Scott Pitoniak's Blog

I thought I was busy already, what with all the writing I've been doing in the past year. (More on that to come once life slows down a little bit.)

By now, though, you've probably heard about -- and hopefully started listening to -- my latest sports gig, hosting The Radio Press Box alongside Dan Borrello weekdays on the Rochester airwaves.

You'll find us on 95.7 FM, AM 950 and at www.espnrochester.com from 3-7 p.m. weekdays.

We started the show last month during Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher and have had a great time talking football and other sports between ourselves and with a lineup of guests bringing insight and expert analysis.

If you haven't stopped by yet to listen, please give us a chance soon.

Hello Everybody:
                Just wanted to thank you for the support you’ve shown my blog in recent years and update you on where I’ve been.
                To quote a late friend who paraphrased an old saying by Vince Lombardi: “I’ve been scribing to daylight.”
                And I’d be most appreciative if you checked out my writing at the following places, either online or in print.
                In September, I began writing a sports column for the Rochester Business Journal, and although RBJ deals primarily with local and national business topics, I’ve had free reign to write about a variety of subjects from the world of sports – everything from catching up with a young man who spent the summer as the Yankees bat boy to the angst of being a Bills fan. So, please give me a read there, if you will. New columns are posted every Thursday afternoon for free at www.rbj.net. Just go to that site, then scroll down to the icon at the bottom of the page featuring my smiling face.
                You also can read my weekly views on Buffalo Bills games at WROC TV-8’s website: www.rochesterhomepage.net. I also do a two-minute, on-air recap on their 11 p.m. newscast. (Yes, I know, they let anybody on television these days, even an ink-stained wretch like me. ;-)
                Since July, I’ve been working as the AFC East correspondent for USA Today SportsWeekly. I provide news and notes and predictions on the division’s four teams, including the aforementioned Bills.
                I also continue to be a regular contributor to the Baseball Hall of Fame’s bimonthly magazine, “Memories and Dreams.” That’s a true labor of love for this baseball historian.
                I’m currently working on two more books scheduled for publication next fall. They will up the total number of books I’ve contributed to as a writer, editor or both to 25.
                Additionally, I continue to freelance for other publications, websites, etc. and volunteer for a number of organizations, including the Rochester Press-Radio Club Children’s Charities, Camp Good Days and Special Times, the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Rochester and the Rochester Baseball Historical Society.
                And my favorite pastime remains being a husband, father and brand-new grandfather.
                So, again, thanks for visiting my blog, and please check out my story-telling at the above venues or in your local bookstore or library.                  

If I’m the Steinbrenner boys, I would hit the free agency market in the off-season and throw a Brink’s-armored-tuck-load of money at the most coveted person out there. And I would give him a long-term contract, then, back off and let him do his thing.
                To me, the most coveted person in baseball – and the guy who could really fix what ails the Bronx Geezers – is none other than Mr. Moneyball himself, Billy Beane.
                The Oakland A’s general manager continues to astound with his ability to get the most out of the least. Imagine the damage he could do if he had the New York Yankees endless supply of money to throw around.
                The Pinstripes’ current problems are the result of poor decisions by GM Brian Cashman and terrible performances by a scouting and player development staff that has whiffed more than Adam Dunn in recent years. The Yankes are in this pickle because of their inability to identify and develop talent the way they did in the 1990s when they harvested a bumper crop of players, including first-ballot Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and perennial All-Stars Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte.
                The recent reacquisition of Alfonso Soriano was another desperation move. Yes, Soriano (17 homers, 51 RBI) will add some punch to an anemic lineup and provide much-needed protection for the Yankees only true hitting star, Robinson Cano. But Soriano is 37 years old, and like virtually every player on the current roster, he is on the other side of the hill.
                And speaking of players over-the-hill, you have to wonder about Yankees ace CC Sabathia. The heretofore dependable lefty workhorse has yielded seven runs in three consecutive starts and leads the American League in hits and earned runs allowed. For the first time in his 13-year career, Sabathia is giving up more than a hit an inning (157 in 147). He’s only 33, but I’m beginning to wonder if he’s injured or the wear-and-tear of pitching has finally caught up to him.
                If he can’t snap out of this, the Yankees will have a tough time finishing .500 this season. And, don’t forget, they are on the hook with Sabathia’s huge contract through 2016.
                Which brings me back to Beane, who wisely eschews long-term contracts for pitchers. I don’t know if he would come, but it’s worth a shot. And if you can’t get him, there are Moneyball acolytes out there who recognize the true value of players and would love to say they were the architect who resurrected the most prestigious franchise in all of sports.                                                                   ***
               The Bills open camp Sunday night at 6. Please check out my pre-camp column at WROC TV-8's site - www.rochesterhomepage.net

