Monday, December 14, 2009

More Than a Gunner: Andy Rautins' Floor Game Leads Undefeated Syracuse Orange

As the clock winds down to 3:41 at Madison Square Garden, the droves of delighted Orange fans and awestruck Carolina faithful are greeted with a very familiar sight.

Playing at the top of the vaunted Jim Boeheim 2-3 Zone defense, senior shooting guard Andy Rautins perfectly plays the Carolina passing lane, intercepts a Tar Heel pass, and passes the ball downcourt for an easy slam for sophomore forward Kris Joseph.

Rautins, who in his first four years at Syracuse was known almost exclusively for his three-point shooting prowess, has become one of the most complete players, not only for Syracuse, but in the entire Big East conference.

Against North Carolina, he hit his threes and put 11 points on the board for the victorious Orange, but it was his other stats that wowed the fanbase—seven assists, seven rebounds, and an amazing seven steals.

The 10-0 Orange have rolled through the competition, defeating three top 25 teams, the closest game all season being a 12-point defeat of No. 10 Florida in Tampa. This has led to a large amount of positive press for Syracuse and star transfer junior forward Wesley Johnson, who is averaging 17 points and almost eight rebounds while playing only 30 minutes per game.

However, the most important player for Boeheim and the Orange may be Rautins.

Through the first 10 games, Rautins has shot 48 percent from three (and 49 percent from the field), scored 10.6 points per game, passed for 4.9 assists per game, grabbed three rebounds per game, and stolen three passes per game. Many are calling him the best player at the top of the Zone that Boeheim has had in his 33 years.

Rautins has a knack for jumping passes, leading to easy dunks for Syracuse's many athletic forwards, like Johnson and Joseph. In the last two games against Florida and St. Francis, both of the opposing teams' gameplans were constructed around avoiding Rautins, forcing them to run their offense through the corners to attack the zone.

Andy's value has also been seen off the court as one of the team's captains and emotional leaders.

After Syracuse's disconcerting preseason loss to Division II Le Moyne, Rautins was vehement about how the game affected his team. Following the back-to-back wins against California and North Carolina at MSG, when asked about the exhibition, he was very forward about his team's performance in the loss that he called "embarrassing":

“Clearly, we just didn’t bring it against Le Moyne,” Rautins said. “It really fired us up. I’m really tired of talking about that game. It definitely lit a fire under our butts. It let us know we’re not the team of last year. We’re not the Sweet 16 team. We have no credibility. We have to come out and make an identity for ourselves, and I think we did that this weekend.”

Rautins' dedication to the program started early on. Andy, son of former Syracuse star forward Leo Rautins, grew up in the Syracuse area and signed with the Orange out of Jamesville-Dewitt High School, where he was very lightly recruited.

His first four years saw their share of adversity, as Rautins was a victim of a season-ending knee injury that sidelined him for his junior year. On the court, he was brought in as a designated shooter—a role he played well, although he was often called a streaky shooter after spells of poor shooting.

Last season, Rautins showed his value as a starter when the opportunity rose. While starting shooting guard Eric Devendorf was suspended in the middle of last season, Rautins was inserted into the lineup. In a tough game at home against Coppin State, Rautins tied a Syracuse record with nine three-pointers, scoring 29 points in the 82-71 win.

Rautins also shined in one of history's most epic games—the legendary six-overtime game against UConn in last season's Big East tournament. Rautins played 50 minutes, hitting six three-pointers and scoring 20 points, including a few daggers down the stretch that allowed the Orange to come out on top in the wee hours of the morning.

Rautins has also worked every summer expanding his game as a member of Team Canada, where he starts for his father Leo, the team's head coach, at point guard against very experienced international competition.

After the departure of star players Jonny Flynn, Devendorf, and Paul Harris, many wondered how Rautins would react to becoming a full-time starter for the first time in his five seasons. He has not disappointed. He has shot more consistently than he has at any other point in his career, is playing All-American level defense, and has become the leader that this team needed to become great.

The Orange sit at No. 5 in both the AP and Coaches' polls, and if you ask Boeheim, a man who has won 809 games, how his team has exceeded all expectations, one of the first names out of his mouth will likely be "Andy Rautins."



Thursday, December 10, 2009

Syracuse at Florida

A gators home game in a place that produces america's ORANGES?
it just fits i guess. Here's tonight's projected lineups. Chat is a definite possibility, check back here at game time.

Syracuse
PG-Brandon Triche-May have his share of defensive struggles tonight as he goes up against a couple of florida guards who handle the rock well and are extremely explosive off the dribble. Quality help defense from the frontcourt could make all the difference tonight.

SG-Andy Rautins-Will have his hands full as well in the backcourt, needs to move well off the ball and get to the right spot at the right time to get quality shots, the big men are going to get a lot of touches tonight because florida is simply not as big a team as syracuse is, particularly on the bench, but if the orange pound the rock inside early, look out for andy to go all son of sam on the florida defense.

SF-Wesley Johnson-What do you want me to say that hasn't been said. HE'S WESLEY FUCKING JOHNSON. basically, god.

PF-Rick Jackson-Scoring has been down a little as of late, possibly due to reduced minutes in the last 2 40 point blowouts, perhaps a rebound from slick rick tonight?

C-Arinze Onuaku- Nobody on this florida team will be able to contain arinze's size and strength except by fouling. if the orange can hit him periodically, the orange can give the gators a tough foul situation to deal with, which in turn opens up jackson and johnson to have a field day.

Florida:
Soph PG Erving Walker-Incredibly quick point guard with a similar mentality to triche. more like jonny flynn than triche to be honest.

Fr. SG Kenny Boynton-Rautins may want to play back a step or two tonight, Boynton hasn't had his best luck from the arc as of late, but he's still a legitimate inside threat with plenty of speed.

Sr. SF Dan Werner-Think a less talented wes johnson. Similar combo forward type with an excellent outside shot to compliment his size.

Jr. PF Alex Tyus-Veteran starter with a very diverse skillset, most notably his ability to pop jumpers coming off screens.

Jr.C Vernon Macklin-Prefers the skyhook to taking the rock straight up, Arinze should have no problem pushing him around in the post.

Final Score Prediction
Syracuse 85

Florida 76.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

no i'm not dead.

i'll have some stuff up about the florida game soon enough. go orange!

Friday, November 20, 2009

All Systems are go......

What a great week to be an SU basketball Fan.

Last night, many of us looked on from our cozy living rooms(more on this later) as Syracuse absolutely Slaughtered an undermanned, overrated Cal Squad by a score of 95-73. (When was the last time you saw brandon reese in a game against a ranked opponent?)


Yeah, that was a first.

The team we saw last night was one of unparalleled size, athleticsm, and of course, every espn announcer's favorite word: LENGTH.
editor's note: I'm beginning to question their sexuality based on the number of times they said syracuse was long.

and so with that, the question was:
Can they keep it up against an always powerful UNC squad?

and boy, did they ever...

Syracuse looked even better tonight against this young, talented UNC squad as once again, Roy Williams had no answer for the Syracuse zone. They were simply outclassed, outmuscled, and outhustled by a syracuse team still ranked 24th. Wes Johnson continued his already impressive season dropping 16 in the first half as Syracuse hung on to trail by 2 at the half after a monstrous UNC run.

But in the 2nd half, Syracuse opened with a 22-1 run, spreading the ball around to anyone who would take it and watching as the shots kept hitting nylon. and UNC simply could not recover, despite going on a run to bring them to within 8 points, Syracuse would not be denied.

Player of the game
Wesley Johnson( 25 points 8 boards) Proves yet again why he is a legitimate player of the year contender with yet another strong performance.


