First let me start by thanking Mario Sacco and Chuck Brame for filling in for me, and as usual, doing an amazing job.
We've all had that one stretch in our lives where we continuously receive wedding invitations from friends ready to tie the knot. In this industry, there's not a lot of room for time off. Whether it's sweeps or a Sports Blitz season, we're very selective. I've had to miss many of my friends walk down the aisle, but there's always those that you just can't miss (and the fact that they made it a destination wedding in Maui, Hawaii, was a perk - thanks and congrats Brent and Jen).
While I was away, naturally, the sports world exploded. It's kind of like when the parents finally go out on a date , higher a babysitter, and miss their kids first steps and words.
Both sides of the NHL finally sat down at the table and hammered out a deal for what I call a "fun size" season. After reading the details, I had the same reaction as many fans, "We lost half of a season for this?" Eventually, the flow hit the Jackals. Some of the players called up will return to Elmira, but others are gone for good. The Jackals have since recharged their batteries over a short Christmas break, and came out firing. Coach Mullins' revamped squad have found something as of late, winning games that may have escaped them during the first portion of their schedule. Elmira maintains a strong core, despite 10 transaction last Saturday.
In Syracuse, Doug Marrone made the Orange football team relevant again. It made many programs do a double-take, and it wasn't just teams in the collegiate ranks. Marrone's success helped find his way on to the short list of several NFL team's who went looking coaches this off season. Eventually, Marrone stayed in the Empire State, heading to Buffalo to coach the Bills. Having talked to some of the Bills faithful, they don't love the move, but they also don't hate it. They're taking the wait and see approach, and I can't blame them. My favorite NFL team growing up hired what many thought to be the best college coach in the nation, and he went on to set us back, by what seemed like a decade.
Over on the hardwood, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim reached and surpassed the 900 career win milestone. Boeheim entered rarefied air, that only Coach K and Bob Knight have achieved. It's a true testament to his longevity and success at one program, both as a player and a coach. The more impressive part, is that it doesn't seem likes he's close to being done.
Mahalo for listening to my catching up rant, and I'll see you at 11!
-Alex
