sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to The Day That Music Died
A long long time ago I can still remember how That music used to make me smile And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver With every paper I'd deliver Bad news on the doorstep I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride Something touched me deep inside The day the music died
So go the lyrics to the first verse of Don McLean's 1971 folk rock song "American Pie," which went to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 the following year. What was this music that made him smile, when was this February day that made him shiver, and what did he mean by "the day the music died?" McLean is singing of rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson (known professionally as the Big Bopper), and Ritchie Valens, who died in a plane crash in the early hours of February 3, 1959. On The Day the Music Died, we remember their passing and honor their legacy.
SU News
Markiewicz caps magical senior year with Syracuse commitment (starlocalmedia.com; Johnson)
This time last year, McKinney North senior quarterback Dillon Markiewicz was just a kid working his tail off and trying to make the most of his opportunity in the Bulldogs’ offseason program.
Fast-forward, Markiewicz is coming off one of the most prolific seasons in the state after passing for 4,187 yards and 45 touchdowns while helping lead North to its first undefeated district title. As a result of his magical senior season, Markiewicz holds every single-season and career passing record in North’s program history and ends his career holding the McKinney ISD record for the most passing yards and touchdown passes in a single season.
Despite the accomplishments, scouts weren’t beating down Markiewicz’s door —until Syracuse came in last week and swooped him and his parents away to New York for a weekend where Markiewicz fell in love with the university and its football program. As a result, Markiewicz made his commitment to “Orange Nation” official via his Twitter feed earlier this week.
“It feels good to have all this pressure off my back and to be all done with the recruiting process,” Markiewicz said. “After receiving offers from Syracuse, Boise State, Stephen . Austin and receiving interest from other big schools late, Syracuse was the only school I took a visit to and I absolutely love the fit. The coaching staff is great, the offense fits my skill set exactly and these coaches have a track record of coaching guys like Jimmy Garoppolo and a couple other big-name guys.”
Markiewicz passed for 2,606 yards and 30 touchdowns against opponents who made the playoffs and led the area in passing by averaging an eye-popping 380 pass yards and four touchdown passes per game. His postseason accolades include a unanimous pick as Star Local Media’s all-area Offensive Player of the Year.
Markiewicz’s decision to head north means that, for the time in his life, he’ll be on a team without his twin brother, Austin, who will remain stateside and compete for the starting job on the offensive line at Texas State.
Though things will be different from what he’s used to in Texas, Markiewicz is focused on making the most of his opportunity just like he did at North.
“The biggest drawback to this is having to live in New York and splitting from my family, especially Austin, but he and the rest of my family have been very supportive, and I have extended family up there as well, so I can’t complain,” Markiewicz said. “In the end, I trusted in God and the plan he had for me and it led to me landing in Syracuse. After this, no one will care about my recruiting story and it’s up to me to work hard and make the most of my opportunity like I did at North and I plan on doing the same thing for Syracuse.”
...
Injuries force Syracuse offensive lineman Sam Heckel to retire from football (localsyr.com)
Sam Heckel has battled through numerous injuries during his Syracuse football career, and the senior offensive lineman announced on Friday that he is stepping away from football.
Heckel announced his decision via Twitter, “I suffered multiple injuries and I am no longer able to play the sport I love.”
Heckel was a prominent member of the Syracuse offensive line since his first snap as a member of the Orange.
The Waukesha, Wisconsin native started every game at left guard and led the team in knockdown blocks with 41 as a redshirt freshman in 2017. In his sophomore season, Heckel averaged one knockdown block for every 22.8 snaps played, which was also a team high.
Heckel was set up to be one of the backbones of the offensive line in 2019, but an injury in the first game of the season against Liberty ended his season prematurely.
A great player on the field, Heckel made a huge impact off the field as well.
In 2018, he was a finalist for the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award for his commitment to making a positive difference in the rare-disease community, and in 2019 he was named as a member of the inaugural Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team.
The offensive lineman suffers from a rare blood disorder himself called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and it forces him to get 14-20 hour blood transfusions three times a week.
Heckel will be honored with the other four members of the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team at the Maxwell Football Awards Gala in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday, March 6, and again at a special event in Philadelphia on March 7.
...
Syracuse Football: Dwight Freeney is ‘virtual lock’ for Pro Football Hall of Fame (itlh; Esden Jr)
Former Syracuse football stud Dwight Freeney is considered a ‘virtual lock’ for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here are all the details.
