Hey everyone. Tonight is the big night! The Syracuse Silver Knights travel down I-90 to take on the Rochester Lancers in Game #1 of the MASL Playoffs. Game time is 7pm. You can watch the game on your computer or mobile device using golivesportscast.com. Just search for the Knights of Lancers. You shouldn't have to search though; the game is featured on the site's home screen. If you cannot watch, follow me on Twitter. I will be at the game tonight and will give live updates and thoughts throughout the match! Come On You Knights!!!!!
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It seems like all local Syracuse media is giving the Knights some much needed attention in the past couple of days. CNY Central featured Tommy Tanner today and tonight talking about the playoffs. From this, Tanner reported that captain Nelson Santana will not be available for the first match in Rochester tomorrow. I speculate that he is still healing from the injury he suffered this past Sunday in the regular season finale against Detroit. Hopefully, Santana will recover and be ready for a critical Game #2 on Sunday.
Thanks/Credit: CNY Central- www.cnycentral.com The other day, I wrote about the relation between local Syracuse media and the Syracuse Silver Knights. Last night, TWC News ran a feature on the Silver Knights and their upcoming playoff tilt against the Lancers. After watching the piece, I give it the highest praise. Brad Vivacqua did a wonderful job with the story. His interviews with Nate Bourdeau and Tommy Tanner were very informative and pumped me up for the playoff series. Hopefully, a great number of people who saw the piece will feel the same and go to Sunday's match!
Here's the link to the video: http://www.twcnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2015/03/4/silver-knights-preparing-for-playoffs.html Earlier this week, the Washington Nationals picked up a new outfielder with baseball in his blood. Tony Gwynn Jr., the son of late Hall of Fame San Diego Padre Tony Gwynn, was signed to a minor league deal by the D.C. club. While he will be competing for a spot on the National’s roster, this signing may actually be more in favor of the Syracuse Chiefs. With 2014 International League MVP Steven Souza Jr. now a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, there is a major void in the Chiefs' outfield. Gwynn Jr. may be just the answer the Chiefs are looking for. The former member of the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Philadelphia Phillies has seen plenty of action in the MLB, averaging .238 over eight seasons with seven home runs and eighty stolen bases. His minor league stats are even more impressive, averaging .279 with 14 homers and 244 runs batted in over 10 seasons. While being a possible spark in the Chiefs’ offense and defense, Gwynn Jr. will also be a potential leader and positive influence on his teammates in the club house. Hopefully, both the Chiefs and their fans will be treated to having this excellent new signing on the squad. I personally am excited about this transaction and hope Gwynn sees some time with the Syracuse Chiefs.
Thanks/Credits: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=gwynn-002ant http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gwynnto02.shtml http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/110979264/tony-gwynn-jr-signs-minor-league-deal-with-nationals http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2014/12/19/nationals-officially-announce-steven-souza-jr-trade/ I was scrolling through my twitter feed today this morning when I stumbled across a tweet from the Syracuse Silver Knights. It stated that Time Warner Cable News was running a playoff preview piece on the team tonight at several different times. Of course, I think this is absolutely awesome. Nothing like a little bit of media attention to draw more people to the playoff games and get the Silver Knights some more power from the fans.
After thinking more into it, I then found myself asking a question that has gone unanswered for some time now. Why don’t the Knights get more media coverage in Syracuse? Believe me, I’ve asked that question at work and have yet to get a real satisfying answer. Fear not Syracuse sports fan, this doesn’t mean I haven’t come up for a reason or two…or more on why this happens to the Knights. 1.) Orange Crush: Remember, I respect Syracuse University. There is no hate going on at any time with them. However, it cannot be denied that Syracuse loves the Orange. This town is filled with people that have grown up around the University and alumni that support their alma mater to the end. That’s great. Loyalty is always praised when it comes to sports. However, many times, Syracuse University is the only thing covered by the local sports media. The Silver Knights, along with the Crunch and Chiefs, end up flying under the radar because they are not affiliated with the University. To me, this is tragic. I get tired of turning on local sports radio and watching the sports segments on the local news and having it be all about the Orange. I’m Oranged out. I put my money on it there are people who are feeling the same way I do. In my opinion and from what I have learned, there should be variety in sports reporting in order to gain a greater audience and bring awareness to all the local teams. If more of the media did this, all the teams in Syracuse would have more attention and more fans coming to the games. 