Tuesday: And Rudy wept…
I’M RAISING MY HAND AS ONE OF THE DOPES WHO THOUGHT THE IRISH WOULD AT LEAST KEEP IT CLOSE LAST NIGHT. Instead, Alabama whips Notre Dame 42-14 in a game that was over by the second quarter. I’ll take some solace in the fact that the Bowl Guide finished 21-12-2 against the spread. Sixty-four percent winners ain’t too shabby.
Anyone want to take a stab at the Hokies-Bama score in the 2013 opener?
Thanks for the well-wishes yesterday, guys. Not to get sappy, but this blog crowd is a blessing. I’m happy to report that the mystery virus still leads me, but I feel a bit of a momentum change in this matchup this morning. One more day of lying around watching “Golden Girls” could put me in the lead for the first time since Christmas Eve. At least I hope so.
Bonus “Golden Girls” joke from yesterday’s 3 p.m. episode:
Rose: “What’s Irish and sits outside all night long?
Boyfriend: “I don’t know. What?”
Rose: “Patty O’Furniture.”
January 8, 2013 - 5:40 AM
AMc, what is sadder? That you watched the Golden Girls, or that I laughed at the joke you relayed? Although the Irish tried to shake down the thunder, they definitely got rolled by the Tide. The best hope for next season’s opener is that Saban won’t have time to prepare his team for the Hokies.
On the serious side, at least we’re playing them, and even if we lose 42-14, it’s not like anybody will be saying it was a shocker, since it just happened to Notre Dame. But… maybe we can catch them on an off night and shake up the world. As well as they played last night, Alabammer did lose this season. As they say – you never know what will happen, that’s why they play the games.
I am quitting my duty as offensive coordinator for Virginia Tech football. My playbook only have read options and I’m scared my play calling will make Logan injuried.
Just checked the list of Nick Saban’s staff. Of the twelve people he’s got, 3 have been with him all six years at Alabammer, 1 has been five years, and only 1 other one has been there as long as 3 years. 7 out of 12 have been there two years or less. That staff list includes player personnel & strength directors, too. Interesting how change doesn’t have to be feared. Saban’s done a great job with a rotating staff. Sometimes it is all in where the focus lies…
Well after watching ND and the whipping they took last night i’m not dreading the opening game with Bama as much. Yea Tech probably won’t make a first down if changes are not made but I don’t think Bama will put 50 on the board like they did to ND. Thanks Bud Foster.
For the 2nd year in a row, I passed on the title game. It was completely meaningless after I read about the final score and how the game went. The way I see it, the title game last night only highlighted the need for a playoff. The BCS system is so effed up it is laughable. It’s only because of staunch defender of the BCS it is still around, but at least the playoff are coming, but it is not enough. The bowl games need to go away, permanently.
Mere seconds after Texas A&M beat Alabama, CBS was already lobbying hard for Alabama to be in the title game. They all were hoping that Oregon and Kansas State would lose just so Alabama could continue to win meaningless national title over hapless teams.
Call me an SEC hater, Alabama hater, I don’t give a flying pig about it, all I know is college football have lost its luster because of the love affair with the bowl system and the stupid polls that accompanies it.
The NFL has it right, and they should be the model for division 1-A football. At least Division 1-AA and II and III have playoff, and they are doing just fine.
So there.
The two best teams in the country IMHO are Bama and Texas A&M, and we know how that game went. As long as opinions of pollsters matter teams like Notre Dame will be ushered into the championship game. Playoffs.
CR, great point. The difference in their staff and Techs (or at least one major difference) is that his staff turns over because other programs are constantly hiring his staff away. Yet he is the constant and just plugs someone else into the system. When was the last time somebody raided Techs program for one of their coaches or even tried other than Bud?
Trevor, I completely agree with you about the playoff and can’t wait. But what difference would it have made this year?? How does the game last night show the need for a playoff?? So there would have been 1 more 40 point blowout before they blew out ND?? And you do realize if there was a playoff this year 3 of the 4 teams would have been from the SEC?? There is a reason the league has won 7 in a row and counting….
That game was great for Tech next year too. There will be absolutely zero expectations for them and they will have nothing at all to lose.
A Mac, drink plenty of fluids, try chicken soup, starve a fever and feed a cold. That is about the limit of my medical knowledge but I hope you mount a rally and defeat this virus.
I was texting my son during the “game” last night. He is a ND fan so while I was needling him I was also anticipating the impending beat down my Hokies are facing on Labor Day Week-end. ‘Bama can pick their number against us but I hope it is under 100.
