The courtship of Alex Murphy and other links

When Erik Murphy never really considered BC, many took it as a sign that Skinner wasn't willing to go the extra mile for local (and a legacy) recruit. Steve Donahue is not going to make the same mistake. He was the first Coach to call prized recruit Alex Murphy on June 15 (the first day coaches are allowed to reach out). In addition to Donahue's aggressiveness, I think BC has a couple other factors that should lead Alex to BC. We have a favorable roster that could ensure early playing time and a scheme that plays to his strengths. I also think Erik's struggles in Florida show that the grass is not always greener at the "bigger" program.

I understand that lists are great for offseason filler and not much thought goes into them, but how can Reggie Jackson be the 20th most important player in the ACC? Honestly, if Donahue is really going to build the offense around him, then he should be ranked well ahead of Trapani.

Here is an update that includes a few BC names from the past now coaching in the NFL.

Watch Herzy today

If you are in a market that carries Raycom's "Saturday's in the South" be sure to tune in today since the show will feature Mark Herzlich and his comeback.

With the season nearing I don't think people realize how big Mark's story is going to be. And if he is able to regain his old form...who knows how much press he is going to get. I am glad Mark is healthy and has his degree because the media attention will probably reach the point where it all borders on a distraction. But if he is healthy and we are winning that will be a nice problem to have.

Holloway ready to step up and other links

HD featured Max Holloway in her blog today. This is actually a good sign as the program wouldn't put him in front of her if they weren't expecting big things. In the article it mentions his declining playing time last year. No one every really explained that decision. It was curious to say the least since our starters were hardly dominating and Holloway could have used the snaps. Max has the talent. Maybe this is the year it all comes together.

Finally, Dr Saturday gets around to BC and says "why not?" Don't worry though, his hedging doesn't mean that the national sentiment on BC has changed. Most still expect us to finish third in the division.

Rivals ranked us at 35 and presented a decent preview of the team.

Pennsylvania OL prospect JJ Denman has good things to say about BC.

Florida DB Torrey Campbell is set to visit BC in two weeks.

I am not sure what their connection is/was, but you have to applaud Montel and Wes Davis for helping out at a youth football camp in Peabody.

After a rough half season in the Braves' minor league system, Ryne Reynoso is now with the Red Sox organization.

Kofi Kingston is doing the media rounds with his upcoming Money in the Bank match.

Goodreault passes away and other links

One of BC's oldest gridiron greats Gene Goodreault died Tuesday. He was 92. BC honored Goodreault in 2001 with a retired jersey as he was one of the cogs of Frank Leahy's BC teams. Goodreault was elected to the college football Hall of Fame in 1982. We (I) laud many current BC athletes for their skill and values. Goodreault's passing is a reminder that BC folks have been leaders and role models for a long time. R.I.P.

Carl Sneep just started his professional career in Pittsburgh's current development camp.

Here is more news on the Hayes brothers -- this time with a thorough feature from the Dorchester News.

First Eagle Insider story and other links

My position previews will be over and Eagle Insider and they will be free. For those of you tepid about Scout.com, the first one on the Offensive Line is just a click away. [I promise the formatting will improve as I get the hang of it and will have pictures once a few other things come through.]

Herzy and Castonzo will represent BC at its Annual Media Days. If any aspiring writers/bloggers will be in Greensboro, drop me an email.

Former BC QB is ready for his third chance at college football and is the likely starter at ECU.

Recruiting, Scouting update and other links

BC target New Jersey TE Jack Tabb sounds really high on Pitt.

Here is a Q&A with future Eagle Dennis Clifford.

This NFL Post writer is pretty harsh on our SR talent. I understand his comments on Castonzo, but regardless of Castonzo's technique, his end results are so strong that I think he will be very good at the next level. This scouting report accurately states that Herzy's draft status will depend purely on his recovery.

Notre Dame finally introduced Mik Aoki to the media. No word on BC's baseball search.

Ticket slump for special event at Fenway and other links

One of my pet ideas is a Bowl game at Fenway. My thought was that the gimmick of football at Fenway alone would carry ticket sales and that it would be a good fallback location for BC. Even though hockey games and concerts have worked at Fenway, ticket sales have been soft for a soccer friendly between Celtic FC and Sporting Clube de Portugal. Boston has traditionally been a good soccer town, so this probably caught the Fenway folks by surprise. I am sure the economy is a factor but maybe, just maybe, there is now some Fenway fatigue.

