sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Originally from Persia (the area that is now Iran), spinach made its way to China in the 7th century, where the people referred to it as the “Herb of Persia” or the “Persian Green”. The vegetable eventually ended up in Europe a few hundred years later, when it landed in Spain. In fact, for some time the English referred to spinach as “The Spanish Vegetable”. It didn’t make its way to being cultivated in North American until sometime in the early 1800s.
Possibly the most famous person in history to be associated with spinach is 16th-century noblewoman, Catherine de’ Medici, who ruled France from behind her three sons for many years. Originally from Florence, Italy, she moved to France when she married King Henry II. It is said that Catherine loved spinach and made sure her cooks served it at every meal. Because of this, even today, meals that are made with spinach are often known as “Florentine” in honor of the birthplace of Catherine de’ Medici.
SU News
2021 Cowboys scouting report: Syracuse safety Andre Cisco (bloggingtheboys.com; Howman)
Andre Cisco is one of the more fascinating, yet still under-the-radar, prospects in this draft. Born and raised in New York, Cisco moved to Florida to play high school ball at the IMG Academy, which is filled with NFL connections and coaches. He committed to Syracuse, returning back home, just a few years later.
Name: Andre Cisco
Position: S
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 209 lbs
2020 Stats: 2 games, 11 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception
Not only did Cisco earn a starting safety job as a true freshman, but he exploded onto the scene. Starting all 13 games in 2018, Cisco tallied 60 tackles, one for a loss, and a whopping seven interceptions along with his nine passes defensed. Unsurprisingly, he was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.
But what did surprise is Cisco running it back the next year. Injuries shortened his season to nine games, but Cisco still had 65 tackles, five picks, and five passes defensed, in addition to a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. His much-anticipated 2020 season ended with an ACL injury in the second game of the year, which complicates his profile. But when healthy, Cisco looked the part of an elite ball-hawking safety.
Coverage Style: At Syracuse, Cisco almost exclusively played deep in coverage, alternating between split-safety looks and single-high looks. His biggest strengths show when he’s given that kind of space to work with, so Syracuse responded by letting him do what he’s best at.
Coverage Skills: He may not offer very much value closer to the line of scrimmage, and he’s a bit of a liability when tasked with man coverage responsibilities, but he offers some phenomenal deep zone coverage. Cisco can easily hold his own as the single-high safety in Cover 1 shells and covers a ton of ground in a pinch. He understands spacing and how to react to the offensive play structure.
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- Caleb McDowell is excited to commit to NC State (r1vals.com; Carter)
Three-star running back Caleb McDowell from Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County High admitted that quarantine life can be a bit boring, but he added a lot of excitement Wednesday evening when he announced via Twitter that he was verbally committing to NC State football.
“It was [a feeling] like no other,” McDowell said. “It had my heart racing. It was nerve-wracking, but once I did it I felt at ease, like I am going home.”
McDowell said that he was recruited to NC State by running backs coach Kurt Roper. He picked NC State over offers from Indiana, Purdue and Syracuse, among others, he said.
“I felt very comfortable there,” McDowell explained. "Me and the whole coaching staff at NC State, we had a bond like no other coaching staff in the country. They made me feel at home, and they never pressured me to make a decision. That really helped my decision a lot.”
McDowell was first-team all-state a season ago by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a defensive back, and he was his region’s “Athlete of the Year” by the coaches. He helped Lee County go 11-2 and reach the AAAAAA state quarterfinals.
NC State recruited the 5-foot-10, 175-pound speedster as a running back.
“But they are also going to have me playing punt return and kick return,” McDowell added. “They are also going to move out in the slot to get in open space.
“I love playing running back, but at the end of the day wherever they need me, I’m there to help the team.”
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WMU football’s Dee Eskridge runs 4.38-second 40-yard dash at pro day, but wanted faster (mlive.com; Nothaft)
Western Michigan wide receiver Dee Eskridge used his blazing speed to take the college football world by storm last season.
On Thursday, he showcased his wheels for an NFL audience taking part in WMU’s 2021 football pro day at Waldo Stadium.
With scouts from 29 NFL teams on hand, Eskridge and offensive lineman teammate Jaylon Moore went through numerous drills to prove they have what it takes to play at the next level.
Eskridge measured in at 5-foot-8.6 inches and 190 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 and 4.39 seconds, which would have tied for third fastest among wide receivers at last year’s NFL Combine, but wasn’t up to par for the First Team All-Mid-American Conference pick.
“My numbers didn’t quite match up to what I wanted them to be at today, but overall, I felt like I had a great day showing the things that they wanted to see, for sure,” Eskridge said during a conference call with media. “I just attacked it, so I’m coming out very proud of myself, but there’s still more work to be done, so it’s a steady grind, really.”
“I wanted to run a 4.29 today, for sure” Eskridge added. “The weather, it wasn’t terrible. I don’t know what it was -- it was a little bit cooler. I guess it just wasn’t my day for the 4.29, but I still like I’m a 4.29 guy, for sure.”
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Fleck says Gophers have ‘dangerous football team’ for 2021 | Bemidji Pioneer (bemidjipioneer.com; Greder)
Fleck says Gophers have ‘dangerous football team’ for 2021
Now with 20 of 22 starters returning and eight transfers joining the team, the 2021 Gophers will be the deepest and most experienced team Fleck has had since he took over in 2017.Big expectations followed the Gophers football team into the 2020 season. With a preseason ranking of 21, Minnesota quickly fell out of the Top 25 with a season-opening blowout loss to Michigan.
The U then lost two one-possession games in overtime (Maryland and Wisconsin) and won two one-score games in regulation (Purdue and Nebraska). In between, the U dismantled Illinois and got demolished by Iowa.
“You beat Wisconsin and you beat Maryland and you end 5-2, it’s a different story. That didn’t happen,” Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said Thursday. “We also could have lost to Purdue and next thing you know you are 2-5 and everybody is scratching their head.”
The pandemic made everyone’s head spin, and the Gophers’ season was turned upside down by COVID-19, with two games called off and 33 players out when they returned in mid-December to beat the Cornhuskers. Fleck called it one of his most memorable games as a head coach. But the U finished 3-4 and opted out of playing in a bowl game.
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Other
United Auto Supply proposes $120M mega-warehouse in Lysander; it could create up to 500 jobs (PS; $; Doran)
United Auto Supply is proposing building a huge warehouse/distribution center on 122 acres in the town of Lysander.
The 1 million-square-foot center, which would be built in three phases, would be equal in size to the floor space of almost two Carrier Domes.
The first phase of the project could add 100 to 150 jobs that pay $18 an hour, James Trasher of Clough Harbor & Associates, told Lysander planners.
When completed in a couple years, the facility near the intersection of Route 48 and Hencle Boulevard could employ up to 500 new people, he said.
United Auto Supply, an auto parts retailer and distributor based in Syracuse, has 30 retail locations and employs about 500 people. It got its start in 1946 with a 2,500-square-foot store.
“We are experiencing explosive growth and have significantly expanded‚’’ said James Ranalli III, president of United Auto Supply His father, James Ranalli Jr., is chief executive officer.
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