Kelley to New England Hall and other links

The New England Basketball Hall of Fame will induct former Sports Information Director Dick Kelley this weekend. The BC Hall of Famer was well known throughout the area's basketball community for his work with the BC team and his interest in the sport.

BC is one of many teams recruiting New Jersey Running Back Tyler Thompson.

The Baseball team picked up a lefty pitcher from Vermont. 

Mark Rodgers thinks BC's schedule will be the 8th most difficult in the ACC.

Here is more on Momah's transition to Tight End.

Battle against ALS continues with Comm Ave Classic

Last summer, the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral in part due to the support of the Boston College community. This summer a different BC alum is keeping the fight against ALS alive. Friday night a group of BC and BU Hockey Legends will square off in the 1st Annual Comm Ave Classic. The brainchild of former BC Hockey Captain Pat Mullane, the game is a fundraiser and a tribute to former BC Assistant SID Dick Kelley.

Obviously the best way you can join the fight is heading down to BU's Walter Brown Arena Friday night. The doors open at 6 PM and the puck drops at 7 PM. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds go to Compassionate Care ALS. If you cannot make it, donations are always a good idea. Of course you can always help a local ALS charity in your area.

#IceBucketChallenge wave grows and why I waited

Steve Addazio finally took the #IceBucketChallenge. He's just the latest high-profile member of the BC Community to take part in the viral sensation. BC didn't start the Challenge, but it caught on among Eagles and has raised plenty of awareness and some money in honor of Pete Frates' battle with ALS.

A.J. challenged me a few days ago. I ignored it mostly because I was travelling and there wasn't a good time or location to pull it off. But I also waited because something didn't feel right. I don't know Pete Frates and I haven't given a penny to his struggle. I knew Dick Kelley well and even from afar, was pained to see how he dealt with ALS. I don't considering dumping ice on myself much of a challenge compared to what anyone with ALS faces. And I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Alex Carpenter tweeted it better than I could:

Instead of just participating in the #IceBucketChallenge let's make sure we are donating to help benefit Pete Frates and #StrikeOutALS!!
— Alex Carpenter (@carpy05) August 7, 2014

I try to avoid telling people what to do with their time or money, but my suggestion is don't let the #icebucketchallenge just be about social media. Give. I don't care if it is to Frates or something ALS related. Give to BC. Give to a local school. Give to a church or hospital. There are thousands of worthy charities out there. Find one that means something to you or your family or your friends. That is how Frates started this. He took the viral challenge and made it his own. Good for him. Now remember that his example is not the ice. It is the money and time. Give what you can. It is what this is all about.

To show that I am not a total party pooper, I did finally take the challenge once I was back in Georgia. I am not challenging anyone specifically. Do whatever you can or want to do, but make sure it is about more than ice. Plenty of good organizations could use your time and money.

Syracuse Win: the morning after

There was lots of good publicity in the aftermath of the game.

Here is a clip of some students greeting the team when they arrived back on campus.

ESPN and Yahoo both posted stories that related to Dick Kelley.

Upset!

This was the season to forget...until tonight. BC pulled off the upset of the season in the Carrier Dome by beating No. 1 Syracuse 62-59. There's a lot to digest with regards to what this means and the emotion attached with Dick Kelley, but the focus first should be on the game.

A couple of thoughts...

-- Heckmann played the game of his BC career. He didn't light up the scoreboard, but he played smart and focused. There wasn't one boneheaded move and his defense was very good.

-- Hanlan was the best player on the court. Syracuse boasts the Conference Player of the Year and a handful of McDonald's guys, but Hanlan made some huge clutch shots, and more importantly, could get his shot off against all of them.

-- Syracuse's pace helped us. It wasn't just the 2-3. Their methodical half court offense allowed us to play better defense than we've played all year. We didn't have many blown switches and they really didn't exploit their size advantage.

DK

Dick Kelley was mentioned on the broadcast and practically trended on Twitter. It was the best thing about the finish. I wish Dick had been alive to see the game. He would have been proud of his guys.

Donahue

We are past saving the season or saving his job. If anything, I think you can view this game as an indictment of the season. Why haven't we had shorter rotations all year? If playing slower led to better D, why didn't we do that earlier? After the game Donahue said, he told the team to stop trying to win a certain way. "Win ugly" is what he implored. Coach, where do you think they got the idea that every possession had to be a certain way? It is all too little, too late. I think this shows how much the team has underachieved and how a new voice and new vision for next year can make a big difference. 