SEC, SEC, SEC
Why in the world we would want to stay in the ACC (especially since we’re basically the Big East again) is beyond me. The atmosphere, the excitement and the money is a zillion times that of the ACC. The big time recruits want to play before big time crowds, big time TV and that’s the SEC. 7 straight national titles by 4 different teams. That’s Big Time. How many fans would Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, South Carolina etc..bring to Lane on gameday compared to Wake, Syracuse, BC, Duke, Miami, UNC, etc…
Those that hate the SEC are simply envious. 90,000 people, tailgating heaven, better weather, better TV revenues, simply better. Plus, A&M, Georgia, Florida and Vandy are all ranked higher than us academically so that argument is out. Travel argument is also out with the Big East additions. I hope VT always does what’s best for VT as it relates to conference realignment if more is to come.
AMc, my hands up too, at least as one who HOPED the Irish would keep it close just for entertainment purposes. Geez, what a snoozer of a NC game. I had resorted to reruns of Family Guy before halftime….are you all aware that ‘The Bird’ is the word? I figured I already had the TV on something the wife doesn’t care for, might as well stick with it.
Have you ever seen a more pitiful display of arm tackling/non tackling put on by any football team than the Irish in the first quarter last night? I know Bama has got two studs at tailback but they both looked like they were walking through a turnstile at the civic center. Even their Heisman runner up Tao looked completely helpless against them….I thought they might be over rated back when they squeaked by Pitt earlier this year and from what I seen last night that might be accurate. Let’s hope Foster’s bunch doesn’t take a que from them in August, could be a long night in Atlanta.
I’m glad I didn’t watch either. The only bowl game I watched was the only interesting one that I could pick up over the air…Texas A&M and Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, and that turned out to be a blowout too. A&M was exciting to watch to be sure, but otherwise the game was dull. Last night’s blowout caps off yet another lackluster bowl season. Sure, there were a few good games…but the vast majority of bowl games were uninteresting.
I prefer quality over quantity. The proliferation of bowl games and the glut of mediocre teams playing in them has made what used to be one of the best periods in sports during the year into one of the more unremarkable that I simply just don’t care that much about now. If March Madness expands any more than it already has, then college hoops will drop further down my list of what I care about too. The NFL gets it right. Short regular season, important and limited post-season.
At least between now and first pitch of the baseball season we have hockey again. But, I will admit that my enthusiasm for the NHL has dropped from yet another lockout. I love hockey, but the league is driving away casual fans in droves.
I saw a CBSSports tweet that aTm’s Kevin Sumlin has had four assistant coaches become head coaches? Imagine that? Assistant coaches interested in furthering their careers and other schools interested in them? People within the coaching ranks that want to advance their careers in college sports. And the fan bases don’t even seem to fear the changes. How unusual. No, actually, how typical. In most places…
Glad you are feeling better. Bowls were awful this year with just a few exceptions. Still would have liked to have seen Oregon vs Alabama. Way too soon to guess Tech vs Alabama score but I could see VT keeping it close if they make the right changes.
Palmetto, to key on your comment – I think that equal parts of the equation are that Saban, like almost every other coach in the country, hires assistant coaches who are interested in exploring their limits as opposed to relaxing in the same position for decades. As a result of hiring those people who work to stretch, other schools see their potential.
Contrast that to us, where our most vaunted assistant only has had a handful – as in less than ten – offers made public by other schools in well over two decades of excellent coaching. As good as he is, by far the shining star of the staff, and he only gets even mentioned every 3-4 years? And he’s head & shoulders above the others. Nobody else ever gets mentioned, EVER. Seriously, think about that.
I actually turned off the game to catch the end of a Washington Wizards game last night. At least the Wizards somehow won. The game reminded me of Super Bowls during my childhood, but at least back then we could pick a side to root for in the much-more-evenly-matched “Bud Bowl” commercials.
Too soon for sure shaun for a prediction on the Tech-Bama game but what the heck…Foster’s defense performs well early to keep Tech in the game, but due to a lackluster offense that can’t get a first down and keep the defense off the field, Bama’s power running game wears them down and Bama pulls away late to win 38-10. Sounds like a repeat of several games this year, but unless an offensive mesiah shows up in Blacksburg in the next couple of weeks to get that side of the ball up to speed with the defense I think we’re in for more of the same next season. We will have to wait and see.
One bright spot for the opener next year. A lot of estimates are that Bama has about 15 guys on this team that will be in the NFL next year. Bad thing is their 3rd stringers are pretty darn good.
Huntersdad, your seeing the defense get tired and Bama scoring 38 is right on. If we don’t make changes in the offense though we won’t score 10. To paraphrase Coach Kelly in his halftime interview, we have a chance if they don’t come out of the locker room.
Notre Dame was shown as the big pretender. The sports media has to realize the domers are living in the past. They would finish in the lower level of the SEC.
2013 VIRGINIA TECH OPENER vs ALABAMA………
FINAL SCORE: ALABAMA: 56………………VA TECH: 13
I FILE THIS AWAY UNTIL SATURDAY, AUGUST 31st………..
‘Bama has to replace probably 3 offensive linemen, and O-line was the biggest strength of that team. If there is anything to be moderately happy about, at least Tech gets to play ‘Bama at the BEGINNING of the season when ‘Bama has three new starters than at the end of the season.
Remember when Tech had to play #1 USC to open the 2004 season and was hoping to not get crushed???????????????? Wasn’t Tech coming off a major letdown of a season? Wasn’t Tech without Me-Angelo Hall and KJ, gone to the NFL via the first round? Wasn’t Tech without its only legit receiver Ernest Wilford, also gone to the NFL?
BUT GUESS WHAT USC HAD TO BREAK IN A NEW OFFENSIVE LINE AND THEREFORE VT HELD USC TO 7 FIRST HALF POINTS AND WAS LEADING THE FREAKING GAME 10-7 AT THE HALF! HECK VT CAME CLOSER TO BEATING #1 USC IN 2004 THAN IT DID TO BEATING #1 FSU IN THE 1999 TITLE GAME.
VT HAS TO EXPLOIT THE THREE NEW STARTERS ON ‘BAMA’S O-LINE AND THEY HAVE TO MAKE TACKLES WHICH NOTRE DAME FAILED AT MISERABLY DESPITE BEING IN POSITION NUMEROUS TIMES. VT CAN’T HAVE A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF THAT PITT DEBACLE IN WHICH IT COULDN’T HAVE TACKLED STEPHEN HAWKING!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALSO REMEMBER THAT IN 2009, VT PLAYED A ‘BAMA TEAM THAT WOULD GO ON TO WIN THE NATIONAL TITLE AND HUNG IN THERE AND I THINK VT WAS EVEN LEADING AT HALFTIME BEFORE FALLING 34-24 AND NEVER TRAILING BY MORE THAN 10 POINTS THE ENTIRE GAME. THIS WAS A BAMA DEFENSE THAT ******MADE TIM TEBOW CRY****** I REPEAT TIM TEBOW WAS RENDERED A CRYING BOY BY THAT DEFENSE… AND CONSIDERING THAT VT ONLY PUT UP 155 TOTAL YARDS OF OFFENSE IN THAT GAME AGAINST BAMA, VT PLAYED ABOUT AS WELL AS IT COULD…..VT WILL NEED KNOWLES TO BREAK SOME BIG ONES IN THE SAME WAY THAT DYRELL ROBERTS RETURNED A KICK FOR A TD AGAINST ‘BAMA IN 2009!!!!!!
IT IS TOO EARLY TO LOSE HOPE, HOKIE FANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LET’S GO HOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s an interesting bit of trivia my oldest found while watching the Skins-Seahawks game Sunday….
From the starting lineups for that game, what university had the most players on the field? The answer….VT with four. Not, Bama, not LSU, not Notre Dame, not USC. The next closest was Oklahoma with 2. No one can say that the Hokies haven’t had the same caliber of talent come through their doors over the last few years as the elite. Maybe not as many, but on the same level of talent. Now if the Hokies can find some coaches to utilize what talent they have now before it starts heading to the NFL.
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the only reason alabama and notre dame went to the title game (which, by the way, is now a laugher) is because of the sec bias and the name brand of notre dame.
The bowl games this season featured many, many horrible match ups.
I’m no longer interested in college football.
For all the vaunted recruiting that is supposedly the reason for hiring & retention of the current crop of assistant coaches, the elementary question that dissolves the Frank Beamer apologist mantra is – ‘But what do you do with them once they actually commit to come to Blacksburg?’ Newsome? Hired because of supposed recruiting expertise in the 757. Do we really need to list how many elite recruits we’ve lost from there since his arrival? Stinespring? The apologist excuse for him is his recruiting expertise. Yet over a decade of incompetence as an actual coordinator has shown he wastes the talent he does convince to attend. Also, do we really need to list the elite prospects we’ve lost with his supposed recruiting genius?
