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Fizz Fridays: Brittany and Vegas. 5.1.09 Sin City presents a new-look Fizz.  
As is our Friday tradition, The Fizz presents our princess Brittany Blasier. She caught our eye as a young model still under the radar (not for long). She also doubles as a cocktail waitress at one of the VIP-only night spots in Vegas, which ironically is where we find ourselves at this weekend. The Fizz is stationed along media row at the MGM Grand as Sin City prepares for the first post-De La Hoya megafight, Hatton/Pacquiao. For podcast-able coverage you can find us on iTunes by searching "The D.A. Show" or at our audio headquarters, thedashow.podbean.com. Another note, The Fizz is pleased to announce the addition of two talented writers to the staff. Mike Couzens and Ted Conroy have joined the Fizz roster and will be blogging daily on the Orange recruiting universe. Every morning The Fizz will be your go-to (and free) destination for all the news on SU's recruiting trail. It'll all be posted under the header Fizz First, denoting the recruiting news we'll be updating earlier than anywhere else regularly. So, get ready: The Fizz just got sweeter. 
Fizz First: Would Greg Be The Starter? 4.29.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
Now that we know Greg Paulus has visited campus and sat down with the coaching staff, a few things become clear.Paulus would immediately be at the top of the depth chart for QB's. After watching spring practice both in the snow at Manley and in the Dome, it's clear that Ryan Nassib is not ready to be a starter at the D-1 level no matter how simple the offense is. And Cam Dantley? He's already been given his on-field evaluation last year and failed miserably. Call him the Jim Sorgi of the Orange. Unless Peyton is missing a limb, Sorgi doesn't belong on the field. Despite Marrone's public confidence in Nassib, how does Paulus change things? The coach made a quick move early in spring practice to name Ryan Nassib his starting signal caller. Was it because Nassib earned it or simply to avoid media pressure? The guess here is the latter. What is possible, however, is that Marrone had his eyes on Paulus for awhile. Fizz Dirt is that during Paulus' visit to the Newhouse School at SU, Doug was rolling out the red carpet himself. Let's not forget there's still another QB coming to campus in the fall; Charley Loeb from Lawrence Academy (MA). Marrone is collecting quarterbacks like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Paulus picture is still hazy. He reportedly has plans to meet with Nebraska football coaches this week and still has yet to graduate from Duke. Orange Nation, though, is willing to make concessions for Paulus to come to SU after examining the existing depth chart. And Greg, we could also just forget this whole thing ever happened: Hey, we even disregarded Danny Green's crotch! What more do you want? So, whadayathink?
Fizz First: The Case for Greg. 4.28.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
You've heard it, read about it and seen his awkward interview with the PTI guys.Greg Paulus is in the 'Cuse "exploring opportunities," and from what the gab has been, it seems like an Orange jersey could be in his future. We all know the accolades: 11,000+ passing yards, Gatorade National player of the year, good Samaritan who saves villages from the Swine Flu. But the big knock is obvious: Hasn't tossed the pigskin competitively in more than four years. However, there is quite the list of pros that can negate the one con that everyone looks at. They go, as follows. Chicks dig the long ball - or at least, a QB who can complete passes. As of now, Doug Marrone has two quarterbacks on the roster before Charlie Loeb comes in for training camp. After seeing spring football practice through and through, two things are evident. Cam Dantley can't move in the pocket, struggling with short throws and starter Ryan Nassib has trouble getting the ball over the top (not to mention he has never taken a D-1 snap). If anything, Paulus can make everyone better by challenging for the job. Daryl Gross gets fans in the seats. Those inflated numbers from last year's attendance (minus Penn State) were atrocious in their own right. It's simple arithmetic: troubled economy x local hero = filling the Dome. National (over) Exposure The four letters of E, S, P, and N would reverberate hard in a program that needs to get back to solid recruiting. Imagine the opener against Minnesota: 49,262 fans against the Golden Gophers,l Rachel Nichols on campus for a sappy piece on the Paulus family and (we can dream) a potentially nationally televised game? It makes things all the sweeter for the fans, coaches and potential recruits.
Draft Fizz With Jared Schwartz. 4.27.09 Where has all the Orange gone in the NFL? 
The days of hearing Syracuse names being called during the first day of the NFL draft are all but gone and have been for a while.Besides a random selection here or there (think Anthony Smith), it's been all downhill post-Coach P. It's no surprise that SU barely sniffed the draft during the ruinous 10-37 run under Groobers. Now, it's time for change! Doug Marrone speaks of bringing back tradition to the SU football program. Want people to start talking about the 'Cuse again? Have successful college players drafted on the first day. Players, fans AND potential recruits watch the NFL draft. Think of USC, which had double-digit players selected this year, creating yet more buzz around the program. No one knows if Greg Paulus will be a successful college quarterback after not playing the game since high school. But if he does join the Orange this summer it will create a buzz around the program and that, if nothing else, will stir interest in Syracuse football like players selected in the draft would. Bottom line is when Coach Marrone recruits better players, starts winning, has players drafted and people start noticing Syracuse football again -- the Orange will have officially come back. Because right now, it's kinda hard to find (especially on draft day).
