Syracuse Football Schedule: Any Chance of a Bowl?

          Happily, it is almost football season.  For me, as an alum of Syracuse University, that means it is a great time to read up on schools that will actually be good.  Let's face it: we stink.  Since I arrived on campus as a freshman in 2004, we were a perennial bowl team that produced such highly-touted prospects as Donovan McNabb and Dwight Freeney.  Once I arrived, as is the case with teams I like, it all went south.  Paul Pasqualoni was fired after a 6-6 season and a bowl loss to Calvin Johnson's Georgia Tech Yellowjackets.  In came new coach Greg Robinson, and the single worst 4 year stretch in the history of the program.  The team went a combined 10-37 under GRob, and he was justifiably fired.  Then, former Syracuse lineman Doug Marrone came home to coach and brought the school back from futility to mediocrity.  We won the Pinstripe Bowl twice, each season winning 8 games.  Then, just as we transitioned to the ACC, Marrone left for the Buffalo Bills, and Scott Shafer was thrust into the spotlight.  We won the Texas Bowl, but followed it up with only 3 wins last season.  So, as the 2015 season approaches, how high should the hopes of Orangemen and Orangewomen everywhere?  Pretty low.

          Yes, Cuse probably won't be that good this year.  It may not even be the fault of the players, to be honest.  Nor the coaches.  It is the fault of the schedule makers.  The first three games of the year are winnable, true.  Hosting Rhode Island, Wake Forest, and Central Michigan could mean this team gets out to a 3-0 record.  If they are impressive in doing it, and have some help with other teams losing, they could even get some Top 25 votes.  But then everything goes to hell, thanks to our insane desire to schedule difficult teams and gain viewers.  In the past, we have had out-of-conference games with Notre Dame, Penn State, Purdue, Northwestern, and even USC.  Who did we pick to start a home and home with this season?  The LSU Tigers.  Yes, a SEC blueblood program is coming to the Dome to destroy us.  I don't know why we insist on scheduling these teams.  The school recently announced that they have a future series with perennial Top 15 team Wisconsin set.  WHY?  Surely, there are other dismal Power 5 conference teams like us that need to play another mediocre big conference schools to help bowl chances.  Syracuse football is no longer prestigious enough to schedule major programs.  Indiana, Iowa State, Wazzu, Kentucky- These are the teams we need to start scheduling.  So, it is safe to assume that the team, at best, will be 3-1 after the Tigers come to town.

          After LSU, the team will travel down to USF.  This is one of our tossup games.  USF isn't that much better than Syracuse.  I could see the Orange winning, but could also see USF defending their home turf well.  Conference play begins with two more tossup games, at UVA and hosting Pitt.  The ACC is a fairly good conference this year, so expecting to win these games may be a bit optimistic.  The next three, as is to be expected, are not winnable by normal Syracuse expectations-  At #10 Florida State, at Louisville, vs #12 Clemson.  These are the best teams in this conference.  Barring a massive upset, these are losses.  So, between them and LSU, the Orange begin their season with 4 losses.  The season ends at NC State and hosting those pesky BC Eagles, both of which should be better than Syracuse, but are not guaranteed losses.

          So, that is 3 expected wins, 4 guaranteed losses, and 5 tossup games.  The Orange have to be able to beat 3 of the tossup teams (USF, UVA, Pitt, NC State, and BC) if they want a bowl birth.  This with a team that has lost numerous pieces on defense, is installing a new offense, and has a starting QB coming off of an injury-plagued year.  Call me a pessimist, but I could see my alma mater lose its last 9 games, or even lose to Wake Forest.  Remember, this team barely beat Villanova last year, and they play in the FCS.  So, as much as I would love to see 6 wins and see my school playing in a bowl game this holiday season, I don't think it is going to happen.

          If it does, feel free to remind me of this post.  I'll be thrilled to be wrong.  Go Orange!

Ryan Tannehill: Miami Hero? Fantasy Hero?

