A few "weekends" ago (Tuesday-Wednesday for those keeping track at home) I made my way back to the city of hopes and dreams. As always, my time there went by too quick, but it was very comforting. I don't get to spend enough time in the city where I grew up, but I know that my experiences there are always with me. That might seem a little too sappy for the first paragraph, but bear with me. In fact, I partially stole that line from a recent Mad Men episode. If you don't watch the show, you should start, because you get lines like, "When a man walks into a room he brings his whole life with him," on a regular basis.
Anyway, whenever I'm home I find myself reading a poem that my sister Maura wrote because it's posted on a cabinet in the kitchen. I'm not sure if she wrote it as part of a class or just of her own volition or if she followed some sort of structure or just wrote free verse, but it speaks to me everytime I read it.
I am from the side hall bench
Pass down cleats two sizes too big
I am from three stolen bikes and sidewalk chalk
Pine cone wars and the three-legged dog that could run faster than my brothers
I am from cops and robbers with the neighborhood kids
Salem Hyde Park and Sedgwick Farm
I am from watermelon and magic markers
From GI Joes and hairless Barbies
I am from Clifton Place and Brattle Road
I call On The Rocks my home too
Cook Ave block parties is where I grew
I am from lost glasses and blame it on Kackie
One of the three dudettes and young Uncle Tim
Marie and Irene and all in-between
From, “Stop it Danny!” to “Say CHEESE!”
To “That’s a dollar” and “Find me my keys!”
I am from the love of high school sweethearts
And four big brothers who give me pillars of support
From the girl that looks exactly like me
To the immeasurable connection
That makes me complete
I am from the dome
Sunnycrest and hot cocoa
From high school parking lots and football fields
Blue minivans and snow mounds
I am forever Syracuse bound
I am from Autumn stew and pigs in the blanket
Pudding snacks and freeze pops
Memories filled in a turtle sandbox
Ticket stubs and old mixed tapes
I am from photographs and newspaper scraps
Family videos capturing the “good old times”
For all of time.
In case you didn't pick up on it, the poem is essentially about how she was shaped by her childhood experiences. Also, in case you didn't know she has an identical twin and the two of them used to play in a sandbox that was a large plastic turtle. Obviously this poem speaks to me because I shared many of her experiences, but that aside I like her use of personification and love the lines "I am forever Syracuse bound" and "For all of time."
Now I haven't written a poem since my senior year of highschool. FYI- I was big into rhyming couplets. In fact, about 80% of the speeches I gave in my CAPS (Current Affairs/Public Speaking) class rhymed. So as I read Maura's poem this time around I thought about the things, places, etc. that I would include in a poem about my childhood. So a few days ago I began jotting down a few of those images, phrases, places, etc. and shortly thereafter I realized that I could probably also write a poem about my time in college. I planned on putting both poems together tonight, but I got an idea for a third such poem earlier today (I'll put the other two together in the near future).
I was at work, talking to my cousin who will not be named on gchat and he asked me when I'll be going back home next because he claims that he wants to come with, saying, "I need some dome (that's what she said) and Suds in my life." As he mentioned the dome, all sorts of thoughts and images rushed back to me. Syracuse University athletics have played an important role in my life. How important? Well, you decide...
I am from The Loud House
A Real Men Wear Orange t-shirt that’s ripped and faded
I am from storming the court 3 times against Pitt
6 OT’s against UCONN and Big Sh#@!
I am from standing and clapping until the first made field goal
Thirddddd down and “it’s good if it goes!”
I am from dome dogs and SUper 44oz soft drinks
Varsity Pizza and pitchers at Chuck’s
I am from 311 Heaven and the 2-3 zone
From “The ‘Cuse is in the house. Oh my God! Oh my God!”
To “We wouldn’t have won 10 fucking games!”
I am from Warrick’s block and the Brominski catch
Pace’s floater and Freeney’s sacks
From Coach P and Jimmy B
To Melo’s headband and Moten’s socks
Jonny’s smile and Spotwood’s returns
I am the dome ranger
Mr. Excitement and Otto the Orange
The Pride of Scranton and 6 first half three’s
From “Wal-ter Rey-es!” and “WE ARE S U!”
To Kevin Abrams picks and Donovan Darius hits
I am from G-Mac’s run in the Big East Tourney
Our One Shining Moment and big men coached by Bernie
From beating Georgia in ’96 on John Wallace’s three
And going deep to Johnnie Morant and David Tyree
I am from retired jerseys and championship banners
Along with 34,616 (or 49,249) of my closest friends
For all of time
Showing posts with label SU Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SU Football. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Draft Recap
As many of you already know, the NFL Draft took place this past Thursday-Saturday. It was the first time ever that the event was put in prime time and I think it was an overwhelming success. Somehow, someway the draft was packed with drama at almost every turn. Now, sure, I can understand if some of you were bored with the overanalysis of players that you've never heard of, but I couldn't get enough.
I watched intently for a handful of reasons.
1.) To see who my beloved New York Football Giants would select
2.) To see where Jimmy Clausen/Golden Tate would end up
3.) To see where former Syracuse standouts Mike Williams and Arthur Jones would get drafted
4.) Because I was working on our radio coverage of Day 2 of the Draft
5.) To see which team would blow their load on Tim Tebow
Now I won't bore you with my analysis of the draft because no one can really evaluate the picks for at least 3 years, but I will say this.
-I felt like I was having flashbacks to '07 as Jimmy Clausen slipped mightily; however I think he will be a very good quarterback in the National Football League (all the analysts do it, why can't I?) and that he ended up in a very good situation in Carolina.
-On a related note, how do the Bills not draft Clausen or McCoy? Don't tell me that Brian Brohm, or as my buddy Browny likes to call him "The Buffalo Brohmer", is the long term answer there. I mean, I thought Brohm was awesome at Louisville and I just heard that he was trying to take advantage of second semester senior girls who are in desperation mode at Colgate over the weekend, but I don't think he's the next Jim Kelly.
-Lastly, and most importantly, a word about the Giants first round pick Jason Pierre-Paul. I've heard he's a freak of nature (and backflip extraordinairre), but I usually don't trust French people (because they surrender) and the "Pierre" portion of his last name has me a little worried. The only way I'll get over it is if he was hammmmered on draft night, because that's how we like our defensive players in New York.
I watched intently for a handful of reasons.
1.) To see who my beloved New York Football Giants would select
2.) To see where Jimmy Clausen/Golden Tate would end up
3.) To see where former Syracuse standouts Mike Williams and Arthur Jones would get drafted
4.) Because I was working on our radio coverage of Day 2 of the Draft
5.) To see which team would blow their load on Tim Tebow
Now I won't bore you with my analysis of the draft because no one can really evaluate the picks for at least 3 years, but I will say this.
-I felt like I was having flashbacks to '07 as Jimmy Clausen slipped mightily; however I think he will be a very good quarterback in the National Football League (all the analysts do it, why can't I?) and that he ended up in a very good situation in Carolina.
-On a related note, how do the Bills not draft Clausen or McCoy? Don't tell me that Brian Brohm, or as my buddy Browny likes to call him "The Buffalo Brohmer", is the long term answer there. I mean, I thought Brohm was awesome at Louisville and I just heard that he was trying to take advantage of second semester senior girls who are in desperation mode at Colgate over the weekend, but I don't think he's the next Jim Kelly.
-Lastly, and most importantly, a word about the Giants first round pick Jason Pierre-Paul. I've heard he's a freak of nature (and backflip extraordinairre), but I usually don't trust French people (because they surrender) and the "Pierre" portion of his last name has me a little worried. The only way I'll get over it is if he was hammmmered on draft night, because that's how we like our defensive players in New York.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Hope Springs Eternal
Today is both opening day in baseball and the national championship in college basketball. Oh and by the way, Tiger Woods is fielding questions from the media at The Masters. Can a single day in sports be greater than today? Seriously, as a sports enthusiast, I have a full blown hard on (and thankfully I don't have to work until tonight). Now obviously opening day and the national championship don't always coincide (right?), but it got me thinking nonetheless. What is the best day of the year to be a sports fan? Of course, a lot of this has to do with personal preference, but I'll run through some of the top options. If I forget a big one feel free to call me out on it. We'll start with what I consider to be the best....
Opening Day in baseball- Football has definitely taken over as America's number one sport, but I still think that opening day is the best day to be a sports fan. Baseball fans all across the country are optimistic about their team's chances for success in the upcoming season and let me tell you that you don't find that kind of optimism that often. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that the season sort of sneaks up on us. We know that Spring Training is going on, but we don't really pay attention to it. In football, on the other hand, there is so much attention paid to the pre-season that we sort of know which teams are going to do well and which teams don't have a chance at making the playoffs. In baseball, every team thinks they have a shot (except the Bluejays this year). The perfect example is the Tampa Bay Rays of 2007. Everyone picked them to finish 5th in the AL East, but they won the division and went to the World Series.
The Superbowl- The Superbowl has almost become more of an event than a football game. It's still a great day, don't get me wrong, but most fans don't have a dog in the fight and a large portion are more interested in the commercials than the actual game.
