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1 :: WWW.CNYVISION.COM - WEEK OF AUGUST 8 - 14, 2012Syracuse, NYVOL 3. NO. 32 AUGUST 8 - 14, 2012

NBC Explains The MonkeyAd They Ran RightAfter Gabby Douglas Win,But Doesnt Apologize

Gabby Douglas:

Victories and Stereotypes

GABBY DOUGLASgymnastics newest queen

www.cnyvision.com

Without a Vision The People Perish

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vision

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2 :: WWW.CNYVISION.COM - WEEK OF AUGUST 8 - 14, 2012

LOCAL OFFICE:2331 South Salina StreetSyracuse, NY 13205

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CONTRIBUTORSKofi QuayeJames Haywood RollingEarl Ofari HutchinsonBoyce Watkins

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In This Issue

COVER: Pgs 6 - 7- Gabby Douglas: GymnasticsNewest Queen

CALENDAR Pg 2LOCAL Pgs 3-4- Three Caught During Burglary- Carrols Restaurant Posts Losson Aquisition Costs- Syracuse City School DistrictPresents THE WIZ!- Syracuses Big Mall Gets aNew Name: Destiny USA- Its Official: Its Been Hot in theNortheast

STATE Pgs 4 - 5

- New Law Makes it Illegal toSell or Possess Bath Salts orSynthetic Drugs- Advocates Want Free NYPrison Visitor Bus Back- NY Mayors Leery of StatewideFiscal Control Board

SU NEWS Pg 8

- Syracuse Prepares for FinalSeason in Big East

COLUMNS: Pg 10

- Are Homeless PeopleBecoming a Major Problem inSyracuse?

By KofiQuaye- Victories and Stereotypes By Julianne Malveaux

- NBC Explains the Monkey Ad

But Doesnt Apologize By Boyce Watkins

- Dont Let Aurora TragedyCause Cinemaphobia By Barbara Reynolds

&1

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Three Caught During BurglarySyracuse police say several burglarswere caught in the act Mondaymorning.

Mahew Morris, 27, of 401 HighlandStreet, Syracuse; Daniel Lees, 21, of11608 White Road, Cato; and Ryan

Rall, 20, of 312 Wilkinson Street,Syracuse were arrested.

The group were caught at a home at1115 Carbon Street early Mondaymorning aer a neighbor called policeto report a burglary in progres.

Syracuse police had surrounded thehome before the three suspects lethe house and tried to run away. Theywere arrested aer a short foot chasepolice reported.

The three were charged with second-degree burglary, criminal possessionof stolen property, pet larceny andpossession of burglars tools.

Police report that the homeowner wasnot home during the incident.

Syracuse City School District Presents THE WIZ!The Syracuse City School Districtproudly announces its 6th AnnualSummer All-City Musical Producon The Wiz!

Move on down the Road! Winner of 7Tony awards, this beloved Broadwaymusical sets Dorothys adventures inthe Land of Oz to music in a dazzling,lively mixture of rock, gospel, andsoul! This beloved classic musical isbased on The Wonderful Wizard Of

Oz by L. Frank Baum with the musicalbook by William F. Brown and music/lyrics by Charlie Smalls. It is producedthrough an agreement with SamuelFrench, Inc.

The cast includes over 25 studentsfrom all five SCSD High Schoolsas well as several Middle Schoolstudents. The producon teamincludes Director: Virginia Fenessey,Music Director: Priscilla Babilonia,

Producon Manager: Sarah Genle,Technical Director: Eveny Parker, andChoreographer: Jamie Gartner, all ofwhom are teachers in the SyracuseCity Schools.

Performances will be Friday andSaturday, August 10 and 11, 2012 at7 pm as well as Sunday, August 12,2012 at 2 pm. All performances are atCorcoran High School. Tickets are $5each.

Carrols Restaurant Posts Loss on Acquision CostsSYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) Restaurantoperator Carrols Restaurant Group Inc.said Tuesday that it posted a loss inthe second quarter as a result of one-

me costs, including charges relatedto its acquision of 278 Burger Kingrestaurants.

The Syracuse, N.Y.-based company,which is Burger Kings biggestfranchisee, said it lost $250,000, or 1cent per share, for the three monthsended July 1. Thats compared with aprofit of $5.5 million, or 25 cents pershare, in the year-ago period.

Excluding disconnued operaons the company spun off its FiestaRestaurant Group in May Carrolssaid it lost 4 cents per share fromconnuing operaons.

Carrols in March announced a $15.8

million deal to buy Burger Kingrestaurants in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky,Pennsylvania, North Carolina, SouthCarolina and Virginia. The companynoted Tuesday that its operang

performance should improve once itsnew Burger King locaons are fullyintegrated.

As of July 1, Carrols owned 574 BurgerKing restaurants.

Sales at restaurants open at least a yearrose 8.8 percent during the period,the company said. The metric is a keygauge because it strips out the impactof newly acquired or sold locaons.

The boost was driven by a combinaonof higher customer traffic as well ashigher prices that led customers tospend more per visit. Carrols noted thatBurger Kings menu enhancementsand an adversing campaign launchedin April seem to be resonang withcustomers.

Total sales for the quarter rose to

$122.1 million from $88.6 million inthe year-ago period, helped by theacquision.

Carrols said sales at restaurants open

at least a year are expected to increase4 percent to 6 percent this year, whilecommodity costs are expected toincrease 3 percent to 4 percent.

