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The Weekend Fizzith. 2.28.09 February ends via some podding with the Axe. 
Fizz weekend contributer Jared Schwartz is getting his pod on with ESPN Radio 1260's Brent Axe. We felt Axe didn't have enough on his plate these days, so we dropped him a line. Fizz Bites: Axe, a Syracuse guy through and through, notes unless the team drops its last few big east games, they will be dancing and not NIT-style. Axe says this team is who we thought they were: a middle of the road squad in a great conference (channel Sir Dennis Green). He also survived a legendary stare-down with Jimmy B. Give Boeheim the edge due to his dominating squinting skills. Plus insight into one of the reasons Doug Marrone was hired; because he knows how to pronounce his CNY towns. Groobers? "Is that Skaney-atleesees?" 
Gang 31, Where Are You? 2.27.09 Damone Brown and the Fizz go back a long way. 
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)Disheartening news for Orange Nation this morning. Former hoopster Damone Brown arrested in connection to a drug and money-laundering gang from his hometown of Buffalo. "Brown is accused of leasing a safe deposit box at Citizens Bank in Buffalo that was used by a drug kingpin to store proceeds. He faces a felony count of money laundering. Authorities seized $170,000 from the box before Brown was arrested in Reno Thursday morning. The 6-foot-9 forward who played at Syracuse is averaging 15.9 points per game while starting all but two of 30 games this season for the NBDL's Reno Bighorns. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted." First, the group's name was "Gang 31," a reference to the area surrounding an elementary school where they all hail from: Harriet Tubman School 31. Isn't there a more menacing identity you'd want to align with than an elementary school? Second, this is especially hard on the Fizz because we go way back with Damone. Like birth. Kinda. In fact, we are only a week older than the lanky dunk-aholic, both born in June of 1979. Had we grown up five hours north, we could've been trading "He-Man" figures (Orko for Battlebeast?) with Damone at Tubman 31. ***How about this bizarre sit-down with Damone? Complete with some trashy Euro-pop dance track.*** Brown had a tremendous senior year in '00-'01, obviously coinciding with our time on the Hill. The Orange won the Great Alaskan Shootout in November 2000 and the Fizz's now infamous WAER radio call on a particularly ferocious alley-oop from Allen Griffin starred the big man: "Damone Brown just boom-shak-a-laka'd all over Alaska!" (Forgive us, we were playing a lot of NBA Jam at the time). Damone bridged two era of Orange hoops, following the Big Three of Blackwell, Hart and Etan and preceding 'Melo, G-Mac and Hakim. Sounds like he's again caught in the middle. Never ceases to amaze the rest of the non-dunktastic populace, why you would risk jail-time and the loss of a career to be involved with the streets. He always struck us a pleasant, humble young man. If he had any faults, it was being too laid-back on the floor and never truly taking advantage of his incredible talents. Damone had only a short-lived pro career, but four seasons worth of NBA paychecks should allow you to live quite comfortably without having to launder drug money. But our most head-scratching connection to Damone Brown is beyond puzzling: Sophomore year a young female student called our dorm room looking for the BMOC. After a few minutes of confusing "Damon" with "Damone," the Fizz deepened its voice and said, "Nah, I'm just playin'. It's Damone. Wassup baby?" Before long, a number of her friends were audibly giggling in the background and egging her on to talk with the hoops star. They were obviously a bit skeptical on the validity of this claim. "So, what you up to tonight, baby?" "Is THIS REALLY Damone?" "I said yeah already. So, you coming down to South Campus?" "This is REALLY Damone?" "Yeah baby." "For REAL?" Which is essentially what we said when we read that Damone Brown was arrested in a drug and money-laudering racket. For real? - - - Weekend Fizzinations. Weekend contributor Jared Schwartz will podcast with the omnipresent Brent Axe of ESPN 1250. Should be fun, he does great work and supports the Fizz. Ready. Aim. Pod.
Syracuse Legend. NBA Legend. Detroit Mayor? 2.26.09 The best Orange ever wants to run the Motor City. Good luck. 
Of all the things Dave Bing ever accomplished, none would be a taller task than picking Detroit up off the mat. The Syracuse legend, whose number 22 is retired at the Carrier Dome, was SU's first ever All-American. He was named one of the NBA's Top-50 players of all-time. But now he's running for mayor of Detroit, a position held by thieves, scoundrels and do-nothings recently. Bing has made it through the primaries successfully and now eyes the May election. Running "the D" is not exactly condo president of Del Boca Vista. A ravaged economy. The auto industry crumbling. Crime and violence skyrocketing. Unemployment growing daily. The question looms: Why Dave? Why? "The city, in my opinion, is very void of leadership. We've had some terrible things happen to us from a political standpoint with the mayor. We need to get somebody in the office that people can trust, number one, and number two, that will do something to change the city in a positive direction. I think I am capable of doing that." If Bing can stabilize Detroit's scandal-ridden city government for just a few years, it would be one of his greatest accomplishments in an absurdly fruitful life. Now, can you help bail Derrick Coleman out of his estate auction? Bracketology 101: Theory of Syracuse in the Big Dance The Orange is a six-seed in Miami taking on South Carolina in the newest ESPN.com bracketology. In SI.com's bracket Syracuse is a seven-seed matched up against MAAC champion Siena in the first-round. February Madness. Catch it.