Oh and in regards to the living room comment, tickets were very expensive for a preseason tournament, with one fan telling me they were fetching well over 200 dollars on the hub, which is rediculous when i paid 75 bucks for 2 big east tourney seats a few months back.
Thanks a lot, unc.

chattin time.

Chat tonight!

7 PM Eastern.

It is now 2:13 and UNC(and georgetown) STILL SUCK!

Monday, November 9, 2009

CHATTER UP!



Join me here at 8:45 eastern time for full coverage of tonight's game, pending availability of internet video feed.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

2009 SU Football Kinda Midseason Report Card Thingamajig Part 1

I was planning on doing this weeks ago, but instead got sidetracked by a number of things, most notably how many ways Doug Marrone can use the word "Tremendous". Does he have to meet some sort of usage quota we arent hearing about? I mean seriously, not to mention he might be worse than greg robinson in the realm of public negativity. But it takes maybe one negative statement a season to surpass him...... so much for difficulties.

In any event, we have arrived at the all too glorious middle of the collegiate football season. The men have been seperated from the boys, and now the time has come to seperate who can run with the big dogs from who still pisses like a little puppy. With varying sentiments regarding the performance of our own Syracuse Orange circulating throughout the fanbase, the blogosphere, and not Darryl Gross's thick, shiny skull, i figure what a fine time to chip in my 2 cents, which apparently buys less than kenny's 2 pennies.......

Let's go back to school with some position by position grades. Today I will cover the orange backfield.

Quarterbacks:
Greg Paulus-Has definitely been the born leader that many have hyped him up to be. Makes relatively sound decisions under fire with the exception of a few miscues when he gets too far out of the pocket(I.e throwing on the run close to the line of scrimmage.) Has the ability to feed his big targets early and often as X reciever Mike Williams has 45 receptions on the season. Arm strength and the ability to throw a tight ball into the middle of coverage have been key issues with him not playing football in the last 5 years. Turnovers have been a huge issue as well, however they primarily occured over the span of two games and outside of that he has been relatively flawless. In any event, i think he has done a solid job.
Grade:B+

Ryan Nassib-Sees limited action, primarily as a wideout out of the Stallion Direct-Snap package. Also takes some snaps with 4 wide. Ability to throw the ball in a vertical offense has been much more consistent than greg paulus. However, experience level simply is not on par with Paulus, and his composure has yet to be tested. Has played well but i don't know if Miller, Loeb, or Kinder have the chance to take his job or not next season.My bet is on kinder if nassib doesnt come up with an ability to escape the pocket.
Grade:B

Running Backs
Delone Carter- Explosiveness has been greatly improved over last year as he assumes the role of Featured Back in the offense, A role many assumed Sophomore Antwon Bailey would fill particularly after his performance against Notre Dame last year. Has had multiple touchdown games on more than one occasion and has taken the game into his own hands on more than one occasion, particularly last week with mike williams out. No Questions here.
Grade:A+

Antwon Bailey- Hasn't gotten many carries due to Marrone reserving him for usage in the Stallion Package. Has handled it rather well, a couple bobbled snaps but we all know the terrible job that Mckenzie and Bartholomew have done with getting the ball out there. I'll be optimistic here.
Grade:B+


Tune in tomorrow as i pick apart the wide recievers.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

oh sweet.....

Jesus.





Basketball season is finally here with a bang, as the orange hosted (AMERICU) midnight(?) madness on friday night, and we spared no expense bringing in only the finest wastes of money that Darryl Gross has to offer.





(Correction/Editor's Note:Greg Robinson wasn't even invited. you fail.)


(Editor's note to the editor's note: It was a less painful way to piss away the money than betting on the jets.)








In any event, the athletic department REALLY spared no expense in throwing this thing together, with the women's team arriving by fire truck and the men's team on police motorcycles. and my personal favorite...... JIMMY B dressed as a cop!








Jimmy apparently is more patient now than he ever was in the past, i've heard it takes a great deal of time, effort, and vaseline to squeeze into those leather pants. But it was all for a good cause, somebody has to keep robert washington out of syracuse! Although i must say this does bring images of apollo creed into my head(I WANT YOU! AND YOU!). Come to think of it i think he would make a great fit in the village people........

But i digress.

I'll have something serious up this week, pinky swear.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Greg Paulus or Ryan Nassib: Quarterback Controversy at Syracuse's Carrier Dome


Syracuse's first drive against the West Virginia Mountaineer defense on Saturday opened with promise. Running backs Antwon Bailey, Delone Carter and Averin Collier had moved the ball 26 yards down the field on the ground and quarterback Greg Paulus completed his first pass attempt to tight end Mike Owen for a solid eight-yard pick-up.

The Orange were moving the ball.

However, on the seventh play, the drive was derailed in a tragically familiar fashion for the Orange as Paulus threw a terrible interception.

The play aroused bad memories of an overtime interception that sealed Syracuse's fate against Minnesota in the season opener as well as the five that plagued the former Duke point guard against South Florida last week.

The West Virginia defense erupted in celebration as they jogged off the field, giving the ball to Jarrett Brown, Noel Divine and the WVU offense with great field position.

Eight seconds and one 11-yard pass from Brown to Divine later, WVU had a 7-0 lead.

Paulus finished the half with an unimpressive stat line: 5-of-9 for 30 yards and an interception.

With a 27-0 deficit at the start of the second half, it was not No. 2, but No. 12, redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib, who took the reins of the Syracuse offense. Nassib performed decently, completing 7-of-16 passes (with at least four drops by Orange receivers) for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Included was a 50-yard completion to star receiver Mike Williams on a beautiful double play-action fake, the same play that resulted in Paulus-to-Williams touchdowns of similar length against Northwestern, Maine and USF.

Nassib's performance was far from perfect. Many of his incompletions came on throws behind his receivers or over their heads. And his touch left something to be desired.

However, the undeniable zip on his passes wowed the announced crowd of 40,144 at the Carrier Dome, leading many to call for his insertion into the starting lineup.

After the game, Doug Marrone quickly ended that speculation, stating that Paulus was his quarterback and would start in Syracuse's next game against Akron on Oct. 24.

Marrone's announcement has done little to temper the Paulus-Nassib debate amongst Syracuse fans.

Paulus supporters cite the senior's successes against Northwestern and Maine. The Nassib camp looks towards the future of the program, saying that Marrone should get Nassib valuable game experience since he is the heir-apparent for the position anyway.

Marrone needs to start whoever gives the team the best chance to win this season.

Syracuse football is at a crossroads.

Doug Marrone is in his first season and has said and done all of the right things off the field. In addition, the on-field performance has been much better than it was under former head coach Greg Robinson.

However, the only thing that is going to rejuvenate this proud program is pretty obvious.

In the words of Syracuse alumnus Al Davis, "Just win baby."

Attendance in the Dome (especially among students) is absolutely stagnant. If Syracuse is going to contend in the games it faces a talent gap, it needs a full "Loud House."

If they are going to recruit well, which Marrone has been doing thus far, a full stadium is instrumental. Promise and hope brought people out for Minnesota and Northwestern, but the numbers have been slipping steadily since.

Going to a bowl is the easiest way to propel the program back into the national scene, and it is still achievable for the Orange this season. They have won two games after two very strong performances by Paulus.

Entering the game against West Virginia, Paulus was on pace to break multiple single-season records for Syracuse passers, eclipsing greats like Donovan McNabb, Don McPherson and Marvin Graves.

Call Paulus an "experiment" if you must, but the results are undeniable. He can win football games.