Shares of Carrols were up 6 cents at$5.61 in aernoon trading.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - The CarouselCenter shopping mall in Syracusefalls short of its earlier plans tobecome the naons largest retail andentertainment complex, but it doeshave a new name.

On Wednesday the owners of2.4-million-square-foot property

officially renamed the mall DesnyUSA.

That was the name Syracuse-baseddeveloper Robert Congel gave tohis planned expansion of Carousel

Center, which opened in 1990. Theplans called for turning the mall into atourist desnaon to rival MinnesotasMall of America.

Although the expansion plans werelater downsized, the newspaperreports that Desny USA is now thenaons sixth largest mall.

When the expansion is complete,Desny USA will have more than 250stores, restaurants and entertainmentvenues, which will employ 5,000people.

Syracuses Big Mall Gets a New Name: Desny USA

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New Law Makes it Illegal to Sellor Possess Bath Salts or Synthec DrugsFollowing recent police raids of shopsacross upstate New York suspectedof selling illegal synthec drugs,including so-called bath salts thatwere recently banned by federal law,Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Tuesdayannounced that the New York State

Department of Health (DOH) hasissued new regulaons to crack downon the increasingly widespread use ofthe banned substances.

The U.S. Drug EnforcementAdministraon, state troopers, theaorney generals office and localpolice raided shops in western,northern and central New York and theSouthern Tier.

President Barack Obama signed a billinto law earlier this month that bansthe sale, producon and possessionof more than two dozen of the mostcommon bath salt drugs. The synthecdrugs mimic the dangerous effectsof cocaine, amphetamines and other

illegal smulants.

Law enforcement officials refer tothe drugs collecvely as bath salts,though they have nothing in commonwith the fragrant toiletries used tomoisturize skin.

The new regulaons, issued Tuesdayby DOH and approved by the PublicHealth and Health Planning Council,will expand the exisng list ofprohibited drugs and chemicals toinclude dozens more substances thatare now used to make synthec drugs,beer ensuring that distributors canno longer skirt the law by simplymodifying the drugs ingredients. Inaddion, the regulaons will allow

for the first me an owner of an

establishment and/or an employeeselling synthec drugs to be chargedwith possession of an illicit substance.Further, to support enforcement, theregulaons will increase the criminalpenales for those who violate therules. Violators will face fines up to

$500 and potenally up to 15 days injail.

Bath salts and other synthec drugspose a direct, serious threat to publichealth and safety, and we must doeverything we can to remove theseharmful substances from sale anddistribuon in New York, GovernorCuomo said. The acons we areannouncing today aack the problemby helping our law enforcementofficers enforce the rules, expandingthe list of banned substances used tomanufacture bath salts, and imposingtougher penales so those who sellthese drugs are held accountable.

Over the past year, there has been a

dangerous rise in instances of NewYorkers using synthec drugs. In 2011,there were 39 reported emergencyroom visits in upstate New York as aresult of bath salts. Already in 2012,there have been 191 such visits with120 occurring this past June andJuly. According to the New York StatePoison Control Center, in 2010 therewere only 20 calls concerning synthecmarijuana poisonings. There were 291in 2011, and there were already 321through the first six months of 2012.

Bath salts and other synthec drugsare manufactured with a similar,but slightly modified structure ofcontrolled substances that are listedon Schedule I of the state and/or

federal controlled substances laws as

a means to avoid exisng drug laws.These designer drugs can be - and are -connually chemically modified in theaempt to avoid legal repercussions.

In an effort to mask their true purpose,these products are marketed as bathsalts or as legal alternaves tomarijuana. They are currently soldonline, in small convenience stores,smoke shops, and other retail outlets.

When consumed, these substancesproduce dangerous effects similar tococaine and amphetamines, includinghallucinaons, paranoia, delusions,suicidal thoughts, and violent behavioras well as chest pains, increased bloodpressure, and increased heart rates.

Bath Salts are sold under namesincluding, White Lightning, SnowLeopard, Tranquility, Zoom, IvoryWave, Red Dove, Vanilla Sky, andothers. Synthec marijuana is soldas Spice, K2, Blaze and Red Dawn Xamong other names.

Although federal law bans themanufacture or sale of many of thesesubstances, as a result of the new

regulaons put in place today, local law

enforcement officials for the first mewill be able to pursue perpetratorsunder state laws and refer violators tolocal District Aorneys for prosecuon.

The State Health Department and theNew York State Police will coordinateinvesgaons and arrests withlocal law enforcement and districtaorneys. New criminal penales willinclude a fine up to $500 and or up

to 15 days in jail. New civil penaleswill include a fine of up to $2,000 perviolaon.

The Governor also announced anew toll-free hotline 1-888-99SALTS(1-888-997-2587). Individuals withinformaon about illegal distribuonof bath salts or synthec drugs areencouraged to call this hotline.

Locally, Syracuse Mayor StephanieMinor Friday signed an ordinancebanning the synthec drugs. Theordinance was, passed by the CommonCouncil on August 1.

Its Official: Its Been Hot in the Northeast

No surprise for Northeast residentssweang out the summer aer awinter barely touching their snowshovels: this is the hoest year onrecord in the region so far.

The Northeast Regional Climate Centerat Cornell University reported Tuesdaythat the average temperature in the12-state region was 49.9 degreesfrom January through July. Thats thewarmest seven-month period since1895, the year systemac recordkeeping began.

The second-warmest comparable

period was 1921, when the seven-month average was 49.2 degrees.

Weve had a long stretch of warm,said Kathy Vreeland, a climatologist forthe center.

