sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Flower Day!
Today is Flower Day! It is unknown why May 20 is the holiday's date, although there is a Flower Day that takes place at the Eastern Market in Detroit on the Sunday after Mother's Day each year, which is around May 20. Flowers are revered by people because of their beauty and smell. They are associated with romance, medicine, rituals, and religion, and are even used as a food source. They are often used at christenings, for funerals and sympathy, for weddings and parties, as corsages and boutonnieres at social functions and holidays, and as home decorations. They are also used to worship goddesses, being brought by Hindu worshippers to temples.
There are some flower vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and artichoke, and some flowers used as spices such as crocus—which produces saffron—cloves, and capers. Hops are used in beer, and dandelion and elder are used in wine. Flowers can also be used to make herbal teas.
SU News
Syracuse football freshmen have their arrival dates (PS; $; Mink)
Syracuse football’s incoming freshman class will start arriving on campus Memorial Day weekend.
Half of the 18 remaining signees will enroll in the next few weeks for the start of summer classes June 7.
Nine more freshmen will arrive in July ahead of a second session of summer classes beginning July 19.
Incoming transfers Jason Simmons Jr. and Willie Tyler will arrive in June. Simmons Jr. comes to Syracuse via New Mexico State, while Tyler is an offensive lineman via Texas.
Both players have three seasons of eligibility remaining and will be expected to compete for contributing roles when practice starts up in the first week of August. Syracuse is allowed to open camp Aug. 6.
Other June enrollees include JUCO offensive lineman Jakob Bradford, Belton-Honea Path High School (South Carolina) defensive lineman JT Geer and American Heritage (Florida) wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II, the son of the former receiver for the Miami Dolphins.
Here’s a rundown of when the incoming freshmen and transfers will arrive:
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Position Breakdown: Offensive Line — 2021 Syracuse Football preview - The Juice Online (the juice; Cheng)
As we countdown to kickoff in September, we’re going to be doing a unit-by-unit preview each week over the summer. This week, we’re discussing three major storylines around the offensive line.
DEPTH, FINALLY
The numbers weren’t pretty for the Orange offense line at any level. They were the second worst rated offensive line according to Pro Football Focus in 2020, and gave up an average of 3.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss per game.
Syracuse coach Dino Babers addressed these shortcomings in the offseason, with the addition of two key transfers, the eligibility of one other, and the arrival of five freshmen. Plus, with the exception of Qadir White, who entered the transfer portal earlier in spring, every player and contributor from last year returns.
That means that Babers will have some intriguing options to mix and match as fall approaches.
Four of the unit’s five starters from last year return: Matthew Bergeron, Dakota Davis, Carlos Vetterello, and Airon Servias. The only starter not to return is Chris Elmore, but that’s because with the added depth, Elmore, a natural fullback/tight end is moving back to his natural position.
Syracuse also added JUCO transfer Jakob Bradford and Texas transfer Willie Tyler in the offseason, and Chris Bleich, a Florida transfer, is finally eligible after sitting out 2020.
Of the five freshmen, Enrique Cruz Jr. has drawn the most headlines. He was a top-25 tackle in his class, and a top 250 recruit, one of the highest Babers has snagged in his tenure with Syracuse. He is joined by Hawaiians Kalan Ellis and Austyn Kauhi, and Wes Hoeh and Tyler Magnuson.
In all, there are more than 20 offensive lineman listed on Syracuse’s roster now.
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What are SU’s Chances of Landing Zion Steptoe? – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Klein)
While all eyes are on the quarterback of the future, Dino Babers’ coaching staff is doing everything it can to surround that mystery man behind center with weapons. The Orange reeled in three-star tailback LeQuint Allen for the Class of 2022. But that class needs some help on the outside.
The recent offer to Zion Steptoe is in line with that concern. The Frisco, Texas native projects as a rich man’s Sean Riley, a deep-ball threat through his speed at just 6-foot, 170 lbs. For reference, Riley was 5-foot-8, 178 lbs in his senior season.
The verdict is still out on whether SU has a good chance to grab Steptoe. On one hand, the Orange only had two texans on the roster last season, and one of them was a transfer (Cody Roscoe). On the other, signal caller Dillon Markiewicz grew up just 20 minutes from Frisco, in McKinney.
But it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the biggest variables in Steptoe’s recruitment, like it will be for almost any other Syracuse target in the near future, is the quarterback.
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Should Syracuse Ditch The Up-Tempo Look This Fall? – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
Syracuse football comes into this season with a whole lot of questions and considerably low expectations. A 1-10 season tends to be the reason why, and the Orange suffered through such a lean year thanks to a particularly paltry offense. It’s worth wondering if the Orange will shift away from their up-tempo attack this Fall. If they do, it’s because personnel and lack of previous results may dictate a change.
You’ve probably heard Dino Babers’ “Orange is the New Fast” motto a hundred times before, but so far into his tenure “fast” hasn’t always equalled “good”.