On Saturday, February 1 the latest Pro Football Hall of Fame class was revealed. It got us thinking about when will be the next time we see a former Syracuse football player immortalized.
Believe it or not, it’s not that far away.
Former Orange pass rusher Dwight Freeney is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
In the NFL, players are eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years after they retire from the league. For Freeney, he played his last NFL snap in 2017 with the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks.
In a recent column, ESPN’s Rich Cimini stated that Freeney was a “virtual lock” for the Hall of Fame when he’s eligible.
Dwight played 16 years professionally for six different NFL organizations. Including the Indianapolis Colts where he spent the first 11 years of his career. In addition, he stuck around the pros for a few more years with the then San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and the aforementioned Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks.
...
2020 NFL Draft Best ACC Players (draftek.com)
1 6 +1 Isaiah Simmons Clemson 6'4" 225 OLB
2 25 -2 Tee Higgins Clemson 6'4" 200 WR
3 38 +3 Bryce Hall Virginia 6'1" 200 CB
4 39 +11 Mekhi Becton Louisville 6'7" 355 OT
...
...
12 142 +27 A.J. Dillon Boston College 6'0" 245 RB
13 143 +1 Shaquille Quarterman Miami (FL) 6'1" 240 ILB
14 160 +8 Alton Robinson Syracuse 6'4" 257 EDGE
...
Weekend Links - 2/1/20 (RX; HM)
Weekend Links - 2/1/20
Miami alum, College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed is Hurricane’s new Chief of Staff.
Reed will serve in an advisory role to Coach Manny Diaz in all aspects of program, including strategic planning, quality control, operations, player evaluation & player development
North Carolina, UConn add home/home series
UConn will visit UNC in 2026, then UNC will return the visit in 2027.
Notre Dame adds 2022 home game w/Cal
The California Bears will visit South Bend in 2022.
Wisconsin "Shamrock" Game will be played at night.
The game between Wisconsin and Notre Dame on October 3rd at Lambeau Field will be a prime time tv event.
FS1, NBCSN, now in fewer than 80 million homes
Fox Sports 1 and NBCSN are now in fewer than 80 million homes, Sports Business Daily reported Thursday, with the FS1 mark of 79.87 million the lowest in network history. NBCSN, at 79.88 million, was in its fewest homes since 2014. [Sports Business Daily 1.30]
ESPN reaches new deal with BYU
ESPN announced Thursday that it has reached a new seven-year media rights extension with BYU to continue televising the Cougars’ home football games through 2026. Under the deal, ESPN will continue to have first pick of BYU home football games, with a minimum of four airing across the ESPN family of networks. BYU is contractually obligated to play in one of the ESPN-owned bowl games in 2020, 2022 and 2024, unless the team is not bowl-eligible or has been picked for the New Year’s Six. [ESPN PR 1.30]
...
Clemson set to start again: Here's the Tigers' projected spring football depth chart (P&C; Needleman)
for gbo
Spring football is right around the corner and there’s much for Clemson fans to be excited about.
The Tigers return a lot of starters at skill positions, namely quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne, both of whom are likely to be Heisman Trophy contenders.
Clemson does have its fair share of question marks, though.
Jackson Carman, a rising junior, is the lone returner on the offensive line. Much like this past season’s defensive line, the group is full of talent but unproven. Matt Bockhorst, who played 421 snaps over 15 games last season, is expected to slide into John Simpson’s slot at left guard, but the rest of the unit’s projected starters are less familiar faces.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins and cornerback A.J. Terrell’s early departures for the 2020 NFL Draft open up a pair of starting spots that could be filled by rising sophomore Joseph Ngata and junior Mario Goodrich, respectively.
Nothing is set in stone yet, of course. But here’s what Clemson’s depth chart could look like when spring football starts next month. The Tigers haven’t announced when they will begin spring practice but the spring game is scheduled for April 4.
...
Notre Dame's 2020 Pro (Stadium) Tour (RX; HM)
Notre Dame's 2020 Pro (Stadium) Tour
It's been the subject of some off season discussion* already: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will play 5 games in NFL (current or former) stadiums, plus one more in a professional soccer stadium...
2020 Notre Dame Football "Away" Games*
* Yeah, I know Wisconsin is technically a Fighting Irish home game
That's a whole lot of professional-quality stadiums, Irish!
Why Move These Venues?
Keep in mind that Pitt and USC are simply playing on their regular home fields. However, that still leaves 4 games which were moved to a different venue (3 of them true away games, the 4th a "Shamrock" game).
