Frankly speaking: The extended length Q&A with Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer
I had a chance to sit down with Frank Beamer Friday to talk about a variety of subjects. Part of the Q&A ran in today’s paper, but since space isn’t an issue on the Internet, here’s the entire thing.
Have you been able to move on from the Sugar Bowl loss or is that one that sticks with you?
“This has been tough. I think the fact that we played really well, I thought we were well-prepared. The thing revolved around a couple plays. Just the way the whole game came about, how much effort our coaches and our players put into that game, and you know, to not quite come out on the right end of the score, it was tough.”
Was that loss harder to take than the Orange Bowl loss to Stanford the previous year?
“Yeah, I think so. I was really proud of the way our kids played. They played hard and just a couple plays in the game kind of turned it around. Looking at it, you go back and look at your decisions and when we went for it on fourth-and-1 [in the second quarter]. … And then going for it on fourth down [in the fourth quarter] … really, we had worked on the rugby kick for like three weeks with Danny [Coale]. And he was good because he’s an athletic guy and he makes good decisions out there. And it worked good [in practice]. And I kind of wanted to go for it, then I said maybe we should punt and pin them, because we’re playing good defense. And then this was kind of the in-between choice, because if they’ve got it covered we’re going to kick it and if for some reason [they] don’t have it covered, we could pick up the first down. But that one didn’t work. You go back and think about your decisions and if they work, they’re great, and if they don’t work, it’s not so great.”
Can you second guess yourself at all on the fake punt call in the fourth quarter? Do you wish you had either simply punted the ball or gone for it with an offensive play?
“It was kind of the one that gave us options. We practiced it. What we said here was for the last three ballgames, anytime it’s less than 5 yards, fourth and less than 5, we’re going to rugby kick it. And the situation hadn’t really come up. So we had practiced it but hadn’t done it in a game. So I thought it was a good in-between choice. In other words, you’ve got Danny Coale making a decision and you’ve got a chance to get the first down if they don’t cover it. And if they do, you’re kicking the ball.”
Did you ever seek an explanation from the ACC or Pac-12 officials for the replay reversal of Coale’s overtime catch/non-catch in the end zone?
“It’s my understanding that the ACC has talked with the people out there. I’ll let the people at the higher level talk about that.”
Do you still wonder how they overturned the call?
“Yeah, I don’t think there’s any question. I think that probably the consensus of thoughts is that that should have never been overturned. I think that’s probably the way it’s thought of.”
Is it odd looking back at the game that if one of those plays goes the other way and you win, the season is seen in a different light?
“Well, it’s just a tough loss. And I think you’ve got to get to the positives of the things. And that is our kids were well-prepared, they played great, we were invited to the Sugar Bowl as an at-large team, never had been done before in the ACC, that it’s four out of five years we’ve gone to a BCS bowl, and there’s no question that we need to do better when we’re there, but the fact still remains that we made it there. It’s been tough, but I don’t think you can dwell on ‘what ifs.’ That game might be … the most ‘what if’ game I’ve been involved with. But I think we’ve got a lot of good players coming back and good people, so we’ve got to move forward.”
Do you feel like it was a missed opportunity?
“There’s no question. That game meant a lot to us. That’s like I said, we put a lot of hard work into it and just didn’t come out on the scoreboard.”
There was a rumor out there that you declined your $75,000 bowl bonus. Is that true?
“They gave me that money and I gave it back to the administration to put back into operations.”
What was your reasoning behind that?
“Well, I’m just going to leave it at they gave it to me, I gave it back to put it back in to football operations here.”
Virginia Tech had two things go against it on National Signing Day last year, with quarterback Lafonte Thourogood decommitting and choosing Vanderbilt and five-star linebacker Stephone Anthony picking Clemson over the Hokies. How important is it to finish this year’s class strong?
“Well, I think you’re dealing with 18-year-old kids and sometimes the decisions don’t go the way that they’re supposed to go. But yeah, the bottom line is what kind of class do you have and does it help you continue on. And then the other side of it too is you want people at Virginia Tech to be at Virginia Tech. But there’s no question that it’s important. I think we’re on the verge. We’ve got a really good recruiting class going and if we can finish it off, I think it’d be outstanding.”
Has recruiting changed in your 25 years at Virginia Tech or is it just the attention people pay to recruiting?
“I think the knowledge people have of recruits is so much greater, all the recruiting services. I just think there’s so much more information out there about recruits, and these recruiting services can talk to recruits when we can’t. So there’s just a lot more information out there.”
