Bleacher Report - Articles by Marisa Bevilacqua

Eli Manning Injured...Or Not

Marisa Bevilacqua — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:00:54 -0500

BREAKING NEWS!

It has just been reported that Eli Manning was seen with a Band-Aid on his right index finger.

Yes, you heard me correctly–Eli cut his finger.

Although he could not be reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Giants released the following statement:

“Eli was injured late last night while attempting to make a paper airplane that would fly further than his brother Peyton’s. The paper in question sliced his index finger, causing it to bleed. Despite the injury, Eli still managed to fly his plane the furthest.”

The big question on everyone’s mind is obvious: How did Eli manage to beat Peyton in a paper airplane flying contest?

The spokesperson would not reveal the exact details of Eli’s plane. Peyton also refused to respond.

THIS JUST IN!

Less than one hour ago, Eli Manning was seen coming out of the grocery store with a Band-Aid on his right ring finger. What about his index finger, you ask? No sign of any injury.

Was Eli playing a trick on us all? Perhaps he was jealous of Tom Brady’s boot. Whatever the reason, it is clear that Eli is not, in fact, a superior paper airplane constructor.

What does this mean for the Super Bowl this Sunday? Probably nothing, but we need something to talk about until then.

Georgetown-Syracuse: Hoyas Trump the Orange in OT

Marisa Bevilacqua — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:07:15 -0500

When I sat down to watch my Syracuse Orange take on the Georgetown Hoyas, I have to admit, I had no hope. Here we were, an inexperienced team coming off a loss to Villanova, challenging the No. 9 team in the nation on their home court.

The first half was pretty unimpressive, ending in a score of 36-29 Georgetown, but at least we were only down by single digits.

Then the unexpected happened: The Orange took the lead. Freshman Donte Greene's layup pushed Syracuse ahead, 45-44. After a three-pointer by the game's leading scorer Jonny Flynn (24 points), the Orange took their biggest lead of the night, 58-51. Flynn also sank a three-pointer from behind the NBA line that gave the Orange (and their fans) the added excitement, the push they needed.

Tied at 60, neither team could score to secure the win in regulation, forcing the game into overtime. Syracuse kept up with Georgetown this long, surely they could hold on for five more minutes and complete the upset, right?

Wrong.

In OT, the Orange failed to score any field goals. Even worse, Arinze Onuaku missed four free throw attempts that would have sealed the deal for Syracuse.

Down by two, Flynn shot a three-pointer at the buzzer that looked on target. I actually thought, just for a split second, that we were going to do it. But, alas, the ball rimmed out and Georgetown won...again.

The disappointment I felt could not compare to Flynn's as he walked off the court, face buried in his jersey.

So even though the Orange held their own, they lost again, putting them at 3-4 in the Big East. Their next challenge: a home game against Providence on Sunday.

Best of 2007: A Year of Corruption

Marisa Bevilacqua — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:15:24 -0500

Scandal.

If I had to pick one word to describe the world of sports in 2007 that would be it.

Probably not the word any major sports organization would want to represent an entire year of hard work and dedication. Legendary, ground-breaking, even ordinary would probably be better, but no matter where you looked in 2007 some sort of corruption was lurking in the corner.

So when asked to write an article about the best sports story of 2007, that’s the first thing that came to mind. Sure there were records broken, huge upsets made, and championships won, but in the end we all know that’s not what this year will be remembered for.

Just look at the headlines: Michael Vick, Barry Bonds, Marion Jones, Bill Belichick. How about that Mitchell Report?

The crimes, the cheating, the drugs—these are the things that will go down in history and nobody can stop it from happening.

Let’s face it, we live in a world where drama rules. The negative almost always gets more attention than the positive, especially when it involves shocking detail and a famous face. Even people not the least bit interested in sports can tell you what Vick did to earn himself a trip to the Big House and exactly what juice Bonds was enjoying. But could they tell you what team had a miraculous run to get to the World Series? Probably not. In fact, they might not even know who won the World Series. And in the scheme of things it doesn't really matter.

What matters is that something needs to change.

I'm pretty sure Americans as a whole aren't going to stop salivating over a juicy story involving a famous person any time soon, so sports figures just need to stop providing the bait.

Can it be done? I sure hope so because, contrary to popular belief, not all publicity is good publicity.

Syracuse Football: SU Leads the Big East...For Now

Marisa Bevilacqua — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:14:27 -0400

Syracuse fans across the country were in a state of shock Saturday as they watched Andrew Robinson lead their team to victory.

Yes, that’s right, I’m actually talking about the Syracuse University football team—the team that lost its first three games of the season and had failed to beat a ranked opponent or win a Big East road game since 2004.

Not only did the Orange pull off a victory this week, they did it against No. 18 Louisville, a team that has not lost at home since 2003.

Robinson threw for 423 yards, the third most in SU history. The defense managed to keep Louisville from scoring until the second quarter, and held the Cardinals, who had been averaging 55 points per game, to only 35.

So what exactly does this mean for SU football? Could it be the beginning of a new era?

Probably not. But for Robinson and his teammates, it at least means a little more respect on the Syracuse campus.

Students who were fed up with the team’s performance this season now have a little more faith. Nobody likes having to root for losers—especially the unforgiving students at SU.

Attendance at football games has been declining steadily, and those who do make the trek to the Carrier Dome don’t usually last past half time. But after Saturday’s miracle, I can assure you the student section at the Dome will be filled to capacity on Oct. 6 when the Orange takes on West Virginia.

Maybe, just maybe, they can pull it off again and hold their lead in the Big East...at least for another week.