For Navy, it's a chance for exposure and to recruit the next class of Midshipmen.
...
Other
Syracuse’s new downtown food hall, Salt City Market, names the winning chefs (PS; Eisenstadt)
After months of pop-up dinners and taste-testing, Salt City Market has chosen the eight winners of a contest with a big prize: a stall at Syracuse’s first downtown food hall.
The chefs all live in and around Syracuse, but they will bring to downtown tastes of homes and family in faraway places like Burma, Jamaica and Vietnam.
The market, currently under construction in what had been a troubled parking lot on South Salina Street across from the Hotel Syracuse, is being funded by the Allyn Foundation.
“We have such astonishing talent in our town. Salt City Market is about a lot of things — cuisine, culture, establishing a crossroads for all of Syracuse — but the magic of it all starts with these entrepreneurs,” said Adam Sudmann, who is the market manager. He previously was the founder of My Lucky Tummy, a pop-up food court that featured cooking by immigrants and New Americans in Syracuse. “We’re thrilled to be a part of their journey as they build generational wealth for themselves and their families. And we can’t wait to see what they do next.”
The market will include 10 food stalls. Eight of the vendors will be contest winners and two will be already established businesses, Sudmann said. Those two have not yet been chosen.
The food hall is just a piece of the market. The owners of Salt City Coffee will have a coffee shop during the day that turns into a bar at night. There also will be a grocery store. The upper floors will have office space for the Allyn Foundation and other nonprofits, and mixed income apartments.
The project will cost $22 million and is being funded by the Allyn Foundation, which created Syracuse Urban Partnership, a separate nonprofit to own the building and run the food hall.
“We embarked on this project knowing that our community has talented individuals who, given the opportunity, will seize the chance,” said Meg O’Connell, executive director of the foundation. “We firmly believe that our city will continue to prosper if we work together to support and empower all our residents in accessing opportunities.”
...
A long long time ago I can still remember how That music used to make me smile And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver With every paper I'd deliver Bad news on the doorstep I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride Something touched me deep inside The day the music died
So go the lyrics to the first verse of Don McLean's 1971 folk rock song "American Pie," which went to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 the following year. What was this music that made him smile, when was this February day that made him shiver, and what did he mean by "the day the music died?" McLean is singing of rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson (known professionally as the Big Bopper), and Ritchie Valens, who died in a plane crash in the early hours of February 3, 1959. On The Day the Music Died, we remember their passing and honor their legacy.
SU News
Markiewicz caps magical senior year with Syracuse commitment (starlocalmedia.com; Johnson)
This time last year, McKinney North senior quarterback Dillon Markiewicz was just a kid working his tail off and trying to make the most of his opportunity in the Bulldogs’ offseason program.
Fast-forward, Markiewicz is coming off one of the most prolific seasons in the state after passing for 4,187 yards and 45 touchdowns while helping lead North to its first undefeated district title. As a result of his magical senior season, Markiewicz holds every single-season and career passing record in North’s program history and ends his career holding the McKinney ISD record for the most passing yards and touchdown passes in a single season.
Despite the accomplishments, scouts weren’t beating down Markiewicz’s door —until Syracuse came in last week and swooped him and his parents away to New York for a weekend where Markiewicz fell in love with the university and its football program. As a result, Markiewicz made his commitment to “Orange Nation” official via his Twitter feed earlier this week.
“It feels good to have all this pressure off my back and to be all done with the recruiting process,” Markiewicz said. “After receiving offers from Syracuse, Boise State, Stephen . Austin and receiving interest from other big schools late, Syracuse was the only school I took a visit to and I absolutely love the fit. The coaching staff is great, the offense fits my skill set exactly and these coaches have a track record of coaching guys like Jimmy Garoppolo and a couple other big-name guys.”
Markiewicz passed for 2,606 yards and 30 touchdowns against opponents who made the playoffs and led the area in passing by averaging an eye-popping 380 pass yards and four touchdown passes per game. His postseason accolades include a unanimous pick as Star Local Media’s all-area Offensive Player of the Year.
Markiewicz’s decision to head north means that, for the time in his life, he’ll be on a team without his twin brother, Austin, who will remain stateside and compete for the starting job on the offensive line at Texas State.
Though things will be different from what he’s used to in Texas, Markiewicz is focused on making the most of his opportunity just like he did at North.