The BCS National Championship- I watch it every year, but I usually don't care who wins because my teams (Notre Dame/Syracuse) aren't in it. I actually think that New Year's Day is a better day for college football even though the games don't mean anything, whereas the BCS National Championship game does.
The Kentucky Derby- The most exciting two minutes in sports is very cool and I watch it every year to see which South American jockey Max's dad has gambled on and because it's easily accessible. What I mean by that is that you get all the information you need to know in the pre-race show and then you get the immediate pay off with the race. This makes for exciting television, but it's not really an event that consumes a sports fan's day. I mean, I usually don't even realize that it's the day of the Kentucky Derby until an hour or two before the race.
Selection Sunday- Hopefully this day doesn't get ruined by expanding the field to 96 teams, but Selection Sunday is awesome. There's drama (who gets in, who gets left out), intrigue (which other team's are in your team's bracket), analysis (who do the experts like), and participation by the fan (filling out your bracket). Also you have the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 championship games earlier in the day.
When it comes to college basketball, I think this is the best single day of the year. Of course the first weekend of the NCAA tournament is better, but that's a four day stretch. The national championship is great too, but I rarely care about the outcome. That being said, let's go Butler (If you can't beat them, join them).
The (first day of the) NFL Draft- In case you weren't aware, this is now a Thursday night primetime event, so it's hard for me to evaluate. In the past, the first day of the draft was a Saturday and it lasted for a solid 7 hours. I used to write down the team name, the draft pick, the draft pick's position, and where the draft pick went to college for all of the first round picks. I would literally watch the entire first round non stop for 4 hours. Now this is without a doubt a great sports day and it has received more and more attention as the NFL has ascended to the top of the list in terms of popularity among sports, but it is too long to be considered as the best day of the year as a sports fan.
The NBA Draft- Better than the NFL Draft in the sense that it's always been a Thursday night primetime event and that it moves much quicker. The problem with the NBA Draft is that (well first of all not enough people like/follow the NBA) outside of the top 5 picks, it's all freshmen and Europeans that no casual fan has ever heard of.
Sunday at The Masters- We are less than a week away, but even if we weren't this would definitely still be on the list. I don't care who's in contention, I'll be watching. Golf is definitely more of an old timer's sport, but if there's one day of the year to watch it's the Sunday of the Masters. CBS and Jim Nantz aren't joking when they say that it's a tradition unlike any other.
The Daytona 500- Maybe I pull this card too much, but I work in sports and I can't tell you who won this race and it happened about a month and a half ago. All I know is that there was a pothole that they had to replace about 37383 times. Also, the only reason that I know that the race takes place in mid-February is because I was in Florida with my family during Winter Break in highschool when Dale Earnhardt died.
The HR Derby- Who won it last year? It's entertaining to watch, but it probably doesn't even deserve to be considered. Speaking of which.....
All-Star Saturday Night in the NBA- You have the 3-point contest and the dunk contest (as well as the Shooting Stars and the Skills Challenge) which are consistenly a let down year after year. Let me know when LeBron decides to participate and then I'll care.
Week 1 of the NFL- A hugely underrated day in sports. This might be a top 3 day for me. Baseball's opening day still takes the cake for the reasons I mentioned above, but I find myself watching pre-season NFL games which means that I'm anxiously waiting for the games to actually count and this is the first day that they do. Also, fantasy football is an enormous industry nowadays and this is the first time that you get to see your team in action. The first day of the college football season is great too, but the fantasy factor gives the NFL the edge.
The presentation of the Heisman trophy- Although I can rattle off the past 20-25 winners, it's usually pretty clear who the winner will be. Also, I prefer the one on one interviews from the NBA/NFL drafts as opposed to the ones Kirk Herbstreit and Chirs Fowler do during the ceremony. And by the way, the winners of the award usually don't pan out in the NFL. See Wuerffel, Danny.
The Men's Lacrosse National Championship Game- This has no business being on this list, but Syracuse basketball lost to Butler and the Bluejays are destined to finish in 5th in the AL East, so the Syracuse lacrosse team is really all I'm hanging on to right now. This event takes place every year on Memorial Day, but it starts at 11 a.m., which is an absolute joke.
The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Competition- I can't get enough of this event. Not only do the competitors enter like they're WWE wrestlers, but they compete for what is called The Mustard Belt. Also, national pride is on the line as the top dogs (no pun intended) are American (hero) Joey Chestnut and Japan's finest Takeru Kobayashi.
