Entries from May 2004 ↓

Hear it for free two weeks before it’s released.

.AOL (yeah, I hate them too) is hosting a stream of the new soundtrack in all it’s John Williams goodness. Check it out here:

Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban Motion Picture Soundtrack

Mike’s beloved Syracuse drops men and women from official nickname, now called “The Orange”.In a move to strenghten its brand identity and capitalize on the new black, Syracuse University has worked with Nike to come up with a singular logo, a new official nickname, and a new orange color.

Official release from SU:

Many individuals have asked about the process followed in creating the new graphic identity for Syracuse University�s athletic teams. It all began in the summer of 2002 when Nike Team Sports, one of the world�s most accomplished marketing and design companies, approached SU to help us contend with a longstanding concern�how best to represent all of our 21 teams in a manner that would be consistent, readily recognizable and aesthetically pleasing while maintaining the integrity of the institution�s identity.
Each university has its own traditions and values, and each generation of fans has its own connection to an institution�s athletic program. It is critical to understand and embrace this before moving forward with an identity redesign. The objective must be to design a graphic identity that reflects no mere trend or fad, but instead is strong and able to withstand the test of time.

The first part of the process involved developing a clear understanding of Syracuse University�s identity�its history, mission and vision�and analyzing the athletic program�s existing identity package. This research stage was the most vital aspect of the process in assuring that Nike understood what exactly is Syracuse University.

We felt extremely fortunate to have this opportunity, as one of only a small select group of universities in the country to work with Nike Team Sports on a redesign effort. Nike devoted significant time, energy and expertise in researching SU�s athletic background and fans. Nike staff spent months poring over old photographs and documents in the University archives, and conducting interviews with numerous alumni and other fans, people on campus, coaches and retailers. They established a graphic direction that merged the modern architectural elements of the campus with the rich tradition of the city and the University. The slogan �Respect the Past�Represent the Future� was developed to brand our athletic program.

In its research, Nike noted that our individual sports teams were using their own ID marks and color combinations with little or no connection to an overall branding system. Nike recommended to a University steering committee that the following be developed: a consistent/refined color palette; a custom logotype trademark; and a new primary identity to be used in all SU athletic programs, communications and products.

Nike determined that we had so much athletic history and rich tradition, combined with a striking primary color and immediate name recognition�with both �SU� and �Orange��that a complete remake of our athletic identity would be neither necessary nor desirable. Nike presented its preliminary report of findings and recommendations, along with three different design prototypes, to the steering committee (with representation from the University�s Athletics, Alumni Relations, Bookstore and Auxiliary Services departments, and student body). Then we spent many months going back and forth with refinements.

Nike�s research clearly identified that the vast majority of students, alumni, employees and community members referred to Syracuse University as �SU.� Thus, the design of the interlocking �SU� logo, created with a more aggressive, angular aesthetic look but still retaining a true collegiate feel.

Another strong consideration involved the distinctiveness of being �The Orange.� According to the National Directory of College Athletics published by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, SU is the only Division I institution in the country to have orange as its sole official color. And SU is the only collegiate or professional sports organization with the nickname of �The Orange��a distinction dating back to 1890, when both the moniker and the color were adopted by the alumni, faculty and student body.

So the decision to henceforth be known collectively as the Orange in lieu of Orangemen and Orangewomen is not one of political correctness or �messing with tradition.� Rather it is a return to tradition. And a commonality of spirit. In this sense, Orange is not a color, not a fruit. It is a community of fans, student-athletes and coaches united in one following, one affection. It is who we are, whether we�re proudly wearing orange and chanting �Let�s Go, Orange� in the Carrier Dome or elsewhere. We�re Orange together.

As Chris McClure, creative director for Nike Team Sports, stated very eloquently, the purpose of our work with Nike was �to create a very clean, refined and unique identity that by design fuses elements of the past with the aesthetic values of the future. We want to respect the past and represent the future.� I feel we have accomplished this. We are now able to draw all of our teams under one banner with one very powerful identity.

My sole regret in the process is with the timing of our announcement. Our intention was to have a coordinated announcement weeks later, to allow better opportunity to inform our alumni, students and other many fans. The accelerated timetable was predicated by media reports that broke the news. Team uniforms will not be ready for quite some time. We are just beginning to integrate the new graphic identity into our athletic operation. And much of the apparel and hard goods with the new �SU� and �Orange� marks is not yet available. While merchandising is not a driving force behind our efforts�yes, it is one reason for Nike�s involvement, but not for the SU Athletic Department, which receives no money from merchandise sales or licensing�still it is unfair to tease fans with images that are not yet part of the marketplace. I am assured that this will be rectified soon.