The data comes as the Northeastendured a sweltering July with record-breaking temperatures around theregion. Syracuse hit 101 on July 17 andWashingtons Reagan Naonal Airportrecorded 105 degrees on July 7.

On a single day, July 18, LaGuardiaAirport in New York City hit 101

degrees, Balmore and Newark, N.J.,recorded 104 degrees and Philadelphia100 degrees, according to the climatecenter.

Areas around the United Statesthis summer have suffered throughblistering heat waves, wildfires anddroughts the sorts of extremeweather events that experts havepredicted will come with climatechange. But Vreeland cauonedagainst reading too much into a smallset of data covering a single region.

It could be global climate change.

It could be an anomalous year, oranomalous run of years, she said.

Breaking the warm spell down by state,it was the warmest first seven monthsof the year in the six New Englandstates, Delaware, Maryland, NewJersey and New York. It was the secondwarmest such period in Pennsylvaniaand West Virginia.

It also was the warmest 12-monthperiod in the Northeast through July.

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ALBANY, N.Y. An unprecedentedproposal to create a powerfulstatewide control board in New Yorkto steer several cies, counes andschool districts away from bankruptcyis geng a chilly response frommayors.

The mayors of Syracuse, Albany,Rochester and Yonkers said Mondaythat local leaders need to be part ofany soluon to the fiscal problemsfacing municipalies. The mayors say

even a recovery from the recessionwont change the basic problemstheyre confronng: diminishingtax revenues in part from decliningpopulaons, and rising costs includingpublic worker payrolls, benefits andpension costs.

The mayors were reacng Mondayto a New York Post story that saidGov. Andrew Cuomo and ComptrollerThomas DiNapoli were discussing acontrol board.

Cuomo and DiNapoli were discussingseveral opons but were keenly awarethat one size does not fit all whenit comes to fiscal stress, DiNapolispokeswoman Jennifer Freeman said.

We have not had discussions with thegovernors office about fiscal stresslegislave proposals, she said.

Cuomo wouldnt comment.

Control boards have been used sincethe 1970s to cut spending and makeother difficult decisions in New YorkCity, Buffalo, Troy, Yonkers and NassauCounty. The appointed boards arestrongly opposed by powerful public

workers unions because the boardshave forced cuts in workforces andtheir benefits among other policallydifficult decisions.

DiNapoli said in a report last week thatcommunies could face devastangfiscal condions in coming years assome municipalies in other statesalready have.

The Post said Cuomo had draed aversion of legislaon for a statewidecontrol board with extensive powersto cut costs, even union contracts.

Mayors Stephanie Miner of Syracuse,Mike Spano of Yonkers, ThomasRichards of Rochester and Gerald

Jennings of Albany said they believedecisions about their cies should bemade in concert with local officials.

We, as mayors, are dealing with ournew realies, they stated Monday.We are commied to working withthe governor and comptroller todesign a soluon that will serve theinterest of the state and its municipalgovernments.

But the concern goes beyond the four

cies.

Last week, DiNapoli reported nearly300 local governments had deficitsin 2010 or 2011 and more than 100didnt have enough cash to pay theircurrent bills. His analysis of 4,000local governments and school districtsfound many school districts also are onthe brink.

A $400 million decline in localgovernment and school revenuesduring the recession includes a nearly6 percent drop in sales tax collecons,a decline in property values inDutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam,Rockland, Sullivan, Suffolk, Ulster andWestchester counes and a $50 million

loss of state aid to municipalies.

DiNapoli also found Cortland County,Binghamton, Gloversville, Jamestown,Lackawanna, New York City, theVillage of Herkimer and the Village ofLyons are dangerously close to theirconstuonal tax limit. He said moregovernments may soon approach theirtaxing limit.

DiNapoli also cited poor budgengand record-keeping at more than a

dozen local governments and urgedmul-year planning.

But planning alone might not beenough, said Richard Brodsky, aformer assemblyman from Westhesterand now a senior fellow at the WagnerSchool at New York University.

In cies like Yonkers, Syracuse orRochester, which have done thoseplans, the choice is bankruptcy, bailoutor control board, Brodsky said. Theysimply cannot meet their communityservice obligaons police, fire,educaon, sanitaon, parks withthe resources they have within thecity. Thats the conversaon New Yorkneeds to have, now.

NY Mayors Leery of Statewide Fiscal Control Board

Advocates Want Free NY Prison Visitor Bus BackALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Advocates fornearly 56,000 New York inmates andtheir families have urged the state to

resume free bus service to its prisons,saying visits have dropped since it wasdisconnued last year and the savingsof $1.5 million doesnt jusfy thesocial cost.

In a report earlier this year, the VeraInstute of Jusce cited a Washingtonstate correcons study showingprisoners who received regular familyvisits were six mes less likely tocommit prison violaons. The instutealso pointed to a 2010 research paperin the journal Sociology Compassshowing that children who visitincarcerated parents have higherself-esteem and IQ scores and fewerbehavioral problems than those whodont.

Maxine King said she now has to pay$80 for rides to visit monthly andhasnt been able to afford bringing herthree youngest children, all teenagers,to see their father since the free busstopped. They used to get on it aboutevery three months because it wasalways full leaving New York City. Thetrip to Aca was overnight.

A lot of me it was difficult for usfinancially to keep the communicaonand the family rapport going withoutthat bus service, she said.

Upwards of 25,000 people were usingthis program. It operated very much asa lifeline for children, said Tamar Kra-

Stolar of the Correconal Associaon

of New York. She said some 80,000children have a parent in state prison,including more than 5,000 with an

incarcerated mother, most more than100 miles away.

