VLOG3: Searching for Orangemen

The Syracuse Orangemen are known around the globe for their storied history.  Their mascot -- the ORANGEMEN -- has become synonymous with both resembling a Sesame-Street Character (or one of the Mr. Men book characters) and with WINNING.

  

The mascot, the myth, the ORANGE.

Who could forget their Cinderella run to the 2003 Men's Basketball National Championship behind freshman phenom Carmelo Anthony -- Upsetting Texas in the Final behind 'Melo's Career High 33 points.

  

Carmelo Anthony, the Patron Saint of Headbands.

But the list goes on of famous "Orangeman" -- names like Larry Czonka, Art Monk, Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison, and Jim Brown.  Not just famous for athletes, many of the voices you hear on TV are also Orangemen -- Marv Albert, Ted Koppel, Bob Costas, and Mike Tirico.  Or maybe even the more obscure, names like Ronny Siekely, Taye Diggs, and the ever popular Vanessa Williams.  Or perhaps we dig even deeper, to the early 1960's and Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win college football's most prestigious award.

In honoring this tradition, we traveled yesterday 45 minutes south to the "original" Syracuse -- the ancient Greek City of Siracusa -- where we were certain we would find the very first Orangemen.  However, as we quickly found out, the search for the Orangeman of Syracuse would not be as easy as we hoped.  Enjoy!

~ J. Twice