“The biggest drawback to this is having to live in New York and splitting from my family, especially Austin, but he and the rest of my family have been very supportive, and I have extended family up there as well, so I can’t complain,” Markiewicz said. “In the end, I trusted in God and the plan he had for me and it led to me landing in Syracuse. After this, no one will care about my recruiting story and it’s up to me to work hard and make the most of my opportunity like I did at North and I plan on doing the same thing for Syracuse.”
...
Injuries force Syracuse offensive lineman Sam Heckel to retire from football (localsyr.com)
Sam Heckel has battled through numerous injuries during his Syracuse football career, and the senior offensive lineman announced on Friday that he is stepping away from football.
Heckel announced his decision via Twitter, “I suffered multiple injuries and I am no longer able to play the sport I love.”
Heckel would have been a redshirt senior in 2020, and he could have applied for a medical redshirt after missing 11 games of the 2019 season.
Heckel was a prominent member of the Syracuse offensive line since his first snap as a member of the Orange.
The Waukesha, Wisconsin native started every game at left guard and led the team in knockdown blocks with 41 as a redshirt freshman in 2017. In his sophomore season, Heckel averaged one knockdown block for every 22.8 snaps played, which was also a team high.
Heckel was set up to be one of the backbones of the offensive line in 2019, but an injury in the first game of the season against Liberty ended his season prematurely.
A great player on the field, Heckel made a huge impact off the field as well.
In 2018, he was a finalist for the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award for his commitment to making a positive difference in the rare-disease community, and in 2019 he was named as a member of the inaugural Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team.
The offensive lineman suffers from a rare blood disorder himself called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and it forces him to get 14-20 hour blood transfusions three times a week.
Heckel will be honored with the other four members of the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team at the Maxwell Football Awards Gala in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday, March 6, and again at a special event in Philadelphia on March 7.
...
Syracuse Football: Dwight Freeney is ‘virtual lock’ for Pro Football Hall of Fame (itlh; Esden Jr)
Former Syracuse football stud Dwight Freeney is considered a ‘virtual lock’ for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here are all the details.
On Saturday, February 1 the latest Pro Football Hall of Fame class was revealed. It got us thinking about when will be the next time we see a former Syracuse football player immortalized.
Believe it or not, it’s not that far away.
Former Orange pass rusher Dwight Freeney is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
In the NFL, players are eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years after they retire from the league. For Freeney, he played his last NFL snap in 2017 with the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks.
In a recent column, ESPN’s Rich Cimini stated that Freeney was a “virtual lock” for the Hall of Fame when he’s eligible.
Dwight played 16 years professionally for six different NFL organizations. Including the Indianapolis Colts where he spent the first 11 years of his career. In addition, he stuck around the pros for a few more years with the then San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and the aforementioned Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks.
...
2020 NFL Draft Best ACC Players (draftek.com)
| Rank | O/A | Chng | Player/School | Ht/Wt | PSN | BIO |
1 6 +1 Isaiah Simmons Clemson 6'4" 225 OLB
2 25 -2 Tee Higgins Clemson 6'4" 200 WR
3 38 +3 Bryce Hall Virginia 6'1" 200 CB
4 39 +11 Mekhi Becton Louisville 6'7" 355 OT
...
...
12 142 +27 A.J. Dillon Boston College 6'0" 245 RB
13 143 +1 Shaquille Quarterman Miami (FL) 6'1" 240 ILB
14 160 +8 Alton Robinson Syracuse 6'4" 257 EDGE
...
Weekend Links - 2/1/20 (RX; HM)
Weekend Links - 2/1/20
Miami alum, College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed is Hurricane’s new Chief of Staff.
Reed will serve in an advisory role to Coach Manny Diaz in all aspects of program, including strategic planning, quality control, operations, player evaluation & player development
North Carolina, UConn add home/home series
UConn will visit UNC in 2026, then UNC will return the visit in 2027.
Notre Dame adds 2022 home game w/Cal
The California Bears will visit South Bend in 2022.
Wisconsin "Shamrock" Game will be played at night.
The game between Wisconsin and Notre Dame on October 3rd at Lambeau Field will be a prime time tv event.
FS1, NBCSN, now in fewer than 80 million homes
Fox Sports 1 and NBCSN are now in fewer than 80 million homes, Sports Business Daily reported Thursday, with the FS1 mark of 79.87 million the lowest in network history. NBCSN, at 79.88 million, was in its fewest homes since 2014. [Sports Business Daily 1.30]
ESPN reaches new deal with BYU
ESPN announced Thursday that it has reached a new seven-year media rights extension with BYU to continue televising the Cougars’ home football games through 2026. Under the deal, ESPN will continue to have first pick of BYU home football games, with a minimum of four airing across the ESPN family of networks. BYU is contractually obligated to play in one of the ESPN-owned bowl games in 2020, 2022 and 2024, unless the team is not bowl-eligible or has been picked for the New Year’s Six. [ESPN PR 1.30]
...
