Thursday: Kyle’s points plan; catch up with pennant races in 30 seconds
"Darth McFarling," as Trevor called me on Twitter.
“The aura,” he said at one point, waving his hands in front of his torso, “is bad. It’s bad.”
I do appreciate his candor, though, as he didn’t sugarcoat his frustration with missing the Chase. Here’s more from him.
SOMETHING THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE COLUMN BUT WAS INTERESTING TO ME was Busch’s suggestion on changing the points allocation in the Chase. His plan would have the 12 Chase drivers competing against each other independent of the rest of the field, so if you’re first among Chase drivers in a race, you get 12 points; if you’re last among Chase drivers, you get 1. He argued that this would keep more guys in the hunt longer and make one bad finish less punitive than it currently is.
THE REGULAR NFL REFS ARE BACK TONIGHT. The league reaches a deal with the union to end an impasse that’s lasted since June. Baltimore hosts Cleveland tonight on the NFL Network.
HOKIES
-Andy provides a closer look at running back Tony Gregory, who battled through injuries to have a breakout performance against Bowling Green on Saturday. “Tony is the guy that’s been playing tailback and has some experience. And it shows,” running backs coach Shane Beamer says. “I think he’s got a confidence back there and when the ball is in his hands, he’s going to play fast.”
-Berman and the guest picker (a Tech fan) picked Cincy to upset the Hokies in the Fearless Forecasters. The rest of us went with Tech.
PENNANT RACES
-The Orioles tie a team record with seven homers — including two apiece from Chris Davis and Manny Machado — to beat Toronto and maintain the AL wildcard lead.
-Yankees win again to stay 1.5 games up on Baltimore in the AL East. The Angels win to stay two back of Oakland for the second wildcard spot, while the Rays win again to stay three back with six games left in the regular season.
-O’s are off tonight. Yankees play at Toronto (7 p.m., MLB Network).
-Detroit wins its third straight to take a one-game lead over the White Sox in the AL Central.
-Not much drama in the NL, where the Reds and Giants have wrapped up their divisions, the Nats are four games up on Atlanta in the East and the wildcard races are nearly decided. St. Louis has a four-game lead over the Brewers and Dodgers for the second NL wildcard spot.
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL
-Berman and I preview this week’s ACC games outside the commonwealth and local games here.
-VMI quarterback Eric Kordenbrock is on the mend.
HIGH SCHOOLS
-Blacksburg’s boys cross country team wins the Metro Championships. Cave Spring’s Katie Fortner wins the individual girls title, with JF taking the girls team crown.
-Cave Spring volleyball keeps winning.
NAME THAT TUNE
-Right in Doughty’s wheelhouse.
And I don’t own the clothes I’m wearing
And the road goes on forever
And I’ve got one more silver dollar
But I’m not gonna let ‘em catch me, no…
September 27, 2012 - 8:08 AM
Midnight Rider- Almond Bros.
Allmond / NUTS!
Midnight Rider – Allman Brothers, though I like Willie Nelson’s version, too.
Allman Brothers it is. Nicely done.
People have been trying to fix the NASCAR points system since the very start of NASCAR. It didn’t seem like the Championship became such a big deal until Earnhardt was making a run at Petty. I remember the drivers talking about running for wins and saying they weren’t going to run points back in the 70′s early 80′s. Then it seems like it became a bigger deal. Always have thought the Championship should be more about wins than anything else. More like a Formula One. I don’t really care who runs 10th. If they run 10th all year long and win one race no way they should beat a guy with 7 or 8 wins who has a couple wrecks while trying to win.
Hey, If I was a Hokie – like the Peter Paul commercial – sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.
Shrub’s attitude after missing the Chase is why he’s never won the Sprint Cup, and why it will be a long time before he does, IF he does. He’s the ‘Nuke’ Laloosh of NASCAR. Million dollar talent, five cent head.
Gotta agree, CR, although at least Nuke seemed to enjoy being a pro athlete. Not sure how all the moping is going to improve his performance or inspire confidence in those who sign his paychecks. Maybe somebody should send him a Tony Robbins CD or something.
Aaron, glad that you have a sense of humor.
Anybody here part of the Hokies Club? I have heard a rumor that Jim Weaver was going to retire soon and Frank Beamer would take over as an AD. I am extremely skeptical that this would happen.
Also, Tom Obsorne is going to retire this coming January.
So, the regular refs are going to be calling the game tonight? What’s the over/under on how long it will take before fans scream they got jobbed on a bad call?
I have to agree with Mark Berman and the mysterious Tech fan with their picks. I have also picked Cincinnati over Tech. The run defense is a bit suspect, and I don’t know how well the thin secondary is going to hold up against the spread offense. And face it, the offense is maddening frustrating to watch. Did Stinespring take over the play calling on Saturday during the Bowling Green game? After stinking it up for three possessions, they suddenly found their groove and got rolling, and that screams Stinespring to me.
I’m in the Hokie Club but haven’t heard that rumor. Weirder things have happened though. Wonder if he would step down as coach if he took the AD job? Bill Dooley did both for a while.
I have pondered the Chase format that Kyle Busch thinks would work, and he’s right, it’d keep drivers in the hunt longer, but I still think there needs to be some punitive impact for a DNF, or two.
If a driver doesn’t finish a couple of Chase races, he doesn’t deserve to be the champion, unless he blows everybody away with really solid results.
The current setup rewards consistently finishing high. Just because you make the Chase shouldn’t mean you aren’t judged against the field.
Trevor, too much is being put into the slow start against BG on Saturday. Going into the wind had more to do with it than anything. Remember, 37 points were scored, 31 with the wind, and on the one TD scored going into it, the PAT was even missed when it was backed up 5 yards.
But, with O’Stinecain sitting together in the box, I’d say the play calling is pretty much a combo effort, with neither one of them really calling them, but rather them talking thru things as drives progress.
On the Weaver/Beamer thing, Weaver plans to ride out his contract, which is another couple years. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Tom Gabbard or Sharon McCloskey be the AD for a short while, and Frank take it from there, if he wanted to do it. I can guarantee you one thing won’t happen, and that is having the current football coach (or any other coach) be the AD, too. Nobody does that anymore, and Bill Dooley caused too much bad history for Tech to consider doing it again.
That’s been in the plans for a while for Frank to take over Weaver’s job when Weaver retires in a couple of years. Weaver’s health may be forcing him to consider retiring earlier than he planned, though.
Dale Jr was in a similar funk until last year. Every interview he did was like somebody ran over his puppy. I think he has bounced back to a point. I have a theory on Dale Jr that maybe nobody else has talked about before. I can’t remember the year it happened exactly now but he was practicing in a Corvette for one of the endurance races can’t remember where either but he wrecked and got burned really bad. It seems like he had to miss a race or two. Anyway I remember him saying in an interview he thought his Dad had saved him. Keep in mind his Dad was already gone by this time. If you look at the stats before and after that wreck there is a huge difference. Anyway something for people to google if they are interested and have the time.
The Board at VT learned their lesson with Bill Dooley. Frank Beamer will not be named AD, even if he were interested. The AD job is no longer a retirement package for old ball coaches. It requires a business inclination, not a football inclination. The only football coaches that do transition into AD’s are those that do so as a mid-career change, not as a retirement vehicle. Besides, Beamer will be around for another 7-8 years before he stops coaching.
Until Tech proves otherwise I have to believe that a team that beat PIT badly will beat us. I hope we prove otherwise but my eyes say CIN is better today than we are.
TACKLE SOMEBODY! HIT SOMEBODY! SHOW SOME PRIDE!
Contrary to popular belief I thought our showing against BG was about equal to that of our showing against JMU. We wasted the entire first qtr for no reason I could see. We were very weak against fairly simple off-tackle runs and couldn’t get to their QB until the second half. Considering that Gayle is double and triple teamed every play I found this hard to believe.
How many times can our pass rush go past the QB and not get the sack? How many times can a team run up the gut and we miss the play? How many times will our guys throw themselves at the ball carrier and miss when a wrap up tackle would work?
TACKLE SOMEBODY! Hell, even if its your own guy! At least its a start.
Hit somebody! Please!
The lunch pail has lost its luster this year.
I wonder when Gibbs will tire of Shrub, and replace him with a newer younger version – someone who manages to be mature. He still hasn’t managed that feat. I’m not busting him because I dislike him, he’s one of the ones I don’t care one way or the other about. But it sure seems like both Bush brothers will just never ‘get it’.
You want a good OC, come on down and check out ODU’s. Tons of imagination and he has extremely skilled players to run it for a I AA program. Imagine what he could do with I A talent. They would have to build that second deck they’ve always wanted to hold the new fans.
Tom L, many lower level coordinators, and head coaches, have failed miserably once they moved up the ladder. The ODU situation is not something you can compare to anything else. If he has, as you say, extremely skilled players, that’s why he is doing so well, not necessarily the fact he is a good coordinator. He may have a talent gap, given the 757 area he is in. Not many FCS schools can tap that. I could’ve coached a Magic Johnson era Lakers team to an NBA title, or three, myself.
The lock out is over? But Greg Roberts said yesterday his sources said it was gonna be a while and he trusts his sources. Can’t be true!
As I said before, I was extremely skeptical that Beamer would move up to become an AD, and according to the rumor, Beamer would step down as a coach. Again, very, very skeptical. As CR noted, being a AD is more like a CEO, overseeing mutli-million dollars budget, managing an entire athletic department, and compliance with the NCAA (rolling eyes). That’s probably why Michigan’s AD was a former CEO now managing the athletic department there.
