What is Truth? What is Belief? Are they mutually exclusive terms? What is empirical? What is not?
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Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
#24 Syracuse Rocks #12 Cal (#14 OSU) and #4 UNC at MSG in 2KCvC Classic
This is amazing a sweet ((16) and more.) Two Seniors, an amazing transfer, an unreal recruiting class (and next years in stronger,) production from #6 overall vacated spot of Draftee Jonny Flynn as well as two other early departures for the pros left Cuse Alumni and college b-ball fans what to make of the team but the DEFENSE is there and and four HUGE BLOWOUTS later including Cal and UNC, Syracuse will be in the top 10 in the Country come Monday in the rankings; (the AP foolishly doesn't have SU ranked at all - 26 if you count votes) Lemoyne - gone - Su was running man to man and everyone in country struggles against the vaunted 2-3 zone now even more with two tall guards in the front. Here is what ESPN has to say...
NEW YORK -- To better understand what it's like to play in Madison Square Garden, Wesley Johnson went to the perfect source.
He asked Gerry McNamara for a little insight. The same McNamara who turned the famed arena into a Scranton high school pep rally during the Orange's unforgettable sprint to a 2006 Big East tournament title.
[+] EnlargeWesley Johnson
AP Photo/Julie JacobsonAgainst UNC, Johnson led the Orange in points (25), boards (8) and 3-pointers (4).
Now a graduate assistant on the Syracuse bench, McNamara offered simple advice.
"He told me, 'When the lights go up, you'll know it,'" Johnson said.
And now everyone else will know Johnson. The Syracuse junior lived a dream as old as the city itself: the unknown talent stepping into the Big Apple spotlight and becoming an overnight sensation.
Johnson scored 25 points and tacked on eight rebounds, carrying Syracuse to an 87-71 win over No. 4 North Carolina that was as stunning as it was dominant.
Rumors of the Orange's demise after losing three guys to the NBA early are apparently greatly exaggerated, as was the hand-wringing over the loss to Division II Le Moyne in a preseason game.
The Orange looked so efficient on offense and gruesomely tough on defense, they more resembled a team playing in March than in mid-November. North Carolina, a squad that looked pretty impressive dismantling Ohio State for 38 minutes the night before, got all but run out of the gym, digging a trench by opening the second half on the wrong end of a 22-1 run.
A late Tar Heels rally, which cut it to eight, was heroic but short-lived. In two minutes, SU was back up 14 and coasting to a victory.
"We got our tails beat by a very good basketball team," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "I would hate to play that non-Division I team [Le Moyne] on a regular basis if they are better than Syracuse."
The doubting Thomases indeed have received their comeuppance. Syracuse not only has restored itself as the best team in New York (sorry, Siena) but certainly has elevated itself to the top of the Big East.
And the difference is Johnson.
In two games in New York, he scored 42 points and pulled in 19 rebounds, earning most outstanding player honors for the mini-tourney and allowing his coach a moment to gloat.
"I told you so," Jim Boeheim said. "What have I been saying? I told you so. Have I ever lied about a player?"
True enough, Boeheim had been touting Johnson for the past year. But the former Iowa State player was not allowed to play in games because of NCAA transfer rules, so no one outside the program had actually seen him play. He was like an urban legend or a tall tale, the double-top-secret mystery player who was rumored to be eating up guys in practice. The one who made assistant coach Rob Murphy say, "If we had him last year, we're a Final Four team with a chance to win it."
Only problem was, who the hell was Wes Johnson?
Coming out of tiny Corsicana, Texas, Johnson wasn't under the radar. He was off the radar. A 6-2 guard, he was just another guy on the court, a maybe two-star prospect who had just one offer -- to Louisiana-Monroe -- and decided to go to prep school to boost his profile. After a brief stay at the Patterson School in North Carolina and a year at Eldon Academy in Michigan, he managed to score a scholarship to Iowa State.
"He was really under-recruited, just a late bloomer," Boeheim said.
Like the classic understudy waiting in the wings, Johnson showed flashes at ISU of what he could become. A Big 12 all-freshman selection, he averaged 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds his first season but was slowed by an ankle injury as a sophomore.
During that frustrating season, Johnson said, his relationship with coach Greg McDermott deteriorated and he decided to transfer.
[+] EnlargeWesley Johnson
AP Photo/Julie JacobsonIt was a long wait for Johnson after transferring from Iowa State. It seems well worth it at this point.
And that's where this rags-to-riches story finds its pixie dust and fairy godmothers. The summer before he transferred, Johnson went to stay with his brother, Craig Carroll, who lives in Detroit. Murphy, who spent three years as a high school coach there, started getting calls from people.
"They kept telling me, 'You have to see this kid, he's really good,'" Murphy recalled.
And because those same people told Johnson they could trust Murphy, when the Syracuse assistant called, Johnson listened.