Clemson set to start again: Here's the Tigers' projected spring football depth chart (P&C; Needleman)
for gbo
Spring football is right around the corner and there’s much for Clemson fans to be excited about.
The Tigers return a lot of starters at skill positions, namely quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne, both of whom are likely to be Heisman Trophy contenders.
Clemson does have its fair share of question marks, though.
Jackson Carman, a rising junior, is the lone returner on the offensive line. Much like this past season’s defensive line, the group is full of talent but unproven. Matt Bockhorst, who played 421 snaps over 15 games last season, is expected to slide into John Simpson’s slot at left guard, but the rest of the unit’s projected starters are less familiar faces.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins and cornerback A.J. Terrell’s early departures for the 2020 NFL Draft open up a pair of starting spots that could be filled by rising sophomore Joseph Ngata and junior Mario Goodrich, respectively.
Nothing is set in stone yet, of course. But here’s what Clemson’s depth chart could look like when spring football starts next month. The Tigers haven’t announced when they will begin spring practice but the spring game is scheduled for April 4.
...
Notre Dame's 2020 Pro (Stadium) Tour (RX; HM)
Notre Dame's 2020 Pro (Stadium) Tour
It's been the subject of some off season discussion* already: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will play 5 games in NFL (current or former) stadiums, plus one more in a professional soccer stadium...
2020 Notre Dame Football "Away" Games*
| Date | 2020 Notre Dame Game | Away Stadium | |
| Aug. 29 | vs Navy Midshipmen | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland | Ireland National (Soccer) Team |
| Sep. 26 | vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC | Carolina Panthers (NFL) |
| Oct. 3 | vs Wisconsin Badgers | Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI | Green Bay Packers (NFL) |
| Oct. 17 | at Pitt Panthers | Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) |
| Nov. 14 | at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA | Atlanta Falcons (NFL) |
| Nov. 28 | at USC Trojans | LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA | former home of LA Rams (NFL) |
That's a whole lot of professional-quality stadiums, Irish!
Why Move These Venues?
Keep in mind that Pitt and USC are simply playing on their regular home fields. However, that still leaves 4 games which were moved to a different venue (3 of them true away games, the 4th a "Shamrock" game).
For Navy, it's a chance for exposure and to recruit the next class of Midshipmen.
...
Other
Syracuse’s new downtown food hall, Salt City Market, names the winning chefs (PS; Eisenstadt)
After months of pop-up dinners and taste-testing, Salt City Market has chosen the eight winners of a contest with a big prize: a stall at Syracuse’s first downtown food hall.
The chefs all live in and around Syracuse, but they will bring to downtown tastes of homes and family in faraway places like Burma, Jamaica and Vietnam.
The market, currently under construction in what had been a troubled parking lot on South Salina Street across from the Hotel Syracuse, is being funded by the Allyn Foundation.
“We have such astonishing talent in our town. Salt City Market is about a lot of things — cuisine, culture, establishing a crossroads for all of Syracuse — but the magic of it all starts with these entrepreneurs,” said Adam Sudmann, who is the market manager. He previously was the founder of My Lucky Tummy, a pop-up food court that featured cooking by immigrants and New Americans in Syracuse. “We’re thrilled to be a part of their journey as they build generational wealth for themselves and their families. And we can’t wait to see what they do next.”
The market will include 10 food stalls. Eight of the vendors will be contest winners and two will be already established businesses, Sudmann said. Those two have not yet been chosen.
The food hall is just a piece of the market. The owners of Salt City Coffee will have a coffee shop during the day that turns into a bar at night. There also will be a grocery store. The upper floors will have office space for the Allyn Foundation and other nonprofits, and mixed income apartments.
The project will cost $22 million and is being funded by the Allyn Foundation, which created Syracuse Urban Partnership, a separate nonprofit to own the building and run the food hall.
“We embarked on this project knowing that our community has talented individuals who, given the opportunity, will seize the chance,” said Meg O’Connell, executive director of the foundation. “We firmly believe that our city will continue to prosper if we work together to support and empower all our residents in accessing opportunities.”
...