If I had to rank my top 5, I'd go:
1.) Opening Day in Baseball
2.) Selection Sunday
3.) Week 1 of the NFL
4.) Sunday at the Masters
5.) The NBA Draft
Opening Day in baseball- Football has definitely taken over as America's number one sport, but I still think that opening day is the best day to be a sports fan. Baseball fans all across the country are optimistic about their team's chances for success in the upcoming season and let me tell you that you don't find that kind of optimism that often. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that the season sort of sneaks up on us. We know that Spring Training is going on, but we don't really pay attention to it. In football, on the other hand, there is so much attention paid to the pre-season that we sort of know which teams are going to do well and which teams don't have a chance at making the playoffs. In baseball, every team thinks they have a shot (except the Bluejays this year). The perfect example is the Tampa Bay Rays of 2007. Everyone picked them to finish 5th in the AL East, but they won the division and went to the World Series.
The Superbowl- The Superbowl has almost become more of an event than a football game. It's still a great day, don't get me wrong, but most fans don't have a dog in the fight and a large portion are more interested in the commercials than the actual game.
The BCS National Championship- I watch it every year, but I usually don't care who wins because my teams (Notre Dame/Syracuse) aren't in it. I actually think that New Year's Day is a better day for college football even though the games don't mean anything, whereas the BCS National Championship game does.
The Kentucky Derby- The most exciting two minutes in sports is very cool and I watch it every year to see which South American jockey Max's dad has gambled on and because it's easily accessible. What I mean by that is that you get all the information you need to know in the pre-race show and then you get the immediate pay off with the race. This makes for exciting television, but it's not really an event that consumes a sports fan's day. I mean, I usually don't even realize that it's the day of the Kentucky Derby until an hour or two before the race.
Selection Sunday- Hopefully this day doesn't get ruined by expanding the field to 96 teams, but Selection Sunday is awesome. There's drama (who gets in, who gets left out), intrigue (which other team's are in your team's bracket), analysis (who do the experts like), and participation by the fan (filling out your bracket). Also you have the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 championship games earlier in the day.
When it comes to college basketball, I think this is the best single day of the year. Of course the first weekend of the NCAA tournament is better, but that's a four day stretch. The national championship is great too, but I rarely care about the outcome. That being said, let's go Butler (If you can't beat them, join them).
The (first day of the) NFL Draft- In case you weren't aware, this is now a Thursday night primetime event, so it's hard for me to evaluate. In the past, the first day of the draft was a Saturday and it lasted for a solid 7 hours. I used to write down the team name, the draft pick, the draft pick's position, and where the draft pick went to college for all of the first round picks. I would literally watch the entire first round non stop for 4 hours. Now this is without a doubt a great sports day and it has received more and more attention as the NFL has ascended to the top of the list in terms of popularity among sports, but it is too long to be considered as the best day of the year as a sports fan.
The NBA Draft- Better than the NFL Draft in the sense that it's always been a Thursday night primetime event and that it moves much quicker. The problem with the NBA Draft is that (well first of all not enough people like/follow the NBA) outside of the top 5 picks, it's all freshmen and Europeans that no casual fan has ever heard of.
Sunday at The Masters- We are less than a week away, but even if we weren't this would definitely still be on the list. I don't care who's in contention, I'll be watching. Golf is definitely more of an old timer's sport, but if there's one day of the year to watch it's the Sunday of the Masters. CBS and Jim Nantz aren't joking when they say that it's a tradition unlike any other.
The Daytona 500- Maybe I pull this card too much, but I work in sports and I can't tell you who won this race and it happened about a month and a half ago. All I know is that there was a pothole that they had to replace about 37383 times. Also, the only reason that I know that the race takes place in mid-February is because I was in Florida with my family during Winter Break in highschool when Dale Earnhardt died.
The HR Derby- Who won it last year? It's entertaining to watch, but it probably doesn't even deserve to be considered. Speaking of which.....
All-Star Saturday Night in the NBA- You have the 3-point contest and the dunk contest (as well as the Shooting Stars and the Skills Challenge) which are consistenly a let down year after year. Let me know when LeBron decides to participate and then I'll care.
Week 1 of the NFL- A hugely underrated day in sports. This might be a top 3 day for me. Baseball's opening day still takes the cake for the reasons I mentioned above, but I find myself watching pre-season NFL games which means that I'm anxiously waiting for the games to actually count and this is the first day that they do. Also, fantasy football is an enormous industry nowadays and this is the first time that you get to see your team in action. The first day of the college football season is great too, but the fantasy factor gives the NFL the edge.