We could go down the list, but the evidence is pretty obvious – Frank Beamer hires assistant coaches for what is overwhelmingly obviously only one reason. He doesn’t hire a guy that is capable of recruiting AND coaching. Even then, the one supposed expertise of the hires proves not to be so expert, based on the torrent of elite talent leaving the Commonwealth to go play somewhere interesting.
Amazing that all across the nation, other coaches understand that concept.
When will they update the Fearless Forecasters for the seaon end?
After watching last night and seeing the amazing level of draftable quarterback talent out there this year, Logan Thomas better run to NFL. At least he will be paid to take the pounding that the VT QB will take next year in that game.
Came to another realization. The acc is responsible for starting all the conference realignments in the bcs era. They stole boston college, miami, and virginia tech from the big east. So, they help drive the corruption that made the bcs look like choir boy.
Also, notre dame was badly defrocked last night. They were exposed for the fraud they were, especially after when one of their wins were suspiciously ruled in their favor during their win over stanford.
Thus, I’ll end my rant against all thing bcs and college football with the refrain, “Death to the BCS.”
For everyone ranting about Texas A&M, they had lost 2 games and would never have been considered in the planned 4-team playoff. Instead, we would have gotten Notre Dame vs. Florida and Alabama vs. Oregon, with a likely Notre Dame/Alabama championship game. The only potential ‘plus’ would have been that Notre Dame would not have had 44 days’ worth of rust to shake off in the 1st quarter. The real fraud would have been allowing a team like Florida into the playoff picture.
Huntersdad, are you sure that VT had the most players in the Skins/Seahawks game? I know that two different Penn State players scored touchdowns, and there were others on the field. I haven’t looked it up, so you may be right, but you overlooked PSU in your analysis
Huntersdad – nevermind, you were only referring to starting lineups
The phrase “be careful what you wish for..” has never been more true when it comes to those wanting VT to go to the SEC. All those that advocate the move justify it by saying “how great the SEC is” in several different ways. Unless you plan on cheering for the SEC as a whole and not VT’s football team your argument holds no weight.
VT wouldn’t sniff a BCS bowl in the SEC. As it stands, VT has made the BCS several times in its short existence. Why would you trade that for 6-6 mediocrity and something along the lines of the Russell Athletic Bowl when they do get 6 wins? I’d rather have 10-2 mediocrity and win a couple bowl games in a 2nd tier conference, than get beat week in and week out just to say “but but…we’re in the SEC!”
Ask Vandy or Kentucky if given the choice would they choose to continue their whipping boy status in the SEC or would they rather enjoy a big bowl game every now and then.
The highlight of my weekend was a family trip to the Salem Civic Center to watch a rodeo. I left there with a newfound respect for the rodeo clowns. Those clowns are either very brave or foolish to put themselves between the riders and the bulls. I don’t think football players would have the balls to do the same thing. I wouldn’t even do it, and it also made me appreciate that I have a job that pays well and don’t have to worry about getting tramped underfoot by an angry bull.
Yeah RP just the starters ….and I was going on what my 17 year old told me while browsing the Internet.all those penn state players were on the bench where they belonged! Bazinga!! Just kiddin RP !
Trev, kudos for realizing the world is larger than before thought. The niches of a room are always more interesting than the central rug. I think it was pre-Dennis Miller, but someone once said that sports are the playground of American life, and sometimes you need to get of the sandbox.
That doesn’t mean you can’t kick sand while in the box, or tag someone while shouting ‘IT!’, but life moves on, regardless…
I love the rodeo…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOGa1tN8y04
Trev, I didn’t do your rodeo interest justice. Here’s a non-arena ‘bull riding’ video that you might appreciate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh3G8R5K4_8
CR, related to your post about being good at recruiting or coaching, I think they have to good at both (at least collectively as a team). Foster seems to be able to take moderate talent and coach it up thus continuing to get decent and sometimes really good recruits. Our offensive staff never is able to coach up the talent – they waste it as you state and thus we miss a lot of the best. I thought it interesting that I heard on the radio that Saban did not consider himself to be a good coach but an excellent recruiter. He hires and trusts his coordinators and assistants to be the good / great coaches.
Didn’t mean to tick you off yesterday about the “deadline”. I just thought it funny the way you wrote as if you could give FB a deadline for his coaching changes. As far as I know the only three people in position to give FB a deadline are Jim Weaver, Steger and Cheryl Beamer!
