Bleacher Report - Articles by Nathan Mattise

Syracuse Football Starts The Season Winning Off The Field

Nathan Mattise — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:34:39 -0400

Malcolm Gladwell's article on how underdogs increase their chances of success by using unorthodox approaches is great in theory, but how many entities have actually utilized it?

Well, I know of at least one.

Saying SU Football is in a rough stretch would be a tremendous understatement. Greg Robinson pioneered the worst tenure in program history and left new coach Doug Marrone with a squad recently called the worst BCS program. To the program's credit, they came up with a trendy campaign to renew interest in the team.

You can become the Official SU Football Blogger.

SU Athletics sent an e-mail out about the competition and now there is a link on the site. All it takes to enter is a brief sample post on how you are an SU fan and why you would make a good blogger. You can check my sample out below but regardless of your interest in SU football or blogging, admit it: This is a nice approach to regaining relevance for an entity sitting firmly in the underdog role.

"Entry Post"

Syracuse Football fandom doesn't start in the women's section of a thrift store, but it can certainly reach new heights there.

Confused? Don't be. My name is Nathan Mattise and I'm a passionate fan of Syracuse University Athletics (all SU Athletics but for the task at hand, let's focus on football).

I'm an alumnus who as an undergraduate learned to play traditional grip snare drum to earn free tickets. When the televised poker craze swept the nation, the 3-9 of any suit became my favorite starting hand (affectionately named "the Walter Reyes"). I secretly own a McNabb jersey despite being birthed a Redskins fan and @syracusedotcom is my most read news source, I still watch every game I can on Time Warner Sports (including the gutwrenching win against Northeastern last season) ...

... and I self-tailored an orange women's sports coat to fully express my love and dedication for Syracuse University.

This blazer has seen the best of times (McNamara's Big East run) and the worst of times (fourth-and-one against Iowa). It's ready for a football season where despite some critics predicting the worst for the Orange, anything is truly possible with some exciting new faces in town.

Simply being a fan (albeit one with some great threads) isn't reason enough to earn the title of SU Football Blogger for SUAthletics.com. The web site is a credible source for anyone trying to retrieve news, information and insight on all things SU sports. That's where my undergraduate time away from the athletic fields comes in.

My blazer habits translated well into the journalism field (with a proper button-up, not this) so I decided to earn a degree in journalism from SU's famed Newhouse School. I have professional experience both writing about and reporting on sports. I last reported on sports full-time (including some University of New Mexico football) for the Albuquerque Tribune in 2007. Recently I've been working as a freelance copy-editor for the Fox Sports affiliated BleacherReport.com (and contributing the occasional article there too).

Journalism, writing and blogging in particular are strong passions of mine that I continue to pursue. I'm currently earning a graduate degree in (shocker) Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism at SU. I'll be close by the Dome this year to easily make all games and fulfill any outside reporting duties that may arise. For a passionate, connected, honest, clear and (hopefully) entertaining look on the season, this is the fan perspective to look toward. After all it won't be hard to find me, just keep an eye out for the blazer.

(Links today from ESPN, Syracuse University, Vic Firth Online, DailyOrange.com, YouTube and BleacherReport.com)

Like what I have to say? E-mail me or, better yet, e-mail SU Athletics to request me.

The Top Sports Stories from the First Half of 2009

Nathan Mattise — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:56:32 -0400

Maybe it's my increased exposure to it since I'm copy-editing over at Bleacher Report, but 2009 appeared to have an unusually high amount of buzzworthy sports moments during its first half.

Not all of these will be considered among the most memorable when the year is all said and done, but for now they're all still strongly on the mind of sports fans.

A few guidelines first...

This isn't a list of top performances for the year. A story could be almost entirely unrelated to what's on the field. Instead, it just generated so much attention, conversation, media buzz, etc. that it stands out among the athletic landscape this year.

The mid-year caveat prevents a lot of usually compelling events (MLB playoffs, offseason NBA, the majority of the NFL season) from being considered.

In general, the list is based on what I as a sports fan was genuinely interested and compelled by. Historical value, television ratings, the prize at stake can all be taken into account but they aren't necessary for a top sports moment.

Without further ado, in descending order..

5. The Cleveland Cavaliers are so damn compelling

It's easy to be a big draw when you have arguably the fastest growing athlete (in term's of popularity) on Earth playing for your squad. LeBron James is everywhere. The team was also very good last year. They finished with the league's best record and were considered a favorite to make the NBA Finals if not win them.

That's what really makes them interesting though. They didn't get there.

They Cavs had two NBA All-Stars, one NBA MVP and the NBA Coach of the Year but couldn't make it through what was perceived to easily be the weaker conference.Now LeBron has the infamous summer of 2010 looming.