The presentation of the Heisman trophy- Although I can rattle off the past 20-25 winners, it's usually pretty clear who the winner will be. Also, I prefer the one on one interviews from the NBA/NFL drafts as opposed to the ones Kirk Herbstreit and Chirs Fowler do during the ceremony. And by the way, the winners of the award usually don't pan out in the NFL. See Wuerffel, Danny.
The Men's Lacrosse National Championship Game- This has no business being on this list, but Syracuse basketball lost to Butler and the Bluejays are destined to finish in 5th in the AL East, so the Syracuse lacrosse team is really all I'm hanging on to right now. This event takes place every year on Memorial Day, but it starts at 11 a.m., which is an absolute joke.
The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Competition- I can't get enough of this event. Not only do the competitors enter like they're WWE wrestlers, but they compete for what is called The Mustard Belt. Also, national pride is on the line as the top dogs (no pun intended) are American (hero) Joey Chestnut and Japan's finest Takeru Kobayashi.
If I had to rank my top 5, I'd go:
1.) Opening Day in Baseball
2.) Selection Sunday
3.) Week 1 of the NFL
4.) Sunday at the Masters
5.) The NBA Draft
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
College Football Preview
I've had the football itch for a few weeks now, but yesterday I was so amped up that I almost speared everyone in sight. Yesterday was the first semi-cool, Fall-like day around here and football was most definitely in the air. The long wait is finally over as the college football slate officially kicks off tomorrow night with a handful of games. The biggest being #16 Oregon traveling to Idaho to take on #14 Boise State on the blue turf.
Now I personally could care less about these games tomorrow night, but it's great to have football back in my life. The two teams that I genuinely care about (Notre Dame and Syracuse)kick off their seasons on Saturday.
And now a preview of the Irish and the Orange:
Notre Dame
Last season the Irish followed up their historically bad '07 campaign, in which they went 3-9, with what I thought was a rather unimpressive 7-6 season. They did blow the doors off of Hawaii in the Hawaii bowl to notch their first bowl win since '93, but they lost too many games that they should have won. In fact, they lost 3 games in which they had a double digit lead, including their senior day game at home to Syracuse.
This year Notre Dame returns 17 starters (10 on offense) and has a schedule that looks like this. Hopes are high in South Bend this year (Well, not exactly I guess) for a return to national prominence. Coach Charlie Weis seems to be on the hot seat unless he makes it to a BCS game.
Offense
Gone are the days where the Irish lined up and ran the ball down their opponents throats, but nevertheless the Notre Dame offense should be explosive this year. The abysmal running game of the past two years should improve with a more cohesive offensive line and a more experienced backfield led by Armando Allen and Robert Hughes. Also, Junior Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, once heralded as the savior of the Fighting Irish program, is poised to finally reach his potential and have a monster season.
Clausen's assumed success is largely based on three factors. Charlie Weis has re-assumed the play calling duties (screens & draws). The ND receiving corps is one of the best in the nation with Junior WR Golden Tate, Sophomore WR Michael Flloyd, and Sophomore TE Kyle Rudolph. And it appears that Clausen has matured. In an effort to get a few steps ahead in terms of familiarity, timing and camraderie, Clausen invited his three top targets out to his parents' house in California for a week this summer. A year ago I would have assumed that they all went to Clausen's house to represent ND Athletes in the Beer Olympics or to ride some killer waves, but I've heard that the week was virtually all business.
Defense
We lost a lot of good men out there from a year ago (LB Maurice Crum, Jr., S David Bruton, DT Pat Kuntz), but there is plenty of young talent ready to emerge. Everyone is saying that the strength of the Notre Dame defense is their secondary, yet no one is talking about what I believe to be the elephant in the room. Both of ND's safeties are white! Sure Kyle McCarthy and Harrison Smith are aggressive tacklers, but do you trust them in the Cover 2 against Damian Williams? I don't. The reason I'm not nervous about the defense this year is because of freshman LB Manti Te'o. Te'o, who is from Hawaii (Fun fact- He went to the same highschool as President Obama), is the most hyped Notre Dame defensive recruit since Kory Minor back in the early 90's. I can't wait to see this kid fly all over the field and wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
Prediction
Even though ESPN College Football Analysts Lou Holtz and Beano Cook have the Irish going 11-1 and playing for the National title, I think they'll find a way to beat USC, but still lose 2 games. 10-2 will get them to a BCS game and keep Charlie Weis employed for a more legitimate run at the national title in '10.
