Orange Nation,

As you know, I organize, on occasion, drives to raise money and donate the experience of an SU athletics event in the Dome to youths in the Syracuse area. Your generosity has been incredible. But I come to you with a bit of sad news.

First, the Boys and Girls Club, who initially thought they could accept the tickets for next week's Cincinnati game, had to unfortunately pull out. I tried for another option, youth centers in Syracuse, but another ticket donation for the same game already went their way.

So this is where you come in.

Continue reading this post »

Orange Nation,

Last year, we twice did an incredible job raising money to donate football tickets to the Boys and Girls Club of Syracuse and the Southwest Community Center. Because of your generosity, we provided 84 game tickets, parking passes, t-shirts, food vouchers, and Doug Marrone signed mini-helmets and footballs. It's an understatement to say that we successfully brainwashed the next generation of SU fans positively affected many young lives with our philanthropy.

We're doing it again for Cincinnati @ SU on November 26.

Continue reading this post »

In regards to: http://www.nunesmagician.com/2011/9/12/2414701/lets-donate-some-su-rutgers-tickets

Orange Nation,

First, some bad news: I spoke with the Boys and Girls Club, and they are unfortunately booked with activities for this coming weekend. We won't be able to send kids to the game against Rutgers this weekend.

The good news: They are excited to accept the donation for the game against Cincinnati on November 26. This gives us a bit more time to collect to our target of $1000. Also, we can hopefully pull some strings to get some other events set up for the kids.

What should you do? Continue with donations and look for an update at the beginning of November.

Go Orange!

Orange Nation,

Last year, we twice did an incredible job raising money to donate football tickets to the Boys and Girls Club of Syracuse and the Southwest Community Center. Because of your generosity, we provided 84 game tickets, parking passes, t-shirts, food vouchers, and Doug Marrone signed mini-helmets and footballs. It's an understatement to say that we successfully brainwashed the next generation of SU fans positively affected many young lives with our philanthropy.

Let's do it again for Rutgers @ SU on October 1.

Continue reading this post »

Syracuse iSchool receives $25k to support its social media efforts

The Ruth Ivor Foundation of New York City has donated $25,000 to support the Syracuse University School of Information Studies’ ongoing information innovation initiatives, with opportunities for educating professionals who understand the power of blogging and social networking and who implement these outlets to share messages and inform society.

The gift will fund, among other things, "A one-week course on blogging this summer. Taught by sports blogger SU alumnus Sean Keeley ’00, (www.nunesmagician.com) and SBNation.com editor, the course will teach students what it takes to create an effective and influential blog."

Did anyone catch the mentions of the point shaving story on ATH and PTI? No video available for me to post at the moment, so I will summarize:

On ATH, Woody ripped in to Andy Adamson - by name - for making an "idiotic move".  He "feels sorry for the players involved" and that "they were victimized."

Kevin Blackistone said someone needs to "legitimately report" stories like these - but "real questions should be asked."

Jackie blamed the PocketFives blogger for issuing an anonymous apology. "Shame on everyone associated with this."

Adande said that there is responsibility in the readers and that we "need to have a healthy source of skepticism."

On PTI, no mention of Andy Adamson by name, but did essentially say that a reporter posted it to his Facebook page. 

TK said Syracuse needs to take the allegations seriously - address it, deny it, decry it, and show that "the internet can be used in terrible ways like this."

MW said it had gone unreported for a while, and the rumor had been out there for a few days. The university couldn't possibly address it all - they'd need five guys sitting around to deal with stuff like this.

Orange Nation,

A month ago, because of your incredible generosity, we sent 32 kids to the Dome to watch our beloved football team play against Pitt.  The unfortunate outcome of the game didn't diminish the amazing impact of your philanthropy.

I'm proud to announce that because of all of you, we raised enough money to purchase 48 tickets to this Saturday's SU-UCONN game!  The proof is in the pudding:

The order is placed and covers 48 game tickets and 16 parking passes.  Andy G. from the Dome was kind enough to include 16 HCDM signed mini-helmets!

Continue reading this post »

As fans, sometimes we yell at each other.  Sometimes we complain about who is the least supportive and argue about who is the most supportive.  Sometimes, our teams are overrated or underrated or rated just right. Sometimes, we lament or revel the state of a program, the attendance, or our own ability or inability to get back to campus to offer our support.

And sometimes, we cut through everything and make something magical happen.

Continue reading this post »

Ed Note: If you can help, please do. Of course it's nice to make sure we get some more butts in there but ultimately you're going to make a child's day. See the comments below for details on how to help.

Orange Nation,

I want to see this game sold out as much as the next guy.  I personally am unable to make it up to the Cuse this weekend, so I want to do my part to see a rocking Dome and also help a good cause.

