A Potential Recruit Gives Syracuse Football Hope

Very nice article from ESPN Insider about a D-line recruit looking at Syracuse. Enjoy.

Goggins impressed with Syracuse
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Posted by Greg Biggins

Defensive lineman Deon Goggins (Norwalk, Calif./Cerritos JC) has become a hot commodity out West. The tackle prospect took an official visit to Syracuse last weekend and raved about his time back East.

Goggins is an intriguing player and a very athletic defensive tackle. He was a 265-pound running back in high school before adding 20 pounds and moving to the defensive line.
Even with the added weight, Goggins is still very quick and explosive and his recruitment has taken a nice bump after his YouTube video started making the rounds. He took his first visit to Baylor and checked out the Orangemen this past weekend.

"I went in to the Syracuse trip and didn't really have big expectations but it blew me away," Goggins said. "There was so much about Syracuse I didn't know about it. Everyone knows about Jim Brown and the Express but they have great tradition there and have had a lot of great players come through the program.

"They have the No. 1 communications program in the nation, which makes sense since it's right there in New York. When it comes to TV, film, basically anything media related, you want to be in California or New York and that's what area I want to go in to so it was great to see all that up close."

Goggins was also impressed with the coaching staff and spent a lot of time with the defensive staff.

"I love the coaching staff and really connected with all the guys. Coach (Jimmy) Brumbaugh is the defensive line coach and he's an awesome guy. He's real big on technique and loves to teach. I love to learn and he would be a great guy to learn from.

"I also talked with coach (Scott) Schafer a lot, the defensive coordinator, and he's hard-nosed and serious about football and I love him. Coach (Doug) Marrone is going to build something special and you can tell how much love he has for the school. He played at Syracuse, so he has a lot of passion for the school and I know he'll be there for a long time.

"I just loved how much passion everyone at the school has for Syracuse. They have that Orange Spirit there, you can feel it. Even on my plane ride over there, someone asked me if I was Deon Goggins and knew all about football recruiting and told me how much they need me at Syracuse, I was really impressed with everything I saw and I know I would fit in very well there."
Goggins returned home on Sunday and got a call from Washington State and they immediately set up a home visit for Monday.

"Coach (Paul) Wulf came in and they offered me a scholarship," Goggins said. "I set up a visit there for this coming weekend. This is my first Pac-10 offer, so that was pretty exciting and I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can about the program.

"Coach (Todd) Howard at UCLA is talking to me regularly too and I just sent them my transcripts this week. It sounds like as long as everything checks out OK, they're going to offer me as well. So right now, things are good and I'm excited to have some great options. I have two visits left to take after Washington State and I would love to take all of them before I make a commitment anywhere."



Fantastic. Love how they called us the Orangemen too.

The Hated One Finally Coming Around

Never thought I would see the day, but Doug Gottlieb is finally complimenting the Syracuse Orange. Shame that it took them going 18-1 to get props from him, but hey, better late than never. The video evidence is at the link above.

A Hall of Fame Opinion on Steroids

Interesting article in the Chicago Tribune (yes, it is still around) discussing the use of steroids and PEDs with Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk. Have a read here. His anger seems very justified, and reminds me of the things that former players and ESPN analyst John Kruk said on Baseball Tonight. Enjoy, and tell me what you think.

Chan-ge The Bills Can Believe In?

The Buffalo Bills hired former Dallas Cowboys and Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey to run their team today. The new head coach was probably the 7th or 8th choice. Obviously the Buffalo fans are upset. None of the big name coaches came to Western New York. None of them were, in my opinion, really serious candidates. The only one that could have been was Brian Billick, and the Bills didn't offer him the job. He could have helped bring a new attitude to the team. He could have instituted the same swagger that his Ravens teams had. But no.

The team also didn't wait to get Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. Or interview Cincinnati defensive Mike Zimmer. No, instead they looked to Chan Gailey. He has a winning record as an NFL head coach, going 18-14 in his two years in Dallas. He managed to make the playoffs with Quincy Carter under center. He has also been on the coaching staff of 4 different Super Bowl winning teams. He has the resume, even if he isn't the sexy signing.

His experience could bring some stability to Buffalo. But, in truth, the coach can only do so much. Gailey is a coach that can get a team to the playoffs. The problem is that the Bills aren't exactly a team right now. They have no QB. They have no line. They have one great but underused running back and one overrated headcase starter. They have questionable defense, especially on the ends. No, Gailey isn't heading into the best situation. What he needs to do is to try to build a team with the players he has and try to find quality picks in the draft. Doing something like picking Aaron Maybin when Brian Orakpo on the board is a mistake that the Bills made just last year. Maybin did nothing, and Orakpo is going to the Pro Bowl for the Redskins. So, to try to help out Chan, here are my instructions.

1. Fix your QB situation. Michael Vick will sell some tickets. Go for him. Why not?
2. Fix your lines. Vick can run, so if they don't fix the line he will be able to run away from some defenders.
3. Don't play any more games in Toronto. I know this won't happen, but the Bills are really beating their fans when they are down by moving one of their home games to a different country. It just isn't fair.
4. Draft well. Go for surer things- players that will be solid starters instead of going for the high risk combine monsters like Maybin.
5. Spend some money on free agents- The Bills will get this money back 10-fold if they win. Sounds like a good reason to do it. Get Vick, some offensive linemen, maybe a Vincent Jackson type wideout.
6. Do not keep TO. One year was fine. He didn't blow up. Don't press your luck.

Buffalo, I am rooting for you. I don't know if it will work out, but I think that Gailey's veteran experience makes him a good choice for your team at this point.

Mc-Juiced

Mark McGwire finally came out and admitted to steroid use today, 5 years after his day in Congress saying how he would only talk about the future, not the past. I buy everything that he said in his 20 minute talk with the AP. I, along with numerous other baseball fans I imagine, have instantly forgiven Big Mac because he was just a product of the environment. We the fans and baseball itself needed his historic summer with Sammy Sosa to finish the rebirth that Cal Ripken Jr. had started with his streak. It healed the wound that was left by the 1994 strike and made baseball relevant again. Now, as we look back, we can say that we should have known and it was deplorable, etc. But really, I do not blame him, will not hold it against him or any other player that comes clean and forgive him. The only thing I would ask is that the * be put by his numbers during the time he used, as should happen with the other admitted uses (and those who will eventually be found to use them, Bonds and Clemens). So, thank you for coming clean, Mark. And welcome back to baseball.

Wrong III

Ok, I got the Packers wrong, but the game was too fun for me to feel bad. Kurt Warner belongs in the Hall of Fame, by the way.

Got One Right, Finally

Well, I got one right finally. The Ravens took Tom, Bill and Randy to the woodshed, winning 33-14 on the road. A great job by the Ravens, especially their rushing attack. Ray Rice is a special back, and showed that on the first play of the game scampering for an 82-yard score that shocked the Patriots and set the tone for the whole game. Now they get to play the team that left Baltimore, the Colts. I'll give you my pick for that game next week. Just a teaser, its going to be really close.