If Paulus continues to struggle when Akron comes to the Dome on Oct. 24, then Nassib should probably be given the job. However, coming off a bye week, Paulus' tired arm should be re-energized and the Orange should be primed to win their third game and keep the hopes for a bowl berth alive.

Give Paulus a chance to be successful. If he returns to the form we saw against Northwestern, Syracuse can win four more games and make the improbable run to .500 in Marrone's first season.

Immediate success will do eons more for this program than a few snaps for a quarterback who may or may not be the future of the team. There is no guarantee that Nassib will be the answer next season.

True freshman Charley Loeb will have had the same amount of time in Marrone's and offensive coordinator Rob Spence's system. Two promising recruits, Jonny Miller (Mullen HS, Denver, CO) and John Kinder (Lawrence SHS, Cedarhurst, NY), are also coming in at the position.

Orange fans need to back Marrone's decision, cheer on Paulus, and give him the chance to succeed.

He has exceeded almost everyone's expectations thus far, and can continue to do so. If he does, Syracuse will be on the track to reemerge as an Eastern football power much sooner then we could have hoped for.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Syracuse Defeats Orange, Bulls In Attendance


It was not the ferocious USF D-Line led by George Selvie that led the Bulls to victory in the Carrier Dome.

It wasn't a litany of penalities or poor defensive play by the Orange that led to their third loss on the season, and first in Big East play.

It wasn't even exciting Freshman Quarterback BJ Daniels who led South Florida to victory over Syracuse.

There is only one statistic that shows why the final score was 34-20 in favor of the USF Bulls:

Seven.

The Syracuse Orange were victims of seven turnovers over the course of the game, effectively shooting themselves in the foot on promising drives and giving the Bulls great field position to work against the defense, and on occasion, points.

In a game that was otherwise controlled by Syracuse, fumbles by Mike Jones and Delone Carter, as well as five interceptions proved to be more than the Orange could overcome.

Greg Paulus has become the main scapegoat in Syracuse's defeat, after what was easily his worst performance of his young college football career. Five of Paulus' passes found their way into the hands of Bull defenders, one of those being Jason Pierre-Paul who intercepted a screen and returned it 18 yards for the score.

When he was not throwing errant passes to South Florida, Paulus was a very effective quarterback for the Orange, throwing two very nice touchdowns to superstar receiver Mike Williams, en route to a 25-46 performance that resulted in 269 Yards. Paulus also helped Syracuse overcome one of their biggest problems on the season: third down conversions. The Orange were able to convert a gaudy 9 of 15, and found little problem cutting through USF's stingy defense.

However, seven turnovers is something no team can easily overcome, and the Orange were no different.

Part of the problem for the Orange was in the run game. Syracuse has had trouble establishing the run game all season, and Saturday was no different, as the Orange gained only 95 yards on 30 carries. Carter led the way with 43 yards on 13 Carries, and Antwon Bailey and Paulus each added 26, but USF obviously wanted to force Paulus to beat them through the air, and it worked to their advantage with the resulting interceptions.

The other major issue that has plagued the Orange all season, the lack of a second option for Paulus, also reared it's ugly head. Mike Williams had another dominant performance with a career high 13 receptions for 186 yards and the two touchdowns. However, the second leading receiver for the Orange was Bailey, who only had twenty-seven yards. Although Williams is rarely shut down by an opposing defense, when he is unavailable, Paulus' options are scarce.

The biggest Achilles heel for the Orange all season, however, has been Offensive line play, and that looked to be a giant issue coming into the game against one of the top defensive fronts in the nation. However, the Offensive Line put forth a valiant effort, only giving up three sacks- none to the highly acclaimed George Selvie- and allotted Paulus time to work more often than not.

Syracuse's defense played well through out the day, keeping the game close despite USF's consistently good field position. Middle Linebacker Derrell Smith added to his All-Conference resume, with 11 total tackles, a forced fumble, and a sack on Daniels. Outside Linebacker Doug Hogue added five tackles and a sack. Both safeties played well, with Mike Holmes totaling 7 tackles and a forced fumble, and Max Suter adding 7 of his own, and recovering a fumble. Star Defensive Tackle Arthur Jones made his presence known with two fumble recoveries on the day.

BJ Daniels was able to find success against the struggling Orange secondary. The young quarterback compiled 208 yards through the air on 12-20 passing, as well as two touchdowns, both to receiver Carlton Mitchell who had 139 yards on 6 receptions, one being a key 85 yard touchdown that opened the second half.

The Orange outgained the Bulls 344-333, converted third downs at a higher percentage, went 2-2 in the red zone, and beat the Bulls in most other statistical categories. However, the turnovers stand out like a sore thumb, and was Syracuse's undoing.

It is obvious that this team is quickly coming around under Doug Marrone. No Syracuse offense has had this kind of productivity since Donovan McNabb was under center more than a decade ago, and the defensive front seven has made running the ball against the Orange more than ill-advised. However, one thing still prevents this team from taking the next step- they have yet to learn how to win. Great football teams can keep mistakes to a minimum, and when the game is on the line, they put it away. Knowing how to win is what makes this team 2-3 when it could easily be 4-1. However, they are learning this long lost art, and Coach Marrone will make sure they keep on studying until they've mastered the material.


Saturday, October 3, 2009

CITRUSTV 10/3

Enlightening discussion on mike williams, ENJOY!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Paulus named player of the week

The US Army All-American bowl committee has named Quarterback Greg Paulus Player of the week for his performance against maine. Quite frankly, it isin't a bad line:

21-28(75%), 270 yards, 2 tds.

However, in the grand scheme of things, i think saturday was a complete disaster. At the beginning of the game, Maine looked like a prime example of futility, or a greg robinson era SU defense, whatever metaphor you'd like to use. Carter was ripping off massive gains on the ground, and for a change we were all having that feeling like "maybe everything's gonna be alright......"

and we were wrong........ AGAIN.

Pretty soon we began to look as if Greg Robinson had dyed his hair and tied 2 50 pound bags of sand to his thighs, because maine was tearing us a new ass hole, and that wasn't the worst part. They were doing it on the ground, and our apparent defensive specialty is stopping the run, Needless to say, things looked bleak. To make matters worse, Arthur Jones sustained an injury to his upper left leg, and this provided an even better opportunity to create seams up the middle for the backs, one of which was nothing more than a fat ass blocking back.

Things finally looked better Defensively in the second half, with the orange only allowing 1 touchdown in the closing seconds of the game, but the damage was done. Maine outgained the orange by 80 yards and had just as many first downs as the orange did. that is a miserable failure. Many of our current defensive woes rest in the hands of the secondary, i think if marrone can find a capable body to replace nico scott, things might be a little sunnier, although i do like marrone's move to move shamarko thomas to safety. maybe torian phillips would be up to the challenge.

As for the offense, i really dont need to elaborate much more other than the vertical passing game really needs to expand. more deep shots down the field are a must.

until next time,
g'orange

Syracuse Orange Avoids Falling into Bear Trap


After three hard fought games to open the first season of the Doug Marrone era, Syracuse fans looked forward to a nice, easy game with the FCS University of Maine.

Unfortunately, nothing comes easy for the Orange.

The game's scoring opened with a short touchdown throw from quarterback Greg Paulus to Halfback Delone Carter, giving Syracuse a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. However, Maine would not back down, and the first Black Bear drive showed a much different team then was expected.

Maine is generally classified as a ground-oriented team, who on the back of Sophomore rusher Derek Session, controlled the clock and a game's momentum. This would seemingly play right into Syracuse's defensive strength, which is in the run game. Syracuse has had great success against the rush, allowing only 83 yards per game, good for 13th best in the nation.