I was thinking about donating a bunch of tickets, perhaps to the Syracuse Boys and Girls club.  I'd purchase them and leave them at will call for pickup.  Anyone else interested in doing this with me? I'd need to see how many tickets we would be able to donate and whether the B&G club can get their kids to the Dome.

TOTAL DONATIONS - 7:53am ET: $1,719.40

Continue reading this post »

Our favorite Orange artist (besides me, of course) just entered an agreement with SU Athletics and Manny's to do designs for t-shirts!

According to @MBorkowski:

"My designs will be sold exclusively at Manny's & the University Shops in Great Northern & Shoppingtown Malls as well as http://www.Mannysonline.com"

His first design?  The Orange Out shirt for this weekend!  On sale Tuesday morning at Manny's & University Shops, and available at the Dome on Saturday.

Congratulations, Mike!

via web24.twitpic.com

In the history of great time wasting games on Facebook, none have more relevance to our collective Orange lives than ESPNU College Town.  ESPN just announced it on their home page today and I must admit, it is pretty addicting.

Not quite as stupid as Farmville, but tries to force you into ridiculous microtransactions with real cash.  Ignore that.

We just need to try to push Syracuse to the top of affiliated schools.  Providence is #1 in Football and Basketball right now, for goodness sake.

via imgur.com

From http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&page=TeamUSA-100822

Sunday, August 22, 2010
Krzyzewski plays his strongest hand

By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com

MADRID -- Three things won it for Team USA: Kevin Durant's wingspan, Derrick Rose's will and Jim Boeheim's tactical adjustment -- code-named "Orange."

In a thriller of a game Sunday that recharged the spirits of the Americans and left a sellout crowd of Spaniards in stunned silence, Team USA defeated Spain 86-85 in an exhibition game that felt more like an exhilaration game.

It was a rarity, one of the very few final-possession games I have witnessed the Americans play since I began covering them at the 1996 Olympics. And when I tell you they left the Caja Magica on a high, it doesn't do justice to what this victory did for their spirits and hopes.

"I think we led for all but about 10 seconds. There was a little adversity, some interesting calls, but we got by all that," team director Jerry Colangelo said. "To beat a very good team like Spain on their home court is a great confidence builder, and you have to keep that in perspective. But a lot of things were positive today -- the energy, the athleticism, the veterans were leaders, and Durant was Durant, the guy we've been waiting to see."

So let's get right to the guts of this game and how it all went down at the end.

Spain had the ball last after Rose, starting in place of Rajon Rondo as coach Mike Krzyzewski shook up his lineup in just the third warm-up game of the summer, calmly sank a pair of free throws with 16.9 seconds remaining for the final points of the game.

That's when Team USA caught the defending world champions off guard, going out of a timeout to a 2-3 zone defense that completely flummoxed the Spaniards. Ricky Rubio got off a 3-point attempt from the left wing with 6 seconds left that was blocked by 6-foot-11 Durant, and the ball bounced back out and ended up in the hands of Rudy Fernandez, whose 3-point attempt was also blocked by Durant just before time expired.

"This is something I will never forget, playing against great players, a veteran team that knew what they were doing out there," Rose said. "It was a great challenge, and we should take this and run with it."

Off they now run to Athens, where a formidable challenge awaits on Wednesday against a Greek national team widely regarded as one of the top four squads in the world -- but a team that plays a much more brutish and emotional style of basketball than what the American team encountered in its six days in Spain.

The Americans needed this morale boost the way humans need oxygen, and they got it by coming out with a new starting lineup and playing fast from the get-go, building a comfortable lead that stayed comfortable for 3 1/2 quarters in large part because of Durant, who scored 25 points and hit four shots at critical moments to kill each of Spain's early momentum bursts.

But as the fourth quarter wound down, the Spanish team summoned its experience and savvy to reel off an 8-0 run that put it ahead 82-80 as the Americans ran off several consecutive bad possessions -- a way off-target 3-pointer by Andre Iguodala, a turnover off a deflection by Rubio (whose one-on-one battles with Rose were captivating throughout the game), a forced shot from behind the backboard by Chauncey Billups and an air-balled 3 by Lamar Odom with 1:06 left.

But the Americans caught one of the few breaks they got all night from the referees when Felipe Reyes was hacked on a jump hook on the ensuing possession but no whistle was blown. Rose put Team USA ahead with a driving lefty layup, using a nice screen by Odom to free himself of Rubio, before Juan Carlos Navarro converted a three-point play on a drive and a continuation that made it 85-84 with 27.8 seconds left.

Rose burned Rubio again on the Americans' final possession and drew a foul on Marc Gasol, sinking both free throws.

"I've got to hit 'em," Rose said he was telling himself. "As your legacy goes on, this is something people are going to remember me for over here if they don't ever see me play anymore."

The free throws put the Americans ahead, then came the tactical move of the night. Team USA had barely played any zone all night, showing it a little on inbounds plays from under the basket but then quickly shifting back into man-to-man.

This time, they showed man-to-man but switched into the 2-3 as soon as the ball came inbounds.

"In the timeout, Jim Boeheim said 'Let's go orange.' We call it 'Orange' out of respect for Jim. He said he doesn't have any buildings named after him in Syracuse, so we named the zone after him. And I agreed with him, but it was his suggestion," Krzyzewski said.

"I thought that kind of made them backpedal a little bit," Billups said. "They couldn't run a play, obviously, and KD came up with two unbelievable blocks."

The victory came with a little added intrigue, too, with Rose claiming afterward that Rondo was suffering from some sort of sinus infection -- a statement that was rebutted by team director Colangelo.

As well as starting Rose over Rondo, Krzyzewski also went with Odom at center in place of Tyson Chandler.

"Coach told the team this morning that he was going to try some other players, change the lineup," Colangelo told ESPN.com. "We've been off to some bad starts in our three games, and so he went with a different lineup, and he said some guys might not play today. And that's how it played out. I don't think anything is significant. I don't know what we'll do in the game against Greece, but we're still trying to determine who we are and how we're going to play, so that was just for today, what he chose to do."

They say coaches don't want to show their hand too much in so-called "friendly" games before the real thing, but Krzyzewski was playing with a small chip stack and needed to double up to get his team out of its confidence crisis.

So he tipped his cards a little by making the change to the starting lineup. And he tipped them a little more by sticking so strongly with his starters, playing Durant for 38 minutes, Rose for 32, Odom for 29, Iguodala for 27 and Billups for 24. Aside from Rondo, Danny Granger and Kevin Love also did not log a single minute.

Spain exited the arena a weaker team than when it arrived. Marc Gasol was relatively timid; Fernandez played as though he wanted the Portland Trail Blazers to cut him on principle; and Jose Calderon, after logging 14 first-half minutes to Rubio's 6, appeared to aggravate an upper leg injury with 7 minutes left.

If the injury turns out to be serious, Spain becomes weaker.

And that bodes well for every other legitimate contender in the world championship, which begins Saturday in Turkey.

So although there's still a long way to go before the games become truly meaningful, let there be no doubt that this win made the Americans a stronger group, mentally and tactically. As I said before, they needed this W like humans need oxygen. And now we get to see, as Rose said, whether they can run with it.

As we've said before, this town loves a good t-shirt.  But is this really necessary?  Selling one for an event (BEAT NOVA) is one thing, but a single poll?

This shirt could be outdated in a week (hopefully not), and is really meaningless unless we win it all.

SU will always be #1 in my book, but this just seems a bit silly to me.  What do you think?

Source

via bookweb.syr.edu

When Lisa (www.twitter.com/lcarolla) moved to a new desk in her office a few weeks ago, she was greeted by a horrifying array of Georgetown propaganda plastered on her cube walls.  The perpetrator even made the careful consideration to only use Hoya-colored push pins.

Well, after last night's victory, Lisa decided to enact revenge with the help of 1260 of her best orange friends.

• Syracuse victory? Check.
• 30 full-color pages printed at work? Check.
• Hand-cut dedication?  Check.
• A day of misery for a poor Georgetown fan?  Happening as we speak.

What's that?  Otto is all up in your desk drawer!

Good luck using that mouse.

Or that phone.

Cute kids.

Whose pen-holder?  Otto's pen holder!

Orangemen, I stand before you today not only as your fellow fan: I come to you as a brother; I come to you as a comrade; I come to you as an Orange man; I come to you with great humility.

I am not here to represent Boeheim; his actions speak louder than my words ever could. I am here for all those voices which cannot be heard: mothers, daughters, fathers, sons -- families that bleed orange for our rights, and for the very principles this Dome was built upon.

We are at war, gentlemen. We must send Otto's Army to aid our team in the preservation of not just ourselves, but of our children.

Send the Army for the preservation of liberty.
Send it for justice.
Send it for law and order.
Send it for reason.

But most importantly, send our Army for hope -- hope that a coach and his men have not been wasted to the pages of history -- that their courage bonds us together, that we are made stronger by their actions, and that your choices today reflect their bravery.

GO ORANGE! BEAT GEORGETOWN!

Back in the day, I sold about a hundred "OVERRATED" shirts before the bookstore stole my thunder and officially stocked them.  I felt like playing around with some more designs, you please be so kind as to vote for #1, #2, or #3? Or, if you have comments, feel free to leave them.  Thanks

I will probably adding a few more designs before I decide on one.

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