Saturday Away From The Fray: October 2012 Edition

How did we get to the Ottawa Farms?

When we last left the story (meanwhile back at the ranch), our hero was walking the earth at his alma mater, dialing up Jefferson Airplane on the Cosmo's jukebox on Friday.

Syracuse later wrapped up a "good enough" 14-13 win over Pitt. It wasn't a thing of beauty, but at 1-0 in the Big East, the Orange control their own destiny for a BCS bid...As does Cincinnati, Louisville, Rutgers, and Temple. It's early yet.

The margin was a point after, and upon conclusion of the national TV broadcast I made sure to get a pint after (or two) at Faegan's Pub. Unfortunately it wasn't flip night, a tradition like no other.

So after a handful of hours sleep and a couple of flights home, I scooped up the kids. Despite my exhaustion I wanted to make sure it wasn't an all-day video game-fest, so we headed to the farm. I probably don't strike anyone as the farm type, but I lived in Nebraska and west Michigan for some years so I've incorporated it into my autumn persona.

After various energy-burning activities we hopped on the hay ride, which dropped us at the corn maze. I reminded the kids of the rules: don't pick the corn, no running, and stay together. They abided, and I captured my new favorite photo.

It reminded me of Dr. Seuss's Oh The Places You'll Go. There was big brother leading little sister through the labyrinth and you can make so many analogies. And they're in lockstep, right down to the flinging of their arms. I can't tell if she's modeling, mocking, or it's just genetics.

The corn maze is of course about the journey and not the destination, although we spent a little too much time wandering and missed the pig races. Someone told me they put lipstick on them - oh that was another race, never mind.

We grabbed some pumpkins to go and went home for dinner, pumpkin decoration and video games. The kids went to bed in time for me to catch the surreal Texas A&M comeback at Ole Miss, and West Virginia's validating win at Texas. Did Georgia play today?

It was a long and perfect day. There aren't that many of them so I just had to share it.

Backtime Walkabout: Syracuse

They say you can't go home again, but if you could you might ask yourself, "How did I live here for 10 months of my life?" This drab crash pad at the corner of Euclid & Livingston was home for my senior year at Syracuse (1990-91). The alma mater has changed, but still remains much the same.

It isn't a social trip so a lot of reminiscing got left on the cutting room floor. I did have time to offer a tour of our production facilities to some grad students and their professor. That's either paying it forward or creating future competition.

We hit the legendary Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for an outstanding dinner last night. If a couple of guys in our traveling party knew who owned the establishment, a walkout would've been staged. So it'll be our secret.

Breakfast this morning was at my favorite all-time campus hangout, Cosmo's. While much on Marshall Street has transformed around it, Cosmo's remains the old-school diner it's been since 1959.

An omelet, toast, juice and coffee was still under $7, but there were additional "expenses." An extra quarter - to be exact.

Classic tunes too. I went with Don't Fear The Reaper, Sultans Of Swing, and then selected N1 to finish off the set.

I went next door to Manny's to pick up some gear for the kids, and some socks (which I forgot to pack). Syracuse hosts Pitt tonight in their last-ever Big East football opener, as they head to the ACC next season.

An Alma Mater Hit and Run

I lived in the Northeast from when I was born until 2002. During that time I graduated from Syracuse University in 1991, and returned several times to cover college football and basketball games.

But since moving all over the country, I hadn't been back in 5 years and my 42 hours in town felt very familiar.

First, our group stayed at the Genesee Grande Hotel, which was the first hotel my Dad took me to when I first visited the campus in 1986. It was the Genesee Inn at the time, and a little more spartan than the boardroom suite I commanded on this trip.

We were there long enough to hit an excellent dinner at Phoebe's. And before heading to the Dome, I got my dome shorn up at a barber shop that was open at 7 AM on a Saturday.

I walked through campus to work, picked up some Orange gear for the kids, and remembered the 44-degree weather wouldn't be so cold without the 20 MPH winds, an observation I made many times in my 4-year (no summer classes, no 5th year) tenure.

Syracuse football is back on the map this year, with 7 wins and their first guaranteed winning season since 2001. And I was there to cover it - and in the press notes to prove it.

I'm sure my parents, who paid 6 figures in tuition, would've felt some sense of payoff for their investment. But as for the emotional investment in the football team, it was an uninspiring 23-6 loss to surging Connecticut.

There's always next year. Besides I never made it to Cosmo's - my first trip back to M Street without a signature tuna bomber.

Turmoil in Washington

I picked an apropos headline since were are upon a historic midterm Election Day. But the people who actually live in DC are probably much more concerned with the quarterback situation.

Mike Shanahan had the guts this past weekend to pull potential Hall-of-Fame QB Donovan McNabb, saying he was poorly conditioned and lacked the "cardiovascular endurance" to run the 2-minute drill in a comeback situation in Detroit.

Personally, I have loved McNabb since he set foot on the Syracuse campus. He is the most prolific quarterback in Syracuse history, and Philadelphia Eagles history as well. But Shanahan is right, highlighting McNabb's lack of fitness.

It was something that Andy Reid didn't address until trading the face of the franchise within the division. So maybe he said it without saying it.

And I don't believe that McNabb is poorly conditioned, per se. But I think he has a condition. I remember him burning clock in a big comeback spot against Miami so he could catch his breath in the huddle. Syracuse came up short in that game 38-31 and the game ended on the 1-yard line.

I remember another game where he suffered in the same situation, and actually threw up on the field minutes before throwing the winning TD pass against Virginia Tech.

And what Eagle fan can forget the Super Bowl loss to the Patriots, when the Eagles could not rally fast enough down the stretch because McNabb couldn't keep up?

McNabb's accomplishments in the NFL speak for themselves, but now Shanahan knows his limitations as well. And unlike Andy Reid, he won't have an invested fan base to piss off if he yanks McNabb in a similar circumstance.

And Washington will have to prepare for a change in its leadership structure.