Friday, May 30, 2008

No budging with UConn and other links

In the last portion of this notes column, UConn Head Coach Randy Edsall continues his public campaign to get BC back on the schedule. He also acknowledges that it will probably not happen as long as Gene is around. I'm in the Gene camp on this issue. I don't think we should ever play the Huskies again. Closeness can help interest and travel costs, but the State of Connecticut and UConn were at the forefront of the Big East lawsuits. They, along with Mike Tranghese, did everything they could to disparage BC. Why help them now?


Speaking of UConn, new BC coach women's coach locked down her first big recruit. The Huskies had shown interest in Shields.


USA Hockey named Nathan Gerbe the College Player of the Year.


For those who missed this article in the Herald: BC has two of the best heptathletes in the country.


BC guy Brooks Orpik was considered a game changer in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.


Random article via Google News' RSS feeds: some Arizona kid places third in a national basketball skills competition and says he wants to play for BC one day. I don't know how good he actually is (hell, he's not even in high school yet) but this goes back to some fans' contention that BC recruits itself!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Sailing sails to another championship and other links

The women's sailing team won the ICSA Women's National Championship. It is the first national title won by any BC sailing team.


Here is more on Kevin Challenger's adjustment to the CFL.


Georgia prospect Joel Knight says good things about BC (among other schools).


This Tobacco Road writer doesn't expect much from our basketball team next season.


The marching band has put together their own little recruiting videos.


Here's part 2 of their campaign.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Fontaine changes his mind and other links

Two weeks after his first decision (?) prized local recruit Arthur Fontaine took back his verbal commitment and is now opening up the process again. This is just another reason why I passively follow recruiting.


This post looks back at ACC basketball recruits from 2005. I did not realize that Marquez Haynes had a better rating than Rice coming out of high school.


SMQ breaks provides an early look at ACC foe Maryland.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Guess the source of Athlon's bulletin board material?

I am not buying Athlon's preview this year. However, their use of candid and, at times, biting critiques from anonymous sources does have me intrigued. Here is what their ACC source said about BC:
Boston College: “Overrated. Good coaches, and their kids play hard. But their cupboard is bare this year. They lost that edge of toughness on offense when the new coach [Jeff Jagodzinski] came in.”


Fair enough take. I think our cupboard is less bare than perception. Other ACC teams dished on include Florida State, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Miami. Because of the assistant tag, we'll never guess the coach serving as Ahtlon's Deep Throat but you can narrow which staff he came from.

Who is out? Obviously the schools named. I also think you can cross off anyone from NC State. I just don't see one of the former TOB staffers degrading our talent and crediting our coaches. My guess is that it is someone from Clemson. The Tigers played all of the teams listed with the exception of Miami. However, if they were scouting BC, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Florida State they would have seen the 'Canes plenty on tape and noticed that "Last year the defense was extremely vanilla. Mostly just man-free with occasional blitzes. You’ve got to mix it up once in a while.”

Because the unnamed source mentioned Miami's vanilla schemes, I am guessing he was watching his potential opponents' offenses. Therefore, if it is someone from Clemson, he is probably on the defensive side. I won't go so far as to guess which Clemson defensive coach may have been the source. You can do your own speculating by looking at their staff bios.

Monday, May 26, 2008

They're back: Ryan's supporting cast crucial for Crane

Chris Crane will have one advantage over Matt Ryan -- a very experienced group of pass catchers. I don't think we'll pass as often or as effectively as last season, but I also don't think this returning production will disappear. These stats and factoids should make us all feel better about throwing the ball this season.

