With the slew of awards going around ITLH started thinking. Who would the Syracuse Orange ‘Person of the Year’ be?
What makes a viral news story?
Emotion. Controversy. Triumph. Despair. A call to action. Any of these factors can contribute to the type of new story that the public just can’t get enough of and has a shelf-life that seemingly lasts forever. In Syracuse, a major news story surrounding the athletic department is the equivalent of a New York Times bombshell report and can last in the minds of Syracuse Orange fans for years.
While we know Syracuse University drives the conversation in this city, which person or story drove the most conversation? Was it something on the field/court? Was it something someone said or did? What person or story got the public so impassioned that this person was the highlight of Syracuse Orange news in 2017?
Wednesday, Time Magazine announced their Person of the Year – a person who “for better or for worse… has done the most to influence the events of the year”. In what can only be described as a crazy calendar year for Syracuse Orange Athletics, this award would be a complete toss-up if we applied those same standards locally. From crazy upsets, to coaching departures, this was a year that we won’t soon forget.
So who should we name as the Syracuse Orange Person of the Year? Lets follow the same credentials and make a short list of some of the headline grabbers in 2017: