Dodd - Syracuse Job Unofficially Open

CBS Sportsline's Dennis Dodd, the man who just a few short weeks ago called the job of being the head football coach at Syracuse a coach killer, has now declared that with the firing of Lane Kiffin, the position is unofficially open. While there isn't anyone alive who would disagree with the sentiment that the Greg Robinson era is already over, the timing is interesting.


There is the obvious USC connection between Kiffin and SU Althletic Director Daryl Gross, so that will lead to some natural speculation. However, personally I think there's something more afoot. Say what you will about him, but Gross recognizes that getting Syracuse mentioned in the same breath as coaches like Lane Kiffin give the national media an opportunity to talk about the program in terms of how it can be resurrected, rather than focusing on how far it has fallen. He's not going to quell any of this talk, after his ESPN escapade last week, I'd be surprised if he wasn't fanning the flames behind the scenes.


Kiffin is a guy who evokes some strong feelings on both sides of the aisle of 'cuse nation. Post Standard writer David Rahme doesn't think he's the right fit, whereas fans like AJV think he's the young energetic guy that could turn the program around (see the discussion in the comments section). I'm on the fence, he certainly wouldn't be my first choice, but at this point Mrs. Butterworth represents an upgrade over what is currently in place.

Here's what we know - hiring a coach is a complete crap shoot. I don't care what anyone says, until someone gets into a position, you never know how he's going to pan out. A guy like Dennis Franchione went from being a genius and savior to calling games on ESPN radio in just a few years. People can trot out all the criteria they want to see in a new coach, but it's all just idle speculation. Even Bill Walsh didn't succeed in his last coaching stop at Stanford, it's an unpredictable business and we won't know if the next hire is the right one until it's too late -that's just the way this thing works.

So we know hiring coaches is, to some degree, a game of chance. We also know Daryl Gross has failed spectacularly with the Robinson hire, so SU fans are rightfully wary of who he will bring in next. Gross likes to take credit for hiring Pete Carroll, but I don't think I've ever heard the words "Paul Hackett" come out of the man's mouth. For anyone unfamiliar with Hacket's stay at USC, let's just say it didn't work out too well.

Lastly we know that not firing Robinson at the end of last year was a colossal mistake. As a result, Syracuse fans are so beaten down and disheartened that we can't even think straight and the season is only five games old. Any name not begining with Greg and ending with Robinson represents something that's been missing from the program for years - hope. So while we've all known since the Akron loss that SU was looking for a new head coach - CBS has officially "unofficially" declared this to be the case. Here's hoping Orange44 can post something without Donnie Webb getting all up in arms.

In addition to Kiffin, Dodd tossed out two names that have made occasional appearances on message boards - Doug Marrone, the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints and Syracuse alum and Chip Kelly, the offensive coordinator at Oregon and a former coach at the University of New Hampshire. Both guys are known for high scoring offenses and Gross could do a lot worse - fans will cut the program a lot of slack if over the next couple of years they are losing 42-35 shoot outs and lighting up the dome scoreboard. As I've stated before, I'd like Turner Gill to be on any list because if you can make Buffalo competitive, that's nothing short of a miracle in my book.

No one knows how this thing will play out, but for the sake of the program, SU needs to "officially" cut ties with Robinson, because choosing a successor is the most important decision they have faced in the last 25 years.

It's Official - Kiffin Fired

Lane Kiffin has officially been fired as head coach of the Raiders. Let the rumor-mongering and speculation about his next coaching position begin....let's just hope society is strong enough to handle it.

Tuesday Reading

Welcome to Tuesday, thanks to the TD the Steelers defense scored last night, I lost my fantasy football football game by a mere 4 points. I don't know what I'm more upset about, losing that, or having to watch an entire Ravens game. Let's get to some links.

Damien Rhodes has returned home to his help his alma mater win a championship. I think FM could give SU a run for their money right now.

Mike Holmes makes the Big East honor roll.

Quarterbacks are getting hurt in the Big East - the solution - play Syracuse, where your QB is guaranteed not to get hit.

Greg Robinson better be wearing fireproof pants with all the hot seat talk.

Here's something that's fun to do - go to Google images, type in the search terms hot seat, and wouldn't you know it, the 9th picture that comes up - Greg Robinson.

The AP says the Orange bye week is a tough one.

Black jerseys will be broken out for the West Virginia game! OK, not really, but it's a great read anyway - golf clap to you Sean.

Hugging Harold Reynolds has a great photo up of coach Boeheim's visit to Capitol Hill last week.

There's still tickets available for Melo's Oct 17 preseason game at the Dome. Preseason NBA basketball - feel the excitement!

UConn football fans complain about a lack of respect. Waaaaaaaaah - no one respects us, waaaaaaaaaaah. Zip it UConn fans, no one likes you anyway.

Mike Ditka and Dennis Quaid chat about the Express and sports movies in general.

The baseball season refuses to end.

Week 4 of the NFL season in pictures.

The Sports Point has all the NFL stories you would ever want, including a gem about Ricky Williams. They've got a great round up of college football stories too.

Emmit Smith - all great NFL running back, smooth dancer, and one of the worst announcers in the history of the spoken word.

I'll leave you with this - there's a month until the next Syracuse home game, but if you want to look like everyone else in the building, this is the shirt for you.

Don't Be That Guy: Carrier Dome Edition

"What's this? You're wearing the shirt of the band you're going to see? Don't be that guy." ~Jeremy Piven (Droz), P.C.U.

Earlier this year we at T3I provided our readers (both of you out there) with some fantasy football advice with the first in our series of "Don't Be That Guy" posts.

After four straight weeks of trudging up to the Dome and being exposed to some of the worst football in recent NCAA history we're at it again. Thanks to Boss and the Russianator for their 2 cents. The inspiration for a Carrier Dome edition of "DBTG" occurred this year when a shirtless Penn State fan decided to sit right in front of me. So, along with this guy here's a list of people you don't want to be when catching a football game in November at the Dome:

1. Hijack Conversation Guy: You're sitting in your seat watching Greg Robinson do something that makes you want to stab your eyes with a plastic fork and chatting with your buddy. You are talking about tonight's real college football game on ABC, or perhaps discussing the baseball pennant race when this guy decides he's going to join in on your conversation, even though you have no idea who this guy is. The A-B conversation is suddenly turned into a three-way thanks to this guy who is more than willing to share his "expertise."