Correcons officials said visitortotals have declined only modestlyand have even increased at somemaximum-security prisons. They saidthe free buses were oen half-emptyand werent aracng new riders.Meanwhile, they have launchedtelevising between Albion prison inwestern New York and a Brooklyn site,with plans to expand the program toAuburn prison in central New York andto Chateaugay and Clinton prisons innorthern New York.

We recognize that visitaon is anextremely important part of an

inmates rehabilitaon and preparaonfor re-entry, and were going to doeverything we can to facilitate that,said correcons spokesman PeterCutler.

According to state data, visitors atits 60 correconal facilies declinedmore than 13,000 from 229,011 in2010, the final year of the bus service,to 215,812 last year. In a programbegun in 1973 and previously fundedby prison phone surcharges that havesince been reduced, contractor busesran monthly from New York City,Albany, Rochester and Syracuse to allbut two prison facilies, the Willarddrug treatment center in SenecaCounty and Lakeview shock boot camp

in Chautauqua County.

Correcons officials also became aware

that the service wasnt aracng newriders, Cutler said.

That combined with updated andenhanced federal and state DOT (bussafety) regulaons created a situaonthat ulmately was determined itwas not in the best interests of thedepartment to connue the service,he said.

There really hasnt been any impacton visitaon at our facilies, especiallythe maximum-security facilies,Cutler said. They are also trying toenhance family contact through thenew televising program, whichnow permits inmates at Albion, themedium-security womens prison, to

talk to their families at a Brooklyn site,

while they see each other on videoscreens.

At the nonprofit Osborne Associaon,an advocacy group working with thestate on televising, Tanya Krupatsaid its a good supplement but noreplacement for personal visits. Shedisagreed with state officials andcalled decline of thousands of visitssignificant.

We work on the human side, Krupatsaid. Im picturing the 10-year-oldtwins who havent seen their dad. ... Ihave a 14-year-old who has not goento visit with her mom since the busstopped.

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Aer her gold medal performance inthe womens gymnascs individualall-around, Gabby Douglas says shewas too excited to sleep and it was tooearly to wander the Olympic village soshe messaged her family and asked ifthey could have a video chat.

When her mom turned on thecomputer, there sat her daughter, eyeswide, hands on her cheeks, mouthagape.

It reminded me of Macaulay Culkin in`Home Alone, said Natalie Hawkins,Douglas mother.

And this was before the 16-year-oldOlympic all-around champion got herown cereal box cover, hobnobbed withMa, Al and others at NBCs Todayshow, and had tweet-happy celebrieseager to be her new BFFs.

Its prey excing, Douglas said

Friday. It really hasnt hit me yet.

The Olympic all-around tle isgymnascs biggest prize, and it canturn a sprite into an internaonalsuperstar overnight. The world is sllon a first-name basis with Nadia andMary Lou, and Gabby could wind upbeing bigger than both of them.

Adults want to hug her, and lile girlsshriek at the sight of her. Her smilealone is enough to dazzle MadisonAvenue, and her personality gives newmeaning to the word outsized. Notonly is she the first African-Americangymnast to win the all-around tle,

shes the first to win any individualgold in gymnascs. Throw in heradorable Flying Squirrel nickname,and the back story of leaving home at14 to pursue an Olympic dream and,guaranteed, her life will never be thesame.

Oh my gosh, yes, said Mary LouReon, whose all-around tle in 1984was the first by a U.S. woman. Shewont know unl she goes home.

Those around her, though, are alreadygeng a taste of things to come.

Seconds aer Douglas beat ViktoriaKomova on Thursday night, talk showhosts David Leerman and Jay Lenohad already contacted her agent,Sheryl Shade. Considering OprahWinfrey tweeted her congratulaons,its a safe bet she wants to have a chatwith Douglas, too. Kelloggs workedoverme to get her picture on the

cover of a Corn Flakes box -- not justany picture, mind you, but a photo ofher on the medals stand.

Its definitely an amazing experience,Douglas said.

Especially considering she wasnt even

in the conversaon for the all-aroundtle at the start of the year, and thatshe only turned pro in March aerupstaging world champion JordynWieber at the American Cup in NewYork.

By midmorning Friday, Shade hadalready received more than 750emails, some simply congratulangDouglas, most from folks who wanteda piece of her -- businesses, talk shows,magazines. And not just in the UnitedStates, either.

Its the whole package, said Shade,referring to Douglas appeal. Its her

personality. Its her freshness. Shesnot been packaged.

Douglas is well aware her tle carriesweight beyond her sport -- Im thefirst African-American to win the all-around, my names in the historybooks, she said Friday -- and sheseager to embrace the responsibility.She wants to be a role model,parcularly for minority children, andShade said theyve already talked toKelloggs about an outreach program.Theyve also been in contact with firstlady Michelle Obamas Lets Move!campaign, aimed at tackling childhoodobesity and promong sports.

Shes going to break barriers on so

many different levels, Reon said.

While Shade said its too early toesmate Douglas earning power-- she has another gold from teamcompeon -- its safe to say its wellinto the millions. Prey heady stuffforDouglas and her family.

I dont think you can prepare for that.I just try to lean on the morals andvalues that my parents taught me andthe morals and values I taught them,Hawkins said, referring to Douglas andher three older siblings. Were a verygrounded family. Were very friendly,affable people. We just love to enjoyother people, and this just opens up

GABBY DOUGLASgymnastics newest queen

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opportunies to meet more amazingpeople.

