Seth Davis on Orange Target DaJuan Coleman

"Kentucky and Ohio State are on him hard, but Syracuse has the homecourt advantage on this one." ~Seth Davis, Hoop Thoughts

N is for National Champions

Image: courtesy of Mannysonline.com

Marrone Names Crockett, Tubbs Special Assistants

On the heels of the "Fresh" Prince Tyson Gulley and Marcus Sales incidents, Syracuse football coach Doug Marrone has added two special assistants to his staff. If anyone can get to the bottom of stabbings and alleged drug crimes, its Sonny Crockett and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs.

And you thought Coach Marrone was intense?

M is for Mc and Mac

Photo: Frank Ordonez, Post-Standard

Photo: Dick Blume, Post- Standard

Photo: College Football Hall of Fame

Coach Mac, Donnie, and Donovan...not a bad trio right there. Bonus points for Coach Mac's killer sweater.

Good god, this never gets old:

Things That Make My Pants Feel Tighter

Donut Burger...New York State Fair. Enough said.

L is for Little

With 2,704 yards, Hall of Famer Floyd Little hold the #5 spot on the SU career rushing list. He furthered the legacy of "44" that Jim Brown and Ernie Davis began. Floyd has returned to Syracuse where he will serve as special assistant to Athletic Director Daryl Gross.

K is for Konrad

The last man to wear the famed #44 for Syracuse, Rob Konrad finished his Orange career with over 1,500 rushing yards.

That name was also featured on the favorite watering hole of former Orangeman b-baller Deshaun Williams, the legendary "Konrads."

Ebay Item of the Week: Pearl Power Pow Wow

If you're a fan of both Syracuse legend Dwayne "Pearl" Washington and politically incorrect sports memorabilia from the 1980s, then you've stopped by the right place. Go ahead and grab this 1984 Syracuse Basketball "Pearl Power" button.

Pearl Power....it's gettin', it's gettin', it's gettin' kinda hectic.

J is for John and Joe

Photo: The Post-Standard

John Mackey revolutionized the tight end position in the NFL. His collegiate career will forever be commemorated with the annual John Mackey Award, presented to the best college football tight end. A member of the Orange All-Century Team, John's #88 was retired by the University in 2005. He left us way too young at the age of 69.

"Little" Joe Morris still holds the SU career rushing mark with 4,299 yards. A remarkable feat considering the great running backs that have donned the orange and blue.

The Greatest Bachelor Party Ever

Photo: AP

Big Ben gets hitched. Something tells me that this guy's bachelor party would make "The Hangover" look like an episode of "The Joy of Painting."

Do you want fries with that?

For some real culinary insight, we urge you to check out our buddy Poncho's awesome food blog Chop Biscuit.

For some food insight Idiot style, we like to comment on things deep fried, with cheese, or with gravy. You can imagine my delight when I discovered this menu during a recent trip to Old Forge with my son.

We dedicate this post to our long time friend "The Captain" who often posts here at T3I. No one, and I mean no one, appreciates the goodness of gravy quite like our buddy El Capitano!

I is for Independent

Until 1991, the Orangemen scheduled and competed against fellow independents Army, Penn State, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. The conference realignment of the early 1990s began with Penn State's decision to join the Big Ten. When the SEC snagged Arkansas from the Southwest Conference and independent South Carolina, the days of football independents became numbered.

The Big East football conference was formed in 1991, with full league play to begin in 1993. Syracuse would leave behind its rich independent history as a charter member of the football league.

It's funny how this stuff works. What once seemed like an archaic idea (football independence), has come back around. BYU has gone all "Back to the Future" and will play as an independent this year having abandoned the Mountain West Conference. The University of Texas has thrown out "going independent if we have to" rumors in order to gain concessions for the launch of their Longhorn Network.

The conference realignment saga continues. Fans of the Orange can scour the internet and read blog and message board posts that predict Syracuse will eventually end up in the Big 10, ACC, or a new split-off Big East Conference. Wherever they land, Syracuse's proud football tradition was built upon decades of competition as a football independent.