With four major victories and 41 wins on the PGA Tour, there’s no disputing that Phil Mickelson has had a great, great golf career. Yet, when all is said and done, Lefty’s legacy will be one of what might have been.
He’s come oh, so close to establishing himself as one of the best to ever swing a club.
                Sunday, Mickelson came up just short again, finishing second in the U.S. Open for the sixth time. Hard-luck Phil also has two other runner-up finishes at majors. A couple shots here and there and he would be mentioned in the same breath as the elite of the elite.
                Interestingly, Mickelson’s is nowhere near the top of the leaderboard when it comes to second-place finishes in majors. The man with the most silver medals in the big tournaments is none other than the Golden Bear himself, Jack Nicklaus, with 19.
                Big Jack finished second at the U.S. Open a record seven times, but he also won America’s national championship tournament four times, which is four more times than Phil has.
                Nicklaus, of course, also holds the record for most major victories, with 18. Just think about that for a minute. Had he dropped a few more putts, he’d be holding an even bigger major cushion over Tiger Woods, who’s been stuck at 14 since 2008.                                                                                    ***                  If EJ Manuel were to win the starting quarterback job in training camp, he would become the first Bills rookie to start at the position since Jim Kelly in 1986. And Kelly, we should point out, was 26 at the time, having spent two seasons in the old United States Football League. I think Kevin Kolb has a slight edge as of now, but with Tavares Jackson out of the picture, EJ will get ample opportunity to make his case at St. John Fisher College and during exhibition games.
                                                                                    ***
                Two of my favorite volunteer events are the Challenger Baseball World Series and the Rochester Press-Radio Club Day of Champions Children’s Charities Dinner.
                 I participated in my 19th Challenger event Saturday morning at Frontier Field and walked away inspired once more. The highlight of the morning was watching a kid being led around the bases by a “buddy” and a seeing-eye dog. Close to 300 kids participated and there were almost as many volunteers assisting them. As I wrote on Facebook, “Every kid got a hit. Every kid scored a run. And every kid demonstrated the triumph of the human spirit.”
                The sixty-fourth Day of Champions dinner will be held tomorrow night at the Riverside Convention Center, and we’ve sold more than 1,000 tickets to black-tie gala. I helped edit the 72-page dinner program, will coordinate the pre-dinner press conference, then stage a question-and-answer session on stage with this year’s headliner, Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl quarterback. We’ve gone to the Q-and-A format the past two dinners with Eli Manning and Clay Matthews, and it’s been well-received. Looking forward to meeting Colin, who seems like a sincere young man who’s on the verge of super-stardom in the NFL.
                I’m proud to work with such a dedicated group of volunteers, headed by Pat Grover, Mike Kauffman and Keith Ryan. Our core group has been in place for about a decade, in which time we’ve raised more than a half-a-million dollars for local charities.
                                                                                     ***
                The best story in minor league baseball – perhaps in all of baseball – this season has been unfolding in Rochester. Chris Colabello, the 29-year-old first baseman who toiled in the independent leagues for seven years before catching a break, continues to own International League pitchers. Through 56 games, Chris is hitting .369 with 21 doubles, 14 home runs and 50 RBI. I was so pleased to see him receive a call-up to the Minnesota Twins last month. He’s actually yo-yoed three times between Triple-A and the bigs so far, and probably will be up-and-down again several more times. I just wish the Twins would call him up and let him play 10 straight games to see if he can hit consistently on the big-league level.
                                                                                      ***
                Here’s another sign the apocalypse is upon us: USC football coach Lane Kiffin recently offered a scholarship to an eighth-grader.                                                                           

Spraying opinions to all fields:·         Sports Illustrated’s “Fortunate 50” list of the highest-paid American athletes is out and the leader is boxer Floyd Mayweather at close to $90 mil. Very surprising, considering the Sweet Science’s dramatic decline in popularity. There apparently still are big bucks to be made in close-circuit TV contracts – which explains where the lion’s share of Mayweather’s money came from. He didn’t earn a single dollar in endorsements, which, again, speaks to boxing’s precipitous decline.
Rounding out the Top 10 were LeBron James, Drew Brees, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson, Derrick Rose, Peyton Manning, Alex Rodriguez and Zack Greinke.
The Top 50 featured 25 baseball players – including four Yankees – 13 NBA players and only eight NFL players, despite the fact pro football is by far the most popular sport in the land.
Given Tiger’s rebound from his personal problems I wouldn’t be surprised to see him regain the No. 1 spot he’s had a strangle-hold on for several years.
The Bills have a representative on the list. Defensive end Mario Williams ranks No. 18 with his $50-million signing bonus. Who says the Bills are cheap?
Interestingly, to make this exclusive fraternity you had to earn – and I use that word “earn” loosely in dishonor of A-Rod – at least $18,2000,000 – which is what Cubs slugger Alfonso Soriano pocketed last year.
·         As evidenced by the hiring of coach Chan Gailey, the foolish contract extension of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, some big whiffs in the draft and free agency and a 16-32 won-lost record, Buddy Nix’s legacy as the Bills general manager is pretty underwhelming. But final grades can’t be issued for another couple of years. The old scout’s brief tenure as the man in charge of Buffalo’s football operations could receive a big boost if quarterback EJ Manuel and coach Doug Marrone pan out. Of course, those are big “if’s.”
·         I think it’s great that Syracuse University is going to retire the No. 5 football jersey worn by Donovan McNabb, the greatest quarterback in Orange history. His number will be hung from the rafters along with the 44 of Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little, the 39 of fullback Larry Csonka and the 88 of tight end John Mackey. I hope someday No. 47 also will be retired. It was worn with distinction by Little Joe Morris, who remains the all-time leading rusher in the school’s storied history.
·         We were supposed to tape an interview with Rochester Red Wings first baseman Chris Colabello yesterday for the baseball radio show I co-host on WYSL, but some extra hitting practice prevented that from happening. Chris is a class act who called later to apologize. The additional BP obviously paid huge dividends as Chris clubbed his 9th and 10thhome runs of the season. The Wings are struggling with just 15 wins in their first 40 games, but Colabello has been a bright spot, and one of the true feel-good stories of minor-league baseball. Here is a guy who is 29 years old and toiled in the independent leagues for seven seasons. He could have given up on the dream many times in recent years, but persevered and now is looking at a possible promotion to the Minnesota Twins. I love these kind of stories and will be rooting for him to make it to big leagues.
·         Just in case you want to start filling out your 2014 NCAA basketball brackets early, Joe Lunardi has the SU basketball team as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest.     

As I mentioned on my Facebook post this morning, my right wrist is sore from signing so many books last night at the launch of Lou Gramm’s “Juke Box Hero” at the Monroe Community College Theatre. Like another rocker once sang, “It hurts so good.”
                I’ve been blessed to do many booksignings in my time, but none as successful as this one. It clearly speaks to the popularity of Rochester’s own “Juke Box Hero” and the lasting impact of his music. The love for Lou was palpable in that Theatre and it crossed generations as parents who rocked to Lou’s music three decades ago were accompanied by children who have just discovered his classic rock.
                I’ve also been blessed to collaborate with good people in some of my recent books. Although they rose to the top of different professions, Lou, major league baseball star Johnny Antonelli and Buffalo Bills legend Steve Tasker took somewhat similar paths. Despite their fame and fortune, they remained true to their humble, small-town roots. They may have left their old neighborhoods, but their old neighborhoods never left them. They never forgot the people nor places that helped them realize their dreams.
                I’ve always been fascinated about people’s journeys. I’m intrigued by the circumstances and people that shaped them – for better and worse – along the way. I equate being a ghost writer to being the Sherpa that leads the mountain climbers to the summit and safely back down to base camp.
                It’s been about two years since I took Lou to lunch and convinced him that he had a powerful story to tell and that the timing for telling it was right. We’d meet once a week for a few hours and I would ask him to recount specific events and people. Some of the sessions were emotional as I probed difficult subjects. Ultimately, I wanted the book to be an honest recounting of Lou’s life and fortunately Lou agreed.
                The goal was not to be one of these salacious, sensational tell-alls, like too many rock memoirs. We definitely delved into the trappings of wealth and fame that can overwhelm a person at a young age. And how life as a rock star isn’t always as glamorous as it might look from the outside. But to have told this in the manner of say a Keith Richards would have been inaccurate and disingenuous. It would not have been true to Lou.
                The best compliment I’ve received about the Gramm and Antonelli books is that they are conversational, that the reader feels as if the subject has pulled up a chair and is speaking to them one-on-one. “Here, let me tell you my story.”
                 People ask me about capturing voice and it is a difficult thing to explain. I think it’s something you develop from hours upon hours of interviewing a person and truly listening to not only what they are saying but how they say it. You learn their phraseology, their personal story-telling technique, and you attempt to tell it in their words, not yours.
                I’m proud of the finished product. I’m biased but I think it is a candid, compelling story that Lou tells. Hopefully, it takes readers behind the scenes and into the head of one of rock’s great singers and songwriters.
                Ultimately, I see it as a story of dreams and nightmares and redemption. 
                I’m thankful that it has risen to the third bestselling rock book on amazon.com and that our publisher has just ordered a second printing.
                And I’m grateful that Lou trusted me to help him bare his soul and recount a life journey that wound up being inspiring on several levels.    