There are downsides to fame, too, andDouglas quickly got a taste of it. TheInternet was abuzz over cricism ofher hair -- it wasnt styled to everyonesliking-- a topic she simply laughed off.

I thought it was kind of bizarre, shesaid.

And forget about being able to goanywhere without being recognized.

Im definitely not going to escape it-- unless I wear a disguise, she said,brightening to the idea. A mustache.A wig, maybe.

But thats a worry for another day. Nowis the me to celebrate her success,and savor all the trappings.

Douglas admied one of the firstthings she did when she got up wasGoogle herself. She loved scanningall the photos. Even beer wasscrolling through her Twier feeds,and nong how many celebries sentcongratulaons: NFL quarterbackMichael Vick; Oscar winner OctaviaSpencer; rapper Timbaland; actressesGabrielle Union and Elizabeth Banks;singer Ciara; Mr. Summer Gameshimself, Michael Phelps; her celebritycrush, Ian Somerhalder from TheVampire Diaries.

She even sparked a ny Twier spatwhen Nicki Minaj thought Douglasresponded to fellow rapper Lil Waynebut dissed her.

Oh wow, I tweeted about (hashtag)Gabby earlier but she responds to(Lil Wayne) and not me? U knowwhat? Ima fight u. Ive had it!!! Minajtweeted.

I tried to find her, I promise! Douglassaid with a laugh, adding that Minajstweet was actually one of her favorites.She said I was a lile firecracker.

As for whats next, Douglas will

compete in the finals for uneven barsMonday and balance beam Tuesday,and insists she plans to competethrough the 2016 Games in Rio deJaneiro.

Of course, she may feel differentlywhen she considers the avalancheof invitaons sure to come forappearances, commercials and star-studded events like the Oscars andGrammys. Gymnasts Nasa Liukin andShawn Johnson, who finished 1-2 inBeijing, discovered the demands ofelite-level gymnascs arent alwayscompable with once-in-a-lifemeopportunies.

This is the me to take thoseopportunies and live it up. But theOlympic level of gymnascs is veryshort-lived, Liukin said. Its very hardto balance.

But Douglas is only 16 -- she turns 17 onDec. 31 -- and the prospect of becomingthe first all-around champion to try todefend her tle since Nadia Comaneciin 1980 might be enough to ence herto sck around.

I dont think Im going to rere justyet, she said. People tell me Im tooyoung, I should sck with it.

Meanwhile, shes out to find UsainBolt and Venus and Serena Williams.Theres also that trip back to herhometown of Virginia Beach, Va., thatshe cant wait to take.

Douglas hasnt been home sincemoving to West Des Moines, Iowa,almost two years ago, and shescraving her favorite popcorn fromJodys -- Its like a Willy Wonka store.She wants to see her dogs and sleep inher old bed, too.

Its all very normal for a girl whose lifewill now be anything but.

You have to cherish these moments,Douglas said. Its definitely amazing.

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As Syracuse enters its final seasonin the Big East and its fourth seasonunder coach Doug Marrone, theOranges ability to break off big playscould be difference between playing ina bowl or missing the postseason.

Coming off a bowl victory in 2010,Syracuse lost its final five games lastseason to finish a disappoinng 5-7.

It was a worrisome step back for aprogram that has struggled to drum upsupport in recent years.

From a schemac standpoint, thebig plays have to be available as far asthe process of how we do things, bothoffensively and defensively, Marrone

said. And then our players need toexecute it and get it done.

Marrone opened up a Facebookprofile last week to give fans an insidelook at the teams training camp on adaily basis. He also started a Twieraccount where hell give daily updates

on the team.

Keeping Syracuses fans engaged is aconstant point of emphasis, especiallyaer a season where the product onthe field failed to meet expectaons.

Though that could start to change thisseason.

Ryan Nassib is starng his third seasonas the starng quarterback, and hastwo formidable receivers to throwto in Alec Lemon and Marcus Sales.The 6-foot, 183-pound Sales missedlast season aer a drug arrest, but allcharges were dropped and he returnedthe team.

Sales made 26 recepons for 414 yardsin 2010 en route to becoming the starof the Pinstripe Bowl victory againstKansas State.

As far as Marcus Sales, he has givenus some big plays in the past. And Ithink you could always reference the

Pinstripe Bowl, Marrone said. For us,its what are we going to do to be ableto win and Marcus Sales has ability tohelp us do that.

The Orange also brought in AshtonBroyld, who will line up at runningback as well as in wildcat formaons togive the offense a new look as it looksto upgrade its running game.

Theyll tell me what the plan is, andday by day, well take a lile step toget to the point where they want meat and what they want me to know,Broyld said. We take it day by day.

Syracuse must replace defensive endChandler Jones, who was a first-round

pick by the New England Patriots.

Even with Jones, Syracuse finishedseventh in the Big East in pointsallowed per game with 28.5 in 2011,but defensive end Deon Goggins saidthis years more experienced defenseshould be an improved one.

Honestly, we just had a lot of youngguys, Goggins said. We were justyoung as a team. Aer last year, goingthrough what we went through, I seethe changes in a lot of the young guysthat have to step up.

Marrones holding every memberof the team accountable, includinghimself. For a program thats comingoff a down year, the coach saideverything about the team needs toimprove for it to become a consistentwinner.

We have a lot of work to do. It startswith me, Marrone said. I have to doa beer job. The coaches have to do a

beer job. And our players have to doa beer job.