Little Kid Restores Faith in Humanity, For a Minute Anyway

Via the Sportress of Blogitude, we bring you the story of Nicholas and Ian, two young kids who happened to be at the Arizona Diamondbacks - Milwaukee Brewers game the other day.  At the end of the inning, Rickie Weeks tossed a ball into the stands in the direction of Nicholas, a young Brewers fan.  Nicholas couldn't hang on to the ball and Ian ended up with it.

Then something pretty awesome happened -- Ian saw how upset Nicholas was and gave him back the ball.  Look, we are as cynical as anyone and love to mock anything and everything -- but this story is amazing.  Champ has children, I have two young nephews and the excitement and joy something like a ball brings to them is almost indescribable. So when a young guy gives that up to help out an even younger guy, it defintely tugs at the heart strings.  Two young kids, an act of kindness, and baseball.  It doesn't get much better than that.

The best part is the annoucing crew noticed and hooked Ian up afterward.  Check it out.

H is for Heisman

We've already touched on the special place that Ernie Davis holds in the annals of Syracuse Football. In part due to the recent motion picture "The Express", the rest of America is learning of the historical significance of Ernie's 1961 Heisman Trophy selection.

While "H" stands for "Heisman," it could also stand for "heist" as Syracuse University has been the victim of two Heisman trophy travesties.

The first occurred in 1956, when Jim Brown finished a ridiculous fifth in the balloting, a result so outrageous that journalist Dick Schaap (who voted Brown first) would boycott Heisman voting for 25 years.

Fast forward to 1987, when Don McPherson of the undefeated Orangemen swept the Davey O'Brien and Maxwell Awards, yet finished second to Tim Brown in the Heisman vote that year. I'm convinced that somehow Goride Lockbaum is to blame for this.

So let's just say "H" is for "Heismans" instead of "Heisman" since there should be two more joining Ernie's on the Hill.

Wednesday Morning Reading

We haven't done a link dump post in years around here -- but as I was scanning the intertubes this morning, I found a bunch of good stuff to pass on -- all from our other Yardbarker affiliated sites.  Check these out:

- Here's a great list of the 10 most unrealistic sports scenes in movie history from Midwest Sports Fans.  Brian Dennehy backhanding Cuba Gooding Jr. over the top rope is not to be missed.

- When is a hole in one not a hole in one?  When you play too damn slow that's when. 

- Kenny Britt is amazing.  I didn't think it was possible to embarrass Rutgers, but a string of arrests did just that.  Then he kicked it up a notch and ended up in a pink feather boa on stage with Britney Spears.

- Rory McIlroy wins major.  Dumps high school sweetheart.  Ends up with the number one ranked women's tennis player in the world.  She's hot too.  That's a natural progression right there.

- Charles Barkley's hideous golf swing has been fixed....sort of. Rest assured, even with a better swing, he's still terrible at the game golf.

- Kick volleyball looks like a combination of badminton and hackey sack. I have both of those things.

- And finally, here's a list of the top 25 sports bars in the country.  I've got a lot of problems with this list and the first is - there's no explanation of WHY these bars are great.  Show your work people.  Number 2, it has an ESPN Zone on it.

Summer Reading Recommendation: Pick Up a Charlie Huston Book

It's a good thing Champ is killing it with the Syracuse Football A-Z to series because I don't really feel like writing about sports right now. I've got a little bit of writers block and when you combine that with the fact that we've still got a few weeks until SU football starts camp, and at least a week until NFL unlocks itself, there's not a lot getting me fired up.

However, I have been reading -- and with the summer vacation/beach season is full swing -- you'll need something to read too, and I'm here to help.

My summer readhing recommendation is to pick up ANYTHING written by Charlie Huston. Simply put, he's the best author not enough people know about. Right now I can honestly say he's my favorite writer on the planet and while he's admittedly not for everyone (if there's a Nicholas Sparks book on your night stand, I'm talking to you) I'm amazed that more often than not, when I bring up his name in conversation, I get people giving me the Greg Robinson dead-eye stare.  It's time to change that.