More important to me than the merchandise is the appearance of our teams. In the long history of our program, SU has never had one strong, unified logo. Weve had up to 20 different logos on our athletic apparel. There has been no consistency. Now we do, with our new graphic identity program, and with the striking interlocking SU and an emphasis on orange in our uniforms. I believe the bright orange SU on a dark blue or white background will be as readily recognizable and distinctive as the Michigan maize M on blue, or the white Oklahoma OU on red, or the UCLA blue and gold combination.

It would be a tremendous compliment to our student-athletes past, present and future and to all those who cheer them on.

Sincerely,

Jake Crouthamel
Director of Athletics

Will end career as a Gunner

.Dutch master Dennis Bergkamp signed a one-year contract extension with Arsenal on Tuesday, allowing the soon-to-be 35 year old to finish his career with the club.

This is excellent news. In the nine years Dennis has been with the club, he has become one of the most beloved players in the history of Arsenal, and a tenth season will qualify him for the testimonial match he so richly deserves.

Yes
35th Anniversary Tour
Wachovia Spectrum
Philadelphia, PA
May 10, 2004

.My sister and I went to this show, but, she got sick to her stomach due to a strange reaction she has to the smell of marijuana and we were forced to leave early. If it had only been a handful of people, we could have perhaps asked them to stop. However, when we looked around, it was as if we were surrounded by smokers. In front and behind, to our right and our left, a wall of green was becoming thicker and denser. Knowing that she wouldn’t make it through the whole show, we left after only the third song. I wasn’t upset because I discovered something as I sat there - I just wasn’t really that interested anymore.

My good buddy Dave is most definitely interested. He runs one of the premier Yes fansites on the web, and sent me the following email on Tuesday morning:

Yes in Philadelphia May 10 - AWESOME
Went and saw Yes last night at the Spectrum for their 35th anniversary tour. And all I can say is the show was awesome. I was dead center, 13 rows back and the sound was tight (after the first couple songs - set list below).

They had a Roger Dean stage for the first time in decades and it was…… infaltable and aqaurium like.

The gentlemen played great and they really did play a set that included songs from every era. I mean they got Steve to play 4 non-Howe songs!

Highlights for me were Sweet Dreams, Turn of the Century, the use of MindDrive as a series of “bookends” and the “Coffeehouse” Yes acoustic set.

Set list:
1. “Firebird Suite”
2. Going for the One
3. Sweet Dreams
4. I’ve Seen All Good Poeple
5. Mind Drive (Part One)
6. South Side of the Sky
7. Turn of the Century
8. Footprints (intro)
9. Mind Drive (conclusion)
10. Your’s is No Disgrace
11. ****intermission****
12. The Meeting
13. Long Distance Runaround
14. Wondrous Stories
15. Time is Time
16. Roundabout (new version)
17. Show Me
18. Owner of a Lonely Heart
19. Steve solo
20. Rhythm of Love
21. And You And I
22. The Ritual
23. (encore) Every Little Thing
24. (encore) Soon

Check out more information at SoundChaser.Org

First player to win Footballer of the Year in successive seasons.

.TiTi garnered 87% of the vote in a poll of members of the English Football Writers’ Association.

Paddy Vieira came third in the voting, just behind the second highest vote-getter, Chel$ki’s Frank Lampard.

This is Henry’s second end-of-season individual honor, the first being the PFA’s Footballer of the Year award. Both are well-deserved, and serve as as nice compliments to his Championship medal.

Thirty seven down, one to go…

.

Jose Antonio Reyes’ second goal in as many games gave Arsenal all three points as they saw off
Fulham in EPL action at Loftus Road this morning.

0 - 1

It was yet another lackluster performance from the Gunners, who seem to be coasting to the finish line, just doing enough to not lose, as opposed to fighting to win.

But win they did, thanks to some quick thinking by the talented Reyes. After a bright start by Arsenal, it seemed that Fulham keeper Edwin Van De Sar was going to repeat his shut-out performance at Highbury earlier this season. Then, in the ninth minute, Van De Sar struggled to control a backpass, and Reyes swooped in, stole the ball, and poked it into the open net.

That was all she wrote, as the rest of the match was rather uneventful. Jeremie Aliadiere made his tenth league appearance, guaranteeing him a Championship medal, and Martin Keown made his ninth appearance. A few minutes in next week’s match at home against Leicester, and a medal is as good as his.

So, thirty seven matches without defeat. A win or draw against Leicester, and history will remember this Arsenal team forever.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS!