Talking Bull: Spoiled Oranges

Just in time for that move to the Big East:

So when Syracuse struggles in the next couple years what will the excuse be? Will it be that the ACC is better than the Big East or that the program is held down by poor administration? I've heard both from Marshall fans regarding their dip near the end of their term in the MAC.

Sources: Syracuse basketball program repeatedly violated internal drug policy - College Basketball - Rivals.com
Over the course of a three-month investigation, four sources with intimate knowledge of the Syracuse men’s basketball program told Yahoo! Sports at least 10 players since 2001 have tested positive for a banned recreational substance or substances. The sources said all 10 of those players were allowed to practice and play at times when they should have been suspended by the athletic department, including instances when some players may not have known of their own ineligibility. The four sources said Syracuse violated its drug policy in at least two areas: failing to properly count positive tests; and playing ineligible players after they should have been subject to suspension.

Speaking of the Big East:

Here is a great article regaring where it all started to go wrong.

Big East Pays the Price for Not Embracing Football - NYTimes.com
Tranghese tried to tell the Big East’s university presidents and athletic directors as much as early as 1989 when he was Gavitt’s assistant. Gavitt thought the conference needed to bring Penn State into the fold. Penn State was an independent at the time, looking for the security of a conference.

The membership voted no, with St. John’s, Villanova and Georgetown leading the resistance. At the end of the meeting, Gavitt asked Tranghese what he thought about the decision.

"I said, ‘We will all rue the day about this decision,’ " Tranghese said. "I understood how big football was. I didn’t understand how big it was going to become. "At that point, the Big East had so much success in the ’80s, everybody sort of forgot about it. But I felt looking back on the history of the Big East, that was probably the biggest mistake we made."

Eat your Veggies, before they eat you! (I don't really know if Okra is a veggie or not)

VIDEO: The Delta State Fighting Okra Is Tired Of Your Laughter - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
The merits of Delta State's Fighting Okra mascot are inarguable. It is a gigantic anthropomorphic okra. It looks mean as hell, and appears to be wearing MMA sparring gloves. Nothing about it doesn't scream "fantastically esoteric mascot for a small school with a branding challenge," and for that and the cheeky ad campaign using the Okra we salute their work. However, the latest ad in their new campaign takes an unprecedented turn towards the Fightin' Okra's new role as the sinister 1990s' action movie hero of our worst vegetable-themed nightmares. (Video after the jump.)

Mason Schreck plans on eating a lot of seconds.

Medina quarterback Mason Schreck looking forward to Buffalo | cleveland.com
"I’m busting my butt right now, training-wise," said Schreck. "I want to put on 20-25 pounds. I just want to be the best athlete that I can, and whatever it is, special teams, playing tight end, whatever it may be. My goal is to play as a freshman, though.

MACtion from last night (via hustle belt)

Western Michigan's Stainbrook Big Reason Broncos Get to Cleveland - Hustle Belt
Stainbrook owned the paint for Western Michigan. He held the only two big men for Ball State, Jarrod Jones and Zach Fields, to eight total points. He outrebounded them. He forced a number of last-second changes in movement for Cardinals shooters. There was no other player whose presence on the floor who meant so much for the Broncos.

Toledo Emerges As Dark Horse After Win Over Miami - Hustle Belt
Before Charlie Coles announced his retirement, they played a basketball game in Toledo. This may be hard to believe, but yet somehow a seven-point victory with a 16-point lead fully blown by the Rockets constitutes the most boring game of the night.

Christmas Comes Late for Northern Illinois, Defeat Eastern Michigan for Trip to Cleveland - Hustle Belt
Through eight minutes, just four points had been scored. Through almost 19 minutes, Eastern Michigan had less than 10 points. If Northern Illinois were any other team, this game would have been over at halftime. But the Huskies had something working Monday. It just isn't entirely clear what it was.

MAC Basketball Tournament: The Bowling Green Loss Came Early This Year - Hustle Belt
The indelible memory I'll have for the Bowling Green 2011-12 season is Jordon Crawford heaving lobs to Torian Oglesby at the most unexpected times, resulting in a two-point alley-oop that usually changed the course of the game. An auxiliary memory will be Oglesby's Division I record-breaking 26-straight field goals because he was so good in the paint.