He decided to visit campus and immediately liked what he saw.
Murphy, meantime, was working on Boeheim. In his 34 years at Syracuse, the coach has been loath to take transfers, always figuring there's a reason a kid is looking to leave a school.
Here comes the pixie dust: Boeheim attended an event at nearby Turning Stone casino and ran into McDermott. The Iowa State coach didn't have a bad thing to say about Johnson and assured Boeheim he was a good kid.
Forty-eight hours after Johnson visited Syracuse, he decided to cancel visits to Ohio State, Pitt and West Virginia and told Murphy he would play for the Orange.
"I had a feeling Paul [Harris], Eric [Devendorf] and Jonny [Flynn] would leave after last year," Boeheim said. "So I knew we would need him."
What no one knew, or at least no one outside the Syracuse coaching staff, was just how good Johnson was. The 6-2 scrawny kid has grown into a 6-7 monster who can break ankles with a crossover and drain a 3 with ease.
Against North Carolina, Boeheim switched Johnson to the 4, and the Heels were rendered helpless. He sank 10-of-17 from the floor, including four 3-pointers, over players who simply didn't have the speed or talent to keep up with him.
It was exactly the sort of night Johnson envisioned when he spoke with McNamara. Some kids might be overwhelmed by the grandiosity of such a stage, but soft-spoken Johnson welcomed the full spotlight.
"This is Madison Square Garden," Johnson said simply when asked about making such a (near) Broadway debut, "a chance to play the defending national champions. Of course I thought about it."
And just as McNamara said, when the lights went on, Johnson knew it and became an overnight sensation.
There should be a name for a story like this.
"A Star Is Born"?
Is that taken?
"fuck em-up fuck em up, Go SU!!"
NEW YORK -- To better understand what it's like to play in Madison Square Garden, Wesley Johnson went to the perfect source.
He asked Gerry McNamara for a little insight. The same McNamara who turned the famed arena into a Scranton high school pep rally during the Orange's unforgettable sprint to a 2006 Big East tournament title.
[+] EnlargeWesley Johnson
AP Photo/Julie JacobsonAgainst UNC, Johnson led the Orange in points (25), boards (8) and 3-pointers (4).
Now a graduate assistant on the Syracuse bench, McNamara offered simple advice.
"He told me, 'When the lights go up, you'll know it,'" Johnson said.
And now everyone else will know Johnson. The Syracuse junior lived a dream as old as the city itself: the unknown talent stepping into the Big Apple spotlight and becoming an overnight sensation.
Johnson scored 25 points and tacked on eight rebounds, carrying Syracuse to an 87-71 win over No. 4 North Carolina that was as stunning as it was dominant.
Rumors of the Orange's demise after losing three guys to the NBA early are apparently greatly exaggerated, as was the hand-wringing over the loss to Division II Le Moyne in a preseason game.
The Orange looked so efficient on offense and gruesomely tough on defense, they more resembled a team playing in March than in mid-November. North Carolina, a squad that looked pretty impressive dismantling Ohio State for 38 minutes the night before, got all but run out of the gym, digging a trench by opening the second half on the wrong end of a 22-1 run.
A late Tar Heels rally, which cut it to eight, was heroic but short-lived. In two minutes, SU was back up 14 and coasting to a victory.
"We got our tails beat by a very good basketball team," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "I would hate to play that non-Division I team [Le Moyne] on a regular basis if they are better than Syracuse."
The doubting Thomases indeed have received their comeuppance. Syracuse not only has restored itself as the best team in New York (sorry, Siena) but certainly has elevated itself to the top of the Big East.
And the difference is Johnson.
In two games in New York, he scored 42 points and pulled in 19 rebounds, earning most outstanding player honors for the mini-tourney and allowing his coach a moment to gloat.
"I told you so," Jim Boeheim said. "What have I been saying? I told you so. Have I ever lied about a player?"
True enough, Boeheim had been touting Johnson for the past year. But the former Iowa State player was not allowed to play in games because of NCAA transfer rules, so no one outside the program had actually seen him play. He was like an urban legend or a tall tale, the double-top-secret mystery player who was rumored to be eating up guys in practice. The one who made assistant coach Rob Murphy say, "If we had him last year, we're a Final Four team with a chance to win it."
Only problem was, who the hell was Wes Johnson?
Coming out of tiny Corsicana, Texas, Johnson wasn't under the radar. He was off the radar. A 6-2 guard, he was just another guy on the court, a maybe two-star prospect who had just one offer -- to Louisiana-Monroe -- and decided to go to prep school to boost his profile. After a brief stay at the Patterson School in North Carolina and a year at Eldon Academy in Michigan, he managed to score a scholarship to Iowa State.
"He was really under-recruited, just a late bloomer," Boeheim said.
Like the classic understudy waiting in the wings, Johnson showed flashes at ISU of what he could become. A Big 12 all-freshman selection, he averaged 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds his first season but was slowed by an ankle injury as a sophomore.