-- 15 Eagles caught passes in 2007. Eight of those Eagles return this year. Of the seven who left via graduation or disciplinary issues, only two caught more than 20 passes.
-- Three of 2007's four most productive pass catchers return.
-- The two most productive wide receivers return. The most productive tight end returns.
-- Our returning players accounted for 60% of our completions.
-- Our returning players accounted for 65% of our passing yards.
-- Our returning players accounted for 64% of our passing touchdowns.
-- Incoming freshman wide receiver Colin Larmond was All-State in New Jersey and ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the state of New Jersey according to Rivals.com.
-- Incoming freshman Clyde Lee was ranked within the top 100 recruits coming out of Texas by Rivals.com.
-- Redshirt freshman Lars Anderson was ranked by ESPN as the 26th-best tight end in the country and ranked as one of the Top 50 and #2 TE in the state of Florida.

Fashion sense

Memorial Day has come and gone, so now BC fans can wear the following.

And this.

Make a note, you can't wear the suit and pants after the Kent State game.

Recruiting update

According to realfootball365 we stand a good chance with these recruits. It seems like Jags continues to emphasize speed. The team will look very different in three or four seasons.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Agents tip their hats to Condon and other links

Matt's agent and BC grad Tom Condon received kudos from the Sports Agent blog. I am sure he appreciates the respect. The commision from the biggest deal in NFL rookie history doesn't hurt either.


This blog forecasts Mark Herzlich as a first rounder in next year's2010 draft. If he has a good season, he'll be a first day pick in the 2009 draft...I hope he comes back for his Senior season.


Former Eagle Eric Boatwright is playing in the Continental Indoor Football League (the what?). Glad to see he is still giving it a go. It would have been nice for him to finish up his career at BC.

Friday, May 23, 2008

BC message board nomenclature drifting into the mainstream press and other links

I am not sure of the exact etymology of the term "TOB" but I know it first appeared on the original Eagle Action message boards. My guess is that the "T" was added to the shorthand "OB" to differentiate Tom O'Brien from former BC basketball coach Jim O'Brien. Through time the reference spread through most of the BC community and eventually to the other teams' college football message boards. And while those around the program certainly knew about "TOB" I don't think it was ever widely used around Tom O'Brien himself. When he went to NC State the nickname followed and now it is to the point that mainstream media is using it in headlines (and even in the article). It may seem silly to take note of it...I guess I just get a kick out of some BC fan being too lazy to type out "O'Brien" and the reference becoming common place.


The NFL is featuring Matt Hasselbeck and his daughters in an ad campaign for Canon cameras. I am sure you've all seen Matt's Reebok ad with Tory Holt, Chad Johnson and Stacey Keibler a millions times the past month.


Here are some ACC games to keep an eye on this season.


For those of you who haven't already read this, here are ESPN's ACC highlights of the BCS era.

The truth about transfers

Some fans get on Al for his seemingly high rate of transfers. They shouldn't. As David Glenn lays out, transfers are now a very common part of college basketball.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Moe Maloney update and other links

Wicked Local has an update and feature on former BC baseball coach Moe Maloney (no relation). He is still active in the community. It's nice to finally get positive press from the Brighton media.


Former Eagle Chris Snee is angling for a new deal. (Thanks to Brian for the link.)


The Globe finally gets around to the Brady Smith story and throws in an update on Cherilus and Tribble for good measure.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

ACC money and other links

According to tax returns, the ACC revenue continues to rise. Even in BC's final year as a partial member, we took in more than $8 million.


People are still talking about Rice's 46-point outburst against UNC. I don't know if I agree that Rice is under the radar. He was first team ACC.


Former Eagle Lenny Walls signed on with the Ravens.


Ron Brace is getting more attention. I am giddy at the thought of Brace and Raji on the field together for a full season.


Gonzalez realizes he can be cut by the Falcons at any minute.


Here is some discussion of whether Matt should start right away. (Thanks to Tim E. for the link.)

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Matt signs contract with the Falcons

Matt is now officially an Atlanta Falcon. With the contract, he avoids a prolonged holdout like some of Tom Condon's past QBs. With the deal out of the way, Matt will be in camp when it opens and able to compete for the starting job.