Taking the Per'fessor for Granted. 2.25.09 Boeheim puts himself among the G.O.A.T. 
In the aftermath of a laugher over the Johnnies, a startling statistic was glossed over by many in Orange Nation. James Arthur Boeheim has now tallied the most 20-win seasons of any coach in history. A little context: Boeheim now has 31 (31!) seasons of 20-wins or more. Dean Smith had 30. Bob Knight, Lute Olson 29. Pretty lofty company. But since James Arthur doesn't beat his chest about it, no one else will either. But we should. Twenty-win seasons have become the hallmark for NCAA tournament teams. It is the target every coach sets at the beginning of the season. 
It's become the magical number bandied about when Seth Davis, Doug Gottlieb, Andy Katz and other bracket-shrills argue whether the Golden Ticket to the Big Dance is deserved. And Jim has more of those Golden Tickets than anyone in college basketball history. More than Coach K. More than Calhoun. More than Dean and Knight and Lute. In typical Boeheim fashion, he downplayed the record. Courtesy Mike Waters: "I never evaluate myself. I'm not going to start now." He did recall his thoughts as a young head coach when he considered Adolph Rupp's then-record of 876 coaching victories at Kentucky. "I said that's like 20 wins a year for 40 years," Boeheim said. "I said I won't even last 10. At least I've lasted more than 10." Maybe that's it. If the man himself understates what his expectations were and what his place in history is, we are prone to do the same. But the bookish, bespectacled, sarcastic sideline whiner, who looks more like your Economics 241 professor than a Hall of Fame coach, has three Final Fours, a national championship and the most Golden Tickets of any one in history. Can't understate that. Bracketology 101: Theory of Syracuse in the Big Dance The Orange is a six-seed in Miami taking on South Carolina in the newest ESPN.com bracketology. In SI.com's bracket Syracuse is a seven-seed matched up against MAAC champion Siena in the first-round. February Madness. Catch it.
Deconstructing David Oku's Juke Move. 2.24.09 The SU recruit stiff-arms his old school district. 
David Oku's jitterbug on the football field is impressive enough.Now, he's spin-moving to a new high school altogether. With three months left in the school year. Yesterday, the highest-profile target in this year's Syracuse recruiting class left his high school in Oklahoma and enrolled in Lincoln (NE) East. Is it to acclimate to becoming a Husker (shucking corn, hosing off the silo and eating dinner at a truck stop)? "I heard reports I moved down here because I wanted to go to Nebraska. If that's the case, I would have signed my letter of intent. Don't get me wrong, Nebraska's a great school. But I haven't had contact with coaches or anything." Lincoln East is also where his girlfriend attends. Is it to make getting a little nookie a tad bit easier (who could blame him)? "It had nothing to do with an emotional thing with a girlfriend. That had nothing to do with it. I've heard the craziest things, that she's pregnant and all this. No, no." Well, then what is it??? A better cafeteria pasta bar? Your parking pass expired? To escape the Gooch? "I came here because of school." Oku told the Journal Star on Monday night that he moved to Lincoln because East offered some classes that would better help him academically as he prepares for college. Oh. Ok. That's actually really good news. On Sunday, Oku told Rivals.com it seemed to be between Auburn, Tennessee, Syracuse and Ole Miss. If he's actually worried about academically preparing for college, toss Auburn and Tennessee out of the mix. They're enrollment standards are lower than Onondaga Community College. Ole Miss? Good school, but Ed Orgeron must have left the combo to his slush fund. The Rebels might be forking over a fat check to stay in this race. Plus, they wave Confederate Flags during games. Could Oku be making sure he academically qualifies for SU? Someone get him a new lunch card! - - - Bracketology 101: Theory of Syracuse in the Big Dance The Orange is a six-seed in Miami taking on South Carolina in the newest ESPN.com bracketology. In SI.com's bracket Syracuse is a seven-seed matched up against MAAC champion Siena in the first-round. February Madness. Catch it.
And The Winner Is? Syracuse! 2.23.09 For most frustrating offensive gameplan in the Big East. 
Hours before the Oscars, Syracuse earned its own hardware. A golden statuette of the back rim. Which is where the Orange spent most of the afternoon. Another Big East ranked foe, another loss and now Syracuse sits precipitously at .500 in the Big Hurt. At 89-86, the 'Cuse got off three, count 'em THREE, last second potential game-tiers. None of them fell. And when Paul Harris is scrambling back for an off-balance heave with ten seconds left, it's not the shot Mr. Boeheim was looking for. But an open three from the corner for Johnny Flynn is. That clanged too. Which is the best description of the Orange offensive gameplan. Syracuse heaved THIRTY-NINE treys and made just twelve of them. That's a one-three-point-attempt-per-minute pace, which is fine if this is NBA All-Star weekend. Memo: Daequan Cook won that thing last weekend. On a day Flynn was battling the flu, was the best way to attack the undersized Wildcats by camping out at the perimeter and chucking? It was amusing when Verne Lundquist (who is looking more like Mike Myers' Fat Bastard by the day), suggested Andy Rautins had an impressive 18 points. The Fizz loves itself some Andy (check out our podcast with him from Sunday), but 6-of-17 shooting for 18 points? All of them on treys? Not exactly offensive efficiency. Think he still has Syracuse in his Final Four? Luckily, the dregs of the league are next up for the Orange: St. John's, Cincinnati and Rutgers. With three wins, the 'Cuse would have double-digit conference victories plus Marquette and the Big East tournament still in front of it. Only one thing was more unnerving than the Orange effort this weekend: Jim Calhoun's disgruntled verbal sparring with media. So just get some facts and come back and see us.
