Why do I seem more upset than our Head Coach?

I know there is much more to being a head coach than emotion and outward appearances. I know that coaches handle things differently and Spaz tends towards the "handle our business behind closed doors" but why is he not more upset after a second consecutive embarrassment game against the Hokies? Last year we had issues at QB and the emotional drain of the Herzy illness. This year there are no built in excuses. This team has potential. Is it good enough to win the division? Maybe not, but we certainly shouldn't be smirking after another shutout. Am I overreacting here?

What a waste

We wasted a great defensive effort today. Especially from Albright, KPL and Herzy. We also wasted a whole half. Shinskie was melting down, but if you are going to bring in Marsco why handcuff him with play calling designed to kill clock not spark a comeback? We also wasted the first two games, because we clearly have a QB issue and we never gave Marscovetra (or Rettig) serious snaps to get them ready for ACC play.

This game and situation reminded me a lot of the 2008 loss to Georgia Tech. In that game we outplayed the Jackets but our QB cost us. We rebounded and road a great defense to the ACC Championship Game. Our D is very good, I just don't know if our coaching staff can "smoke and mirror" enough out of our offense to win games.

Second viewing thoughts and grades will come out late Sunday night.

In-game comments post: Virginia Tech

Some of the best and worst moments of this blog have come during Virginia Tech games. I hope today's game adds to the best memories! You can commemorate this game with brilliant in-game comments below!

My colleague Dan Silver will be chatting live from the BC press box during the game from the Eagle Insider Chat Room (you enter from the Eagle Insider message boards). He'll have updates on injuries and tell us if he sees any NFL scouts or BC recruits. Dan is still having some issues from his knee surgery, so he will be online but not from the press box.

You can also join discussions on the Eagle Insider Message Boards.

I will be tweeting periodically through the game.

No "b-tch" chant and other links

As WZBC first reported via Twitter, the Band will be silent after first downs Saturday. Hopefully that will end the stupid "bitch" chant.

The classics never go out of style, so I give you a crappy photoshop of Spaz as Mario.

Recruiting target Isaiah Jones could be our first Western Mass impact player in a few seasons.

Here is my Friday Focus on Eagle Insider.

BC is talking to 2012 PA OT Chris Muller.

Game Watches: Virginia Tech

This game is on Raycom so many of you will have to go to a sports bar to watch. If you do, might as well watch with other Eagles. If I missed any location, please post it in the comments. Also note, many chapters are raising the bar with turnout and special events. See San Francisco's note below for young alums and open bar...which is impressive when you consider the games start for them at 9 AM. (Do you see why I think the Bay Area crew deserve a BC game at San Jose State?)

Also, please note that I get more emails related to the controversy regarding New York City game watches than any other location. The "official" watch is at Vertigo, but there are many other BC friendly bars, including Thunder Jackson's and Pat O'Briens. I am not picking favorites just relaying information. And if the game watch experience in Manhattan is so awful, how about jumping on a train or bus to Boston? You might have more fun.


Atlanta Game Watch
Central City Tavern
1801 Howell Mill Road, #400
Atlanta, GA

Charlotte Game Watch
The Flying Saucer
9605 N. Tryon St., Suite A
Charlotte, NC 28262

Chicago Game Watch
Trinity
2721 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614-1413

Dallas Game Watch
Christie's Sports Bar
2811 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204-8567

Denver Game Watch
Big Game Restaurant & Lounge
1631 Wazee St
Denver, CO 80202

Kansas City Game Watch
Jack Gage's American Tavern
5031 Main St (just south of the Plaza)

Las Vegas Game Watch
Steiner's Nevada-Style Pub
8410 W Cheyenne Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89129

New York City Game Watches
Vertigo
354 Third Avenue at 26th Street

Thunder Jackson's
Bleecker and Sullivan

Orange County, CA Game Watch
Mutt Lynch's
2300 West Oceanfront
Newport Beach, CA

Palm Beach Game Watch
Brus Room Sports Grille
5460 W. Hillsboro Blvd.
Coconut Creek, Fl

Philadelphia Game Watch
Fox and Hound
1501 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Bar and Grill
7575 N. 16th Street, Phoenix

San Diego Game Watch
La Jolla Brew House
7536 Fay Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
**The owner of the La Jolla Brewhouse has offered BC fans some great specials for the game including:
$1 off craft pints (Exclusive to BC Alumni)
$15 Buckets of Miller Light bottles (5 included)
$3 Coors Light Drafts
$4 Bloody Marys and Mimosas
$5 Wings and Sliders

San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk Street
(between Broadway St & Pacific Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94109
***The NorCal Chapter will be hosting a young alumni event to welcome the class of 2010. All alumni are invited to come out, watch the game, welcome some new graduates to the area and have a few on us. That’s right – the NorCal Chapter will be helping to pick up the tab. From 10:00-11:00am we will be hosting open bar.

