sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,216
- Like
- 108,671
Taking place almost halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, Groundhog Day is an annual event when groundhogs are brought outside and are observed to see if they see their shadow or not. If they see their shadow, it is said that there will be six more weeks of winter. If they do not, it means the weather will be mild in the upcoming weeks, and spring will come early.
In the past, days with similar meanings and celebrations have been held on or around the same time. The Celts celebrated Imbolc, a religious festival that anticipated the coming of spring, the birth of farm animals, and the planting of crops. The Christian festival Candlemas takes place on the same day. Some European Christians believed that if it was sunny on the day it meant there would be forty more days of winter.
SU News
Syracuse football recruiting: What to know 48 hours from National Signing Day (247sports.com; Bailey)
Syracuse football will sign its second batch of prospects from the Class of 2021 in two days. The traditional National Signing Day isn't what it once was as the implementation of the early signing period has led to most programs handing out the bulk of their national letters of intent in December.
That's the case for the Orange, which inked 19 prospects a month and a half ago. That left SU with only six scholarship left to utilize this cycle, one of which was being reserved for defensive line commit Jaelin Moss while another has since been handed to Mississippi State quarterback transfer Garrett Shrader. Shrader is expected to enroll for the spring semester, a process that should become official when classes start on Feb. 8.
Two targets, as well as Moss, stand as well-known possibilities to sign with Syracuse in about 48 hours. Here's what to know:
...
Rob Gronkowski Has 'Always Been a Fan of Syracuse' (SI; McAllister)
One of the most polarizing figures in the NFL is tight end Rob Gronkowski. Known as Gronk, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer is set to play in his sixth Super Bowl and is looking for his fourth ring. During media availability on Monday, Gronk was asked about Syracuse.
This may seem odd to those unaware, but Gronkowski grew up in the Buffalo area and his father was an offensive lineman for the Orange from 1977 to 1981.
"My father went to Syracuse," Gronkowski said, "and I grew up in Buffalo. So, I've always been a fan of Syracuse. Syracuse football, Syracuse basketball, just Syracuse overall. Just because I got friends that went there, my dad went there, some of his friends went there. It was always a place where we'd go to look at our dreams as a kid. My parents would bring us to a Syracuse basketball game when we were a kid and I'd be just looking like 'oh man this is what it's all about. This is the big time, this is it.'
"So just always been a fan of Syracuse just overall, in all aspects of their sports. Whenever I see them doing well, I'm always secretly cheering for them or not secretly cheering for them. I'm cheering for them out loud. Just like that a lot. Having that history growing up in Buffalo and having Syracuse right there as a powerhouse program when I was growing up."
...
Syracuse cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu shines at Senior Bowl - BVM Sports US (bvmsports.com; Roberts)
With the 2021 NFL Draft just months away, Ifeatu Melifonwu made sure Syracuse was well represented at this year’s Senior Bowl down in Mobile, Ala.
The standout cornerback for the Orange declared for the NFL draft back in December after a stellar junior season.
“I want to give a special thanks to my family who have been with me and supported me throughout my journey,” Melifonwu said in a statement on Twitter. “Ever since I was little, playing in the NFL has always been a dream of mine.. With that being said, I will be foregoing my remaining eligibility and officially entering my name in the 2021 NFL Draft.”
The Senior Bowl is an opportunity for college football standouts to work in front of NFL scouts and head coaches throughout a week of practice. In recent seasons, players like Justin Herbert and Jordan Love have helped improve their draft stock after exceeding expectations throughout the week.
Melifonwu impressed with his combination of size and speed as the cornerback measured in at 6-foot-2, 212 pounds. Melifonwu talked about what NFL teams would be getting from him in the upcoming draft.
“They would just be getting an all-around great corner,” Melinfonwu told Sports Illustrated a week before the Senior Bowl. “A guy with size, who can tackle, who’s not afraid of contact. Obviously [I can] cover, make plays on the ball. Size, speed, a student of the game, [and] likes watching film. A good teammate, never been in any trouble. Those are all the things that I would think any team that’s drafting me is getting.”
In his junior season, the defensive back recorded 10 passes defended and one interception in 11 games for the Orange. With the season starting as an unknown, Melifounwu is happy with the decision he made to not opt out.
“Definitely happy I stuck it out and played because it put me in this position that I’m in now,” Melifonwu said. “I definitely don’t regret not playing.”
Although passing on his final year with the program, Melifonwu has nothing but praise for his coaches and teammates.
“Syracuse has always felt like home to me since day one and I will never take that for granted,” Melifonwu said. “I want to thank Coach Babers and the entire Syracuse coaching staff from the past and present that have coached, mentored and helped me become the person I am today both on and off the field.”
...
https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/big-12/texas-christian-university/article248937009.html (star-telegram.com; Davison)
TCU football added depth to its tight end room on Monday.
Aaron Hackett, a transfer out of Syracuse, announced he’d be joining the Horned Frogs on his social media account.
“Let’s work,” Hackett wrote on Twitter, tagging TCU’s official football account.
Hackett is expected to graduate from Syracuse in May and join TCU this summer as a graduate transfer. He’ll be eligible to play this fall.