I’d give the Hokies a fighter’s chance if Alabama played A&M the following week, but they have a bye week after playing Tech to prepare for the early-season Game of The Century on 9/14. Tech has to hope for lots of defections to the NFL from Bama underclassmen
After the first quarter-or before-the most interesting thing about that game was watching for shots of the Alabama`s QBs girlfriend in he stands. Brent and Herbie could hardly contain themselves. “Luck of the Irish” got ND in the game much to the delight of ESPN, I`m sure. They were lucky to beat Pitt and got to play USC without Barkley. Glad we`re done with that system. Keep improving Aaron.
For all you “Alabama Best Ever” contributors may I remind you that they do lose once in a while. Like to A&M and LSU. They also play softees during the season.
Now I am not among the ND got robbed group because clearly the better team won. But, if that fumbled punt goes to ND the game may have had a different complexion (than say, a remake of Custer’s Last Stand).
And as far as that goes, a Tatoo Parlor stopped Ohio State. A missed FG stopped Oregon St. A bad bounce stopped UGA. Lots and lots of teams could have competed who might have matched Alabama better than ND.
The guy who really shocked me was Manzeil in the A&M game. I had no idea he had that kind of lateral quickness. WOW! We thought Vick was tricky.
On another matter, no one can yet explain to me why Pep Hamilton would come to VT. Just how is that in his interest? And if we offerred more money, why wouldn’t Stanford match?
I think its great that Beamer is talking to him but I don’t yet see what’s in it for him.
As for Coaches and ‘Bama. Saban is the best to spring from the Belicheck coaching tree. Or at least the most successful so far. So wouldn’t people come to him for coaches? I don’t know that Saban has rotated his guys as much as they move when ready.
Our guys don’t move much. I still say that if Bud wanted to be a HC he would be. He just doesn’t want it bad enough, if he wants it at all. Maybe Beamer treats his coaches too well.
Zman: The word is that Pep’s father has health issues in Charlotte and he wants to be closer to him. He also has other family and friends here on the east coast that he would like to be closer to as well. $400,000-$500,000 a year goes a lot further in B,burg than in does out in Palo Alto.
Also, did it not ever cross your mind that Bud Foster may have some skeletons in the closet that may likely be preventing him from ever being a big time head coach that he wants to be?
One VT player in the Skins-CHawks game was Deangelo Hall, probably the greatest player in the NFL. If you don’t believe it, just ask him.
Barry from Ivy, that’s one thing you and I would agree on…that’s probably what he’d tell you. But nothing wrong with confidence I always say.
And RP, I couldn’t resist the chance to take a jab at Penn State, but the truth be known during that Redskin/Seahawks game I would have loved to replace at least one former Hokie (Will Montgomery) with a Nittany Lion or anyone else that could have snapped the ball better than he did a couple of plays. A hobbled RG3 was having a tough enough go of it without having to pick up the damn ball off the field. Joe Pa (GRHS) could have done better.
Bud’s got a great gig. Challenging job that he is good at, decent pay and perks, professional success and respect, great house at the lake and at least a little time to enjoy it all…time that wouldn’t be easy to find as a head coach. I, for one, hope he stays happy.
Alabama routs Notre Dame, wins 3rd BCS title in past 4 years.
Roll Tide!
Zman, I agree with you in not understanding why anyone thinks there is Pep in Frank’s step. Like what I did there? I’ll go a little further – I don’t believe all the internet grandiose strategies, such as Frank interviewing pep. I also didn’t believe recently the multiple times UVa fans pretended Tubby Smith was coming to UVa because his wife’s family lived in Richmond or whatever. I didn’t believe ANY of the fake people who were supposed to be interested in the Hokie basketball coaching job this spring – and none were. Most of that stuff is fantasy, repeated so often that people eventually think – ‘It MUST be true, it’s been said often enough!’
Pep might be the magic bullet, but it will be surprising if true. Nothing about it makes sense, except for some optimistic Hokie fans longing for a ‘name get’. We’ll just have to see. I still think it will be announced within the next week. All the changes, all at once, with a final proclamation of – ‘We’ll take questions at some date in the future (when, hopefully everyone will forget to ask questions)’
Zman, if Bud wanted to be a head coach -period – he certainly would be. But it’s more than obvious he likes where he is, for many reasons that don’t need to be listed. That’s why he long ago set the bar so extremely high as to say, essentially – ‘Well, if you want me to be head coach at Alabammer, then I’d consider. For the right money’. Lot’s of facetiousness in that, but you get the point behind the hype, I’m sure.