A little Haden hype and other links

Josh Haden is listed as a freshman running back who will make an impact this season.


Entering the season, BC's strength of schedule number is not very impressive. The calculation is somewhat misleading as UNC, NC State and Notre Dame should all be better than they were last year.


The ACC put together a committee to review every basketball game from last season and grade the officials.


Incoming hockey player Barry Almeida put together a good run in the United States Hockey League.


As we've covered the Falcons signed Tony Gonzalez.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Siravo interview and other links

In a rare occurrence the football staff speaks! BC Secondary Coach and Recruiting Coordinator gave an interview to a San Diego site regarding DeJuan Tribble. He has good things to say about DeJuan's skills. Even if this interview is pretty pat, I like reading what the staffers think...about anything. Regardless of who has been in charge, we only really hear from the Head Coach. The coordinators occasionally are asked for a quote or two, but that's it. I would like to see more of this.


This Falcon blog raises an interesting counterpoint to those who thought the Falcons should have taken Glenn Dorsey. Like QBs, first round defensive tackles have a high failure rate too. Dorsey was not a sure thing.


The first Falcons franchise QB has advice for the latest franchise QB.


Interesting takes on a college football playoff that may show the difference between mainstream media and bloggers. Ivan Maisel, an insider who works for the company that benefits the most from the current system, looks at the tea leaves and doubts we'll see a playoff anytime soon. SMQ, a blogger with no vested interest in the sources or outcomes (other than being a fan), cuts through all the speculating and finds a great quote from Florida State President on the inevitable playoff. SMQ is right -- it all comes down to money. And the money in a playoff is too huge to pass on forever.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Advice on being a BC fan after you graduate

Ten years ago today, I graduated from Boston College. With the Class of 2008 walking Monday, I thought it was appropriate to provide some sort of commencement address. I won't try to inspire you into making a difference or bore you with life lessons. I don't have those answers. Instead I'll stick to what I know and provide a guide on making the transition from student to lifetime Super Fan.

10. Get to the game on time. This goes to fans of all ages, but the new graduates need to set the example. You’ve lived during the Super Fan era. Keep that enthusiasm going. Getting into Alumni is not tough. Give yourself enough time to be there for when the team storms onto the field. We've all complained about the older alumni. Now you are an alum. Help change the gameday culture.

9. Join your local alumni club. Alumni clubs are great places to keep your BC passion alive. I have a toddler, so game watches are rarely an option, but assuming you’re childless, a game watch allows you to watch the game with other fans. It can make things that much sweeter when we win and it is nice to commiserate with someone who understands your pain when we lose.

8. Buy BC merchandise and paraphernalia. Have you ever seen some sort of chotchke or piece of clothing with a sports logo and said to yourself “I would totally buy that if they made a BC version”? Well the marketplace is driven by dollars. Licensors won’t make cool BC stuff unless we buy the stuff that is out there now. So next time you see a BC Christmas ornament or some whalepants, pull out the credit card. Consider it an investment.


7. Don’t be a jerk at work. Your first real job is important in your life. It’s your first transition to the real world. Depending on your industry and geography you could very well be surrounded by other sports fan. Sports can be a great ice breaker and way to bond with your new coworkers. However, these people will influence your pay and your career. You’re there to contribute and work. Don’t be the guy or girl who comes in after a big game talking all sorts of trash. It will only come back to bite you in the end. Always take the high road with your coworkers when it comes to BC sports.


6. Talk with significant others about what BC sports means to you. This isn’t first date material, but if you think the relationship has potential you better have the talk early. Let this person know that BC sports is very important to you. Ask them to respect that importance. If he or she expresses interest and wants to share in your passion, great! Our tent is big and can use the support. However, if this new love doesn’t care, don’t force it. Just ask that he or she respects your interest and understands that fall and at times March are probably not the best times for big plans.