During that frustrating season, Johnson said, his relationship with coach Greg McDermott deteriorated and he decided to transfer.
[+] EnlargeWesley Johnson
AP Photo/Julie JacobsonIt was a long wait for Johnson after transferring from Iowa State. It seems well worth it at this point.
And that's where this rags-to-riches story finds its pixie dust and fairy godmothers. The summer before he transferred, Johnson went to stay with his brother, Craig Carroll, who lives in Detroit. Murphy, who spent three years as a high school coach there, started getting calls from people.
"They kept telling me, 'You have to see this kid, he's really good,'" Murphy recalled.
And because those same people told Johnson they could trust Murphy, when the Syracuse assistant called, Johnson listened.
He decided to visit campus and immediately liked what he saw.
Murphy, meantime, was working on Boeheim. In his 34 years at Syracuse, the coach has been loath to take transfers, always figuring there's a reason a kid is looking to leave a school.
Here comes the pixie dust: Boeheim attended an event at nearby Turning Stone casino and ran into McDermott. The Iowa State coach didn't have a bad thing to say about Johnson and assured Boeheim he was a good kid.
Forty-eight hours after Johnson visited Syracuse, he decided to cancel visits to Ohio State, Pitt and West Virginia and told Murphy he would play for the Orange.
"I had a feeling Paul [Harris], Eric [Devendorf] and Jonny [Flynn] would leave after last year," Boeheim said. "So I knew we would need him."
What no one knew, or at least no one outside the Syracuse coaching staff, was just how good Johnson was. The 6-2 scrawny kid has grown into a 6-7 monster who can break ankles with a crossover and drain a 3 with ease.
Against North Carolina, Boeheim switched Johnson to the 4, and the Heels were rendered helpless. He sank 10-of-17 from the floor, including four 3-pointers, over players who simply didn't have the speed or talent to keep up with him.
It was exactly the sort of night Johnson envisioned when he spoke with McNamara. Some kids might be overwhelmed by the grandiosity of such a stage, but soft-spoken Johnson welcomed the full spotlight.
"This is Madison Square Garden," Johnson said simply when asked about making such a (near) Broadway debut, "a chance to play the defending national champions. Of course I thought about it."
And just as McNamara said, when the lights went on, Johnson knew it and became an overnight sensation.
There should be a name for a story like this.
"A Star Is Born"?
Is that taken?
"fuck em-up fuck em up, Go SU!!"
Friday, November 20, 2009
#24 Syracuse v #4 UNC at MSG tomorrow night in Coaches for Cancer Final at MSG
Be sure to tune in!! And check the rankings on Monday!
Make a Phone Call to Help your Country!! -- Senator Represent not just their own home State but Every US Citizan - So Call!
After months working in secret behind closed doors, Harry Reid this week finally unveiled his 2,074-page government-run health care plan. His plan would increase health care premiums, increase taxes on families and small businesses by half a trillion dollars, cut Medicare by another half trillion dollars, and allow federal funds to be used for abortions. Click here for 10 things you should know about the bill.
Harry Reid has scheduled a critical vote this Saturday night that will allow the Senate to take-up his bill. If that vote succeeds, Harry Reid will be dangerously close to finally imposing President Obama's government-run health care scheme on America.
Two Democrat Senators - Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) - are critically important to defeating Saturday's vote. The RNC urges every concerned citizen to call Sens. Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln TODAY and tell them to vote against Harry Reid's liberal bill when it comes up for a vote on Saturday.
This is the best opportunity there will be to stop President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi from imposing their government-run health care plan on America. Again, please call Sens. Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln TODAY and tell them to vote against Harry Reid's health care bill when it comes up for a vote on Saturday.
Harry Reid has scheduled a critical vote this Saturday night that will allow the Senate to take-up his bill. If that vote succeeds, Harry Reid will be dangerously close to finally imposing President Obama's government-run health care scheme on America.
Two Democrat Senators - Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) - are critically important to defeating Saturday's vote. The RNC urges every concerned citizen to call Sens. Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln TODAY and tell them to vote against Harry Reid's liberal bill when it comes up for a vote on Saturday.
This is the best opportunity there will be to stop President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi from imposing their government-run health care plan on America. Again, please call Sens. Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln TODAY and tell them to vote against Harry Reid's health care bill when it comes up for a vote on Saturday.
Senate Vote on Universal HealthCare Bill -- stop the Democrats' Socialist, Costly and Unafforadable, US Quality of Care Destroying Bill
My Friend,
Tomorrow night at 8:00pm, the United States Senate will have its first vote on the Democrats' health care reform bill. As my colleagues and I in the Senate prepare for this vote I am reaching out to you for support.