If you've never heard of Huston, he writes pulp noir. His characters are fundamentally good guys (or vampires - sometimes) with smart mouths who end up in impossibly f*cked up situations -- and that's when things get messy. And for the reader - fun.

Here's what Charlie Huston is -- he's fearless. His writing is intense. He doesn't waste words. His stories move at breakneck speed. They crackle. They move. They grab you by the balls and punch you in the face and when you're done, you thank him for it. They are novels you pick up and don't put down. I read the Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death on my honeymoon --- and finished it before we got to Hawaii.

However, don't take my word for it, listen to someone who knows a thing or two about writing. Stephen King has described Huston as, "One of the most remarkable prose stylists to emerge from the noir tradition in this century."

So now that you're interested, the question becomes where to start? Huston's catalog is basically divided into 3 categories (not counting the comic book stuff, which isn't my cup of tea). They are:

• The Hank Thompson Trilogy - three books that follow former baseball player Hank Thompson through a lot of travails.
• The Joe Pitt Case Books - five books that put a new twist on "vampyre" genre
• Stand Alone Novels - of which there are three, I've read two, Mystic Arts referenced above, and the Shotgun Rule, which was also excellent.

So where to begin? For my money, there are two solid options.

Option 1 - Start at the beginning with Caught Stealing. It's Huston's first novel. I randomly stumbled upon it years ago at a Barnes and Noble, and it hooked me 2 pages in. Caught Stealing is the first book in the Hank Thompson trilogy.  Hank was once promising baseball player, who thanks to an injury is now a mostly drunk bartender working in the Lower East side of Manhattan. Down on his luck, Hank agrees to watch a neighbor's cat and all hell breaks loose from there. I defy you to put it down. Or not run out and read the rest of the series, which is good, but not as good as the Caught Stealing.

Option 2 - If you fear commitment, go with a stand alone book. My recommendation is the Mystic Arts of Removing all Sings of Death. Your protagonist is Web Goodhue, a former teacher who thanks to an unfortunate turn of events isn't teaching anymore. Rather he's working on a crew that cleans up crime scenes and other less than pleasant messes.  The story is great and as someone that actually worked for two days at a murder scene last year -- it' brings to light something you don't think about -- what kind of people clean up the mess once the crime scene is no longer a crime scene?

However, if vampires are really your thing, and you find the above advice useless, grab the first Joe Pitt casebook Already Dead and dive in. The series is Huston's unique take on the genre and unlike True Blood, actually focuses on vampires, how they interact with each other and humans, as they survive in modern day New York City. It's not clogged up with werewolves, were-panthers, pixie dust and all the other useless crap that inhibits True Blood these days.

So if you want an exhilarating, quick read on the beach this summer, Charlie Huston is your man. As for me, I'm going to Maine next week, and I'll be plowing through the ESPN Book -- with Every Last Drop as my back up. There are only so many Chris Berman stories a man can take.

G is for Graves

The Marvelous One holds a special place in our hearts. Often overshadowed by another famous #5, Marvin is still holds Orange records for most passing yards in a game, season, and career.

Oh what we'd give for two more yards:

Ebay Item of the Week: Mary, Mary

Your Jim Boeheim collection is not complete unless it includes a postcard of the Virgin Mary autographed by the coach.

And now it's time to kick it old school:

F is for Forty-Four

Brown, Davis and Little cemented the legacy of this special number so much so that it's become part of the local culture. Scan the crowd at any home game in the Dome and your sure to see plenty of Orange fans squeezing into their #44 jerseys. It's become so synonymous with Syracuse football that several SU fans, including friend of the Idiots Orange Chuck, have called on the University to reconsider their decision to retire the number in 2005.

How about a video clip of famous #44 Floyd Little being misidentified as Steve Spurrier on the Ed Sullivan show from way back in 1966? Well, ask and you shall receive:

E is for Eighty-Seven Undefeated Season

Photo: AP, Tannen Maury

1987 was a magical year on the Hill. In March, Jim Boeheim led the Orange to the Final Four in New Orleans. That fall, Coach Dick MacPherson would give Syracuse fans more memories to last a lifetime as his '87 squad assembled an undefeated campaign that featured an appearance against Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.

There are so many memories from that season: the long-awaited pounding of Penn State on national TV, the last second heroics against West Virginia, and the cowardice shown by Auburn coach Pat Dye.

Sit back and enjoy a look back at 1987:

D is for Davis

"Seldom has an athlete been more deserving of such a tribute. Your high standards of performance on the field and off the field, reflect the finest qualities of competition, sportsmanship and citizenship. The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. It's a privilege for me to address you tonight as an outstanding American, and as a worthy example of our youth. I salute you" ~President John F. Kennedy, to Ernie Davis via telegram, 1963

Memo to Chandler Jones: Stay Away from Scooters

Image courtesy of Michael Borkowski

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones is beast and poised for a break out year.  So much so that the star defensive end will be one of Syracuse's representatives at the annual Big East lobster eating contest Media Day.

One of the few things that could derail a potentially huge season for Mr. Jones is an injury -- which we here at T3I wish on no one.  So while we have no reason to believe Chandler is cruising around Central New York on a scooter (email us if you know otherwise) please learn a lesson from Georgia defensive end Derrick Lott and stay the hell off of motor scooters. 

We don't care if the old joke about fat chicks and mopeds is true - just say no - the last thing we want to see number 99 having an incident like this:

C is for Carrier Dome

Our award winning (in our minds) Syracuse Football A to Z series continues with a look at the Loud House.



The Syracuse football program was at a crossroads in the 1970s. A decaying Archbold Stadium, combined with some lean years on the playing field had many questioining the future of Division 1 football in Syracuse. Well, $26 million later, Orange fans were treated to their new digs at 900 Irving Avenue. Along with the arrival of Dick MacPherson, one could argue that the Carrier Dome saved Syracuse football.


Opening night was September 20, 1980 and it featured a 36-24 win over Miami of Ohio. Through the years the Dome has been the scene of: some great wins against the best programs in the country (Nebraska, Penn State, Florida, Virginia Tech, Miami), stirring moments (2001 post 9/11 Auburn game), scares (Gerry Bram), and unforgettable plays (Kirby Dar Dar reverse, McNabb to Brominski).

Orange fans have also seen a number of upgrades over the years (video boards, field turf, Club 44) that have brought the Loud House into the 21st century.

We're paying tribute to our favorite feature of the Carrier Dome; we love you Dome Foam!



Just remember, don't be this guy during your next visit.

I Bet You've Seen This Headline Before

Let's face it, when you're looking for thoughtful, in-depth soccer coverage, and analysis this is the last place on the internet you should be coming to.

There are few things that put a smile on our face quite like headlines like the one above. Here's to the US Women's team for following the footsteps of another great American who put France in their place:

Ebay Item of the Week: The Most Unflattering Autographed Picture of Jim Boeheim Ever

Really?

B is for Brown

Photo: NFL/WireImage

We continue this A-Z look at the history of Syracuse football with arguably the greatest football player of all-time, James Nathaniel Brown. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Jim is the greatest athlete to ever step foot on the hill.

As impressive as the "Triple Crown of Halls of Fame" feat he pulled off is, it doesn't hold a candle to the "Grand Slam of '80s Action Shows" Jim mastered as he appeared in episodes of "CHiPS", "Knight Rider", "TJ Hooker", and "The A-Team." Top that, Barry Sanders.

Even better, the man plays a mean game of Celebrity Bullseye :

A is for Archbold

Photo: Dick Blume, Post-Standard

Let's get this series kicked off. Opening in 1907, Archbold Stadium was the Orangemen's home until 1978. She was named after Board of Trustees member John Dustin Archbold (a fascinating character) who donated nearly $6,000,000 to the university. That's a lot of scratch now, but even more so in the early 1900s.

Archbold Stadium hosted it's last game in '78 before the wrecking ball made room for the Carrier Dome. Here are some great images of the old girl put together by Gordon Brookes and Erick Ferris.

Archbold Stadium, The Story of '78 from Gordon Brookes on Vimeo.