Sarasota Game Watch
Gecko's Grill & Pub
5585 Palmer Crossing Cir.
Sarasota, FL

Tampa Game Watch
Champp's at International Plaza

Washington, D.C. Game Watch NEW LOCATION**
The Rookery
2519 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC

BC-Virginia Tech preview

Here we go again. Another season, another fork in the road when we come up against Virginia Tech. When we were slotted as cross division rivals, I don't think anyone anticipated what a litmus test the Hokies would become for us. They even served dual purposes for BC in 2007 and 2008. Proving first in the regular season that we were legitimate threats to win the conference. And then showing that we weren't ready to break through with two defeats in ACC Championship Games. Now it is the Hokies who are looking for validation. They enter 1-2 and don't know how good or bad they might be. If they beat BC, it will signal that they are still the favorite to win the ACC. If they lose to us, their whole season might unravel.

[NEW FEATURE] Overlooked storyline for the game: Both team's ACC schedules
Both teams clearly need a win, but this game might not be as important as it might seem. As BC fans know, our cross division games this year are Duke and Virginia. We should be favored in both and those two wins should provide a nice boost in our ACC standings. The Hokies have Wake Forest and NC State. While NC State looks improved, they still missed a bowl game last year and TOB has a horrid record against Beamer.

Three Simple Keys
1. Get to Taylor. Last year on Virginia Tech's first TD pass, Taylor scrambled all around before launching a bullet. Morrissey just missed getting the sack, and although the game was never close, I felt that type of play was a back breaker. Now -- with our healthy front four and stacked LB corp -- I think we can contain and pressure Taylor. If he is rushed and flustered, VT's offense will struggle.
2. Aggressive offensive play calling. I felt we sort of played into Virginia Tech's hands last year with the play calling. Instead of protecting Shinskie and establishing the run, I think we need to pass out of the gate. I would also like to see some shots downfield early.
3. Mistake free offensive line play. Virginia Tech saw what Kent State did. Why wouldn't they stunt and blitz too? I imagine they will also come after Spinney. So BC's OL needs to be very disciplined with assignments and avoid mental errors.

Gambling Notes
-- Virginia Tech has not won at Alumni since 2002
-- Virginia Tech is 16-1 in their past 17 road openers
-- BC is 2-3 in ACC openers
The current line is BC+4

Factoid
Tyrod Taylor has played BC four times (he missed the 2007 regular season game). In those four games he has only amassed 524 yards of total offense.

Scoreboard Watching
The most telling game will be NC State vs Georgia Tech. Can TOB's guys go on the road and stop the Yellow Jackets' triple option? If they win, then their start is legitimate and they have to be considered a threat to win the division.

I hope to see...
Dave Shinskie light them up. I really think this might be our most talented group of receivers since the 1980s. Virginia Tech will play plenty of man defense and give these guys chances to make plays. We just need Shinskie to get them the ball.

BC is in trouble if…
The offensive line struggles. If they are overwhelmed by VT's speed and aggressiveness upfront, I think the offense will struggle all day.

Bottom Line
I am still unsure of both teams. I still think this can be a very, very good BC team. I don't like what I've seen from Virginia Tech, but trust Beamer and staff to get things turned around. For this game, I see BC getting up early and holding off a VT comeback in the second half.
Final Score: BC 24, Virginia Tech 17

Eagles Erin Go Bragh

Tuesday, Notre Dame and Navy confirmed they will play their 2012 game in Dublin. The two schools last played in Ireland in 1996. Given all the ties between BC and Ireland, the Navy-ND game raises the question: is it time for BC football to go back to Ireland? Yes, "go back." Some younger fans probably don't know or remember that BC played Army in the first Emerald Isle Classic.

For a program constantly trying to generate excitement and interest, I think a game in Ireland would be a no brainer. I think you could legitimately draw 5,000 plus BC fans to travel from the States, sell another 1,000 tickets to BC friends and family living in Europe, and sell the rest of the team's allotment locally to bandwagon Dubliners who want to cheer on the Jesuit kids from Boston. And if BC could play Notre Dame in the game, it would lend that much more credibility and excitement to the occasion. But we could have this game even without Notre Dame. I think Michigan, Ohio State, or Penn State are all examples of name programs with big followings that could pull off a successful trip to Ireland.