Syracuse
Boy has it been a wild off season in the city of hopes and dreams. From the end of the Greg Robinson experience to the media circus that is the Greg Paulus experiment. The Orange have really struggled in the past 4 years going 10-37, but for whatever reason there's that sense of hope surrounding the program this year. New Head Coach Doug Marrone seems to be the right man for the job. He played at Syracuse. He wants to be at Syracuse. He bleeds Orange. Marrone's former stint was as the Offensive Coordinator of the New Orleans Saints so the thought is that he'll be able to light a fire in the Orange offense.
Offense
Aside from the story that has kept the national media's attention on the 'Cuse, which we'll get to in a minute, there's a lot to like. First off, addition by subtraction on the offensive line. Waste of space/talent Corey Chavers will no longer be giving defensive ends free passes to the QB, so that's a plus. Star WR Mike Williams is back after missing all of last season because of an academic issue. Also returning is highly touted RB Delone Carter who smells the endzone like a dog who can smell whether or not a tree has been urinated on recently.
Now toss in the former Gatorade National High School Player of the Year Greg Paulus at Quarterback. Sure the former Duke point guard hasn't taken a snap in over four years, but back then he could have gone to any school in the country and played quarterback. It's gotta be like riding a bike, right? Hell, Paulus was rated right up there with New York Jets starting QB Mark Sanchez. The feel good story even has a hometown angle. Paulus is from Syracuse and two of his former highschool targets are WR's for the Orange. How can this go wrong? Either way, the Orange faithful are buzzing with excitement to see what Paulus can do.
This is the shirt they've been selling in the campus bookstore. Oh, how witty.
In case you don't get it, here's an explanation of the two-pronged reference.
1.) The Devil because he was a Duke Blue Devil (and, not for nothing, largely considered the most hated player in college basketball)
and
2.) The Devil Wears Orange being a play on the Movie/Book title The Devil Wears Prada.
Defense
The Defense is led by the most disruptive force this side of the Mississippi: Arthur Jones. Jones is hungry for some sacks in his senior season and you better believe that he's going to eat. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has Jones as the 12th best prospect for next year's NFL Draft and after the season he's about to have he'll probably go 1st. Assuming anyone gets past Arty (and I doubt that anyone will), former RB Doug Hogue will clean up the mess with his speed at outside linebacker. Also, if Arty can't get to the QB in time, expect FS Mike Holmes to patrol the middle and neutralize the opponents' passing game.
Prediction
Nobody, and I mean nobody, comes into the Loud House and pushes the Orange around. Minnesota better stay at home on Saturday because they don't even know what's going to hit them. Honestly, best case scenario is probably 6-6, but that would be a bowl game and that would be awesome.
Now I personally could care less about these games tomorrow night, but it's great to have football back in my life. The two teams that I genuinely care about (Notre Dame and Syracuse)kick off their seasons on Saturday.
And now a preview of the Irish and the Orange:
Notre Dame
Last season the Irish followed up their historically bad '07 campaign, in which they went 3-9, with what I thought was a rather unimpressive 7-6 season. They did blow the doors off of Hawaii in the Hawaii bowl to notch their first bowl win since '93, but they lost too many games that they should have won. In fact, they lost 3 games in which they had a double digit lead, including their senior day game at home to Syracuse.
This year Notre Dame returns 17 starters (10 on offense) and has a schedule that looks like this. Hopes are high in South Bend this year (Well, not exactly I guess) for a return to national prominence. Coach Charlie Weis seems to be on the hot seat unless he makes it to a BCS game.
Offense
Gone are the days where the Irish lined up and ran the ball down their opponents throats, but nevertheless the Notre Dame offense should be explosive this year. The abysmal running game of the past two years should improve with a more cohesive offensive line and a more experienced backfield led by Armando Allen and Robert Hughes. Also, Junior Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, once heralded as the savior of the Fighting Irish program, is poised to finally reach his potential and have a monster season.
Clausen's assumed success is largely based on three factors. Charlie Weis has re-assumed the play calling duties (screens & draws). The ND receiving corps is one of the best in the nation with Junior WR Golden Tate, Sophomore WR Michael Flloyd, and Sophomore TE Kyle Rudolph. And it appears that Clausen has matured. In an effort to get a few steps ahead in terms of familiarity, timing and camraderie, Clausen invited his three top targets out to his parents' house in California for a week this summer. A year ago I would have assumed that they all went to Clausen's house to represent ND Athletes in the Beer Olympics or to ride some killer waves, but I've heard that the week was virtually all business.