          I am so ready for football, I have been doing mock NFL fantasy drafts for weeks.  I have done so many I am starting to see patterns in the ESPN autopick robot.  Yet I have found that, in many of these mocks, I am ending up with Ryan Tannehill as my starting QB.  Now, you may say that it is because I am not drafting a QB early enough.  This could be true.  I'm one of those guys that is usually more than happy to ride the coattails of a stud QB and strike it lucky on a rookie running back or two to get to the playoffs.  Drew Brees was that guy for me for three straight years.  But looking into it more, I might be ending up with the Miami signal caller because he could be really good.

          Tannehill has improved every year he has been in the league.  Last year, he had 27 TDs to 12 INTs and guided the Dolphins to another 8-8 season.  He also ran for over 300 yards, showing he still has some of that mobility he had at Texas A&M.  However, ESPN's Matthew Berry is still ranking him the #11 fantasy QB heading into the year, including behind Tom Brady who may be suspended for 4 games.  I think he could be much better than #11.  Obviously, Rodgers and Luck will be the top 2.  After that, they rank Russell Wilson #3, 8 spots ahead of the Dolphins QB.  Why?  Tannehill can do everything that Wilson can do, and doesn't have to feed the beast in the backfield as much.  True, Wilson gets to throw against easier defenses because Marshawn Lynch demands 8 men in the box most plays, but the Dolphins running game could be solid.  Lamar Miller was the #10 running back last year by yards, gaining 1,099 and scoring 8 times.  He is also a respectable threat out of the backfield in the passing game, securing 38 catches for 275 yards and a score.  Jay Ajayi, rookie RB from Boise State, was an excellent offensive player in college.  If those two are able to make an excellent RB tandem, then teams must respect the running game, thus opening things up for Tannehill. 

          Assuming that Tannehill does get those easier looks thanks to a flourishing running game, the Dolphins have given him some solid weapons in the passing game.  Jarvis Landry returns as his #1 target.  They brought in Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills, and Jordan Cameron via free agency or trades.  They drafted Devante Parker, the standout WR out of Louisville, in the first round of the NFL Draft.  A young QB dreams of having all those weapons; both veteran and young guys, deep threats and possession guys.  Ryan Tannehill has not had this many skill positions players in his career.  He can open up the offense in ways he wasn't able to before, even in a 4000 yard, 27 TD campaign last season.

          Finally, look at the Dolphins' schedule.  Its not like they are playing the '85 Bears defense every week.  Yes, the Jets are solid, and have a good secondary.  That is only 2 games out of the year, and the Jets have no depth at the moment behind Revis and Cromartie.  The Patriots defense lost Revis and Brandon Browner.  The Bills' have Rex Ryan's swagger, but not the same level of personnel as he had once had.  Stephon Gilmore, Aaron Williams, and Corey Graham are all better than average to great, but they are also starting a rookie at the 2nd corner spot.

          Outside the AFC East, the Dolphins get the NFC East for 4 games.  Giants/Skins/Eagles all have unproven to awful secondaries.  The Cowboys were torched by Aaron Rodgers and rookie DeVante Adams in the playoffs last year.  I wouldn't be surprised if Tannehill went off for 4 touchdowns each of those games.  Then there is the AFC South. The Dolphins get the Colts (could be a shootout there), Jags, Texans, and Titans, none of whom are elite defenses, though if JJ Watt and Clowney are both healthy, Houston may not let Tannehill get a pass off all game.  Finally, the Dolphins have the Ravens (already without safety Matt Elam for the year) and the Chargers.  Again, not the worst in the world, but certainly not on the level of the Seahawks.

          If he shows the upward progression he has had the first three seasons, I think Ryan Tannehill could be a Top 5 fantasy QB.  He has the weapons around him.  He has the talent.  He has the schedule that can allow him to go a long way.  I think I am a believer in the South Beach signal caller.  I am starting to like the Dolphins more and more in that division, as long as Brady stays suspended. 

          Maybe it is a good thing that I keep ending up with Ryan Tannehill is these mock drafts. 

Serena: Just How Great Is She?

Serena Williams just completed her 2nd "Serena Slam", and has to be considered a heavy favorite going into the US Open at the end of August.  She is currently dominating the sport of tennis in a way no other athlete in all of sports is able to do.  In fact, she is only one Grand Slam title away from tying Steffi Graf for most in the modern era. So, I thought to myself the other night, who are two other dominant modern athletes that we can compare her to?  From that, I got to thinking about why she is dominating tennis like she is.  Is she on top because she is simply able to raise her game above the level of her excellent competition, or is she the best because her competition really isn't that good, and she is just so far ahead of them it isn't fair?