Some of the so-called draft gurus – including ESPN’s Todd McShay – have dumped a foot or two of lake effect snow on the Bills draft parade. McShay, along with Sports Illustrated, which awarded Buffalo a grade of D-plus, acknowledge that the Bills first-round pick EJ Manuel has great size (6-foot-5, 237 pounds), athleticism and a powerful arm. But they also believe the quarterback from Florida State is deeply flawed. McShay used the term “slow eyes,” meaning EJ is not quick enough in diagnosing where he should go with the football, which can be fatal in the high-speed decision-making world of pro football where the difference between a completion and an interception can be a split-second.
                So be it.
                One of the things I’ve learned from 28 seasons of covering the NFL is that it’s often foolhardy to rush to judgment on draft picks. It usually does take a few years to assess them (unless, of course, it’s an obvious miss like Aaron Maybin, the Penn State linebacker who thought sack time meant sleeping on the job, or an obvious hit like Jim Kelly, who had me convinced on the first long bomb he delivered during his very first Bills practice that he was Canton-bound.)
                I think the selection of Manuel was a bold move by new head coach Doug Marrone and the Bills, who successfully put up a smokescreen that had us believing he might go with Ryan Nassib, the record-setting QB he had coached for four seasons at Syracuse.
                My first impression of Manuel is that he has the charisma and confidence you like to see in such a leadership position. Of course, none of this will matter unless he delivers the ball on-time to the right receiver and finds the end zone often on game day.
                Some of the negative reaction to the Bills selection clearly has to do with the team’s putrid draft record for more than a decade. No secret, really, why they’ve missed the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons. They’ve done a terrible job assessing talent. Simple as that.
                History has not been kind to the Bills when it has come to selecting quarterbacks. In 53 years, they’ve gotten it right just a few times – the drafting of Kelly in 1983 and Joe Ferguson in 1973; the claiming of Jack Kemp off waivers in 1962, and the free agent signing of Doug Flutie in 1998. Manuel probably has a better chance of being the next J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards, Matt Kofler or Gary Marangi than he does of being the next Jimbo or Fergy.
                I guess you could look at the odds two ways. Either history is about to repeat itself or the Bills finally have gotten it right.                                                                                              ***                Again, I don’t bother giving a grade to draft picks because it doesn’t mean a thing at this point. I will say this, though, I liked the fact the Bills addressed some pressing needs – quarterback and wide receiver. And I do like the fact they went for speedy, versatile players.                                                                              ***                I think Nassib wound up in a good place when he was selected by the New York Giants. He’ll be learning from one of the best quarterbacks in the game, in Eli Manning, and there won’t be any pressure to play right away, unless the durable Manning gets hurts. The reality, though, is that Manning is just 32 and figures to have many more years as the Giants main man. Which means Nassib’s best chance probably will come down the road with another team. This is hardly unprecedented. Kevin Kolb, Matt Flynn and Matt Cassel all wound up getting their shots with teams other than the ones that drafted them.               