I remain committed to opposing any bill that puts your health care decisions in the hands of government bureaucrats while adding more than a trillion dollars to our country's deficit. Taxpayers simply cannot afford this government takeover of our health care system and this is our opportunity to put an end to it.
That's why I urge you to add your name to this petition showing your opposition to government-run health care.
We still have an opportunity to stop the Democrats' public option from becoming law, but I need to know you stand with us in opposition to a government takeover of health care - so, please sign this petition immediately.
The wasteful spending ways of Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress must be put to an end. Americans are angry and I share your frustration with our current leadership in Washington.
In less than one year, Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress have increased our nation's spending by more than 80%. Our national debt has reached $9 trillion and will only go higher if the President signs a health care bill with provisions for a government-run option. Last month, unemployment surpassed 10%, the highest rate in over 20 years
Recent polls show clearly that Americans are against the health care takeover by Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress. And these same polls show that Americans understand and are infuriated by policies that are mortgaging our children's and grandchildren's future. It must be stopped. We must act now to show our continued opposition to the direction the Democratic leadership is taking our country.
So, please join me by taking action today and follow this link to add your name to our petition opposing government-run health care. Your time and support are always appreciated .
Thank you,
John McCain
P.S. As the Senate prepares to vote on the Democrats' health care bill tomorrow night, I'm reaching out to you for support in opposition of government-run health care. Please take a minute to sign the petition we have put together showing your opposition to government-run health care. After signing, I ask that you make a generous donation of any amount to support my reelection campaign, so I can continue serving as a voice for you in Washington. Thank you.
Sign Today Here: http://link.johnmccain.com/?194-735-781791-2834
Tomorrow night at 8:00pm, the United States Senate will have its first vote on the Democrats' health care reform bill. As my colleagues and I in the Senate prepare for this vote I am reaching out to you for support.
I remain committed to opposing any bill that puts your health care decisions in the hands of government bureaucrats while adding more than a trillion dollars to our country's deficit. Taxpayers simply cannot afford this government takeover of our health care system and this is our opportunity to put an end to it.
That's why I urge you to add your name to this petition showing your opposition to government-run health care.
We still have an opportunity to stop the Democrats' public option from becoming law, but I need to know you stand with us in opposition to a government takeover of health care - so, please sign this petition immediately.
The wasteful spending ways of Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress must be put to an end. Americans are angry and I share your frustration with our current leadership in Washington.
In less than one year, Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress have increased our nation's spending by more than 80%. Our national debt has reached $9 trillion and will only go higher if the President signs a health care bill with provisions for a government-run option. Last month, unemployment surpassed 10%, the highest rate in over 20 years
Recent polls show clearly that Americans are against the health care takeover by Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress. And these same polls show that Americans understand and are infuriated by policies that are mortgaging our children's and grandchildren's future. It must be stopped. We must act now to show our continued opposition to the direction the Democratic leadership is taking our country.
So, please join me by taking action today and follow this link to add your name to our petition opposing government-run health care. Your time and support are always appreciated .
Thank you,
John McCain
P.S. As the Senate prepares to vote on the Democrats' health care bill tomorrow night, I'm reaching out to you for support in opposition of government-run health care. Please take a minute to sign the petition we have put together showing your opposition to government-run health care. After signing, I ask that you make a generous donation of any amount to support my reelection campaign, so I can continue serving as a voice for you in Washington. Thank you.
Sign Today Here: http://link.johnmccain.com/?194-735-781791-2834
Syrace #24 Destroys #12 Cal an awaits #4 UNC tomorrow - Big East still Best Conference in College Bu
Cuse's two-headed PG effective vs. Ca
NEW YORK -- You're not going to get a statement here that Syracuse is better off without point guard Jonny Flynn.
Flynn was one of those gate receipt kind of guards. His gutty performance in the six-overtime Big East tournament thriller against Connecticut last season was the sort of game fans of the sport covet. Go watch Flynn and you were sure to see a show. Triche started at the point Thursday and is one of two replacements for Jonny Flynn.
"Offensively, you knew what you were going to get with Jonny -- pick and roll, get in the lane and score," SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins said of Flynn, who averaged a team-high 17.4 points per game and was drafted sixth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But, and here is where the argument begins, the Orange might actually be better defensively in the absence of the generously listed 6-foot Flynn. What the Orange did in Thursday night's 95-73 win over Pac-10 favorite Cal was show how much longer and more disruptive the new-look point guards are this season.
Six-foot-4 freshman Brandon Triche and 6-2 Scoop Jardine, a third-year sophomore who was out last season with a stress fracture, have a length and reach at the top of the Syracuse zone that has jump-started a renewed sense of purpose defensively.The easy thing to do is focus on the offensive production in this 2K Sports Classic semifinal. Jardine scored 22 points and had 6 assists, 1 turnover and 4 steals. Triche, who started, scored 9 points with 1 assist, 2 turnovers and 2 steals.
