Kam Nabs Pick-6 in Mini Scrimmage

Safety Kam Chancellor again came through during today's mini scrimmage in Blacksburg. He intercepted another pass and returned it for the scrimmage's only touchdown.

The defense has been getting the best of the offense throughout the spring, especially through the air. Tyrod Taylor was again sub-par, connecting on 3 of 8 passes for 36 yards. At what point should we start being concerned about this?

Linkage

Hokies

- Annette reports Josh Oglesby is doing well but also not talking to the media. (ESPN)
- Tyrod goes to the video tape to improve his mechanics. (RTD)
- Don't count out Cris Hill for the field corner spot (RTD)

Atlantic Coast Conference

- "You've gone soft on me, Jeff." Find out if this quote came from Brian or Mrs. Jeff. (BCI)
- GT is pwning UGa this year. (The Legacyx4)
- Aaron Curry appears to not be an ass hole. (Blogger So Dear)
- But did Dabo contribute to keeping Austin weird? (ACC Now)
- Buzz Blog does a horrible job of putting the sports calendar in bracket form. The Rose Bowl a No. 1 seed? Gimme a break. (Buzz Blog)

Stuff Only I Care About

- A new ECU Pirates logo for current times. (EDSBS)
- Run for your lives. They're letting bloggers on TV. (Goose's Roost)
- I thought Anne was a little kind with her grades. (Sabretooth's House)
- I'm sad to see MacT go. (Puck Daddy)
- Amalie Benjamin (who I love and would in a heartbeat give up my hard-drinking, road-tripping bachelor ways for) discusses whether or not to blame Matsuzaka's arm fatigue on the WBC. PS - I blame the WBC. (Extra Bases)

Things That Get Me to Football: "VT Cheerleader" and "Playboy Magazine" in the Same Headline

Last week I informed you via the Twitter that Playboy was going to be in Blacksburg looking for VT's entry in its Girls of the ACC issue. From Busted Coverage, via Winfield from The Legacy x4, comes news that one of the young ladies looking to expose themselves to the masses was a VT cheerleader.

Carly Hinchman probably would have been fine if she had tried out for Playboy under an alias and then not told anyone. However, she made a freshman mistake and not only gave Playboy her real name, but also WSLS in Roanoke, who interviewed her and a friend as part of a story on girls who showed up for the audition.

Someone later E-mailed Busted Coverage claiming their post was inaccurate because Carly didn't try out for Playboy. But according to her own words on the WSLS news story, she did.

Since we're still just under 150 days from glorious college football, this story and Carly's status on the team will be worth following.

Scrimmage Time

The Hokies will scrimmage at 4:30 today at Lane Stadium. It's open to the public.

Tyrod Taylor didn't get many snaps during the "mini scrimmage" earlier this week and my guess is you'll see the same today. Ju-Ju Clayton and Marcus Davis will likely get most of the snaps under center.

I'm also interested in how Ryan Williams does. He was lackluster in the mini scrimmage and most Hokie fans will want to see the moves they've heard the kid possesses.

There will be plenty to overly-dissect and put way too much stock into once the stats are posted by Dave Smith and the VT sports info department.

Spring Practice for Tailgaters

I'll be tailgating the OU spring game tomorrow. No, I'm not actually going to the Sooners' spring game. It's all about being prepared for the upcoming season.

It's also highly probable that our tailgate will just be held in our backyard since we're too lazy to drive across town to Owen Field and set up a tent.

Hoppy Easter

Easter Sunday is always a good day at my parents' house because it's the one time a year my mom makes her version of Dirt Cake, which is basically a large amount of crushed Oreos, pudding, cream cheese and Cool Whip layered in a large bowl. I'm sure there are other ingredients, but those are the only ones that matter.

I usually have it as my main course while everyone else in the family looks at me with looks or disdain, concern and/or envy. Plus, having it before anyone else means I'm free to take most of the Oreos, which make up the top layer and are the first to go.