Fizz Friday: Brittany & Friends. 4.24.09 Quite a week for Orange Nation. 
Greg Paulus, will-he-won't-he. Boeheim blasts Devo and Harris on their way out the door. Camp Marrone's victims' list reaches eight. (Whew.) As always, Fizz Fridays delivers a break from the rigors of being Orange fan. Our Fizz Princess Brittany Blasier, cocktail dress in Vegas (scroll through our Friday's to see more from B.B.). Yup yup. Meantime, Paulus could commit to Syracuse as early as this weekend (which still rankles The Fizz. Granted, anything is better than we've seen the past four years. But expectations should be tempered for a guy who hasn't picked up a football competitively in more than four years). Should Prince Greg decide to come home, the most interesting storyline will be whether the national media is all over 'Cuse football. SI.com featured the Orange in its Inside College Football feature this week (minus the Paulus connection). Will SU grab national attention or will the miserable product make everyone forget Paulus is even under center? With much to ponder, we present the opening scene from Big Daddy, Sandler clad in his Orangemen tee. It's hard to believe this film was released a decade ago. Harder to believe is that it may be Sandler's last solid movie. Hardest to believe is that Greg Paulus may be quarterbacking the Orange in a few months.
Will the Post-Standard Get Scooped Again? 4.23.09 This is the man that just may do it. 
By Wednesday afternoon, ESPN.com was reporting it was likely Greg Paulus would commit to Syracuse as early as this weekend. Now granted, the channels of communication here were Fizzy. ESPN.com was reporting the Facebook page of its own Joe Schad had broken the "news" first (that "likely" is involved in breaking news is a stretch to begin with). Was this roundabout new-media way of promoting an ESPN.com-related Facebook page? Why couldn't Joe Schad have "reported" the same thing for ESPN or ESPN.com? Whatever the case is (and with the world wide leader anything is possible), it represents another case of the longest-standing media entity in CNY getting scooped. Again. For the fourth time in a month. Granted, nothing has been made official yet, but again the Post-Standard seems to be the last one to the party. Donnie Webb's best source has come from the Duke media relations department. Which, for those involved in the media, is like calling the operator. If Schad breaks the Paulus story it would mark a dark month for the foremost outlet of Syracuse news. The P-S would've been scooped on the four biggest stories in Syracuse athletics. The D.O. broke Eric Devendorf's decision to leave early. ***Fizz-Cast with Zack Schonbrun on breaking the story*** SU Athletics delivered the news of Flynn and Harris joining Devo. And Ryan Miller (who is an unpaid blogger for Syracuse.com) had the first one-on-one with Jonny Ice after his decision to leave. What has happened to Mike Waters and D-Webb? Where are the days of breaking major SU stories like the recruiting violations and NCAA probation twenty years ago? Orange Nation keeps its watchful glare on the Paulus story. And who gets the story first. If paid local news outlets keep getting beaten to the story by students, administrative officials and national commentators, newspapers shouldn't bother hanging on for dear life. They'd already have lost their grip.
Groobers' Final Gift To Us. 4.22.09 Thought you had escaped the evil clutches of G-Rob? Not yet. 
At this rate, the SU women's crew team will be needed to fill out the football roster. Employee #8 has left Camp Marrone, this time redshirt frosh Michael Kay. That's eight, yes eight, players who have gone AWOL during Doug Marrone's first three months at the steering wheel. For the complete list, scroll down to Monday's post here on The Fizz. We have no idea whether Marrone will be successful in all the areas Groobers was abysmal (although doing worse would be virtually impossible). Recruiting, in-game coaching, motivation, preparation. All areas the Orange has been decidedly awful the last four years. What we may be finding out quickly, however, is that the sheer talent level of this program is miserable. There are clearly a handful of holdover guys who even Marrone would be crazy to run off (Arthur Jones and... um... well, Arthur Jones!). But if Marrone is going to push eight athletes out of the program before summer practice even opens, either he's a maniacal tyrant who will be universally despised by his players or the depth chart was worse than we even knew. Marrone knows he has some leash (a 4-7 season would be looked at as improvement. Staying within 50 points of Penn State would be seen as growth). But even he's not insane enough to gut an entire roster of decent players going into his first season. The Fizz supports AJAX-ing this program of the "can't cut it" players who Groobers recruited and lost with. Douggers seems to be skimming the pool of the flotsam that built up in the last three recruiting classes. After enduring the last four seasons, it's time to thank Groobers one more time. Consider it his final gift to us.
Once Upon A Time. 4.21.09 Howard Triche's nephew can ball. 