Weekend Roundup: Hockey good, basketball bad Part 184

The Hockey team swept Vermont this weekend. Of course that wrapped up the Hockey East regular season title, but what else do you expect come "Trophy Time"?

Not to be outdone, the BC Women won their Hockey East title too.

Basketball lost to Notre Dame. I will write more about the loss on Monday, but the big issue was BC's inability to slow them and we couldn't cover our issues with 3-point shooting.

The Women's Basketball team lost to Syracuse.

Here is another article about Dick Kelley by a writer who knew him for 30 years.

Don't look now, but Baseball has won three in a row.

Addazio knows that with the departure of his seniors, there is a drop off in talent among the returning players.

Kelley wake and funeral information

For those looking to pay their respects to Dick Kelley, here are the details on his wake and funeral.

Visitation hours scheduled for 4-8 p.m. Monday
Lehman, Reen & McNamara Funeral Home
63 Chestnut Hill Ave., Brighton.

Funeral Mass scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday
Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
28 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill

Tweets of the Week

Conte Forum's a sad place today; @kelleyri will live on in our hearts. Universally respected by friends, co-workers, colleagues. Rock on, DK

— Chris Cameron (@ChrisMCameron) February 14, 2014

Sad to hear the news about the passing of @kelleyri he was one of my favorite people I met during my time at BC and a huge influence to me..

— Matt Ryan (@M_Ryan02) February 14, 2014

Seems like yesterday you were teaching me to be a young man @kelleyri. Words can't express how much you mean to me and BC #RIPDK #iloveyou

— Reggie Jackson (@rjOKCson_15) February 14, 2014

In a decade calling games at BU and BC, one of the very best parts, was working with Dick Kelley. RIP, my friend. http://t.co/ZCSXUtDZ2i

— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) February 14, 2014

RIP Boston College Assoc. AD Dick Kelley who lost his battle with ALS. A great man, he will be missed.

— Jon Sciambi (@BoogSciambi) February 14, 2014

ALS shows no mercy and doesn't discriminate. Former BC SID Dick Kelley set a tremendous example of how to fight. Prayers to his family.

— Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) February 14, 2014

My heart aches today. We lost a superb pro, a great guy & a good friend. RIP Dick Kelley...you deserve it. #als @BostonCollege

— John Rooke (@JRbroadcaster) February 14, 2014

Dick Kelley, 1965-2014

When message boards started leaking news that Mark Herzlich might have cancer, the first person I called was Dick Kelley. I knew Dick would be honest in what he knew, have the right perspective and outlook on the situation, and above all I knew Dick would always do and say what was best for BC's student athletes. Last night, Dick lost his battle to A.L.S. If you are a BC sports fan or member of the BC community, you will miss Dick, even if you did not have the pleasure of knowing him.

One recurring thing I hear from BC fans is how they feel BC kids are different. There may be some base truth to that, but you or I wouldn't know it if not for people like Dick Kelley and his colleagues in Sports Information. Dick was the one who would prep the media and get the good stories and anecdotes out to a larger audience. Dick would write the media guides and press releases that would serve as the introduction of so many BC athletes to the national stage. And as you've read countless times from former athletes, it was Dick who helped so many men and women find their own voice, but a voice that echoed and reinforced the values of the school they represented.

I didn't know any of Dick's family but I've known various members of Dick's second family, the Sports Information Department. I feel for them right now. This ends an emotionally overwhelming three years, but it was all still too fast.

Dick dedicated most of his life to BC and helped hundreds of BC students in his time. I don't know how you can honor or repay that dedication and sacrifice. I am just thankful for his help, friendship and what he did for Boston College.

New commitment and other links

BC added another playmaker to our current recruiting class. New Jersey athlete herman Alston committed Thursday. Alston is small but productive and could contribute in a few different positions.

The Mara family donated a Super Bowl Ticket package as part of the Dick Kelley auction.

The Heights broke down our basketball schedule.

Here is ESPN's preview of the team. The wake-up call for me was the "key losses" section. We really didn't lose much talent from our 2-10 team. You'd hope that correlates into this season's squad having plenty of talent and experience.

Tweets of the Week

These tweets are all linking or praising the Dick Kelley story. I'm sure most of you have read it by now, but I wanted to post the tweets so you could see how many people beyond the usual BC folks appreciate Dick, his work and his love for BC.