Linkage

Hokies

- Iron Bowl moves to Friday. (College Game Balls)
- LB Bruce Taylor impresses Bud Foster. (Roanoke Times)
- Bill Roth looks at next year's Hokie hoops team. (Roth Report)

Atlantic Coast Conference

- Jeff takes time away from looking at geraniums at Home Depot to discuss BC's new no-huddle offense with Brian. (BCI)
- Wake's receivers are improving. (Blogger so Dear)
- Rosters for Clemson's spring game. (Block-C)
- Paul Johnson + Waffle House = Comedy. (The Barnhart)
- ACC talent continues to make NFL scouts salivate. (ACC Now)
- Former Wazzu PG discusses Tony Bennett (ACCSJ)

Stuff Only I Care About

- Thursday was a bad day for the Sooner State. (AP)
- Orson gets KTFO. (Sporting Blog)
- Beckett's fastball velocity is greatly improved. (Firebrand of the AL)
- Sabres get eliminated. (Muckers and Grinders)
- Amalie Benjamin (who I love and would in a heartbeat give up my hard-drinking, road-tripping bachelor ways for) discusses the impending arrival of John Smoltz to the Red Sox staff and other topics. (Globe)

Alabama May Have Its QB

The Crimson Tide's QB competition ended up being as anti-climactic as The Village. Greg McElroy, who backed up JPW last season is all but guaranteed the starting job after impressing in the first few days of spring drills.

A few Tide fans I talked to (OK, OK, the one Tide fan I know) expected freshman Star Jackson to win the job by the time Sept. 5 rolled around. Well, it looks like Star isn't quite ready for prime time. It'll be McElroy who starts against the Hokies. Quoth the Barnhart:

McElroy is ahead and he should be ahead because he has played and knows the offense. Saban and OC Jim McElwain want to keep the competition open so that the players involved develop as much as possible between now and Sept. 5. That’s what coaches are supposed to do. But it’s hard to see Jackson or Darrah or any freshman closing that gap between now and the spring game on April 18. And when everybody returns in August it will be time to get a quarterback ready to play Virginia Tech.

This is good news for the Hokies. Our defense typically fares well against drop-back quarterbacks. However, QBs who can avoid the rush and escape the pocket have a tendency to burn us.

Linkage

Hokies

- Tyrod's footwork appears improved. This is a very good thing. (TechSuperfans)
- BCO uses his own formula to pick UNC to win it all this weekend. (Beer Control Offense)
- The Fraggles have been eliminated. This tournament is dead to me. (The North End Zone)
- A VT hoops recruit will participate in two All-Star games. (Tech Hoops)

Atlantic Coast Conference

- How to cover FSU without really trying. (EDSBS)
- Little Glennon competes for the NC State QB job. (Annette)
- "Hot hand in a dice game, baby girl." (Tar Heel Fan)
- Jeff got permission from Mrs. Jeff to discuss BC's QBs with Brian. (BC Interruption)

Stuff Only I Care About

- Good fight from the 'Nucks-Ducks game last night. (Hockey Fights)

An Interesting Way to Boost Attendance

The VT women's lacrosse team hosts North Carolina at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Thompson Field. The struggling Hokies are 4-10 overall and 1-2 in ACC play. I don't think I ever remember a point where the women's lacrosse team was any good, but that doesn't mean it won't see a big attendance figure Wednesday.

Wednesday's game will feature something called the "Greek Challenge" where the fraternity or sorority with the most members in attendance receives a $100 gift card to the business of its choice. My guess is you'll see a lot of greeks at Wednesday's game because from what I experienced in college greeks get excited about any opportunity to beat other greeks at anything.

Whether its raising money or drinking terrible 3.2 beer, greeks get a kick out of being the best at it. Hopefully it means a spirited atmosphere for the game against the 7-2 Tar Heels.

Attendance to women's lacrosse games are free at VT, but I assume the increased attendance will mean increased concession sales. And if the Hokies were smart and got that $100 gift card donated, it's all profit.

Linkage

Hokies

- Aaron McFarling has greater appreciation for the ADV era than I do.

- BCO really likes IPAs. I can't stand IPAs. To each his own.

- Tech Hoops gives its summer schedule.

Atlantic Coast Conference

- Enjoy it while you can boys. There's no spring break in the real world. /sobs uncontrollably. /applies to grad school.

- Jeff and Brian are too close to call in their Tournament pool. Jeff's only ahead because he had his wife pick his bracket.

- Pretty good motivational ploy by Roy during the LSU game.

- Apparently the near-empty Dolphin Stadium for Miami games isn't because 'Canes fans suck. It's because Miami fans suck in general.

- Spring practice starts at Georgia Tech.

Randomness

- Looks like all that money the Virginia Lottery gives to Virginia Public Schools didn't help Percy Harvin.

- Giglio looks at Gonzaga's history in the NCAA Tournament.

- Sad face.

- It was a bad weekend to be a Sabres fan.

Stuff to Read While Drinking and Filling Out Brackets

It's St. Patrick's, so I'm doing what I do best all day today. It's not even Noon and I'm on my third Guinness. I'm not an alcoholic, I'm just honoring my heritage.