I don’t think the sole reason for every Hokie assistant coach falling into a decades long sense of contentment is the warmth of Frank’s embrace, nor of the aura of South Main Street. It’s of things that 99.99999% of message boards fail to discuss in full.
http://www.playersvoice.com/Latest/top-10-all-star-producing-states.html
TOP TEN ALL STAR PRODUCING STATES
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/2002-02-06-tidewater-focus.htm
TOM LEMMING SAY’S THE TIDEWATER IS TOP FIVE IN AMERICA FOR FOOTBALL RECRUITING
http://articles.dailypress.com/2005-11-19/sports/0511190046_1_virginia-tech-darryl-tapp-tidewater
YET ANOTHER ARTICLE ABOUT THE TIDEWATER AND WHERE IT RANKS
http://northcarolina.scout.com/2/1116475.html
THIS IS A UNC WEBSITE TALKING ABOUT HOW THE TIDEWATER PUT THERE FOOTBALL TEAM ON THE MAP
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=692547
AND THIS ARTICLE IS JUST ON QB TALENT IN VIRGINIA
So to the poster that questions why would Pep Hamilton want to come to Virginia, the answer would be that he knows that to throw a brick wall up around this state would lead to a national title. Not one coach in this state has ever mined this state like they were supposed to. Virginia is just like this sleeping giant just waiting for one of the state schools to wake it up! When either UVA, Virginia Tech, or Old Dominion does, boy it’s gonna be a thing of beauty! And a long time coming.
The only thing that looked really good in last nights game was the quarterbacks girlfriend . Va Tech will give ala. a good game in August ,like they did last time they played them. GO HOKIES!!
VT will likely be a 10 pt underdog if LT stays and +15 if he goes NFL.The first game of the season is shaky for all teams, even an Alabama. Basically, this is a home game for them and their fan base having trekked their in 2009. Their allegiance is mighty and strong.
I agree with the posts of the complacity and lack of offers anyone on VT’s staff has ever received excluding Foster.The post game evaluation the head coach says about them would not make them think otherwise,,so far,, yet seemingly sounds like the moving vans may be busy this month.
The Hokies will be a minimum of 14.5 point underdogs if every underclassman stays. With Mark Leal slated as the starting QB? In his first start? Against Alabammer? 3 of 4 years national champion?
I’ve never seen a college football betting line higher than 30 points…
@CR-Please review, see lines below for week 3 this year-many higher than +30 to see-
Biggest College Football Underdogs – Week 3
No. 17 Michigan needed a light week after a bit of a rough start and should coast as a 47-point home favorite at 5Dimes against the MAC’s Massachusetts Minutemen.
No. 3 LSU crushed Washington 41-3 last week as a 22.5-point favorite so it is little wonder that the Tigers have been opened as 42.5-point home favorites against 0-2 Idaho.
No. 7 Georgia made Missouri’s first game in the SEC a forgettable one with a 41-20 beatdown as a 1-point road favorite. This week the Bulldogs return home as 42-point favorites over the Florida Atlantic Owls from the Sun Belt Conference.
Another huge mismatch involving a team from the SEC has No. 8 South Carolina as a 33.5-point home favorite against the Alabama-Birmingham Blazers from Conference USA.
Way to post, Crooked Road, YOU WIN!!!!!! The verbal masturbation contest, that is. Hang in there, buddy….there is hope after Va Tech Football….even for you.
pete
M3, thanks for the info. I did notice the Vegas points weren’t between two BCS conference teams. It doesn’t matter either way, good info by you, and the point was incidental, anyway. I guess it’s pretty obvious I don’t really even think about betting on games of any kind.
Best case scenario for the VT-Bama game: a lot of the Bama players go pro so they’re still working in replacements at key spots…VT returns as many people as possible and makes some substantial off-season strides in the offense, particularly coaching, so that come the opener…they have a unit actually capable of competing. Bud Foster’s defense is back at their more typical top-10 quality status…and the special teams isn’t the mistake-prone laugh-fest that they have slipped into. And even then, they’ll likely still need to catch some good luck. If they played 10 games, Bama would win 7 or 8 of them. VT has a chance, but they need to be firing on all cylinders and not play anything remotely like they did this past season.
Today’s the day for the ultimate – ‘WHORES, LIARS & THIEVES’ announcement to be made. It will be interesting to hear the excuses for so many in the baseball media having been sellouts to WHORES, LIARS & THIEVES, in other words, for the media who SHOULD HAVE NOTICED BUT WERE TOO LAZY OR APATHETIC to finally stop being WHORES, LIARS & THIEVES themselves.