However, when Maine Quarterback Warren Smith took the ball after Syracuse's scoring drive, the offense looked much, much different.

Much like Northwestern did to great success the week before in the Carrier Dome, Smith picked apart the Orange secondary on short, quick passes- going 24-35 for 305 yards, and 3 TDs on the day. The Bears offense would respond to Carter's touchdown with a field goal, and then after a surprising onside kick recovery, Smith hit wide receiver Landis Williams for a 56-yard touchdown to give Maine a 10-7 lead.

Syracuse was able to tie the game at 10 with a field goal by freshman Ryan Lichtenstein, but after stopping the Orange following an interception by cornerback Kevyn Scott, Smith drove down the field against the Syracuse defense to find Williams again for a 14-yard score.

Syracuse was able to manage another Lichtenstein field goal to cut the Maine lead to 17-13 at the half, but all 35,000 fans in the Dome were shocked. This was not the team they had grown to love over the last few weeks, this looked shockingly like the Syracuse team that was used to losing over the last four years.

The second half was much kinder to the Orange, who made the necessary adjustments to stop Maine's sharp offense, while continuing to find success with the ball.

With their first possession of the half, Syracuse was able to drive the ball 86 yards down the field, capped off by a nine yard touchdown run for Carter, who finished with 95 total yards (72 rushing, 23 receiving) and four total touchdowns. Syracuse was back on top, 20-17.

On their next drive, the Orange worked with a shorter field, and Greg Paulus connected with Sophomore Marcus Sales in the corner of the endzone for 17 yards and a score, extending the Orange lead to 10. Paulus finished the game with another impressive stat line, completing 21 of 28 passes, for 270 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The defense helped keep the ball rolling as well. After dropping a near-interception earlier in the game, junior linebacker Doug Hogue picked off an errant Smith pass and returned it 30 yards to the Maine 10-yard line, allowing Carter to barrel into the endzone from five yards out for another score.

The scoring pace slowed during the fourth quarter, with Syracuse and Maine trading touchdowns late in the game, securing a 41-24 Syracuse win.

The Orange have a very tough obstacle ahead of them, with the USF Bulls coming to the Dome off of a big upset of Florida State over the weekend.


Saturday, September 19, 2009

OLE!

CUE THE BEANERS!





SYRACUSE 37
NORTHWESTERN 34
FINAL

I cannot believe what i just saw. 2 Months ago Ryan Lichtenstein was merely just a kid headed off to college with no athletic aspirations. Now he boots the game winner for Doug Marrone's first game! Lichtenstein's Monster is ALIVE! IT'S ALIVE!



I'ma do this in a tip of the hat/wag of the finger format.






A tip of the hat t0.....

RYAN LICHTENSTEIN!-this shit explains itself. i shouldnt have to explain it because if you didnt watch the game you're not a fan anymore. by the way, he had 2 other field goals too.

GREG PAULUS-He outdid himself yet again goin 24-35 for 346 yards, 2 tds and a pick.

Mike Kafka- Give credit where it's due. he went 34-42 390 yards and 5 total TDs. such an impressive performance.

Mike Williams-Career high 11 receptions for 209 yards and a pair of TDs.

Dan Lyons- For getting on TV and getting front row seats. that's an accomplishment.



Stefan Demos-we love you. you can come back and miss extra points any time you want, we won't stop you.



A wag of the Finger to......



Da'mon Merkerson- Was there any reason for that kick catch interference call? i mean good effort but c'mon, a little common sense pleaseee?

Jim Mckenzie-Snaps looked better in the 2nd half but we're all going to be keeping an eye on him. the errant snap thing is a huge problem. you can say greg is distracted by your nice firm buttocks all you want but......


Ok you can say that. i'm speechless.















Friday, September 11, 2009

pathetic....

http://www.asylum.com/2009/09/09/students-try-to-steal-giant-pepper-from-chilis-rooftop/

crazy kids....

Where are they Now?

Welcome to another edition of where are they now.
in my last edition, we explored the whereabouts of former Kickoff Specialist Niko Rechul, who was playing in the CDFL.

This week features 2 greg robinson era football players. The first was a starter on the defensive line for the orange. The second was supposed to play wide reciever, but never played a down due to academic issues. Both attended Thomas R. Proctor Hs in Utica, NY.

The first player is vincenzo giruzzi. Vincenzo is apparently at home at the moment because the other day i saw him helping with the speed training class we offer here at mohawk valley. A lineman teaching speed training.........?

ironic.

What's also ironic is the kids in this class are actually doing legit work. A greg robinson coached football player is making kids puke...... hmm....

The second player is DeAndre Preaster. I have the privlege of seeing DeAndre every other day, Because he's in my intro to recreation class. And he appears to be paying attention. The other day our teacher sends us out to play frisbee because she didnt want to teach, this kid goes up for the disc and Deandre just comes over, levels the kid and catches the disc. Guess we missed out on his athleticism, but do you really want those Offensive pass interference calls?

Special thanks go out to the university of ottawa for keeping josh wright out of here. Utica, your credit cards are safe for democracy.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Tobias Harris

I have inside sources with Tobias Harris that are telling me that he won't be coming to Syracuse because we have too many guys in and around his position. With guys like Wes Johnson, Kris Joseph, CJ Fair, James Southerland and Mookie Jones, I can't blame him. So the question is, who will the 5th scholarship be now that Tobias Harris is out? Will it be Shaquille Thomas, another small forward with a great pedigree and length being the nephew of NBA SF Tim Thomas? Or Isaiah Sykes a 6'5 versatile shooting guard out of Michigan that can play all 3 perimeter positions according to espn.com?

Saturday, September 5, 2009

OH MY GOODNESS!

http://www.getgrossout.com/2009/08/snuggification-of-syracuse-has-begun.html

A SYRACUSE SNUGGIE!

That's right folks, america's favorite backwards bathrobe is now available in a syracuse design! now we see who's a man of their word.... i'm looking at you andrew rush.......BUY ONE OR BE DISOWNED!

(Editor's note: Jake says he'll buy one to go with his syacuse colored Bud Light cans)

I just can't help but laugh that it had to pertain to NYC, despite NYC being 4 HOURS AWAY. get a grip dr. gross, it doesn't take a ph.d to know that's shitty marketing. and i've been in marketing class for..... 2 weeks now. take that DOCTOR gross. a kid with not even an associates just tore you a new ass hole. how do you like them APPLES?

(tee hee, get the joke?)


anyhow, what's next, a PAULUSPALOOZA snuggie? i'm sure that'll be a real FLOP in stores.
i need to cut the corny jokes.

Cue the.....




Disappointed Child(?)






Thursday, September 3, 2009

note

ray is not dead. I've had a lot of schoolwork as of late.
i'll keep you posted as to the prospects of a chat on saturday.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Shit hits the fan in....

12 days.
you heard me.

12 days until the Orange open against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Carrier dome. 12 short months ago, we had a bumbling idiot at the helm who knew less about football than Tim McCarver does about baseball. Time flies when you don't have much to look forward to...... or do we? Here's your first set of legit preseason notes for the season:

-Some contoversy as to the progression of the offensive line, Adkins is optimistic, and Marrone?..... The exact opposite. Guess who gets voted off the island this year if things don't work out?

August 23rd: "The offensive line has to come around," Marrone said. "We're not getting new players there."

Ahh... the power of negativity.

-Marrone held a 150 play controlled scrimmage behind closed doors saturday. At least we think that's what happened..... No further comment.

-Greg Paulus is still the starter, kind of a good sign considering some people thought he wouldnt last a week back in pads. Maybe he finally learned to control his flopping.... i don't know do i look psychic to you?

