sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Today we celebrate the anthology television series The Twilight Zone. It is unclear why the show is celebrated on May 11, as there is no apparent connection between the date and the show. During its 5-season run, the series was both popular with fans and became critically acclaimed.
The Twilight Zone premiered on October 2, 1959, on CBS. It was created by Rod Serling, who not only came up with its concept and wrote or co-wrote 92 of its 156 episodes but also hosted and narrated it. It was one of the first science fiction series, and also had elements of suspense, horror, psychological fiction, drama, and fantasy. Serling combined his love of pulp fiction novels with topics that weren't often addressed on television at the time: social issues such as war (including nuclear), McCarthyism, and racism. In the opening of each episode, characters were transported to another dimension—the fifth dimension—which was called "the Twilight Zone." There they dealt with many unusual events, and the show often had a surprise ending with a moral lesson.
SU News
Eric King Schedules Official Visit to Syracuse (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football will host class of 2023 Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's offensive lineman Eric King for an official visit in June, King announced on Twitter. King says he will be on campus June 24th through the 26th. King is a 6-3, 300 pound lineman who has an impressive offer list and is one of the best lineman in New Jersey and in the Northeast.
The Orange has prioritized King for quite a while, and he even took a visit in early March.
"We had a great time with the coaches and staff at the basketball game," King tweeted after his visit. "Thank you for the hospitality you showed us throughout the visit!"
In addition to Syracuse, King holds offers from Rutgers, Buffalo, Kent State, Liberty and Temple. He has not announced any other official visits at this time.
King is not the only Syracuse target that will be on campus next month. Quarterback commit LaNorris Sellers will visit the week before King's trip, along with Colorado offensive line commit Naquil Betrand.
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Projecting Syracuse's depth chart after the spring: How will RB room play out behind All-American Sean Tucker? (247sports.com; $; Bailey)
Syracuse football completed one of its most interesting springs of the Dino Babers era in April. The seventh-year head coach saw his new offensive coordinator install a pro-style scheme. He watched the defensive staff work to prepare its young linemen, tasked with paving the way for a bevy of veteran playmakers behind them. He monitored a special teams unit that's looking to bounce back, also under a new coordinator.
Now, as players shift to voluntary workouts ahead of summer conditioning, it's time to take a look ahead. How did those 15 spring practices shape what the 2022 Orange will look like in the fall? Over the next couple of weeks, we'll go position-by-position to project the team's two-deep depth chart.
We started with the quarterbacks on Friday. Now let's move to the running backs.
WHO'S IN THE ROOM?
LeQuint Allen, Fr., 6-0, 193Mario Escobar, rFr., 5-9, 187*
David Obeng-Agyapong, rFr., 5-11, 183*
Joe Pinjuh, rFr., 5-9, 199*
Juwaun Price, 4th-year rSo., 5-10, 198
Sean Tucker, 3rd-year So., 5-10, 209
*indicates walk-on
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ACC inching closer to eliminating divisions, introducing new schedule rotation (247sports.com; Marcello)
The NCAA may soon clear the runway for conferences to scrap divisions, and the ACC is preparing to move forward under that assumption.
The conference is deep in serious discussions to shake up its scheduling format for football, with three permanent rivals and five rotating opponents gaining momentum among athletic directors, Miami athletics director Dan Radakovich said Tuesday outside the ACC’s spring meetings. The ACC is not expected to vote on a proposal this week at its spring meetings but movement could be swift in the ensuing months. The league's brass is scheduled to meet Wednesday with television partner ESPN to discuss options. The conference could institute the new 3-5 rotation — or a similar format — as soon as the 2023 season.
The motivations for the scheduling change: increasing frequency of matchups across the conference, which may lead to more parity and stronger consideration in the College Football Playoff; offering players the opportunity to play each conference school over a four-year career; and providing more interesting games in larger TV markets.
It would also help the conference avoid dreaded matchups such as the 2018 ACC Championship, when undefeated Clemson clobbered five-loss Coastal Division champion Pitt.
The natural byproduct of the new rotation would be the elimination of the Atlantic and Coastal divisions (a 6-2 rotation), and pitting the two teams with the best conference records in the title game.
"It creates excitement, for sure," Florida State athletics director Michael Alford said. "You know, there's pros and cons — you can have a rematch — and we understand that. But at the end of the day, if you have two of the marquee teams, whoever that is having great years, play for a championship game that's going to help our brand across the country and on television."