You made a lot of coaching changes to the staff last year. Do you have any changes in store this year or will it remain the same?
“Right now we’re working hard to finish recruiting here. I don’t have any plans along those lines, but all my thoughts have been along recruiting.”
Do you sit down each year and assess the coaching staff and how it worked together the previous year?
“I think there’s a time for that. But right now is recruiting time.”
How do you think the operation worked last year with Mike O’Cain calling plays and Bryan Stinespring still contributing to the weekly game plan as offensive coordinator?
“Well, I thought it worked well. [Looks at sheets with facts on them]. We were ranked third nationally in time of possession. We were one of 13 FBS teams to finish with 3,000 yards passing, 2,500 rushing. We threw to 14 different receivers. First time we’ve had two receivers catch over 60 balls. David Wilson had the single-season rushing record with 1,709 yards. Logan Thomas had the single-season school record for total offense, pass completion. I mean, there’s a lot of good things about our offense.”
Do you feel like the offense reached its potential last year?
“I think in a couple of games we would have liked to have played better. But I thought Logan Thomas came along and played great throughout the year. And I thought that thing worked well. And we had a lot of people who were very productive.”
I don’t know how much you hear from fans or see on message boards, but there is a lot of criticism about the offensive play-calling. Do you hear things like that? And if you do, what is your response?
“Well, there were a lot of successful plays here, if you go back to the stats. I think so much of that goes back to if it works in the game, it’s a good call, and if it doesn’t work in the game, it’s not such a good call. I think most people have an opinion as you look at a game about the play-calling. But most of it gets down to basically was it successful or not successful.”
What was it like working with Shane?
“It was good. I think he’s a good coach and I think he works hard at recruiting and I think he’s got good ideas. I think he’s got a good future in the profession.”
Do you have to set any rules when your son is on the coaching staff?
“I don’t think there are rules. You just kind of understand. And he doesn’t want me to treat him different than any of those other guys. I can tell you. So no, he knows how it needs to work. And I know how it needs to work. So I don’t think that’s an issue.”
So you can have the same kind of on-field arguments with him as other assistants?
“Well, I don’t usually argue on the field. If I’m going to argue, it’s usually in my office. We’re going to come in here and talk. I’m not usually one to argue on the field with any of our staff.”
You mentioned some ideas that Shane brought on the recruiting front (writing letters to recruits before every meeting was one). Has he brought other stuff in that has been unique to what you have done at Virginia Tech in the past?
“I’ll say this: I think he’s extremely detailed as far as how he recruits and how he corresponds and what he does with recruits. I think he’s very detailed in that regard.”
When you made the move last year to bring Shane and Cornell Brown on staff, you said it wasn’t to get younger. But does it help to have two guys in their mid-30’s on the staff as recruiters?
“Yeah, I think that sometimes that helps. But I think the big part of it is working at it, being detailed. Where I thought it worked out good was we were able to keep Jim Cavanaugh here and was able to keep Billy Hite here. So that’s what I thought made the whole operation I thought better.”
How has that new role worked for Cavanaugh, overseeing all of recruiting but not being on the road?
“I think he’s done a good job. He’s a knowledgeable guy, he knows how to recruit. I think he can help these other guys. So I think it has worked out well.”
Moving on to scheduling: there’s been some talk of a potential Labor Day game against Georgia Tech at home. Would you be open to that?
“I’m not sure the scheduling part, where that is right now. That’s probably better for [athletic director] Jim [Weaver] to answer that.”
Overall, though, would you been opposed to playing that kind of game with such short rest before the following week?
“The one thing that I think that you want is for the game to be at home. When you’re the visiting team and you’re not getting in here until early the next day and trying to get ready for another game, time-wise it hurts and rest-wise it hurts. And if you’re going to do something like that, you want that next game at home.”
Is it beneficial to have that kind of showcase game when no other games are on TV?
“Yeah, I think any time you can get on national TV and do well, it’s a plus. Our Thursday night games have been big around here. And they’re great, because you’re the only game on for the most part. And recruits are watching and fans are watching and whatever. The important thing is to be successful there.”
Would it be strange to play a conference game that early? You usually complete the non-conference schedule before getting to the ACC.
