of Wednesday evening – and flipped four-star safety Malcolm Greene away from LSU. But by and large, most of the Tigers’ class was already secure before the 72-hour early signing period kicked off on Wednesday morning.
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Ranking 2019-20 ACC Bowl Locations (RX; HM)
Ranking 2019-20 ACC Bowl Locations
Which ACC teams got the best/worst bowl assignments just based on destination? Athlon Sports ranks the non-major bowls - here are the ACC-related (plus a look ahead to how next year's bowls rank):
From Athlon Sports: A Traveler's Ranking of the Bowls Outside the New Year's Six
32. Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl
Location: Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, Fla.
(NOT THIS YEAR; MAYBE NEXT YEAR - It'll be the lowest ACC bowl and may not be filled)
29. Quick Lane Bowl (FINAL YEAR for ACC)
Location: Ford Field – Detroit
Launched: 2014
This Year’s Game: Pitt vs. Eastern Michigan (Dec. 26, 2019)
At least this game is played indoors, but you still have to go to Detroit... in December.
23. TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Location: Legion Field – Birmingham, Ala.
Launched: 2006
This Year’s Game: Boston College vs. Cincinnati (Jan. 2, 2020)
The Birmingham Bowl matches one of the best teams in the AAC against one of the Power 5’s worst bowl-eligible teams. For fans of the AAC school, it is a chance to see if their team can hang with the big boys in one of the South’s most storied stadiums.
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Links, news and rumors - 12/19/19 (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 12/19/19
ACC Feedback
I submitted a feedback form to the ACC the other day... here's what I wrote:
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Rivalries which have become one-sided (RX; HM)
Rivalries which have become one-sided
This was the year the Virginia Cavaliers finally broke their losing streak to the Virginia Tech Hokies. It had been a long time coming. Prior to this year's game, the Hokies had beaten the Cavs (aka Wahoos) 15 times in a row and 19 of the last 20. The last UVA win streak of 3 or more games? Way back in the late Eighties: 1987 to 1989. #ownage.
That's far from the only big-time college football rivalries that used to be, but just isn't any more...
In what was once the biggest game of Rivalry Week, Ohio State has beaten Michigan the last 8 years in a row and 14 of the last 15. To be fair, the Wolverines do hold a small series lead, 58–51–6, but even that is in danger after the recent Buckeye run (which shows no sign of slowing down). To find a Michigan win streak of more than 2 games in this series, you have to go back to 1995-97 - a mere 3 games, though. Clearly the Buckeyes have been dominant for a long time now.
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Expanded 2019-20 Fiesta Bowl Coverage (RX; HM)
Expanded 2019-20 Fiesta Bowl Coverage
From ESPN Press Room: ACC Network Heads to Glendale for College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
The ACC Network (ACCN) will broadcast live from Glendale, Ariz., for expanded coverage of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl as part of ESPN’s MegaCast offerings. ACCN will have more than 10 hours of dedicated programming on Friday, Dec. 27, and Saturday, Dec. 28, surrounding the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, including its signature studio shows "Packer and Durham" and "The Huddle" in advance of the CFP Semifinal featuring #3 Clemson vs. #2 Ohio State at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN.
ESPN College GameDay will also set up shop in Arizona leading up to the Fiesta Bowl showdown between Ohio State and Clemson.
College Football Playoff Semifinal Coverage at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
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Wins Above Average, 2014-19 (RX; HM)
Wins Above Average, 2014-19
PFF - the guys who evaluate college players from an NFL perspective - have an interesting metric they use called "Wins Above Average", or WAA for short. This attempts to measure how much the star player contributed to his team winning - above what an "average" player would've done in his spot.
Using this metric, PFF is able to make some interesting observations about college football. For example, they've determined that, over the last six seasons, the Heisman Trophy winner with the least impact on his own team was Derrick Henry, Alabama, 2015. This should be no surprise for two reasons: (1) the Tide were so loaded they would've won nearly every game anyway, without Henry, and (2) with the holes that offensive line was opening, a back of lesser talent still would've gotten most of the yardage that Henry gained. It probably didn't hurt that Henry played in the SEC SEC SEC!