The all-time great dominant athletes that I think Serena can be compared to are 1990s Michael Jordan and 1999-2002 Tiger Woods.  The interesting thing about these comparisons is that, usually, an all-time great tends to fall back to the pack as they get older.  With Serena, it is the exact opposite.  When she began her career, there was legitimate competition that she couldn't always beat.  Remember, while Serena was the first of the two to win a Grand Slam title, it was Venus Williams who first took the tennis world by storm with her power and athleticism.  After Serena's win in the 1999 US Open, she didn't win another til 2002. Serena took a bit longer to blossom fully, and had some serious competition to deal with.

Much like Michael Jordan played against a slew of other Hall of Fame players (Ewing, Barkley, Olajuwon, Stockton & Malone), Serena dealt with some great opponents early on.  Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, and Justine Henin all beat Serena and won numerous Grand Slams.  In 2002, however, Serena was able to raise her game and took the 3 final Slams of the year, followed by the Australian Open in 2003, thus completing her 1st Serena Slam.  Much like Jordan, even faced with extremely good competition (particularly from Henin, who owned a 6-6 record against her) Serena was able to win 8 Slams through the end of 2007.

Then, things started to change.  Serena was still an excellent tennis player, but the competition started drying up.  Venus only won 1 more Slam title, at the 2008 Wimbledon.  Henin abruptly took an early retirement to concentrate on other endeavors, despite the fact she was the #1 ranked player in the world. Hingis, Davenport and Capriati retired after successful and long careers.  There was a sudden void for a true rival to Serena.  Even when Maria Sharapova burst on the scene to win the three titles in 5 years, she only beat Serena in one Slam finals.  Furthermore, Sharapova has not beaten Serena in a head to head match since 2005.  Serena owns a record of 18-2 vs the 2nd best player of this generation in Sharapova, who herself has a career Grand Slam.  It was only occasional injuries and illness that kept Serena from advancing deep in Slam tournaments.

It is during this time, from 2008 until now, that we see years similar to the first dominant years of Tiger Woods' career, which is what makes Serena so interesting.  Tiger came onto the PGA Tour and set it ablaze, hitting farther, putting better, and just having an overall game that dominated all comers.  There were some that won majors, sure.  Vijay, Phil, Paddy, Ernie Els:  All of them won a few majors, yet none of them came close to touching Tiger.  Then, over the past few years, Tiger's fallen back to Earth.  This is what happens with phenoms.  The game, the time, and the competition all eventually catch up.  But not Serena.

New tennis players have come and gone.  New challengers have arisen.  Yet Serena Williams is still at the top of her game. She has her 2nd Serena Slam.  She only needs to win the US Open to get a true Grand Slam (all 4 titles in one calendar year).  She is Jordan at his peak.  She is early Tiger.  We are seeing something special on the tennis courts every time she plays.  How great is she?  She may be the greatest of all time.

JFLANland 2015 NFL QB Rankings

There has been a small amount of controversy here in the DC area about Andy Benoit (of MMQB) and his rankings of the NFL quarterbacks.  Many seem to think that RG3 deserves to be a bit higher.  I am not one to defend RG3 anymore, considering his injuries and regression, but having him as the #31 QB out of 32 does seem a bit odd.  So, I have decided to publish my own list, and here it is.  Note- this is based mostly on recent performance, though expectations for next year do come into play a little-

1. Aaron Rodgers
I think he is the best in the game today.  2-time MVP, Super Bowl champ. Would have made it back last year if not for a backup tight end ruining an onside kick.

2. Tom Brady
He could be the greatest ever, and he is coming off of his 4th Super Bowl.  Deflating balls don't add up to all that success.  He is just damn good.

3. Peyton Manning
Everyone pointed to his offense going down at the end of that year.  That was because the Broncos ran more, not because of Peyton.  Still one of the best ever, even if its most in the regular season.

4. Andrew Luck
Everyone had super high hopes for Luck, and he has delivered.  Living up to the billing as the next Peyton Manning is a hard job, but I see no reason why he can't.

5. Drew Brees
The best QB in Saints history, playing with no defense and (now) with fewer weapons.  Yet still manages to throw for around 5,000 yards every year.

6. Russell Wilson
Would he have been higher on this list if they win another Super Bowl?  Maybe.  The kid just wins, knows how not to get hit, and needs to get paid.  If Seattle doesn't want him, a bunch of other teams will.

7. Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben used to just be a guy you couldn't tackle.  Now, he is coming off his best statistical year, and already has 2 rings.

8. Tony Romo
Everyone makes fun of him, but he seems to have gotten that 4th quarter failure bug out of his system.  If Dez had caught that ball (he didn't), then what are we saying about Romo beating Rodgers in Green Bay?

9. Joe Flacco
All he does is get his team to the playoffs every year.  He has a ring.  He is consistent.

10. Philip Rivers
Without Rivers, the Chargers could very well be a 2-14 team.

11. Matt Ryan
It certainly helps when you have great wideouts, but Ryan is a great QB.  What Kyle Shanahan will do with him is the better question.

12. Matt Stafford
When healthy, he slings it as well as anyone.  Again, having Megatron helps a lot.

13. Cam Newton
Crazy athlete with a big arm that got his team to the playoffs last year.  Could fine tune his touch a little, but you cannot deny the natural skills.

14. Alex Smith
He has gotten better under Andy Reid, even if their wideouts don't catch touchdowns.  I wish he was allowed to let it fly a little more,

15. Ryan Tannehill
He has gotten better every year in Miami.  Still behind Luck and Wilson in his draft class, but Tannehill shows every sign of a QB growing in confidence.  He could make a big leap this year.

16. Andy Dalton
The playoff success isn't there, but the Bengals are in the thick of the AFC North every year thanks to Dalton and his consistent play.

17. Eli Manning
A guy with two Super Bowl rings should be higher, but Eli has started throwing picks at an alarming rate.  Hopefully Odell Beckham's great hands will bring those numbers back to earth.

18. Colin Kaepernick
It will be interesting to see what Kap can do on a team that appears to be falling apart.  His past success was pretty astounding.  Without his coach there, could he fall back to the pack in the 20s?

19. Teddy Bridgewater
As Kap is falling, Bridgewater is rising.  I like the kid a lot, and with Minnesota adding weapons, Teddy could take a step up in the eyes of many.

20. Derek Carr
I love Derek Carr.  I have him this low because of two things- First, I don't want to play favorites.  I could move him up to 15, but he only played one year.  I just really really like him.  The second reason?  He still plays on the Raiders.  I hope that he is able to turn that franchise around.  At least he has a #1 WR in Amari Cooper now.

21. Jay Cutler
See what I said about Eli's INTs, take away the two rings, and then take away Brandon Marshall.  Yeah.

22. Nick Foles
This guy threw for 7 touchdowns in a game.  He is a lot better than I thought he would be.  I am still not sure what the Eagles were doing trading him away for a guy further down on the list.

23. Carson Palmer
The old guy who falls under the "When he's 100%, he's awesome" category.  Bruce Arians has given him weapons, and they improves the line.  The Cardinals could win the NFC West.

24. Robert Griffin III
So here is RG3, the young guy in the "When he's 100%, he's awesome" category.  What is alarming to those of us in DC is that he may never be 100% healthy again.  Two ACL tears have limited his mobility.  He gets hurt on non-contact plays.  What's worse is that his time away from the field has cause a regression in his reads and mechanics.  This is a make-or-break year for him.  Personally, I will be paying close attention to a lot of the NCAA QBs this year, cause RG3 may not be long for DC.

25. Sam Bradford
When he's 100%, he's...  Well, I don't know.  He has never been healthy for long enough.  When he played 16 games his rookie and 3rd year, he was ok.  That might be a reflection on the Rams roster over his play.  However, he was hurt his 2nd year, his 4th year, and missed all of last year.  Maybe Chip Kelly can keep him healthy?

26. Josh McCown
A journeyman in every sense of the word, McCown (the pride of Sam Houston State!) is in Cleveland now.  His three year contract probably means he will begin the year as the starter.  However, the Browns offense is less than stellar, and he may just be keeping the seat warm for Johnny Football.