“I think it goes different ways. Florida State and Miami used to open up, I believe. I think in most cases you’d rather play your non-conference games. I think the ideal setting is you play your non-conference games first and that’s your exhibition season and get to your conference games and try to have your team as good as it can be when you start playing conference games.”
You had a lot of praise for Thomas in his first year. How impressed have you been about how he’s played and what is his potential as a quarterback?
“I think he’s got a lot of potential. And he’s made right for your quarterback. He’s not an up-and-down guy. He’s steady, he’s smart, he’s talented. And I think he’ll only get better.”
When you have a quarterback like that, does that give you a chance in any game?
“I think you better have a quarterback. If you’re going to be successful, you better have a quarterback, the guy who handles the ball every play and pulls the plug every play.”
Based on his numbers in his first year as a starter, does he have a chance to be one of the best ever at Virginia Tech?
“Like I said, I think he’s going to continue to get better and better, so we’ll see where he ends up.”
Have you had a running back situation where there’s been so much uncertainty?
[Back to the stats sheet] “The last three seasons we’ve had three different 1,000-yard rushers. Now you’re kind of going young. But that’s the one position where I can kind of tell you I think if you’ve got skill and you’ve got ability, that’s the one position where not having an experience is not as big of an issue as some other positions. So if you’ve got the skill and you’ve got the ability, then I think you’ve got a chance.”
How hard is it going to be to replace four fifth-year seniors on the offensive line?
“I don’t think there’s any question that the offensive line is probably the most demanding position of working together and communicating and being on the same page. But I do think we’ve got some good offensive linemen and I think this spring is going to have to be a big spring for us to develop those guys.”
Defensively, with all the injuries giving guys experience they normally wouldn’t have had, could this be a special defense?
“You lose a couple. Jayron [Hosley] is a special talent there. And Eddie Whitley I think was special to this football team too. But yeah, the fact that we’ve got some guys coming back and hopefully we’ll be a very steady, very good defense. I would expect us to be. I think with the injuries, our defensive staff did a good job this last year. And those guys, most of them played very well in the bowl game, so I think it kind of makes you say, ‘All right, let’s take the next step.’”
BeamerBall hasn’t produced as many special teams plays in recent years. Have you notice that? And why do you think that is?
“I don’t think we were real good this past year. I don’t think overall we kicked the ball well this past year. And then probably didn’t have as many big plays in the kicking game as we have. But we continue to work on it. I think it all starts with how you kick. And then I think it goes from there. I think you get into more returns with the shield protection, I think more times than not you end up trying to return the ball as opposed to blocking a kick with the three guys back there. So I think that’s kind of entered into it a little bit. And then we were close. We actually tipped a ball in the Clemson game, the championship game, and we got called roughing there. The last ballgame, we roughed the kicker and we were close to blocking it, but we roughed the kicker. And instead of it being a great play, it’s about that much difference [holds his hands up 6 inches apart] from it being a great play and all of a sudden now we’ve got a penalty. But that’s the way kicking things are. It’s big plays in open spaces, but it gets down to details in small spaces. And the roughing the kicker penalty in the bowl game hurt.”
Will that be an emphasis this spring to shore up special teams?
“It’s always been an emphasis around here. I mean, I don’t think anyone puts more emphasis on special teams in the country than we do right here.”
Do you have an idea of much longer do you think you want to coach?
“Not really. I’ve said a couple times, as long as I had a good quarterback and a few play-makers, and your health is good, you can continue to coach. But I haven’t really given a thought to how long. I think it is — how is your health and what kind of team do you have?”
You’ve won a lot of ACC championships, but would your career feel incomplete without a national championship?“I think things just have to fall in place. You’ve got to be good and you’ve got to be lucky. And by us having played for the national championship, I think you get a good idea of what it takes to win it. I think we’ve been up there, we’ve been knocking at the door. And if you get there enough, it’s going to work out. That’s the way I see it. I think Tom Watson, he’s up there playing for the championship in the [golf] majors and he couldn’t quite get there, he was up there for a while, he’s up there one time and shot a 79 on the last day, but all of a sudden he won one and he won several more. So I think as long as you’re in the running, and we’ve been in the running — I mean, we are the winningest football team since 1995 — and as long as you’re in the running and as long as things work your way, then we’ve got a chance to win the national championship.”
When you went to the BCS title game in 2000, did you think, ‘We’ll be back here?’ Did you cherish how special it is to make it to that type of game?
“Yeah, there’s no question. And our goal is to come back. That’s what our goal is at Virginia Tech, to get back to that national championship game and win it this time.”