Hackett will provide much-needed depth at tight end as TCU lost Pro Wells and Artayvious Lynn to the NFL Draft. Along with Hackett, TCU has added tight ends D.J. Rogers and Jasper Lott this offseason. Rogers is a former 2020 four-star recruit who didn’t enroll in school last season, while Lott is a 2021 recruit who some view as a future offensive lineman.
The Frogs’ top returner is senior Carter Ware, who started six games last season. Ware is known as more of a blocking tight end, finishing with three catches for 40 yards including one TD reception last season.
...
It's time to punt divisions in Atlantic Coast Conference football (greenvilleonline.com; Keepfer)
If Notre Dame’s one-year inclusion in the Atlantic Coast Conference football fold revealed anything, it reinforced the notion that divisional play is for the birds.
In a nutshell, the Atlantic and Coastal should fly South.
There’s no valid reason to continue divisional play, but after a one-year hiatus, here we are again, faced with the prospect of having to feign excitement over which team will emerge from the muck and mire of mediocrity in the Coastal to be served up on a silver platter to the Atlantic champion.
We haven’t heard much more than an occasional murmur out of the Coastal in the past decade. Virginia Tech was the last Coastal team to emerge victorious in the ACC Championship Game, with that win coming way back in 2010.
You remember 2010, don’t you?
Frank Beamer was still in his coaching prime, Shane Beamer was a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech and Donald Trump was still deadpanning “You’re Fired!” on "The Apprentice."
Atlantic Division teams have ruled since, winning 10 consecutive title games by an average margin of 22.5 points, including an average 34-point differential in the past four title games.
Clemson’s 24-point victory against Notre Dame in the most recent championship game actually was the closest title game since 2016, yet the silver lining was that we at least felt confident that the best two teams in the league were playing for ACC supremacy for the first time in a long time.
...
Links, news and rumors - 2/2/21 (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 2/2/21
From FightingIrishWire: Andy Staples says Jim Phillips Must Have Notre Dame Join ACC Full-TimeNext time, please don't hold back, FightingIrishWire, tell us what you really think!
__________
NCAA: 9 of this season's most surprising conference contenders
For the latest example of why the paper that preseason conference predictions are printed on makes fine birdcage liner, consider the Virginia Tech Hokies.
...
Rivalries we miss (and some we look forward to) (RX; HM)
Rivalries we miss (and some we look forward to)
If I see my shadow today*, can we get some more of these......Rivalries We Miss!
Sadly, the current ACC is minus three of these consensus rivalry games:
...
The ACC’s football programs are a story of the haves and have nots (stateoftheu.com; Dottavio)
The ACC football world has a clearcut leader in the Clemson Tigers. Dabo Swinney has built Clemson from an also-ran behind Florida State into the power of the conference. Sitting quietly towards the bottom of the ACC is Duke. The basketball-centric school from Durham, NC has come up with the least conference wins since 2017. But it’s the middle of the conference that has struggled to make itself known as the ‘next best thing’ in the ACC.
I have gone through a list of every player signed by each ACC team since 2017. I counted up the four and five star players. I then counted up the amount of ACC victories for each team since 2017, too. Which ACC programs are overachieving, which are underachieving, and which are doing what they should? Let’s find out.
The overachievers
The ACC has a couple of overachievers that are managing to win games without talent on hand. If you break the numbers down by wins per 4/5 star- the Wake Forest Demon Deacons are the biggest overachievers. Wake has won 14 conference games while only having TWO 4/5 star players or 7.0 wins per 4/5 star. Syracuse would be the second biggest overachiever with 5.5 wins per 4/5 star, and UVA would be third winning 4.3 games per 4/5 star.Slightly below that line of overachieving are Boston College at 3.3 wins per 4/5 star. The Eagles have won 17 conference games with only five 4/5 star players. Duke has won 3.3 games per 4/5 star. The Blue Devils have won 10 games with three elite players on hand.
Pitt is in an interesting spot. The Panthers have won 18 games with only 10 4/5 star players. That’s only good for 1.8 wins per player, but I was surprised to see both 18 wins and only 10 elite players. If Pat Narduzzi could only find an offense, and develop that side like he does the defense, the Panthers would potentially be a great overachiever.
...
Other
State of emergency declared in much of Upstate NY as coastal storm hits (PS; $; Coin)
State of emergency declared in much of Upstate NY as coastal storm hits - syracuse.com
A state of emergency has been declared in 44 counties across New York as a coastal storm delivers heavy snow and high winds.
While Western New York is likely to see only light snow, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding are forecast for New York City and Long Island. The impacts on Upstate will vary, with several inches to 2 feet of snow predicted depending on the area. The heaviest snow is along the coast and and the eastern part of the state.
“Stay home,” tweeted Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “This is a dangerous storm.”
Cuomo several hours ago had declared a state of emergency in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley, but now has expanded it all the way to the Finger Lakes and Adirondacks. The entire list of counties under emergency orders is: Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, Nassau, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Westchester and Yates.
In addition, Cuomo has banned tandem tractor-trailers on much of the New York State Thruway, including - I-87 from New York City to Exit 24 in Albany, and all of I-95 and I-287. Empty trailers are also banned on I-87 between Exit 8 and Exit 21A, on the Berkshire Spur and on the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
...