5. Don’t be that guy (or gal) in the Mods. Your first year after graduation you can return to the Mods. It is not unheard of after two years out of school. By your third year, you better have a blood relative living in the Mod before you enter. The rule holds for female graduates too. There are plenty of tailgates across campus with people you know. Being the old guy in the mod clinging to college just looks bad.


4. Travel to a game. You now have a little extra spending money. You probably now know a grad who lives near one of our opponents. Make the trip. It’s fun seeing BC somewhere new and experiencing a gameday environment that is different from Alumni. A few notes about travel. 1. Buy your tickets through BC. 2. Wear BC stuff and not Red Sox stuff. 3. Remember you're representing BC (don’t be a jerk.)


3. Be true to your school. Many of you will go on to grad school somewhere. Many of those schools could potentially have much better sports programs than BC. You are free to root for those schools, but never let them replace BC. You only have one true school.


2. Give to BC. It doesn’t have to be to the Flynn Fund but it is important to give back to BC. The team you root for, the school that provided a great four years, the friends you made, the education you received has a priceless value. Sure, you and/or your parents paid a fortune to attend BC and the school’s endowment is already over a billion dollars, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t contribute. Even a small donation helps.


1. Keep perspective. It will happen sooner or later. One day someone very important to you will need you or invite you to something that conflicts with a BC game. Inside you’ll be dreading it. Outside you need to put on a good face and suck it up. Weddings of your friends and families, funerals, birthday parties and other events are important. Show your support by skipping the game and attending. Technology is now in place that you really don’t have to miss much. You can follow the game on your cell phone and watch it back later on your Tivo or DVR. (Plus we don’t need your evil mojo working against BC. If you blow off an important family event, you can count on BC losing.) The game and the team is important but not as important as those you love.

As the Class of 2008 knows, being a Super Fan is never easy. The lows might make you question why you even root for the Eagles. But even during the down times, you should stick with it...the highs are just around the corner.

Falcons still interested in Gonzo and other links

The Falcons brought Tony Gonzalez back to mini-camp. There are no assurances that he'll make the team, but it doesn't hurt to have the team's No. 1 draft pick on your side.


Here is a fantasy-football perspective on our team. (Are there many people out there that play college fantasy football?)


The baseball team closed out its uneven season with a win over Wake Forest.


Eagle Insider poster Aguilafan found this countdown to our season.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Friday roundup

Useless, premature Bowl forecast time! College Football News predicts we'll play South Carolina in the Peach/Chick-fil-A Bowl. Do they post these things to tease me specifically? I would looooove to play in the Georgia Dome...I just know that it is the longest of long shots.


Did you know our game against Kent State in Cleveland actually has a name and title sponsor? You can read the press release here.


ESPN's college football guys wrote about upcoming ACC storylines. BC is not among them.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Zoning in on Gibbs' zone blocking

As former BC consultant and Jags mentor Alex Gibbs continues his sojourn around football, his once secretive and protected techniques on zone blocking are becoming much more documented. My fellow Fanhouse blogger Stephanie Stradley found these videos on zone blocking related to Gibbs move to the Texans. Both are informative and give insight into the philosophies Jags is using at BC.






Here is an article on Gibbs' work in Houston.

Tough times for the ACC and other links

The ACC Now is predicting another rough season for the conference. I really don't care about outside perception since it is so predictable. "Life after Ryan" will be the theme the media takes. Assuming we start strong and stay competitive, you'll hear plenty of people refer to us as a "surprise team."


More developments in the Brady Smith case.


Tony Barnhart has clearly provided the best coverage of the ACC meetings. The latest news: lower ticket prices for the ACC Championship Game and questions about San Fran as a long term ACC bowl option.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

BC continues to dominate TV ratings

BC fans are constantly reminded about our travel woes, but no one ever mentions our great TV ratings. We consistently break ratings records in our bowl games. When we were on the Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot package in 2005 the ACC syndicator had its best season ever (things were so good that ESPN hasn't allowed us to slip down to the JP game since). Further documentation:
Boston College's 14-10 win at Virginia Tech on Oct. 25 was the highest-rated Thursday night game ever on ESPN.


And that game went head to head with a Red Sox World Series game. If the Red Sox hadn't been playing we would have put up an even bigger number.

A few other notes from the article...
-- The nine game ACC football season was tabled for now
-- The GMAC Bowl in Mobile will be in the mix for future ACC teams

Boise, baseball and Bowden

After this season the ACC will longer be involved with the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise. Wanna take bets on which ACC team will get stuck there in the final year of the deal?


The Red Sox unveiled the logo for next season's ACC baseball championship at Fenway.


ESPN produced their ACC Atlantic outlook. Nothing earth shattering inside, however, I did enjoy this quote from Tommy Bowden:

"I don't even know where people are picking us," Bowden said. " … are we picked to win it?"


I think Clemson could be great this year...if Bowden doesn't screw it up.

Reason number 396 why I am glad we left the Big East

Did you see the news that East Carolina is willing to become a passive member of Big East football? Here are the particulars:
• Play a conference football schedule with zero compensation from the Big East so current members don't have to give up any of their share of revenue.

• Be responsible for negotiating a television contract for home games until the league wants the school to be a part of its package.

• Not expect any of the league's BCS revenue until earning a BCS bid of its own representing the conference.

• Come in as a football member only. Other sports would play in another league in order to not interfere with the league's current 16-member setup for all other sports.

• Show a solid track record of putting fans in the seats at home, on the road and at bowl games — all on a trial basis for a few years.


I am sure East Carolina is a fine institution. The program was a vital part of Jags and Logan's careers. However, that doesn't mean they would have generated any excitement in Boston had BC stayed in the Big East. This desperate marriage -- which is structured to prop up the unworkable 16 team basketball conference -- is a joke.


Old schoolers can complain all they want about the ACC, but it provided more stability, more revenue, more liked-minded opponents and more excitement. We should never look back.

Alums in the pros and other news

Quinton Porter is going north of the border to play football in the CFL. The article takes an angle that will probably follow Quinton the rest of his pro career -- "he was benched for Matt Ryan."


Former Eagle Chuck Kobasew signed an extension with the Bruins.


Jonathan Loyte is still looking for a team after not getting an offer from Tampa Bay.


Here is more on recent commit Arthur Lynch-Fontaine.


Interesting note: the ACC schedules the fewest cupcakes of any of the major conferences.


A Big Lead reader crunched the numbers and concluded that the BCS bowls are not very competitive. My bigger complaint is that New Year's Day is not as fun as it used to be. Now you get six games. Back in the day you could watch nine in day-long football extravaganza.


This is the best defense I've seen of Matt Ryan from a non-BC fan. (Thanks to Brendan O. for the link.)


A little more background on our new recruits.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Expanding the football schedule and other stuff

The idea of a nine game ACC slate has been floated around the past week. I don't see it happening as long as the regular season stays at 12 games. With teams like Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Clemson locked into annual non-conference rivalry games, nine games doesn't leave them much schedule flexibility.


An expanded basketball schedule is much more likely.


More fawning over Matt from the local media. Even Jags has good things to say.


ESPN put together their own Ryan timeline.


Fellow blogger Orson Swindle has put together a fan competition for a good cause. Support it if you can.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Sunday, May 11, 2008

More Matt stuff and other links



This is probably the most positive column I've read on Matt from the local media.


Ryan Poles is one step closer to making the Bears roster.


One of the pluses of Silva signing with the Colts is the team's track record of keeping undrafted free agents.


This article looks at the ACC's struggles in the Big Dance and floats some possible solutions.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Tuggle at Falcons camp and other links

Father of future BC QB Justin Tuggle, Jessie Tuggle took in the first day of Falcon's mini-camp. He had very good things to say about BC.


Ryan is throwing to a familiar face as Tony Gonzalez earned an invite to Falcons camp.


Falcons fans are already sporting Ryan's No. 2 jersey.


There was a big turnout Saturday morning. Maybe Ryan will generate more interest than people expected.


BC guy and Matt's agent Tom Condon and his firm were the big winners on draft day.

Plug in the AJC

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution produced a "welcome package" for Matt and included a plug for this blog.
IF YOU'RE HOMESICK

> Atlanta Chapter, Boston College Alumni Association (www.bc.edu/chapters/atlanta).

> Atleagle.blogspot.com: Blog that's all BC sports all the time by Bill Maloney, class of '98.

> Atlanta Red Sox Nation: Decatur-based Meetup group (http://redsox.meetup.com/138). Next meeting: May 27.


Of course they made the classic mistake that all Eagles outside of Boston face: the assumption that we are all Sox fans. I am pretty sure Matt roots for the Phillies. Other than that, I appreciate the shout out. Welcome to Atlanta.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Forgot about 'Dre




27 running backs were drafted this year. Andre Callender was not among them. This wasn't a surprise. Entering the Draft, Callender was a borderline draftee. Guys who accomplished much more and showed greater upside found themselves going late in the second day.


What has surprised me is that AC is not making any news in this free agency period. Many of his teammates have signed as free agents or at least been through a tryout or two. Yet no word on 'Dre. He had a decent Pro Day and a great senior year. That should have been enough to generate interest. Maybe something is brewing that I am not aware of. I haven't seen anything to report. I don't think the NFL is missing out on some superstar, but I do think he can be a contributor and is underrated in the passing game. Hopefully he'll get a shot somewhere.

UPDATE: Dre is getting a tryout with the Giants.

Does Armstrong have any eligibility left?

BC guy, former Heights editor, and current SI.com writer Kevin Armstrong went under cover at one of those high school camp/combines as a QB. It's a good, light-hearted piece. As a follow up, I'd love to know more about the selection of participants and who picks up the tab for the event.

You can see Kevin's work here.



My scouting report. Kevin lacks the ideal size for a QB and his release is slow. 1 star.

See Matt in action and other links

The Falcons have opened their Rookie mini-camp to the public. If you're in Atlanta this weekend, you can drive out to Flowery Branch to see Ryan in his new uniform. I wonder if this is what Mrs. ATL_eagle had in mind for Mother's Day?


ACC Now is not optimistic about our upcoming season. The more I read, the more I sense a growing consensus. Everyone thinks we are going to struggle. I remain confident we'll be a bowl team.


Two BC spots cracked SI's 101 Things to Do Before You Graduate. (Thanks to Brian for the link.) Not trying to be a contrarian, but does anyone else think Maryann's is placed too high on this list?

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Basketball highlights and other links

Here is a highlight package for the 2008 season. For more BC basketball stuff on Youtube go to BCHOOPS08's Channel page.


Here's a two part interview with Dejuan Tribble (Part 1, Part 2).


More offseason looks at the football team...one from Southernpigskin and one from a Notre Dame site.


Here is Nathan Gerbe's press conference with the Sabres. (Thanks to Nick P. for the link.)

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Taking a look at BC's APR rating

The NCAA released its latest APR report Tuesday. As a refresher, the APR stands for Academic Progress Report. Myles Brand created the measurement to track the academic success of student athletes. Programs that fail to meet national standards are subject to scholarship penalties and other restrictions.

You can read BC's report here.


What does it mean for BC? For the most part the news in excellent. The danger score is 925 and all of the BC teams are well above that number. The only team flirting with 925 is men's basketball and they are above the national average for hoops. The APR is calculated using a four year window, so our basketball number should creep up once the players who were kicked out mid semester cycle out of our average.


Hats of to the Athletic Department for keeping our athletes in school and on the path to graduation.

Another local commit and other links

Massachusetts product Aurthur Fontaine verbally committed to BC. For those who care, Fontaine is highly rated by most recruiting services.