We’ll finally get to see who the ultimate sellouts are, the ultimate people who licked the boots for so long, and now pretend to be so stupid as to ignore the very foundation of the tenets upon which they vote. We’ll get the BS false lying whore rationalizations of – ‘Well, I voted this way because I was so confused… and Ty Cobb hated black people, but… and Babe Ruth drank lots of whiskey, so… and Ted Williams was mean to reporters, so…’ – all the excuses will be made now, for all the whores, liars, & thieves who pretend they ever cared about baseball, but long ago sold out for something else…
Honestly, after thinking more about it last night, I doubt that Alabama players going pro will make a difference when they play VT. They lost 5 in the first round this past year and crushed Michigan in the opener. It’s a cliche, but they truly don’t rebuild, they reload. Most people are saying that Alabama will be better next year than they were this past year, barring major injuries.
CR #41 – WOW! And you say I am too high strung.
I assume you are talking the HoF vote in baseball. I don’t think anyone gets in this year except from the Veteran’s Committee. I have not seen any news of an announcement as I wirte this. So if I am wrong, i’m wrong.
Biggio was running 70% last I heard this a.m. and he was the highest ranked. Bonds and Clemens won’t get there this year.
Next year a whole bunch of great players become eligible who weren’t tainted to my knowledge (Glavine, Maddox among them).
The thing about baseball that gets me (not to say I am taking sides here) is that cheating and getting away with it is the stuff of baseball legend. How many great stories of celebrated players involve spitballs, cut balls, corked bats, faking HBP, extra long and baggy uniforms (Ron Hunt set the NBP record while almost never being actually struck), “stealing” bases and signals, intentionl retaliation in slides and chin music, the “area play” and general deception? It seems to me that baseball celebrates cheaters at some level as “smart” or “competitive” or “sneaky” or whatever. Andro was in every clubhouse and legal at one time. Babe Ruth sought a testosterone boost from eating animal male parts (as did others). One can’t be surprised that baseball turned a blind eye to steroids for a long period.
As far as that goes, other sports celebrate “playing with pain” and even Doonesbury “reported” the use of drugs in football back in the Kilmer era.
can anyone really be surprised and holier than thou about this?
Now that there is ugly undeniable truth, what next?
Zman, I’ll just say this – I feel somewhat strongly about Hokie sports, I feel PASSIONATE about baseball history. I think that should explain what to expect.
Whores, Liars, & Thieves – remember that. Any and every single scum sucking voter who disgraced the sport enough to vote for Bonds & Clemens (I’ve not forgotten the others) needs to be disgraced for the rest of their lives as Whores, Liars & Thieves for ever pretending to care about the game of baseball. There are no excuses – if they had even a shred of honor, they would dismiss themselves from voting before darkening the threshold with their like.
Zman, I could go on and become dramatic, but I’ll save that for later. There is right, and there is wrong. Anybody who voted or ever will vote for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and the like, are scum sucking whores, liars, & thieves. I’ll expound later, once I get more emotional about it.
I’ll be brief – it is a SHAME that over a third of the voters for the Baseball Hall Of Fame balloting have proven themselves to be scum sucking whores, liars, & thieves.
I always thought it was Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves. Anyway, let me Cher this thought. I don`t think anyone who was a proven ~user~ should even be on the ballot. How does anyone know what their records would have been if the played fair like Babe and Hank et al. Maybe MLB should take look at what the Tour de `Lance` did.
Not that you are high strung or anything.
I do think that baseball will have to adress the PED era in some way sooner of later. Can we rely on the collective memory of writers for 15 years?
Kingman was the only guy who didn’t get in who had over 400 career dingers for most of the time he was eligible (over 15 years now and never did get in and probably won’t with the stats explosion). Is it because he was one-dimensional or because he was an ass? Or both?
I agree with Reggie that the baseball HoF is the HoVG to some degree, yet I could not help but be overcome by emotion when I visited there some years ago. I did not feel the same way when I sent to the HoF for football.
Baseball fandom was a big part of my life for many years but I have to say I have almost no interest anymore.
For all those folks that I ridiculed for being so enthusiastic and so wrong about thinking VaBeach was actually going to get an NBA team, yesterday VB officials announced they’ve quit plans to build a new arena in the hopes of attracting the Sacramento Kings. A realistic option for the Kings is to move to Seattle, a rational location. Real option, real money, real logic.