The ACC is discussing several potential proposals, including two permanent rivals and six rotating opponents, but the 3-5 rotation has the most support among athletic directors. The five teams would rotate off the schedule every other year (home-and-home).
“I want our league to be able to get to the point where we look at all the schools in the league and they’ve made quantitative and qualitative investments in their football program so the entire league continues to move up in national recognition,” Radakovich said.
Look no further than the truncated 2020 season, when the ACC abandoned divisions, scheduled 10 conference games and added Notre Dame as an honorary member during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACC was arguably the strongest conference in the country and sent Clemson and Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff.
"We're really doing our due diligence and looking at it, doing all the analytics on it to make sure that we make the right decision," Alford said. "But at the end of the day, it's about moving the conference forward and you have to put your conference hat on and take your individual institution hat off and understand that we're really looking to do what's best as a conference as a whole."
Several athletic directors shared which schools they wish to schedule as permanent opponents during their meeting Tuesday afternoon, but the discussions were termed as informal suggestions. "We're much nearer the end than the beginning on that as well," Radakovich said.
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Who Should Be Syracuse's Permanent Opponents in Potential Change to ACC Football Scheduling? (SI; McAllister)
The ACC is considering revamping its football scheduling and eliminating divisions. This would be a welcomed change and allow teams in the conference to play each other more often. One model that is being discussed is a 3-5-5 model. That means each team gets three permanent opponents that they play every season. The rest of the teams are divided into two groups of five that would rotate every other year.
Each team would play everyone in the ACC every two years and host each team every four. That seems like a logical, easily doable plan that would work better than the current divisional model.
In that scenario of the 3-5-5 model being implemented, and potentially in place as early as the 2023 season, who should Syracuse have as its permanent opponents?
Two teams are obvious. Boston College and Pittsburgh. They have history going back to the Big East. They play every year now. They are all in the Northeast. It is a slam dunk for those two to be among Syracuse's permanent opponents. The third, however, is not so obvious.
Here are a few options that make some sense.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies have history with Syracuse from the Big East days similar to BC and Pitt. There is not much ACC related history, however, as they have been in different divisions. They are closer than many other schools in the conference as well.
Clemson: The two teams have had some memorable matchups since the Orange joined the ACC, specifically in the Dino Babers era. The upset in 2017 and the near upset in 2018 as two examples. Perhaps the ACC would like to continue that budding rivalry.
Miami: Similar to Virginia Tech, there is history dating back to the Big East. Syracuse also has alumni in Florida, which could help drive up interest in this matchup each year.
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ACC gains ground on remaking football scheduling model, possibly as early as 2023 (theathletic.com; $; Fortuna & Staples)
Momentum is moving within the ACC to remake its football scheduling model, perhaps even as early as 2023.
The most likely scenario is the 3-5 model, which would give each school three annual opponents while cycling in five new opponents per year.
“The scheduling model was discussed,” Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich said Tuesday, on Day 2 of ACC spring meetings. “We have good ideas moving forward. We’re closer to the end than to the beginning on that, but we need to talk a little bit to our TV partners to see what they think, kind of run it through the car wash one more time.
“It’s not urgent to be able to get done right now, from a timing perspective, because even if we decided to move this forward for ’23, there’s opportunity and time to be able to get it done. We want to be deliberate about it.”
Asked if there is a favored model, Radakovich described the 3-5 arrangement.
“I think the one where there are four-year rotating cycles where you play everybody twice and you have three common opponents,” he said. “I think that really got a lot of thumbs up (from ACC schools).”
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Potential permanent opponents?
Boston College — Miami, Syracuse, Virginia TechClemson — NC State, Georgia Tech, Florida State
Duke — North Carolina, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
Florida State — Miami, Clemson, Syracuse
Georgia Tech — Clemson, Duke, Louisville
Louisville — Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech
Miami — Florida State, Boston College, Pittsburgh
North Carolina — Duke, NC State, Virginia
NC State — Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina
Pittsburgh — Louisville, Miami, Syracuse
Syracuse — Boston College, Florida State, Pittsburgh
Virginia — Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Wake Forest
Virginia Tech — Virginia, Louisville, Boston College
Wake Forest — Duke, NC State, Virginia
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Teel: ACC poised to do away with football divisions, adopt new scheduling model (richmond.com; Teel)
So many flirtations, so much disappointment. Indeed, after more than 10 years of the ACC considering an overhaul of its football schedule, a we’ll-believe-it-when-we-see-it approach is advisable.