"You have to question us with [Flynn] being the No. 6 player in the draft last year," Triche said. "But me and Scoop have confidence in our game, and we can be equally as good as Jonny statwise. That's what happened. [Jardine] had 22 and I had nine, and that's 31. Jonny wasn't averaging 31, so we kind of did better than he did."
Neither is as electrifying as Flynn, who could turn on a dime and finish without hesitation. He had the toughness, the grit and the determination to finish plays and will his team to wins.
The Orange were a bit of an unknown this season without him, let alone with the departure of Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris, who also left early for professional ball. We knew Cuse was solid inside with Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku, had a shooter in senior Andy Rautins, and had a hyped star in Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson. The biggest question was at point.
It's extremely early, but perhaps the doubt was unfounded.
"They're interchangeable," Rautins said of the two-headed point guard. "It's great having them on the court at any given time."
Rautins said there was no confidence vacuum for the players when it was clear Flynn was gone.
Nevertheless, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim isn't ready to anoint either of them without seeing more improvement.
"We've still got a long ways to go, and we've got to get them to get the ball to our big guys better over the next few weeks," Boeheim said. "Scoop watched Jonny a lot in practice last year and really figured some things out."
Still, Jardine knew there were questions about whether he could take on the leadership role.
Scoop Jardine scored a career-high 22 points and played solid D against 12th-ranked California.
Before tipoff, Flynn sent a text message to Jardine.
"It really helped me out," Jardine said. "He said 'Let's Goooooo.' I wrote him back and said, 'I got you.' And he said, 'Go show them what you've got.' I played against him for two years. I knew that if I was backing up Jonny or Brandon like I'm doing now, I had to lose weight and work on my shot. Coach Boeheim and Coach Hop didn't lose faith in me. I've got to give them credit for sticking with me.
"It's tough to lose the three guys we did, but people don't know what you've got until you show them."
What the country saw in Syracuse's dismantling of a Cal team that was without its top two rebounders, injured Theo Robertson and Harper Kamp, was an Orange team that is long enough, athletic enough and productive enough to contend for the Big East title.
Yes, even after losing an exhibition game to Le Moyne (are we over that yet, America?) -- a game in which Boeheim experimented with playing man-to-man.
"Had I done that [against Cal], we would have lost by 30," Boeheim said.
"It did start our season, losing that game," Rautins said. "We had a cloud that we didn't deserve to have. We weren't the Sweet 16 team. It motivated us. We had to find an identity of being a hardworking, zone defensive team that can translate that into offense."
That's what the Orange were Thursday night, led by the combination of Jardine and Triche -- not better than Flynn, but certainly more than capable of giving Syracuse production, confidence and competence at the position.
NEW YORK -- You're not going to get a statement here that Syracuse is better off without point guard Jonny Flynn.
Flynn was one of those gate receipt kind of guards. His gutty performance in the six-overtime Big East tournament thriller against Connecticut last season was the sort of game fans of the sport covet. Go watch Flynn and you were sure to see a show. Triche started at the point Thursday and is one of two replacements for Jonny Flynn.
"Offensively, you knew what you were going to get with Jonny -- pick and roll, get in the lane and score," SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins said of Flynn, who averaged a team-high 17.4 points per game and was drafted sixth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But, and here is where the argument begins, the Orange might actually be better defensively in the absence of the generously listed 6-foot Flynn. What the Orange did in Thursday night's 95-73 win over Pac-10 favorite Cal was show how much longer and more disruptive the new-look point guards are this season.
Six-foot-4 freshman Brandon Triche and 6-2 Scoop Jardine, a third-year sophomore who was out last season with a stress fracture, have a length and reach at the top of the Syracuse zone that has jump-started a renewed sense of purpose defensively.The easy thing to do is focus on the offensive production in this 2K Sports Classic semifinal. Jardine scored 22 points and had 6 assists, 1 turnover and 4 steals. Triche, who started, scored 9 points with 1 assist, 2 turnovers and 2 steals.
"You have to question us with [Flynn] being the No. 6 player in the draft last year," Triche said. "But me and Scoop have confidence in our game, and we can be equally as good as Jonny statwise. That's what happened. [Jardine] had 22 and I had nine, and that's 31. Jonny wasn't averaging 31, so we kind of did better than he did."
Neither is as electrifying as Flynn, who could turn on a dime and finish without hesitation. He had the toughness, the grit and the determination to finish plays and will his team to wins.
The Orange were a bit of an unknown this season without him, let alone with the departure of Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris, who also left early for professional ball. We knew Cuse was solid inside with Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku, had a shooter in senior Andy Rautins, and had a hyped star in Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson. The biggest question was at point.
It's extremely early, but perhaps the doubt was unfounded.
"They're interchangeable," Rautins said of the two-headed point guard. "It's great having them on the court at any given time."
Rautins said there was no confidence vacuum for the players when it was clear Flynn was gone.