Syracuse Prepares for Final Season in Big East

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The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not

necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of MRMG or CNY Vision

Victories and Stereotypes(TriceEdneyWire.com) - If you dontfollow Olympicgymnascs, youmay not have heardabout GabrielleDouglas beforethis year. But theamazing grace ofthis 16-year-oldAfrican-Americanpropelled her toOlympic gold lastweek, and she

is the first African-American to win anindividual medal in gymnascs. Indeed,her performance toppled the Russians,who have portrayed themselves asunbeatable. So unbeatable, as a maerof fact that the winner of the silver medal,Viktoria Komova, sobbed uncontrollably,according to a news report, because sheso expected to win.

This calls for unqualified celebraon.Sneaking into some of the celebratorycomments, though, were snarky and rudecomments that many reserve to tarnishAfrican-American accomplishment andvictory. Channel surfing in the talk radiospace (why??), these comments came intwo categories, equally objeconable.

First, there were comments aboutGabrielles hair. As the young gymnast did

her thing, there were many includingsome self-hang African-American women who commented that her hair wasnt upto par - shades of the comments aboutMichelle Obama. Im not sure what stylewould be appropriate for a gymnast, butlets celebrate Gabrielles medal instead ofrailing on her hair. Are we sll stuck on theSpike Lee version of straight or nappy asa contrast?

When Don Imus insulngly uses the wordnappy, we Black folks are up in arms, aswe should be. But when sisters excoriatean accomplished young woman, there arethose who nod their hair in agreement.When will we, black women, get overthis hair thing? And when will we stopplaying into other peoples stereotypes.To be honest, hair was the last thing onmy mind when I saw Gabrielles stunningperformance. Why was anyone thinkingof hair?

In addion to thinking of hair, somecommentators were thinking offatherhood. Where was her dad, toomany asked? One radio talk show hosttook a whole five minutes ruminang onabsent dads. But the truth is that whileGabrielles mom, Natalie Hawkins, andher dad, Timothy Douglas, are divorcing,Mr. Douglas, a soldier who has servedboth in Iraq and Afghanistan, is very muchpart of her life. He was present for the

Olympic trials, but had responsibiliesthat kept him from the rest of the games.His presence or absence should not be thefodder for speculaon.

I wouldnt mind the commentary so muchif the same folks spent any me speaking ofthe economic plight of African- Americanmen. The most recent jobs report showsthat while the unemployment rate ckedup from 8.2 percent in May to 8.3 percentin June, the rate for African-American menrose from 14.2 to 14.8 percent officially.Unofficial rates would put AfricanAmerican male employment near the 25percent mark.

Furthermore, alternave sets of datamore effecvely explore the plight ofAfrican-American men. The employment-populaon raon, which measures thepercentage of men aged 10 to 65 whoare working, shows that 57.7 percent ofAfrican American men in that age grouphave jobs, which means that more thanforty percent do not. More than two ofthree African-American men, then, donot have work, yet this stasc is rarelydiscussed. In contrast, the employment-populaon raon for White men was68.4 percent, a full 10 percentage pointshigher than the rate for Black men.Timothy Douglas is employed, and he is,indeed, defending our country. Why is hispresence or absence at the Olympic games

subject to mean-spirited discussion, whenit is clear that he supports his daughter?

It is easy to suggest that the Tea Partyaacks on President Barack Obama havemade it open season on Black peopleamong the commemtariat. And certainly,coverage of the President and his familyhas been rife with stereotypes. Sll, TeaParty aacks cant explain the ways thatsome African American women havetalked about Gabrielle Douglas hair. In

the face of causc comments about blackpeople from outsiders, must we turn onourselves?

The only thing I want to hear aboutGabrielle Douglas is how amazing hervictory was and how inspiraonal shewill be for other young women. All ofAmerica ought to celebrate this victorybecause Ms. Douglas brought the goldhome, not for herself, but for our naon.The stereotypes are simply unacceptable,whether African-Americans or Whites arewallowing in them.

--------------------------------

Julianne Malveaux is a writer and econnoist

in Washington, DC.

JULIANNE

MALVEAUX

NBC Explains The Monkey Ad They Ran Right

A

er Gabby Douglas Win, But Doesnt ApologizeNBC has issuedan excuse andexplanaon fortheir recent ad witha monkey doinggymnascs that wasshown right aer aBob Costas tributeto gold medalwinner GabbyDouglas. The ad setoff a firestorm ofcontroversy, as theming of the ad

was incredibly poor and highly offensiveto millions of Americans. The ad featureda monkey with an Olympic dream liing

himself up on sll rings, with flashingcameras in the background. I dont needto tell you about the flaws of mixing theimagery of black people and monkeys.

NBC came forth with their explanaon forwhat happened shortly aerward:

Gabby Douglas gold medal performancelast night was an historic and inspiringachievement, NBC Universalspokeswoman Liz Fischer said. The spotpromong `Animal Pracce, which hasrun three mes previously, is one in aseries with an Olympic theme, which havebeen scheduled for maximum exposure.

Certainly no offense was intended.

I refer to the statement an explanaonand an excuse because it clearly was notan apology. I find it interesng that NBCwould go out of their way to tell us thatthey didnt intend to offend us. Did anyonethink that they offended us deliberately?What the network needs to understandis that most offensive organizaons arenot deliberately ignorant, and even inthe case where you accidentally offend orinsult another party, an apology is moremeaningful than simply thinking that yourlack of intent lets you offthe hook.