While the Orange tallied no McDonald's All-American's this spring, Syracuse did land local prod Brandon Triche. The dynamic guard out of Jamesville-Dewitt just lit up the Jordan Brand Classic All-Star Game at the Garden over the weekend. How about the Orange bloodlines of this kid? Cousin of Jason Hart. Uncle is Howard Triche. Unfortunately, the Triche name invokes the image of Keith Smart's jumper. Ridiculously, the shot was replayed multiple times as a "Great Final Four Moment" during the Syracuse games down here in the tournament. And every time you watch it, you realize just how good Triche's defense was on Smart. If anything, Derrick Coleman needed to step out and help on the shot, his huge wingspan might've disrupted Smart just enough. History would be incredibly different if D.C. hits his free throws or Smart's jumper was off. Bobby Knight would still be considered an all-time great, but his Isiah Thomas-led 1981 National Champs would have been his last title team almost thirty years ago. The Per'fesser would have cut down the nets within a decade of inheriting the program, immediately putting him in the hierarchy of college coaches (and with two titles - as many as Dean Smith and Jim Calhoun). And ultimately, the 1980s-edition of Syracuse hoops would be remembered as glorious champions instead of having incredible talent but disappointing tourney losses. Back to Brandon. Here was how Howard described his nephew's game two years ago: "Brandon is just really good. He gets up and down the floor, he's dunking with both hands, he really understands the game. I fool around with him, and he can really shoot it. We haven't had the chance to play one-on-one lately, and I probably won't because my back won't let me. But I think I've missed my chance to beat him." Maybe another Triche enrolling at the 'Cuse is the antidote to the Smart (bleeping) jumper. Maybe he's not McDonald's material, but we'll take a Shamrock Shake.
Doug the Reaper. 4.20.09 Another one bites the dust at Camp Marrone. 
Another Orange baller walks out on Camp Marrone and one has to wonder if they'll have enough players to fill out the two-deep in September. "Defensive tackle Lamar Middleton, who worked with the first-team unit most of the spring, is gone from the Syracuse University football team. His departure apparently took place last week prior to the spring game on Saturday at the Carrier Dome, in which he was absent." The list has now grown to seven players who have gone AWOL from Doug's first spring camp. The List: ¥ Lamar Middleton, defensive tackle (eh.) ¥ David Legree, quarterback (double eh.) ¥ Matt Reid, cornerback (who?) ¥ Terrell Harris, cornerback (whatever.) ¥ Trey Fairchild, wide receiver (mmm... fine.) ¥ Dan Sheeran, linebacker/wide receiver (that seems right.) ¥ Jeremiah Harden, running back (see ya at Kimmel.) Add Andrew Robinson who's development as "next rising star at quarterback" has been briefly interrupted by demotion to backup tight-end and Marrone is quickly changing the DNA of this roster. But from a squad that finished 3-9, lost to Akron at home and has a four-year track record of misery, Marrone could import the SUNY-Cortland roster and it might be an upgrade. Applause to Marrone for "trimming the fat" from a depth-chart of guys who were clearly unsuited for even Big East mediocrity. But, there is always the possibility Marrone is pushing a little too hard. Is his first camp that first taste of ultimate power and backing off because of the mass exodus might send a message that he's already admitting a mistake? Remember, the defensive line has already taken hits from the injuries of Jared Kimmel and Arthur Jones. Ultimately, gutting the roster of "Groobers Guys" is likely a good move. The 'Cuse may just have to play Montana-high-school-style 8-on-8 in 2009.
Weekend Fizz with Jared Schwartz. 4.18.09 Paulus' next stop Syracuse? 
I covered Greg Paulus at CBA as a standout quarterback and pretty decent point guard.When the decision was made to play basketball at Duke instead of taking one of the hundreds of football scholarships, the question was WHY? It was a bigger mystery then the whereabouts of R.J. Anderson (I still have my number-5 jersey. And it's RJ, not McNabb). Greg made his decision to play for Coach K and did pretty well until his starting duties were taken away senior year. With one year of eligibility left, it's no wonder why Paulus doesn't want to stay at Duke (besides the fact that coach David Cutcliffe won't even give him a chance). Enter: I Kissed a Boy, starring Mr. Paulus. So he won't stay at Duke. The Packers tried him out but it's a long shot. And Rich Rodriguez thinks Paulus is the answer to running the spread in Ann Arbor... Paulus should come back home and join the Orange! You know Dr. Gross is sitting in his office at Manley salivating over using Greg as a promotional tool to try and fill all those empty bleacher seats inside the Dome. At lease give Paulus the chance to compete with Nassib for the spot. One of CNY's favorite sons in orange and blue. What could be better then that and a Dome Dog?
Fizz Princess Fridays. 4.17.09 Tough week for Orange Nation. You deserve Brittany. 