By contrast, one recent ACC running back had nearly three times the impact for his team. I'm talking about James Conner, RB, Pitt Panthers, 2014 season. While PFF reckons Derrick Henry should only get credit for about 1/3 of a single win for the Crimson Tide, they credit Conner single-handedly with almost a full win for the Panthers. Someone may point out that Derrick Henry has had a pretty good NFL career so far (true), but it's hard to compare him to James Conner, since Conner has been very injury-prone in the pros (yeah, I know, that's part of football).
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Other
Tim Perkins just pulled these wings from the fryers. All of the wings are spoken for by customers waiting patiently at the Midway Express market on West Onondaga Street.
Secret Chicken Wings of CNY: 12 great spots you didn’t know about (PS; Miller)
Central New York is home to some of the best, if not THE best, chicken wings in the state. We could pit wings from Change of Pace, Shifty’s, Swallow’s and Nibsy’s against Buffalo’s best any day.
But we have oh-so-many more than just those popular Syracuse bars. Over the past two weeks, I sought out to find killer chicken wings that you might not know about. I asked readers on our Where Syracuse Eats Facebook page for recommendations and was shelled with more than 200 responses. During my search, I found some others.
Some of these places are known for food other than wings. Some are just grocery stores. And some are neighborhood bars that have known all along that they prepare what they consider the best wings in town.
A few of you may already visit these places, and others might have a favorite not on this list. Let me know about those so I can write a sequel to this story down the road. Email me or leave a comment.
To get us started, here are 12 places I found that fry up amazing fresh—never frozen—wings that I’m guessing you’ve never heard of. They’re listed in the order of my visit. Click on the address link for directions because some are hard to find.
Midway Express
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Welcome to Sacagawea Day!
Sacagawea (also spelled Sacajawea and Sakakawea) is believed to have died on today's date in 1812, and today we honor her contributions and courage. The daughter of a Shoshone chief, and part of the Lemhi band of the Shoshone tribe, she was born in May 1788 in the Lemhi Valley, near the Salmon River and the Rocky Mountains, in present-day Lemhi County, Idaho.
The Hidatsa tribe was enemies of the Shoshones, and they kidnapped Sacagawea in 1800 and brought to a Hidatsa-Mandan settlement in North Dakota. In 1803 or 1804, she became the property of fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau, who took her as one of his wives. Sacagawea's name means "bird woman" in the Hidatsa language—"sacaga" means bird and "wea" means woman. But, the Shoshone and some others claim that her name means "boat pusher" in the Shoshone language.
SU News
What’s next for SU football’s Class of 2020? (hint: find a QB) (PS; Bailey)
Early signing day has come and gone.
Syracuse football signed 18 prospects and landed a transfer commitment from ex-Florida offensive lineman Chris Bleich. There was cause for both celebration and frustration within the fanbase, but now the Orange coaching staff must turn its attention to what’s next for its Class of 2020.
And so, we shall too.
There are two questions to be answered...
How many more players can Syracuse take?
This is never a fun question to answer, even for someone who enjoys math. As we’ve discussed in the past, there are two scholarship caps that limit the number of players SU can have.
The first: no more than 85 rostered scholarship players.
The Orange currently has 62 scholarship players with at least a year of eligibility left; offensive lineman Mike Clark left that group earlier this week when he announced a head injury ended his career. It’s likely additional attrition occurs during this offseason, be it by way of transfer or medical disqualification. Such news may start to trickle out after SU head coach Dino Babers makes the coaching changes he said were coming after the regular season.
The second cap: no more than 25 initial counters each academic year
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Will SU football ever make a jump in recruiting? Early signing day recap (podcast) (PS; podcast; Bailey & Whigham)
Another year. Another class of three-star guys, many of whom had limited Power-5 options.
That’s been Syracuse football recruiting for the last 15-plus years. The Orange has just one Top 50 class since the 247Sports.com composite starting keeping track in 2003 -- 45th in 2007, in case you were wondering. And that rate of talent acquisition has made it difficult to win consistently in Central New York.
Will it ever change?
On this episode of the Syracuse football podcast, Julian Whigham and I discuss that long-running rut and the factors that could lift SU to a Top 30 or 40 class. We also dig into all the action from the early signing period, including why Dino Babers can’t land a quarterback and what the commitment of Florida transfer offensive lineman Chris Bleich means for the program.