Since Babers arrived in 2016, the SU offense has produced mixed results. Within the ACC, Syracuse has ranked 11th, 9th, 2nd, 8th, and 15th (dead last) in points-per-game since 2016. Total offensive yardage has been a little better ranked 6th, 3rd, 2nd, 7th, and 15th during those same years, but the past two years without now-Bengal Eric Dungey have been rough. With such unpredictable production, Babers’ record at SU is now 24-36.
It’s worth bringing up Dungey’s name again because, with perfect hindsight, we can now see how much he did to bring a different dimension to the SU offense. In 2017 and 2018, Dungey carried the ball a combined 327 times for 1,349 yards. This potency on the ground didn’t translate to wins during a 4-8 2017 season, but SU went 10-3 and won a bowl game in 2018 with Dungey calling the shots.
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Eric Dungey seizing opportunity with Cincinnati Bengals (spectrumlocalnew.com; Callaway)
Eric Dungey wasn't just a fan favorite because he won football games.
Sure, the moments like the upset over Clemson or the Camping World Bowl win helped, but it was so much more than that. It was a passion, loved for the game and fearless attitude that made him an Orange legend.
Now, he's in a different shade of Orange.
SU's all-time leader in career passing yards has been "catching up" and learning the Bengals playbook after signing a free agent deal on Friday. It's an opportunity that he's grateful for because he's been working and waiting for a phone call for over a year all while staying focused and staying sharp.
"It takes a toll on you, but I just stayed persistant throughout it," Dungey said. "When I got the call and I signed that contract, I got back to my hotel room and I started crying because I was just so happy. I wish I could call my dad and tell him everything because he's my motivation throughout it all, but I know he's looking down on me."
Dungey's dad, Tim, passed away in February of 2020 after a battle with cancer. Eric said he'd be "fired up" about the news.
Most Loyal Fans, per BGB (RX; HM)
Most Loyal Fans, per BGB
This time BGB brings us...
ACC's Most Loyal Fanbases*
* according to Big Game Boomer
My Take:
- Virginia Tech and Florida State are both situated off the beaten path; fans have to be loyal just to go to games at all.
- NC State hasn't won anything of note in football since 1979, although they have been runner-up a few times. Despite that, Wolfpack fans still 56,466 fans at each home game in 2019. That's loyalty, too.
- Clemson fans stuck it out from 1981 to 2016. The stadium was near capacity all those years.
- UNC? It's easy to be a basketball fan, but we're talking football - 50,500 Tar Heel fans packed their home stadium every week in 2019.
- That takes us to Syracuse... I got nothing. Maybe they'll fill up the dome once it gets air conditioning?
How would it affect Notre Dame if... (RX; HM)
How would it affect Notre Dame if...
...the Irish joined the ACC for football full-time, with the conditions that (1) no more than 8 conference games per year, (2) no true divisions, and (3) Navy is team #16 and is Notre Dame's annual "rival"?If we can all suspend disbelief for just a moment, here's the actual 2021 Notre Dame schedule, along with a pair of possible schedules based on "Divisionless Scheduling with Notre Dame":
| Actual 2021 | 16-Team ACC w/o Divisions | |||
| Opponent | Location | Opponent | Opponent | Location |
| Florida State | AWAY | Florida State | Miami | AWAY |
| Toledo | HOME | Toledo | Toledo | HOME |
| Purdue | HOME | Pitt | Louisville | AWAY |
| Wisconsin | NEUTRAL | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | NEUTRAL |
| Cincinnati | HOME | Boston Coll. | Syracuse | HOME |
| Virginia Tech | AWAY | Virginia Tech | Virginia | AWAY |
| OFF | OFF | OFF | ||
| USC | HOME | USC | USC | HOME |
| North Carolina | HOME | NC State | North Carolina | HOME |
| Navy | HOME | Navy | Navy | HOME |
| Virginia | AWAY | Wake Forest | Duke | AWAY |
| Georgia Tech | HOME | Clemson | Georgia Tech | HOME |
| Stanford | AWAY | Stanford | Stanford | AWAY |
- Play either Florida State or Miami every year.
- Play either Georgia Tech or Clemson every year.
- Play two teams from North Carolina every year, one home, one away.
- Play one team from Virginia every year.
- Play one Ohio River team every year (either Louisville or Pitt)
- Play one Northeast team every year (either Syracuse or Boston College)
- Continue to play Navy every year, but now it counts in ACC standings (this is key!)
- Four games to schedule as you see fit (could be USC/Stanford plus 2 more, as shown, or one team from California plus 3 more, as desired.)
Divisionless Scheduling with Notre Dame (RX; HM)
Divisionless Scheduling with Notre Dame
David Teel wrote another "what if Notre Dame joined all-in for ACC football" article which, I must admit, I was in no hurry to read, thinking I've read this before. I should've known better. The title of the article is "Notre Dame all in would give ACC football intriguing options", and it's really all about how the schedules might work out with the Irish in the mix. Being the tinkerer that I am, I couldn't resist the urge to take his idea and tweak it a bit...What if the ACC stops at 15 teams?