As per our usual Friday custom, we bring you Ms. Fizz Princess, Brittany Blasier. (More info on the internal decision to highlight an incredibly beautiful female, here.) After enduring the news three of the Orange's top players will declare for the NBA Draft and the most important one has signed with an agent, the week has been a macabre death march. Everyone's trying to keep their heads up, but it seems more denial than reality. Thus making the timing of Greg Paulus' will-he/won't-he/might-he decision a bit curious. It seems too sinister, a plan to ride in on a white horse to "save" Syracuse sportsfan in the wake of the hoops team's preseason expectations taking a Wile E. Coyote plunge off the cliff. But the same week three athletes (including the effervescent Jonny Ice) decide to leave, a hometown hero wants to return? Paulus has suggested he is deciding between returning to play football for Michigan, Syracuse or a handful of other schools. The question is: Why wouldn't he simply stay at Duke and tryout for quarterback? Paulus seems like a decent young man. But if his cause is so noble, help save the shipwreck of a football program at the school you're currently enrolled at. If Paulus can still truly play quarterback at a high-level, why is he looking beyond the Blue Devils to do so? He has to petition the NCAA anyway. Petition for your eligibility at the same school who offered you a full scholarship to ply your trade as a mediocre point guard and save the rest of college football nation from the insufferable Greg Paulus "life preserver." There is some part of this which screams to Paulus' ego just looking to play hero one final time.
The Fizz is on iTunes. Bingo. Bango 4.16.09 And the Post-Standard gets beat. Again. 
There have been many notable firsts, here on The Fizz. From comparing Coach P with Eagle from the Muppets to embedding ourselves behind enemy lines just to play beer pong at a USF tailgate. But no Fizz news comes with such excitement as the announcement that we are now podcasting daily on iTunes. As many of you know, blogging for Fizz Nation is just our day job (or the one with the zero profit margin). By night we are Miami's caped crusader (eh, we host a sports radio show on 560 WQAM). Steve Jobs has given us the thumbs up, so iTunes is carrying the best hour of our show nightly. Unfortunately, it's not all Syracuse-related content on The D.A. Show. It's a lot of South Florida sports, some national perspective, a pinch of pop culture... and when the mood strikes, a rant on Dr. Doom's misguided patience with Groobers. But we invite the powerful Fizz Nation to subscribe to our podcast via iTunes and brings us with you in the car or at the gym. Or download/listen to us here. - - - Fizz Notes: Jonny Flynn gives his exclusive interview on leaving early to Orange Segment's Ryan Miller. Props to another student for scooping the rest of the CNY paid media. First, the D.O.'s Zack Schonbrun gets the Devo-leaving-early story 24 hours before anyone else had it. Now, Miller gets the Jonny Ice sit-down. And SU Athletics posted the release on Flynn, Harris and Devo leaving before anyone sniffed it. We love Mike Waters, but maybe the Post-Standard should take him off the SkyChiefs beat. The P-S's paid staff has been beaten three times on the biggest SU hoops stories of the year. And if you run into Greg Paulus, tell him "thanks, but you should go to Michigan." Because the Ryan Nassib Experience is ready to commence.
Syracuse Make Charlie Weis Angry. 4.15.09 Losing to Groobers is really, really hard. 
In the middle of the ongoing WB teen-drama that is Syracuse basketball, this little nugget warms our Orange heart. Charlie Weis contemplated bailing on Notre Dame following the loss to Syracuse. "Leave Notre Dame. Return to the comfort zone of an NFL coordinator's job. End the abuse, the kind that led son Charlie Jr. to skip school for three days after the Irish's home loss to Syracuse. 'We talked about all that as a family, and we felt that we didn't want to leave that way. That would have been the easy way out. That's not why we came here.'" Yeah, instead Weis is gonna do this the honorable way: collect $30 Million dollars to coach a stagnating football program to the Alamo Bowl. You show 'em, Chuck! "Weis swears he didn't read the newspaper rip jobs or listen to the nasty insults hurled his way in Notre Dame Stadium after the loss to 2-8 Syracuse. 'I have tunnel vision. Not that I don't care about what's being said, but I don't listen to it. I don't read it. I don't watch it. I don't go online. I don't do any of those things.' After the Syracuse game, I'm worried more about my kid having a breakdown.'" That's kinda fun. The Fizz trip to South Bend. Cue tape! The most hysterical part of this Chicago Tribune piece is Charlie Tuna's insistence he was unaware there was any frustration with his standoffish relationship with alumni. Right. Notre Dame is your alma mater. You've long considered it your dream job. Enough ink and airtime is spent discussing the culture of Irish football for a third-grader to understand the dynamics in place. And you had no idea the donors might want you to glad hand a little more? Please. Roll tape one more time.
Wait. What? 4.14.09 All of a sudden Paul Harris didn't declare for the draft. Huh? 