27. Brian Hoyer
Cleveland's old QB is now in Houston with former fellow-Patriot Bill O'Brien as his coach.  He has a good running back.  He has some decent young receivers.  He has a solid defense.  Hoyer could improve a lot this year, and would need to in order to be successful.

28. Matt Cassell
Another former Pat, now taking the helm in Buffalo.  Kyle Orton retired, and EJ Manuel has been a bust in every possible sense of the word.  Now that Rex Ryan is the coach, the offense of the Bills will probably take a backseat to the defense.  Ryan got the Jets to the playoffs with Mark Sanchez.  Can he work wonders with Cassell?

29. Geno Smith
Geno had some flashes of brilliance in his career.  However, the Jets have been looking to replace him for a while.  I think he will start the season of Ryan Fitzpatrick, but he has to be great to keep his job.  A decent QB would be able to put up numbers throwing to Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.  Is Geno a decent QB?

30. Blake Bortles
He is very young, and was on a very bad team.  While Bridgewater and Carr showed a ton of potential and talent, Bortles seemed to only throw Pick-6's.  I'm not ready to give up on him yet, but he needs more pieces around him.

31. Jameis Winston
32. Marcus Mariota
Why are these two at the bottom of the list?  Cause they haven't played a game in the NFL yet!  I am not saying I expect them to be this low all the time.  I think they are both going to be successful QBs in this league for a number of years.  However, it is unfair right now to put anyone else below them.  By the end of this year, both could be in the top 20.  At this moment in July, they have to be at the bottom.

There is the list.  Debate away!

A Solutions-Oriented Post About the Name of DC's NFL Team

The other day, ESPN panelist and new Washington Post contributor Kevin Blackistone wrote a piece about the Washington Redskins.  It was much of the same sound arguments opponents of the team's nickname have had for years, though I was rather disappointed that Mr. Blackistone made little to no mention of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and their fans, some of whom decided going red-face with headdresses was a good way to celebrate at their parade, but I digress.  We all know the arguments against the team's name.  They are solid arguments, and they are mostly correct.  The name does need to change.  But I am not here today to discuss those arguments.  I am instead here, in a solutions-oriented manner, to tell you why another name is infinitely better in every way anyway.  It is an alternative that has been a round for a couple of years, ever since the Washington City Paper decided to use it.

That's right- The Washington Pigskins!

So, what follows is my list of ten reasons why this name is so much better than the Redskins anyway.  Hope you enjoy, and then join the movement.

- It's not racist.  That's pretty much self-explanatory.  Plus, the change would mean more attention would be paid to the team and not the name, which could force the powers that be to put a good product on the field.

- It is football-relevant.  The first footballs were made from pigs' bladders and then covered in leather.  See? Football!

- It has team history.  The Hogs were the offensive linemen that helped Washington win 3 Super Bowls between 1982-1992.  They were local celebrities.  Grown men were willing to put on dresses, sunhats and snouts and go to games as the Hogettes. If there was ever a fan tradition that needs to live on, its the Hogettes.

- The team still can be called the Skins.  I don't know about you, but I almost never call the Redskins "The Redskins".  I call them the Skins.  Everyone I know calls them the Skins.  This way, you get to keep that nickname, and lose the whole racism part.

- It fits the song "Hail to the Redskins".  "Hail to the Pigskins! Hail Victory! Hogs on the Warpath! Fight for Old DC!"  See?

- Pigs are actually terrifying creatures.  Yes, we all think of Babe or Charlotte's Web whenever we think of pigs.  But they can be voracious and mean.  As any fan of the film Snatch can tell you, a group of hungry pigs can eat a 200 pound man in about 8 minutes.



I don't know about you, but the idea fo being chased and eaten by angry hogs is rather frightening to me.  Surely its scarier than any of the bird mascots in the NFL.  What the hell can a Cardinal really do to you anyway?

- Snyder could make more money with new merchandise.  This one isn't as much about the fans as it is for team business.  You change the name and the logo, you can sell a ton of new gear.  The DC fan base is loyal to a fault.  Hell, we've supported this franchise for the past 23 years since they won a Super Bowl, and they have usually been a laughingstock.  They will certainly buy new uniforms, new hoodies, new shirts, new everything.  Give us more things to buy!  We want to show our fandom!