This maximizes the pie slices by stopping at Notre Dame.Each team plays two annual rivals and rotates through the rest
of the conference (12 teams) home and home every four years.
| 15-Teams, 8-games (2 annual + 6 rotating) | ||
| Team | two annual rivals | |
| Boston College | Notre Dame | Syracuse |
| Clemson | Georgia Tech | Florida State |
| Duke | UNC | Wake Forest |
| Georgia Tech | Clemson | UVA |
| Florida State | Clemson | Miami |
| Louisville | Syracuse | Pitt |
| Miami | Florida State | Virginia Tech |
| UNC | NC State | Duke |
| NC State | UNC | Wake Forest |
| Notre Dame | Boston College | Pitt |
| Pitt | Notre Dame | Louisville |
| Syracuse | Boston College | Louisville |
| UVA | Virginia Tech | Georgia Tech |
| Virginia Tech | UVA | Miami |
| Wake Forest | NC State | Duke |
For the most part he stuck with the teams either from
the same division, or crossovers - injecting Notre Dame
into the mix, obviously.
What if Notre Dame wants Navy, too?
This would allow the Irish to count one of their current non-ACC games as a conference match-up, thus freeing up one
of the four non-conference games for another opponent.
With 16 teams, each would have just one annual rival and
rotate through the remaining 14 teams seven at a time, thus
playing every team home-and-home in four years.
| 16 Teams, 8 games (1+7) | |
| annual rival pairs | |
| Florida State | Miami |
| NC State | UNC |
| Wake Forest | Duke |
| Virginia Tech | UVA |
| Boston College | Syracuse |
| Navy | Notre Dame |
| Pitt | Louisville |
| Clemson | Georgia Tech |
...
Preseason Predictions - 2021 May 19th (RX; HM)
Preseason Predictions - 2021 May 19th
From ACCNation: "Early Preview – 2021 ACC Pigskin Picks"Here are their picks, with an average W-L record added:
| TEAM | Will | Chris | Xayveon | Jim | Average |
| Clemson | 11-1 | 12-0 | 10-2 | 11-1 | 11-1 |
| North Carolina | 10-2 | 12-0 | 9-3 | 12-0 | 10.75-1.25 |
| Miami | 8-4 | 7-5 | 10-2 | 9-3 | 8.5-3.5 |
| Boston College | 9-3 | 6-6 | 8-4 | 10-2 | 8.25-3.75 |
| Virginia | 8-4 | 8-4 | 8-4 | 8-4 | 8-4 |
| NC State | 8-4 | 9-3 | 5-7 | 8-4 | 7.5-4.5 |
| Virginia Tech | 6-6 | 5-7 | 7-5 | 7-5 | 6.25-5.75 |
| Wake Forest | 6-6 | 6-6 | 4-8 | 7-5 | 5.75-6.25 |
| Louisville | 5-7 | 5-7 | 7-5 | 5-7 | 5.5-6.5 |
| Pitt | 5-7 | 4-8 | 6-6 | 7-5 | 5.5-6.5 |
| Florida State | 5-7 | 7-5 | 6-6 | 3-9 | 5.25-6.75 |
| Georgia Tech | 5-7 | 6-6 | 5-7 | 3-9 | 4.75-7.25 |
| Syracuse | 3-9 | 4-7 | 6-6 | 2-10 | 3.75-8 |
| Duke | 3-9 | 3-9 | 4-8 | 2-10 | 3-9 |
Other
Gretchen's Confections and Cafe experienced a backlash when they required proof of Covid-19 vaccinations to eat indoors. But sales went up. The cafe has just decided to trust that people who aren't vaccinated will wear their masks inside.
https://www.syracuse.com/restaurant...side-effect-the-hate-has-been-unreal.html(PS; $; Doran)
Customers lined up on the front porch holding their vaccine cards up for inspection on the first Thursday the Palisades Hotel restaurant opened indoor dining only to those with Covid shots.
Owner Richard Ferrucci, who runs the Rome tavern, said business was robust on all of the vaccine-only nights he sponsored starting in March. Even his takeout business picked up.
But he got some grief on social media from those outraged at his promotion.
“You just take it with a grain of salt,’' he said. “A lot were Facebook trolls or people who wouldn’t eat at our tavern anyway. People have freedom of choice.
“If you don’t like it, don’t come,’' he said. “For us, they did come.”
Gretchen’s Confections and Cafe in Auburn, a coffee shop that sells artisan chocolates, coffee drinks and breakfast food, also instituted a vaccinated-only policy for adults eating inside. Anyone could take out or eat outside, but only those with a vaccine card could dine inside at the few tables.
William and Gretchen Williamson, the cafe owners, were barraged with insults both on social media and on the phone.
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