sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Free Slurpee Day!
July 11 (7/11) is the unofficial birthday of the 7-Eleven store and is known as Free Slurpee Day or 7-Eleven Day. Customers who stop in a store from 7 am to 11 pm can receive a free small Slurpee. Free Slurpee Day was started in 2002, and a new flavor is featured each year on the day, although customers can choose from whatever other flavors are available at the store as well. Other food items have recently been given away on Free Slurpee Day as well, such as Big Gulps, Twinkies, and cookies.
In the late-1950s, Omar Knedlik owned a Dairy Queen in Kansas. When the soda fountain stopped working, he put some soda bottles in a freezer to keep them chilled. They were a little slushy when he opened them, and soon people started requesting them that way. He then built a machine using the air conditioning unit of a car—the machine was able to make slushy sodas out of flavored syrup, water, and carbon dioxide. The drink was named the ICEE. Working with a Dallas manufacturer, he redesigned the machine and distributed it to businesses and drugstores. The drink was licensed to 7-Eleven in 1965, and when sold there it soon became known as the Slurpee. Bob Stanford of the 7-Eleven marketing department came up with the name—he thought a slurp sound was made when sipping the drink through a straw.
SU News
Class of 2025 offensive lineman Jayden Mann on a visit to Penn State on April 13. Mann is making his commitment Thursday. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comJoe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
Syracuse football included in top 4 for in-state offensive lineman who just set commitment date (PS; Leiker)
An in-state prospect with Syracuse football in his top four is set to make his commitment Thursday.
Jayden Mann is choosing between the Orange, Rutgers, Georgia Tech and West Virginia. He will announce his commitment via his Instagram.
Mann (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) is from the Bronx and plays offensive tackle for Cardinal Hayes. He is currently unrated in the 247Sports Composite but is a 3-star by all four major recruiting services’ individual metrics.
The quarterback he protects at Cardinal Hayes, Rich Belin, committed to Syracuse on June 27.
Cardinal Hayes had 6,538 all-purpose yards on offense last season, according to its MaxPreps page. Over half of those came on the ground, as the team had two 1,000-yard rushers.
Mann visited all four of his top schools throughout May and June. He had other offers from Auburn, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and more.
A teammate of Mann’s, Reid Jones, posted on his X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will be committing alongside him. Jones, a wide receiver, does not have a 247Sports profile and has not set a list of top schools. He said the commitment will take place at 7 p.m.
Syracuse currently has 28 verbal commitments to its 2025 class. Six are offensive linemen.
Syracuse AD: McCord ‘turned down twice the money from Nebraska’ (PS; $ Leiker)
Syracuse University athletic director John Wildhack wasn’t afraid to brag a bit to a packed room of Orange fans Tuesday night at Three Heads Brewing in Rochester, New York.
As he answered his final question from emcee Matt Park during the ‘Cuse Coaches Caravan event, Wildhack walked through the workings of each of Syracuse’s NIL groups — Orange United, Athletes Who Care and SU Football NIL — and their impact.
“Kyle McCord’s not our quarterback this year without SU Football NIL,” Wildhack said. “He is our quarterback, and he turned down twice the money from Nebraska.”
Applause started after the first sentence, but there was an audible vocal reaction after the revelation of the second.
“And I know that for a fact because I have a friend from Nebraska who’s on the coaching staff who called me the day Kyle committed to us,” Wildhack continued. “I won’t tell you what he said to me. He busted my chops pretty good, but my response was, ‘Kyle’s wearing blue and orange. He’s ours.’ ”
Notably, the Nebraska staff includes former SU defensive coordinator Tony White, who Wildhack made the highest-paid assistant coach in Syracuse football history during his three years with the program.
Wildhack also talked to Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule while in the process of hiring Fran Brown.
Nebraska had been reported as a strong potential landing spot for McCord in the days after he left Ohio State, but on Dec. 13, On3 reported the Huskers were no longer in the mix for the quarterback.
On Dec. 17, McCord committed to Syracuse. Both McCord and Brown have spoken about having a relationship prior to each of their arrivals at Syracuse and that factoring into his decision.
It’s unclear how much McCord is earning at Syracuse.
While what McCord was offered at Nebraska hasn’t been made public, either, Rhule said in November, “a good quarterback in the portal costs $1 million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now.”
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Syracuse football has prediction for NYC 3-star OL with 'Cuse in top 4, set to decide (itlh; Adler)
Jayden Mann, a 2025 three-star offensive lineman from New York City, plans to announce his college decision on Thursday, and Syracuse football is one of his finalists.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Mann is down to a top four of the Orange, Rutgers, Georgia Tech and West Virginia, he said in a post on his X page.
Mann is a rising senior at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y. One of his teammates at Cardinal Hayes is 2025 three-star quarterback Rich Belin, who was the 2023 MaxPreps player of the year in New York state when the team went 12-2 overall and won the New York Catholic High School Football League ("CHSFL") AAA championship.
In late June, Belin verbally committed to the 'Cuse. His brother, 2025 three-star defensive lineman Blake Belin, is also an Orange recruiting target in this cycle.
Syracuse football will soon know if it has prevailed for 2025 three-star OL Jayden Mann.
When I wrote this article on Wednesday evening, there was a prediction in the Orange's direction for Mann on . I didn't see any projections on the 247Sports Web site at the time of this writing.
On3's recruiting prediction machine, meanwhile, had the 'Cuse in the No. 2 spot in Mann's recruiting process, trailing Rutgers.
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SU football player among 100 highest rated in EA Sports game (PS; Mink)
One Syracuse football player is among the 100 highest-rated players in a new college football video game set to be released later this month.
Fourth-year junior tight end/receiver Oronde Gadsden II is the highest-rated Syracuse player in the upcoming release of EA Sports College Football 25.
Gadsden came in at No. 69 overall in the game, according to EA Sports. He’s the only Syracuse football player EA listed among the game’s top-100 players.
Gadsden received a 91 overall rating in the game. Only five ACC players received a higher overall rating, led by Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter (94).
Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is the top-ranked player in the game (96 overall).
A Fort Lauderdale, Florida native, Gadsden is coming off a season-ending foot injury that sidelined him for most of last season and spring practice. Gadsden has been a full participant in summer workouts, first-year coach Fran Brown said this week.
Gadsden’s return to the field is among the biggest keys to Syracuse’s 2024 season. He entered the 2023 season with preseason All-America recognition before suffering a Lisfranc injury in the second game of the season. He missed the remaining 11 games and spent most of the last year rehabbing.