The tone of the NBC excuse is consistent

with the manner by which manyorganizaons clean up aer offendingthe black community (there isnt muchof a penalty for offending black folks). Insituaons where a sincere apology seekinghumility and understanding is called for,we instead get the insinuaon that weare simply being too sensive and thatthe lack of intent should exonerate theoffender from what theyve done. Thatslike my saying I dont have to apologizefor running you over with my car becauseits clear that I didnt see you in the street.Therefore, you have no reason to be angrywith me.

Perhaps NBC should consider analternave statement that goes somethinglike this:

Gabby Douglas gold medal performancelast night was an historic and inspiringachievement. It has been brought to ouraenon that the spot promong `AnimalPracce was offensive to some, who seethe ad as a reminder of Americas painfulracial history. To those who were offendedby the ad, we sincerely apologize. Certainlyno offense was intended.

Do you see how easy that was? You see,a person who refuses to apologize for awrong theyve commied against another

person is actually comming a secondoffense by turning the blame for theturmoil onto the injured party. When I say,Oh, I wasnt trying to offend you with themonkey ad that came on right aer yourAfrican American hero, I am effecvelysaying that it is your percepon of thesituaon that is flawed, not my acons.

Lets be clear: What NBC did was horribleand humiliang for everyone. A simpleapology was all that the situaon calledfor, not a tongue-twisng explanaon forall the reasons that it wasnt your fault.All throughout our history in this country,African Americans are consistently told

that slavery wasnt a big deal, that we getoffended too easily and that racial bias isthe social boogeyman only seen by thosewho are determined to harbor delusionalconspiracy theories. But the truth is thatthe rest of world can clearly see (as theUnited Naons has cited our country forblatant human rights violaons in oureducaon, economic and criminal juscesystems) that the most delusional amongus are those who somehow believe thatAmerican racism is a thing of the past.

The first step toward racial healing isaccountability. Were red of beingmanipulated.

--------------------Dr. Boyce Watkins is a professor at Syracuse

University and founder of the Your Black

World Coalion.

DR. BOYCE

WATKINS

FROM THE BOYCE BLOG

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Are Homeless People Becoming a Major Problem in Syracuse?Is therehomelessness inSyracuse?

If you asked anySyracuse residentsuch a quesona few years ago,they would haveanswered in the

negave.

I know myr e s p o n s e

would be to deny the existence of ahomelessness problem in Syracuse. Andas far as I am concerned, it would havebeen the truth, because I hadnt nocedanything to suggest that this city has sucha problem.

More than likely, other Syracuse residentswould give a similar response. If Syracusehas a homelessness problem, it has notbeen as severe as in other cies, at least,not the kind we are used to seeing ontelevision or in real life in major ciessuch as New York or Chicago.

Briefly stated, I havent seen anything

that suggests that the city in which I havelived and worked the past few decadeshas a problem with homelessness.

Not any more. Syracuse appears tohave joined cies across the countrythat are dealing with an epidemic ofhomelessness.

According to concerned cizens,homelessness has become a majorproblem in Syracuse today. And it ismost evident in downtown Syracuse, inthe middle of what was once a bustlingcommercial center and sll has a lot ofoffices and banks.

Why dont you write about the homelesspeople downtown? asked MuhammadMuhammad. He knows I write a columnand wanted me to invesgate and writeabout a trend he had observed.

The emphasis on downtown was obvious.He wanted me to know that homelessnesshad reared its ugly head downtown. It

didnt surprise me. I had observed certainobvious signs about some people lurkingabout downtown lately that had givenme reason to suspect that downtownSyracuse has become less safe.

I have witnessed a rising incidence of an-social and criminal behavior perpetratedby thugs and other criminal elementsdowntown.

A couple of mes, I had to back offfrom menacing looking characters whoconfronted me and asked if I had a dollarto give.

Purse snatchings, panhandling androbberies have been reported to haveincreased and people do not feelcomfortable and safe.

We all know homeless people whenwe see them. In scenes played out ontelevision and movies, men and womenand somemes children huddle inhallways, or stoop over holes in streetcorners trying to keep warm from thesteam seeping from deep down.

It tells you these are people have nohomes to go to keep warm or shelterthemselves from the elements.

As far I can recall, such signs ofhomelessness have been rare in Syracuse.

Were these the signs of homelessness Iwas supposed to be looking for, I askedMuhammad. Not really, he responded.Look for subtler signs, he said.

Homelessness has manifested itselfin a totally different form downtownSyracuse. The signs of the homeless werenot as blatant and plain as in a city likeNew York.

He suggested I visit downtown Syracuseat night and check it out for myself, so Idid.

At nine oclock in the evening DowntownSyracuse is busy with evening traffic.

City buses converge at the central hubon South Salina and Fayee. Peopledisembark from buses coming from oneside of town on the South Salina side,walk across to the Fayee side and hop onanother to connue their journey. Othersdo the same in the opposite direcon.

Its the usual movement of people, buses,cars and trucks downtown, but as I look,I begin to observe that a few people haveremained immobile for some me.

They appear to be in no hurry to catch abus. Neither did they seem to be waingfor a ride. They just sat sll for longmoments. When they moved, only theirheads swiveled, the kind of movementone makes to check whats going onaround you when you want to stopanyone from sneaking up on or jumpingyou.

I looked around. There was no doubtabout it. These were the homeless peopleMuhammad was talking about. Thesepeople seemed to have seled down forthe night; at least they didnt seem to be

in a hurry to go anywhere.