Nevertheless, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim isn't ready to anoint either of them without seeing more improvement.
"We've still got a long ways to go, and we've got to get them to get the ball to our big guys better over the next few weeks," Boeheim said. "Scoop watched Jonny a lot in practice last year and really figured some things out."
Still, Jardine knew there were questions about whether he could take on the leadership role.
Scoop Jardine scored a career-high 22 points and played solid D against 12th-ranked California.
Before tipoff, Flynn sent a text message to Jardine.
"It really helped me out," Jardine said. "He said 'Let's Goooooo.' I wrote him back and said, 'I got you.' And he said, 'Go show them what you've got.' I played against him for two years. I knew that if I was backing up Jonny or Brandon like I'm doing now, I had to lose weight and work on my shot. Coach Boeheim and Coach Hop didn't lose faith in me. I've got to give them credit for sticking with me.
"It's tough to lose the three guys we did, but people don't know what you've got until you show them."
What the country saw in Syracuse's dismantling of a Cal team that was without its top two rebounders, injured Theo Robertson and Harper Kamp, was an Orange team that is long enough, athletic enough and productive enough to contend for the Big East title.
Yes, even after losing an exhibition game to Le Moyne (are we over that yet, America?) -- a game in which Boeheim experimented with playing man-to-man.
"Had I done that [against Cal], we would have lost by 30," Boeheim said.
"It did start our season, losing that game," Rautins said. "We had a cloud that we didn't deserve to have. We weren't the Sweet 16 team. It motivated us. We had to find an identity of being a hardworking, zone defensive team that can translate that into offense."
That's what the Orange were Thursday night, led by the combination of Jardine and Triche -- not better than Flynn, but certainly more than capable of giving Syracuse production, confidence and competence at the position.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Good News, The Bad News
Syracuse moves up in the Polls #24, this happens every season - will be top 10 soon enough.
the Bad - Pats/Colts. OK - I do not disagree with Bellick's call. What I do disagree with is (regardless of the outcome of the play,) what does that say psychologically to our defense going forward? That's my problem with it. Yes the SB now goes through Indy. Not a problem but home-field is huge for the Pats. The Pundits - Especially Coaches - agree with Bill's decision. Would I have made that decision - I don't know without allocating my calorie than I can to the question. But he basically said without verbally doing so - that we cannot stop P. Manning. Which again, psychologically hurts the WHOLE team's confidence. But I will stil take Bill over any other coach in the NFL.
the Bad - Pats/Colts. OK - I do not disagree with Bellick's call. What I do disagree with is (regardless of the outcome of the play,) what does that say psychologically to our defense going forward? That's my problem with it. Yes the SB now goes through Indy. Not a problem but home-field is huge for the Pats. The Pundits - Especially Coaches - agree with Bill's decision. Would I have made that decision - I don't know without allocating my calorie than I can to the question. But he basically said without verbally doing so - that we cannot stop P. Manning. Which again, psychologically hurts the WHOLE team's confidence. But I will stil take Bill over any other coach in the NFL.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
#25 Syracuse has any early season big game against #12 Cal @ MSG
Thursday, November 12, 2009
GOP update, Obama fading,
Last week's big Republican victories in New Jersey and Virginia proved what the Obama Administration's apologists in the liberal mainstream media have been avoiding telling you -- the bloom is off the Barack Obama rose.
As hard as the White House and leftist pundits try to spin Election Day's results, there's no arguing the big change in voter attitudes toward the Obama Agenda.
In 2008, Barack Obama carried Virginia by 6%, and the Democrat stronghold of New Jersey by 14%.
Last week? New Jersey's GOP candidate for governor Chris Christie bested incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine by 4 percentage points, and in Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell defeated his Democrat opponent by 18 points -- that's a 24% turnaround!
Christopher, Barack Obama won election last year, aided by his claims of moderation and transparency, and the huge cover he received from the adoring liberal media. Many Americans gave the relatively unknown first term Illinois senator the benefit of the doubt, and are now coming to regret it.
Instead of centrist policies, they have seen an extreme far-left assault on private enterprise and personal liberties. From pork barrel "stimulus" to unprecedented government spending and debt, and auto company takeovers to the present attempt at a socialist seizure of health care.
In New Jersey and Virginia, the voters have realized their mistake -- and sent a clear message to the Obama Democrats. When polled in both states about their votes for the Republican candidate, 68% and 74% respectively agreed that they were sending a message to the Obama team that they were "unhappy with the direction they are taking Washington and the country."
But are the Democrats listening? Not a chance. Instead, despite losing in two states where Democrats had controlled the governor's mansion for years, Nancy Pelosi arrogantly declared "We won!" Then she and her leftist followers dismissed the clear will of the people and rammed their socialist health care takeover scheme through the House of Representatives on Saturday.