2. Creepy Old Guy: Inspired by a real guy in my section. He's in his 60's and takes way too many pictures of the cheerleaders with his disposable camera. Uhmm....I'm feeling uncomfortable. I think a Lifetime Movie started with this premise.

3. Tucked In Jersey Guy: I'll be honest, I'm not much for wearing a sports jersey in public. But I give a free pass to anyone who wants to do it while attending a game. David Puddy said it best...."Gotta support the team." However, please don't tuck in your jersey into your khakis. Again, inspired by a real character in my section.

4. Outdated Apparel Guy: (Cousin of Tucked In) This is the guy wearing the Steelers Joey Porter jersey or the Giants Jeremy Shockey jersey. You might think about feeling bad for him but don't be fooled by this guy...he got the jersey on special after the player left town.

Let's cut to the chase, there are a lot of old people in the Dome. God bless them for supporting the program - however, it's time to update the wardrobe people. Specifically I'm talking about the guy who wears a 20 year old corduroy SU hat. This stuff isn't that expensive, so go buy some new gear people - I still see fans wearing hats and clothes this logo on it and that's unacceptable.

5. Stat Reader Guy: Famous for his ability to read statistics directly off of the big scoreboard within 1 second of them being posted, provides a great service to all of the blind fans in attendance. Also known as the "Score Barker" when reading out of town scores. Which leads us to:

6. Parlay Guy: This guy sits behind you and comments on every out of town score because, as he says he, "Has some big time cash riding on it." What he doesn't say is that its $5, 10-teamer "Don't lose on ties" parlay that has no chance of hitting to begin with.

7. Needs a Salad Guy: Let's be honest, those Dome seats aren't exactly luxurious. This guy lumbers in a 413 lbs and sits in the space next to you, which wouldn't be so bad except for the the space was designed for someone half his size, and he should have been forced to buy 2 tickets.

8. Old Sit Down Guy: It's third down, the Cuse needs a big stop and you are on your feet screaming to for the "D." That's when this silver haired senior tells you to "Sit down." As I've told a couple of these guys in my section, "You are not in church, this is a football game. If we were in your living room you could tell me to sit down." Of course if I was watching a Syracuse game in the living room of a 70 year old man I'd have a whole other bag of issues to deal with.

9. Guy Who Barely Moves When You Try To Get By: This guy is just lazy and makes it almost impossible to squeeze by when making beer runs. A relative of this guy is known as:

10. Guy Who Gets Visibly Angry When You Ask Him To Move: This guy scowls at you every time you get up. Guess what people, this team is terrible - beer helps everyone cope - don't shoot me a dirty look for exercising my right to numb the pain inflicted by Greg Robinson.

11. Kick Your Back Guy: We all know this character, the one that sits behind you and feels the need to implant his knee into your back for 3 hours. No matter how many times you turn around, 5 minutes later he's accidentally kicking you again. This is a problem in the "backless" sections of the Dome - the new orange seat backs they installed have not solved the problem.

12. Seat Stealer Guy: This is the guy before the game that has tried to weasel his way into your seats. Often times they slowly slide their way over a seat or two during the game and next thing you know this guy is practically on your lap.

There it is boys and girls. Show up and cheer the players on this team during the two remaining home games...but please don't be one of these guys. For our readers-- let us know which guys we missed from your section of the Dome.

Now excuse me while I get my Randy Moss Raiders jersey and khakis ready for the Louisville game. Where did I put my hat?

Yes, My Life is Changed

In possibly the most accurately titled post of all time, the Sports Hernia gives us this - the Jim Mora song that will change your life. As faithful readers of this site know, all 3 idiots LOVE coaching meltdowns. We savor them the way Refrigerator Perry savors a pig or the way Donald Trump savors attention. They are joyous moments, they are moments of Divine Intervention.

Well, if you love these events as much as we do, sit back and enjoy the next minute and 20 seconds, because you are in for a treat, and yes, your life will be changed. Thank you Jim Mora, thank you. All credit goes to the Sports Hernia for unearthing this.

Monday Reading

Good morning, I'm still pissed off over the Eagles-Bears game last night, so let's skip the pleasantries and get right to some reading.

Greg Robinson's Sunday press conference yielded the answer that will has become synonymous with his tenure - I don't know. Speaking of which, I don't know how much more of this I can take - I by "this" I mean his press conferences.

Syracuse.com offers up an autopsy on the Pitt loss. If I were the coroner I would conclude this - cause of death - the worst head coach in college football.

Let's see how SU Blog Nation reacted to the loss - and what does it say about all of us that we have more blogs about SU than Greg Robinson has wins? I think it means we are all insane. Anyway:

• The SportHump revels in fact that you can't stop Van Chew, you can only hope to contain him.


• Orange44 reacts to Carr-gate and then gives the team a C + for the effort against Pitt. I am of the opinion they were too generous with the coaching grade, but it was another job well done over there.


• King Otto with another Konclusion, probably the most comprehensive blogger run-down out there.


• The Orange Squeeze rightly takes issue with the latest Robinson press conference.


• Bleeding Orange questions Robinson's strategery.

Could Greg Robinson feel better if he were coaching the Chiefs? Since the Chiefs won after this story was published, it's safe to assume Greg was nowhere near KC on Sunday.

The Legend of Cecilio Guante has 5 things that should have happened by now.

The Daily Orange says logic is lacking in Greg's moves.......no kidding.

Pitt played to win, Syracuse not to lose, yes Gregger, you got out coached by the Wannestache.

Losing 2.0 - population Syracuse.

In basketball news, Scoop Jardine may redshirt - which means Devo could be playing some point.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle says the Orange hoop team will give fans a treat.

The Syracuse hoop team has some common names.

Being a mets fan must suck.

TO is finally causing problems in Dallas - it's about time.

Here's a mini-round up of NFL games.

And since it's Monday, I'll leave you with the WORST STORY EVER.

An Eagles-Bears Rant

Reid Wasn't Quite Good Enough Tonight

The Eagles just gave away a victory to the Chicago Bears tonight and I'm so fired up and pissed off, I've got to get this out of my system. A few observations, most of which will be obvious, please indulge me.

* If you watch the replay of the 4th and goal where Buckhalter got stuffed, watch back up tight end Matt Shoebel, he's the jerk off on the left end of the line. He didn't block ANYONE - and I mean NO ONE. The guy lined up over his left shoulder, Alex Brown, broke down the line to stop Correll before he could get in. I mean if this f*cking guy trips over his own feet and gets in Brown's way, Buck scores, because there was just enough of a seam for him to squeeze into, except Brown got to him. Schoebel should be cut - immediately - and then tortured. And after that he should be forced to watch that new Richard Gere movie that's out, and then they should cut his ass again.

* Brian Westbrook should be named the MVP of the league right now - because with him the Eagles easily hang 30 plus points per game on opponents - without him, they are left to settle for missed field goals from David Akers.

* Speaking of which, since the start of 2007, David Akers is 2-9 on field goals of more than 40 yards - including the 2 he missed tonight. Frankly, that's unacceptable. This guy has been getting a free pass for too long, his kick offs aren't great either. It's reasonable to expect your kicker to make more FGs than he misses from more than 40 yards, it's not asking too much.

* Lorenzo Booker should not have a job in the NFL. He can't block anyone, he's too small to break a tackle, and he looks like a deer in the headlights every time he steps on the field. Plus his hands are questionable. So he's got all that going for him, which is nice. Here's what you do - CUT HIM. Sign a fullback, and put Tony Hunt back at his natural tailback position. As a fullback he's useless anyway. Or better yet, trade Booker to the Rams, they're so imcompetent they'd probably give up Torry Holt for him.

* The defense, after sleep walking through the first half, gave the team every chance to win in the second half. Every chance - it was a wasted effort, even if they did make Kyle Orton look like Dan Marino in the first half. In the second half they were fierce, and they deserved better.

* Andy Reid and/or Mary M absolutely had to give McNabb a chance to make a play on goal line and they failed to do so. He's healthy, his legs are stronger than ever and he's been tough to bring down, that 4th and goal play was tailor-made for a quarterback sneak.

* They should have also got Buckhalter more involved in the first half, he's proven himself to be a solid NFL running back -except when an unblocked Alex Brown is draped on him that is.

* Reggie Brown failed to get out of bounds on the last play of the game. It sort of sums up his Eagle career to date. He made a play, but the play wasn't quite good enough.

* DeSean Jackson looked rattled after a quick start. I would have liked to have seen more Hank Baskett in the game plan, I love his hands. Same with Jason Avant.

* The NFC East is an absolute beast, this loss could come back to haunt the birds later in the year, you simply can't give away a game like these. It makes me want to punch something - but I think I'll just go to bed instead, hey, at least tomorrow is Monday, so we've got that to look forward too.......wait a minute.

Home of the Silver

A crowd shot as SU was lining up for the opening kickoff - plenty of good seats were available

Champ has once again offered some excellent observations and links to the latest Greg Robinson lead failure, Syracuse's 34-24 loss to the Pitt Panthers, I thought I'd chime in with my two cents on the latest debacle, viewed by no one, under the teflon bubble.

• First of all, I DON'T BLAME THEM ONE BIT - but the students didn't bother with this game. Hey, they showed up and were loud and excited for Akron and Penn State, you can only abuse people for so long.
  
  
• I've never been a fan of Curtis Brinkley, but this year he's healthy, running with purpose, and having a great year. He's clearly the best running back on the team, pulling him out of the game for no good reason is insane. Claiming he was tired after on 16 carries is another Greg Robinson classic - he's in shape and he's 21 years old - give the damn kid the ball, he's earned it.
  
  
• It's not even worth harping on the coaching anymore - it's been so bad for so long that every salient point has already been made. That being said, Greggo's refusal to use nickel and dime packages on 3rd down is a HUGE reason why this team can't get off the field. Its stunning that a man who has coached for 30 years refuses to put an extra DB on the field in 3rd and long situations.
  
  
• No offense to Da'Mon Merkerson - but he's had a rough year at cornerback, so naturally the staff moves him to offense and now has him playing both ways. This makes sense how? Are you really telling me that Da'Mon Merkerson is so good he needs to play of both sides of the ball? WTF???
  
  
• Mitch Browning - your offense is functional, which is a huge improvement, we thank you for it. It is not exciting however - not even close.
  
  
• If you throw the ball deep on 3rd and 1 - (great call by the way) - but then are not prepared to go for it on 4th and 1, you don't throw the ball deep on 3rd and 1!!!!!!
  
  
• Similarly - if you plan to try and draw the other team off-sides on 4th and 1 - and the other team jumps and you DON'T SNAP THE F-ING BALL - don't try and draw the other team off-sides.
  
  
• It's an open secret Greg doesn't have his team tackle during practice, it shows. You can't excel at something you don't practice.
  
  
• Greg's answer to just about everything for 4 years - I don't know. I don't know how he got this far in his career.
  
  
• Then again, when you hire a guy that got fired from 2 of his last 3 jobs, we should have seen this coming.

Why They Need to Fire Robinson Now

A few weeks ago I was of the opinion that firing Greg during the season wouldn't accomplish anything - from a performance perspective, I still believe this to be the case. I don't think getting rid of him now makes a real difference in terms of how many games the team will win. Due to the ever-increasing complexity of offensive and defensive systems, football does not lend itself to mid-season coaching changes. It is just too hard to change horses mid-stream. Maybe the shock of canning the coach gives the team an emotional shot in the arm and they win one more game than they normally would - big deal.

However, they need to fire him now to give something to the fans. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why fans aren't showing up anymore. We've been ABUSED for the last 4 years and I do not blame anyone for not going to the games. As fans, it's the only recourse we have - if the product is unacceptable, our only option to protest this nonsense is to not go. I drive from Albany to almost every home game - I know some people in the area who used to do the same. They don't anymore.

I have heard the administration is not going to fire Greg before the season is out. It's just a rumor, I don't have anything to back it up, but letting him go now gives the fans a reason to show up again. There's been too much damage done in the relationship between Robinson and the fans. 32 losses in 40 games - many of them horrific blowouts, is the equivalent of Robinson being a sex addict and cheating on his wife repeatedly. Even if he somehow rights the ship, and claims he's gotten help for his problem, we don't believe him. We've been screwed over too many times.

There wasn't a person in that building yesterday - other than the coaches and players - that truly believed they were going to win that game. It's a relationship that's beyond repair, and it needs to end. They need to give us something different to check out, they need to send a message that this performance is unacceptable, or they need to be prepared for two more games of crowd shots that look like this:

Just before opening kick off, there were a lot of people in the dome dressed like empty seats

34-24

The SportHump's own Van Chew celebrates his first TD catch (Photo: Frank Ordonez, Post-Standard)

For your real post-game reading, check out Axe's "Sorting Through The Rubble" post. Donnie's good stuff can be found here. For an idiot's stupid obersvations, continue reading:

• Frosh WR and SportHump endorsed favorite Van Chew took the lead in his Heisman battle with T3I adopted son Chaz Cervino. For the record, the Russianator and I missed this as we were busy finishing our halftime beers in the Dome concourse. Beer....how could you betray us?
• Plenty of seats available. Announced attendanced 24K. I'm saying under 20K again.
• I got to take in some pre-game festivities on the quad. Big thanks to my tailgating buddy Pete for the invite. The Billy Joel cover band sounded really like Billy Joel. And as our friend Sean at Nunes would ask.....where were the Kiss midgets?
• I'm watching the local news recaps of today's game as I type this....best soundbite....Curtis Brinkley on his benching, "I wasn't tired."
• Second best soundbite, Nick Santiago, "This sucks." Nick, welcome to the world of being a Syracuse football fan.
• Big win for the blue sub in the Subway Sub Race.
• This has to be the worst tackling team I've ever seen.
• People, a bye week is the perfect time to get your Help Wanted shirts.
• Speaking of the schedule, with four straight home games I'm REALLY looking forward to sitting on my couch next weekend and watching some good football.
• Saw the Phil Knight statue in person for the first time.
• The 4th and 1 call and Brinkley on the bench.....just read Axe's take above. Ditto me Axe.
• See you in November fellas.

Syracuse - Pitt - Official Idiotic Predictions

Game 4 of the 2008 Syracuse football season kicks off at high noon tomorrow in the Carrier Dome. Four home games in a row + gas to fill my Jeep Grand Cherokee + cost of premium seats + years of counseling to get over the mental torture that these games have become = one expensive September. Get to know the Panthers a little better here, and then enjoy some idiotic predictions.

Boss

After last week's "impressive" win over Northeastern, the Orange bring back some familiar themes that have been hallmarks of the Gross/Robinson Era:

1. The 12 noon Big East Game of the Week on ESPN Plus. If you miss this one, don't worry, I personally assure you of several more this year.

2. Halftime honorees. Nothing against Art Monk, who is a class act and is finally an NFL Hall-of-Famer...but enough with the god-forsaken ceremonies Daryl, try putting a winning football team on the field...no seriously.

3. Losing. Yes, its back and better than ever.

Pittsburgh 38
Syracuse 22

Champ

The Bataan Death March that was September Syracuse football comes to an end this Saturday at high noon. These early starts mean one thing: cracking beers at 8:00am in a parking lot. Now onto the game.

Dave Wannstedt vs. Greg Robinson. The Sporthump has taught me well....never underestimate the power of the 'stache. Yes I'm typing these words....Greg Robinson makes Dave Wannstedt look great.

Pitt 31
Syracuse 10

Russianator

The Panthers have some good running backs and Syracuse is good at making running backs look great. Seems like an appropriate combination. The coaching match up couldn't be better, two guys that washed out of the NFL and now are making a mess of their respective programs.

I honestly believe that Wannestache is just good enough of a coach to keep himself from getting fired for the next 5 years. He recruits well, he'll win a game or two he shouldn't, then go out and blow games to teams like Bowling Green. He is going to absolutely TORTURE Pitt fans -the continual cycle of hope, despair and redemption will be enough for people to start jumping out of tall buildings eventually - so good luck with that Pitt fans.

That being said, he's still better than Greg Robinson - quite a bit better actually.

Pitt 35

Syracuse 16 (3 more field goals for Slim Shadle)

Friday Reading

Welcome to Friday, it's always the happiest day of the week - well happy for most of us, there are a bunch of USC Trojans still licking the wounds that the beavers inflicted on them last night. I could make these juvenile jokes all day, so let's move on and get to some links.

This story on the Syracuse.com sports page cracked me up - Big East Facing an Off Year......um that was pretty much apparent from week one.

Dave Rahme says the Pitt game is a chance to turn SU's season around.

The Axeman is speculating on when Greg Robinson will exit stage left.

The Daily Orange has a story on Adrian Dantley v. Pitt - Round 2.

Lavar Lobdell is getting impatient. To quote Boss, the rest of us passed the impatient stop on the highway 3 exits ago.

The Post Standard music writer tried to come up with some funny and snappy comebacks for people who talk trash to SU fans. It was a good effort, except for the lack of funny and snappy.

I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but it's worth pointing out again, SU is so bad they are West Virginia's homecoming opponent.

Robinson v. Wannestache - it's a battle of hot seats.

Ten things to watch in the Big East this weekend.

The Washington Post says lame duck coaches face a cloudy future - the picture that goes with the story - you guessed it, Greg Robinson.

In basketball news, Mike DeCourcy calls Jonny Flynn college basketball's best point guard, he talks about how Flynn is lobbying Boeheim to play more man to man and the ad on the page is a picture of Alyssa Milano in a tight t-shirt. In other words - this story is perfect.

Here's a story on the origin of the blogosphere - I'm blaming bloggers for this.

Michael Phelps needs to work on hanging up the phone.

Joe Pa is returning his suspended players to the field Saturday.

And I'll leave you with this update - the drunk driver who was farting, the ass gas charge was dropped.

Trojans Fall Into Beaver Trap

Once again USC, a team loaded with talent, stumbled against an inferior opponent, the Oregon State Beavers on national television last night. The Beavers beat the Trojans 27-21, as Oregon State freshman tailback Jacquizz Rodgers ran wild, gaining 186 yards on 37 carries.

It was a great game to watch, but it was even more fun writing that headline - which was the whole point of this post.

New Merchandise - and a Little Rant

Guess what - we've got a new shirt for you to check out. With the end of the Greg Robinson era now an inevitability, it's time to show the world we're being proactive and looking for the best candidate possible, so spread the word and wear your Help Wanted shirt with pride.

And while we're here - a message on this t-shirt controversy. We know most of you don't care and shouldn't care - we apologize for wasting your time, however, we need to rant for a second. A few weeks ago three SU students started selling our Greg Robinson Farewell shirts. We believe they stole the concept from us, had cheaper versions printed up, and sold them to fans before SU home games. Our shirts went on sale on this site, through Zazzle, on August 19th. A month later, prior to the Penn State game on September 13th, they were selling them on the quad. The time frame couldn't be more clear.

It was complete and total bullshit, but whatever. The last thing we were looking for when we started this blog was to pick a fight with some college kids. Was it a cheap move on their part? Sure it was. Are we losing sleep over it - of course not. Their response to this blatant thievery - on this blog, on our Zazzle page and in the e-mail response they sent me after I contacted them, was focused two issues - 1) that they aren't doing anything illegal and 2) our shirts are overpriced.

The pricing argument appears to be their main objection, as they've repeatedly brought it up. Being the wise old men that we are, it's pretty clear this defense indicates that they saw the shirt, realized that it is possible to produce a similar, yet cheaper garment, and sell said shirt to make money. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Anyway, we were done with it and even turned down two separate interview requests from the Daily Orange on the topic. We had moved on but then these little morons, or one of their surrogates, started leaving comments on our Zazzle site about the shirts being overpriced. We don't set the price, the company we go through does - we make a tiny margin on the shirts we sell. We created them because they are funny and its a way to express how we feel about what's going on with the football program. If want to buy one great - if you don't, but the shirt makes you laugh, that's just as good. If you think they are overpriced, don't buy one. If you don't like them at all, you've lost 9 seconds of your life.

So, here's a message to Josh Shaw, Shawn O'Donoghue and Mike Zahler , do us a favor and try your best to not rip this one off. We know it will be hard for you, but try and show a little restraint. Also, your professors might want to check and see how many of your term papers came straight from the internet. So let this post be a message to the world that the official Help Wanted shirts originated here, and if any of the guys below try and and sell you something similar, you can bet your ass he didn't think up the idea on his own.

Thursday Morning Reading

Welcome to Thursday my friends. The season premier of The Office is less than 12 hours away, let's kill a little time until then. Here are some links.

A Syracuse tailback from the past inspires LeSean McCoy.....the starting running back from this week's opponent, the Pitt Panthers. Of course, David Walker is LeSean's position coach, so that's his job.

We also have some practice notes and video reports as the Orange prepares for its Big East season opener. Here's a fun fact - Greg Robinson needs to win his next 3 Big East games just to get his conference winning percentage over .200.

Donnie reports that the Athletic Department may soon have it's own jet - say what you will about Gross, that fact that he got into enough people's pockets to secure a jet is impressive.

The Daily Orange has a video preview up of the game.

Bleeding Orange is back gives Nancy Cantor the Dunce of the Day award.

Is Syracuse a trap game for Pitt? I'm going to say no to on this one.

Everyday Should be Saturday has some fun with Syracuse fans.

Will there be more Pitt fans that Orange fans in the dome on Saturday? Bet no - Pitt fans don't show up half the time when their team is at home.

You know what cures the ills of Syracuse football fans - a college basketball marathon in November.

The Carmelo Center will be finished by September 2009 - and you can set that date in stone because no construction project has ever had cost and time frame over runs.

The hoops team will have a very good lacrosse player suiting up for them this year.

Monte Ellis is learning the hard way that mopeds can cause embarrassment in a variety of ways.

Baron Davis is now friends with Jenny Craig.

One of my good friends is a Mets fan - he's staying away from sharp objects today.

Fun with license plates.

Hank Baskett, in addition to hooking up with one of Hef's girls, he's catching footballs.

And I'll leave you with two pieces of advice - if you get pulled over by a cop for a DUI, farting is not the answer, and please try not to confuse hot dogs with bombs. Of course, if you eat too many dogs, then get pulled over by the cops, that whole 'not farting' thing becomes a lot tougher - you've been warned.

This Week in Syracuse Football Through the Music of Bruce Springsteen

• Called out by the GameDay crew


• Squeaked out a "w" over a middle of the road 1-AA team


• The Good Doctor called his pals at ESPN and introduced us to the 800 lb. gorilla


• GRob thought we're not that bad


• Jim Brown expressed his displeasure....run and hide people

Welcome to the circus that currently is Syracuse Football:

"Wild Billy's Circus Story"

The runway lies ahead like a great false dawn

Fat lady, big mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns

And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffin' popcorn

As the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn

Circus town's been born

Ebay Item of the Week

Anytime you combine comedian Redd Foxx and Colt 45 Malt Liqour, you've got pure gold my friends. Such is this week's Ebay Item of the Week.

I know it was the 70's and all, but I'm pretty sure this ad is promoting drinking and driving:




And hell, I can't mention Colt 45 without a shout-out to the coolest man alive--- Billy Dee:




Screw it....a Redd Foxx mention and no love for one of the greatest sitcoms and theme songs of all-time??? Not on my watch.

Trent Green Named Starter in St. Louis, Immediately Sidelined with a Concussion

(Idiot News Service) – In an effort to spark their Syracuse circa 2005 offense, St. Louis Rams coach Scott ‘Dead Man Walking’ Linehan has named Trent Green the starting quarterback for this Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Idiot News Service is reporting exclusively that Green may not be able to take the field because he’s being treated for yet another concussion. Sources deep inside the Rams organization have learned that this morning after practice Green was hit in the head by one of Steven Jackson’s dread locks while in line at the salad bar at the Rams training facility.

According to an eye witness, Green was behind Jackson in line and was reaching in under the sneeze guard to get some bacos, when Jackson realized he’d forgotten to ladle the tasty fake meat parts over his generously apportioned salad. Jackson turned his head quickly to reach back for the delicious topping, causing a dread lock to swing around and hit Green in the temple. He immediately collapsed to the floor.

