Northwestern Unveils New Uniforms
Pretty Wild
Northwestern will sport a new look in its football season opener Sept. 1 against Syracuse. The game will mark the debut of the Wildcats’ new, state-of-the-art uniforms made by Under Armor, featuring a prominent jersey stripe that symbolizes the school’s legacy of using the design element.
The “Northwestern Stripe” will be integrated throughout the entire athletic program, the school said Thursday. The uniforms also incorporate elements of the NU campus, such as its gothic architecture and stonework, which are woven into the numeral design and other places.
Clemson Cancels Oklahoma State & Ole Miss Series
TALENT
Clemson announced Wednesday that it is canceling games against Oklahoma State and Ole Miss to accommodate the Tigers new nine-game ACC schedule now that Syracuse and Pittsburgh will be coming to the ACC ahead of schedule in 2013.
Clemson was scheduled to play host to Ole Miss in 2015 and then travel there in 2016. They also had a home-and-home series scheduled against Oklahoma State in 2019 and 2020.
“We didn’t want to get out of that series,” Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips told OrangeandWhite.com. “It’s a good series.”
The Tigers will still play Georgia in 2013 and 2014, but the demand for seven home games made the other Oklahoma State series too difficult to keep.
South Atlantic League To Host Home Run Derby On Aircraft Carrier USS Yorktown
Enough
With an inflatable batting cage installed on its deck, the USS Yorktown will host the opening round of the Class A South Atlantic League home run derby on June 18, as part of the league’s All-Star Game festivities, the league announced.
The 10 participants, five from each division, will get 10 swings each. The Yorktown is stationed in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, only a few miles from where the Charleston RiverDogs play; the championship round of the derby will be at Riley Park a day later.
Last fall, the college hoops season kicked off with North Carolina and Michigan State playing a regular-season game aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego. This November, Syracuse and San Diego State will play on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, and the Yorktown will host the Carrier Classic, with Connecticut and an as-of-yet-undetermined opponent.
Attendance for the Yorktown portion of the home run derby is free, as long as fans remember to mention the All-Star Game at the gate. The RiverDogs have hired folks to use kayaks and jet skis to retrieve baseballs that splash down in the harbor. The U.S. Coast Guard will be on hand to make sure no sea life is disturbed.
Jim Boeheim Thinks Charles Barkley Is An Idiot
Just Became Fan Of Coffee Breath
Charles Barkley does not think Syracuse should be in the Sweet 16. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim believes Barkley does not think.
The TNT analyst said the Orangemen got several calls in their opening game against UNC-Asheville that should never had happened.
Boeheim was asked about that on Wednesday when he appeared on 1260 The Score in Syracuse:
“Charles is an idiot. … You have to call calls. If they’re there, you have to call them. If a foul occurs or whatever happens, you have to call it. It’s as simple as that. If referees start doing that, we’ll have a chaotic situation. They have to make the calls that are there. If it’s a little touch foul away from the ball, a good referee won’t call that.”
Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown: Big East Conference
Big East Conference
Every Thursday Sports Grind Entertainment will present you with the Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown. The recipient of this honor goes to the Big East Conference for it’s performance so far in this years NCAA March Madness tournament. The Big East Conference entered the tournament of 72 teams with 11 teams representing their 16 team conference however before the Sweet 16 the conference was left with only 2 teams playing. The Big East watched as it lost number one seed Pittsburgh, number two Notre Dame, number 3 Syracuse, number 4 Louisville before the first weekend of play had even finished. The rest of the conference seeds to be sent home included number 5 West Virginia, number 6 Georgetown, number 6 St. John’s, and number 9 Villanova.
The Big East is only left with number 11 seed Marquette in the East Division and number 3 seed Connecticut in the West Division to play in the second week of the March Madness tournament.
Primetime College Football: New Era Pinstripe Bowl
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPN network and it features Kansas State University Wildcats taking on Syracuse University Orange in the first ever New Era Pinstripe Bowl and is taking place at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York.
Kansas State, 7-5, 3-5 Big 12, experienced an up and down year as they started the year 4-0 before losing convincingly to then No. 7 Nebraska. The Wildcats though lost four of the next five games in Big 12 play. Head coach Bill Snyder has the luxuary of having standout running back Daniel Thomas who was the engine that drove the Wildcats offense in 2010. The senior ranked 9th in the nation with 1,495 yards, placing him second among K-State’s single-season rushing leaders. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry and 124.6 per game while scoring 16 touchdowns. He needs just 58 yards to move into second place on the Kansas States all-time rushing list.
The quarterback position is manned by senior Carson Coffman, who threw for 1,832 yards and 12 touchdowns while running for another 9 in 11 games this season while throwing 7 interceptions and was efficient in completing 64.2 percent of his passes in his first season as the starter. However, while K-State ranked 20th in the country in rushing offense, the passing game stood 97th and wideout Aubrey Quarles was the lone player to post any sort of significant numbers on the receiving end.