The Cavs need to do whatever it takes to keep him in title-starved Cleveland and they started by signing the most media-friendly and genuinely magnetic center in NBA history. Shaq even took journalism classes because he's so natural in the spotlight.

Will it work on the court? No one knows with all the other major NBA contenders making big moves as well. Just remember this saga is far from over but it got its start in the early months of '09.

4. Great, yet meaningless, basketball games.

Cleveland versus Orlando, Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Boston versus Chicago, Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round.

Syracuse versus Connecticut, Big East Tournament Quarterfinals.

This quick list doesn't even include any of the HOU-LAL series, the LAL-DEN series, any NCAA tournament games, etc.

3. The rise of soccer and the U.S. National Team

This was unbelievable.

I never experienced a sports moment that elicited such a visceral, primal and immediate reaction from me. I ran out of my apartment, sprinted up and down the street on endless adrenaline and just screamed. My entire body was shaking when I returned to continue watching play.

Not everyone was that invested in the game (and that's good because you avoided an incredible punch to the gut), but everyone paid attention to U.S. Soccer that week.

The U.S. upset of Spain was a hot topic around the globe and their performance against Brazil only added to the intrigue. No one seemed to care about the sport or the National side until it took a miracle to get the U.S. out of the group stage, but after the Confederations Cup...

ESPN is picking up soccer, U.S. players are moving to premier leagues and teams, non-U.S. soccer news gains ESPN.com front page headlines, Jozy Altidore is popping up on sports programming everywhere, people are finally debating U.S. tactics (do you agree with Coach Bradley's defensive approach, did red cards cost the team a Fifa Cup?)

2. A-Rod, Manny and the looming death of baseball

Steroids in baseball has officially become the sports' story in my lifetime. First Mark McGwire broke the single-season HR record and was later found to test positive.

Barry Bonds then came along to break that and also pass the all-time HR record only to be heavily associated with steroids later on. Numerous potential Hall of Famers and current MVP-caliber folks followed suit (Sosa, Palmeiro, Gonzalez, Tejada, Giambi, Clemens, etc.).

Somehow baseball persevered. Largely, it seemed due to the hope that the young stars of today would soon make us forget the folks who unfairly rewrote the record books. Then the future HR king was brought down by a leaked report and the greatest right-handed hitter of our time was taking estrogen.

Honestly, there are only three players who immediately come to mind as individuals that if found guilty of steroid use would be worse for MLB (Griffey, Jeter, Pujols).

1. Fantastic finishes in "non-revenue" sports.

Brazil storms back to score three in the Confederations Cup

Syracuse Lacrosse scores with seconds left and then defeats CNY-rival Cornell in overtime

Roger Federer wins his record 15th major in a classic over Andy Roddick

Duval makes a comeback push, Mickelson overcomes the odds to contend, but neither captures the 2009 U.S. Open

This list doesn't even include Joey Chestnut holding off the immortal Kobayashi and setting a new 10-minute hot dog eating record.

That contest was so dramatic the announcer was forced to admit, "I don't moisturize or watch Gossip Girls, but I'm very emotional right now." Chew-view debuted and that wasn't the biggest non-mainstream sports story of 2009 thus far. That's saying something.

The End.

Others in serious consideration: The Steve McNair tragedy | Phil Mickelson's perseverance | Michael Oher gets drafted | Roger Federer is the all-time best

(Links today from ESPN.com, BBC Sport, the NY Post, YouTube, Bleacher Report and the Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Have an argument to make with the list? E-mail it.

Is It Finally Time for Lacrosse?

Nathan Mattise — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:08:42 -0400

Look, as of 9:59 am EST on Monday I was not a lacrosse fan either. I attended Syracuse University for four years without once attending or watching a single game. (I'm not even sure it's officially referred to as a game. Lacrosse game or lacrosse match?)

The Orange are the New York Yankees of lacrosse. They now have 11 total national championships and at one point boasted a streak of more than 20 straight Final Four appearances.

My collegiate experience with lacrosse was practically the equivalent of living in Green Bay, Wi. and ignoring professional football.

Despite being around the best lacrosse in the world, my reasons for ignoring it were the same as everyone else's. Lacrosse seemed to be an overwhelmingly regional sport and Scranton, Pa. was one of the have-not areas. I didn't know the rules. I didn't know any of the players and the season overlapped with basketball and baseball.

But on Memorial Day I was stuck in a Tuscon airport and noticed folks gathering around the TV. A quick glance showed my alma mater taking on their Central New York rivals from Cornell University for this year's title.

I got bumped from my initial flight and maybe it was simply fate for me to watch my first lacrosse match that morning.

And if you have not guessed by this point, I was riveted.

The rules and strategy were easy to pick up just from watching (think almost hockey on grass). The action was fast-paced and lent itself to group watching (lots of reactionary fist pumping and clapping from Cornell fans throughout).