Defense
We lost a lot of good men out there from a year ago (LB Maurice Crum, Jr., S David Bruton, DT Pat Kuntz), but there is plenty of young talent ready to emerge. Everyone is saying that the strength of the Notre Dame defense is their secondary, yet no one is talking about what I believe to be the elephant in the room. Both of ND's safeties are white! Sure Kyle McCarthy and Harrison Smith are aggressive tacklers, but do you trust them in the Cover 2 against Damian Williams? I don't. The reason I'm not nervous about the defense this year is because of freshman LB Manti Te'o. Te'o, who is from Hawaii (Fun fact- He went to the same highschool as President Obama), is the most hyped Notre Dame defensive recruit since Kory Minor back in the early 90's. I can't wait to see this kid fly all over the field and wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
Prediction
Even though ESPN College Football Analysts Lou Holtz and Beano Cook have the Irish going 11-1 and playing for the National title, I think they'll find a way to beat USC, but still lose 2 games. 10-2 will get them to a BCS game and keep Charlie Weis employed for a more legitimate run at the national title in '10.
Syracuse
Boy has it been a wild off season in the city of hopes and dreams. From the end of the Greg Robinson experience to the media circus that is the Greg Paulus experiment. The Orange have really struggled in the past 4 years going 10-37, but for whatever reason there's that sense of hope surrounding the program this year. New Head Coach Doug Marrone seems to be the right man for the job. He played at Syracuse. He wants to be at Syracuse. He bleeds Orange. Marrone's former stint was as the Offensive Coordinator of the New Orleans Saints so the thought is that he'll be able to light a fire in the Orange offense.
Offense
Aside from the story that has kept the national media's attention on the 'Cuse, which we'll get to in a minute, there's a lot to like. First off, addition by subtraction on the offensive line. Waste of space/talent Corey Chavers will no longer be giving defensive ends free passes to the QB, so that's a plus. Star WR Mike Williams is back after missing all of last season because of an academic issue. Also returning is highly touted RB Delone Carter who smells the endzone like a dog who can smell whether or not a tree has been urinated on recently.
Now toss in the former Gatorade National High School Player of the Year Greg Paulus at Quarterback. Sure the former Duke point guard hasn't taken a snap in over four years, but back then he could have gone to any school in the country and played quarterback. It's gotta be like riding a bike, right? Hell, Paulus was rated right up there with New York Jets starting QB Mark Sanchez. The feel good story even has a hometown angle. Paulus is from Syracuse and two of his former highschool targets are WR's for the Orange. How can this go wrong? Either way, the Orange faithful are buzzing with excitement to see what Paulus can do.
This is the shirt they've been selling in the campus bookstore. Oh, how witty.
In case you don't get it, here's an explanation of the two-pronged reference.
1.) The Devil because he was a Duke Blue Devil (and, not for nothing, largely considered the most hated player in college basketball)
and
2.) The Devil Wears Orange being a play on the Movie/Book title The Devil Wears Prada.
Defense
The Defense is led by the most disruptive force this side of the Mississippi: Arthur Jones. Jones is hungry for some sacks in his senior season and you better believe that he's going to eat. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has Jones as the 12th best prospect for next year's NFL Draft and after the season he's about to have he'll probably go 1st. Assuming anyone gets past Arty (and I doubt that anyone will), former RB Doug Hogue will clean up the mess with his speed at outside linebacker. Also, if Arty can't get to the QB in time, expect FS Mike Holmes to patrol the middle and neutralize the opponents' passing game.
Prediction
Nobody, and I mean nobody, comes into the Loud House and pushes the Orange around. Minnesota better stay at home on Saturday because they don't even know what's going to hit them. Honestly, best case scenario is probably 6-6, but that would be a bowl game and that would be awesome.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Remember Your Roots
Ever since I started watching The Colbert Report, I have been a huge fan of the Better Know A District segment. In these segments (55 down, 380 to go), Colbert interviews members of Congress and uses his sharp, quick wit (as well as a lot of editing) to twist their words. More often than not, Colbert absolutely owns the particular member of Congress. He asks absurd questions that catch our elected officials off guard. Usually one of these questions/topics is followed by Colbert saying, "Congressman, I can see that this topic is making you uncomfortable. Moving on.."
The segments always begin with Colbert on his set highlighting a few facts about whatever district the member of Congress is representing. Also, without fail, he will refer to that district, let's say it's the 5th, as the "Fightin' Fifth!"
Last night Colbert aired his interview with my congressional representative Dan Maffei and pointed out a few facts about where I'm from. Maffei, just elected in November, is not quite a friend of the blog, but he is a friend of the family. My dad worked on Maffei's campaign and I of course got the chance to speak to Maffei a handful of times. I tell you this only because I have talked to Maffei. Maffei's talked to Colbert. Ipso facto, I've talked to Colbert.