Marrone's been relatively hush-hush in the past week, which either means things are going REALLY good, or they've just elevated to a new level of suckification. Maybe we'll know more this week.

Until tomorrow,
G'Orange

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Poster Time!


Greg Paulus: Impressing coaches with his arm and his buttocks. nothin wrong with that except doug might think his thighs are getting outclassed. watch yourself buddy.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Marrone Way

So far we've noticed two glaring things about the Doug Marrone era at Syracuse. First - the man is not shy about making quick decisions. He named Ryan Nassib the starting QB shortly into spring practice, and was just as rapid when replacing Nassib and naming Greg Paulus the starter last night. Secondly - the roster turnover has been nothing short of astonishing.

I don't mean this in a bad way. We all know about how lax things had gotten under the Greg Robinson regime. It was evident in the way the team faded in every game, the way they were pushed around on the field by teams like Akron (Akron!), and now from former players essentially admitting that there wasn't really any accountability in the off-season (weight training, conditioning, etc.). As reported by The Post Standard, 18 players have left the team since Marrone took over. They all have different reasons for doing so, but you can guarantee that at least some of them quit because they simply did not want to deal with a tougher, more demanding coaching staff. It happens.

Hopefully, this helps the team in the long run. The Orange are dangerously thin now at a few key positions (kicker and linebacker come to mind). But hopefully, when all is said and done, the kids that are left on the roster are tougher, both mentally and physically, as a result of the "pruning," if you will. The guys that are left are committed to this coaching staff, and they have bought into whatever hard-nosed approach Marrone is selling behind closed doors.

I'm reminded of a pivotal scene from the movie "Hoosiers," when the loudmouth kid tries to go back on the floor after being benched, because everyone else fouled out, and Coach Dale tells him to sit down. Incredulous, the kid sits back down, and the referee comes over to the coach and says, "You need one more out there," to which Norman Dale coolly replies, "my team's on the floor."

Hopefully when the lights go up on September 5th, after months of weeding out players, and toughening up those that are left, Doug Marrone's team will truly be on the field.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Breaking News: Paulus named Starter

first of all, hi guys! who missed my scrawny white ass?

good, i didnt either.

Greg paulus was just named the starter and since i dont have much time THIS evening to let people know what ive been up to over the past 2 months, i figure i'll just list the pros and cons of this move and leave it at that. nothin too crazy, i may go to su practice tomorrow, we shall see.

Pros:
  • Tremendous Talent- The kid was the national hs player of the year as a senior. that needs to count for something.
  • give nassib a rest-The kid is talented, but when he's at that level of maturity he's going to make tons of mistakes. let him study what a great quarterback can do for the season, then hand him the reins.
  • Put some meat in the seats-I dont want to hear about aluminum bleacher halloween costumes this year. spare us all.

Cons

  • He's a little...... rusty-Yeah he's been playing basketball now, and while i'm sure his court vision helps on the football field, there's more bodies to be accounted for on a football field, it'll take some time.
  • No immediate PT for nassib-Just the flip side of my previous statement, i mean great qbs start as freshmen and learn the system from the beginning more often than not.
  • what if he sucks?-Not an issue, we cant get any worse.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

NOOOOOOOO!

The news couldnt possibly be much worse.

Jonny Flynn has been selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 8th pick. Now my dreams of Nate RobinsFLYNN will never come to fruitition. I wasted all this time on this masterpiece.......


or is this the beginning of a light at the end of the tunnel for the knicks?
Here's how i see it:
Knicks recieve:
Jonny Flynn
T'Wolves Recieve:
Jordan Hill/Al Harrington
Chris Duhon/Quentin Richardson.
UPDATE:as i'm typing this..... Wayne Ellington goes to the t'wolves too!
TRADE BAIT ALERT.
i'm getting too excited over here.
anyway, just my spin on how flynn will come to NY.

Friday, June 19, 2009

The Official SU Sports Dead Period


Only three more months until football starts, and I can't wait for the first reports of the sights and sounds of summer practice. The clashing of plastic on plastic in the mild Syracuse sunshine, and hopefully the absence of the ill-fated Greg Robinson "thud drills." Will definitely post more once the pigskins start flying ladies and gentlemen, but I wanted to throw it out there that

a) I will still be sharing all thoughts relating to Orange football on this site and

b) I'm not dead.

GO ORANGE!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Our NBA Draft, By the numbers part 1:JONNY!

With the NBA draft approaching, the pre draft measurements have been made public and with that the speculation on who is going where can begin. Here's my take on the 3 guys we have in the draft and the physical attributes they bring to the table.


PG Jonny Flynn
5'11 without shoes
-Really not an issue when you're a guard, there's smaller guys out there on the floor. MUCH smaller. What was Spud Webb, like 5'3. We'll take it.

196 pounds
-he's got quite the muscles for a smaller guy. i'm 4 inches taller and 40 pounds lighter, so jonny's been hitting the weights, which is a definite key to nba success. Although combined with an inability to finish, it could be a waste of time(I'm looking at YOU Paul Harris!).

6'4 wingspan
-if he was a center, i'd call that pathetic. but for a 5'11 point guard, this is awesome news. Many people believe that a person's wingspan is as much as their height. so A+ on his wingspan.

40 inch vertical.
-I'm speechless. that's the best in the draft.

10 bench reps
-Very, Very good for a guard. Like i said earlier, the kid's got some guns

And he goes to..........
Where else do i want to put him, going with the 8th overall pick to the New York Knicks, which seems like a realistic placement. For a change my opinion may not fail me.

Coming tomorrow:Paul Harris

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

lawl.

i'll have the flynn article up tonight, promise.

g'orange

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Slow news?

Last couple of weeks have been slow for news and i've had a lot to do outside of the national title game and stuff. here's whats going on folks.


Word on the street is former SU Football player Quinn Ojinakka has been arrested following a domestic dispute. Police say that apparently he shoved his wife down a flight of stairs, then spit on her. Devo, you've been one upped.

Athlon Has us ranked 80th in their annual big east preview, now 80th may STILL seem worthless until you realize that many polls have us out of the top 100. and now the investigation begins, who paid off their writers?

Paul Chiara is now a member of the panthers, joining such brave, greg robinson coached souls like joe fields and the AMAZING Tony Fiametta. Who woulda thought ANYONE would be making a living from his coaching?


Coming Later:Who on earth is going to draft jonny flynn?

Monday, May 25, 2009

let the games begin.....

Here it is folks, your 2009 NCAA Lacrosse Championship Preview.

This one should be a doozy as both teams appear to be playing the best they have all season(otherwise, they wouldnt be here)

Cornell (13-3)
12.4 goals per game, 8.3 allowed, 41.3 shots per game
vs.

Syracuse(15-2)
13.1 goals per game, 7.3 allowed, 41 shots per game


Last game:Cornell beat Virginia 15-6
Syracuse raped Duke 17-7.

Last time they met: Syracuse won 15-10

When the Orange have the ball: Nims and Jamieson will get theirs, but look for a variety of players to step in and comprise the rest of the offense for the orange. Aside from nims, not one single player has been the true fuel for the Attackmen this spring. The one thing they need to remember is not to be afraid to run one in every once in a while so that the defense is on their toes at all times. then, dish it off for a quick stick when they've gotten used to that.

When the Big Red have it: Like syracuse, this team LOVES to shoot. look for Attackman Rob Pannell to, like nims, get his. And he also has a great supporting cast. Unfortunately, they go up against the nasty Syracuse Defense today and that is why they won't win this game.

Final prediction: Syracuse 15, Cornell 11

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Syracuse- 17, Duke- 7

All Your Greg Paulus are belong to us.


Now how to get to Foxboro on Monday?

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Paulus to the Orange

It's now official.

http://www.nunesmagician.com/2009/5/14/874839/greg-paulus-to-transfer-to-syracuse

I see a new marketing opportunity for Cuse. Purchase an IHOP franchise and convert a concession stand into a new concept in sports concession marketing: IFLOP.

Syracuse and Lincoln-A Tale of 2 cities

It was the best(?) of times, It was the Worst of times.


Or so it goes.......

Today, Greg Paulus makes his decision on what university he will attend next year at approximately 10AM Eastern. And with the day finally here, i figure it's my duty to provide a complete comparison of Sir Flopsalot's two choices by category



Team:

Nebraska-Finished 9-4 last season. Offense scored 35.4 points per game last season while their opponents averaged about 28.

Syracuse-Finished a dismal 3-9 last season. Offense scored a bullshit 18 points a game while the opposition averaged 32, almost twice as many. ugh.

Advantage:Nebraska


Coaches-

Nebraska-Bo Pelini, a man widely considered as a potential NFL candidate, is entering his 3rd season as the coach for the huskers. He has a super bowl ring and is in the 2nd phase of the same sort of progression Doug Marrone is walking into.

Syracuse-Doug Marrone, Former Offensive Coordinator for New Oreleans and the man with the biggest legs i have ever seen.

Advantage:The thighs don't lie. Syracuse.


Agricultural Product in Question

Nebraska-Corn. whoopee.

How is it harmful? Well you can always TRY to club someone over the head with an ear of corn. No guarantees that your victims will take you seriously ever again.


Syracuse-ORANGES! You squeeze em, and if all goes well you've successfully pepper sprayed the asshole in front of you. You can't even be charged with assault if you're sneaky enough!

Advantage-Syracuse


Mascot

Nebraska-Herbie Husker. Oh shit, a corn farmer. What's he gonna do, pull out a shotgun if Otto tries anything with his daughter?

This guy really fails to scare me. at all.
Syracuse-Otto. America's badass citrus fruit. Consider this: What's a farmer when his crops dont grow? A homeless piece of shit.
Advantage-Otto.
Other factors-
Nebraska- When greg cries, the "ears" are always there to listen. Just don't flop in the cornfield or herbie just MIGHT shoot you.
Syracuse-Snow. Lots of it. He lived with it for 18 years, i think he can tolerate some more snow.
Advantage-Take your pick.
I think we all know who the winner is today kids............... Stay tuned for my breakdown following the announcement.
It is now 8:45 AM, and Nebraska still sucks.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day

from everyone here at SWRLU.  Because people who don't treat their mothers well on Mother's Day are almost certainly Hoyas.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

the SOBs-Most Suprising Player

(Takes Microphone from Brian)
(Bump bump bump)
Is this thing on?

Hello and welcome to another edition of the SOBs. I have the sweet, glorious honor of presenting Day 2's first award, Most Suprising Player.

Today's recipient was really a shot in the dark coming into this season. He didn't provide enough frequent minutes the year before, and with Donte gone the new question was? How would we fill that void?

We found an absolutely superb answer in none other than today's recipient........................................


Drum roll................................

And the SOB goes to........................

"Slick" Rick "Action" Jackson!

(sporadic applause)
(Doc Gibbs and the emeril live band begin playing)

Rick jackson really did everything we asked, and then some for the orange this season. As much as we love ongenaet and seeing him start, he simply lacked the presence on the offensive end that Rick had. Just look at the numbers.

Kristof Averaged 3.1 Points Per Game this season.

Rick had more than double that at 8.2.

And let's be honest, he looked feeble in his freshman season, and he improved in almost all key facets of his game which really helped when arinze was struggling. A good basketball team always has a bruising forward, and when Arinze couldn't do it, Rick was there to pick us up.

And now, his acceptance speech.

"I would like to thank the Academy for this imaginary honor. It brings tears to my eyes when i know i beat out a white guy who is barely 6 feet tall for this award. I would also like to thank my mom, Eric Devendorf for all the wonderful kodak moments we have shared, Ray for being absolutely god, Kristof! for sucking earlier in the year, and the man who invented farting for making me an internet sensation, thank you."

Very well put, i cried too.

and with that, i turn this party bus over to the folks over at Orange Fizz for the presentation of a hotly contested award, Best Junior!
(Crowd goes OOOOOOOOhhhh! AHHHHHH!")

The floor is now yours.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Bing Bing Bing Bing Bing! We Have A Winner!

Word from the suits over at the Syracuse P-S is that our own Dave Bing has been elected mayor of the city of detroit. He'll responsible for many of the same things Dougie is at Syracuse, Including....

-Driving a large percentage of people away from his jurisdiction
-Keeping a pile of Delinquents in line
-Doing their jobs in cities with TERRIBLE football teams


I'm seeing some connections here. poorly thought and ill-concieved ones, but when youre bored, you'll post almost anything.

Anyhow, it's not like there was much to post concerning this other than congrats dave, you've now inheirited the keys to the biggest shithole in america.Detroit picks a man who can Direct some traffic and distribute, now that's a deal.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Paul talks about paychecks with papa

Serious alliteration there. I finally got a chance to watch one of those new animated vids everyone now talks about. If you haven't seen this yet, please watch, it's worth the minute and 30 seconds of your time.


Back to Work Hooligans!

It's monday morning and you're all back to work. And with that, so is this blog.

First thing worthy of note. The SU Lax team drew a 2 Seed and will face Albany's Siena in the first round at the Carrier Dome. O shit, they won the MAAC lacrosse title! I'm So Scared!
^All sarcasm intended.


Second thing worthy of note, Poncho over at the sport hump ran the syracuse mountain goat this past weekend and came in about 600th place. Despite not beating a single kenyan, congrats!

^I can still whoop your ass.

I've been typing a report so use this as a preview of things to come, and now i have class.
G'orange

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Orange Brush Off Colgate

Syracuse: 13
Colgate: 7

The Syracuse Orange Men's Lacrosse team ended the regular season with a bang yesterday, as they batted a two-year old monkey called "Colgate" off their back in the final game at the Dome.

The game was Senior Day, the last regular season game for a number of great Orangemen.  Emotions ran high as the game began, and the Orange took full advantage.  They outshot the Raiders 15-3 in the first quarter, to take a 4-1 lead.  Goals were scored by Sophomore Jovon Miller to open the scoring, and Sophomore Joel White off an intercepted Colgate pass.

The second quarter featured much slower play, with Colgate dominating the ball for long stretches, but the Raiders were unable to cut the Orange lead.  They outshot Syracuse 13-3, but two of those three Orange shots found the net- one from Senior Dan Hardy in the final second of the half.

The third quarter looked much like the first in the beginning.  Cody Jamieson, who saw his first major minutes of the year, scored his first goal on his third shot.  The Junior had unleashed two lasers early in the game that, luckily for goalkeeper Tim Harrington of Colgate, both barely found the post.  He looked impressive and showed a lot of hustle in his time on the field.

Towards the middle of the third quarter, and into the fourth, Colgate began a run that saw the Raiders cut the lead to 10-7 after four straight goals, but the Orange's high powered Offense closed the game strong to stretch the lead back to six.  

Senior Dan Hardy and Redshirt Freshman Tim Desko led the Orange with two goals a piece, as Senior Kenny Nims led the team in points with five, including four assists.

Goalie John Galloway played decently, giving up a few savable goals but his game was better than some of the previous efforts we've seen out of him.  This game was one of the most physical of the season to this point, mostly due to the efforts of Sid Smith and Jovon Miller, who were both demons on defense today.  The Orange certainly look geared up going into the NCAA Tournament where they will try to defend their NCAA Championship.

====================================================================

It's 5:03, and Georgetown still sucks!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

lets hope nothing like this happens here...

MIT Forced to Cut 8 Varsity Sports

In other news, MIT only had 8 varsity sports to begin with.

Gentlemen, our dreams

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-lingerie-football-c042509sbapr25,0,7178968.story

Have apparently come true. Give it a year and greg robinson will be coaching in this league and describing each individual female player as having lots of "Flash".

I love it.

even MORE swine Flu!

I'm just going on a rampage to see how many students at universities we all have come to hate have contracted this swine flu. I am now pleased to announce that a Notre Dame student has contracted it, and amazingly enough it WAS NOT Luke Harangody











Anyone else see the resemblance there? I say we point all fingers at him for this mess, once again the basketball gods demand it!

News Flash:Georgetown does something..... intelligent?

http://www.thehoya.com/node/18930

I think they're under the understanding that if this thing grows, they will be the first to die.
the basketball gods demand it.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

They grow up so fast.......

(here's your epic, but somehow not really cuse related post)
Ladies and germs, i'm proud to announce that this is SWRLU's 100th post.

special thanks go out to the following:
Dan Lyons,Brian Roll,Rob Long, Greg Robinson, Greg Robinson's mom for giving birth to Greg Robinson, Doris Burke, Doug Gottleib, Eric Devendorf Homoerotic Photography, inc., Jim boeheim's microphone, Greg Paulus's indecisive mind, Sean from TNIAAM, and Alex Ozenberger for copying me.

Back in the office.

I'm back after spending a weekend in philly for Penn relays+i was lazy yesterday.
Expect an epic post later.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Professionally Orange

Day two of the NFL Draft saw a few Orangemen fulfill their dreams of becoming professional football players at the highest level.


The first player to go was FB Tony Fiammetta in the 4th round.  Fiammetta, 
Captain of last year's team, was the first Fullback taken, with the 128th pick by the Carolina Panthers.   

Carolina is definitely a good spot for Tony.  Many teams have gone away from the Fullback position completely, but Carolina has embraced it.  They currently have veteran Brad Hoover filling the role, a player Tony admires and models his game after:

" I've noticed his consistency and his professionalism. It seems like every play matters to him. Just watching him last year, he was on fire from the fullback position. He was making blocks everywhere and opening up holes. If I can get to that level one day I would be more than excited."




The other Orangeman
 selected in today's draft was Guard Ryan Durand.  

Durand, a three year starter for the Orange, and recipient of various accolades including 2nd-Team All Big East, was taken by the Tennessee Titans 239th overall in the drafts 7th and final round.  

During his conference call with the media, Durand discussed his versatility:

"Right now they are looking at me as a guard but I feel like I can play different places if need be, maybe move me out to tackle. It depends on their need and my ability to fill that need."


One other Orangeman has latched on with an NFL team today.  Donnie Webb reports that Runningback Curtis Brinkley has signed a free agent deal with the San Diego Chargers.

Other former players look to land with teams, including Linebacker Jake Flaherty and Kicker Pat Shadle.

Congratulations to Tony, Ryan, and Boonah, and good luck to the rest of the players looking to keep the dream alive.

=======================================================================

It is 9:53, and Georgetown still sucks!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

A Scary New High School Trend

Much scarier than Crocs indeed.

6'11" Jeremy Tyler of San Diego (former Louisville commit) is dropping out of High School to go play out the two years until he is eligible for the NBA draft to play in Europe.

Now, this may not seem and worse than Brandon Jennings last year, or the litany of one-and-dones that come out of college every year, but this scares me.

I don't wish this upon him, but theoretically, let's say Tyler struggles- much like Jennings has- in Europe, and after two years of doing very little in Europe at the pro level, his stock is not very high and he gets drafted in the late first round/early second round.


He then plays a few ineffectual minutes early in the year for his NBA team, when he is sent down to the D-League.  

After a few seasons bouncing around the D-League he is eventually cut- a player without anywhere to go.  There is no guarantee he can latch back on in Europe, and now he has no job and is without a High School diploma.

I'm in no way insinuating that this will happen to Tyler- by all accounts he is an excellent player who will do fine- but if this becomes a trend (which I think it may, especially if Tyler has a good experience), mark my words, there will be players who this happens to.

I just can't see the risk that comes with not graduating from High School being worth the reward of some cash (that could easily be made up with exposure made while playing with college- Jonny's two years at Syracuse can only help his endorsement potential) and not having to go to classes for a year.  He's going to be playing with grown men in a foreign country.  

I can only hope that the NBA puts in place something that will deter this.

====================================================================

It's 6:08, and Georgetown still sucks!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

NFL Draft Approaches...Whither the Orangemen?


It has been seven years since a Syracuse football player (Dwight Freeney - 11th overall) was selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Seven years. For the first time since 1975, not a single Syracuse player was selected in last year's draft. At all.

There is no surer sign of a program's decline that its complete lack of mention on NFL draft weekend, the media-created event which football fans cling to like a life-raft at the start of the NBA playoffs and MLB regular season. The Orange football program had certainly started its slide under Paul Pasqualoni, but in fairness to Coach P, he sent 38 players to the pro ranks in his 14 year tenure as the Syracuse football coach. It is too early to tell, as far as Greg Robinson's recruits are concerned (since many of his earliest recruits are only now entering their senior seasons), but the fact that he failed to send any of P's later recruits to the NFL speaks volumes about Robinson's staff's inability to "coach up" the talent on the roster.

The NFL draft creates positive exposure for a program, as does the success of those players once they reach the pros. Let us hope, for the sake of Syracuse football, that somehow Curtis Brinkley and Tony Fiammetta get selected over the weekend, and are able to contribute in some way, shape, or form in the NFL. The Orange need all the positive exposure that they can get, to try and at least throw some fresh paint on the program's facade until Doug Marrone can right the ship.

It's Mayfest

Everyone on the Hill, Drink and be Merry!

======================================================================

It's 11:16, and Georgetown still sucks!

Monday, April 20, 2009

The Interview of the Century is here.......

Unfortunately it's not Ernie Davis's Ghost, but i guess i got the next best thing. I had the fortunes of getting an interview with the man himself, SU Punter Rob Long.

Without Further Adieu.........

RB:From a player's perspective, what has been the biggest adjustment you've had to make between Coach Robinson and Coach Marrone?
RL:From a players perspective the biggest change has been the discipline and accountablility that the players are held to.

RB:When you started your freshman year, you came onto this team with some large shoes to fill after Brendan Carney graduated. What was that like for you?
RL:It was a pretty wild experience, but I wasn't there to try and out do Brendan, I was just there to contribute the best that I could to the team and not to put too much pressure on myself.

RB:In the 2007 Buffalo game, you were called on to punt on third down, what was going through your mind?
RL:I wasn't really sure, but its not my job to question the coaches decisions I am just there to do my job.

RB:I understand there's a bit of a roster issue in finding a kicker for the season, is there a possibility we could see you kicking field goals?
RL:I think that there is a possiblity of anything, but as of right now I have been asked to hold and that is what I will do. If they feel the need to call on me to kick Ill be ready to step up.

RB:Marrone has been relatively good about keeping practices open to the public, do a lot of people come over to see what you are working on?
RL:I think that people are going to practices to see the offense and defense but Ill always catch some people looking over trying to figure out what we are up too. They generally turn away in confusion.

RB:Describe your team in one word.
RL:Determined.