But here at the conference’s annual spring meetings there is — dare I say it? — momentum to craft a model in which teams play one another more often. Quite the novel concept, ey?
The most-likely format: Each of the league’s 14 teams would be assigned three annual opponents. The remaining 10 conference rivals would rotate onto the schedule every other season, five on, five off.
Translation: You play each of the other 13 ACC teams at least once every two years, in your stadium at least once every four seasons.
“The 3-5-5 [model] at its core was student-athlete driven to be able to play around the league before you graduate,” Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich said Tuesday after the ADs huddled with the league’s football coaches and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips. We’re closer to the end than the beginning on that.
We need to talk a little bit to our TV partners [ESPN] to see what they think, kind of run it through the car wash one more time.”
Resolution is not expected before these meetings adjourn Thursday morning, but Radakovich said plenty of time remains to approve the changes prior to the 2023 season. Meanwhile, the NCAA Division I Council is poised to erase an archaic 1987 rule requiring conferences of at least 12 teams to have divisions in order to stage a football championship game.
The ACC’s new format would be exponentially better than the present schedule. With the seven-team Atlantic and Coastal Divisions, you play each of your six division rivals, plus one crossover opponent, every season. Your eighth conference game then rotates among the six other teams in the opposite division.
Translation: ACC programs face almost half of their league rivals, six of 13, only once every six seasons, once every dozen years at home.
That’s why Florida State hasn’t played at Virginia Tech since 2012. That’s why Virginia’s trip to Syracuse this season will be the Cavaliers’ first since the Orange joined the ACC in 2013. And that’s why North Carolina and Wake Forest played a non-conference home-and-home in 2019 and ‘21.
“I don’t have a strong lean one way or the other,” N.C. State athletic director Boo Corrigan said, “but what I do like is playing teams more often. We’re in Raleigh and [Duke] is, being generous, say 30 miles away, and we play each other twice in 12 years.”
In previous years, ACC officials studied expanding the conference schedule to nine games, but contracted non-league encounters with Notre Dame — the Fighting Irish play, on average, five ACC opponents a season — doomed that plan.
"We’re really doing our due diligence and doing all the analytics on it to make sure that we make the right decision,” Florida State athletic director Michael Alford said of the 3-5-5 format. “At the end of the day, it’s about moving the conference forward. You have to put your conference hat on and take your institution hat off.”
Alford and his colleagues have gone as far to sketch out potential allocations of each school’s three annual opponents. Here’s one possibility among the myriad options.
VIRGINIA: Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest
VIRGINIA TECH: Virginia, Miami and Georgia Tech
GEORGIA TECH: Clemson, Virginia Tech and Duke
NORTH CAROLINA: N.C. State, Duke and Virginia
WAKE FOREST: Duke, N.C. State and Virginia
DUKE: North Carolina, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech
N.C. STATE: North Carolina, Wake Forest and Clemson
FLORIDA STATE: Clemson, Miami and Louisville
MIAMI: Florida State, Boston College and Virginia Tech
CLEMSON: Florida State, N.C. State and Georgia Tech
BOSTON COLLEGE: Pitt, Syracuse and Miami
PITT: Boston College, Syracuse and Louisville
SYRACUSE: Pitt, Boston College and Louisville
LOUISVILLE: Pitt, Syracuse and Florida State
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Goodbye Clemson? When ACC scraps divisions, SU football schedule will be less daunting (PS; $; Mink)
Syracuse football could get welcomed relief from a daunting schedule when the ACC abolishes the two-division format used to determine its championship game participants.
There’s momentum toward scrapping the Atlantic and Coastal divisions and reconfiguring the eight-game conference schedule as coaches and school officials meet this week for the league’s annual spring meetings in Amelia Island, Florida.
For Syracuse, it would likely mean no more annual games with ACC heavyweights Clemson and Florida State, though both would still regularly appear on the Orange’s schedule.
ESPN was the first to report the scheduling change could come as soon as the 2023 season, which would lop off the final two years of the current model that has been in place since SU and Pittsburgh joined the conference in 2013.
SU was placed in the Atlantic Division, which has been exceptionally top-heavy largely due to Clemson’s ascent as one of the nation’s most dominant programs. Pitt went to the Coastal, the side with no juggernaut.