Gadsden was a first-team All-ACC tight end in 2022 after amassing 969 receiving yards, the most nationally by a tight end. He set school records for receiving yards and catches by a tight end during his breakout sophomore season.
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Syracuse football 2024 opponent preview: NC State Wolfpack (TNIAAM; Ostrowski)
The first five games under Fran Brown all seem manageable for Syracuse Orange football, but there are several more challenging opponents on their schedule in the near future. After leaving the building like Elvis in Las Vegas, SU will head back to the Atlantic Coast to take on one of their most persistent conference foes - a consistently ranked program that is in shape to stay that way this fall.
NC State Wolfpack
School: North Carolina State UniversityNickname: Wolfpack
Mascots: Mr. and Mrs. Wuf
#BRAND Slogans: #1Pack1Goal, #GoPack, #StrengthInThePack
Alternate #BRAND Slogan Suggestions: #AllThePackPuns, #RaleighHouse or “UNC’s second-most-hated rival”
Recommended Blog: Backing the Pack
Conference: ACC
History vs. Syracuse: A 13-3 all-time record against SU is diluted just a bit by some recent Orange upsets. A victory over NC State always seems to mark a big accomplishment for ‘Cuse: 2013 was their first conference win in the ACC, 2018 got them into the AP Top-25 for the first time in 16 years, and the last meeting in 2022 made them bowl-eligible with a 6-0 start. Just don’t think about their late 90s games or a serious C’mon Man! moment in 2020...
Coach: Dave Doeren, 12th season. Aside from the few juggernauts of the sport, there's not more you can ask from a college football coach than perennial Top-25 candidate. That's exactly what Doeren's Pack has become, qualifying for nine bowl games in the past 10 years and peaking at #10 in the 2021 campaign. In short, exactly what the Orange hope Fran Brown can do for them. NC State picked up Doeren after he led Northern Illinois to consecutive MAC championships and national recognition. Before that, he had defensive assistant stints in Wisconsin, Kansas, Montana, USC, and his alma mater Drake.
2023 Record: 9-4 (6-2)
Recapping Last Season:
The Pack lost both times they faced ranked opponents - Week 2 vs. #10 Notre Dame and Week 7 at #17 Duke - as well as vs. eventually-ranked Louisville in Week 5, but it was smooth sailing through the rest of the schedule. Their defining performance was holding on to beat a downtrodden Clemson squad, which kicked off a five-game win streak through the end of November. While most games were close, three of the final four victories were by multiple scores. At the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, #25 Kansas State snapped that strong stretch with a 28-19 win, but NC State still finished #20 in the final AP Poll.
Brennan Armstrong transferred in to take one last stab at salvaging his pro aspirations, but the 5th-year QB was unable to recreate the magic of his 2021 conquest with Virginia. While he led the team with 665 rushing yards, his continued struggles in the pass game led to being benched for a third of the season. To his credit, he eventually returned and improved from a 5/6 passing TD/INT ratio to 6/1 down the stretch. The number two rusher on the squad was also its number one receiver: true freshman Kevin Concepcion. KC earned both All-American and ACC Rookie of the Year honors for his 1,159 total offensive yards and NC State freshman record 10 touchdowns. The rest of the unit was more quantity than quality - though some of that blame again goes to the quarterback shuffle.
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PREVIEWING Syracuse Football’s QB ROOM (youtube; podcast; Orange Zone)
In this episode of ‘The Orange Zone,’ Samantha Croston and Ashley Wenskoski preview Syracuse Football’s QB room headlined by Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, recap Judah Mintz’s summer league debut with the 76ers, and discuss Dyaisha Fair’s decision to play overseas in Israel. 00:00-18:21: Running through Syracuse Football’s QB ROOM18:22-21:36: Judah MINTZ’s summer league DEBUT against Buddy BOEHEIM21:37-26:26: Dyaisha Fair heads to ISRAEL
30 Minutes in Orange Nation 7-10-24 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
Steve and Jordan dig deeper into Syracuse football’s class of 2025 ranking, reacts to some quotes from John Wildhack and Adrian Autry from the latest stop on the ‘Cuse coaches caravan, and discuss performances of former Orange players in the NBA Summer League.
Chris Carter "The 315" 7-10-24 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Chris Carter, Pitt Athletics reporter with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, joins Brian Higgins to continue Brian’s ’12 Games in 12 Weeks’ series with some insight on Panthers football.
Keeping Up With The 315 7-10-24 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins continues his deep dive into Syracuse football recruiting, discusses a weird night for Kyle McCord, and shares his thoughts on a comment made by Adrian Autry regarding his goals in the transfer portal.
The biggest Syracuse sports stories of 2024 so far and predictions for the 2nd half of year (PS; podcast; Syracuse Sports)
On the latest episode of Syracuse Sports, Brent Axe, Emily Leiker and Chris Carlson look back on what they think are the most interesting stories on the Syracuse sports scene in the first half of 2024. Axe, Leiker and Carlson also make one big prediction on what's to come the rest of the year! Some of the stories discussed include Fran Brown's remodeling of Syracuse football, Benny Williams' dismissal from SU basketball, the SU men's lacrosse team getting its act together, Dyaisha Fair making SU women's basketball history and more.
CJ May... COME TO SYRACUSE FOOTBALL! | Syracuse Football Recruiting | Fran Brown (youtube; podacst; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Basketball recently made four-star point guard Acaden Lewis' top 8 schools. Adrian Autry and his staff are also in pursuit of big men Chris Cenac and Asher Elson plus guard Kiyan Anthony. Syracuse Football is also a final four contender for four-star CJ May and Fran Brown's squad is also in the top-16 for five-star Winston Watkins.
https://mikefarrellsports.com/porta...rd-chose-syracuse-and-fran-brown-over-the-bag (mikeferrellsports.com; Nederveld)
When Kyle McCord threw his second interception on a Saturday in Ann Arbor, it was almost a certainty he wouldn't throw another ball in a Buckeye uniform. The pass, with just 25 seconds left in Wolverine territory in "The Game" was the summation of disappointments from the Ohio State fanbase.
On the surface, McCord's stats of 3,170 yards, a 65.8% completion percentage, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions look good. The Big Ten conference agreed and he received all-conference honors. But just a year prior, CJ Stroud threw for 3,688 yards, 66.3% of passes, 41 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year twice and a two-time Heisman finalist and took Ohio State to the playoff and the brink of beating Georgia.