January 21, 2012 - 12:18 AM
Way to go Lord Beamer! Put the blame on Coales for your incompetent coaching. Simply a very stupid call. Then to brag about being the winniness team in the country! (On paper, of course) Geez, with your schedules during those years, who wouldn’t be? Get off your ACC lard ass and schedule some top teams out of conference. You won’t! Afraid of losing as usual? This interview was basically just passing the buck for YOUR shortcomings. Retire, it’s time for some new blood, your game plans are so predictable and boring.
I really like the way he always brings “how good the stats are” into the conversation but never mentions it’s compiled against a weak schedule.
There are games that do come down to a couple plays. The Sugar Bowl was not one of them. Whenever you out gain the opponent 2 to 1 you should win the game going away. The game was a loss because the Hokies did not score touchdowns in the red zone. I would have so much more respect for Beamer if he would have said, “I’m disappointed we didn’t win the game 40-20, because that is how dominant we were against Michigan.” Instead, he blames the loss on a couple plays involving Danny Coale. C’mon man!
The Beamer worshipers will be all over this, but seriously! “I mean, there’s a lot of good things about our offense.” Yeah, except the part about scoring more points than opponents, especially those who count *cough* Clemson, Michigan *cough* Yeah, it’s nice to put up all those big numbers, but when you put them up against the likes of the Little Sisters of the Poor, then the context changes. Of course, if your measure of how things are going is “Well, there were a lot of successful plays here, if you go back to the stats.” then statistically Virginia Tech is riding high. But what is a successful play? Positive yardage? But I guess this Hokie fan and all those others who are concerned about the health of the program are stuck with what it is because it doesn’t appear things are going to change because Frank seems to be happy with the numbers and that is what counts for him.
It is the same type of schedule UVA, UNC and all the other ACC teams play and they certainly have not had the wins VT has generated. It is not even close. VT has even played a tougher schedule than these schools. 4 BCS games in the last 5 years. VT has also opened up against two national champions in USC and Bama and has agreed to play Bama again in 2013.
UVa and UNC fans should take a look at their own schedules before making stupid statements. Anybody that wins 11 games per year with any schedule is doing a great job.
If the wins are because of any easy schedule, than why aren’t there teams out there with more wins than VT ? There are plenty of teams with easier schedules. I bet neither of you two morons have actually looked at the teams VT has beat since 1995. The list includes but is not limited to Alabama, Nebraska, LSU, several highly ranked Miami teams, Texas A&M, and a litany of other teams that other program would be touting as well. Check out VT’s record vs the Top 25 as well. It’s right up there with the best. Do your homework Mike and Steve before making asinine statements.
All of you media guys give an easy pass to Beamer. There is no comparison between the Stanford team of last year that massacred Tech to the Michigan team that beat them in a close game in the Sugar Bowl. Neither VT nor Michigan should have even been in the top 25. Beamer, as usual, never takes the blame for this incompetent coaching. Blah Blah “..the boys played hard, blah blah….” I’m proud of these guys…blah blah blah…” Tech lost the Sugar Bowl because of sorry coaching; don’t blame it on Danny Coale, it was Beamer’s fault and he will never own it. Funny how 95% of the Hokie fans know it was Beamer’s fault and he doesn’t. Coale is a class act and deserves better. Tech will never beat a top 5 team as long as Beamer and Weaver are running this circus.
Mike, you’re a childish idiot. So are you, Joe.
Frank, why not just say that I (or my coaching staff) made the call (on the fake punt)and it was the wrong one. Your position on this matter reflects on your credibility.
Tech has never run away from a challenge when it comes to scheduling. Alabama played Kent State, Penn State, North Texas and Georgia Southern this year. If you think the other teams in the country don’ tschedule cupcakes then you are sadly mistaken. We have scheduled Ohio State, Boise State and Alabama, all perennial powerhouses. You can’t keep up with that year in and year out. There are years when the schedule looks weaker than others, but overall, Tech hasn’t shyed away from playing the “big Boys.”
I think Lord Beamer has something that a few of your readers would like to destory. Grow up and find a team you can follow in a positive way. Life is to short to destory rather than build. Congratulationa UVA on your basketball team.