Syracuse, 7-5, 4-3 Big East, took a step forward in 2010 and the height of the Orange’s season came on when it shocked then 20th-ranked West Virginia with a win in Morgantown. But the Orange finsihed out the season losing two of its last three games. Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone offense leans heavily on senior running back Delone Carter, who surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season. He averaged an impressive 5.1 yards per carry on his way to 1,035 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Ryan Nassib was at the head of a proficient if unspectacular passing attack that finished 92nd in the country. Nassib’s ended the year with 2,095 yards passing, 16 touchdowns, 8 interceptions and completed 56.1 percent of his throws. He was able to spread the ball around to a number of different receivers, most notably junior Van Chew, who led the team with 41 receptions, 611 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Syracuse owns a 12-9-1 record all-time in bowl games but will be the Orange’s first bowl since 2004. The Wildcats are 6-7 all-time in bowl competition.
PICK: Syracuse University Orange
WTF: Rony Seikaly
Go DJ, that's my DJ
Former NBA star Rony Seikaly isn’t picking up the microphone to be a rapper like most athletes, no the former 9th overall pick is putting his fingers on the ones and twos to become a DJ. The 6-foot-11 has DJ at some of the hottest gigs in places like Miami, New York, Las Vegas, Paris, and Ibiza, Spain. He is starting to record his own music, too, and released a compilation of music this year.
Primetime College Football: Huskies vs Orange
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPNU network and it features University of Connecticut Huskies taking on Syracuse University Orange in the Carrier Dome.
The Huskies have put together back-to-back wins after losing two straight outings and dropping below .500. On November 11th, the team stole a 30-28 victory from the Pittsburgh Panthers at home, drawing the squad that much closer to make the cut and becoming bowl eligible again.
Zach Frazer converted 9-of-20 passes for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week against the Pittsburgh Panthers at home, but it was really the play of running back Jordan Todman that drew the most attention as he generated a game-high 222 yards on 37 carries for the hosts in the close call. It also helped that Dave Teggart was there to bail out the offense when it stalled, knocking through all three of his field goal attempts on the night. Except for the Louisville game when he tallied just 80 yards on 19 carries, Todman has rushed for at least 100 yards in every game he has played in 2010 and with his big day last week he now ranks first in the conference and second in the entire nation with 147 ypg. For Frazer at quarterback, the outlook has not been as great, considering he has the passing attack generating a mere 156.7 ypg this season and that has the Huskies ranked eighth in the league and 107th nationally.
Speaking of bowl eligible, that’s where the Orange find themselves after taking down once-mighty Rutgers, on the road no less, last weekend in a 13-10 final. The victory was the third in the last four games for Syracuse. By no means was it pretty, but the Orange did what they needed to do in order to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2004 by slipping past the Rutgers Scarlet Knights over the weekend by a field goal.
Quarterback Ryan Nassib got the ball rolling for the visitors as he hit Antwon Bailey with a four-yard touchdown pass midway through the first quarter and from there the defense took over. Ross Krautman added field goals of 48 and 24 yards in the third and four quarters, respectively, to tie the game and eventually win it for the Orange. Nassib, who has at least one touchdown pass in every game this season for the Orange, is finally getting a chance to show what he can do after sitting on the bench and watching Greg Paulus take most of the snaps last year. By no means is Nassib a star signal-caller, but at least he’s not making the kind of mistakes that can cost a team too greatly. The scoring offense for the squad is currently ranked 84th in the country with 23 ppg.
Head coach Doug Marrone’s defense is averaging better than two and a half sacks per game, ranking them third in the conference and 19th in the nation. That sort of pressure has allowed the team to limit foes to only 297.1 ypg overall, second-best in the conference and 9th in the nation entering play this week. Give a good part of the credit to the pass defense which has held opponents to just 168.3 ypg this season for 11th nationally.
As far as the all-time series is concerned, both teams have claimed three wins in the previous six encounters.
PICK: University of Connecticut Huskies
Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim Goes On Man vs Food
First of all I’m a hot dog man through and through and when I saw that Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim joining Adam Richman on Man vs Food, I was jealous, instantly. Boeheim and Richman stop off to enjoy a double dog at Heid’s of Liverpool in the Syracuse area.
And second, this goes out to a very select few people but we know who Adam Richman looks like. You see him Monday through Friday at the radio station.
Former NBA Player Derrick Coleman Loses $87 Milli
I Wonder If Karl Malone Is Laughing At You Derrick?
Former NBA New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons and number 1 overall draft-pick Derrick Coleman, who made $87 million playing professional basketball, owes his creditors $4.7 million after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection last month.
The ex-Syracuse University standout and 1991 NBA Rookie of the Year earned tens of millions during a 15-year playing career but listed assets of just $1 million in papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit. Coleman’s desire to invest in the Detroit area after his playing career ended contributed to his financial problems
Among Coleman’s ventures is a struggling Detroit development called Coleman’s Corner, an attempt to revive one of the city’s most downtrodden neighborhoods. Coleman defaulted on loans related to the mall last year. Colemen’s other business interests include ownership stakes in the Hilton Garden Suites hotel in downtown Detroit, a Tim Hortons Inc. doughnut shop franchise and Hungry Howie’s Pizza store, according to court papers.