From Germany to Canada to Florida and everywhere in between SU Football has new stars (cnycentral.com; Tamurian)
Syracuse Football made it official on Wednesday, signing 18 new players as part of the Class of 2020.
Now that the dust has settled, it’s a great opportunity to look at the class now and how each signee could project at the next level. When offers are referenced, we’re using the lists compiled by our good friend Mike McAllister at CuseNation.com which is part of the 247 Sports Network.
Often times, fans and analysts go by the "star system" but in a lot of ways a more accurate indicator of a prospect's potential is going by the level of schools interested in that player.
Even that though, is far from a sure-fire way to know what will happen.
Consider Eric Dungey was a fringe 2/3 star player coming out of high school in Oregon and finished his college career as one of the best to ever wear Orange.
Many 4 or 5-star players in years past, Syracuse or elsewhere never quite panned out for one reason or another.
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NYSSWA's RoadToSyracuse.com: Recruiting, 2020 letter of intent list (roadtosyracuse.com)
Recruiting: Letter of Intent Day, 2020
The list of New York seniors who've verbally committed to sign Division I-A letters of intent by early February 2020:
- Israel Abanikanda, AP, Abraham Lincoln (Pittsburgh)
- Olasunkonmi Agunloye, DL, Lindenhurst (Virginia)
- Nick Bags, DL, Tottenville (Temple)
- Dominick Barbuto, LB, Lynbook (Army)
- Justin Bellido, WR, Erasmus Hall (Minnesota)
- Nathan Carter, RB, Bishop Kearney (UConn)
- Cullen Coleman, LB, Rye Country Day (Northwestern)
- Tyler Doty, OL, St. Joseph's (Buffalo)
- Jordan Dunbar, DB, Iona Prep (Rice)
- Tunde Fatuski, OL, Erasmus Hall (Rutgers)
- Andre Hines, RB, Erasmus Hall (Boston College)
- Steven Mahar, TE, Aquinas (Syracuse)
- William Mohan, LB, Erasmus Hall (Michigan)
- Tirek Murphy, RB, Christ the King (Purdue)
- A.J. Roberts, LB, Tottenville (Pittsburgh)
- Michael Tetteh, DL, Cardinal Hayes (Buffalo)
- Ibrahim Traore, OL, Frederick Douglass Academy (Penn State)
- Dan Villari, QB, Plainedge (Michigan)
For the sake of consistency in comparing from year to year, the above list includes only players who (a) committed to their college during the first week of the signing period in February or (b) cleary were Division I-A recruits who briefly delayed their decision.
Seven McGee leaves Rochester East for California ... again (newyrorksportswriters.org)
If he changes his mind one more time, a certain high school athlete can apply to change his name from Seven McGee to Seven Transfers.
The Democrat and Chronicle reported this week that the well-traveled McGee has left Rochester once again to transfer to a California school for which he'll presumably play his senior season before heading off to a major-college football program.
His departure from East High earlier this month to enroll at Centennial High in Corona, California, about an hour away from Los Angeles, marks the sixth time that McGee has changed schools since the start of junior high. It's also the third time in less than a year that he has pulled up stakes to go coast-to-coast in the middle of a semester.
The paper reported that East High superintendent Shaun Nelms released a statement Tuesday regarding McGee, lauding the talented running back (an all-state pick in 2018) as "an incredible student, athlete, and teammate who contributed to the culture of East, both off and on the field."
McGee could only be a spectator this past football season as East reached the Section 5 Class A final. He was ruled ineligible by Section 5 in both football and basketball for being out of compliance with the NYSPHSAA transfer rule after returning from another Narbonne High in Harbor City, California, in May. He had left East early in the 2018-19 basketball season.
He had previously bounced from Rochester to California to Rochester once before.
Comment: Go ahead and criticize me for semi-ridiculing a high school kid who by all accounts is talented and likeable. But if you see the problem here as me rather than the guidance he's getting from adults as he bounces from coast to coast, then you're missing the big picture.
Early signing period: Two obvious takeaways from the early signing period for Division I football prospects:
(1) We're on our way to another relatively thing list of New York signees between now and February, but somehow six different Big Ten schools have lined up platers from our state.