Our victories last week are a great start, but as long as the radical Obama-Pelosi liberals are determined to force their socialist agenda on the American people, our work isn't done.
You can help our Party spread the word about the Obama-Pelosi Democrats' disastrous, arrogant plans, and help us recruit the commonsense, conservative Republican candidates today who will defeat them in next year's crucial mid-term elections.
Please make a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to the Republican National Committee today, to end the Democrats' Congressional majorities and cut Barack Obama's term in half.
Sincerely,
Michael Steele
Chairman, Republican National Committee
P.S. Christopher, the Obama-Pelosi Democrats are arrogantly disregarding the clear will of the American voters and charging ahead with their socialist health care takeover and reckless government spending and debt. Help us prepare to teach them the consequences of their arrogance in 2010 by making a secure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to the RNC today. Thank you.
As hard as the White House and leftist pundits try to spin Election Day's results, there's no arguing the big change in voter attitudes toward the Obama Agenda.
In 2008, Barack Obama carried Virginia by 6%, and the Democrat stronghold of New Jersey by 14%.
Last week? New Jersey's GOP candidate for governor Chris Christie bested incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine by 4 percentage points, and in Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell defeated his Democrat opponent by 18 points -- that's a 24% turnaround!
Christopher, Barack Obama won election last year, aided by his claims of moderation and transparency, and the huge cover he received from the adoring liberal media. Many Americans gave the relatively unknown first term Illinois senator the benefit of the doubt, and are now coming to regret it.
Instead of centrist policies, they have seen an extreme far-left assault on private enterprise and personal liberties. From pork barrel "stimulus" to unprecedented government spending and debt, and auto company takeovers to the present attempt at a socialist seizure of health care.
In New Jersey and Virginia, the voters have realized their mistake -- and sent a clear message to the Obama Democrats. When polled in both states about their votes for the Republican candidate, 68% and 74% respectively agreed that they were sending a message to the Obama team that they were "unhappy with the direction they are taking Washington and the country."
But are the Democrats listening? Not a chance. Instead, despite losing in two states where Democrats had controlled the governor's mansion for years, Nancy Pelosi arrogantly declared "We won!" Then she and her leftist followers dismissed the clear will of the people and rammed their socialist health care takeover scheme through the House of Representatives on Saturday.
Our victories last week are a great start, but as long as the radical Obama-Pelosi liberals are determined to force their socialist agenda on the American people, our work isn't done.
You can help our Party spread the word about the Obama-Pelosi Democrats' disastrous, arrogant plans, and help us recruit the commonsense, conservative Republican candidates today who will defeat them in next year's crucial mid-term elections.
Please make a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to the Republican National Committee today, to end the Democrats' Congressional majorities and cut Barack Obama's term in half.
Sincerely,
Michael Steele
Chairman, Republican National Committee
P.S. Christopher, the Obama-Pelosi Democrats are arrogantly disregarding the clear will of the American voters and charging ahead with their socialist health care takeover and reckless government spending and debt. Help us prepare to teach them the consequences of their arrogance in 2010 by making a secure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to the RNC today. Thank you.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Obama Hussein...its time for you to start packing, No SOUP or 2nd Term For You!!!
Dear Christopher,
On behalf of the leadership of the Republican National Committee, I want to thank you for helping our Party earn historic victories in Virginia and New Jersey yesterday.Your steadfast commitment to our conservative Republican principles and your generous support of the RNC's 2009 campaign programs enabled us to provide all our GOP candidates with the resources they needed to run strong right through Election Day.
Electing Republican governors in Virginia and New Jersey is just the beginning. With the continuing commitment of RNC Sustaining Members like you, I am confident we can elect more GOP governors, make real gains in the U.S. House and Senate, stop the Democrats' radical leftist agenda and cut President Obama's term in half in 2010.
Thank you again for everything you did for our Party and our cause during Campaign 2009.
Sincerely,
Michael Steele
Chairman, Republican National Committee
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
O.A.R. newest song - single release for the Troops
Honor our military veterans and God Speed to those still in action protecting us!! God Speed!!
"War Song" by O.A.R. from IAVA on Vimeo.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
For ever Red Sox fan, from Great-Grandfather to Infant across the USA and World
The moment everything changed
Remembering 2004 five years to the day after the Red Sox broke through
Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesThe Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004 was a watershed moment for millions of people.It got to the bottom of the eighth inning and it was clear that it all was over, the series, The Curse and all that fathers passed on to their children for generations. I reminded New Englander Jim Bowden, working the series for ESPN, of the New Haven tap owner who after the Yankees playoff game told The Boston Globe's Leigh Montville, "the [expletives] got my father, and now they're coming to get me." Bowden laughed, but he's a New Englander, and it was a cautious laugh.