Coleman filed for Chapter 7 protection in March but only recently provided details of his assets and debts. The Chapter 7 filing indicates that the onetime New Jersey Nets forward intends to liquidate his assets in order to pay back creditors.
Among Coleman’s largest debts is $1.3 million owed to Comerica Bank in connection with a lawsuit and a $1 million loan on property in Michigan from Thornburg Mortgage Home Loans.
Coleman also owes Detroit mayor and fellow Syracuse legend Dave Bing $50,000 from a loan granted last year.
Among the assets that could be available for creditors his automobile collection, a1957 Buick convertible; a 1970 Chevrolet Nova; and a 1997 Bentley convertible. Also listed where two Seadoo watercrafts, his $90,000 NBA pension and two chinchilla and three mink fur coats.
Syracuse Couldn’t “Shut It Down” Against Le Moyne College Even After Coach’s Freestyle
When your a D-1 school like Syracuse University and have national titles to your resume and then lose to D-2 Le Moyne Colle 82-79 on your home court, you open yourself to be ridiculed, but you definitely do now favors when assistant coach Rob Murphy does a freestyle rap entitled “Shut It Down”.
Exactly who are they shutting down? Oh yeah themselves.
Doug Marrone Wants Your Sympathy For Him Starting Greg Paulus
Tears filled the eyes of Syracuse University head football coach Doug Marrone as he made a passionate defense of starting quarterback Greg Paulus, who was booed by some Syracuse fans during the team’s loss to Cincinnati at the Carrier Dome.
“I have never seen an athlete, at any level including the NFL, work as hard, mentally and physically, as Greg has worked since he’s joined us here at Syracuse. Really, what he’s accomplished is extraordinary. Maybe it can’t be fully appreciated because most don’t know just how difficult it is to play quarterback at a Division I program.
“Calling for a backup quarterback and backup pitcher, backup point guard, I understand that’s just a part of sports. But Greg is one of us. He grew up here. He came back to do something that’s never been done before and he’s poured every once of his body and soul in that task.
“Let me say this again – it’s really been remarkable. If his performance and preparation and dedication drop off, then obviously it’s just like every other position, that he will not be a starter for a team.
“When he’s in the game, it’s because we believe that he gives us the best chance to win. And I truly, truly, truly thank him for being here. And I hope my kids grow up (tears begin filling his eyes) … to have the courage … and determination of a Greg Paulus. I get emotional when I talk about my family.”
That’s about as fruity as the the above video. Marrone don’t try to feed your alumni and the people across this great country that bull. The man hadn’t played football in four years and you hand him the starting quarterback job to that same D-1 program you mention.
Marrone, your such a joke that your finalists for the Biletnikoff Award Mike Williams has decided to leave the team, marking the 20th player to leave your program since you arrived.
I’ll tell you what coach Marrone, I’m an overweight producer/blogger/on-air talent/business owner how about you give me the quarterback job at your D-1 school, hell I can’t do any worse than Paulus. If your interested give me a call at (210) 736-9760.
4 Years Since You Took A Snap….Here’s The Starting Quarterback Position
Donovan McNabb Is Rolling Over In His Grave
Hey Cameron Dantley nobody at Syracuse University cares if you threw for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns last season and that your a senior, its time to move to that spot on the bench because the 2005 Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year Greg Paulus is here. Yeah it’s been four years since he last took a competitive snap but he’s been busy getting posterized playing basketball down at Duke University with Mike Krzyzewski.
We know head coach Doug Marrone promised you the job in March after you performed well during spring practice but he can’t waste a year on you sophomore Ryan Nassib. Especially when the roster has a star quarterback with only this year of eligibility remaining from Christian Brothers Academy. This gives you time to watch how this once in a lifetime talent at quarterback handles the Big East Conference.
Charley Loeb lets face it, your a freshman and this might be the only pub you get all year. You just don’t have the experience under center in Division 1-A. That would be silly for head coach Monroe to play someone with no snaps to their resume.
The cutest thing of all was how Paulus, who joined the team in July, tried to down play his greatness on media day by letting everyone know he did have a difficult time transitioning from hoops to football because there where more names of teammates to remember now.
“Having this many guys is something that I am not accustomed to, going from 12 to 75 guys, so it has taken a little bit longer to learn those guys’ names and learn all about them. But it has been fun. We have a great bunch of guys here and they’ve been great and nothing but supportive of me.”
When that number 2 jersey enters from the tunnel for the season opener at the Carrier Dome to face the Minnesota Gophers on September 5, the Syracuse pro-style offense will be in good hands. Why wouldn’t it be, its only been 4 years since he last played plus he has the distinction along with Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer of being the only Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year that did not play football at the collegiate level.
Take a moment and bow Doug Monroe and Greg Paulus for crapping on the Syracuse University football program which is renowned for producing All-Americans and as well as Professional Football Hall of Famers. Among the athletes you are disgracing Ernie Davis, Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Art Monk, Jim Ringo, John Mackey, Floyd Little, Dwight Freeney, Marvin Harrison, and Donovan McNabb.