I'm also filling out what will likely be the worst bracket in the history of filling it out brackets. Seriously, this thing is terrible. I'll reveal my picks tomorrow so you can point and laugh at them.

Everyone has advice on the NCAA Tournament and how to pick it. Well, I can only offer two pieces of advice.

First, the serious part: Fill it out backwards. Look at each regional, select the team you feel is strongest or has the best match-ups to get them to the Final Four and put them in Detroit. Then, fill out the rest of the regional. If you start from the beginning, you're bound to put the strongest team in a tough match-up in the Sweet 16 and then go against your better judgment and pick against them. Well, more often than not, that Sweet 16 match-up doesn't happen and you're stuck when you're original team ends up in the Final Four.

Finally, the fun part: Pick one huge underdog and have them winning in the first round. This way, if you're like me and your team isn't in the field, you at least have one rooting interest on Thursday or Friday. It's an added bonus if the underdog you picked is playing a team you hate.



Linkage

Hokies

- TSL has the Labatt Hokie Hotline notes. Greenberg on the officiating: "It is what it is."

- Tech Hoops went to the ACC tournament and naturally visited The Varsity. "What'll ya have!?"

- Niemo also previews the Duquesne game.

- Blogsburg has its unique take on the Dukes. With cheerleader photo!

- A-Line wonders aloud why Tech fans are complaining about the officiating Friday's hoops game after the officiating in September's football game. Good point. [stereotypical Hokie fan] I'll take the football win over a basketball win any day. [/stereotypical Hokie fan].

ACC

- Joe Ovies and Adam Gold interview Tom O'Brien about Irish Christmas.

- Blogger So Dear has advice on filling out your bracket. Don't look at the RPI, folks.

- Jeff of BCI took time out from being a neutered married pussy to attend the ACC tournament.

- TrueCubbie of Tomahawk Nation takes a preliminary look at The Tournament.

- Probably the best read of the week (even if it's from a dirty 'hoo) comes from From Old Virginia with his take on Dave Leitao's ouster. Good stuff. You know, for a 'hoo.

- Doug dissects Dabo.

Randomness

- Tulsa is finally better than OKC at something. Too bad it's making meth.

- Remember when Winfield of The Legacy x4 and I traded texts during the GT-Miami game last November? This is what it would have looked like if we were women. Notice the complete lack of swear words. And neither of them is drunk.

- Woo hoo!

- Double woo hoo!

ACC Best of the Blogs: Scheduling and Hoops

Because it's the off-season, these posts are infrequent and irregular. But, here's what's going on around the ACC. Sadly, the ACC lost a great blogger last week when Jeff from BC Interruption decided to end his own life ... by getting married. Our condolences to Brian.

BOSTON COLLEGE

BC All Access: Boston College Upsets Duke
"The atmosphere in Conte Forum was electric as the Eagles dazzled the sellout crowd. Fans packed the arena early and created a hostile environment throughout the game. The victory brought upon a massive rush of students as they stormed the court in celebration."

BC Interruption: Role Play: BC Hoops, ACC Football Sched and Gaylord Hotels
"Brian as ACC scheduler: Well, we had to wait to see how some of these out of conference games were going to pan out. We wanted to wait until the teams from North Carolina gorge themselves on creampuff opponents in early September. And we also want to take an extra amount of time to ensure teams like Florida State, Virginia Tech and Miami (FL) have the most favorable schedule possible. Because those programs sell! Some say we have a football perception problem. What better way to fix that than give those programs the easiest schedule possible in terms of when who plays who and screw the little guys! I'm looking at you, Duke, Wake Forest and Boston College!"

Eagle in Atlanta: First (delayed ) reaction to 2009 schedule
"Considering we already knew the opponents this is a dream slate for Spaz's first year. I think we get nearly every team when and where we want them. We don't deal with any awkward trips or Thursday night games. Seven games are at home. The toughest road game is at Virginia Tech, but we know we can win there (neutral fields with the Hokies are a different story)."

CLEMSON

Block-C: 2009 Clemson Football Schedule
"The Tigers will face out of conference foes from Middle Tennessee State, Central Michigan, Coastal Carolina, and Sakerlina. The Tigers will face their regular Thursday embarrassment early this year, traveling to Atlanta on September 10 to face Georgia Tech."

FLORIDA STATE

Tomahawk Nation: How can FSU fill their wide receiver void?
"We discussed Jimbo's extensive use of the depth chart throughout the season and despite our concerns (that Ponder and his wideouts couldn't get in rhythm because the reps were spread too thin), it looks like it might be paying off. Many players got significant reps last year, and despite losing three more wideouts than we expected (Carr was a senior), those losses might not be as bad because of the valuable experience gained by the backups."