- Snyder can make more money by selling old jerseys as throwbacks when the team wears them ones game a year.  The only thing we like more than new merchandise is throwback merchandise.  I own a John Riggins jersey.  He retired a few months before I was born.  It not only hearkens back to a time when Washington was successful, but gives the fan a feeling of nostalgia.  We'll certainly spend our money for that comfortable feeling.

- We could have a lovable mascot!  The Skins do not have a big foam-headed mascot, for good reason.  However, the kids love mascots!  Look at the rest of DC sports.  GeeWiz, Talon, Slapshot, Screech, and the Racing Presidents!  We have great mascots.  The teams sell stuffed versions of these mascots.  A funny-looking hog decked out in burgundy and gold would be an instant must-buy for any die hard Skins fan with a little one at home.

And, what might be the absolute best (non-race related) reason to change the name to the Pigskins,

- It would piss off Jerry Jones royally.  Jerry Jones, owner/GM/President/Emperor of the Dallas Cowboys is a proud graduate of the University of Arkansas.  Arkansas, for those that don't know, has the nickname "The Razorbacks".  Their symbol is a wild hog.  Their mascot is a hog.  Their whole world is about hogs and pigs.  Imagine how steamed Jerry would be if his franchise's biggest rival changes their team name to the same as his alma mater.  He would be so angry, he may go and build another billion dollar stadium to re-inflate his ego.  Anything to annoy the rival owner is reason enough to change the nickname and mascot.


I hope I have been able to convince you that there are reasons aside from the obvious to change the name of the Washington, DC football team.  It is the right thing to do socially, of course, but it is also the right thing to do because Pigskins is just a better name.  It is better for marketing, for mascots, for sales, for football-relevance, and for annoying the Cowboys.  I don't think it gets any better than that.  I can see the headlines now if the Pigskins ever win the Super Bowl again- "HOG WILD!"  "THAT'S SOME PIG!" It'd be wonderful.  I think its time for a change to the Pigskins.  Embrace it, DC.  Another headline, if the team squeaks out a tough win?

"That'll do, Pigskins.  That'll do."

FIFA Fraud- Will This Change Things?

          As any fan of the movie The Untouchables can tell you, the way Eliot Ness finally brought Al Capone down was on a tax fraud and evasion charge.  While it wasn't the most illegal thing that Capone had done wrong, it was a surefire way to put him behind bars, thus ending his reign as the king of Chicago crime.  Now, almost a century later, the same tactics are being used by the United States government.  However, Chicago is no longer the venue.  Instead, it is Switzerland, and playing the role of organized crime is FIFA.

          The United States Department of Justice has decided to press racketeering, bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering charges on a number of FIFA officials for, as US Attorney General Loretta Lynch says, over two decades.  Lynch specifically singled out officials from FIFA, CONCACAF (the governing body of North American, Central American, and Caribbean soccer, including the United States), and CONMEBOL (the governing body of South America) in this sting, and said that over $150 million a piece had been made by some of these corrupt individuals through their illegal activities.  One even requested a knighthood in exchange for his vote.  It is a case that could shake the very foundations of FIFA and international soccer to its core.  The question, however, is this- Will it have enough of an impact to make any real difference?

          While Eliot Ness went after the head of crime, the USDOJ has gone after some in high ranking positions, but not the main guy.  This is probably because the DOJ's jurisdiction is limited.  It may also be because FIFA head Sepp Blatter, widely rumored to be the most corrupt official in an extremely corrupt organization, cannot be directly tied to anything.  He even went as far as to say that today he welcomed the investigation and says misconduct has no place in his sport.  If Blatter cannot be linked to the widespread fraud involved in FIFA, then surely it happening on his watch would be enough to make sure he isn't re-elected in a vote currently scheduled for next week, right?  Even that may not be the case.  Chicago Tribune columnist Phillip Hersh believes that the only way to make any kind of real change and take out Blatter is to have major international sponsors pull their support and their money.  Hersh's view is probably the correct one, and since a major sports outfitter is currently tied in with these charges, having used bribery to gain exclusive rights to dress the Brazilian national team (hi, Nike), that money could dry up quick.