Andy Rautins hates Mookie Jones' breath. 2.22.09 The Fizz: Weekend Update via Podcast. 
Unlike the housing market, the Fizz promises and delivers. The proud purveyors of wwww.thedashow.com/orangefizz are bringing you extended Syracuse coverage, now with more weekends in every bite. SU alum Jared Schwartz will be your weekend tour guide. Before the Villanova game, the Fizz's Weekend Update allowed Andy Rautins to riff on the Syracuse weather, his Ipod and favorite bar on Marshall Street. Worst breath on the team? "There's a lot of them. I'd have to go with Mookie Jones on that one." Who's the first choice in a Big East pick-up game? "You have to go with Thabeet, just because he's such a physical presence." Rautins' final four bracket would make Mike Tranghese blush. Syracuse, Pitt, UConn and... North Carolina for good measure. Blake Griffin will see you now.
Like Your Student Section? 2.20.09 Good, because you're certainly paying for it. 
Orange hoops has always benefited from a devoted student section at the Dome. For years, the kids have arrived early for some of the worst sight lines in the house and screamed and cursed and overall made asses of themselves. Which is perfect for a respectable student section. But like a flat Miller Lite in a plastic cup or a soggy Dome Dog, the student section is now yet another Dome hijacking. According to a Tulsa media report, Syracuse has one of the most expensive student tickets in the country. SU is tied for the seventh-highest student ticket package at $160 for the season. That's second-highest in the Big East behind only Louisville, which charges $220, although Cardinals students get into all football games for free with it. It's fairly ironic the 'Cuse charges some of the highest prices in the nation for its student ticket. At this point, why not attach a pigskin discount like Louisville to encourage kids to sit through three hours of dreadful, mind-numbing football? Also, the Orange has the largest facility in the conference. It's not like seating is all that limited in cavernous Carrier. Alas, it's supply and demand. And when you're gonna get 25,000 locals no matter what for hoops, you can afford to gouge the kids (who already pay ice-pick-in-the-brain prices for tuition. Try $45,000 PER YEAR. Yeah.) and risk pricing out a few of them. You'd think dropping almost $200k on a degree would be worth a few free basketball games. But hey, as the thinking goes: If they've got $200,000 for an education, they sure as hell can cough up another buck-sixty for some basketball, right? We know you Orange Nation degenerates are looking for fresh meat on the weekends too. So the Fizz is now working overtime for you. SU alum and one of those lucky souls to pay $160 for NIT hoops, Jared Schwartz, will be bringing you weekend Fizzinations. This week he's scheduled to interview Andy Rautins via podcast and tracking the SU-Villanova action. We are a full-service Orange Blog. Live it. Love it. - - - Bracketology 101: Theory of Syracuse in the Big Dance The Orange is listed 26th on SI.com's power rankings. Madness. Catch it.
Roy Haunted By 2003 Final Four Forever. 2.19.09 UNC coach drops (bleep) brigade. Bonnie cringes. 
Roy Williams has the incredible ability to mesh sweet ol' southern malaprops with fundamental, straightforward vulgarity. Maybe that explains his successful coaching style: one that incorporates fun n' gun, fast-paces offensive attack with deliberate, stout defense. Nearly six years after then-Kansas coach Roy Williams tossed a whole lot of foul-mouthings Bonnie Bernstein's way, he's at it again. Yesterday, when talking about the Tar Heels lack of defense, Roy blurted, "Some things we stink at." "If I knew the answer to that, you still think we'd be (bleeping) stinkin'?" Roy thought better of his choice of words and asked everyone to "change that f-word and then say 'frickin.'" Williams then added a "Jiminy Christmas," a second "frickin'" and a wink for a final score of 3 1/2 southern gentleman top hats. Orange Nation basks in the glory of the most famous moment of Roy-turned-Sam Kinnison. "That's not very nice. I could give a (bleep) about North Carolina right now." First, a true gentleman never raises his voice in front of Bonnie. Second, it makes you wonder; does Roy behind closed doors love delving into the Devil's language but in public hide behind a slew of signature southern sayings? Or did Carmelo Anthony and an inability to double-team Wake Forest take him to a dark place he never wants to visit again? We'll take the latter. - - - Bracketology 101: Theory of Syracuse in the Big Dance The Orange moves up to #31 at kenpom.com. Again, anything better than forty and it's looking good for an at-large bid. ESPN.com has the 'Cuse in Philly as a six-seed taking on 11-seed BYU. SI.com put SU in Kansas City as a seven-seed, battling the 10th seeded Kentucky Wildcats. Madness. Catch it.
Carrier Dome Goes Chris Brown on Hoya Fan. 2.18.09 Abuse. Garbage. Projectiles. Nice. 