This particular game also had a good strategical matchup any sports fan could understand. Cornell held a steady lead nearly the entire game through a methodical, possession-oriented offense (think University of Wisconsin Men's Basketball philosophy) that kept SU from increasing the pace of the game to create a shootout (think University of Memphis Men's Basketball).

I watched the entire game. It ended with two plays that made the SportsCenter Top 10 (No. 1 and No. 3) the next day.

I listened to the real fans around me tell me about how this game came to be. SU made it to the Final Four largely due to the midseason addition of a local junior college attacker and after their backup goalie started a tournament game (and rose to the occasion).

Cornell upended the top team in the nation behind their senior leader Max Seibald (Perhaps the best player in the nation himself, he skipped graduation at Cornell to go to the Final Four.)

Coming off such a compelling title game, perhaps it is time to ask the question again. Is it finally the time for lacrosse to crack into the mainstream as a top five sport?

Consider a few quick reasons why it might:

1) Timing

Lacrosse just had a great Final Four and some of the other top sports in the country are genuinely struggling. Baseball is dealing with steroids issues, the NHL cannot crack network television, and the PGA seems to be slowly regaining its steam after the Tiger injury. Even the NBA seems to be getting caught up in referee performance rather than focusing on the incredible basketball happening in the conference finals.

2) Nature of the Game

Lacrosse is fast-paced and high scoring. This seems to be what fans love most in other sports. The Nash-D'Antoni Phoenix Suns? The home run explosion of the late '90s? The Brady-to-Moss Patriots? Sidney Crosby? I feel like this has been the biggest domestic complaint about soccer but there is nothing slow about lacrosse.

3a) Fan-Friendly

You can even discount the buzz that lacrosse is growing among the country's youth like soccer once did. Just the college entity itself can be so easily marketed to fans.

You have traditional powers around to provide name recognition (top teams include SU, Duke, UNC, Maryland, Virginia). You have Ivy League teams that are actually competitive (Cornell, Princeton) to root against for us non-Ivy graduates.

Players are freak athletes but not unbelievably large and you can see them on campus. Past stars are still involved with the game and they're relatively accessible.

Best of all, fans aren't priced out of the games.

3b) ESPN Seems Ready To Embrace It

For an added bonus, consider ESPN's potential openness to lacrosse. The Final Four games and a few select matchups during the year found their way onto ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, and ESPNU. (Watch any hockey on those channels?) Colin Cowherd even reported they earned higher ratings than some baseball broadcasts.

Also, the amount of sports broadcasters who attended SU is well-documented. Sports journalists from there a) have a passion for SU sports and b) are at least casual observers of lacrosse. (Many even take a test on the sport before they are allowed to cover it for various media outlets on campus.)

Television and media exposure from the worldwide leader can only help a sport create a fanbase.

Sure, the lack of a unified, credible pro league hurts, but women's basketball survived all those years without the WNBA. It's arguably more popular than that league even today.

The likelihood of it happening may be small, but if there's a time for lacrosse to sneak into our sports consciousness, now may finally be the time.

Even Shaq Goes to Syracuse University for Journalism

Nathan Mattise — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:19:13 -0400

There are millions of aspiring sports journalists out there.

I went to school with a bunch of people trying to be Mike Tirico or Bob Costas. An infinite amount have their own blog.

Some even take it a step further by dedicating themselves to a site like this and refining their craft through editing and gradually building an interactive readership.

So isn't it aggravating when some journeyman athlete shows up on ESPN in your dream job without any training or understanding of journalism? (Particularly if they don't add any unique insight or constantly fumble on camera.)

The NBA understands this. So do self-aware players like Shaquille O'Neal.

That's why he is in Syracuse this week, and why they teamed up with Syracuse University to create Sportscaster U.

Sportscaster U is a program thought up by the NBA Players Association, so players with an interest in pursuing broadcasting after playing could have a crash course with the necessary training.

The NBPA brought the idea to SU because of their sports journalism pedigree (see the two names above, plus Sean McDonough and countless others). The program is now in its second year, and is run by two adjunct professors—ESPN personality Dave Ryan and local "Voice of the Orange" Matt Park.

Eric Snow may have been the most notable graduate from year one of the program, but Shaq is the center of attention in Year Two (pun unintended). Ironically, he's had to deal with a ton of media coverage while training to cover his (future) former peers.

Shaq has been personable with the media his entire career and has played under great coaches like Phil Jackson and Lenny Wilkens. It seems like he would be a great TV analyst some day.

Any other current players you think could make the jump to broadcasting? Any current broadcasters you think could have used this training?