          If the money goes away, and if Blatter is ousted, the first question I would have is about the 2022 World Cup.  FIFA insists that it will go on as planned in Qatar, despite allegations of bribery and corruption by officials to bring the tournament to such a ludicrously inhospitable environment for the sport. Furthermore, why give the massive international event to a country whose team has never qualified for the tournament in the first place?  Even these nonsensical actions cannot be considered the worst part.  My main concern is how Blatter and FIFA continues to support a country that is relying on slave labor and heinous working conditions in order to construct its stadiums.  Numerous workers have already died, and one report suggests that the death toll could reach over 4,000 by 2022.  

          FIFA is actively supporting a country that condones slavery.  They are actively supporting a country that endorses antisemitism, racism, and homophobia on a massive level, all while launching a campaign that calls for the end of discrimination within the sport.  It is a hypocritical position, and only makes sense when you hear these chargers of corruption and bribery.  The Qatar World Cup goes against everything that FIFA says they represent, but goes along with everything this DOJ case shows they truly are.  I hope that this case will change things.  I hope that the beautiful game won't be veiled by ugly corruption for another decade.  I hope that this case is just the first in many dominos that will clean up FIFA top to bottom.  

Fraud charges brought down Al Capone.  Is it enough to bring down Blatter?

The Legend of 44: Did Syracuse Make a Mistake?

       Yesterday, my Alma Mater, Syracuse University, announced that it would be un-retiring the football jersey number 44.  44 has been retired for a decade, and represents the greatest of Syracuse football history.  Jim Brown, the greatest football player of all time, wore it.  Floyd Little, a NCAA and NFL Hall of Famer wore it.  Ernie Davis, the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner, wore it.  It is the number that defines excellence in central New York.  Hell, it is even part of the school's official zip code, 13244.  So the question is, then, why are they bringing it back?

       Well, Floyd Little thinks it is a great idea.  He has been on board with this idea for a while.  He even thinks that his grandson Blaze Jones (a perfect running back name) will attend Syracuse in a couple of years and earn the chance to wear the famed number.  Many fans think bringing the number back is exactly what the team and the program needs.  Let's face it: Cuse has been mediocre at best for most of the past decade.  When I arrived on campus in 2004, I expected some big things from the football team.  We went 6-6, lost our bowl game 51-14, fired our coach, hired Greg Robinson.  Robinson then went 5-37 over the next four seasons, including the only two double-digit loss seasons in the school's history.  We sucked.  Doug Marrone and Scott Shafer have allowed to (mostly) recover from that dark period, but we still max out at 6 or 7 wins.  The pro-restore feeling is that bringing 44 back will remind the players what an excellent program this once was, and motivate them to bring it back.
       There are some former players, however, that don't agree with that sentiment.  Donovan McNabb is the leader of that group.  He called the move disrespectful, and thinks it is a mistake.  Syracuse.com writer Bud Poliquin tends to agree, saying that making the number a perk instead of honoring its legacy is a mistake.  So what do I think?
       I don't have an issue with bringing such a hallowed number back into play for the team.  It is entirely possible that Syracuse will regain some of its former greatness on the football field in the future.  Added revenue from the ACC, upgrades to the practice facilities, and stronger recruiting could bring a forlorn program back to prominence.  We may have even found the first player worthy of wearing it in 2016 RB commit Robert Washington, a 4-star recruit who (unfathomably) chose Syracuse over the likes of Alabama, Michigan, and Florida.  He even understands and appreciates what the number means to the entire Syracuse community.  So I say let Washington wear it... if he earns it.
       Look, there is no bigger supporter of Syracuse then I am, but right now we are not a program worthy of having that number.  We do not have a single player worthy of that number.  Last year, we went 3-9 and didn't have a player drafted for just the 2nd time in 50 years.  That isn't a high point.  Could this be the jolt the program needs?  I think it could be.  Yet it is still way too early to tell.  If Washington comes in, runs for 1,000 yards, and gets us to a bowl game, then he is worthy.  Until then, let's make sure 44 isn't just given away because it can be.  There is a legacy there greater than anything this program has seen in 20 years.  We can't tarnish that.
       And hey, we always have the number 39 to give out.  If it was good enough for Walter Reyes and Larry Csonka, it should be good enough for a freshman.