With Marvin Harrison Jr. again leading the best receiving room in the country and no changes to the coaching staff, the frustrations from Buckeye fans make sense. Underachieving never goes well, especially not in Columbus, Ohio.
When the clock struck midnight on December 4th, McCord entered his name in the portal. Unsurprisingly, he had lots of interest from lots of schools. Fran Brown, the first-year coach who has energized the Syracuse program took things a step further. In an interview with No Destination Media, McCord detailed the dedication of Brown and the dividends it paid, stating "he got in the plane that night, came and saw me, then got in the plane, flew right back to Syracuse. And from that moment on, they're kind of number one on my list."
That dedication from Brown is rarely seen. FBS head coaches have very little time, and he dropped all his plans to fly and visit just one recruit. It's hard to overcome that kind of effort and becomes especially important when you're competing with money.
At an event in Rochester, NY last evening with Orange coaches from multiple sports, Syracuse AD John Wildhack talked about the importance of NIL and how it played into the recruitment of McCord. He started by stating "Kyle McCord's not out quarterback this year without SU Football NIL". He followed up by remarking "he turned down twice the money from Nebraska."
The exact finances were not shared. However, prior to the portal opening, Matt Rhule commented on the price of a good portal quarterback, remarking "a good quarterback in the portal costs $1 million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now". If that's the case, McCord is likely earning around 500k-750k to wear the block S on his head.
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Syracuse football: Kyle McCord speaks about his off-season work as he prepares to lead the Orange (TNIAAM; Wall)
Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord joined a number of his peers at last month’s Manning Passing Academy.
During the camp, The Athletic’s Larry Holder had a chance to speak with the college quarterbacks about a number of topics as they prepare for the season. First up, was asking them about the decision of many of the top quarterbacks to transfer schools.
McCord talked about his adjustment to his new squad in Syracuse and what it was like joining the program at a time of massive change
x.com
twitter.com
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
Get to Know Your Orange Man: #19, TE Oronde Gadsden II (TNIAAM; Tomiauolo)
It’s time to start preparing for the 2024 Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get to know a lot of new faces to kick off the Fran Brown Era.
Next up is...
Name: Oronde Gadsden II
Position: Tight End
Year: Redshirt Junior
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 223 lbs
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
High School/Previous College: American Heritage (Plantation)
2023 stats: 7 receptions, 67 yards and a touchdown. Suffered a Lisfranc injury on the first offensive play against Western Michigan in Week 2 and missed the rest of the season. Granted a Redshirt Year.
2024 projections: Gadsden II is easily Syracuse’s #1 option in the passing game when healthy. The tight end exploded onto the scene with 969 receiving yards in 2022, the most by any TE in the country. Now, with Kyle McCord behind center, he certainly can lead the nation again this year. The biggest question with Gadsden II is his health and recovery process. A second surgery forced him out of spring camp, and it could take even more time before the receiving threat is 100%.
How’d he get here?: Chose the Orange over many other offers, including from Penn State, Kentucky, Arizona State, Baylor and West Virginia.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Three stars across the board
Social Media Info:
Instagram: @orondegii
Twitter: @orondegii
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3-star Florida wide receiver chooses Arizona over Syracuse football, two others (PS; Leiker)
A 3-star, Class of 2025 wide receiver from Florida made his verbal commitment during a ceremony at his high school Wednesday evening.
Isaiah Mizell had Syracuse football in his top four alongside Arizona, Kansas State and Georgia Tech. He committed to the Arizona Wildcats.
Mizell visited all four of his top schools prior to his commitment.
Arizona’s coaching staff currently features ex-Syracuse head coach Dino Babers as its offensive coordinator.
Mizell (6-foot, 160 pounds) is the No. 113 player in Florida and No. 136 wide receiver in the country according to the 247Sports Composite.
He plays for Boone High School and finished his junior season with 49 catches for 1,057 yards and 22 touchdowns, according to the team’s MaxPreps page. He led his team in both receiving yards and touchdowns.
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One week after committing to Syracuse football, Top 10 long-snapper reverses course for Pittsburgh (PS; $; Carlson)
Henry Searcy, ranked as one of the 10 best long-snappers in the country in the Class of 2025, reversed course on a commitment to Syracuse football and announced on Wednesday that he is verbally committed to Pittsburgh.
Searcy initially committed to Syracuse just over a week ago on July 1. He was set to be a preferred walk-on.
He announced his decommitment from Syracuse and his commitment to Pittsburgh in an Instagram post.
Searcy is ranked as a two-star recruit by Rivals, the only one of the four major recruiting websites to offer a ranking. He is ranked as a five-star prospect by Kohl’s Kicking, widely-regarded as experts in special teams prospects.
Searcy (6-foot-3, 180 pounds) plays for Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee, Florida. The team finished 6-4 last season.
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Jim Brown: The Greatest Syracuse Football Player (orangefizz.net; Staff)
Syracuse’s football team has one of the best lineages in the country. They play in the ACC now, but they’re heritage stretches back far before that.
Football has millions of fans all over the world. They watch football games to cheer for their favorite teams and players and place bets on football on platforms such as the GGBet betting site.
The Orange have had many big moments and players over the years, and Pittsburgh tends to be considered their oldest rival. The JMA Wireless Dome is now home to the Fran Brown Era Orange. There’s only been one national championship in program history, 1959. There have been a lot of talented players in the program, but who was one of the best in the Syracuse history? It was the centerpiece of that ’59 squad.
Jim Brown
The best player in Syracuse history, no matter the position, and the greatest running back ever is Jim Brown.
Birthday: February 17, 1936
Date of death: May 18, 2023
Age at death: 87
Place of birth: St. Simons, Georgia, USA
Brown came into the world on February 17, 1936, in St. Simons, Georgia and passed away on May 18, 2023, in Los Angeles. He led the NFL in rushing yards for eight out of his nine seasons. He is regarded as the greatest runner of all time. After his football career, he also became a famous actor.
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Syracuse at Louisville | NCAA Football 06 Syracuse Orange Dynasty | S2:E12 (youtube; gamke simulation; Playbook Gamer)
Made up players and the date is 2006. But realistic outcome.
Syracuse at Louisville | NCAA Football 06 Syracuse Orange Dynasty | S2:E12
Syracuse Football on Instagram: "OG coming in at a 91 OVR @orondegii is among the top 100 players in @easportscollege "
cusefootball on July 10, 2024: "OG coming in at a 91 OVR @orondegii is among the top 100 players in @easportscollege ".
www.instagram.com
ACC News
Judge denies Clemson’s request to dismiss ACC countersuit (live5news.com; AP)
Clemson’s request to dismiss an Atlantic Coast Conference lawsuit that was filed in response to the school challenging the conference bylaws in court was denied Wednesday by a judge.
The case stems from Clemson’s attempt in March to release itself from the ACC’s grant of rights and a potential $140 million exit fee if it were to leave the conference. Clemson sued the ACC in South Carolina to strike down the grant of rights and avoid the exit fee if it were to leave.
The ACC countersued the next day.
Clemson wanted that countersuit thrown out, or at least paused — stayed — but a judge ruled only a North Carolina court can decide interpretation and enforcement of the bylaws.
Clemson disputed jurisdiction in the case and argued that it cannot be sued in North Carolina because it had not waived sovereign immunity. The court disagreed. North Carolina Chief Business Court Judge Louis A. Bledsoe III cited Clemson’s ongoing participation in league meetings and administration of affairs within North Carolina, including competitions, as having waived immunity.
Bledsoe did, however, grant the school’s motion to dismiss ACC claims of relief for breach of contract and a declaration of its grant of rights as valid and binding contracts. Clemson did not challenge their enforceability, the ruling noted, just the scope.
The ACC celebrated the ruling in a statement and said it reinforces what it has always said — that North Carolina courts are the proper place to enforce and interpret agreements.
“This recognizes the ACC’s consistent position that the 2013 and 2016 Grant of Rights are valid and enforceable agreements that each of our members entered into voluntarily, with full knowledge of their terms,” the statement added.
The ACC has also sued Florida State on similar grounds. Bledsoe has stayed that lawsuit pending the school’s appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court of his ruling that denied its motion to dismiss the case.
Who’s the No. 3 conference: ACC or Big 12? It might matter (tampabay.com; Baker)
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark kicked off his conference’s media days Tuesday with a comment that might have been a shot at the ACC, wishful thinking or something much more innocuous.
After adding Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State, Yormark said on a Las Vegas stage, his league “solidified ourselves as one of the top three conferences in America.”
The Atlantic Coast Conference probably objects to that characterization. Or at least its commissioner, Jim Phillips, would have last year at his league’s football kickoff.
“Let me be clear also: This league is third right now in revenue as we go forward …” Phillips said from a stage in Charlotte last July. “Third is certainly a good position ...”
But the jockeying for No. 3 (behind the SEC and Big Ten) is worth exploring — for us and, perhaps, for Florida State.
Note: All statistics reflect the conference’s membership as of this football season, counting incoming members (like Cal or Colorado) but excluding now-former members (like Texas and Oklahoma).
Money
Phillips was right when he said the ACC was third. Just not by much, and not (perhaps) for long.According to the leagues’ latest tax returns, the ACC paid out an average of $44.8 million to its football members. The Big 12 was slightly behind at $44.2 million.
Those numbers will change when the Big 12′s next TV contract starts in 2025. FSU argues in its lawsuit against the ACC that the rival league’s new deal will pay members “substantially more” than what ACC schools like FSU and Clemson receive. Big 12 schools are set to average $31.7 million annually just from media rights, according to The Athletic.
Other figures related to conference payouts are harder to pin down — like how much more FSU and Miami will get if they perform well under the ACC’s new, lopsided system of revenue-sharing. The Big 12 has also been much more public about its desire for new revenue streams, including a potential investment from private equity or selling league naming rights think: Allstate 12 Conference).
Football success
The Big 12 has a valid argument in one key area: depth.Over the last five years, the Big 12 has had a dozen schools split 21 total appearances in the Associated Press’ final top 25 poll. Nine ACC members have totaled 16 ranked finishes.
Texas Tech is the only Big 12 school that hasn’t finished ranked in any of the last 10 seasons. The ACC has four such schools (Duke, Boston College, Virginia and Cal).
Historical success, however, leans to the ACC. Six members have won at least one national championship in the AP poll era (since 1936). Only BYU, TCU and Colorado have won or shared a national title among Big 12 members.
There are roughly 20 schools that can reasonably expect to contend for national titles. Three are in the ACC (FSU, Miami and Clemson). The Big 12 has none; it’s a stretch to think UCF, Utah or Kansas State belong in that tier.
Future success, recruiting
Recruiting rankings matter to perception and on-field performance. They favor the ACC. The Big 12′s average ranking in the 247Sports composite (including transfers) was five spots lower than the ACC in the 2024 cycle.A more concerning stat for the Big 12: The league hasn’t had a top-20 class since Arizona State in 2015. FSU, Miami, Clemson and North Carolina have regularly been in that bunch for the ACC.
But recruiting rankings are not everything. Development, evaluation and coaching count, too, which explains why ESPN’s SP+ rankings are more bullish on the Big 12 for this season. Its team average is five spots better than the ACC. Neither league has a school in the top 10.
Other sports
There is no competition. Including non-football member Notre Dame, the ACC placed eight teams in the top 25 of the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which measures success across sports. The Big 12 had one (No. 19 Oklahoma State).Intangibles
The phrase “psychologically disadvantaged” comes to mind with the ACC. The league is engaged in a legal civil war as two of its biggest brands (FSU and Clemson) pursue a potential exit. At minimum, the optics are suboptimal.The irony? “Psychologically disadvantaged” is the term Oklahoma’s then-president, David Boren, used to describe the Big 12 in 2015 as his league considered expansion. The Sooners’ jump to the SEC eventually led the Big 12 to poach the Four Corners schools in a counter-offensive. Those moves helped kill off the Pac-12; the ACC took Cal and Stanford in the aftermath.
Why it matters
Though the Big 12 lacks headliners like FSU and Clemson, the league has more depth and parity. Its conference title race should be as interesting as any in the country — which will warrant nationwide attention in a playoff format that awards a bye to the top four league champions. Those “substantially” larger TV payouts seem relevant, too.Though no fans want to chant “We’re No. 3,” being third beats the alternative. That’s why it’s not outlandish to think the Big 12 could be a short-term landing spot for FSU and/or Clemson, if they can wriggle out of the ACC. Perhaps those schools could bank larger paydays in the Big 12 until its TV rights hit the market in January 2030 (six years before the apparent end of the ACC’s current deal). By then, the college football landscape could look very different — for FSU, Miami, Clemson and whatever’s left of the Power Four, however you rank them.
