Year-in-Review: Sean & John's favorite TNIAAM articles they wrote in 2016

Sean and I wrote quite a bit about Syracuse Orange sports (and other topics) on TNIAAM over the past 12 months. But some of those articles were probably better than others -- or at least worth revisiting a bit more. In any case, we liked these pieces the first time around, and figured maybe you may enjoy them again a second time. If you’d rather not read anything else from these two #disloyalidiots, here’s a list of articles by other people at TNIAAM.

These are in chronological order, so don’t implying any rankings here. In all, there are 14 of them. Cool? Cool.

Sean & John's TNIAAM Articles They Wrote in 2016

Syracuse Basketball: Why is Every Orange Loss to Pitt Exactly the Same?

After SU lost to Pitt in the ACC Tournament, we couldn’t help but notice some similarities to the teams’ matchups of the recent past. At the time, it seemed like this cycle would continue forever. Now with Jamie Dixon gone, we’ll see if the Panthers’ mastery of the Orange and the 2-3 zone can continue.

An Open Letter of Apology to America from Syracuse Basketball

The most popular article in this history of the site was everything we needed at the time. Spiteful, petty, angry, happy, funny and most of all, correct. Whenever this place closes its doors (if it ever does), this will probably be the article that sums it up best of all. John would frame it if he could.

Syracuse Fans, Time to Embrace the Hate

Both before and after the aforementioned apology letter, we’d been shouting out critics and telling them why they were wrong. Sean proposed we should abandon that strategy in favor of a different one: Become the enemies everyone wanted us to be. Things were far more entertaining once we donned the black hat prescribed to us.

You’re Not Required to Make a Final Judgment on Syracuse Basketball

Once SU made the Final Four, critics seemed ready to use it as a reason to decry... something. Anything, really. They weren’t sure why, and we contended that was the biggest issue. They didn’t have to allow the Orange’s success to guide any larger narrative, they were taking the lazy way out. And, to no one’s surprise, it worked.

Syracuse Basketball: Thoughts on Watching the Orange Loss From Houston

Well after midnight in Houston, John was looking for an outlet following the Syracuse loss at the hands of North Carolina. Unsurprisingly, he found it here on TNIAAM. While the game didn’t go as planned, the experience seeing the Orange in the Final Four certainly did. It was a thrill to be there, and we should’ve been proud of the team for defying expectations to the point that they did.

Trevor Cooney Gave You Everything You Asked For, Unless You Asked for Too Much

For a fleeting few minutes in the second half of Syracuse’s loss to UNC, there were thoughts about a comeback. The leader of the said effort, Trevor Cooney, was an unlikely or likely source, depending on who you ask. We made the case that he did everything you could’ve asked him to do. Some of you disagreed.

What Could Potential ESPN/Big Ten Split Mean for ACC and Conference Network?

Ultimately, nothing. ESPN ended up backing up the truck for the Big Ten, while they also announced the three-year rollout plan for a dedicated ACC cable network. But the repercussions could’ve been large in the heat of negotiations earlier this year. While the article’s original point may not have as much relevance anymore, these conversations are going to continue between live sports products, networks and service providers. Cord-cutting isn’t going away. Something has to give.

What Has Boston College Been Doing to Paul Pasqualoni?

The former Syracuse football coach has a history of odd-looking photographs. But his most recent, for rival BC, looks like that of a hostage situation. We take a bunch of wild guesses at would the Eagles could’ve possibly done to Coach P to create the image of regret we were presented with.

For His Final Act, Jim Boeheim is Mastering Modern College Basketball

This was before the season started, so forgive the assumption that a team full of four- and five-star talents would be doing well right now. But still, the article hits on the point that the old school coach has changed his style in the twilight of his career, and it’s worked out pretty well for the program.

Advice From 10 Years Ago For Syracuse’s Incoming Freshman Class of 2020

Life’s funny, and on the 10-year anniversary of his arrival at SU, John reflects on that fact while giving advice to the school’s new freshman. Considering how things have turned out for him since 2006, he hopes some of the youngsters gave it a read and make themselves open to the experiences out in front of them.

Syracuse Fans, Local Media, and the Matter of Trust

No, this isn’t a Billy Joel spoof post. Social media’s great, but it’s also given rise to confusion about where your information comes from. Sean uses “Cuse Insiders” as one of many examples of how some are misconstruing the loudest voice for the most correct story.

Syracuse’s Win Over Virginia Tech Shows Us Why Moral Victories are Never Enough

In 2015, a section of the Syracuse fan base was always armed and ready to tell you about the team’s latest moral victory. SU’s 10-point losses to LSU and Clemson, respectively, seemed to galvanize their belief that the Orange were on the right track. Dino Babers’s masterful upset of Virginia Tech (and post-game video) showed that was a load of crap. Actual wins will always win out, for fans, the team, recruits and everyone else too.

Syracuse Football: One Score Doesn’t Tell The Whole Story

Looking at any Orange football score this year would fail to tell you anything about the season? Clemson blowout, Virginia Tech upset, Pitt shootout, etc. -- there’s nothing there that really gives you a hint about what else happened in 2016. The Dino Babers era will unfold one game at a time, and we have to be alright with that.

Syracuse AD John Wildhack on Dino Babers, Boeheim’s Future & Scheduling Rutgers

Sean went back to the homeland, Syracuse University, to talk to students, attend some games and hang out with new SU AD John Wildhack. The ‘Cuse grad and former ESPN exec was happy to speak to him all about the big questions on every Orange fan’s mind. Oh, and we’re probably scheduling Rutgers soon. Booooooo.

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Hope you enjoyed revisiting some of these. If not, blame the tire fire of a year that was 2016.

Thanks, as always, for reading and being part of TNIAAM.