(2) Syracuse University has signed more players from Germany (two) -- I think they play in Section 12 of the NYSPHSAA, right? -- this week than from New York (one).
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Steelers Sign Jamal Custis to Practice Squad - Syracuse University Athletics cuse.com)
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Syracuse University wide receiver Jamal Custis to their practice squad yesterday. Custis joins the Steelers in the midst of the team's push for one of the AFC's two wild-card spots. He takes the place of receiver Amara Darboh, who was recently promoted to the 53-man roster.
Originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in April, Custis caught four passes for 32 yards for the Chiefs in the preseason before being released.
At Syracuse, Custis was an All-ACC Second Team choice as a senior in 2018. He led the Orange with 906 receiving yards on 51 catches, including six touchdowns. Custis also proved to be a valuable contributor on special teams, making two tackles and recovering a fumble as a gunner on the punt team. In 40 career games at Syracuse, Custis had 64 receptions for 1,048 yards and eight scores.
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Syracuse Football: Chandler Jones solidified himself as an Arizona legend (itlh; Queripel)
Former Syracuse football linebacker, Chandler Jones, is headed to his 3rd Pro Bowl. In the process, he is among the Cardinals greats. Here are the details.
The Arizona Cardinals are struggling this year, but one of their biggest bright spots has been former Syracuse football stud, Chandler Jones. He has wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks ever since he entered the league, and 2019 was no exception.
This season has been a record-breaking year for Jones, and he can still shatter some records in the final two games of 2019. His most recent accolade was his third pro-bowl selection. Jones is respected as one of the best at taking down the opposing quarterback, and that earned him a ticket to Orlando.
He is still in the race for the top spot with the most sacks in the league this season against Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Shaq Barrett. The Bucs linebacker has 16.5 sacks in 2019 while Jones sits in second place with 15.
Not only is Jones making waves around the NFL, but he is making his way to the top of the Cardinals record books. Chandler Jones has already achieved the most sacks in a single season of any Arizona Cardinals player in history with 17.
Still, with two games left, he only needs 2.5 sacks to beat his personal best and to solidify himself as one of the best Arizona Cardinals of all-time.
On the all-time leaderboard, the former Orange linebacker is just a half-sack away from tying Calais Campbell, at number two on the Cardinals sack list, per the football database.
Chandler Jones is also tied with Shaq Barrett and TJ Watt with the most forced fumbles caused this year. Now, if Jones can force one more fumble, he would be atop the leaderboard this year.
But even better than that, Chandler with that additional forced fumble would tie former Arizona Cardinals legend, Adrian Wilson, for the most forced fumbles in Arizona history according to pro football reference.
In the coming weeks, the Cardinals will face the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. In these two games, Chandler Jones has a lot of history on the line. The former Syracuse Orange is etching his name into NFL history one sack at a time.
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Boston College Football: Roster Updates For December 19, 2019 (si.com; Black)
Boston College had it's annual early signing day yesterday that brought in ten recruits. As reported on BC Maven, four star lineman Kevin Pyne will indeed be part of the Class of 2020 and will be enrolling early with the Eagles. He was not announced as part of the class yesterday, but Boston College eased some fan's anxiety by announcing it on Twitter this morning
Some other news:
* Kicker Ben Sauls who also was committed to Boston College but was not listed yesterday will gray shirt and join the roster in January. Find it interesting that the Eagles are going to hold off on having him on the team given the lack of experienced kicking depth after Aaron Boumerhi graduates.
* File this under items we missed during the coaching search, but tight end/full back Isaiah Miranda has entered the transfer portal. He had one big touchdown reception for the Eagles against Syracuse after Hunter Long went down with an injury. The redshirt sophomore will have two years of eligibility left with the Catamounts
* Cornerback Aaron Gethers entered the transfer portal after Steve Addazio was fired, and it appears that he has already found a home. He announced on Twitter yesterday that he will be joining Western Carolina. He saw some playing time as a redshirt freshman and should have three years of playing time remaining.
* The other transfer Evan Stewart is heading to URI next season
* Running back Quin Stott, who also entered the transfer portal, announced he will be playing for Merrimack. The Newburyport native was a walk on this year, and should have all four years of eligibility left when he joins the Warriors.
* Anthony Brown has been a name that everyone wants updates on. I've been asking around and haven't heard much.
11 Things to Know About UVA Football as the Team Preps for the Orange Bowl (virginia.edu' Reid)
The popular Christmas song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” is especially true for University of Virginia football fans this month.
For the first time in school history, UVA – following an exciting regular season that featured a streak-breaking victory over Virginia Tech and an Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division championship – will play in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
With the Hoos set to take on the University of Florida on Dec. 30 in Miami, here are 11 things to know.
The Game
UVA fans can buy tickets here. Those that cannot attend can also purchase tickets from UVA’s allotment to be donated to service members from the Homestead Air Reserve Base and youth and family members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. That gives UVA fans credit for buying tickets – helpful in future bowl-selection deliberations – while doing some good for others. A win-win.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. Those who can’t make it to Miami can watch the game on ESPN.
Bowl History
This will be UVA’s 21st all-time bowl appearance and third in a row under head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who took the Hoos to the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2017 and the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, last season.
UVA’s first bowl appearance was the 1984 Peach Bowl, when legendary coach George Welsh was at the helm. Led by quarterback Don Majkowski, future All-Pro offensive lineman Jim Dombrowski and running back Barry Word, the Cavaliers defeated Purdue University, 27-24.
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Winners, Losers And What’s Next After College Football’s Early Signing Period Begins (forbes.com; Ching)
Clemson has consistently recruited well under Dabo Swinney, but the Tigers have yet to see a class of signees recognized as the nation’s best.
That could change in February.
After the first day of college football’s early signing period, Clemson holds the nation’s No. 1 class according to 247Sports Composite, ESPN and . The Tigers’ 2020 class – a group that includes six five-star prospects according to the 247 and Rivals rankings – includes No. 1 overall prospect Bryan Bresee (per 247 and Rivals) and two other players (defensive end Myles Murphy and quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei) who rank among the top three overall prospects according to at least one recruiting service.
Reeling in those blue-chippers’ signatures made it a banner day at Clemson, but Wednesday was not especially dramatic for Swinney’s program. The Tigers missed out on one of the top remaining five-star prospects – defensive end Jordan Burch picked rival South Carolina, although he had not submitted his letter of intent as of Wednesday evening – and flipped four-star safety Malcolm Greene away from LSU. But by and large, most of the Tigers’ class was already secure before the 72-hour early signing period kicked off on Wednesday morning.
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Ranking 2019-20 ACC Bowl Locations (RX; HM)
Ranking 2019-20 ACC Bowl Locations
Which ACC teams got the best/worst bowl assignments just based on destination? Athlon Sports ranks the non-major bowls - here are the ACC-related (plus a look ahead to how next year's bowls rank):
From Athlon Sports: A Traveler's Ranking of the Bowls Outside the New Year's Six
32. Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl
Location: Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, Fla.
(NOT THIS YEAR; MAYBE NEXT YEAR - It'll be the lowest ACC bowl and may not be filled)
29. Quick Lane Bowl (FINAL YEAR for ACC)
Location: Ford Field – Detroit
Launched: 2014
This Year’s Game: Pitt vs. Eastern Michigan (Dec. 26, 2019)
At least this game is played indoors, but you still have to go to Detroit... in December.
23. TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Location: Legion Field – Birmingham, Ala.
Launched: 2006
This Year’s Game: Boston College vs. Cincinnati (Jan. 2, 2020)
The Birmingham Bowl matches one of the best teams in the AAC against one of the Power 5’s worst bowl-eligible teams. For fans of the AAC school, it is a chance to see if their team can hang with the big boys in one of the South’s most storied stadiums.
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Links, news and rumors - 12/19/19 (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 12/19/19
ACC Feedback
I submitted a feedback form to the ACC the other day... here's what I wrote:
So far they've acknowledged receipt but haven't replied.
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Rivalries which have become one-sided (RX; HM)
Rivalries which have become one-sided
This was the year the Virginia Cavaliers finally broke their losing streak to the Virginia Tech Hokies. It had been a long time coming. Prior to this year's game, the Hokies had beaten the Cavs (aka Wahoos) 15 times in a row and 19 of the last 20. The last UVA win streak of 3 or more games? Way back in the late Eighties: 1987 to 1989. #ownage.