So, the university (with help from the coaching staff) jumped the gun and assumed incorrectly that Paul Harris was leaving early? And without actually contacting Harris, misinterpreted his lack of communication as entering the NBA draft? Um, this is a little hard to swallow. Harris to the Post-Standard: "I didn't know a thing about it. I didn't do that. I don't have a clue who actually did it." The Per'fesser has been unreachable while on vacation since the season ended (poor timing, Jim?) and said this wasn't an attempt at pushing Paul out. According to Boeheim, Harris had gone home to Niagara Falls and never returned telephone calls from the SU coaches. Boeheim also said that Harris had indicated to him during the tournament that he planned on leaving school after the season. "He told me that the week before the Oklahoma game. It's been two weeks since then and he hasn't returned a phone call. We only released it because that's what he indicated to me." Harris says his name shouldn't have been used in the release without his consent. Sooooo... you're gonna stay? No, Harris says he now has intentions of entering the draft. Whatever. This is turning into an episode of The Hills. Heidi was trying to call Spencer, who didn't return her texts, who assumed Paul was leaving for the draft, who was angry at Jim for his Facebook page. Let's face it. Harris is third on the three-man list of players Boeheim would like to return to school next season. Maybe he can join Greg Paulus in Packers camp when neither one gets drafted.
The Full Paul Harris Experience. 4.13.09 Deconstructing the indelible South Campus video. 
By now, most of Orange Nation has weighed in on le'affair Paul Harris. Jonny Ice is the best of the bunch. We expect him to walk. Devo is scheduled to graduate this May (really? Devo's gonna graduate? Never saw that one coming.). He's done with campus life. He'll walk. But Paul? The disappointing can't-miss-kid is jumping early? Seems like there's a handful of lil' Pauls scurrying around, so the Yugoslavian League paycheck might come in handy for some Gerber's. Maybe, however, we've missed an opportunity to just appreciate what Harris was and is. And that's the central figure in what will end up being SU's most memorable South Campus YouTube video. In an era of YouTube, Deadspin, Face Book and Twitter, we have more personal access to the athletes we watch than ever before. In response to that ever-shrinking fish bowl our athletes have become more insular, ever weary of putting too much information out there. Yet, here's Paul Harris in his gold chains, Syracuse game shorts and oversized hoodie, riding in on his white horse. When it first surfed its way through the blogosphere, the video created much conversation along the lines of "that's just Paul being Paul." But shirtless lip-synching to Fitty in front of a life-sized cardboard cut-out of yourself with a cameo by some skinny white dude in your South Campus apartment is legendary, when you really think about it. Harris might end up signing with an agent, puncturing another hole in those lofty pre-season expectations of the '09-'10 Orange and balling for Ace Tel-Makir of the Turkish League. But instead of animosity or disappointment, maybe we should just have appreciation. Who else could ever give us three-minutes of bizarreness quite like Paul? There was no Final Four, no cutting of any nets. But we will always have the video.
Weekend Fizz with Jared Schwartz. 4.12.09 The new color of the NBA: orange? 
A pre-season top-5 ranking to irrelevant in the Big East.That's how far SU could fall if Flynn, Devendorf and Harris all turn pro. It's common for student-athletes to leave campus early for the money of pro-ball. But for a Syracuse program which has struggled before making this year's Sweet 16, it's a major set back just when you thought the team was on the verge of something great. Paul Harris was upfront in his Fizz Interview that leaving school was a possibility depending on the outcome of the season. The sad thing is that everyone except for Paul knows he won't get a shot at the next level. If G-Mac can't even stick with an NBDL team (in attendance at the 'Cuse games in Miami. Huge fan of The Fizz!) what makes anyone think Harris can? Life is always changing and there are only a few things that remain the same. It's money in the bank that you'll be able to grab a slice at Varsity and a cold one at Faegan's when you head back to campus. Besides that, who knows? What's next? Andy Rautins declaring for the CBA draft? OH CANADA!
How the D.O. Scooped CNY. 4.10.09 Student media outworks the competition. Blam. 
For those tuning into their first episode of The Fizz, fear not. We're still a Syracuse blog. But Fridays until football season kicks off, we're bringing you Princess Fizz, Brittany Blasier (here's the Fizz File on Brittany). Meantime, in mourning we podcast. Upon the shattering news Paul Harris, Devo and Jonny Ice will all enter the NBA Draft, The Fizz went to the source. No, not the Post-Standard, who had nary an inkling of this before SUathletics.com posted the official release. In fact, Devo's decision was broken Wednesday by the Daily Orange (as we referenced yesterday). So we did was any good news agency would do: we went to the real news agency. Zack Schonbrun at the D.O. helped break the story and then joined The Fizz-Cast. Did a student outlet actually have an advantage over the professional media in this situation? "I think so. It's something that can definitely work in our favor... we go to classes with these guys. We go to classes with friends of these guys. Over four years I've been able to make acquaintances with people in or around the program and in some instances, like this, they help us out." ***Listen or download the Fizz-cast with Zach on track one below*** Props to the D.O. for the scoop, always love the student media outworking everyone else. Fist pound. We'll now take this weekend as a moment of silence, for the potential breakup of the preseason number-one team in the country. No fist pound.
E-Rabbit to the NBA? 4.09.09 The D.O. says Devendorf is ready to jump. 
The Daily Orange has reported Eric Devendorf will declare himself eligible for the NBA Draft, immediately deflating those lofty '09-'10 predictions of Orange dominance. The optimism of Boeheim's fourth Final Four originally hinged on whether Jonny Ice would remain at Syracuse. Now, it's potentially at the mercy of two of the starting five grabbing the money. The smiling, joking, head-snapping, whirling dervish looks the part of an NBA lottery pick. But Flynn's biggest obstacle are the players in front of him; Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, Stephen Curry, Jeff Teague and Darren Collison make up one of the deepest point guard drafts in recent years. Is Ice the third-best point of that group? Fourth? Is that good enough to get into the lottery? For Flynn the decision is whether to enjoy college life or take the coin now. He's a lock as a first-round pick, which means his contract is guaranteed. He's borderline lottery (just outside looking in) which will affect how much his initial contract is worth. For Devendorf (a.k.a. 8 Mile, a.k.a. E-Rabbit), his decision should be made on whether his stock is high enough to be a first-rounder. If Dorf slips to the second-round (which would seem likely), he walks into NBA training camp with no promises, slogging for a job and trying to make the team with the rest of the undrafted rookies and lower-tier veterans. Let us not forget, however, finances are a bigger burden to him than most college kids since he is a father. The Fizz would advise Flynn to weigh raising his stock to a sure-fire lottery pick with a deep Orange run next year against getting paid as a mid-first-round guy now. We would tell Dorf to go through the NBA Draft evaluation process and avoid hiring an agent to prepare for next summer. But ultimately, it's not worth chasing flimsy projections right now. He'd more than likely be a second-rounder. Maybe most interestingly, what does this say about student media? If indeed the report is true, a couple of undergrads on the Hill scooped the Post-Standard and the rest of the paid-CNY media. At a time when the newspaper bloodbath takes another pound of flesh daily, the D.O. can take a bow for its student-to-student relationships which helped break a story few saw coming. Ryan Miller has helped the Post-Standard with unprecedented access to the players' personal lives, like YouTube videos from their South Campus dorms (Miller is still a student and was a team manager before his gig with the paper). If the report ends up true, maybe newspapers can take a few tips from a student-media outlet out in front of a story; forging personal relationships for access readers can't get elsewhere.
Holy Auriemma, Batman!4.08.09 The Fizz wakes up to realize, the UConn women are... hot?  It wasn't supposed to end like this. The UConn women were going to thrash the rest of the NCAA field, barely break a sweat en route to the title and The Fizz would lob hand grenades at another self-absorbed, tyrannical Huskies coach with a ring (or six) on his fingers. Check, check and check. 
But we awoke this morning to a picture circulating on the interweb with the Lady Huskies in nothing but their jersey tops... looking kinda sexy... and realized: Holy Husky, are the UConn women actually hot? First of all, it's becoming abundantly clear the best way to spice up women's hoops is to discard the shorts. This look is very becoming. While playing in what amounts to an Under Armor-branded nightie might be a little tough to maneuver at first, it could truly make some in-roads among the casual (read: male) sports fan. Second, we analyzed this photo like the Zapruder film and found the Huskies have so many attractive females, there are some not even in this picture! 
The star of this photo is clearly #22, Meghan Gardler, who is suggesting with that pouty look, "Yes, I can float an 18-foot-jumper over you. Isn't that hot?" This pic of her playfully wondering how Geno would look in her Juicy Couture jeans is equally fun (answer: hideous). The tall female in the middle is wonderfully attractive too. The Fizz has identified her as Cassie Kerns, a 6'3" center from Indiana. We'll sway that way because she is clearly one of the taller women on the team and we know Gardler is listed at 6'0". 
But that only means Caroline Doty is not pictured, which is a shame. Luckily, we have three more years of Doty, who is only a freshman and obviously remarkably cute even with shorts. And finally, Renee Montgomery, a 5'7" pixie who might run the offense for Auriemma, but seems to embody none of his evil-doing. If the Orange women decided to suit up a handful of girls who look like this and threw together an impromptu sexy camera-phone pic on South Campus, let's just say The Fizz would be writing a lot more women's hoops posts. 
There have been plenty of attractive women's hoopsters, including Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson and the adorable Candace Parker. So we're not really breaking new ground here. But this is likely the first "jerseys as cocktail dresses" photo shoot for an undefeated and historically dominant national champ. For some reason, we can't see John Wooden's UCLA Bruins going bottomless in celebration. "Hey, Walton! You're frank and beans are showing!"