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Florida State conference realignment discussion run amok as Yahoo reports conversations with Big 12 (tomahawknation.com; Loesche)
A wave of speculation regarding Florida State’s future conference home has taken over FSU social media. Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger ignited the discussion with his comments during an interview with Big 12 reporter John Kurtz regarding future conference expansion. Dellenger stated he believed Florida State and Clemson officials have engaged in preliminary talks with the Big 12 regarding joining the conference after the schools leave the ACC.
A few hours later, the FSU Board of Trustees scheduled a meeting for July 22nd, the same day Florida State will be present for ACC Media Days and the day before the Big Ten’s Media Days begin. All of this has left some Seminole faithful aghast that FSU may be going through the entire ordeal of leaving the ACC to make a lateral, at best, move.
Dellenger laid out Florida State and Clemson’s preferences as:
1. A spot in the SEC or Big Ten
2. A reformed ACC with fewer teams splitting revenue
3. Joining the Big 12
This isn’t the huge revelation some are making it out to be. FSU and Clemson wouldn’t be taking expensive legal action against the ACC if they did not want to join the sports other power players.
The short-lived Magnificent 7 reportedly considered expelling the conference’s dead weight or starting a new league after leaving the ACC en masse. Any chance of that happening died when Virginia, Virginia Tech, Miami, and NC State voted for the ACC’s western expansion.
What about the Big 12? Since Brett Yormark has taken the reins, the league has done everything in its power to be the aggressor in conference realignment. The league was openly courting members of the PAC-12 over a year before the conference ultimately imploded. Yormark himself stated the conference was still “open for business” regarding new members.
Would FSU really be interested in joining the Big 12? It all comes down to money. Florida State repeatedly tried to get the ACC to adopt an unequal revenue-sharing model that would have given FSU a greater share of TV money. If the conference had gone along with that plan, the Seminoles likely aren’t suing the conference to leave early. If the Big 12 creates a revenue distribution model that would see the Noles paid on par with teams in the Big Ten and SEC, they will at least listen.
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Clemson and the ACC: Addressing the rumors, legal status, and a possible new player (tigernet.com; Hood)
Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conference will be back in court Friday as social media rumors continue to swirl.
At stake? Clemson wants to leave the ACC and seek a greener – or at least more profitable –home in another conference.
Let’s catch up on the legal proceedings first. Last week, the ACC and Clemson appeared in Mecklenburg County Court as the university seeks to dismiss (or stay - stay is an action taken by a court to stop a legal proceeding or the actions of a party) the suit in North Carolina courts.
The Friday hearing is the same thing but on the opposite side of the coin – Clemson was the first of the parties to take legal action when it sued the ACC in Pickens County back in March, challenging the conference’s “grant of rights” and large exit fee required of any school hoping to leave the ACC for another conference. The ACC is asking Pickens County Judge Perry H. Gravely to dismiss/stay the case in its favor.
Obviously, both sides want the case to be heard in their home venue. A decision for the league by Gravely would be a win for the ACC, and a decision for Clemson in Charlotte would be a huge win for the university.
The league quickly filed suit in North Carolina in Mecklenburg County, where the ACC headquarters are located, and asked a court to declare its grant of rights and exit fee were “valid and enforceable” while seeking damages from Clemson for breaching that GOR in the case ACC vs.Clemson.
The parties argued their cases in North Carolina last week, and they were heard by North CarolinaBusiness Court Chief Judge Louis A. Bledsoe III. A ruling here could provide everyone with someclarity on where the case will ultimately be heard—either in South Carolina or North Carolina.
Bledsoe committed to issuing a ruling by the time the two parties meet on Friday.
Now, let’s address all of the rumors that are out there. Certain X users – formerly Twitter –specialize in beating the drum on conference realignment and expansion. There is obviously a lot of information out there, especially when you add in Florida State’s lawsuit against the ACC.
There isn’t a lot of information out there from a Clemson standpoint Where Florida St has been very open about their intentions – maybe even to their detriment – Clemson’s approach has been understated and quiet. That is by design.
It may give the appearance that Clemson isn’t on the same page with FSU or pursuing a potential landing spot with the same enthusiasm as the Seminoles, but that’s not true. I like to use the old quote, “Be like a duck. Calm on the surface but always paddling like the dickens underneath.”
Clemson is the duck, and things look calm and serene on the surface, but the school is working furiously behind the scenes to settle this.
I have spoken with several people around the league, wondering if any other schools are considering their options, and I believe that there is another school silently working behind thescenes, and that could be the University of North Carolina. It would not surprise me in the least to find out that Clemson and North Carolina are not only in conversations and are in lockstep but also talk daily.
I know that Greg Swaim – you can look him up on X – posted late Tuesday that the Big Ten has passed on adding Clemson and Florida State. I find his timing not so coincidental as Big 12 is having its media days, and there is talk that the conference is looking to expand even further. Tome, that smacks of the Big 12 stirring the pot in its own favor.
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Insider suggests surprising option if Florida State, Clemson leave ACC (on3.com; Schultz)
This year, college football will have a new look after a groundbreaking round of conference realignment. The Pac-12 effectively fell apart as 10 teams scattered to the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC, leading to multiple new faces at media days this month.
But the winds could be getting ready to start back up. Florida State and Clemson continue to look into their future in the ACC, and that legal process is still playing out.
If those two programs decide to leave, Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger indicated they have a few options. One could be the Big 12, which heard commissioner Brett Yormark say is still “open for business” after bringing in four Pac-12 programs. Dellenger indicated “early conversations” might help open that door if FSU and Clemson eventually leave the ACC.
“You look at Florida State and Clemson’s options, the first option would probably be to get into the Big Ten or the SEC,” Dellenger told John Kurtz. “The second option would be, in some way, to reform the ACC with a smaller number of teams where you would be at a financial advantage because you wouldn’t split the TV distribution with 18. Maybe, you would split it with 10, so they can re-form in a smaller group. And Option Three is to probably join another league, which there’s only one other Power Conference league and that’s the Big 12.
“You look at those options – again, they probably prefer No. 1. I don’t know if that’s gonna happen because the SEC has schools in those states already in Florida and South Carolina, and the Big Ten, I don’t know how interested they are in coming south. Those things might happen. But I think there is at least early conversation between the Big 12 and those schools about the possibility. I don’t know that it’s anything serious yet because they do have to get out of the ACC, whether that’s through a settlement or a court rule. So we could be months, if not years, away from something. That does seem to be one of the possibilities is the Big 12.”