We all agree, there is no dignity in hitting a woman. The Fizz is pleased and thankful total hottie Rihanna was not seriously injured after Chris Brown allegedly committed assault. However, one must ask: Why did the Carrier Dome treat Hoya Fan like its Grammy-party date? The video of the altercation has made its rounds, first on the superb NunesMagician.com (which linked to yesterday's Fizz post about the Syracuse Almuni t-shirt guy), then on SI.com. CitrusTV, Syracuse student television, posted the video on YouTube and brags, "It has been viewed over 27,618 times." Way to round down. The Fizz blow-by-blow score card. :08 Buzzer sounds. Game ends. Orange Nation rejoices. :11 Georgetown "likes to fight" frat guy animatedly challenges Section 324. Bad idear. Looks like Animal from Muppets. :21 Hoya Hottie calms him down, asks for peace. Later gets roofied at the Sig Ep house after night at Maggie's. :30 Idiot Hoya fans turn around and incite drunken 'Cuse hooligans after a loss. Good choice. :37 Zapruder slo-mo film catches Aquafina bottle smashing Roy Hibbert fan club in faces. :46 Syracuse fan and Hoya frat boy play slap fight. :56 Quick zoom out before frat guy gets tossed over railing resulting in certain death. The upper deck of the Dome is not known for its civil nature (or literacy rate). But if you're 30 Georgetown fans after a loss, why are you turning around and challenging 31,000 drunks? Hoya Paranoia, we suppose. - - - Bracketology 101: Theory of Syracuse Entering the Big Dance. ESPN.com has the 'Cuse in Philly as a six-seed taking on 11-seed BYU. SI.com put SU in Kansas City as a seven-seed, battling the 10th seeded Kentucky Wildcats. KenPom.com has Syracuse ranked #33. Usually, anything better than 40 and you're safely in the tourney. Madness. Catch it.
We Bring the Big East Party. 2.17.09 Even at Pitt-UConn the Orange is everywhere. 
Brutally physical game last night in Hartford. DeJuan Blair, Sam Young and the Pitt Panthers have perfected the "just walked in from a jail fight" look. And they played like it at the Civic Center. Blair went 20-20 vision on the top-ranked team in the country and almost snapped Hasheem Thabeet's arm like a chicken wishbone. Blair: "I wish... that Thabeet's arm was splintered into multiple pieces and Jim Calhoun's heart then exploded at midcourt.... Damn! Almost!" Pitt is the college basketball equivalent to the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who pimp-slapped, blew up and intimidated the hell out of all comers en route to the Lombardi. But the news of the night (other than Pitt asserting itself as the baddest team in the Big East on UConn's home floor) was the young man sitting directly behind the Panthers bench. Every time ESPN cutaway to a close-up of Dixon, it was impossible to ignore a "Syracuse Alumni" t-shirt. A) How about the stones on a guy who snagged seats directly behind Pitt's bench and popped the 'Cuse tee. B) Imagine the dirty looks and ugly heckling of a man sporting the Orange in Hartford after SU just got worked by the Huskies. C) How defiant do you have to be to rock the t-shirt of a fringe Top-25 team during a game between two Top-5 squads in the league? The unknown assailant will be referred to as "Syracuse Alumni Guy" and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. During the Panthers jail break, he provided a drive-by 'Cuse-ing. Bracketology 101: Theory of Syracuse Entering the Big Dance. ESPN.com has the 'Cuse in Philly as a six-seed taking on 11-seed BYU. Good news: Orange Nation will show up in full-force in the Iladelph. Bad news: Potential second-round matchup against Duke or Vermont. SI.com put SU in Kansas City as a seven-seed, battling the 10th seeded Kentucky Wildcats. Analysis: Looks like Billy Gillespie is more focused on Jeannine Edwards these days. The Fizz likes those odds. KenPom.com has Syracuse ranked #33. Usually, anything better than 40 and you're safely in the tourney. Madness. Catch it.
I Cannot Tell A Lie: SU In. 2.16.09 President's Day bracketology says Orange make the tourney. 
If today your office is closed, congrats. In the middle of the worst economy in generations, America should likely cut down on its meaningless national holidays. Then again... screw it! Big ups to GW for beating some Red Coat ass and to Honest Abe for rocking a slick stovetop hat well before Matisyahu. Now, let's close down some schools! On this President's Day let's reflect on the past; independence, freedom and sacrifices. Oh and yet another sappy love-letter to the Robinson family courtesy of Donnie Webb. This is honestly getting ridiculous. Do you think he's at his laptop all alone, stroking the cat on his lap like Inspector Gadget's mortal enemy, wondering what devious way he can concoct to enrage Orange Nation again by bringing up how great a family Groobers had? Enough is enough. Greg's wife gave at a local pantry. We all appreciate it. Thank you from the Syracuse community. Now leave it alone! Donnie, drop the Greg Robinson valentine with smooches and red x's and o's and slowly step away from the Groobers altar. Real community service would've been buying yourself out of your own damn bloated contract after four years of decrepit misery. You know the old adage: Behind every bumbling moron is a great woman. Let's focus, instead, on the future. ESPN's bracketology has the Orange as a six-seed in Philadephia taking on BYU in the first round and then getting the winner of... Duke and Vermont. (Sorry. I won't ever mention the Catamounts ever again. Ever). Thrilling victory on Saturday at the Dome may have solidified a tourney big, although there's still big lifting to be done in the Big East. Thank goodness for Mr. Johnny Flynn this weekend. He dropped a Donnie Webb-sized candy heart at the doorstep of Orange Nation.
Valentine's Day: Love, LaLa & Hoyas.2.13.09 Awaiting the Orange-Out with candy hearts. 