Outside Busch Stadium, there were close to 2,000 New Englanders in the streets preparing their celebration. As the eighth inning ended, Cardinals management opened the gates, because they and their stadium operations folks wanted the fans to be able to watch the Red Sox win the World Series. Faris Zeghibe, who'd been flown in from Cataumet, Mass., by his son Doug to experience that piece of New England history, had the people in the row in front of him turn around and congratulate him.
It's been exactly five years and another world championship since Keith Foulke stabbed the final out and threw to Doug Mientkiewicz on Oct., 27, 2004, and much has changed. David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield are the only players left from that team, Albert Pujols the only remaining Cardinal.
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Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesDave Roberts says that not a day goes by that a fan doesn't thank him for this steal in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.
Four years after the title, in spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz., some of Dave Roberts' Giants teammates were needling him about being inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame. One moment, no postseason at-bats. "You may never experience what I experienced," Roberts told fellow outfielder Randy Winn. "Since that steal [in the ninth inning of the Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees], I've been to Europe, South America, all kinds of places. And not one day has passed when someone hasn't come up to me and thanked me."
No one in Tuscon or Tumcumcari still cares about long-suffering fans and what 2004 meant to a region, any more than they want to hear a Cubs fan's last request. But what happened five years ago was a watershed moment for millions of people, a moment that washed out Denny Galehouse or Joe McCarthy's unforgiveable managing, Bucky Dent or Aaron Boone. On the previous Thanksgiving, Curt Schilling agreed to come to Boston to win that World Series, and on July 31, 2004, Theo Epstein brazenly traded Nomar Garciaparra; ironically, the team struggled for two weeks after the deal, sending some of the PR staff to the media questioning the general manager.
Then the Red Sox finally got into the playoffs, and after two easy Schilling and Pedro Martinez wins in Anaheim, David Ortiz homered off Jarrod Washburn to clinch an ALDS in which Ortiz and Manny Ramirez went 11-for-24 with 11 RBIs between them.
Then came the Yankees, 12 months after Game 7, Grady Little not taking out Pedro, Aaron Boone ... There were the three quick Yankees wins, 10-7, 3-1 (yes, Jon Lieber) and 19-8, the game in which Tim Wakefield wore his cleats and volunteered to pitch to save the staff. The next day, Kevin Millar told anyone who'd listen that "We're in great shape. We win tonight, we've got Petey [Pedro Martinez] tomorrow, Schill in New York and they'll never hold up when we get back to 3-3."
Millar walked in the ninth, Roberts ran, stole, Bill Mueller singled off Mariano Rivera to tie the game and sometime the next morning Ortiz homered off Paul Quantrill to win Game 4 and survive to play another day. Then the next night, there was the comeback against an exhausted Tom Gordon, three shutout innings from Wakefield -- yes, three Jason Varitek passed balls in one inning without allowing a run -- and another Ortiz game-winning hit, this time in the 14th inning.
And, as Millar predicted, the Yankees were reeling. First came Schill's Bloody Sock game in New York (Game 6), then Derek Lowe -- who wasn't a starter when the ALDS began but closed out every series -- won Game 7. There was the Johnny Damon grand slam, the Mark Bellhorn homer the umps had to overrule ...
And from there to the duck boat parade seems on fast-forward. Bellhorn's home run off the foul pole. Schilling. Pedro. Lowe. Foulke.
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Jeff Zelevansky/Icon SMIThe Red Sox let Pedro Martinez walk away after the 2004 World Series.
In the airport awaiting the charter home, Martinez called assistant GM Jed Hoyer a "computer nerd." Three years later, the Red Sox won again in Colorado, pitched there by kids named Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon, who were just names at the back of the 2004 media guide.
Five years later, Pedro will pitch Game 2 for the Phillies in the new Yankee Stadium -- Karim Garcia doesn't live there anymore -- and Hoyer is general manager of the San Diego Padres. Martinez, Damon, Lowe and others have left, Ramirez was traded in a firestorm of controversy.
Lessons have been learned. The 2005 team became difficult because players clung to the past, as fans had before they won. Tough decisions were made on Damon, and the lesson learned from the spark of the Garciaparra trade carried over to this season's deadline deal for Victor Martinez.
The Red Sox let Pedro, Lowe and Damon go, and won their second World Series since 1918.
Now, they don't know exactly what to do with the contracts of Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Varitek, who have given them so much; Nomar and Pedro proved that this is not a sentimental business.
During the ALCS, the Yankee Stadium megaboard showed Pedro pitching for the Phillies against the Dodgers and Damon stood near the batting cage, intently watching. "Anyone who was there with Pedro has to watch," Damon said. "Anyone who was there on that team when we won will never forget. It may never be the same."
Damon and Martinez, as well as others, think that 2004 team should have been held together. The present-day Red Sox team, of course, wouldn't be as good as it is now had management heeded that wish, and would have aged worse than it has these past couple of years. Those moments do not repeat themselves, but then, if they did, Dave Roberts would go through a day without someone thanking him.
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