Here are more details on Gerbe's decision. Give the financial considerations and all that he's accomplished in college hockey, it makes sense to move on.


MVN network had great things to say about Dudley's first year. I also agree with them that Larry Brown will love Jared.


Tony Barnhart has us just outside his Top 30.


BC and the ACC did very well in the NCAA's APR ratings. I'll have more on BC's APR status later today.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Gerbe going pro

Frozen Four hero Nathan Gerbe is going pro. Not too surprising. It is always nice to go out on top. Best of luck to him.

Full Season Prouty Ratings

Since I've just spent the past couple weeks using completely subjective measurements in rating the basketball players, I only thought it was fair to conclude with the objective. Below is the full season Prouty Ratings. (Prouty is an efficiency measurement used by some college hoops stats guys).

Here is the calculation:

Prouty Rating
[ {Points / (Field Goals Attempted * 2 + FTA) } +
{ (Points + Assists * 2 - Turnovers) / Minutes} +
{ (Rebounds + Steals + (Blocks / 2) - Personal Fouls) / Minutes} +
{ (Minutes / (TEAM TOTAL MINUTES / 5) } * Team Winning Pct} ] / 4


As I said when I produced the midseason ratings, this is not perfect. It does attempt to measure a player's contributions by combing offensive stats, possession stats (defense) and productivity. Here's how the BC players performed:

Rice -- 0.579
Raji -- 0.465
Sanders -- 0.450
Spears -- 0.420
Southern -- 0.391
Paris -- 0.360
Oates -- 0.354
Blair -- 0.337
Roche -- 0.333



Some thoughts...
-- The good news: our three most productive players return and two of our least productive are leaving
-- When reviewing the stats for the calculation, I was reminded how sloppy many of our players were. You don't expect inside players to have great assist to turnover ratios but Sanders (.63), Spears (.58), Blair (.43) were too careless.
-- If you take Rice out of the equation the rest of the team shot .626 from the line. Terrible.

Looking at next season and other links

I'm optimistic that our basketball team can be better next year. ACC Insider Carlton Tudor is not. He's predicting a 10th place finish.


Here is part three of the ACC football previews from David Glenn. Refreshingly, Glenn is the first guy I've come across that has an informed take on the defense.


The Sailing team continued its dominant season with another victory over the weekend. The win qualified the team for the ICSA Team Race National Championship.


Gerbe remains undecided on his college hockey future.


Track star Kasey Hill earned Eagle of the Year honors for women's sports. Some guy named Matt Ryan won the men's award.


Tom Coughlin still works overtime to honor the legacy of Jay McGillis.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Can Spaz save the season?

I’ve been gushing about Matt Ryan to any Falcon fan who’ll listen. One recently said, “if he was so great, does that mean BC should suck this year?” My response: “not exactly.” I think the offense will struggle during the transition, but I also assume that the defense will offset many of the problems.

I’ve spent plenty of time criticizing Spaz, but we know what we are getting. In his time as our Defensive Coordinator we’ve held our opponents to an average of 20.2 points per game and 330.2 yards per game. Take a look at the consistency below.

YearPoints Allowed Per GameTotal Defense Per Game
200720.4284.2
200615.7310.8
200515.9311.7
200416.9332.8
200325.5358.3
200219.5338.7
200118.9299.9
200023.1349.0
199925.7386.4


(Note: last season’s points allowed number is a bit deceiving. Remember that the offense allowed five INTs for TDs.)
Now, allow me to make some broad assumptions:
-- I am assuming the linebackers will be better (good depth and Toal’s return)
-- I am assuming that the defensive line will be better (good young players at the Ends, good experience and Raji’s return)
-- The secondary will struggle (no Silva, no Tribble)
-- Our opponents will not have the same generous field position they had last season (it can’t get much worse)

Based on those assumptions, I think Spaz can produce another unit that limits our opponents to less than 20 points per game. In seasons where we limited our opponents to less than 20, we’ve averaged nine wins. I am not predicting nine wins, but our defense should keep us very competitive.

