Tom, you are indeed the most whiz-bang tuba advocate on this planet. If we could just snag some quality 4-star players for the Pride of the Orange, we'd be golden.
Obadiah Flammery is an all-American Tuba Player in his marching band in the Binghamton area. Flammery was involved in a chess-match fixing scandal, but that was years ago. He seems to have turned his life around and is avoiding the old crew from Johnson City and Binghamton's West Side that was into that, as well as running illegal fixed "Magick: The Gathering" card games at the local library and the occasional scraps between the local tuba gangs.
Hezekiah Scnicklefritz, a feisty and aggressive tuba player from Cheektowaga is a four star leaning toward Ohio State, but he's gotten interest from Penn State, Syracuse, Virginia, and Michigan. Syracuse, Buffalo, Delaware and Ithaca are his only offers to date. Apparently grades and some minor police interactions are an issue. He's a little cocky and thinks he's entitled- he's the nephew of the long time first-chair tuba of the Buffalo Philharmonic- but some say it's that confidence that makes him good.
Both want to get out of state, citing weather, maternal interference, and the lack of "hot tuba groupies" in their home state. If they only knew what a rabid tuba fan base the University of Syracuse has, I think our staff could reel 'em both in. It's important to keep the in-state talent at SU.
