sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to Cinco de Mayo!
Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Tuesday, May 5 in 2020, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.
SU News
Class of 2021 defensive lineman Hayden Nelson commits to SU (DO; Dabbundo)
Class of 2021 defensive lineman Hayden Nelson became the fifth player from his class to commit to Syracuse on Monday.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end from Broomfield Central (WI) High School is a 3-star recruit, according to 247Sports.
Nelson picked Syracuse over eight other schools in his top nine, including Air Force, Buffalo, Coastal Carolina, Western Michigan, Indiana, Iowa State, Wyoming and North Dakota State.
Due to stay-at-home orders and the closure of SU’s campus due to the coronavirus, Nelson couldn’t visit Syracuse in-person. Instead, he was able to set up a “virtual visit” to tour the campus from home.
On the video call, an academic advisor and student tour guide gave him a full tour of campus, including academic buildings and football facilities. The two-hour long tour helped solidify Nelson’s interest in attending Syracuse. Currently a high school junior, Nelson said he wants to study business, communications or sports management.
“They showed me whatever I wanted to see. It was everything I would see if I was walking around campus,” Nelson said.
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Get to Know Syracuse Football’s Latest Commit – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Shults)
On Monday, Syracuse added its fifth commit in the 2021 recruiting class. Three-star defensive end Hayden Nelson committed to the Orange. Nelson also had offers from Iowa State, Indiana, Central Michigan and others.
Syracuse has picked up momentum on the recruiting trail after landing its first commit in late March. Nelson is listed as a top-60 weak-side defensive end by 247sports and the seventh best player in Wisconsin. Entering his senior year of high-school, Nelson is already three pounds heavier than Drew Tuazama – Syracuse’s projected starter at defensive end.
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Carrier Dome renovation: When will we start to see more of the new roof? (PS; Carlson)
Syracuse University passed a significant mile-marker last month when it completed the crown-truss portion of its new roof, a foundational piece that will support the newest top of the building.
Syracuse University Vice President & Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala said that modern version of the Carrier Dome’s bubble-top likely will begin to take shape in July. Unlike the previous two roofs, the newest version will be supported by a bridge truss rather than air pressure, a more modern and reliable design.
“Well, I think that we’re hoping, the way the schedule is laid out now, mid-July you should start seeing that next part of the roof going on, the actual structure,” Sala said. “That needs to go very quickly in order for us to start hanging lights and sound and video underneath it. That is really scheduled tight.”
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Three Burning Syracuse Questions Ahead of Summer – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Hoppe)
First things first: the status of college football’s 2020 season is uncertain. Will the season start on time? Will the season be delayed until the spring? Those are both fair questions as we enter the summer months. With that said, The Fizz is analyzing the biggest questions surrounding the Orange. The following topics will be firmly under the microscope whenever play resumes.
Will the offensive line improve?
If it doesn’t, the Orange are in for another rocky season. Last year’s offensive line gave up 50 sacks. Not good enough. Of course, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. The lack of protection up front appeared to be the biggest reason quarterback Tommy DeVito struggled. Remember, a solid group up front (two NFL caliber tackles) propelled Eric Dungey to his stellar 2018 season. Here’s the good news: help is on the way. The bad news? We’re not sure when it’s coming. Florida transfer Chris Bleich announced his decision to transfer to Syracuse in December. Assuming he’s eligible for the upcoming season, the 6-foot-6, 330-pound guard shouldn’t have any problems breaking into the Orange’s starting lineup. Bleich will have three years of eligibility left once he’s cleared. While it may sound dramatic, Bleich’s status could determine the fate of SU’s O-line.
Is Jawhar Jordan the guy?
This is interesting. Moe Neal’s departure leaves a massive void in the running back room. Out of all the returners, Jordan appears to have the highest ceiling. He averaged a team-high seven yards per rush last year. Due to the new four-game redshirt rule, the coaching staff chose to limit his touches last season. That means Jordan could be the face of SU’s running game for many years to come. Oklahoma transfer Abdul Adams did a solid job as a backup last year, but he’s not the obvious choice to takeover as the team’s feature back. Jordan provided a spark when he touched the football. The energy in the stadium changed. Dino Babers and staff could decide to make that a more regular occurence this season.