RB:What has been your longest kick in practice this spring?
RL:I think the longest one in the air from the line of scrimmage was 62 yards.

RB:Speaking of kicking, your leg has to be pretty strong, approximately how much do you leg press?
RL:Ya know I am not really big on the heavy lifting and its been some time since I was on a leg press so I dont think I could give you an accurate answer on that one

RB:Is there any game on this year's schedule that really stands out to you?
RL:@ Penn State. Lot of kids in my area went on to go to school there and everyone in my area is a big Penn State fan and I'd love nothing more than to get that win.

and the inevitable question..........

RB:What were you thinking when you found out someone named their blog after you?
RL: Haha I wasn't sure what to think someone told me about it and I wasn't sure if they were messin with me or not until I checked it out for myself. But once I saw it I thought that people have too much time on their hands.

Special Thanks go out to Rob for taking the time to answer the questions in the midst of spring practices and upcoming finals. Look for interviews from such folks as Former SU Basketball Star Ryan Blackwell, just to name one.

Breakin' News

Looks like we have ourselves another recruit for our 2010 recruiting class

It appears that Lawrence(NY) Quarterback John Kinder has committed to the orange, and with him he's bringing 1,000 rushing and 1,000 passing yards. This is a good sign for a variety of reasons. One of which is we appear to be taking back the recruits in our own backyard. That's one less kid who will play at rutgers or Uconn or Pitt or Penn State. In addition, did you notice the 1,000 rushing yards? Nothing would fit better in Coach Marrone's No Huddle Spread System than having the third demension to the offense that is a Dual-Threat QB. Gives the Defense one more thing to worry about.


Editor's Note: I can't help but find it funny that we keep finding quarterbacks at schools named lawrence. I'm on to you charley loeb........

Sunday, April 19, 2009

New Banner

Kudos to Tommy who is a regular over at syracusefan.com and apparently this site.

SU Spring game Quotables

“I thought some situations were competitive and we just need to keep getting better. We handled a lot of situations today. The one thing we’re going to have to get better at in game situations is adjusting to penalties, miscues, missed assignments and then be able to come back and play better football. And, we have to be more competitive.”
-doug marrone

Well we did get worst at one thing: Penalties. If you recall last year we had the fewest penalty yards in the Big East. Guess we can't have everything.....

"It’s almost, at times, we’re trying not to score by moving back with penalties, dropping footballs and other types of miscues. You can’t be successful doing that in the red zone.”
-Doug Marrone

I guess some things never change. Sounds just like the Bunch Greggers had on the field. But on the flip side Doug inheirited this bullshit, it's going to take a bit of time to get this to relative decency.

"Bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep."
-Doug Marrone

I didnt know R2-D2 was coaching our football team.

“I would say we did well today. Our defense has been beating us during all the spring practices. Today we finally beat them.”
-Mike Williams
Before, our offense did well maybe once out of 20 times.... now it's once out of 10. That's a whole FIVE percent improvement. We're showing some flash.........

"for the most part, I think we are [playing in our positions]. When we were moving around in the second quarter, it was mostly because of penalties. Coach has a strict no-penalty rule and when people jump offsides, they’re out of there.”
-Nick Speller

Nobody crosses Doug Marrone unless Doug Marrone Says So.

Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo.

It seems like recently, we have to have some sort of controversy here in Orange-land.  It wasn't more than a few days after Jonny's decision to declare for the NBA draft that a new issue has come about, not about a player leaving, but of one possibly joining the fray.

That player, as you all know, is Greg Paulus.

Greg Paulus has been the (or, more recently, a) Point Guard at Duke for the last few years, a decision reached after much deliberation on whether he would play basketball or football.

Paulus, a graduate of Christian Brothers Academy here in the Syracuse area, was the #1 rated Quarterback coming out of High School, and was highly sought after by Notre Dame, among other big name schools.

Once it was determined that he would play basketball, and not football (a decision many have lauded as a grave mistake), many assumed that he would be a Syracuse lean- a local kid staying in the area to play for the great Jim Boeheim.  However, legend has it that when informed that his son would backup incumbant Syracuse icon Gerry McNamara, Mr. Paulus said that his son "wouldn't backup anyone" and that his son "can do better than Syracuse".  He then went down to Duke, and we all know about the last four years, the last of which he was benched during the season and received far fewer minutes in Coach Krzyzewski's rotation.  

Obviously, we are now four years past this, and we are looking at a completely different sport- football, with a brand new coach, and a less than stellar Quarterback situation (I like Nassib, but I don't think he'll be any kind of star this year).

I present to you- the Greg Paulus debacle:

The Good:



Paulus was obviously a highly touted, local Quarterback prospect, far ahead of Nassib, Dantley, A-Rob, Charlie Loeb, or anyone else who will be on the roster come fall.

He has apparently been throwing with his brother over at UNC (I'm sure he receives a standing ovation every time he steps on that campus), and Packers scouts have said that his arm strength looks great for someone who hasn't played in four years.

He is getting looks from other big name programs, namely Michigan (though they deny everything) and Nebraska.

He would put us on ESPN every week, just because of who he is.  We would get Gameday coverage every Saturday, and that can only help a rebuilding program.

He would not cost us a scholarship for more than one year, and we have plenty to give due to the attrition we've seen this spring.  Taking a flyer on him wouldn't really cost us anything.

Boost in attendance?

He has a relationship with other CBA players on the team, notably Lavar Lobdell, his favorite target in High School.

He fits Marrone's system.

It would give Nassib/Loeb/Whoever another year to develop.

The Bad:



I have a few major gripes with bringing in Paulus (aside from the aforementioned history we have with him and the rest of the Paulus clan).  

It's been stated that Paulus wants a starting job- oviously.  However, he cannot just show up on the Hill and expect to have this handed to him.  He will have to outplay the other Quarterbacks, and he will have to earn the job.  We can't put a player out there just because of his name or what he was in High School.  Right now we have two players on the roster (one who is playing TE) who have started entire years as Quarterback of this University, and another who is the heir apparent to the job after a surprising Spring.   I have no reason to believe that Paulus is a bad kid or anything, but if he comes here expecting to start, and doesn't win the job (Marrone isn't handing starter spots to anyone on this roster), we don't need to hear more badmouthing about the University.  If he wants to come play football for us, he's going to be one of the guys on the field and the lockerroom.  The media can hype it all he wants, but Paulus has to be a sterling teammate.  Again, he never had any problems at Duke, and I've been told he's a good kid, so I'm not too concerned here.

My bigger concern is that he hasn't played the position in four years.  Quarterback is probably the most cerebrally demanding position in all of sports.  People have doubts when a Quarterback changes systems- Paulus is attempting to take not only his first college snap, but his first competitve snap of any kind in four years.  He has had not studied film, read a defense, or anything else that goes into the mental part of a Quarterback's game in four years.  Even True Freshman were just playing football the fall before, albeit at a lower level, but they have been in the swing of things at the very least.  Paulus hasn't, he's been on the hardwood playing a game that couldn't be any more different from football.  The arm may be there, but mentally there is no way he is ready for Minnesota, Penn State, UConn, Rutgers, West Virginia, and the other teams we play- and even if he showed up tomorrow I'm not entirely convinced he could pull that off.  Nothing against Paulus, but he would be doing something I can't recall anyone else doing after that long of a break from the sport.  

The Ugly:

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.  Who knows how much longer we can use those great Photoshops?

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On another Orange note, congrats to Katie Rowan, Christina Dove, and the rest of the Syracuse Woman's Lacrosse team on their (shared) Big East Championship, with an excellent 12-3 (6-1) record.  

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Thanks for reading...it is now 4:17, and Georgetown still sucks!