2009.07.03
UVa football commitment
Virginia's connections to Holy Cross High School in Flushing, N.Y., paid dividends when the Cavaliers took a football commitment Friday from linebacker Chris Brathwaite.
UVa was the first Division I-A program to offer Brathwaite, according to rivals.com. Holy Cross is the alma mater of UVa basketball player Sylven Landesberg, last year's ACC men's rookie of the year.
Holy Cross also produced wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, leading receiver for the Cavaliers' 2008 football team and a rookie free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. Brathwaite (6 foot 1, 257 pounds) picked up an offer after his performance at a one-day UVa camp last weekend.
He is the fifth player to commit to UVa this week and the ninth overall.
--DOUG DOUGHTY
Why does the UVA beat reporter have to cover VT news, commitments, happenings, coach interviews, etc., when VT is by far the elite program? Mr. Doughty has the most interest in VT.
George Phillips
Houston, TX
Comment by George Phillips — July 4, 2009 @ 9:27 am
UVa was the first Division I-A program to offer Brathwaite, according to rivals.com. = that means that UVa would have been the only Division 1-A program that was going to offer him a scholarship, most likely. It's not like this is early in the recruiting process!
I don't mind giving UVa fans some grief even though I graduated from UVa. They're more obnoxious online than Tech fans and they didn't graduate from UVa anyway!
Comment by Nelson — July 5, 2009 @ 3:44 pm
As a UVA grad I always rooted for Tech when they weren't playing UVA. I was solidly for their admittance to the ACC. I lost respect for Tech fans when I saw the Virginia license plate UVA SUX.
The true view of the rivalry came through then. Tech fans are great when they win; Are obnoxious when they lose.
Comment by Ted — July 5, 2009 @ 8:09 pm
"they didn't graduate from UVa anyway"......
I am a life long Wahoo fan and I have never understood that attitude that permeates from many UVA graduates. I didn't graduate from any college but I give my hard earned dollars to support UVA athletics every year. My family gives our vocal support and presence at all our home games, some away games, at our spring game, and on the road for bowl trips. Just because I didn't go to UVA does not make me any less of a fan or a Wahoo.
I look forward to the day when many of our alums and our administration finally get that point.
Comment by Wokisan — July 6, 2009 @ 7:26 am
This kid is a good pickup. I keep seeing reports that he's going to play outside, but he said the staff told him inside is where he will likely end up. He seems to be of the same mold Nate Collins was when he first came to UVA and should provide what UVA has been missing in the linebacker corp a downhill smasher. I think he'll play a Levon Kirkland role who no offense to Ray Lewis was the best 3-4 inside backer I've seen in the Pro ranks.
To those who say UVA would have been his only offer your wrong. The DP article goes into greater detail about how this kid has been to 3 different camps and won MVP honors at all 3. He's been tearing up the camp circuit this summer and you just don't pass up a guy with his size and speed. UVA was lucky to get into this guy early like they did.
Comment by Don — July 7, 2009 @ 3:59 am
Ted, your right on the money. Nelson-there is no way you are a resident of the Roanoke Valley with that comment. My experience with "fans" here is completely idiffferent.
Comment by watchdog — July 7, 2009 @ 10:33 am
Come on Ted, Did you really lose respect for Tech fans over a silly (and hilarious) license plate? I'm sure that there's one that reads TECHSUX out there somewhere. Just kidding, VDOT probably won't allow that combination of letters into production because it's inherently vile and wrong.
Besides, don't you think that you're perception of the rivalry is more influenced by you win/loss record of recent history? I'm sure that you're aware that UVA has beaten Tech only once since 1999. It's 2009.
Honestly Ted and Watchdog, I'm with you in that I'll cheer for UVA all season long when they're not playing Tech and in bowl games. Additionally, I'll cheer for VCU, U of Richmond, JMU, George Mason, VMI, and any Virginia School because that's where my allegiances lie. Despite your need to separate yourselves, you guys are not any better than most fans when it comes to your hierarchy of allegiances.
In short, there's nothing wrong with a little spirited rivalry between the two biggest football programs in any state. Yes, hokie fans can be ridiculous and ignorant. I've seen close friends blame every unfortunate play on the officiating. And it's disgusting. But I challenge that there's a larger variance of ridiculous behaviors between fans of either fan base than there is between both fan bases as a whole.
With the exception of WVU, those fans are just crazy.
And to back up Wonkisan's point, stop devaluing a large percentage of your fan base because you feel the need to distinguish some sort of (intellectual) line. This practice is narrow-minded, elitist, and reflects poorly on the Cavalier Community as a whole.
Comment by Fishfood for the soul — July 7, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
Hold on there Ted. I've seen that road run both ways. I've seen plenty of VT SUX, VPISUX, and many others. So let's not start playing the holier than thou song. I was at the UVA-VT football game @ C'ville in '07' and the crap I heard from UVA fans coming and going was vulgar. You would have thought you were at WVU. And the stuff they were saying wasn't prevoked. It was stuff just being yelled at us coming and going from the game.
Comment by cws260 — July 7, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
cws260, If you see a license plate you think is derogatory complain to the DMV they'll review it
Just like tech there are many uva fans that didn't graduate from uva and have season tickets, maybe that's the problem.
tech fans seemed to feel inferior to a school deemed more scholarly than the one they hold a degree, uva fans, on the other hand don't like that they have long losing streak in football to tech. Its a healthy rivalry and always will be as long as both sets of fans realize there are limitations to acceptable behavoir.
I however stopped going to tech v uva in blacksburg long ago due to the bad behavoir allowed in the stands, worse than Eagles fans and that's bad!
Comment by watchdog — July 8, 2009 @ 10:05 am
Watchdog, I don't have a problem with what someone has on there plate. My comment was on the "it's only Tech people with the hate attitude". As I said above that street runs both directions. Go look at UVA messages boards for staters, then go to UVA-VT in C'ville game without the O&B glasses and see what UVA fans are saying and how they act. I personally witnesed some UVA fan trying to start a fight with a VT guy and wife/girlfriend in '07' but the guy was smart enough to walk on, before you say it the guy did absolutely nothing to prevoke it. Why because they were mad for losing to VT. Then be pissed at your team not fans of the winning team. And btw I have never felt inferior to UVA as does the majority of VT grads. Thank you very much.
Comment by cws260 — July 8, 2009 @ 1:45 pm
cws260, I think you missed the point. there are many fans on both sides that didn't graduate from either school but attend football games and cause trouble. neither school's fans are any better than the other but, and unfortunately, some "fans" take the rivalry piece to far, IMO. Tech fans, to me,just seem more passionate about their "hate" of everything uva.
Funny you mentioned messages boards,hokies banter with hoos on the sabre all the time but,look how fast a hoo gets kicked off of TSL
Comment by watchdog — July 9, 2009 @ 9:54 am
I think itis pretty obvious to everyone that Nelson is indeed a douchenozzle.
Comment by Jeffrey — July 15, 2009 @ 8:22 am
To Jeff,
One reason the UVA are good sports when they lose, it has grown into a habit they seem to like
Hokie JR
Comment by Hokie JR — July 19, 2009 @ 6:37 pm
Alot of people talk about how UVa was going to be the only school to offer Chris Brathwaite. Thats mainly because they do not know what goes on in his recruiting. I know him personally and he had dominated every single camp he attended. also he is 257lbs running a 4'7. Thats amazing. Also it is said that he need 2 work on more moves instead of bull rushing. I say that if this kid can bullrush people 60 pounds more than him then he had something special. Critics always down this kid. I wonder what they're going to say whenever he becomes a success
Comment by John — August 13, 2009 @ 7:41 pm