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Wes Durham Previews the 2024 ACC Football Season (wfnz.com; radio; Marlow)
Earlier this week the Big 12 held their annual media day, to preview the upcoming college football season, next week the SEC takes center stage, with their media event, and the week after that, the new look ACC will come into focus, when they hold their preseason media session in Charlotte, as they will welcome Cal, Stanford and SMU to the conference. While the ACC was left out of the College Football Playoff last season, the conference is poised to be as deep as it has been in recent years, with as many as six teams likely being ranked in the preseason.
To talk about the upcoming season, Wes Durham, ACC Network broadcaster joined the Mac & Bone Show earlier this morning on WFNZ to preview the season, as he talked about why he thinks FSU will be the favorite to win the ACC, why he respects how Dabo is running his program if NC State can make it to Charlotte, and how UNC goes about replacing Drake Maye.
You can listen to the Mac & Bone Show (Charlotte’s #1 morning show), every weekday from 6-10 AM, on Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ, and the WFNZ app.
The Best Returning Linebackers in The ACC (lastwordonsports.com; Stanton)
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has been known to be a breeding ground for outstanding linebacking talent. Consider the most recent NFL defections of North Carolina’s Payton Wilson and Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr. In the past, Luke Kuechely from Boston College made a name for himself with the Carolina Panthers, and of course, one can’t leave out North Carolina’s Lawrence Taylor. He was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame after legendary play for the New York Giants. This year, the three best returning linebackers for the ACC in 2024, are truly returning. Perhaps that requires some explaining
The Big 12, Big 10, SEC, and ACC are now bloated with a stable of thoroughbred linebackers, thanks to the demise of the Pac-12 and other team defections. Perhaps it’s not fair to those incoming players from Stanford, California, or SMU, but to hone the pack, heavier consideration was given to those truly returning to the ACC, playing in the conference prior to 2024. There will be a shout-out to those incoming players further in the article.
3. Marlowe Wax – Syracuse
It’s a little too soon, but when it comes to watch lists, Marlowe Wax is expected to be seen on the Bednarik, Butkus, Lombardi, and Senior Bowl lists. Since coming to the Orangemen’s campus, Wax has seen action in all 49 games and has the team-best with 38 straight starts. The Baltimore, MD native enters the 2024 season with 294 career tackles (185 solo), 36.5 for a loss, 16.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, an interception, and a blocked kick.
After leading his team in tackles with 110 last year, it was unclear whether Wax would return this year. He had already completed four years, but the Covid additional year of eligibility allows him to play. Fans were excited to see the experienced vet return, but for him it was a soul-searching effort, considering their lackluster 2-6 conference record. Shortly after the end of their 2023 season, he took to social media to explain the turmoil of his decision. “These past few weeks have been the most frustrating in my life,” Wax said. “This past year did not go as planned and now, after careful consideration, I think it’s best for me to run it back one more time and double down on myself. I love what we are building and I can’t wait to rock the Dome with my brothers again.”2. Francisco Mauigoa – Miami
At 6’ 3” and 230 pounds, Francisco Mauigoa started all 13 games and led the Hurricanes in tackles last year with 82, 18 for a loss, also the team high. In addition, he had 7.5 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. Before the 2023 season, he was playing for the Washington State Cougars where he began his collegiate career. One reason Mauigoa wanted the transfer was to play with his younger brother Francis, a five-star offensive tackle, recruited by the Canes in 2023.For the Cougars in 2022, the older Mauigoa played in 12 games, 11 as a starter. He made some flashy moves that year, one of which was his first career interception against No. 15 Oregon, a 95-yard pick-six, the second-longest in the program’s history. He was fourth on the team with 60 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles.
Mauigoa was named to the second All-ACC team last year and hopes for the first team this year as he enters his senior season at Miami.
1. Barrett Carter – Clemson
Many observers believe Barrett Carter could be considered the best linebacker in the country. He fulfills every situation in which a linebacker can find himself, whether it’s blitzing from the edge, pass coverage in the slot, or stuffing the run game in the box. His versatility hasn’t gone unnoticed by his head coach Dabo Swinney who said of his star linebacker, “one of the best pure football players I’ve had in 20 years.”He surprised many by returning to the Tigers for his senior season, rather than jumping to the NFL draft. Pro Football Focus (PFF) considered him to be the top linebacker in the 2024 draft, especially effective on passing downs.
Carter is credited with 170 tackles, 21 for a loss, 9 sacks, 15 pass breakups, and three interceptions. Only three FBS players have posted 19+ tackles for a loss, 10+ passes defended, and multiple forced fumbles. He joins teammate Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. and North Carolina’s Cedric Gray in that distinction.
Carter’s on-field performance and his off-field work in the community resulted in an honor. He was named as a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT trophy in 2023.
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Links, News and Rumors 2024 July 10th (RX; HM)
Links, News and Rumors 2024 July 10th
From FBSchedules:
UCLA replaces future Georgia, Auburn series with Utah, California
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2 From Tomahawk Nation:
FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei declines ACC media day invite: “Florida State should be represented by players part of last year’s ACC championship team”
Classy move by the transfer QB!
Doak has already gone from a maximum capacity of 82,300 in 2015 to 79,560 in recent years, but will soon have a more sellout-friendly size between 65k and 70k starting in 2025 (for the 2024 season only, the capacity will be around 50k).
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MBB, from ESPN: He hasn't even gotten to college yet, and already...
Incoming Duke freshman Cooper Flagg headlines USA Select team
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With or without you... the show must go on! (RX; HM)
With or without you... the show must go on!
I wondered: what are the best games NOT involving Clemson, FSU, the Big Ten, or the SEC? That just about wiped out Week 1 completely! Still, you'd have ACC-vs-ACC, ACC-vs-Big XII, ACC-vs-Notre Dame, and a few ACC-vs-G5 games worth getting excited about. So I looked over the 2024 schedule and picked out the ones we may get to keep (if FSU doesn't blow up the whole thing!); rivalry games are in bold.