2.) What is exactly Major?- The Knights have played in the Major Indoor Soccer League and now in the Major Arena Soccer League. They are a major league team. However, then you have to look at the rest of the Syracuse sports organizations. The Crunch, Chiefs, and Doubledays are minor league teams. However, for the players on those teams, they are only a promotion or two away from making into the MLB. For the fans, they are seeing the future stars of tomorrow. For the Orange, the basketball team is cranking out NBA Draft picks constantly and the football team has produced some good talent too. While most Syracuse teams are breeding grounds of future stars of the highly watched major sporting leagues, the Knights are victims of a sport that hasn’t gotten the attention it really deserves. Many people I talk to say soccer is boring, it’s slow, it makes you fall asleep. Those people clearly haven’t seen arena soccer. I haven’t seen a dull game yet. Also, look at the roster of the Silver Knights. They have a lot of players who have seen or have potential of seeing playing time in the highest ranks of soccer. Santana is a part of the US National Futsal team. Kenardo Forbes was even on the Jamaican National Team! If that’s not major league, I don’t know what is. The players on the Knights and all the other teams of the MASL are professional players giving fans exciting games. Just because they aren’t on ESPN doesn’t mean it’s not major league. 3.) A Select Fan Base- Like I stated earlier, soccer has a bad rap for being slow and boring. Syracuse particularly is not a huge soccer city. Really, the United States sadly isn’t either (Comparison to Europe and South America.) However, when you go to a Knights game, you’ll see well over 2,000 upwards of 4,000 fans. This is because the Knights have a strong tie to the community. Coach Tommy Tanner was on the Rochester Ragin’ Rhinos and the Syracuse Salty Dogs of the USL in his playing career. Big Syracuse connection there. The players practice at the Sports Centre in Baldwinsville where a lot of youth indoor soccer competitions are held. Even bigger, may of the players on the Silver Knights are from Syracuse and played at Syracuse area schools and colleges. Because of these factors, local soccer fans and people involved in the local soccer community come the Silver Knights games come to support the local pros and the team that highlights what Syracuse soccer is all about. If more people in Syracuse could see that through local media or just by going to a game, I think they would gravitate towards the team. So there it is. Are they perfect? No, but from what I have observed, they are pretty solid. So do me a favor, watch TWC News tonight. See the preview of the Silver Knights playoff run. Even better, do that and buy a ticket to Sundays game. If the media won’t give the Knights more attention, then at least give them yours. Thanks/Credit: http://syracusesilverknights.com/roster.cfm http://www.syracusesilverknights.com/roster.cfm?player=30 http://www.syracusesilverknights.com/ http://www.syracusesilverknights.com/roster.cfm?player=23 http://www.nyswysa.org/HOF/HOF2007/213700.html http://www.transfermarkt.com/kenardo-forbes/profil/spieler/212235 https://twitter.com/CuseKnights/status/572800079863668737 Today, the NHL trade deadline came and went, but not without shaking things up in Tampa Bay organization. To begin, two former Crunch players were traded away from the Lightning. Radko Gudas, a defensive player best known for his tough play and his rugged beard, was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. Brett Connolly, who scored 52 regular season goals and 6 goals in the Crunch’s 2012-2013 run to the Calder Cup Finals, was dealt to the Boston Bruins. While it is sad to see them go, I feel they will continue to succeed and wish them the best.
Meanwhile, the Lightning reassigned defensive player Luke Witkowski to the Crunch. This is a major gain for the Crunch. Their defense has been up and down as of late, very down concerning their penalty kill. With Witkowski back on the team, he will boost their defense and hopefully be a key part in the Crunch giving up less goals for the remainder of the season. Kristers and York will definitely be happy to see him back. Matt Corrente also said his goodbyes to the Crunch today. He was traded to the Florida Panthers for forward Ryan Martindale, who was assigned to the Crunch. Though not the most major trade within the Lightning organization, hopefully Martindale will bring new energy to the Crunch offense and be one of those new players stepping up to help put pucks into the net. On the contrary, the Crunch have seen troubles with adjusting lines and getting into sync offensively. If things go right, Witkowski’s return and Martindale’s arrival won’t feed this trend. Thanks/Credits: http://lightning.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=83802&navid=DL|TBL|home http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8475792 http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8475462 http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2015/3/2/Crunch_0302153155.aspx Many of you are wondering, “Who is this Nick guy and why has he created this blog?” My about section is brief, so I’d thought it best to go more in-depth about myself and why I am doing this blog.