Out-Swooshed Again.4.07.09 Upside down lax jerseys just the newest way Nike owns SU. 
The Fizz is still torn on the modern-look basketball jerseys.The form-fitting tops seem a little constricting for a sport where free-flowing, improvisational movement is kinda important. It's not exactly a tactical advantage, like a defensive lineman cutting his baggy sleeves to help thwart holding at the line of scrimmage. Additionally, we're constantly perplexed at how silver popped up prominently in the Syracuse Orange jerseys (shouldn't the numerals be, ya know, blue or orange?). It's pretty obvious, Darryl Gross sold SU's soul to the Nike empire, allowing the ghastly orange/ orange/ orange football jerseys a few years ago and omnipresent product placement around the university. But if Jonny Flynn thinks its cool to wear Nike while crossing-over UConn at the Dome, who are we to judge? Admittedly, Nike also seems to have a decent vision of how young athletes want to look on the playing field. How else do you explain Oregon's decade of success on the gridiron? Who would possibly want to wear these jerseys? So, we at The Fizz defer graciously to the middle-aged, predominantly white, corporate suits sitting in a board room in Manhattan to figure out what young, urban, predominantly black athletes want to wear. 
But Nike's attempt at old-schooling the Syracuse lax jerseys is forced at best. The Knicks of the late 1970s (post the iconic 1970 and '73 teams and pre-Ewing) forgettably wore jerseys with the numerals above the lettering. The Atlanta Hawks of the late-'70s also attempted the topsy-turvy jerseys, with the player's name under the numbers on the back. But there is one constant among the predecessors of the new SU lax jerseys: it was thirty years ago and the height of bad disco fashion sense.  We applaud Nike for taking some calculated risks in its athletic wear empire (the Ducks occasionally look pretty cool. The skin-tight SU jersey tops were originally awkward. Now they're just mildly irritating). But test-marketing the "name-below-the-numbers" design on the least visible of the three major Syracuse sports is a mistake. Luckily, retouching the Orange lacrosse unis is not quite splashing teal into the Yankees' pinstripes. But would someone please tell Nike this one isn't working? First, poor Ernie Davis. Now this. Nike has swooshed us again.
Hightops Off, Cleats On.4.05.09 Jared Schwartz looks for A-Rob at Harry's. 
Basketball season is officially done. It was so exciting down the stretch I was out of breath with flashbacks of climbing those 120 stairs up to Day Hall (still don't know how I did that). Only thing left to clear up is whether Jonny Flynn will leave CNY for the NBA. The Weekend-Fizz doesn't live in the past, so we move onto the "slow season." Yes, the LAX team is 9-1 and ranked #2 in the country, but no one outside those few thousand die-hards notices until Memorial Day. Give props to Coach Desko for yet another power on the Carrier Dome Field Turf, but there's a better chance of finding Groobers, Coach P and Daryl Gross noshing pulled-pork together at Dinosaur BBQ then hearing about LAX before May. The Spring Football Game is less then two weeks away and we all feel the excitement of 5,000 fans soaking in the magic that is Nassib to Lobdell (like Montana to Rice, right?). Hopefully this one goes better then the Andrew Robinson Error, who went from second-coming of D-Nabb to a senior season as backup tight-end (OUCH!). I'll put my money on seeing Andrew A LOT this season at the local Marshall Street establishments drowning his sorrows (maybe even in a Ryan Nassib Jersey). -Weekend Editor, Jared Schwartz
The Fizz Finds It's Woman.4.03.09 We help you forget it's five months until football season. 
We're all in the same Orange submarine here. Football season might have sucked the last four years, but we still (secretly) love it. Basketball season always engenders hope and optimism (with a sinking sense of dread mixed in) until reality smacks in March. Lacrosse season is always a positive, but rarely do we pay too much mind until the tournament starts in May. The Fizz is a full-service Syracuse blog, so when something breaks or Orange news needs to be dug up, we're on it. Trust us. But we also know this begins the dry season of Syracuse sports, with just scattered rainfall to quench our Ryan Nassib-sized thirst (think Spring football and the lax Final Four). So, we're gonna go where no blog has gone before. We're anointing a Fizz Princess. Trust us. We could go the easy route and pick a celebrity hottie, like Megan Fox or Scarlett Johanssen or that chick from Heroes. But what fun is that? You could easily Google image any Hollywood diva yourself and be up to your Otto arms in drool-inducing pics. That's why we've found an under-the-radar model, who's on the cusp of stardom but is still relatively unknown by the producers at TMZ. Ladies and gentleman, The Fizz presents: Brittany Blasier. We discovered Brittany while Facebooking a friend we grew up with in lil' old Warwick, NY (who was hot in her own right, named Hometown Hottie of the year for FHM Magazine. Wildcats in the house, bitches!). Brittany is obviously crazy gorgeous, but also elicits that girl-next-door appeal. We'll feature her every Friday here on The Fizz to make your days brighter and lighten the duress that comes with the Orange off-season. And for those who grew up in the tri-state area and attended SU (like yours truly), we leave you with a YouTube sensation making its viral mark on the interweb. Yeah, you know this guy (it might actually be my buddy Penz). Or you might be this guy. "Well, I just left Syracuse, where do I go? My dad's a wealthy dentist, we're from Jericho." Mine's not. But we get it. Shalom (was that used correctly? Better ask my Jewish friends).