Tom L., I heard the quarterback at ODU shattered Division I record, 738 (or whereabout that) passing yards. Sheesh, his arm would have fallen off if they went to the 5th quarter. It’s like ODU’s defense couldn’t slow down New Hampishire (a powerhouse that Chip Kelly built before he left for Oregon), and New Hampishire couldn’t slow down ODU. That would have been an entertaining game to watch! And to think that some Tech fans are clamoring to play ODU.
I think Va Tech will find a way to win. Pitt has improved but one of the main reasons Tech lost was that they came out flat. Don’t see it happening again so soon so they will win. But as I said early in the season I think it will be very tight and definitely feel it will be a touchdown or less margin. It very well could come down to another kick.
Rick, while it is true some coordinators and coaches struggle moving up, some have found success. Chip Kelly, as mentioned, was coaching at New Hampishire before landing at Oregon. Then there was Urban Meyer (Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and now Ohio State). RichRod was coaching at a tiny college in West Virginia before making an impact at Clemson as the OC and then at WV.
So theres always a success story for each failure.
Gus Malzhan was a high school coach before moving on up and do was Chad Morris. Both of them have made their mark.
NewUVAFan, I don’t know what to think of you. The fact that you are a ‘Hoo, or listen to Greg Roberts!
Greg’s sources are always so impeccable. He is ‘such’ an insider. I laugh my ass off every time something big comes up and he fouls it off into the dugout, because he has some “inside scoop.”
He’s a shotgun kind of guy, fire off enough pellets and something will hit something, but don’t count the number that don’t hit anything.
Rick,
Not that this is a forum on Greg Roberts but I agree with you 100%. I have never seen anyone take so long to say so little. One has to wonder just what “sources” GR has, at all, at the NFL level. I mean, give me a break, this guy is a 2 hour (at most) a day talk show host on a small market radio station that puts out, what, 50 Watts?
Then he tries to pass himself off as some hard working dude or something- 2 hours a day, are you kidding me? And all you do is read what is on ESPN.com and Beamerball? I can’t remember the last time he reported on there something I didn’t already know well in advance.
The ‘breaking” news for today is that Tony Gregory didn’t make the trip to DC. We all know it now but Greg will BREAK the story tonight.
Beamer is not going to take over for Weaver, on TV Beamer looks older and more sickly than Weaver. Time for both of them to head to Walmart for a greeter position.
Greg Roberts program is a total waste of time, I agree with the other writers that Roberts so called up to date news is stuff that is a day old and could be obtained anywhere on the Net or Cable. I find myself now listening to ESPN radio, it doesn’t take those guys 30 minutes to say something that should be said in two minutes. Yea, how hard does one have to work to show up and do what Roberts does?
Crap! When does Fearless Forecasters lock? I logged in to make my picks today, and it’s all locked up and gave me default picks.
Rick, I don’t know why but for some reason I usually listen to Roberts for a few minutes daily. It’s like listening to a car crash but you can’t turn it off.
I have to wonder about those who chase the fantasy of Frank Beamer as AD. I’m puzzled as to how they can pretend ‘this has been in the works for years’? I guess they choose to ignore the five year contract Beamer has following his retirement as head coach, where he will be paid $250K annually to ‘promote fundraising efforts’.
I guess they also choose to ignore Frank Beamer’s age. He’ll be 66 next month. Weaver is contracted through 2015, three more years. Even if he quit tomorrow, the heavens opened, and Frank Beamer ‘decided’ to become a part time AD for a $60+ million budget BCS school, how stupid do the rabidly uninformed fans think the VT Board is to even consider that?
Talk about handicapping your entire athletic program and erasing the bulk of the gains made since 2001, when Frank Beamer was threatening to decimate his alma mater’s football program by skating to UNC?
Yeah, far fetched doesn’t begin to describe it.
Hey, NewUvaFan, I can’t blame you for listening to him. I catch myself doing it, too.
But, it IS like gawking at a car crash, for sure, or stopping to see what is in the vomit on the floor, just wanting to know, just what did they eat?
CR, I was told by a co-worker whose mother is a Hokie Club member. I thought it sounded like pure BS, and that’s why I wanted to run by the blog crowd’s BS filter before running around on Twitter proclaiming it and made a fool. Again, I don’t think it would ever happen. Sure, Beamer has a “special assistant to the AD” in his contract extension, but that simply mean he’s going to be a fund-raising machine.
No, farfetched doesn’t describe it. It’s bull[expletive]. That’s what it is.
chalk …. chalk….chalk…..! you should be sweeping floors in a pool hall, kid! …. it’s coming back to bite you ff chalky chalk! nurse it, frank!
greg roberts, the media vt shill, has never been wrong. that’s why allegedly he covered 6 super bowls for wsls back in day … yeah, from the parking lot, that is….he should have asked beamer to make a call to get him a nonworking suite credential!