As you have surely been made aware by your girlfriend, fiancee or wife by now (if you're female and reading this, email the Fizz right away with your phone number), tomorrow is some great, big, mushy, red holiday. Let's for a moment think of the princess of Orange Nation: LaLa Vasquez a.k.a. Miss Carmelo Anthony. If Julie Boeheim is the Queen, LaLa is next in line. Huzzah young comrades who will spit in the face of Valentine's Day convention and wear orange. Tomorrow's tilt against hated Georgetown has been decreed an "Orange Out," which is actually kinda cool. It should be noted: To piggy-back off the "White Out" is usually a hideous idea. Such contrived attempts at fan solidarity and enthusiasm just underscore how pathetic and apathetic a fanbase is. It's normally a fallback for Sun Belt sports, a community of tourists and snow birds who conveniently are in town for a game they don't really care about. Miami, Phoenix, Dallas, Tampa Bay... the usual culprits for "White Outs." 
Alas, tomorrow's event at the Dome takes on a very different feel since Syracuse's loyalty cannot be questioned.It's merely an opportunity to make the Hoyas heads spin and create a new dimension to the Dome delirium. For that, we applaud and will be there in spirit, wearing our fraying orange Lawrence Moten jersey. One of the young catalysts of the movement had a fascinating quote about the birth of the movement: "We're sick of going to games and seeing people in shirts and ties. Fans should be wearing orange all the time." Yes, because nothing reeks of Wall Street high-rollers courtside at a Knicks game quite like the Carrier Dome. You can almost smell the Mattydale hedge funds. So, as part of your V-Day spectacular tomorrow (hopefully Valentine's Day also becomes Victory Day), be a true romantic and dress her in orange head-to-toe. Nothing says love like cursing out John Thompson III.
University of Connecticut Community College.2.12.09 The 'Cuse gets smashed, but "bothers?" C'mon Calhoun. 
The Fizz thought Jimmy was just joking about how scary watching film of UConn is. Nobody's laughing this morning. The Orange was held to a season-low 49 points and 31% shooting by a dominant Husky defense. In fact, it was Syracuse's third-lowest point total in Jim's 33 years steering the Orange ship. Great. The Orange tallies less than 50-points once every 11 years. Last night had to be one of those? So, now it's not so much about the losing for SU, it's how it's losing. At first it was the defense: In losses to Providence and Villanova, the Friars hit triple-digits, the Wildcats hit 102. Last night the Orange held UConn to 43 percent shooting and forced 20 Husky turnovers but played offense like the Detroit Lions. If it's not one thing... We did learn something interesting. Hasheem Thabeet translates to "He Who Smacks Down Orange Balls." The UConn biggie had 16 boards, 7 blocks and... wait for it... 10 "bothers." 
Never heard of that stat? No worries. We haven't either. It's a Jim Calhoun creation. Look, you won the game. You're thoroughly dominating the Big East. You're probably a one-seed. Now, you're gonna create a new stat called "bothers?" Why not take it a step farther? Craig Austrie had 14 "aggravates." Stanley Robinson tallied 9 "chortle-gooses." It's a good thing UConn is a community college. It's hard to question coach when you're doing whip-its in the parking lot before Poli-Sci.
Boeheim Gives Orange No Chance vs. UConn.2.11.09 Predicts Thabeet will have 176 blocks. Tonight. 
Start with the P-S's excellent PDF preview of tonight's Syracuse-UConn tilt on ESPN. Move on to the standings and ask yourself, "How is the Orange still ranked after losing five of its last seven?" Finish with Jim Boeheim's interview with Dan Patrick yesterday. Now stick the voodoo pins into Jim Calhoun's head and Hasheem Thabeet's arms. JB joked (we think) that he stopped watching film on the Huskies because "they're too scary" and agreed they have to be ranked top dawg in the country. He also called Thabeet the best shot-blocker he's ever seen in the Big East. Including one Dikembe Mutumbo. The most distressing part of the interview was JB insisting Dan return Julie's phone call. What is this? Swinger Nation? Keep Dan's ridiculous TV hair away from beautiful Jules. So, does the Orange stand a chance tonight at Gampel? Well, if Boeheim is less than convincing let's toss out this hoodoo jinx stat: This will be SU's first game against the #1-ranked team since the quarterfinals of the '06 Big East tournament... when the 'Cuse beat #1 UConn 86-84 (OT). G-Mac. Onions. And if the 'Cuse is downed tonight by a superior Huskies team, the Fizz has one suggestion: Marrone vs. Edsall in a street fight. Winner gets to call Julie Boeheim. [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
Wait, You Find This Miserable?2.10.09 Forbes pimp-slaps Buffalo. Thank goodness for Oku. 
Buffalo is an easy foil. A rust-belt city suffering from mass exodus for years now. Young people who grew up there don't want to stay. Jobs being lost because a souring economy. Frigid temperatures, lake-effect storms and tidal waves of snow every winter. A gloomy downtown, two professional franchises who haven't won a title in a half-century, the passing of Tim Russert. Hey, but how about that International Bowl? Eh? Eh? Forbes has now taken yet another bite outta the Buff, ranking it on the list of Top 10 Most Miserable Cities. "If you like snow, Buffalo is your place - to the tune of 90 inches a year, more than any other metro area that has a million people. Buffalo's population has been steadily shrinking since the mid-1990s." That's all you got Forbes!? Please, Buffalo's tourism board prints that on its napkins! Have we all forgotten about Anchor Bar, "Bruce Almighty" and Alexander Mogilny? Oh, we have. Anyway, fear not to the good people of Western New York (a huge Orange Nation fanbase and popular readership of the Fizz). Miami made the list as well for its imploding housing market. At least everyone in Buffalo speaks English! Good thing for David Oku. The freakazoid running back recruit is still deciding with Syracuse as one of the options. According to the D.O. "Just got off the phone with Carl Albert H.S. head coach Gary Rose and - to his knowledge - Oku still hasn't made a decision on where he'll attend college. The kicker? Rose said Oku hasn't spoken to him in a month. Sounds like the running back is going lone-ranger on this one, and he might wait until late February." For one of the best prep tailbacks in the country? Yeah, we can wait a few more weeks. The Fizz suggests inviting him back for one last campus visit. Just don't fly him into Buffalo. [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
Loves Babies, Hates Syracuse.2.09.09 Orange villain Doug Gottlieb is back to his old tricks. 
Look, by now we all agree: This basketball team is coming apart like an Old Navy hoodie. Losers of five of its last seven, the Orange is sinking in the standings like a lead balloon in Lake Onondaga. What has happened to the squad that defeated three very good non-conference teams (Memphis, Kansas, Florida) and steamrolled through the first two weeks of the Big East slate? Injuries have beaten up the Orange. Rautins, Onuaku and Devendorf have all been dinged. Facing the gauntlet of top-tier Big East teams hasn't allowed the 'Cuse to get off the mat. It's like the NFC West. But opposite. And renown Syracuse cynic Doug Gottlieb has his own theory. Boeheim? How dare ye! From Saturday's post-game recap on ESPN (thanks to the P-S's Ryan Miller for the transcript): "I hold them hold them in high regard because I do believe they have a chance, talent wise, to reach the Final Four." That might be pushing it. If the 'Cuse is getting drilled by half the Big East, tickets for Detroit might be a stretch. "But this was a complete and total no show, an utter disaster. It's like Groundhog Day. Every Saturday I wake up, and noon eastern time there they are on ESPN, and you don't know which Syracuse is going to show up." That's pretty spot on. Every Saturday we pull up the sofa to ol' talking picture box and watch the Orange get blasted by twenty points. "And I not only hold the players accountable, and I know they have some injuries." Exactly! Injuries! We mentioned that before, just four paragraphs ago! "But you've got to at some point hold Jim Boeheim accountable. I believe you coach effort and this team was not coached up. They were not ready to play. They're my most disappointing team." Now wait one hot second, squire. You will not come into our living room and speak ill of the King! I'll have you know, Boeheim has had walk-ons with a better cross-over than you! Jim must never be held accountable, unless its for the mayoral seat or on the church's Sunday school panel. Hell hath no fury like Orange Nation scorned. Especially when you can't put on your shorts correctly. [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
Revenge of the Nerds.2.06.09 Who needs to be good at football? We're smarter than you. 
Scoreboard!The Big East released its football All-Academic teams and Syracuse topped the conference with 16 players. Which makes none of us feel any better. Anyway, here's the league's parameters: "The 95 members of the 2008 BIG EAST All-Academic Football Team were nominated by the respective institutions. To be nominated, a player must have a cumulative grade-point index of at least 3.0, have completed a minimum of two semesters of academic work, and must have earned a letter during the 2008 season." Guess that leaves Mike Williams off the list. Thus the Orange ranked dead last in the standings yet had the highest total of smart kids (does the BCS take that into account?). There was very little correlation to G.P.A. and wins on the field (except USF which was near last in both. Good to have you in the Big East Bulls!). Here's how the rest of the league fared with the books: Pitt, Rutgers, West Virginia (13). Cincinnati (12). Louisville (11). UConn (9). USF (8). Now for the Fizz breakdown: West Virginia being tied for second in academia is like Idaho being ranked for "Best Seafood." Pitt had the best overall year. Second in bookies and the standings. Wannstadt's mustache must hold magic. Cincinnati's dream season of an Orange Bowl and putting twelve kids on the All-Nerd Team earned bonus points when the basketball team was signed for roadside trash removal. UConn was near the bottom of the conference? We all knew we were smarter than the community college kids in Storrs. Now we have proof. Finally, unsurprisingly USF ranked dead last. Jim Leavitt reportedly threw a tirade after looking at this release. "What? We had EIGHT kids on the All-Academic list? This is an outrage! That's WHY we had such a bad season! Get me some more Prop 48s!" [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
This Class Says It All.2.05.09 It might not be the highest-ranked, but it was perfect for SU. 