Detroit loves Gos and other links

The Lions fans may not be excited about Gosder Cherilus, but the media can't get enough. Here is another positive article on the first rounder.


The baseball team swept a double header with Maryland on Saturday.


Tom Anevski is familiar with his surroundings in Cincinnati.


David Glenn posted Part 2 of his ACC Spring Review.

Friday, May 02, 2008

More Eagles in rookie tryouts and other links

Ryan Poles played great this year. He would have been drafted but faced a huge setback when he blew out his Achilles against Notre Dame. Fortunately the Bears are still giving him a chance. If he's healthy, Poles will be a good NFL player. Larkin is also getting a shot with the Bears.


Silva is making the most of his chance with Indy.


The AJC's Tony Barnhart defended the ACC in this article.


Tom Anevski will get a tryout with the Bengals.

Dap for Jeff and Brian


I've never met them, but I think Jeff would be Tony and Brian would be Wilbon.

I wanted to take a moment to recognize BC Interruption. The new blog is really coming into its own.


In blogging a good gimmick goes a long way and Jeff and Brian have found one. They take the best segments from Pardon The Interruption and apply them to our little world of BC sports. They've quickly found a rhythm and voice for the blog and have a funny fresh take on BC. I hope they keep up the good work.

Haden getting notice and other links

SI mentions Josh Haden as one of the early enrollees who should make an impact next fall.


Two of our opponents are expected to be Top 25 teams next fall.


The ACC-affiliated Congressional Bowl in Washington D.C. received NCAA approval.


Here is an early fantasy football read on Matt Ryan.


The Lions confirmed they will use Cherilus at Right Tackle.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Ryan in SI and other links

Matt didn't get the cover, but SI's Peter King did write a nice feature on the process of drafting him. Readers outside Atlanta are already latching on the racial divide aspect of King's article. Braves & Birds explained it well in their critique of the Ryan pick:
Ryan is not coming into a good situation with the Falcons. Leaving aside the mediocre receiving corps and substandard offensive line, Falcons fans are not happy with the drafting of Ryan. Speaking in broad stereotypes (always a recipe for disaster), the Falcons' fan base is primarily composed of two groups. The first group are African-Americans, some of whom still like Mike Vick and most of whom are well aware of the racial coding that goes on when the media slobbers all over Ryan for being a "leader" and "polished." They aren't going to be overly excited for a great white hope, given the circumstances. The second group are college football fanatics who view Falcons games as dessert after the main course on Saturday. (I would put myself in this group. I would also assert that there isn't tremendous overlap between group one and group two because college football unfortunately tends to be a white sport, especially in the South. I digress.) Southern college football fans, almost universally, view Ryan as an average college quarterback who has been hyped beyond his merits because he played in the Northeast. This group is also not happy with the Ryan selection.

Whereas most top five picks are greeted with unabashed, oft-irrational enthusiasm by the fans of the teams that draft them, Ryan is not going to get the same love in Atlanta. Atlanta fans tend to be a lot more positive and forgiving than, say, Philly fans, but the particulars of Ryan's drafting mean that he is going face an especially empathetic fan base. This is why the purported rationale of the Falcons to take Ryan for marketing purposes is so weak.


As an Atlanta resident, I think the racial divide is Arthur Blank's problem. Ryan just needs to win and play well. The rest will take care of itself.


Speaking of race...Deadspin played "gotcha" with a Notre Dame club in Pennsylvania. Nothing BC related in the link, but given what just happened on our campus, I think the thug label is too often thrown around.


Here is more on Pruitt signing with Detroit.


Former BC assistant Erik Johnson is now the new coach of the women's team at University of Denver.


Kevin Challenger has already been traded. Life is tough in the CFL.