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We could be getting a new ACC Football schedule model as soon as 2023 (TNIAAM; Wall)
More future Syracuse Orange scheduling news emerging from the ACC meetings on Amelia Island. This time it’s the football side of house and on the heels of the NCAA recommendation to ease FBS Conference Championship restrictions the ACC is preparing to move on from the two-division model.
According to Thamel, a couple of the models being discussed are schools having three permanent rivals with the other programs rotating every other year and a two permanent opponents model with six teams rotating on and off, in the same manner. Both of these models would allow every ACC team to host every other ACC team every four years which would correct a major complaint with the current set-up.
Since joining the league it’s been unfortunate luck for the Orange that the ACC has been dominated by Florida State and Clemson, while the Coastal chaos has been real and allowed those schools more opportunity for success. Mixing things up sure seems like a benefit for Syracuse in terms of competitiveness in the league.
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Which 3 Annual FB Games? (RX; HM)
SU-UL paired? Ugh!
Which 3 Annual FB Games?
If the ACC does, indeed, go to a 3 annual + 5 rotating football schedule, which 3 teams should each team play annually? (Oh, and please stop calling these "rivals" - that has nothing to do with it! This is all about creating the best possible regular season schedule every year).The goal.
I've tried quiet a few combinations over the years, with various goals in mind such as (a) minimize change, (b) minimize travel distance, (c) preserve old rivalries; there's one concern which now trumps them all, in my opinion: (d) maximize revenue!The plan.
Given the goal of maximizing tv ratings and ticket revenue, this is what I came up with for the best possible matrix (as far as I can tell). Note that it's not meant to be the best for every single team, just the best for the conference as a whole. "A rising tide lifts all ships", right?| Team | R1 | R2 | R3 |
| BC | Syracuse | Wake | NC State |
| Syracuse | BC | Pitt | Louisville |
| Pitt | Syracuse | Miami | Louisville |
| Louisville | Syracuse | Pitt | VT |
| VT | VA | Louisville | Clemson |
| VA | VT | UNC | Duke |
| UNC | VA | Duke | NC State |
| Duke | VA | UNC | Wake |
| NC State | UNC | Wake | BC |
| Wake | Duke | NC State | BC |
| Clemson | GT | FSU | VT |
| GT | Clemson | FSU | Miami |
| FSU | Miami | Clemson | GT |
| Miami | FSU | GT | Pitt |
Sports Networks, Carriers Feeling Squeezed (RX; HM)
Sports Networks, Carriers Feeling Squeezed
Is the sports tv bubble about to burst? Consider this data from "Sports networks squeezed by rising costs and fewer subscribers" posted on Axios...Affiliate revenue versus subscribers for select sports networks
(Percentage change from 2020 to 2021; affiliate revenue peraverage cable subscriber per month; year-end subscriber estimates)
| Network | Revenue | Subscribers |
| TNT | +26.40% | −6.0% |
| Fox Sports | +13.6 | −6.0 |
| TBS | +8.6 | −6.1 |
| ESPN2 | +7.1 | −5.1 |
| NFL Network | +6.7 | −1.0 |
| SEC | +4.5 | −6.1 |
| ESPN | +3.3 | −5.0 |
| USA Network | +1.8 | −6.0 |
Why do cable and streaming tv providers continue to pay higher and higher rights fees for sports networks, when they are all losing subscribers? The first reason why they are willing to pay more is because the profitability of these sports networks is still increasing - even as the number of subscribers is decreasing! That's because sports is perhaps the only thing people still watch LIVE on television - which means (a) you can count on the audience at a certain time of day, and (b) they can't skip the commercials.
However, there's more to it than that, as Big Ten blogger Frank the Tank explained in "Sports networks squeezed by rising costs and fewer subscribers", posted on CSNBBS:
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Fizz Five 5/10: Football Injuries, Lacrosse Teams Going in Opposite Directions, and Boeheim’s Roster Comments – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; podcast; Eads & Frank)
This week on Fizz Five, John Eads and Ethan Frank are back to talk about Syracuse football fighting the injury bug again, the strength of SU’s opponents this fall, give an update on both lacrosse teams, and address Jim Boeheim’s comments about the state of his roster heading into the summer. Here’s what the guys covered:
1. JUSTIN LAMSON SUFFERS AN INJURY IN PRACTICE, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE QB ROOM?
2. RANKING THE OPPONENTS ON DINO BABERS’ DAUNTING 2022 SCHEDULE
3. SYRACUSE MEN’S LACROSSE IS LOSING PLAYERS LEFT AND RIGHT TO THE TRANSFER PORTAL
4. SYRACUSE WOMEN’S LACROSSE IS BACK IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
5. JIM BOEHEIM TALKED A LOT ABOUT HIS TEAM OVER THE PAST WEEK, WHAT WAS NOTEWORTHY FROM HIS PUBLIC APPEARANCES?
The Carrier Dome: Home to sold-out concerts and Syracuse University Athletics (thenewshouse.com; Stevenson)
Last month, Paul McCartney announced his return to Syracuse on his sell-out 2022 tour, which will be followed by Elton John’s performance scheduled for September 2022.
These performances will be held in The Carrier Dome, located in the center of Syracuse University’s campus and the hub for various student events. Yet, what is it that draws these artists to Upstate New York, rather than its neighboring, lively cities such as New York City, Philadelphia and Boston?
Founding director of the Bandier Program at Syracuse University and president of DMR Booking, David Rezak, talked of the long history of live music in Syracuse, dating back to before the Carrier Dome broke ground. Located at the present-day MakerSpace in Kimmel Hall, the “Jabberwocky” was a university-owned space, serving as an essential aspect of nightlife on SU’s campus.
“It was a beer and wine serving nightclub venue at about 150 capacity that had artists at the level of James Taylor, Talking Heads, Cyndi Lauper,” Rezak said. “Just an incredible array of amazing artists showcased there before they got big.”
Jabberwocky was not the only spot on campus providing live music, as SU was a hub for great nightlife and performances.
“Campus just had amazing music going on,” Rezak said. “I saw Miles Davis and B.B. King in Crouse College, and great concerts took place in Hendricks Chapel, for heaven’s sake!”
As the campus was alive with music and upcoming artists, Rezak notes that while the performances themselves were incredible, the spaces they took place in were underwhelming. Then came the Carrier Dome in 1980, a 500,000+ square foot arena that promised events with unprecedented attendance. And with its newly implemented renovations, including a brand new roofing system, Rezak said larger artists such as McCartney can put on truly spectacular performances.
"I TOOK THE MENTALITY YEARS AGO THAT OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER EVERYBODY. WE TRY TO SHOEHORN THE SHOWS AROUND OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES AND OUR STUDENTS – THAT IS THE TRUTH."
PETE SALA, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FACILITIES OFFICER
Yet, with a space as renowned as the Carrier Dome, functioning as both a venue for various events in the city and Syracuse University students, SU Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala said one of the hardest parts has been accommodating all parties.
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Other
Food Truck Battle, rubber duck race, roller derby: 11 things to do in CNY this weekend (PS; Struck)
Anyone else itching to throw on some sandals and fire up the barbeque? Upstate has got all of your grilling and outdoor adventuring needs covered this weekend. First up, this year’s food truck battle with dozens of cuisines to sample, from seafood to salt potatoes. More outside: African drum and dance workshops for the next seven weeks in parks around Syracuse, a rubber duck race in Trumansburg, Big Truck Day for the kids, a history of Green Lakes State Park and so, so many yard sales. If you’d rather indulge in the arts, head to Ithaca for a concert with acoustic guitarist Martin Sexton or the theater production “Delia Divided,” a play about mental health and incarceration. Dave Koechner (Todd Packer from “The Office”) will bring the laughs to Syracuse on Friday and Saturday, and roller derby is back!
Know of an event you would like to see on this list? Email us at features@syracuse.com.
Lady Bug Lunch Box food truck serves up a meal at the 2018 food truck contest. Don Cazentre
Food Truck Battle
You might want to go light on Friday night dinner because Saturday heralds the return of the annual Food Truck Battle to the New York State Fairgrounds. Over 50 trucks from Syracuse, Rochester, Ithaca, Watertown and beyond will roll into the fairgrounds with tacos, ice cream, barbeque, lobster, baked potatoes, Italian ice, PB&Js, pizza, kettle corn and a lot more. Tickets are $10 to get in the gate ($11 after fees online), then $3 to $6 for samples. Kids 11 and under get in free. Head to syrfoodtrucks.com for the full line up of food trucks, music and entertainment.
Where: 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse
When: Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
How much: $10 to get in and $3 to $6 for samples. Kids 11 and under get in free.
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