Three Upcoming Tests for the Gladwell Theory

Nathan Mattise — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:40:41 -0400

The editors at The New Yorker must give Malcolm Gladwell a gigantic hug every time he comes into the office. At the very least they have to buy him lunch once a week.

Gladwell is known primarily for his three best-selling books. However his recent piece for the magazine entitled "How David Beats Goliath" is what's generating buzz everywhere. It's become must-read to the point where a discussion he had via e-mail with ESPN.com's Bill Simmons was linked on the front page of ESPN.com for a week.

Gladwell's article tells the tale of a seventh and eighth grade girls AAU Basketball team from Redwood City, Ca. Their coach was a man who came to the U.S. from Mumbai named Vivek Ranadivé. He simply wanted to coach his daughter's basketball team but didn't understand a common basketball strategy he viewed as a mistake:

Ranadivé was puzzled by the way Americans played basketball. He is from Mumbai. He grew up with cricket and soccer. He would never forget the first time he saw a basketball game. He thought it was mindless. Team A would score and then immediately retreat to its own end of the court.

Team B would inbound the ball and dribble it into Team A’s end, where Team A was patiently waiting. Then the process would reverse itself. A basketball court was ninety-four feet long. But most of the time a team defended only about twenty-four feet of that, conceding the other seventy feet.

Occasionally, teams would play a full-court press—that is, they would contest their opponent’s attempt to advance the ball up the court. But they would do it for only a few minutes at a time. It was as if there were a kind of conspiracy in the basketball world about the way the game ought to be played, and Ranadivé thought that that conspiracy had the effect of widening the gap between good teams and weak teams.

Good teams, after all, had players who were tall and could dribble and shoot well; they could crisply execute their carefully prepared plays in their opponent’s end. Why, then, did weak teams play in a way that made it easy for good teams to do the very things that made them so good?

Ranadivé's idea became the focal point of Gladwell's Theory. In basketball, if you are clearly the inferior team and your best effort may not be enough to win...why not press? Taking a risk doesn't guarantee victory but Gladwell believes it increases the chances of it by forcing a superior team to move away from what they do best.

We see plenty of examples of this in sports and life. College football teams run spreads, trick plays or unconventional pass-oriented offenses to try and defeat stronger schools. Rick Pitino took a 1987 Providence team (that Gladwell considers one of the weakest Final Four teams ever) to the national semifinals largely on the merits of pressing.

Heck, even Mickey Rourke's recent movie comeback fits the mold. He was a washed up actor with nothing to lose and had to take a chance (an independent film about a washed up wrestler?) in order to become relevant again. I mean, he went from no work to the villain for Iron Man 2.

Now that everyone is paying attention, the true test(s) of what I'll call the Gladwell Theory ("if you're an inferior entity, risk taking increases your chances but does not guarantee success over superior entities") are to come. Check out these upcoming three trials:

1. Game Seven: Houston Rockets at L.A. Lakers

Houston is a team that has already taken an unconventional approach to reach this point. They hired a non-traditional GM (Daryl Morey, dubbed "Dork Elvis" for his meticulous stats approach) who built a team on energy and specialization guys.

They took a flier on Ron Artest, lost the two players who would represent them if a 2009 NBA Jam was released and have still forced the top-seeded Lakers to the brink in this series. If you're on the road and lost your last game in the Staples Center by 40, wouldn't it be worth playing Brooks-Lowry-Battier-Hayes-Artest and making the Lakers work 90 feet for it?

2. Syracuse University Football signing Greg Paulus

Take it from a Syracuse University graduate, football here has been irrelevant since Calvin Johnson's coming out party in 2004 (and you could argue it wasn't very relevant then either). New head coach Doug Marrone seems like a good direction for the program and he wasted no time by making a splash with the Paulus signing.

It makes a lot of sense for both parties.

Paulus wasn't going to play professional sports from just his Duke career and SU's football team was just another "W" coaches penciled in on their schedules.

There is no guarantee either entity will succeed in those endeavours, but certainly each has increased their chances by taking the unconventional approach.

3. The Minnesota Timberwolves searching for a new GM

Take it from example one—a non-traditional GM can bring a fresh perspective to basketball that is invaluable to a front office. I'm not saying he's the right answer, but doesn't Bill Simmons have a point? He's been using his space on ESPN.com as a platform for the position and Minnesota won't even acknowledge it.

Simmons argues that a largely irrelevant franchise (last playoff run - 2004) with plummeting finances should think outside the box. A Simmons-hire would not only bring lots of media coverage ("the only way they'd lead PTI" as he put it) but also fresh ideas because he hasn't been in basketball operations his entire life.

Hiring someone internal or hiring a recycled GM from another franchise isn't the answer for this team with a promising young nucleus. Simmons might not be it either, but he has a valid argument. Now is the time to try something different up in Minnesota.