GEORGIA TECH

The Legacy x4: 2009 Yellow Jacket football schedule is out
"I kind of wrinkled my nose at the idea of not playing Clemson closer to mid-season, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. We get a nice warm up game, then hit the ground running by playing people we love to hate and hate to love."

MARYLAND

Testudo Times: 2009 Football Schedule Announced
"It's going to be tough to open the season at California. It would have been nice to get a game against James Madison under our belt first, but it will be a good, early test for this team."

Turtle Soup: Franklin to Replace Friedgen (Eventually)
"I think it’s a great move for all the reason’s they discussed above and Franklin seems to have a passion for the University, saying he can’t think of another school that can offer all the things Maryland can offer a student-athlete. Will that be enough to get the blue chip recruits? It hasn’t so far, but with the class we just got and this ‘continuity’ announced today, perhaps we can take that next step."

MIAMI

The 7th Floor: Like a doll's eyes
"Aside from former linebacker Brandon Marti joining Robert Marve in proving that we really, really, reeeeeeeally need to stop recruiting white guys, all of yesterday's news comes from Lovett's presser. Lovett acknowledged the challenge of arriving 12 days before the start of spring ball, but said he's already hit the ground running and "all the kids I have met have exceeded my expectation in terms of how to present themselves." Team MVP Matt Bosher will shatter this illusion later when he uses his entrée fork to eat a salad, and suffers the humiliation of being shown to the door by the footman."

All Canes: What's new at the U
"Kirby Hocutt joined Shannon at the function and it was stated that Miami's athletic department raised upwards of $4.5M last year with the move to Dolphin Stadium. Though the stadium needs more bodies in seats, it's hard to argue with the bottom line. The Canes left the Orange Bowl for money and for a strapped program, it's hard to argue with almost a $5M increase... in a down economy, no less."

NORTH CAROLINA

Carolina March: UNC 101, Duke 87
"Four straight wins at Cameron. With the turnover in college basketball, there won't be that many players at UNC next season who have played with guys who have lost in Durham. There's no fear there. Thompson and Davis both, 60% free throw shooters that they are buried four from the line in the faces of a screaming crowd. Neither of the freshman seemed lost for long - only Drew when he kept losing his footing on the wet Duke floor - and Thompson was positively gleeful for most of the first half."

Tar Heel Fan: Oh Yeah…The Football Schedule Came Out
"There is also the matter of UNC playing two I-AA teams this season. The 2nd game came about when Butch Davis canceled a home-and-home with Colorado but could not find a suitable I-A opponent willing to come into Chapel Hill. Playing two I-AA teams means only one of those games can count towards bowl eligibility. At least Duke and NCSU are doing the same thing sparing us any trash talk about the schedule."

NC STATE

StateFans Nation: 2009 Football Schedule Released
"End with Carolina, so it looks like the ACC is finally starting to see the marketability of this rivalry rather than the contrived nature of the Carolina-Duke football “rivalry.” Also, since we’re apparently marked for a Thanksgiving Weekend home game every season, then making it the biggest game of the season is the most practical solution to ensure a max-capacity crowd."

Yet Another...: A look at the 2009 football schedule
"What a wonderful, wonderful site to behold: The front offices of the ACC acknowledging that this game -- not the Duke/Carolina matchup for the Victory Bell -- is the state's most significant college football game."

VIRGINIA

From Old Virginia: The schedule, obviously
"No long stretches of home games or away games - only two each consecutively. The only time we don't have a home game after a road game is early, after the Southern Miss game, which I feel like we should win. All this strikes me as a good thing. As schizoid as we were last year, and for the most part still pretty bad on the road, I think coming home after all the road games is a good way to re-align the psyche if/when we take another dump on somebody's field."

VIRGINIA TECH

Beer Control Offense: Putting the Beer back in Beer Control Offense
"The dual party ass clowns might actually do something to help out us Beer drinkers ... via helping the brewer's themselves. Not sure how the BCO feels about this since I think 70% of the stimulus bill is horseshit, this looks like it may actually give some relief to breweries. Either way it's beer news."

College Game Balls: CGB Off-Topic: The Types of Drivers I Hate
"She sees you coming from 500 feet away. Plenty of time to turn onto the road you are barreling down. 400 feet. You can see it’s clear both ways yet she isn’t turning. 300 feet. If you want to turn now is the time. 200 feet. She must be extra cautious and is waiting for you to pass. 100 feet. She decides to turn now. You slam on you brakes to avoid an accident and curse."