                Before shooting the breeze about the upcoming NFL draft, I just wanted to say how cool that was that Neil Diamond showed up at Fenway Park yesterday to sing the Red Sox anthem – “Sweet Caroline.” What makes the story even sweeter is that this wasn’t pre-arranged. About an hour before the game, Diamond arrived at Boston’s baseball cathedral and called the Sox front office to ask if he could sing his song live during the seventh-inning stretch.
                Other than David Ortiz’s F-bomb in his opening remarks - Big Papi can be forgiven for getting caught up in the emotions of the moment – it was a marvelous way for a wounded city to start the healing process after the Boston Marathon bombings and subsequent spell-binding manhunt.
                I experienced first-hand the galvanizing power of sports in New York City in the aftermath of 9/11 when my son and I attended the World Series game at Yankee Stadium in which President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch. Baseball provided respites from the tragedy of the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center towers and murdered 3,000 people. It helped bring people together.
                The same was true yesterday at Fenway. And Diamond’s trip to one of baseball’s most hallowed diamonds made the day even more memorable.                                                                                ***                Here’s my take on the Bills in the upcoming draft: If you believe, as General Manager Buddy Nix says he does, that there are two or three potential franchise quarterbacks in this draft, then you better not wait; you better take the one you’re most in love with right away.
                A lot of people believe that guy is Ryan Nassib because of his familiarity with Bills head coach Doug Marrone and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, whom he played for at Syracuse. Some see this as similar to the Miami Dolphins taken Ryan Tannehill higher than projected last year because the Fish had just hired his former college coach, Mike Sherman, as offensive coordinator.
                Some of the mock drafts also have the Bills taking Matt Barkley of USC or Geno Smith of West Virginia. I’m not enamored with either of those quarterbacks. I’m really hesitant to take a QB from Southern Cal, given the track record of Trojan alumni Mark Sanchez, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, etc. What I saw of Barkley was a guy who benefitted greatly from having athletic receivers. Smith seems to be a popular choice because of the recent success of Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson – guys who can run the read option with great efficiency. But I think, given RGIII’s serious injury, the read option is going to be a short-lived fad deemed too dangerous to a quarterback’s health.
                There’s also talk about using the eighth overall selection on an offensive lineman to replace free-agent departure Andy Levitre. Alabama’s Chance Warmack and UNC’s Johnathan Cooper are possibilities. It’s definitely a need, as is linebacker, where Georgia’s Alec Ogletree has been mentioned.
                But if they do that they run the risk of losing out on their QB, which they desperately need.
                Again, if they’ve identified one they love, they best not wait.                      

                The lineup Joe Girardi was forced to field in yesterday’s season opener qualifies as a true April Fool’s Day joke. And here’s something even more foolish: The money the Yankees are spending on their All-Star Disabled List roster is $91 million. That’s higher than the payroll of 16 big-league teams. Toss in the $8.5 mil New York is paying current Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett and that’s close to $100 million for players not currently in the Bronx Bombers lineup.                                                                                ***                Some Bills fans are miffed about the signing of journeyman Kevin Kolb, but I think it’s a smart move, given the circumstances. He’s two years younger than Ryan Fitzpatrick and has a much stronger arm. Buffalo was interested in retaining Fitz, but he refused to restructure his contract and he wanted guarantees that he would remain the starter, so the Bills had no choice but to jettison him. This is not to say that Kolb is the answer by any means. He became shell-shocked behind the Arizona Cardinals porous offensive line, and there are concerns that the pounding may have turned him into a jittery, check-down QB. But I think he might be OK behind the Bills line, which is still better than the Cardinals front wall despite the loss of Andy Levitre. The bottom line is that Kolb is merely a place-holder quarterback. The Bills will still draft a QB later this month. It just might not be in the first round. And that rookie QB will be given a legitimate shot at the No. 1 job this summer.                                                                              ***                Jim Boeheim’s fierce loyalty extends beyond his players and staff and into the basketball coaching profession, where he has helped numerous peers land jobs – including the coach he’ll face in Saturday’s Final Four. Boeheim picked up the phone and advocated strongly on behalf of John Beilein to get both the Canisius and West Virginia head coaching jobs. The legendary SU coach’s recommendations obviously carried some weight because Beilein wound up coaching at both places before heading to Ann Arbor. Boeheim became familiar with Beilein’s work at LeMoyne College, a Division II program located just a few miles from the Carrier Dome.                Whereas Boeheim has spent 50 years at his alma mater as a player, assistant and head basketball coach, Beilein has led a nomadic basketball existence, making stops at Newfane (N.Y.) High School, Erie Community College, Nazareth College, LeMoyne, Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia and Michigan. He’s won 672 games along the way and after 1,075 games, he’s finally made it to the Division I Final Four.                Beilein is a Lockport, N.Y. native and remains a huge Bills fan and is good friends with longtime Bills play-by-play announcer John Murphy.                                                                            ***                Not that it has any bearing whatsoever on Saturday’s game, but Boeheim is 9-0 vs. Beilein.                                                                            ***                You can check out more of my musings on Syracuse in the Final Four at WROC TV-8's website - www.rochesterhomepage.net. I'll also be talking about the Cuse on their 5 o'clock newscast this Friday and following Saturday night's game.  