Depending on what scouting services you subscribe to, yesterday's Syracuse recruiting class ranked somewhere between 105th and 111th. There's only 119 teams in the FCS (Division 1). Yet, this class represented exactly the kind of transition Orange Nation was begging for. The Fizz caught up with South Florida recruit Rishard Anderson at his signing day yesterday morning. He was recruited by Groobers' staff back in the Fall. When Douggers took over, he rescinded many of the existing offers. But Marrone extended SU's offer to Anderson. Would the defensive back have committed to the 'Cuse with the old staff? "I was interested a little bit, but I don't think I would have went there with the old coaching style. I didn't seen chemistry with them. I didn't see myself with them for four years. With Coach Marrone I can see myself with him for four years, because I know he's gonna be there for four years."   FIZZ AUDIO: Listen to an exclusive Fizz interview with Orange recruit Rishard Anderson. It's go time! Holding off the Miami's of the world has taken on new meaning. It used to be Miami (OH). Yesterday it was Miami (FL) for offensive lineman Andrew Tiller. Beating FSU to a recruit under Groobers meant Fort State University. Yesterday it meant Florida State for safety Philip Thomas. Marrone and co. took a step forward with National Signing Day. A small step, but clearly a step. And that's what Orange Nation needed after four years of comedy. [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
Bringing the Sunshine North.2.04.09 Two South Florida kids fax it in on Signing Day. Fizz spoke to them both. 
Dateline: Miami, FL. Site: Miami Edison High. Time: 12:45p. The D-Nabb years of the late-90s are understandably remembered best by Orange Nation for #5 himself. But an underrated aspect of the team was the terrific tandem at safety: Tebucky Jones and Donovan Darius. Both achieved long careers in the NFL and both locked down the deep middle of the defense for four years. CNY may be getting giddy for a revisit to the T-Buck/Double-D combo. Earlier this morning Rishard Anderson from nearby American Heritage committed to the Orange to play safety. A few hours later, Philip Thomas did the same at Miami-Edison. The two grew up just 25 miles apart and now they'll travel nearly two-thousand miles to attack the same position. FIZZ AUDIO: Listen to an exclusive Fizz interview with Orange recruit Philip Thomas. Two safeties, one state. FIZZ AUDIO: Listen to an exclusive Fizz interview with Orange recruit Rishard Anderson. It's go time! Thomas' story is an interesting one. Marrone and co. jumped in on Thomas when they took over, but Florida State tried to sneak in at the last second when one of its defensive backs de-committed. The 'Noles attempted to sway Thomas at the 11th hour with a trip to Tallahassee. No dice. Thomas felt the loyalty to Marrone since he had stamped the envelope first. Thomas is gear-solid, too. He's already rocking six winter jackets and a pair of Nike boots. His introduction to the Dome? A women's hoops game. And he still got a kick out of it. He said he wished summer drills started today. Two safeties. One state. Same recruiting class. T-Buck/DD Part II? Orange Nation can dream can't it? 
Dateline: Plantation, FL. Site: American Heritage High. Time: 10:03a. The constant caffeine buzz coursing through Doug Marrone's veins is well documented already. Just a few weeks on the job and his energy, enthusiasm and hyper-kinetic passion has paid off in more than a few ways. First, the fan base is juiced. A guy that gets the Syracuse tradition? Wow, that's a good start. Second, National Signing Day drops this morning and guys who may have been apathetic towards the Groobers staff have been sucked into the Douggers vortex. American Heritage (FL) defensive back Rishard Anderson is one of those guys. Consider him a fan of Marrone's energy. It was the difference in making his decision. When the Fizz sat down with him this morning as he faxed his letter on intent to the (315) area code, it was obvious what Marrone's energy meant. Douggers has a way of making everyone excited to be a member of the Orange, in a way G-Rob just didn't (the four years of bad football had something to do with that). Anderson embraced his day in the sun by looking like the sun. He nabbed bright orange pants (where do you even get those?), a slick orange-striped polo and a Syracuse ballcap. Boy, he looked the part. He was part of an impressive football haul for the '09 Patriots, who also sent kids to Miami (FL) and Minnesota. Plus American Heritage watched one of the top basketball recruits in the nation, Kenny Boynton, commit to Billy Donovan's Gators this morning as well. The school has some athletic bloodlines. Anderson has a megawatt glow that should fit in perfectly to a new era in Syracuse football: the one where Marrone hasn't stopped smiling yet. [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
Missing On Marve = Good.2.03.09 Looks like the Tampa kid will not be the next QB. Whew. 
Looks like Miami transfer Robert Marve has whittled down his choices to USF, Purdue, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State before tomorrow's National Signing Day. Yet, Doug Marrone (i.e. Doug E. Fresh) has reportedly still gone after the Tampa Plante (FL) product hard. In fact, even though Robert's dad has publicly said the list of finalists does not include the Orange, Marrone is still in his ear. Much like Dolphins fans still waiting for someone to replace Dam Marino, Orange Nation has been twiddling its thumbs for a decade now. Since Donovan McNabb drove his black Explorer with the tinted windows off campus, we've watched grisly quarterbacking which would make Tim Couch jealous. Troy Nunes. R.J. Anderson. Perry Patterson. Andrew Robinson. Cameron Dantley. (Please hold air-sickness bag close to your mouth. Thank you.) Here's an interesting D.O. article on the disappointing saga to find D-Nabb's replacement. It's from SEVEN years ago. Marve started every game this season for the Hurricanes (well, except for the ones he was suspended for). He played extremely well at times, showing off a laser-right arm and helping UM chase a spot in the ACC title game until late in the season. But the Fizz newsroom has watched him and his soap opera up close from our Del Boca Vista headquarters. Sometimes, the best signings are the ones you never make. Marve's career has been consumed by questionable decision making, overbearing parenting and controversy. He had to be red-shirted because of an injury suffered in a car accident. He was suspended for the opening game for a run-in with security officers before the season. He was unable to play in the Emerald Bowl because of an academic suspension. And that was just the small stuff. Since December, Robert's father Eugene has waged in a bitter verbal war with coach Randy Shannon. Miami helped drag the situation through the mud by putting insanely tight restrictions on Marve's potential transfer. 