So – just to reinforce, I told you guys you were crazy to think anyone with a (non-minor league) pro franchise would come to the 757. Because.. nobody’s coming there.
The Chokies could play the Tide machine until infinity with NOTHING to show for it.
Roll Tide!
CR, shortly after VB scrapped the ‘plan’ for the arena, it was revealed that Steve Balmer was buying the Kings to move them to Seattle.
After having lived in Hampton Roads from 1985-2000, and seen a couple failed attempts to lure a pro team there…I knew it was a pipe dream. I would have loved to see it happen, but knew that it almost assuredly would not.
Part of the problem with the Hampton Roads area is relative geographic isolation. The air, rail, and road network into and out of the region is limited, and half the TV market is the Atlantic Ocean (and I don’t think dolphins, sharks, and drowned mobsters watch much NBA). Add to that the limited economy…few F-500 companies and a huge reliance on Federal government money (military, military contractors, military suppliers)…and it makes it hard to sell the region as having the potential for huge corporate sponsorships.
The other problem is inter-city cooperation, which is usually nill. The local governments there all think they can do it all on their own without the rest of the localities in the region, and that’s why any time a proposal comes up, they fight over arena location, tax revenue distribution, naming, etc.
The region may eventually get a pro franchise, but it will be a lowly team, whose ownership is unhappy with attendance and the arena/stadium they have at the time. They’ll pick Hampton Roads, get a decent amount of initial support, then realize it was a mistake.
If Foster was head coach material he would have already been selected when his name has been out there every year for the past 15 years. Maybe a head coach at Guilford or something of that caliber. Foster has it made in the shade, his defense is good against cupcakes but quite a different story against competitive teams. Any intelligent football fan can see through the facade at VT. I predict that the Hokies retain all of these overrated, overpaid coaches.
CR, don’t give me that holier than thou diatribe on baseball. All athletes want to get an edge and baseball is no different. They are all the same, track, cyclists, football, wrestling, etc. and baseball. If there is a way to gain an advantage, it will be done and when an attempt to correct it is established, they pull out the next one. Live with it, it’s human nature.
BofI – I guess it is good thing GT is a cupcake or else Foster’s D would be in trouble.
Bama wins 42 zip. The question is how does the sports writers keep voting for ND when they don’t really play anyone and can recruit everyone.
Hey, Aaron, where are you? I hope you aren’t that sick. Get well.
#9 comment – VTfan for SEC- College football is not the same once you go to Neland Stadium (VOLS) and hear 105000 people.
Barry, when you pick on Bud, you overstep even your ineptitude. I am a fan, intelligence is relative, kiss my everlovin’ rear end.
The VT football new coaches hiring process appears to be running in a slow motion speed, kinda like the offense this year.Both can be timed with a sun dial.
Aaron, I hope the absence of briefings this weeks is because you’re busy, not because you’re still sick. Get well, man.
I saw an interesting perspective on the HoF. I don’t agree with it, but it does provide one more thing to think about when condemning the drug users and cheaters. I forget who the writer was, but he suggested that the HoF already has guys in that used PEDs, but they didn’t get caught, so nobody cares that they got in. He also suggested that there are some PED users who will get in becasue they didn’t get caught. Those arguemtns were used to support letting in Bonds, Clemmens, etc.
That’s the part I can’t accept. The number of cheaters who get away with it is not a justification for letting those who get cuaght get away with it. We don’t take rules off the books just becuase some people got away with breaking them. Scuffing a ball gets you tossed from the game, but only if you get caught. Well, some guys don’t get caught, but the rule stays. The same is true for the HoF.
As one of someone on the board noted, MLB and the HoF are going to have to address the PED era. I think that eventually Clemmens will get in. The guy is a jerk, he probably cheated later in his career, but there’s no evidence that he cheated for his entire career. Bonds will be treated like Pete Rose. Being unrepentant after being caught, plus being a jerk in general, will keep you out for a long time. Pete gets into the HoF, but probably only after he dies. That way nobody has to listen to him talk about it.
I want Aaron back. I am soooo tired of this string of comment.
Zman, I want Aaron back too.
Buddy, I hope you are getting a little better. I’ve been up and down, like a roller coaster, for about a week. Start feeling good end of a day, and wake up worst than the next. Misery loves company. You’ve got it.
Goodness, I hope my flu shot was protection enough.
Sounds like Rick H has “commentitis”.
AMac, get well soon . It seems this flu bug or whatever virus you’ve come down with is hanging on to you like Frank Beamer to an inept OC. We all hope you’ll both shake them off soon.