Many thanks to @sipetethamel for an amazing story. I love @bostoncollege and I'm very grateful for all that's been/is being done for me.

— Richard Kelley (@kelleyri) May 1, 2013

It’s impossible to capture in words what an amazing person DK (@kelleyri) is, but @sipetethamel comes close. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basket…

— Steve Donahue (@Coach_Donahue) May 1, 2013

“@deanbuchan: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basket…@sipetethamel nailed this story on BC counterpart Dick Kelley. His battle with ALS is remarkable.” Yes

— Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) May 1, 2013

RT @tweetinweaton: did you see the sports illustrated article on Dick Kelly today?Great stuff!m.si.com/2864216/dick-k… (A class act!)

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 1, 2013

The best! RT @sidiva8: @c_herren said it best- He's just a beautiful soul. Always was & always will be. ... tmi.me/TXfm4

— Mo Cassara(@Coach_Cassara) May 1, 2013

Terrific piece by @sipetethamel on Dick Kelley (@kelleyri), who has dedicated his life to @bostoncollege sports: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basket…

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) May 2, 2013

A great article on an even greater guy sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basket… via @sinow

— Sarah Marshall Ryan (@sryan03) May 1, 2013

Great stuff Pete! RT @sipetethamel: Dick Kelley (@kelleyri) dedicated his life to BC. After ALS, BC has reciprocated. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basket…

— Wes Durham (@WesDurham) May 1, 2013

Heartwarming, inspiring, true. Read @sipetethamel on BC's Dick Kelley: on.bc.edu/10swm2N #wearebc @bchoopnews

— Boston College (@BostonCollege) May 1, 2013

Just fought back tears reading @sipetethamel story on one of the best people I've ever met. Period. Dick Kelley -- sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basket…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanCBS) May 1, 2013

Great story by @sipetethamel on a great man, Dick Kelley of Boston College sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basket… …

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) May 1, 2013

@sipetethamel did a great job on this piece about @kelleyriDick is incredibly dedicated to BC Athletics.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basket…

— Brad Bates (@BCBradBates) May 1, 2013

A beautiful story about a great man and friend. RT @si_ncaabb: Dick Kelley is the heart of Boston College athletics on.si.com/159DZnV

— Daniel Duquette (@daniel_duquette) May 1, 2013

Yesterday, @sipetethamel excellently showed how BC has given back to Dick Kelley. Here's more on his incredible gifts bcheights.com/features/perso…

— Austin Tedesco (@TedescoHeights) May 2, 2013

Person of the Year: Dick Kelley bit.ly/ZB40Ip

— The Heights (@bcheights) May 2, 2013

Dick Kelley featured in SI

As some of you may know Dick Kelley was very hesitant to share his battle with ALS publicly. I am glad he now is letting others capture his meaning to the BC sports community and the college sports media world. SI's Pete Thamel wrote a great feature on Dick and it is a must read for all BC fans.

Tribute Video for Dick Kelley in honor of his USBWA Award For Courage

USBWA honors Dick Kelley

As I've written in the past, BC's Dick Kelley is a fixture on the college basketball circuit. So it should be no surprise that the U.S. Basketball Writers Association named Dick the male recipient of their Most Courageous Award. The organization and BC will present the award to Dick at our home game against Virginia on March 3.

Honoring Dick Kelley

Lost amid the holiday and headlines last week was a very important announcement. The Varsity Club honored Sports Information Director Dick Kelley with their inaugural Varsity Club Medal. Dick is a friend of mine, but any BC fan or member of the BC community owes Dick thanks for helping shape the image of Boston College. If you've ever been proud of the stories told about BC athletes or how they present themselves to the world, much of that image, poise and polish is because of the work of Dick and his colleagues in BC's Sports Information Department.

The award isn't just about Dick helping kids with their interview skills. It is also about his love and dedication to BC. People throw around the idea of loyalty to the school, but Dick is living it. For the past year Dick has been battling the effects of ALS. Yet he is still contributing to BC every chance he gets.

The article linked above had a few select quotes from Dick's friends and a few former BC athletes. If BC had wanted to, they could have grabbed another hundred compliments and stories from people who love Dick and are praying for him as he continues his fight against ALS. I am thankful that the Varsity Club created this honor and hopefully they induct him into the Hall of Fame soon.