That's far from the only big-time college football rivalries that used to be, but just isn't any more...
In what was once the biggest game of Rivalry Week, Ohio State has beaten Michigan the last 8 years in a row and 14 of the last 15. To be fair, the Wolverines do hold a small series lead, 58–51–6, but even that is in danger after the recent Buckeye run (which shows no sign of slowing down). To find a Michigan win streak of more than 2 games in this series, you have to go back to 1995-97 - a mere 3 games, though. Clearly the Buckeyes have been dominant for a long time now.
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Expanded 2019-20 Fiesta Bowl Coverage (RX; HM)
Expanded 2019-20 Fiesta Bowl Coverage
From ESPN Press Room: ACC Network Heads to Glendale for College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
The ACC Network (ACCN) will broadcast live from Glendale, Ariz., for expanded coverage of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl as part of ESPN’s MegaCast offerings. ACCN will have more than 10 hours of dedicated programming on Friday, Dec. 27, and Saturday, Dec. 28, surrounding the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, including its signature studio shows "Packer and Durham" and "The Huddle" in advance of the CFP Semifinal featuring #3 Clemson vs. #2 Ohio State at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN.
ESPN College GameDay will also set up shop in Arizona leading up to the Fiesta Bowl showdown between Ohio State and Clemson.
College Football Playoff Semifinal Coverage at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
| Date | Program | Time (ET) | Network |
| Thu, Dec. 26 | PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Media Day Press Conferences | 10:30 AM | ACCNX |
| Fri, Dec. 27 | Packer and Durham | 7:00 AM | ACCN |
| The Huddle | 8:00 PM | ACCN | |
| Sat, Dec. 28 | The Huddle | 3:00 PM | ACCN |
| College Gameday from the Fiesta Bowl | TBD | ESPN |
Wins Above Average, 2014-19 (RX; HM)
Wins Above Average, 2014-19
PFF - the guys who evaluate college players from an NFL perspective - have an interesting metric they use called "Wins Above Average", or WAA for short. This attempts to measure how much the star player contributed to his team winning - above what an "average" player would've done in his spot.
Using this metric, PFF is able to make some interesting observations about college football. For example, they've determined that, over the last six seasons, the Heisman Trophy winner with the least impact on his own team was Derrick Henry, Alabama, 2015. This should be no surprise for two reasons: (1) the Tide were so loaded they would've won nearly every game anyway, without Henry, and (2) with the holes that offensive line was opening, a back of lesser talent still would've gotten most of the yardage that Henry gained. It probably didn't hurt that Henry played in the SEC SEC SEC!
By contrast, one recent ACC running back had nearly three times the impact for his team. I'm talking about James Conner, RB, Pitt Panthers, 2014 season. While PFF reckons Derrick Henry should only get credit for about 1/3 of a single win for the Crimson Tide, they credit Conner single-handedly with almost a full win for the Panthers. Someone may point out that Derrick Henry has had a pretty good NFL career so far (true), but it's hard to compare him to James Conner, since Conner has been very injury-prone in the pros (yeah, I know, that's part of football).
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Other
Tim Perkins just pulled these wings from the fryers. All of the wings are spoken for by customers waiting patiently at the Midway Express market on West Onondaga Street.
Secret Chicken Wings of CNY: 12 great spots you didn’t know about (PS; Miller)
Central New York is home to some of the best, if not THE best, chicken wings in the state. We could pit wings from Change of Pace, Shifty’s, Swallow’s and Nibsy’s against Buffalo’s best any day.
But we have oh-so-many more than just those popular Syracuse bars. Over the past two weeks, I sought out to find killer chicken wings that you might not know about. I asked readers on our Where Syracuse Eats Facebook page for recommendations and was shelled with more than 200 responses. During my search, I found some others.
Some of these places are known for food other than wings. Some are just grocery stores. And some are neighborhood bars that have known all along that they prepare what they consider the best wings in town.
A few of you may already visit these places, and others might have a favorite not on this list. Let me know about those so I can write a sequel to this story down the road. Email me or leave a comment.
To get us started, here are 12 places I found that fry up amazing fresh—never frozen—wings that I’m guessing you’ve never heard of. They’re listed in the order of my visit. Click on the address link for directions because some are hard to find.
Midway Express
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