Yeah, yeah, it didn’t take long for the Beamer apologists to jump to his defense and to decide that anyone who criticizes the guy is lower than a UVa fan. Thing is, they never seem to come up with any good “what have you done for me lately” explanations for what Frank has done for the program, other than do well in the mighty ACC football program. They tend to overlook (or gloss over) the embarrassing losses in the big bowl games and in games that should have been easy wins (Boise State due to poor clock management on the part of the offensive coordinator, JAMES MADISON!, and flipping East Carolina, etc.).
So please, tell us what are the big things that have happened in the program?
Isn’t it amazing that there are a handful of selfish idiots out there that think their self-esteem would be greatly elevated by CFB saying “I screwed up”?? Everyone has their personal opinion on the OB game and that is fine but to insist that a coach admit to something one way or the other (when in reality it accomplishes NOTHING!!) is absolutely asinine! Coach says the truth. He gave Danny the opportunity to make a decision and it didn’t work out. If you cannot live with that, you are a poor excuse for a human being!!
who cares????you should be used to VT losing a big or bowl game…They stink at bowls.
can’t you find something else to write about???
It’s not about fans’ self esteem, it’s about Beamer skirting responsibility. I cannot remember in his entire VT career that Frank Beamer ever assumed the responsibility for a loss. Even if the loss were obviously NOT Beamer’s fault, he’s not humble enough to accept the blame.
The really galling part of this one is that he lies and blames Danny Coale for it. I know how Beamer is on interviews, and you could see him tensing up with just the mildest of questions. Such a shame that a man who grabs $2.4 mil in annual income isn’t man enough to answer questions without choking almost as badly as when he faces a real opponent.
I would dearly love for him to have to answer these questions – ‘Why did you feel it necessary to even install a rugby style punt option? First you said it was practiced for three weeks, then you said it was practiced prior to the three previous games, which would be about eight weeks worth of practice time. Assuming that extremely dubious claim is true, and considering the very shaky status of your punting unit all season long, doesn’t it show extremely poor judgement to even consider such a high risk maneuver? Especially with someone who is not normally a punter? Please explain in detail exactly why you thought that might possibly work…’
Of course, that would be his Joy Behar moment where he would rip off his mike and walk out of the interview. Poor Fancy Gap Frank. He talks a big game, but when it comes to performing, he chokes and then pouts like a little girl when questioned about it.
He can’t stand the pressure of winning a BCS game against a mediocre opponent. How bad would he fold if he ever WERE to make it back to a MNC game? The answer? He won’t come within sniffing distance of a MNC game the rest of his career, unless he gets VT to comp him a ticket for one in his contract.
Hokie bashers are on here for one reason-ENVY-Joe and Mike must be Hoo Homers-you can smell the stench a mile away..they never have any facts,just non emotional garbage
Nothing is ever going to change, he made it pretty clear that he is’t going to make coaching changes. What is his problem, I think steinspring and Newsome have something on him thats why hes so damn stubborn and wont admit changes are NEEDED. If we played in a good conference he would of been fired years ago, I want Foster as our coach.
A different coach with these same players would have crushed Michigan. This game should not have come down to prayer by the coaching staff. Michigan was totally overmatched. Tech should have blown Michigan out and the performance on the field that night would have shown recruits that Tech is serious about winning. People know that Tech has talent, and they also know that Beamer is a total goober. Chris Beatty would be an awesome addition to the offensive side of the ball.
Beamer full of coach speak, typical interview, no substance.
Once again sacramento hokie and your friends– The folks who are complaining about the program are die-hard Hokie fans who are concerned about the continuing slide of the program. If you would read any of the comments on Andy’s columns since the bowl game, you would read lots of facts about problems with the offense and special teams. It’s not “envy” as you believe, it’s about young men who commit to Virginia Tech based on promises made by recruiters (adults), young men who then work hard and do the best they can to win games but get brought up short by coaches who make bad decisions about how the games should go. Instead of discussing how to address these shortcomings, Beamer (and his worshipers) gloss over them (and the fact that there were key games that the team scored less points than the opponent) and instead talks about meaningless stats like how many yards the QB threw the ball or to how many different plays he threw it to.
Yeah, so VT has scheduled the occasional tough game against Alabama, LSU, or Boise State. Did the team win the game? They should have won the game against Boise State but the offensive coordinator messed around, called some dumb plays and mis-managed the clock and gave BSU the chance to win. Will they win the big game next season? Probably not, as long as the offense uses the same plays as it has for the last five years.
All of you so called VT followers are morons. You know nothing about football, and nothing about talent, and nothing about coaching. Maybe we should annoint “YOU” as the coach and you will do a little bit better than winning 10+ games 8 years and running…Or maybe we can fire Beamer and his staff, hire K. Sumlin from Houston (with you as their OC) and we will win the MNC. You are idiots and trolls. You probably do not know the path to a real board and real conversation..
I agree Newsome’s crew has been less than elite, but it is what it is. Until we have Al Groh on staff (as OL coach) recruiting OT studs from New Jersey..it may not be much better. I am not happy about it either, but get over it.
And as far as Beatty goes 757 resident? Everyone that follows football knows that he is a mediocre coach who won at the high school level with exceptional talent, and that at the college level he is a poor coach, who still somehow has ties to 757, but has consistently broken promises and job hopped year after year. No worries, after a couple year at Illinois he will be looking in the FCS or D2-3 ranks.
The interview and the comments posted here are one thing and one thing only – more of the same old same old.
There is absolutely nothing new in any of the above reading. It has all been said millions of times, and it is very, very old and very, very boring.
Beatty is a poor college coach? You are bugging! The guy gets offers every year, plus is more than a thorn in tech and uva’s side as a recruiter. Tech’s defense was fine, It was the offense that needed some new blood in terms of coaching. Little Beamer is cool, but not bringing Beatty on board was silly. If Ilinois has a nice offense in the coming years, Tech had better go after him!
I am as much a Beamer basher as some others are, but I have come to the conclusions that a) as long as folks continue to shell out a fortune to support the program, he is not going anywhere; b) as long as NFL teams continue to draft and sign former Hokies, he is not going anywhere; c) as long as fans continue to buy into the smokescreen of 10 wins season and winning the ACC as the end-all season, he is not going anywhere.
Want to force a change? STOP buying tickets to Lane Stadium. STOP watching them play on ESPN, ABC, or whatever ACC affiliated network is broadcasting their game. STOP buying merchandise that bears the VT logo. STOP donating money to the program.
An near empty stadium with a roaring deafening silence, except for the band that plays too loud, and steep drop in ticket purchases will grab His Holiness Francis Beamer of Fancy Gap and the athletic department’s attentions.
Will fans do that? Of course not. They are too gullible to think for themselves, unless those with courage to go against the grain and call out Beamer (see: abdnva’s post), and they repeat everything the cult of Beamerism preach.
Why the hell would we do that Trevor? I go to the games to see my favorite TEAM play not to see what Coach Beamer is doing on the sidelines. I watch the Team play to cheer them on win or lose because I am a Hokie fan not a Beamer fan, though I do believe we would still be a nothing program no one outside of Blacksburg would care about, lucky to win 2 or 3 games a year. Of course I’m sure that if you were in charge instead we would have already won multiple BCS championships and have nothing but 5 star recruiting classes, as you’re genius in all things football is so obvious.
I am going to two games between 2012 and the opener of the 2013 season. Clemson on the road and Alabama in Atlanta. Those two games will show our progression or lack thereof as a program. The talk of a national championship is over because I am no longer buying into the myth that Frank Beamer can put Virginia Tech into the elite status in college football any longer without showing results on the field.
The game itself, the atmosphere at home has taken a back seat to the enjoyment of family and friends at tailgates, to which I, unlike Mr. Beamer, am undefeated.
I have purchased my last piece of Tech paraphenalia. While it matters very little to the masses who continue to buy into a program through merchandise sales, I will not do so.
I will however continue to support this team much more guarded because I am no longer under the illusion that the Hokies will be anything else but what they are–a very solid program, with no basis or system to ever be elite under head coach Frank Beamer’s tenure.
I would like to add one more small comment for the people that support Frank Beamer because of a fear that someone else other than Beamer could be successful at Tech.
If someone else we’re coaching and losing games versus top opponents we would no longer be under the false pretence that we we’re something we weren’t. That is what we have now.
I think the only people under a false pretense are the haters. I don’t expect us to be a National Championship contender every year, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the game day atmosphere and the camaraderie of the Hokie Nation. I see no reason to stop buying or wearing VT gear because they aren’t winning BCS Games every year, if people did that no team would sell any merchandise. I like going to the games to cheer on the players who play their hearts out and watching at home with a house full of friends some Hokie fans some not, but we can disagree and still enjoy each others company. Look I’m not saying Beamer is a football God but I haven’t seen anything that would make me think we would have more success if we hired any one else. Every team loses big games from time to time maybe we have lost more than our share but I’ve also been around long enough to see a lot of big wins too, but no one remembers those apparently.