Tech Sideline: Can I rant for just a second?
"Schmadtke’s mistake, assuming I’m interpreting his comments correctly (always a dicey assumption), is a common one made by college sportswriters, who also like to write that the difference between a school winning a conference championship and not winning one is the $17 million paid out by the BCS bowls. No, it’s not — BCS money goes to the conferences, not the schools. Get it right!"

VT Fan: I Picked a Bad Game to Watch the Hokies Up Close
"I’ve watched this team all year, and frankly that was the worst I’ve seen the Hokies so far. It wasn’t any one thing, they just didn’t have the enery, focus, or sharpness they’ve had most of the season on Saturday. Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen especially had bad first halfs. In many ways, it was a case of Maryland just coming out more ready to play, fresher, more energetic, and shooting the lights out."

WAKE FOREST

Blogger So Dear: Startling Statistic: Jeff Teague's last six games
"With Ish Smith on the floor, Teague far too often watches Ish and does not look to score. The two are good on the floor at once, but they could be better. In addition to this, it is incredibly hard to keep up the pace that Teague had. He was seeing a huge hoop and finishing a high percentage of his shots."

Road Trip No. 4: VT at BC

Gobbler Country Road Trip No. 4
Football: BYU at TCU
Amon Carter Stadium
Fort Worth, Texas

Hockey: Bowling Green at Boston College
Conte Forum
Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Football: Virginia Tech at Boston College
Alumni Stadium
Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Miles Round Trip: 3,800 (400 drive, 3,400 flight)
Total Dollars Spent: $530 ($340 flight, $50 gas, $50 food and drink, $90 tickets)

I apologize there aren't a lot of photos from this trip. I forgot the camera for the hockey game I was in no mood to be snapping photos at the football game.

First up was a Thursday night football game between TCU and BYU. I was impressed with how full Amon Carter Stadium was for a Thursday night game. The east stands were packed and included a lot of BYU fans. I'd say the crowd was at least 35 percent pro-mormon for the game.

At first we sat high up in the upper deck before moving down the TCU student section for the fourth quarter. The students were rowdy, but overall the crowd wasn't too into the game. It would be the same two nights later in Alumni Stadium.

The hockey game was fun. My first college hockey game had been the BC-Notre Dame national title game back in April. There were a lot of students on hand, but not many others, probably since the Eagles were playing Bowling Green. The band really added to the atmosphere and unlike the game in Denver, they weren't stuck in the upper deck.

Saturday in Boston was fun. I got to go out and see Chestnut Hill and surrounding neighborhoods before heading to the tailgate. Brian from BC Interruption and company put on a pretty good tailgate for a bunch of yankees. Plenty of food, booze and cornhole.

(Don't know what cornhole is? Click here.)

Brian was the only member of BC Interruption in attendance Saturday because apparently Jeff couldn't get a hall pass because he's a domesticated pussy (I keed, I keed). Brian and I partnered up for cornhole, but were defeated by Brian's fiancee and one of his friends. It was a truly embarrassing moment for the entire blogosphere. Hopefully we can get a rematch next year in Blacksburg. Of course, next year we'll play on the Hokie boards.

Speaking of embarrassing moments: The game.

The Hokies came out on fire and got 10 quick points thanks to turnovers. It turned out the Hokies' best offense was on the field at the same time as Chris Crane. No offensive touchdowns.

The two biggest drives of the game came after Tech's field goal to make it 10-0 and after the second Pick 6. Crane led the Eagles right down the field and answered to make it 10-7 BC and 28-18 BC, respectively. Those two drives really to the wind out of the Hokies' sails.

As for the atmosphere inside the stadium, there really wasn't any. The SuperFans did their job, as they always do. They have more fun than any student section I've ever been around. The rest of the stadium was a tomb. That is, except for the piped in noise that was constant, even during play.

I'm pretty sure what BC does is against ACC rules. The band and student section noise is played over the speakers, even when play is going on. It was despicable. They also turned their big screens, which are between the goal posts, into strobe lights whenever Keys lined up for a field goal. That's just gamesmanship and plenty or places do that. But the amplified noise can't be legal.

Also, the students rushed the field after the game. What a joke. They just beat a team that had already lost a game and was in the Top 20, not the Top 10. And, it was the same team they had beaten the previous two years as well. Nice job, BC students.


Amon Carter Stadium


The Frog


Late in the game


Celebrating with the Frogs. The TCU Gestapo wouldn't let the fans storm the field, which they should have been allowed to do.


Is "ass-kicking" hyphenated?


BC hockey at Conte Forum


Hokies take the field vs. BC


Kickoff


Lame.