Who are you? My name is Nicholas Episcopo. I’m a resident of the Syracuse area and a fan of the Syracuse Crunch, Chiefs, and Silver Knights. I enjoy sports overall. What qualifies you to write this blog? Well, I am a graduate of SUNY Onondaga and SUNY Oswego with an Associates’ in Electronic Media Communications and a Bachelors’ in Broadcasting. While in college, I interned in the Sports Department of a local Syracuse news company for 2 1/2 years. Add that to being a sports fan since my early youth, I think I know a thing or two about Syracuse sports. Are you an actual fan or just a hypocrite? I try to go to as many games as possible for the Crunch, Chiefs, and Silver Knights. If I’m not working, I’m constantly doing research into the latest news and updates on all of the teams. Some people call it an obsession, I’m just trying to perfect my skills and push myself to further my career in sports reporting. Plus, I love the teams and am a true fan through and through. Are you a legit sports reporter? At the moment, I work for a local news company in Syracuse, but not as a sports reporter. I hope to soon though through hard work and dedication to my craft. Why do you hate Syracuse University? I don’t hate them at all. I respect them fully. A lot of people in the area like the Orange and that’s just fine. Everyone has things they like. I just want to report, analyze, and talk about the other teams in Syracuse. People like them just like I do. Everyone should have their time in the sun. Equal time in media. Are you an athlete? I bowl and play pick up soccer. I’ve also played baseball, roller hockey, ran track, and play Kan Jam (It’s a sport in my mind.) I love trying sports and watching them. I’m not the biggest athlete, but I don’t think that makes a big difference. Do you have sources? Legit ones? Yes, I try to have sources for all my stories. Usually, they are team and league websites. I am careful about using stuff from other reporters and news sites. Not that I don’t trust them, I worry more about citing them. Through school, I learned how to cite and giving credit to sources, but I still am careful. Libel is a reporter’s worst fear. No one likes libel. I did a report on libel in school and it’s a devil on its own. If you read something that you think wasn’t credited properly, message me right away so I can correct it. Do you need any help? Sure. If you want to participate in this blog, shoot me a message. I’m open to anyone who has something to say about the Chiefs, Silver Knights, or Crunch. Just have sources or be professional. Any questions? If you do, shoot me a message on the contact page! Thanks! THE BATTLE ROYALE: A REVIEW OF THE SILVER KNIGHTS 2014-15 SEASON AND A PREVIEW OF THE PLAYOFFS3/2/2015
If you haven't visited the about page yet, then let me welcome you to the Fair 'Cuse Sports Report. This weekend, a couple major rivalry games took place involving Syracuse area teams. While most focused their attention on the basketball game, thousands of hockey fans flocked to the War Memorial to see two of the biggest rivals in all of hockey meet up for a fourth time this year. The Syracuse Crunch, who are on top of the Northeast Division of the American Hockey League, faced off against the Utica Comets, who continue to sit in first place in the North Division, in a battle of I-90 foes. With the Crunch winning 2 of the first three matches, including the record breaking Toyota Frozen Dome, a win would clinch the season series with one game still to come. For Utica, a win would tie the season series and give them their first win in Syracuse this year.
If you are a fan of either the Crunch or the Comets, you already know both teams were not exactly at their best. The Crunch were coming off a 7-6 loss to Albany Friday night where their penalty killing unit gave up four goals. Captain Mike Angelidis would leave the game injured, joining Ikonen, Paradis, and Blunden on the sidelines. On the other side, the Comets were without their all-star goalie Jacob Markstrom, who had been recalled to Vancouver after Ryan Miller became injured. Thus, Pat Nagle, a former goalie for the Crunch, would make his Comets debut. After 60 minutes of play, the Crunch would come out on top with a 4-1 win on home ice. Tanner Richard tallied two goals for the crunch while Yanni Gourde and Jonathan Marchessault chipped in goals in the victory. Kristers rebounded in the net with the help of a stingy Crunch defense. Most importantly, the Crunch clinched the season series against Utica and remained on top of the East Division and in the top three of the Eastern Conference. Author's Input: This was a great win for the Crunch and the city of Syracuse. The Crunch-Comets rivalry is one of the greatest rivalries in hockey right now. Being a Crunch fan, I don't like Utica too much. Don't get me wrong, I have the up most respect for the team and their loyal fans (so loyal, they took up one too many seats at the old barn again.) However, it is still a rivalry. The Crunch this year have seen several ups and downs. With all the injuries, call-ups, and adjustments they have made, it is amazing to see them at the top of the AHL right now. However, I still think they need to fix three things. 1.) The penalty kill- Albany scored 4 power play goals on Friday. Ouch. 2.) Overall Defense- Kristers and York are not perfect. They need help like any other goalie. Not clearing rebounds and having trouble with puck handling in your defensive zone does not spell out well. 3.) Spreading the Offense Around- Yanni, Vladdy, and Jonathan can't be the only scorers. More people have to step up, especially with Paradis and Blunden done for the season. With Angelidis injured, the importance of this increases two fold. Overall, the win Saturday was much needed for the Crunch. They need to keep this momentum going. The road is only harder from here. Credits and Thanks: You're probably wondering, where did I get all of this information? Don’t worry, I give credit where credit is due. It’s polite, ethical, and most importantly, prevents libel. No one likes or wants to deal with libel. ESPN RADIO 97.7-100.1: RADIO BROADCAST OF THE CRUNCH/COMETS GAME ON 2/28/15 TIME WARNER SPORTS CHANNEL SYRACUSE: TV BROADCAST OF CRUNCH/DEVILS GAME ON 2/27/15 SYRACUSECRUNCH.COM: OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE SYRACUSE CRUNCH HOCKEY CLUB THEAHL.COM: OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE |
Nicholas Episcopo
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November 2018
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