My, my, I have struck a nerve. Good. Maybe there’s hope for the Hokies fans who actually can think.
Well Trevor, abdnva, mark r, and the rest of the “haters,” it appears that Mike Eads pretty much laid out that we are all just tilting at windmills by trying to point out the problems with the VT program. It seems that most folks are happy with 10-win seasons against “strong” ACC opponents and out-of-conference cupcakes that gets the team to the ACC championship most seasons. If the team wins the ACC crown, that’s pretty good. As long as the team keeps the bowl streak going, that’s all that matters because everyone knows that the team isn’t going to win the game except every once in a while when the match-up is with some Big East weakling like Cincinnati. Who cares if the offense is predictable, that’s a good thing because most of the fans can then understand what’s happening due to their limited football knowledge (like the offensive coordinator himself). It isn’t the game on Saturday and the final score that is important, it’s the tailgate in the parking lot beforehand (where the goal is to get on your tail before you get to the gate). Because way back a long time ago, long before many of these “fans” were even born, Beamer did something legendary (“at least that’s what I’ve heard,” they say) to lead the program out of something bad (forgetting the horrible early seasons that almost got Frank fired), Beamer is now able to walk across the Duck Pond, perform healings, and never make a mistake — and any one who doubts him or casts negative words in his direction is suspect and is called bad things like “UVa fan.”
So I guess it is what it is and we’re left with what we have — a bunch of reasoned commentary that Beamer worshipers can’t read and comprehend (or if they do, they do the equivalent of sticking their fingers in their ears and yelling “NAH NAH NAH, I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”).
I’ll waste my time and try one more time: For all those who are attacking the messengers, please, please, explain
“What has Frank Beamer done for Virginia Tech lately?”
Just a few QUESTIONS and a comment or two.
Why the bashing of this VT football program which includes young folks who work so hard to win every football game they play? Do you believe the football players are blaming Coach Frank Beamer for the losses and wins?
Do you feel better with the venom and vile remarks of hatred used against the VT football program, after all the football players make up this them just as the coaches?
Emotional Garbage, B.S., Negatives, Loser Attitudes, Classless Statements… Hey its free speech so spew spew away, wake up one day in regret or wallow in the mire of negativity.
Football is leisure and just a game so keep it in perspective, but attacking a VT Sports Program and its coach does not make the community or world a better place.
May Hell and Evil Karma be with those cold hearted who shamelessly deserve it?
God Bless and Forgive the wicked for they know no better.
Let’s Go, Hokies
The players played a great game against Michigan in the SB— good enough to win easily with even the few mistakes the players made. But, the game loss is on the coaches for bad calls and less than smart strategy in the Red Zone and in overtime. This was done over and over. Bitter should have asked questions about it instead of giving Beamer a pass, and Beamer should have addressed it anyway. He had his chance. I have been a long-time Beamer supporter, but I am disappointed in him and his answers about the loss. It was not Danny Coale’s fault. That is certain.
peter777, absolutely right.
Mike Eads, The players aren’t the issue, except to the extent that poor coaching will only attract lesser quality players. This current administration has a system that doesn’t have to change because of the win totals since 1995 and the consecutive 10 win seasons we’re are reminded of every year, even the slightest hint of opposition to the failures versus elite calibre programs.
The comraderie, the festive atmosphere are synonimous with college football, NOT because Frank Beamer coaches for Virginia Tech. Our future success isn’t tied to Frank Beamer either. His past, compared to what the football program was prior to 1987 was a success. The key word is WAS.
Virginia Tech is a solid program and Frank Beamer should and will be commended for the leadership that defined his tenure at Tech.
But the future is the future, history is perfect. We will never know how great we could be without boldly asking ourselves what we could be. Mr. Beamer is too old and too comfortable to work that hard to achieve elite status. That responsibility will fall upon the shoulders of a more able person, one willing to risk the fear of failure for the chance of the unknown and possibly the ultimate prize.
“Blah Blah Blah the boys played hard, blah blah blah our stats were good, blah blah blah 10 win seasons, blah blah blah I only care about being the champion of the worst AQ conference in college football and the fact that this program has gone nowhere since the Micheal Vick days does not bother me in the least.” -Frank Beamer
Thanks Frank, I’m sure we’ll be moving onto great things next year.