Now of course, If I was presenting my district to the (Colbert) Nation I would chose to highlight things other than the heavily polluted Onondaga Lake. If it were up to me, I would focus on the following three things.
1.)Anheuser-Busch Brewery
There are 12 Anheuser-Busch Breweries in America and one of them is located in my congressional district. I am very proud of this, because Anheuser-Busch is not only one of the staples of Americana (even though it was bought by Belgian company InBev last July), but I believe their signature product, Budweiser, is the king of all beers. Any good-natured, red-blooded American male above the age of 21 has enjoyed the delicious taste of a Budweiser beer. Well everyone except my congressman apparently. Couldn't shotgun a Bud heavy? Come onnnn. You better believe that the next time I see Maffei (who knows if I'll ever see him again), I'll teach him how to shotgun with the best of them.
2.) The Loud House
The Carrier Dome is the single greatest on campus arena in all of collegiate athletics. This facility serves beer (one of only a handful of on campus arenas that do so), annually ranks #1 in home attendance for men's basketball, and is the rowdiest place in America. Nobody, and I mean nobody, except for Akron, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Louisville (football and basketball), UCONN, Cleveland State, and Villanova comes into the Loud House and pushes the Orange around.
3.) The Irish Traffic Light
As you can see in the picture, this traffic light, on the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue, has the green light on top and the red light on the bottom. It is the only traffic light in the world that is set up this way. The light is located in the neighborhood known as Tipperary Hill, which is located on the west side of Syracuse (the city of hopes and dreams). According to folklore (and Wikipedia), back in the 1920's, when the light was first installed, Irish immigrants would throw rocks at the light because the British color (red) was on top and the color of their motherland (green) was on the bottom. The city would fix the light time and time again, but the Irish immigrants kept destroying the light until the city agreed to put the green light on top.
As an American male of Irish descent, I would confidently suggest that no one's congressional district can match these three things that the "Fightin' 25th" has to offer.
The segments always begin with Colbert on his set highlighting a few facts about whatever district the member of Congress is representing. Also, without fail, he will refer to that district, let's say it's the 5th, as the "Fightin' Fifth!"
Last night Colbert aired his interview with my congressional representative Dan Maffei and pointed out a few facts about where I'm from. Maffei, just elected in November, is not quite a friend of the blog, but he is a friend of the family. My dad worked on Maffei's campaign and I of course got the chance to speak to Maffei a handful of times. I tell you this only because I have talked to Maffei. Maffei's talked to Colbert. Ipso facto, I've talked to Colbert.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Better Know a District - New York's 25th - Dan Maffei | ||||
| ||||
Now of course, If I was presenting my district to the (Colbert) Nation I would chose to highlight things other than the heavily polluted Onondaga Lake. If it were up to me, I would focus on the following three things.
1.)Anheuser-Busch Brewery
There are 12 Anheuser-Busch Breweries in America and one of them is located in my congressional district. I am very proud of this, because Anheuser-Busch is not only one of the staples of Americana (even though it was bought by Belgian company InBev last July), but I believe their signature product, Budweiser, is the king of all beers. Any good-natured, red-blooded American male above the age of 21 has enjoyed the delicious taste of a Budweiser beer. Well everyone except my congressman apparently. Couldn't shotgun a Bud heavy? Come onnnn. You better believe that the next time I see Maffei (who knows if I'll ever see him again), I'll teach him how to shotgun with the best of them.
2.) The Loud House
The Carrier Dome is the single greatest on campus arena in all of collegiate athletics. This facility serves beer (one of only a handful of on campus arenas that do so), annually ranks #1 in home attendance for men's basketball, and is the rowdiest place in America. Nobody, and I mean nobody, except for Akron, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Louisville (football and basketball), UCONN, Cleveland State, and Villanova comes into the Loud House and pushes the Orange around.
3.) The Irish Traffic Light
As you can see in the picture, this traffic light, on the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue, has the green light on top and the red light on the bottom. It is the only traffic light in the world that is set up this way. The light is located in the neighborhood known as Tipperary Hill, which is located on the west side of Syracuse (the city of hopes and dreams). According to folklore (and Wikipedia), back in the 1920's, when the light was first installed, Irish immigrants would throw rocks at the light because the British color (red) was on top and the color of their motherland (green) was on the bottom. The city would fix the light time and time again, but the Irish immigrants kept destroying the light until the city agreed to put the green light on top.
As an American male of Irish descent, I would confidently suggest that no one's congressional district can match these three things that the "Fightin' 25th" has to offer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