What will the Orange look like?
There’s no denying that change was needed after a painful season. With Sterlin Gilbert (offense) and Tony White (defense) in place as the program’s new coordinators, fans can expect changes across the board. What are they going to look like? It’s hard to say at this point. Gilbert worked with Babers at both Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green, so there should be more similarities than differences. White brings a 3-3-5 defense from New Mexico State. The most notable difference will be the Orange’s commitment to a three-man front. Up until this point, Babers has consistently employed a four-man defensive front.
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Shula knew during Senior Bowl he would draft former J-D, SU football great (PS; Mink)
Scott Schwedes could have never known his professional football future would be set in motion on a January day in Mobile, Alabama.
That’s when Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, at a Senior Bowl practice leading up to the 1987 NFL Draft, had his eye on the former Jamesville-DeWitt and Syracuse football receiver.
For a brief period, at least.
“He came over to watch me do a shuttle drill,” Schwedes said by phone Monday afternoon. “As soon as I was done he walked out of the stadium.”
What Schwedes didn’t know at the time was that Shula shared an elevator ride with Schwedes’ father during Senior Bowl week and told him he would draft Schwedes.
Schwedes said his father told him that story after the Dolphins selected him late in the second round of the ’87 draft.
It’s a story among the immediate to come to mind Monday, when the Dolphins announced Shula died at his home at the age of 90.
Former Dolphins and Syracuse football great Larry Csonka joined a chorus across the sports world honoring the winningest coach in NFL history.
Csonka, an All-American at Syracuse in 1967, went on to play on Shula’s undefeated Dolphins team in 1972 before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. He called Shula a “dominant force” in a statement posted on social media.
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Syracuse football commitment by Hayden Nelson highlights flurry of news (itlh; Adler)
There are lot of recent Syracuse football developments to digest, led by the commitment of 2021 three-star defensive lineman Hayden Nelson.
Hayden Nelson, a three-star defensive lineman in the class of 2021, has committed to Syracuse football, bolstering the Orange’s inventory on the defensive line.
Nelson, who attends Brookfield Central High School in Brookfield, Wis., joins other recent ‘Cuse commits including 2020 inside linebacker Anwar Sparrow and 2021 defensive tackle Jaelin Moss.
The 6-foot-4, 248-pound Nelson, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 59 weak-side defensive end across the country in the 2021 recruiting cycle, selected Syracuse from a group of nine finalists that also included Buffalo, Indiana, Iowa, North Dakota State and Western Michigan.
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Salem standout linebacker Anwar Sparrow commits to Syracuse (dailypress.com; Rubama)
Salem linebacker Anwar Sparrow has never been to upstate New York, but that didn’t keep the junior from making a verbal commitment to Syracuse on Wednesday.
Sparrow, 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, said he liked everything about Syracuse even though he hasn’t been able to visit the campus because of the coronavirus.
Sparrow did get a chance to take a virtual tour and doesn’t mind snow or cold weather, for which Syracuse is well-known. His decision was about finding a place that was best for him.
“When I talked to the coaches, they made me feel comfortable talking to them,” he said. “They were one of the schools that believed in me and they offered me.”
Sparrow had a lot of interest, including offers from Louisville, Norfolk State and Appalachian State.
“It feels great," he said. "It was a lot of pressure when I was doing it. I was getting stressed out about it. Now I’m good.”
SunDevils coach Shawn Wilson also feels good about Sparrow’s choice.
“I’m very excited for him," he said. "It’s huge for Anwar and huge for the program. I’m really excited for the young man.”
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(youtube; video; The Coach)
READY TO DOMINATE SYRACUSE!!! | NCAA Football 14 Teambuilder Dynasty Ep. 93
SU Legend Csonka on Shula: "Such a Dominant Force" (ny1.com; Larson)
Former Syracuse football star Larry Csonka says Don Shula is the one reason the Miami Dolphins became the only NFL team ever to complete an unbeaten season in 1972. The legendary coach died at his home Monday at the age of 90.
Csonka, who still ranks fourth in SU history in rushing yards, played six seasons for Shula and was part of the Super Bowl champion teams of 1972 and 1973. He told the NFL Network Monday that the league's all-time winningest coach was "hell to play for".