The Canes would not allow a move within the ACC (fine), the SEC (what?) nor the state of the Florida (you're kidding, right?). UM had reason to believe Eugene was soliciting scholarship offers during the season from schools in the Southeast. Robert went on the offensive, being quoted in the newspapers and popping off on sportstalk radio. It was enough to make Todd Marinovich's dad embarrassed. Eventually, Marve will likely end up at USF, playing in his own backyard and taking over after Matt Grothe's eligibility expires (you remember the Fizz on the Grohawk right?). Which is probably for the best. Because headaches and soap operas have become a bit tiresome for Orange Nation. [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
Diff'rent Strokes.2.02.09 Whatchu talkin' about Doug? Marrone has a new plan for SU recruiting.
Things, they are a'changin' on the Hill these days. One of the biggest football wins in recent years happened off the football field. In February. Over the weekend, Miami (FL) Edison standout Philip Thomas was talked out of taking a last-second trip to Talahassee by Doug Marrone. From D-Dub's entry in this morning's P-S: "Defensive back Phillip Thomas of Miami did not take an official visit to Florida State after meeting with Marrone late last week. That doesn't mean the Seminoles have stopped calling." Word has it, Thomas verbally committed to the Orange a week before National Signing Day, creating noise at FSU. The 'Noles became extremely persistent, insisting on one last visit to campus this weekend, before Wednesday's decision. That put Marrone on the first Delta flight to Miami International Airport to meet with Thomas, doing everything but bounding and gagging Thomas to his Nintendo Wii over the weekend. Whether Thomas ends up putting on the SU cap in 48 hours or turns into the next All-Big East first teamer is ancillary. The biggest development at Syracuse is that very clearly, things are different. Persuading a South Florida kid that the potential at snowy, frigid, last-place in the Big East, perennial laughingstock Syracuse is better than Florida State is harder than selling him hot cocoa at a Marlins game. 
Compare this with one of Groobers final recruits. Atlantic City (NJ) wide receiver Leavander Jones had his offer rescinded by Marrone last month. Jones made his final decision Saturday. He chose James Madison... over Hofstra. Again, Jones may become a boom, Thomas a bust. But the signal has been sent. Reading the list of kids Marrone is going after is impressive. Running back David Oku is choosing between Syracuse, Tennessee and Auburn. Tight end Malcolm Bush is looking at Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt and North Carolina. Defensive lineman Akeem Spence, who committed to Illinois is still listening to the Orange. Groobers was very obviously an awful gameday head coach. But maybe more disgusting is the level of recruit he was targeting. From Syracuse to James Madison. Yeah, that sounds about right. [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
10,000 A.D.12.19.08 A newbie Syracuse blog reaches 10,000 hits. 
Scholars (or maybe someone brilliant like Jennifer Aniston) enjoy saying "necessity is the mother of invention." And "The Orange Fizz" was born out of necessity. By last summer, ripping Groobers (and openly rooting for losses) became a cottage industry among Syracuse bloggers. So, we had to join the party. On August 30th, we launched this little bundle of orange joy as an opportunity to vent about the masochistic nature of following Syracuse athletics. We, at the Fizz, graduated from the 'Cuse in '01. Since sitting hungover through the endless commencement speeches in a sweltering Dome, cheering for the Orange had careened toward delirium. One-win football seasons. Annual NIT bids. An athletic director who knew more about the photo op than the fairgrounds. Zoinks. In the early part of the decade, the only way to vent was to call up one of your boys you shared Darwin's happy hour pitchers with and gripe, "I'm sorry, but Coach P has to go." 
By the middle part of the decade, the online message boards were giving Orange Nation a new millenium party-line to post, "How big does the freaking block 'S' have to be at mid-court? What, are we blind?" Finally, by last season we were entrenched daily in fantastic 'Cuse-centric blogs like "Nunes Magician," "Three Idiots" and "Hoya Suxa." It was time to share in the vent. On August 30, 2008 we launched "The Fizz" as a chance for some group therapy. It was a date that would live in infamy. Big ups to the incredibly resilient and hilariously sarcastic Orange Nation. The love we received was far and beyond what was expected for our first four months (daily Groobers bash sessions and candidate coach watches certainly helped). Who knows. If the Orange football team goes 6-6, maybe no one is reading this blog (don't get any ideas Marrone!). But as it stands, this week the Fizz surpassed 10,000 hits. 
The rest of the SU-blog community has been nothing but supportive, national sites like SI.com's "Campus Clicks" and The Big Lead linked us and we even got the Post-Standard to notice (score). We at the Fizz don't get paid much to be holed up in an apartment, decked out in our Lawrence "Poetry In" Moten jersey, eating Crispix and perusing Syracuse.com (in fact, would ya mind clicking on that ad to the right? That's three-cents for us. Nice). But it sure beats real work. Here's to another 50,000 hits in '09. We've got some ideas up our orange sleeves. Thanks. I think I'm getting Fizzy-eyed. [Vent about this post in the Orange Fizz Forum]
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