The McDonald's Game: Super Size Me.4.02.09 Maybe no Orange as All-Americans is a blessing in disguise. 
Last night in Coral Gables, FL the nation watched the East beat the West 113-110 in the McDonald's All-American game. Good to see the kids getting their NBA-groove on already: alley-oops, 360-spin moves and zero defense. As The Fizz noted yesterday, no Orange recruits were selected for the game. Incoming Syracuse frosh DeShonte Riley and Brandon Triche are both Top-100 prospects, but neither made the final cut. Many future foes of the Orange, however, were on display. The Big East was repped by five ballers (possibly six, Lance Stephenson has St. John's as a finalist), including two committed to Villanova: Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek. They're both Northeast-corridor kids; Wayns from Philly, Cheek from Jersey City. ***Listen to the Fizz-Cast with Wayns and Cheek: Track 2*** Wayns finished with just five points, but Cheek was one of the East's top scorers with 15 on 6-8 shooting in just 14 minutes of play. The greatest dynamic of the entire week, however, had nothing to do with the game. With McDonald's as the title sponsor, guess what? Yep, free Mickey D's all week. At the media luncheon alone, twenty quarter-pounders were stacked on the table and McNuggets were as rampant as over-sized AAU-fueled egos. 
So how did these world-class athletes handle their saturated fat intake? They're 18-year-old kids away from home. How do you think? Cheek: "Oh yeah, I've eaten McDonald's every day so far. I think I better lay off on it." Wayns: "I love McDonald's, but don't tell coach Wright, he doesn't like that." Pitt's Dante Taylor: "Just feels like they're trying to gain us weight or something. Tell (coach Dixon) I had a salad at least one day." USC recruit Christina Marinacci: "I've never had so much McDonald's in one period of my life. I don't know if I can ever eat it again when I go home. It's not the healthiest food." ***Listen to The Fizz explore Super Size Me Week with the recruits*** The theme was pretty constant: too much of a good thing gets you really, really sick of McDonald's. It was a personal Super Size Me all week. Maybe that's why the defense was so sluggish.
The McDonald's Game: Where's The Orange?4.01.09 Unfortunately, it's not April Fool's. 
The Fizz scooted down to Coral Gables ready to see the next great Syracuse player. Unfortunately, all we saw were the next great players to use the visitor's locker room at the Dome. The McDonald's All-American game is tonight on the campus of the University of Miami and both the boys and girls teams were hanging out for some media avail. Thumbing through the media guide, we were Fizzy-headed when we saw neither Brandon Triche nor DeShonte Riley on the roster. Both are Top-100 recruits and both are committed to the Orange. But neither made the cut for this game (which is actually not the worst thing in the world. These squads are often picked through the influence of AAU coaches and other surreptitious forces on the summer-hoops circuit). So in between smashing quarter-pounders with cheese and nine-piece McNuggets (every kid there is given as much Mickey D's as they want. Needless to say, 18-year-olds and free Big Macs = heart failure by age 40) The Fizz spent some time with the Big East stars of tomorrow. 
Dante Taylor is 6-9, 220 pounds of bad dude-ness. The kid from White Plains, NY committed to Pitt. Sound familiar? A street-tough, physical team just added another bruiser. Syracuse was in on Taylor. What happened? "Nothing really happened. They weren't recruiting me as hard as Pitt was. Pitt recruited me the hardest, recruited me from the beginning, that's what drew my interest to them." Shhhh. Don't tell Jamie Dixon that Dante has been crushing enough quarter-pounders this week to feed a village in Somalia... or Mark Mangino for lunch. "Nah, we gotta keep that between you and me. Tell coach Dixon I had a salad at least one day." ***Fizz-Cast with Dante Taylor, Pitt recruit*** I'm sure he'll love hearing about that while SportsCenter replays the Scottie Reynolds shot another 3,000 times. Speaking of 'Nova, the rich get richer. Another two All-Americans commit to the Wildcats, Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek. The Fizz will bring you podcasts with those two cats (word play) tomorrow. Until then, go play some really funny office prank on April Fool's Day, like laxatives in the coffee mug of a co-worker or a computer virus which shuts down the company. Hysterical! Carol, hold my calls.
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