The 73-year old Csonka currently lives with his longtime partner, Audrey Bradshaw, in Wasilla, Alaska, and also owns and runs a farm in his homestate of Ohio.
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ML Sports Platter (podbean.com; podcast; Lindsley)
ML brings ESPN's Doug Sherman in to chat about all of his Central New York broadcast jobs, his career overall, ESPN's elite status, missing sports, loving Big Mac, his favorite sport to call, going to Syracuse University as a hometown kid, working in the media as things have changed dramatically everywhere and more.
31:00-55:00:
Peter Botte joins the podcast to chat about his new book The Big 50: New York Yankees, the immovable Mount Rushmore Yankees, how the book was constructed, how bad NYC sports really are right now, Yogi Berra being underrated and more, plus a tribute to Anthony Causi.
56:00-1:08:00:
ML closes the podcast show by taking Michael Jordan over LeBron James and everyone else for so many reasons. Let's stop the debate already!
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THE NEW ACC / College Football Conference Realignment (youtube; video; Rogers)
THE NEW ACC / College Football Conference Realignment
ACC football power rankings for 2020 via ESPN FPI model (247sports.com; Stepien)
Another football season in the ACC saw Clemson run through the conference once more for the 2019 title, with the Tigers asserting league dominance and reaching the College Football Playoff national championship game. One glance at what Clemson returns and it's easy to see why the Tigers are the projected No. 1 team in all of college football the 2020 season, per ESPN's Football Power Index.
The FPI is described by ESPN as the "measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily."
Spring football was limited, but given what we know from the 2019 season and the events that followed to shape the depth charts over the subsequent months, how does the ACC project for the fall? Using ESPN's FPI, here are the updated ACC football power rankings, listed from 14th to first.
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Should Rondale Moore Transfer to Louisville? (RX; HM)
Should Rondale Moore Transfer to Louisville?
I posted this over on Card Chronicle (SBNation's Louisville blog):
Did Rondale Moore make a B1G mistake?
Once celebrated Big Ten player of the week, maybe it's time for this Louisville high school graduate come home...
www.cardchronicle.com
There are many reasons why players transfer. Playing time is probably #1. Better coaching is up there, too. How about he'd rather win than lose all the time? That is the situation facing the Purdue Boilermaker's Mr. All-purpose-everything Rondale Moore, who attended high school in Louisville but is listed as a New Albany, IN native.
Moore was recruited by a former Louisville football legend who is now the head coach at Purdue: Jeff Brohm. I'm sure I don't need to tell you guys anything about Brohm or Moore; many Cardinal fans no doubt felt a little betrayed by both the coach (who turned down the U of L job) and the player. However, while Louisville is no longer in the market for a head football coach, I'm sure Cardinal faithful would be willing to let by-gones be by-gones if Moore suddenly wanted to transfer to U of L.
Why would he consider doing that, you ask? Simple: wins and losses.
| Year | Purdue | Louisville |
| 2018 | 6-7 | 2-10 |
| 2019 | 4-8 | 8-5 |
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10 Best FB Helmets in FBS (RX; HM)
10 Best FB Helmets in FBS
Here's a nice find by AllThingsFSU:
I know Z posted this because the Seminoles' helmet was ranked 4th - and rightly so, it's a great design! However, I take issue with some of these helmets (I mean, LSU? Georgia? seriously?). Naturally, I think we can do better...
After examining every helmet in the FBS, I tossed out the plain ones (Penn State), the ones with just the name of the school (LSU) or the initial of the state or team (Georgia, but also Syracuse). I quickly narrowed my list down to 20 nominees for best helmet:
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2019 LSU was good, but... (RX; HM)
2019 LSU was good, but...
ESPN tweeted that "every draft-eligible player on LSU's historic offense was either selected in the NFL draft or signed as an undrafted free agent."
That IS impressive, but hardly unprecedented. In fact, it's been done by an ACC champion - only better!
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Watch the latest episode of ACC Today with Bill Roth (roanoke.com; podcast; Roth)
ACC Today with Bill Roth appears on Roanoke.com every Monday.
Roth, who spent 27 years covering Virginia Tech football and men's basketball on the radio, hosts the interactive program looking at the latest in ACC sports.
Here's the latest show, dated May 4.
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