Our witness, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said, "Steven really likes bacon bits and frankly, bacos are his favorite. You know there's no actual meat in them right? Steve doesn't care - for him, it's a plus, because they are healthy for you. Well I was standing at the salad bar trying to decide if I wanted to put any of that weird baby corn on my salad and just as I looked up I see Steve turn around really fast. Steve is a fast man, people forget that because he hasn't had a hole to run through in two years, but he's still fast. Anyway, when his head whipped around that dread caught Trent right in the head, he didn't stand a chance, not after his long history of concussions. He hit hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Seriously though, Trent should have never been that close to him - it's the salad bar man - it's war in there."

Dante Hall was standing behind Green in line, but tragically dropped him as he fell to the floor. There’s no word on whether or not Green will be cleared, if he can’t go, Marc Bulger will again be under center - until he inevitably gets hurt in the third quarter.

Wednesday Morning Reading

Welcome to Wednesday, I couldn't find a decent newspaper front page to post, so the motivational poster will have to do. You know the drill - Greg Robinson still can't coach, Daryl Gross is defending his job performance, and Clay Aiken is still gay. Just another normal week, let's get to some links.

Donnie gives the Daryl Gross/Ivan Maisel story the full treatment, and the story has another mention of Get Gross Out - sadly, they couldn't toss the guy a hyper-link, so I just did.

Greg Robinson is a man that could be standing in a burning building and all he'd be talking about is what a nice job the fire is doing of heating the place. He proves that again here.

Lane Kiffin could be a candidate for the SU job, if he ever gets fired.

Kenny, Kenny, Kenny - you have to check him out this week for the dancing alone. That Kenny can move people.

Hall of Famer Art Monk will be honored on Saturday.

The AP says Greggo has tunnel vision.

Ben Smith of the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne Indiana wasn't a big fan of the Express - feels like he's seen it before.

The offensive line is getting better.

I loved this headline about Greg - the Green Mile, that's classic.

In basketball news, ESPN does a story on Eric Devendorf's recovery.

The Orange are picked number 25 by Athlon.

Jimmy B raises more money to fight cancer. When it's all said and done, even with a national championship, the work this man has done to raise money to fight this disease should never be overlooked and always be a HUGE part of his legacy. I will not step off my soap box.

Matt Millen FINALLY gets fired. Wow, that took a long time.

Plaxico Burress finally gets suspended -and yes I threw the finally in there to tweak all my friends who are giants fans.

Canadian football still sucks - even if the Flutie family disagrees.

And here are the NFL games that will be on in your area this weekend.

2008 Syracuse Football: The Home Version

Upset because you couldn't make it to the Dome last weekend? Haven't been able to catch a game live this year? Not to worry, beacuse the experience of being there in person is now replicable. Kids don't try this at home.

Some other assorted junk from the internet:

Uhmmmm.....I've heard of better ideas than this.

The Daryl Gross Propaganda Machine reports that this weeks game against Pitt will be "Courage Day." We at T3I suggest "liquid courage" as the way to make it through the remaining games.

The Nats are coming! The Nats are coming! I'm not shedding any tears that the Chiefs didn't land the Mets (Yanks fan). After all, nothing says excitement like The Artist Formerlly Known as The Expos. Just one request--- let's get a Red Porch Pub at Alliance Bank Stadium. And I'm advocating for a name change: Syracuse Commander-in-Chiefs. I'd better copyright that before someone steals it and puts on a t-shirt for sale on the SU hill.

Weekend, get here.

Gross Wants the World to Know Robinson isn't "Cutting it" - World Already Knows

So it appears all the negative publicity DOCTOR Daryl Gross has been getting over the past week is finally starting to get to him. Whether it was the verbal beating he took on College Gameday Saturday, or the written smack down given to him by Scott Reid of the Orange County Register, it appears the DOCTOR is now eager to defend himself, telling ESPN's Ivan Maisel that Robinson "isn't working out." Gee, thanks Doc, no one had figured that out before.

What makes the article startling is this passage about Gross:

"He made an unsolicited phone call to ESPN.com to defend himself, citing the university's success in non-revenue sports, ranging from the 2008 NCAA men's lacrosse championship to an Orange field hockey program currently ranked third in the nation. "

An unsolicited phone call to defend himself, which in turn garnered even more NATIONAL negative publicity for a wretched football program. Why? All for the greater glory of DOCTOR Daryl Gross. Guess what Daryl, we know your ego is hurt, but making that call and generating even more bad press isn't going to make that GameDay piece disappear. It isn't going to get you a retraction in the Orange County Register. It's just going to give the University one more bad NATIONAL story on one of the most widely read sports sites on the Interet highlighting the complete failure of the football program.

However, it did give us some more great Greg Robinson quotes. While I'm sure TNIAAM will be all over these, I can't let them pass. Greg, apparently bolstered by the imaginary vote of confidence that famous alums gave him last week, feels confident he'll be the coach all season long, saying:

"He isn't going to do anything right now," Robinson, referring to Gross, said Monday night. "I know that. But let me tell you something, we just need to win. We're capable of winning. People don't know it."

People don't know it because it hasn't happened genius. You can't piss on people's shoes for 4 years and tell them its raining, life doesn't work that way.

Greg went on to say that Gross gets a lot of crap [ED Note: mostly because of his job performance] - saying:

"He's tried to hang in there," Robinson said of Gross. "He gets a lot of crap. I understand it. You know what? It [Syracuse football] ain't as bad as people think. He's feeling pressure ... He's got a political world to live in. My world is not that way."

Greg - 8-31 is bad. 2-19 is bad. Losing to Akron is bad. Losing games last year by an average of 20 points is bad. Losing to Penn State by 42 is bad. I want to live in your world, where everything is gum drops and lollipops, but since I can't get there, I can't wait until you exit mine.

Tuesday Reading

I usually try and write something slightly entertaining before getting to the links - well you're out of luck today, I've got nothing. The Chargers did beat down the Jets last night - other than that, let's read.