                We hear often about an athlete being in the zone, a locked-in mental state where everything is in perfect harmony and the athlete is on a roll.                Well, the Syracuse University basketball team clearly has been in a zone of late – a 2-3 zone that has been more difficult for opponents to solve than a Rubik’s Cube; a 2-3 zone that has carried the Orange men to a fifth Final Four.                It’s funny, but a zone defense has long been looked upon with disdain. It’s been called a lazy man’s defense, something you play to compensate for inferior athletes who supposedly aren’t talented enough to play the more manly man-to-man.                But there is little lazy or unathletic about Jim Boeheim’s suffocating, discombobulating zone. If you don’t believe me, just ask the players and coaches from Montana, Cal, Indiana or Marquette – SU’s four vanquished NCAA Tournament opponents. Or check out the stat sheet. The numbers don’t lie. They are mind-boggling.                Those four teams averaged a paltry 45.7 points vs. Syracuse and shot just 29 percent from the field and 15 percent (14-for-92) from beyond the 3-point arc. During that span, the Orange men forced 67 turnovers and allowed just 61 field goals. They averaged 11 steals and six blocks.                They limited Indiana, the nation’s third-most prolific offense to a season-low 50 points in the Sweet Sixteen, then yielded just 39 points – an NCAA Elite Eight-record-tying low – against Marquette Saturday to punch their ticket to the Final Four for the first time since winning it all 10 years ago.                Defense isn’t sexy. Some regard it as exciting as watching paint dry or shoveling snow. But I disagree. This may not be Nolan Richardson’s forty minutes of hell, but it’s pretty close.                Boeheim’s defense clearly has evolved through the years and even during the course of this season. It is a much more aggressive, trapping, force-the-action attack than it used to be. Give Boeheim plenty of credit for understanding long before many other coaches the importance of length in addition to height. Measurements of wing spans can be as meaningful as head-to-toe measurements.                His players clearly have bought into the zone. And it’s been enjoyable watching the hustle and passion they’ve displayed in disrupting opposing offenses.                What’s interesting about this zone is that it’s been successful despite lacking an intimidating, Sultan of Swat-type center, ala Roosevelt Bouie or Etan Thomas. Kudos to Baye Moussa Keita for his spirited play anchoring the back line. He may be pencil thin and have hands of stone, but he squeezes every ounce of ability from his body, and his willingness to sacrifice has been contagious.                One of the keys to this zone has been the scrappiness of guards Michael Carter Williams and Brandon Triche, who, at 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4, respectively, have the kind of height that wreaks havoc with opposing guards. And I’ve been especially impressed with the defensive effort of late of James Southerland, who is a shooter first, but who has shown a willingness to play “D” and grab key rebounds. The other forward, C.J. Fair, has always been solid back there, making blocks, altering shots and hauling in rebounds.                Zones, like offensive lines in football, have to work in synch. One link breaks down and the whole chain breaks. But this Syracuse team has played the zone to perfection lately. And even when someone does blow an assignment, there often is a teammate there to pick them up.                They are showing that defense can be fun to watch. And we already know that defense wins championships. Perhaps these Orange men are in a zone similar to the one that catapulted the program to its first NCAA title a decade ago.