2024 ACC Football Schedule
Friday, Aug. 30
- TCU at Stanford
Saturday, Aug. 31
- Georgia State at Georgia Tech
Friday, Sept. 6
- BYU at SMU
Saturday, Sept. 7
- Georgia Tech at Syracuse
- Pitt at Cincinnati (aka "The River City Rivalry")
- Marshall at Virginia Tech
Saturday, Sept. 14
- San Diego State at Cal
- West Virginia at Pitt (aka "The Backyard Brawl")
Friday, Sept. 20
- Stanford at Syracuse
Saturday, Sept. 21
- Georgia Tech at Louisville
- Miami at South Florida
- TCU at SMU (aka "The Iron Skillet" trophy game)
- Virginia at Coastal Carolina
Friday, Sept. 27
- Virginia Tech at Miami (rivalry game)
Saturday, Sept. 28
- North Carolina at Duke (aka "The Victory Bell" trophy game)
- Louisville at Notre Dame
Saturday, Oct. 5
- Boston College at Virginia
- Miami at Cal
- Duke at Georgia Tech
- SMU at Louisville
- Pitt at North Carolina
- Wake Forest at NC State (rivalry game)
- Virginia Tech at Stanford
Saturday, Oct. 12
- Cal at Pitt
- Georgia Tech at North Carolina
- Louisville at Virginia
- Syracuse at NC State
- Stanford at Notre Dame (The "Legends Trophy" game)
Thursday, Oct. 17
- Boston College at Virginia Tech (rivalry-ish)
Saturday, Oct. 19
- NC State at Cal
- Miami at Louisville
- SMU at Stanford
- Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (rivalry-ish)
Thursday, Oct. 24
- Syracuse at Pitt (rivalry-ish)
Big Backstabbers Conference? (RX; HM)
Big Backstabbers Conference?
When Texas and Oklahoma announced that they were leaving the Big XII to join the SEC, for a while it seemed like the Big XII was doomed. The ACC and/or Pac-12 easily could have picked that league apart until there was nothing left of it. The ACC could have picked up West Virginia and TCU, while the Pac-12 could have added Kansas and a Texas school of their own. The Big XII might have vanished...
Instead, in a show of collegiality*, those two conferences, along with the treacherous Big Ten, declared that he wanted the Big XII to survive. From the article "The Big Paclantic: Thoughts on the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC Alliance" by Frank the Tank:
Eventually, the Big XII regrouped by adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. It survived because it was shown mercy in a moment of vulnerability.
Fast forward to about a year later. This time it's the Pac-12 that's lost two of its most valuable teams - USC and UCLA. How did Yormark and company repay Kliavkoff in his hour of need? By backstabbing him! FOIA documents revealed that the Big XII offered substantial financial incentives to Colorado if it would jump ship and return to the Big XII - eventually dragging Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah with them. In other words, the Big XII sabotaged the Pac-12 in order to poach 4 of their schools...
EA Sports reveals Top 15 player ratings of the ACC in College Football 25 (on3.com; Goldkamp)
EA Sports College Football 25 is just more than a week away from its launch and the game has now dropped its Top 100 player ratings. That means we can get a sense of who the best players are in each conference. Today, we take a look at the ACC.
The ACC has several stars on the list, headlined by Clemson do-it-all linebacker Barrett Carter. Carter checks in with a rating of 94 overall, highlighted by an impressive 97 awareness and a 94 acceleration.
A pair of running backs are next up on the list, with California‘s Jaydn Ott and North Carolina‘s Omarion Hampton checking in as the only two players with a 93 overall rating.
Ott is the quicker of the two, tagged with a 97 rating for acceleration and a 92 rating for speed. Hampton trails narrowly behind with a 95 for acceleration and a 91 for speed. Both players have a 95 for awareness, which should make them excellent at finding holes and hitting them.
When it comes to the Top 15 players in the ACC in the game, there’s a pretty even split across the ACC programs.
Miami has a high of three players inside the Top 15, while Clemson, Louisville and North Carolina each have two. The remaining programs with players ranking inside the Top 15 are, as previously noted, California, Florida State, SMU, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
EA Sports College Football 25 is slated for broad release on July 19, though you can get earlier access to the game by a few days if you purchase a deluxe edition.
Below you can view each of the Top 15 players in the ACC in the game.
1. ROLB Barrett Carter, Clemson – 94
The top-rated player in the ACC going into the 2024 campaign, Carter checks in with some pretty absurd athleticism numbers. As noted above, he has a 94 for acceleration and a 97 for awareness. But he’s also got an 89 for overall speed and an 88 for jumping. His strength checks in at a 79.In total, Carter has been incredibly productive during his three years at Clemson. He has racked up 151 total tackles, 21.0 tackles for a loss, 9.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and 17 passes defended. He’s displayed his versatility to be able to rush the passer or drop into coverage as needed.
2. HB Jaydn Ott, California – 93
Outside the game, Ott will be looking to continue his year-over-year improvement. He went from 867 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022 to 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. He’s also a threat out of the backfield, with more than 500 yards receiving and five touchdowns the last two seasons.3. HB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina – 93
Like Ott, we’ve already given you some of the numbers for Hampton: 95 acceleration and awareness and 91 speed. How about some of the others? He’s got a 90 for jumping and an 81 for strength, making him a little more powerful and capable of breaking tackles than some of his peers in the game.In terms of real-life productivity, Hampton is coming off a massive leap from 2022. He accumulated 1,504 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023, while also increasing his passing game productivity to 222 yards and a touchdown. He’ll be looking for even more this fall.
4. SS Jonas Sanker, Virginia – 92
One of the premier defensive players in the game, Sanker checks in with his best attribute being awareness, a pretty good quality for a strong safety. He is at 92 awareness, while he also checks in at 91 acceleration and 90 speed, meaning he can get to the ball. Sanker is rounded out by an 88 jumping grade and a 77 grade for strength.Sanker has played quite a bit each of the last two seasons for the Cavaliers, but he had a breakout campaign in 2023. The talented safety racked up 107 tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and 11 passes defended, showing he can do it all.
5. CB Quincy Riley, Louisville – 92
The veteran and former MTSU player has had two strong seasons at Louisville, prompting his high rating in the game. Riley has recorded 76 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 1.0 sacks, six interceptions and 19 passes defended in the last two years.College Football 25 ACC Player Ratings – 6-15
6. HB Damien Martinez, Miami – 917. CB Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech – 91
8. RE Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina – 91
9. LG Logan Parr, SMU – 91
10. TE Oronde Gadsen, Syracuse – 91
11. LE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville – 90
12. LE Patrick Payton, Florida State – 90
13. DT Peter Woods, Clemson – 90
14. LE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami – 90
15. WR Xavier Restrepo, Miami – 90
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PREDICTING EVERY ACC TEAMS OVERALL RATING IN EA COLLEGE FOOTBALL 25!!! (youtube;podcast; Sports Lovers)
PREDICTING EVERY ACC TEAMS OVERALL RATING IN EA COLLEGE FOOTBALL 25!!! What’s up guys! In today’s video, I will be predicting every ACC Teams Overall Ranking in EA College Football 25!!! Hope you all enjoy!!
FSU, Clemson, and four other ACC schools could join Big 12 in stunning development (glorycolorado.com; Hughes)
The Big 12 could be aggressively making moves to become a true "Power 3" counterpart to the Big Ten and SEC by poaching FSU and Clemson, as well as four other schools from the ACC, according to longtime college football radio host Greg Swaim.
"As we've said for a year, FSU and Clemson will not get a B1G offer, due to neither being AAU accredited," Swaim prefaced before saying, "But from Vegas the talk is the SEC has now turned the pair down. With new sponsorship the B12 probably won't pay quite what the other two do, but with those two they'll pay double what the ACC does.
"And it won't end there. The talk is the B12 will take six from the ACC."
The Big 12's foray into private equity could lead to a massive financial windfall for the conference that'd help facilitate the ACC's biggest brands, which besides FSU and Clemson could include Miami, Louisville, UNC, and Duke, making way to a conference on the rise.
Big 12 could have more recent champions than the Big Ten
Adding FSU and Clemson is so pivotal because in doing so, the Big 12 would immediately lay claim to more champions than the Big Ten since the 2010 season. Once on the brink of becoming irrelevant, the Big 12 would've made one of the more stunning transformations over the span of a few years.The Big Ten is likely to respond by adding a team from Texas by the year 2026. We know it won't be TCU. Texas A&M and Rice are the only AAU-accredited schools, and the B1G is likely only to consider the Aggies of the two due to revenue and recent on-field success.
While the B1G has been doing big things in the past two years on and off the field, the Big 12 looks like it has a response waiting if all goes according to plan.
Other
Members of the families that pioneered Middle Eastern cuisine in Central New York: Ronda Tadros Akl, Nader Hatem and Sammer Essi. (Don Cazentre photo)
Meet the families who pioneered Middle Eastern cuisine in Central New York (PS; $; Cazentre)
Nader Hatem and Sammer Essi remember when fellow students at Syracuse’s Ed Smith Elementary School would poke a little fun at what they brought for lunch.
“We used to go to school with pita bread sandwiches and kids would look at us like, ‘What are you eating?” Hatem recalled of those 1970s-era school days. “They all seemed to have peanut butter and jelly.”
“I had za’atar (a finely chopped herb spread) and cucumbers from home,” Essi said, noting that the appearance of za’atar could resemble “crushed ants.” “And they (the other kids) would be like, ‘You’re eating bugs?’ "
Something similar, but a little more grown up, was happening for the adults in their families.
The Hatems started the first King David’s Restaurant on Marshall Street near Syracuse University in 1974, while the Essis launched Munjed’s Restaurant on Westcott Street in 1984. The Tadros family, relatives of the Hatems, also ran a downtown Syracuse restaurant, the Jerusalem, in the 1980s.
They were among the first restaurants serving Middle Eastern cuisine in Central New York.
“Back then, many people here had never heard of falafel, or hummus, or shawarma,” said Ronda Tadros Akl, a cousin of Nader Hatem and his family. “It was something new, something people in Syracuse hadn’t seen.”
This year, King David’s celebrates 50 years in business (with current locations in Fayetteville and Fairmount). Munjed’s is marking 40 years as an anchor on Westcott Street. And the cuisine they pioneered locally is more popular than ever in Central New York.
Eateries like Baghdad Restaurant, Pita Dream, Mediterranean Combo / The Kabob House, Syracuse Halal Gyro, Diwan and more have opened across the region. They offer Middle Eastern / Mediterranean specialties like gyros, kabobs, kofta, tabbouleh and more.
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How a scheme to steal and sell military equipment ended in the Wegmans parking lot in DeWitt (PS; Moss)
It would have been another sale notched for James Waleski.
The Jamesville man connected online with a person who said they wanted to buy a military bulletproof vest. They arranged to meet in the parking lot of the Wegmans grocery in DeWitt.
It isn’t easy to buy the vests in New York state. A state law passed after the mass shooting two years ago at a Buffalo grocery store makes buying them illegal in most circumstances.
In this case, the buyer turned out to be the New York State Police. And Waleski was arrested in the parking lot.
Waleski and two other people now face criminal charges for their scheme to steal the vest and other equipment from Central New York military bases and sell it, authorities say. The gear was not available to the public.
Carl Schneider, a state police investigator, spoke with syracuse.com | The Post Standard to describe the bust in the parking lot and how the alleged scheme worked.
More than $50,000 in gear was taken from military stockpiles, he said. Among the items stolen were high-capacity magazines, bulletproof vests, radios and cold-weather clothing.
The sting operation at Wegmans was quickly pulled together two days after an anonymous tip was provided to Army officials about Waleski’s dealings, Schneider said. The items were being sold openly online.
Four items are still listed for sale on a Facebook Marketplace page with Waleski’s name. Tactical vests offered in a variety of sizes go for $600. A case of MREs are being sold for $110.
How items were stolen
Waleski, 50, would arrive early some days to his job at the 174th Air National Guard Attack Wing and take equipment when no one else was around, Schneider said. He would sell it online, including through Facebook Marketplace and eBay.Waleski, a civilian, had access to the military gear through his job as an equipment manager for the 174th. The unit is based on the military side of Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Some of the gear was from the Gulf War era and set to be decommissioned, while other items were new, Schneider said.
“It’s just a crime of opportunity,” he said. “He just had the opportunity and he took it. Abused his position.”
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Police video captures two commuter planes nearly colliding in Syracuse
Two commuter planes on Monday came within about 600 feet of each other at Hancock International Airport when one plane was told to land on the same runway th...
youtu.be
See 2 commuter planes come within about 600 feet of each other at Syracuse airport (video) (PS; Moss)
Two commuter airplanes came so close to each other near Syracuse Hancock International Airport this week that one pilot took evasive action and a mid-air collision warning sounded.
The automated alarm in the cockpit of American Flight 5511 warned that another plane, Delta Flight 5421, was getting very close, according to audio recordings of radio traffic. The alarm typically rings about 20 seconds before a potential collision.