I have had to deal with homeless peopleover the years in Syracuse. Many mes,I have had to drive men and women Iknow who needed to be transported tothe Rescue Mission on Gifford Street, justa block off the main street downtown orthe Oxford Inn on Midland Avenue on theSouthside.

For one reason or the other, they had toleave their residencies, and the RescueMission and the Oxford Hotel providedthat service.

So why has homelessness become such amajor problem in downtown Syracuse oflate? Does it mean the Rescue Missionand Oxford Inn cannot cope with thedemand to house the homeless even if itis just for one night?

The homeless seem to be quite disinclinedto discuss being homeless and wouldntsay much to me, but I succeeded intalking to a couple who said they founddowntown a convenient locaon becauseit is easy to walk to and there is plenty ofspace.

Homelessness has increased becausea lot of people have lost their jobs,exhausted their savings and cannotafford to maintain a home. It is the samestory in most cies across the country.The queson is, what are the authoriesdoing about it?

KOFI QUAYE

--------------------------KofiQuaye has been a Syracuse residentfor more than 30 years. He is a writer,author and publisher. Over the years, hehas been involved with the publicationof several African American focusednewspapers in Syracuse.

Dont Let Aurora Tragedy Cause CinemaphobiaBy BarbaraReynolds

Despite reportsof copy-catthreats, mys u s p i c i o n sthat there iss o m e t h i n ginherently evilabout the lastDark Knighttrilogy and

despite a you-tube public serviceannouncement on how to zig-zag outan exit if shoong begins, I am goingto be the hero of my own drama. I amgoing to drag myself into the movie tosee the latest Batman trilogy with theexpectaon that I can emerge alive.

I am going to fight the villain in my ownmind that warns if I enter a darkenedtheatre to see Batman, I just mightend up a casualty in a real-life sceneof a crazed shooter like James Holman,the alleged killer who announced hewas the Joker before gunning down12 people in a showing of The DarkKnight Rises in Aurora, Colo.

I am going to fight the feeling that thecreepy movie itself is cursed, a statewhich hopefully is not transferable.Heath Ledger, who played the role ofthe psychopathic, mass-murdering,

schizophrenic Joker in 1989, died of

prescripon drug overdose before thedebut of the film. Morgan Freeman,who played Lucius Fox in the film, wasseriously injured in a car accident inMississippi in August 2008. His co-star,and the star of the franchise, ChrisanBale, hit the headlines in July 2008when he was arrested for allegedlyassaulng his mother and sister shortlybefore the Londons premiere. Severalother stunt persons were injured.

For anyone who has ever suffered fromphobias (irraonal fears that feel real)panic aacks of doom dread of deathor nightmares from over-idenfyingwith vicms of horrific crimes, youknow we have to beat down everymenacing scary thought before itbecomes a full-fledged horror that cantake over our lives and push us awayfrom friends, familiar places and theordinary pleasures of life.

In years past, movie themes like TheBirds, a 1963 suspense/horror filmdirected by Alfred Hitchcock whereflocks of violent birds aacked a townand a murderous shower scene inPsycho, le some of us sll queasyabout feathered creatures flyingoverhead and sll keeping a watchfuleye for intruders while showering.If those scenes can produce suchphobias, imagine what the mind canconjure up when murderer leaps fromthe screen into the movie seats.

In fact, phobias which are irraonalfears that prevent people from carryingon ordinary acvies can result fromsomething far less cataclysmic thana massacre of innocents aending amovie.

I suffer from gephydrophobia, a fearof bridges, for example. The cementpaved Wilson Bridge is a breeze, butthe tall 4.3 mile Bay Bridge, one ofthe worlds largest when it opened,exposes drivers to a watery abyss thatis so terrorizing that scores of peoplelike me pay drivers to take us across.

This fear of bridges all started becauseof a joke. In 1983 I was driving across itand my friend joked that she thoughtI was going to drive off the bridge likenews reporter Jessica Savitch. When Iheard that, I looked at the water andmy heart pounded, my knees shookand my foot froze on the accelerator.I had virtually an overwhelming desireto get out the car and start running.Someone else had to take the wheeland drive me across. To this day, Isll cant drive across it and a recentaccident where a driver did drive offthe bridge only confirmed my worstfears.

There are about 520 types of phobia.At least 20 million people have them.There are football players who arepetrified at the sight of a lile mouse,

offi

ce workers who would rather walk

up 20 flights of steps than ride anelevator, people who wont touchothers for fear of germs and peoplewho the very thought of leavingtheir house induces shaking andoverwhelming anxiety.

We must not allow enough crazinessto creep into our minds where analleged gunman like Forman can imbedanother phobia in our mental lexicon,such as the irraonal fear of movie-going, a source of posive escapismand family entertainment. PsychiatristDr. Jan Hutchinson says, It is naturalto feel some anxiety or nervousnessabout aending a movie aer sucha disastrous event like Aurora but tovow never to aend a movie becauseof one event is irraonal, what wecall a phobia. And the only way to ridyourself of a phobia is to do whateveryou are afraid of. Ninety nine percentof the me you will be fine.

So, according to Hutchinson in thelast 29 years I could have rid myself ofbridge fear simply by driving across it,which in my mind sll means drivingoffof it. Too late for that. What I can donow is aggressively resist this creepinganxiety each me I think about themassacre in the Aurora theatre, which,if prolonged could turn into full-blastcinemaphobia. Dark Knight is a must-see for me; only because what itmeans not to see it.

REV. BARBARA

A. REYNOLDS

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