Rutgers, who this year reverted back to the Rutgers we all know and love, is working on keeping their chins up. What they should be working on is a little concept called "winning games."

Axe finds a nice Ernie Davis video to check out.

More weird slide shows from the Post Standard. The photos from Ordonez are good, the rest.....

Worst job in America? Well it's probably not that bad, but being a ticket scalper in Syracuse is pretty tough right now.

A few things the SU football team is better than..........Sport Hump style.

Here's a good story from the LA Times on the making of the Express.

The AP, which will never be confused with the NY Post in the headline department, scores with this one.

There is one less dead kitten thanks to SU's win on Saturday.

Devendorf could officially stay two more years, if that happens, I'm guessing he ends up at Syracuse about 3 years longer than he originally planned.

The Mets can't stop the bleeding, meanwhile, the Yankees are still not officially eliminated from playoff contention. That should happen by tonight.

Warren Sapp sets back Miami football 25 years.

Eagles receiver Hank Baskett likes the girl next door. God that was LAME on my part - just awful. I'm officially ashamed of myself - hey, guess what, you're not alone mom.

Calling the current Raider situation a mess is the equivalent of called the Greg Robinson era slightly disappointing - but hey, Al Davis is a Syracuse grad.

Colin Cowherd, loudmouth and ill-informed, won't be on in Indy anymore - those lucky bastards.

Brian Westbrook just has a strain and the 700 Level, and all Eagles fans, are happy.

Reason 1,256 why you should never live in Idaho - they are upset that the cheerleaders outfits are too revealing.

A review of the announcers for last night's game.

And I'll leave you with this, if you live in an area that allows porch couches, enjoy them, because they are clearly under attack.

Flying Football Players, Topless Fans, and Musty Crotches

There are some good videos making the way around the intertubes today - the first is Brian Dawkins going Superman and swatting the ball away from Ben Roethlisberger to set up the game clinching field goal for the birds - I found the video at the 700 level.




The second comes to us courtesy of the Big Lead - which pulled it from Sports Illustrated's campus clicks - it gets fun at the 28 second mark, I'm not sure what's better, that Brent had to make a crack about a chick popping out of her top, or that Herbstreit couldn't stop laughing.



The third comes from the great site Hugging Harold Reynolds and it proves what I've been saying for YEARS - if you've been drinking heavily and have a musty crotch, you should always avoid a video cameras. There's a lot of shouting, stick with it until the end.

Monday Morning Reading

Welcome to Monday after a big sports weekend. We all know Syracuse squeaked by Northeastern, the Eagle's D destroyed Big Ben, and Yankee Stadium hosted its last game. Let's get to some other links.

The Post Standard notes that despite the win, the SU football team still has flaws.

Humor columinst Jeff Kramer may have solved SU's coaching dilemma.

ESPN wasn't too kind to the good doctor - the video is below.

And speaking of not too kind, Scott Reid of the Orange County Register rips Gross a new a-hole.

Here's a running diary of college gameday......kind of odd, but amusing at the same time.

Don't slit your wrists just yet West Virginia fan, it's not this bad.

Here's the transcript from Greggo's presser yesterday.

Here's an article on the 3 jerk offs that stole our shirts - I especially like the part where they talk about how they stole the idea from us......wait a minute, I missed that.

In other Big East news, Rutgers sucks again, meanwhile the Panthers won a big game for the stache. Something tells me he's going to win just enough games to keep his job every year and torture the fan base.

In baseball news, the Mets keep doing what the Mets do best in September - choke.

Here's your A-Z college football run down.

And here's who sucked in the NFL yesterday.

The Ryder Cup is ours again and Nick Faldo is taking heat.

It looks like we can all ramp up that Lane Kiffin speculation.

Herm Edwards must have forgotten that you play to win the game.

And we'll close today with some advice for lawyers, it turns out you're not allowed to accept lap dances as part of your legal fees - you've been warned.

Quick Thoughts on the Win Over Northeastern

I'll make this brief since Champ did a great job with his photos and impressions of the Syracuse-Northeastern game and I basically agree with 100% of what Axe said, but I wanted to chime in a few a thoughts of my own.

• If you watched that game, there's no way you can say with a straight face the Syracuse would win Northeastern's conference - a I-AA conference.



• That wasn't even close to being a decisive victory.



• Honestly, that might have been the most boring football game I've ever seen in my life.



• Give Mitch Browning credit for getting the offense back to "almost functional" but I'm not blown away. If Deleone had been the one calling those plays, he would have been crucified. It's time to be aggressive, there's nothing to lose.



• The defense is an embarrassment, but that's to be expected when Greg Robinson is the coordinator.

Greggo's Sunday press conference was a repeat of everything we've heard for the past 4 years - basically him acting delusional and offering up empty promises of future improvement when we know all too well things will only improve once he's gone. He claimed there was a pass rush when there wasn't one (they netted exactly zero sacks), he made a I-AA quarterback sound like John Elway, and claimed the D line is "going to be" a good group. This type of crap is just so exhausting, I can not wait until this guy is gone. Four years of Groundhog Day is too much.

Want an interesting comparison? Browning's assessment of the offense - not good enough. At least someone on staff isn't bullshitting us.

Thanks Greg

"15,022...15,023...15,024. There I counted everyone."

Photo: Frank Ordonez, Post-Standard

Webmasters

After the first, and probably only, win of the season suathletics.com celebrated today's triumph like only they can--- by running the Cuse victory as their lead story with a photo from last week's Penn State game. Bravo.

And wasn't the score 30-21?

Can someone let these folks know that there is this great new invention called the digitial camera?

If no one comes home is it still homecoming?

We're on the board with a "w." A few crowd shots from today's scene at the Carrier Dome.

Plenty of legroom in the O-Zone.

5:00 before kickoff. There was NOT a late walk-up crowd.