Here are names to watch this season in the ACC.

It's ACC week over at Doc Saturday's. Check it out in the coming days.

How come whenever anyone mentions 'is this the year that FSU returns to power?' they rarely mention that BC gets to play spoiler every year.

I am okay with this ranking of Herzy, but how can Kuechly come in so low on this ranking?

A brief announcement

Some of you may already know this, but I have agreed to take over Scout.com's Boston College site, Eagle Insider. Eagle Insider's history has been a bit uneven. I hope that my involvement will make it the complete and ultimate stop for BC sports. We will be leveraging the ties with Fox Sports and also host some familiar names from the BC blogosphere and message boards. Please 'excuse our dust' the next few weeks while I get things up and running. We should kick things off nicely with an interview by the BC Draft guys.

If you have suggestion or things you would like to see, let me know.

To answer a question I am sure some will ask: this blog will continue. Some of the content and features that you've seen here in the past will be there. Some content is more appropriate for here. As always I appreciate your support and look forward to leading Eagle Insider.

Matt Ryan in his own words

Matt Ryan filled in for Peter King, in King's Monday Morning Quarterback column. He acquits himself well. His one BC note is that he thinks BC will do well this year and is excited for Herzy.

Note to Matt: if you liked that and want to blog more, we can always find space for you here!

New England golden crop of hoops targets and other links

When arguing that BC cannot reach the next level in basketball or football, people often claim that there is not enough talent in New England. In basketball that might not be the case anymore. There is a strong and growing AAU pipeline and more and more top prospects are now playing in New England prep schools. Let's hope that BC can start to leverage our location...especially with the very deep 2012 class.

So far it seems like there isn't much meat to the 'Skinner to the Celtics' rumor. I actually think he would be a great fit for Doc Rivers and company. He's not the defensive specialist that Tom Thibodeau is, but Skinner was an under appreciated Xs & Ox guy.

Here is a feature the NFL's top agent and BC guy Tom Condon.

Rice still hoping for NBA spot and other links

The Globe had a good article on Tyrese Rice and his second go around with NBA teams. Rice spent last season in Greece. I joked about it on Twitter, but Rice should seriously drive himself to Miami and sign with the Heat of the league minimum. They need point guards and spot shooters.

Here is an article on the Hayes brothers. All indications point towards them both playing at BC this fall.

WEEI has a round up on BC's basketball recruiting. Here is a little more on Matt Humphrey.

This transcript of the ACC-ESPN press conference goes on and on without giving away too many details or specifics. In my opinion this biggest news is that ESPN will continue the Sunday Night Hoops series but wants to play the games at earlier times.

BC Soccer and the World Cup

With the World Cup final coming up this weekend, we shouldn't forget that BC has become a very important U.S. soccer program. We know about Charlie Davies but there are some other prospects that could be contributing to future national teams. Alejandro Bedoya was one of the final cuts from this year's World Cup team. If he raises his skills and starts playing in a higher level European League he could continue to be called up by the National Team. Sacir Hot is training with the U.S. U-20 team. The U-20 team will be a great showcase for his talents and will get him notice internationally.

Ed Kelly deserves much of the credit for building the BC program. The U.S. will never be a soccer power if we are dependent on college players but having a few BC guys for depth is not a bad thing. I am encouraged that U.S. soccer is taking young talent and developing it professionally before the guys even reach college age. Ultimately that is the way to go. But our youth soccer population is so broad and our professional infrastructure is still so new, that it is nice to have guys like Ed Kelly finding and developing hidden gems. Enjoy Sunday's game and let's hope that in four years the U.S. is playing in the finals with a few Eagles on the field.

TV deal update and other links

The ACC finalized its TV deal with ESPN. People are making a big deal of it being the first true multisport contract. That is certainly important, but football still drives the dollars. There is also still little detail on what percentage of programming will be broadcast vs online. I hope the ACC secured a few key slots on Thursday and Saturday nights.

Some basketball players visited a local children's hospital. The real news in the link is confirmation that the new freshmen Coton and Rubin are on campus and already hanging with the team.

The freshmen got their numbers. The roster still needs weights and some class updates.

Tom Condon is challenging the public record of Jeremy Trueblood's arrest.

Our newest OLine commitment is a late bloomer, but seems like a good project.

When writing about the NBA summer league, BC guy Andrew Sharp uses Tyrese Rice as an example of a someone using the league to showcase his NBA level talent.

Here are the Vineyard Vine shots from campus. Couldn't they find actual BC students to do the modeling?

Here is a bio on incoming baseball player Tom Bourdon. I wish we all knew who would be coaching him next year.

This is not sports, but it is a great story involving a young BC alum.

Report: Aoki to Notre Dame

BC Guy and leading College Baseball Blogger Brian Foley is reporting that Mik Aoki has accepted the Notre Dame opening. I wish him the best of luck. I think we will miss Aoki as a recruiter. (His curious strategic decisions won't be as missed.) Foley thinks another BC grad -- Mike Gambino -- is the favorite to replace Mik at the Heights.

Recruiting outlook and other links

ESPN published a state of the recruiting class piece today. It doesn't really break any news or provide much hard analysis, but it does summarize where we are and where we are going. My only concern with recruiting so far is the lack of commitments. Every year it seems like we don't have enough on our B list, so after we miss out on some A list, we are left to find new guys and late bloomers.

Here are some draft ratings for current college players. Herzy is mentioned and they say that his rating hasn't changed despite his illness and surgery. How can that be? I still think Herzy will be an NFL player, but shouldn't he get back on the field before we decide how it will translate to the NFL? In the end it is all offseason filler. (Thanks to all those who sent the link.)

Here is Phil Steele's ranking of the ACC team's of the decade. No word on if we will be included in the Big East rankings too.

Tyrese Rice is playing well in Utah's summer league team, but it is still unlikely to make their final team. He's battling Sundiata Gaines and Othyus Jeffers for playing time.

Kevin Challenger resigned with Montreal. He will always have a little more staying power in the CFL since he is a Canadian citizen.

Long weekend roundup

Here is more on BC's latest commit Connor Wujciak. Inside the article he mentions frequent talks with Andre Callender during the process. It is nice to see Seton Hall Prep guys sticking together.

This article focuses on UConn but also mentions that BC football turned a profit last season. I guess we owe Tampa Bay thanks for taking Jags' buyout off our payroll.(Thanks to Mike for the link.)

Ryan Glasper is keeping his career alive in the UFL...and still has a bit of bad blood towards TOB.

Tampa bloggers still have hope for Ryan Purvis.

Former BC Director of Basketball Ops Preston Murphy may end up back up at URI on Barron's staff.

BC has reportedly offered Pennsylvania guard Darrun Hilliard.

A call to all big BC eaters

Many of the world's greatest athletes have worn the maroon and gold. BC has produced first round draft picks, NBA stars, great runners, Soccer strikers, MLB prospects, some of the best sailors in the world, etc. I could go on for days listing the great competitors who called the Heights "home." Yet here on the day where the sporting world turns to a hot dog eating contest, I am left to wonder "how come none of the great eaters are from BC?"

When I was at BC, I saw guys consume tons of food in minutes. I saw hundreds of disgusting (yet hilarious) acts related to food, booze and puking. We have a competitive food landmark in the Eagles Deli blocks from campus. Isn't there one Eagle out there who could eat 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes?

I am glad the best eaters are once again American. Now we just need someone to challenge Joey Chestnut and bring the Yellow Belt back to Chestnut Hill.

BC on TV (and Hulu)

The Friday Night Lights episode filmed on campus last year finally aired this week. You can now view it online. Although I saw the movie and heard good things about the series, this will probably be the first and last episode of FNL that I watch. I guess I am just desperate to see football and BC anywhere. At times I wish I could fast forward the summer so that football will be on again.

Spaz building up his class and other links

Connor Wujciak is the newest member of Spaz's recruiting class. The NJ DE had a solid list of offers and spurned his father's alma mater (Notre Dame) as well as his brother's (Maryland). The good news was dampened a bit by word that BC lost out on Rob Burns.

Notre Dame has interest in bringing on Mik Aoki. I would be surprised if Mik took the Notre Dame job. The money may be a little better but you are in a worse baseball conference and a less fertile recruiting territory. Hopefully Gene can give him a raise to keep him happy.

BC Magazine went behind the mask with Baldwin.

Blue Ribbon's preview and other links

ESPN offered up a free version of the Blue Ribbon preview of BC. It is a good assessment of the team but doesn't really offer anything we don't already know. But I am starting to get less bothered by what the magazines say about BC. These days, I mostly buy the preview mags so that I can learn more about our opponents.

It is down to BC and UVA for DE prospect Rob Burns.

Do you play college fantasy football? If so, Athlon thinks Montel Harris would be a good pick up.