Syracuse Football A to Z

Summer vacations are in full swing for the little ones. That's not gong to stop us at T3I from reviwing our ABC's in preparation for the upcoming football season. This week we'll be kicking off our "Syracuse Football: A to Z" series as we take a look at the history and tradition of our beloved Syracuse Orangemen. We're sure to miss a few things along the way (consider the title of this blog), so be sure to let us know.

We know it's July, but we are already fired up for summer camp and September 1st.

Random Rants and Ramblings

Via someecards

Hey, how's it going? If you're like us -- people who watch some baseball here and there, but aren't inclined to write about it -- things are pretty slow this time of the sports year. However, that doesn't mean I don't have a few random thoughts kicking around my head -- so it's time to share.

- I dare you to listen to an announcer say the name Asdrubal Cabrera and not think he or she just said "Ass-dribble."  It's not possible.

- So when does Roy Williams mail Casey Anthony an engagement ring?

- Speaking of which, if Nancy Grace played in the NFL, would she need to wear a helmet or would her hair suffice? And if there's nothing in her skull to protect, would she even be required to wear protective gear? Discuss.

- As a Yankee fan, it's interesting to watch the Derek Jeter backlash. I get the fact that people are sick of hearing about him and there are a million Yankee haters out there, so that obviously plays into it, but it's not like he's Brett Favre here. All he's doing is going to work every day - and he's not even talking while doing it.  Don't worry everyone, he'll get his 3,000th hit and then we can move on -- back to FAVRE!

- Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football, and all the recent commitments Doug Marrone is racking up seem to be a good thing, but I just can't get excited about a bunch of 17 year old kids I've never seen play. It's Marrone's job to get players -- he's doing that. I'm not gonna sweat who they are. If they aren't good enough, he won't be here (see Robinson, Greg).

- If your sports league is looking for a commissioner dedicated to lock outs, David Stern is your man.

- It's kind of cute how people are pretending to care about the women's world cup. Quick, someone relaunch WUSA!  It's the Hinden Peter!



- The 2011 Saratoga meet opens in a little more than two weeks and I'm more excited than Orange Chuck when he's planning a trip to Tully's.  Drinking, eating, and gambling on a sunny day when you should be at work -- what's not to love?

- This will always be the greatest birthday song of all time.

- Less than 60 days to college football season people - hang in there.

Action Jackson: il arrive!

One of our favorite Orangemen, Rick "Action" Jackson is taking his talents, and way-cool sideburns, across the pond to play ball in France. Before bidding "au revoir" to Rick, you can remember his days on the hill with T3I's commemorative Rick Jackson t-shirt (French version being rushed into production as we speak).

Rick, the French are known a bit for their attitude, so we offer you some advice courtesy of one of the great philosphical minds of our times, Mr. Norm Peterson.

Ebay Item of the Week: Ernie Davis Got An "A" in Penmanship

Now here's something you don't see everyday. Someone is auctioning off some spiral notebook pages which appear to have once belonged to Syracuse legend Ernie Davis.

Forget the Nikes, this explains the Trapper Keeper inlcuded in Ernie's statue.

Meet Robert 'Snoop Dog' Garrigus

This is a man who used to really like weed

Are you still smoking mad that Syracuse and Georgetown are only playing once this year?  We'd suggest you take a page from the life of PGA golfer Robert Garrigus and take in a little herbal relaxation to calm the nerves.*

To borrow a line from Nolan Weidner, Garrigus is a rising PGA Tour professional and recovering marijuana addict, who says that when he played on the Nationwide Tour (the tour just below the PGA for you non-golf fans) he used to smoke weed in the porta-potty during his rounds.

Garrigus claims he wasn't the only player to do to this, which means when word gets out that the portable toilets on the Nationwide Tour double as smoke closets, attendance will double as poor stoners go looking for a place to score a cheap contact high.

Garrigus checked into rehab and is now clean, and judging by his improved play, it's been working. However, it's fair to say he had his fun as he spent $70,000 on California's favorite cash crop before hanging up the pipe. However, if he ever falls off the wagon, Snoop Dogg will certainly play a round or two with him....




* This is a joke, T3I does not endorse drug use, unless the drug is alcohol and you're getting it from a PBR tall boy.