I just got back from this week's trip to the proctologist. Some very early quick hits:

• Attendance was announced as thirty-four thousand (chuckle, chuckle), six hundred (hee hee) ninety-four (ha ha ha). 34,694? I know, I know....they announce paid attendance. There were less than 20,00 people in that building...sad times friends.
• Funniest thing heard all day, from a pre-game scalper, "Who needs one? Buy one ticket get four free." Times are tough for our scalper friends.
• The women's lacrosse team was honored at halftime. SU wised up and did not announce Daryl Gross with them.
• 1st half, 4th and 2 and you go for the FG?
• The Subway Sub Race may be the most exciting thing going this year in the Dome
• The 18,000 on hand were loud with their booing after Greg decided to run out the clock at the end of the 1st half. Nicely done.
• Funniest t-shirt I saw: "Greg Robinson is Responsible for my Drinking Problem." It won't be long until that's ripped off by the scumbags that do that sort of thing.

Settling in for some real football tonight....SEC style. I can't handle much more of this.

Thank You

A hearty thank you to all the cuse bloggers and friends who helped me win a George Bush-Al Gore style victory over at Hugging Harold Reynolds Iron Ref competition.

When I was told of the tie, I threatened to send an armada of lawyers to Hugging Harold Reynolds headquarters and although I have no evidence this influenced the vote, I'll take the victory nonetheless.

Make sure you check out my competitors sites at Steady Burn and Chicago Bull, as it was certainly a spirited competition.

Weekly NFL Football Picks - Except for Last Week

How hard is it to pick NFL games when there's no point spread? I never thought it was that hard - but for the last 5 years or so I've been in a pool where we do this. It has about 30 people in it and at the end of the year it pays out the top 3 spots. Without fail, every year I finish 4th or 5th. Through two weeks this year I'm tied for 5th, 3 picks off the lead. I've correctly hit 21 of 32 games, which is better than Keyshawn, Cris Carter and Mort. I'm also beating the Cousins of Ron Mexico - although everyone will have to take my word for it.

For your amusement, I'll be posting my picks, and the ill-fated logic behind these picks every Friday. You'll notice I didn't do so last Friday, but hey, life happens, and no one missed it anyway. Enough of the small talk, let's pick some games.

Arizona at Washington

This is a tough one - who knows when Kurt Warner will break in two because he's a hundred years old and who knows if the Redskins actually understand what Jim Zorn is trying to do. When in doubt, bet against the Cardinals on the road - sucking for 50 years is statistically relevent.

The pick - Washington

Carolina at Minnesota

The Panthers seem to be resurgent, Jake Delhomme's elbow is just fine and Steve Smith just got his "you haven't knocked anyone out in 30 days" chip from ragaholics anonymous. On paper this seems easy since Minnesota is 0-2, Adrain Peterson is knicked up and the artist formerly known as Gussell Frerotte is their quarterback, but they desperately needs this game and they're at home, so I'm saying they pull this one out. Don't worry Viking fans, they'll break your heart this year - but it hurts more when they raise your hopes, that's what they do this week.

The pick - Minnesota

Cincinnati at the New York

If we used a point spread, I'd be tempted to take the Bengals, but straight up, you have to take the G-men. The Bengals are so screwed up I think even if David Carr started for the giants they'd win.

The pick - New York

Houston at Tennessee

The Titans are actually better with Kerry Collins than Vince Young - and you wonder why Vince is having a hard time.....speaking of which, remember last year when everyone said Matt Schaub was going to be a great fit in Houston? Everyone is a moron.

The pick - the Titans

Kansas City at Atlanta

This is the NFL equivalent of Syracuse-Northeastern. Anyone that watches this game is sick.

The pick - Atlanta

Miami at New England

Joey Porter says Miami will win because Matt Cassell is playing. Cassell has won more games this year (2) than Porter's team has won in 2 years (1). That's good enough for me.

The pick - New England

Oakland at Buffalo

Buffalo is pretty good and Oakland - well they're not. Could Lane Kiffin be within a couple of hours of his next job?

The pick - Buffalo

Tampa Bay at Chicago

This game should set back offensive football about 30 years. I like the Bears defense at home, especially since Galloway is out. While researching this game, I stumbled across this guy - who looks like an even goofier Sean Salisbury - who knew that was possible?

The pick - Chicago

Detroit at San Francisco

San Francisco is getting better - Detroit is on the road - Jon Kitna stinks - Mike Martz will attack his old team's horrendous defense. As much as I want to pick the Lions here, I can't. I think it's a shootout, but the Niners squeak by in the end.

The pick - San Francisco

New Orleans at Denver

Everyone loves Denver this week. Their offense is good, but don't underestimate how bad their D was last week. New Orleans, pissed off over giving away a game against the Redskins last week comes in and upsets the Broncos in Denver. Of course, the Saints defense sucks too, the over/under on this thing should be 100.

The pick - New Orleans

St. Louis at Seattle

The Rams are an abomination. I don't care about the fact that Hasselback has to throw the ball to the 3 stooges, anyone that picks the Rams on the road is nuts. I'm guessing Steven Jackson is calling up NBA player Stephen Jackson for tips on how to go crazy on people right now.

The pick - Seattle

Cleveland at Baltimore

Another game I won't watch a second of, I don't care how bad the Browns have looked, if they can't beat Joe Flacco, Romeo Crennell should apply for a job on Greg Robinson's staff.

The pick - Cleveland

Jacksonville at Indianapolis

I want the record to reflect I was never on the Jacksonville bandwagon. Indy has some real issues, but I'm still taking them at home against a Jaguars team that doesn't have any receivers and suddenly can't run the ball.

The pick - Indy

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia

I'm an unabashed Eagles fan and hopelessly biased, so just ignore this pick. All signs point to an Eagles let down after an epic Monday night game, but I'm picking them anyway. They need to get pressure on Big Ben and getting Reggie Brown back will help.

The pick - Philly

Dallas at Green Bay

Dallas is better than Green Bay, I really believe that. However their secondary sucks moose balls and they are traveling after a short week. Aaron Rodgers has been great so far and he's quickly on his way to becoming a media darling much like his predecessor. Let's roll the dice with the Pack on this one.

The pick - Green Bay

New York Jets at San Diego

Even with Norville Turner as their head coach - quick tangent here, you know Norv's brother is named Ron right? How pissed must he be that he went through life with a name like Norville, while his brother got Ron? I know I'd be pissed. Oh - back to the game - give me the Chargers - there's no way they lose this week after what happened to them the first two weeks - and I hate the Jets.

The pick - San Diego

Last week 9-7

Overall record - 21-11.