One of the consistent rumors floating during the BC-Notre Dame scheduling talks was that the schools would play one game in Dublin. It obviously didn't happen, but I think that we should try. I am sure economic concerns and our failure to travel well to American bowl games, scares off the decision makers in Chestnut Hill. But a game overseas, especially in Ireland, might be the sort of event that people actually rally behind. With a little planning and marketing, I think it could be a big success.

Guest Blogger: VirginiaTechFan.com

Now that we are playing teams with significant followings, I can roll out the guest bloggers again. This week I asked Glenn from VirginiaTechFan.com to answer a few questions regarding this year's Hokie team and their rough start. My questions and his answers are below.

ATLEagle: Ryan Williams looks like he is not going to play. Does that change Virginia Tech's game plan at all?

VirginiaTechFan.com: It shouldn’t. If there is any position that Virginia Tech has depth, it is running back. Ryan Williams was clearly the best back going into the season, but frankly hasn’t looked great so far this year (not all his fault), and the backups Darren Evans and David Wilson are starters on most teams. Wilson especially is a talent that has shown some real flashes, but hasn’t gotten enough carries yet, so if anything VT fans are looking forward to seeing what he can do as a more featured back.

The biggest problem the Hokies have with the running game isn’t Williams hamstring, it’s the performance of the offensive line.

ATLeagle: Against East Carolina, the team found itself down again but this time they came back and won handily. Do you think that was a turning point or are the problems from the first two games still an issue?

VirginiaTechFan.com: Well they did play an excellent 2nd half to win handily but I’m not sold. The defense was horrid in the first half, and credit Foster for doing what he does best in making the proper adjustments. But they are very, very green on defense and especially thin on the defensive line. Boston College will exploit that for sure. As far as the offense, they looked very good but so has everyone against East Carolina this year.

For the Hokies, I expect it to be a year where every game is a major hurdle. It’s just the way this team looks.

ATLeagle: There are a lot of new faces on the defensive side of the ball. Has that changed Foster's style or scheme?

VirginiaTechFan.com: Fundamentally no, but in the last game against ECU he played a nickel defense virtually the whole game, which was quite unusual. Some of that is due to ECU’s Texas Tech-type spread offense, but some of that you can definitely attribute to the personnel his got. Being thin on d-line and linebacker, Foster went with more DBs where VT actually has more talent so he could play to his strengths.

Foster said on the call-in show this week that this nickel-type defense is something he’d been studying and working on in the off-season as a package to add the VT defensive mix, mainly to give opponents something else to prepare for. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of it.

ATLEagle: What is your prediction for the game?

VirginiaTechFan.com: Well who knows with this Virginia Tech team. They are not good in where its most important – offensive line and defensive line. Given the struggles the Hokies have had in Chestnut Hill historically (with much better teams), I don’t feel too optimistic. I think Virginia Tech will score some points, I just think BC’s physical offense will be able to push the VT defensive around. How about BC 27 21 VT.

BC Marketing makes bold move with ICE JAM

Why have a ho hum old Midnight Madness when you can have a four team, two sport smorgasbord christened "ICE JAM"?

The first ever event of its kind will include a half a basketball court and a half a rink. Celebrity parent and really nice guy Bob Costas will host the event on October 26. It's free so I hope students show up in force for the contests and displays.

For years people have whined about not having Midnight Madness. While confusing and potentially awkward, this show/pep rally/event is a nice new step by BC. I am glad Steve Donahue is on board, because in addition to the Xs and Os, we need him to sell BC basketball.

I don't know if this will work, but BC deserves credit for trying.

Donahue closes on a couple of Californians

Although we would love to have a team filled with Boston kids, BC coaches have to search far and wide for talent, and Steve Donahue has found some in California. He recieved commitments from two California prospects in Ryan Anderson and Lonnie Jackson. The two are on the same AAU team and visited BC together this past weekend.

Anderson is skinny power forward who is more shooter than a banger. He fits in with Donahue's "everyone can shoot from any space on the floor" philosophy.

Jackson is a good student who was also considering programs like Stanford and Arizona State. He's another shooter, but you hope he can also play a little point guard when needed.

We now have five recruits for the 2011 class and have a good mix of size and shooting. Of course there is still room for Alex Murphy, but the pressure on Donahue to get bodies is now eased a bit. What will be interesting is watching a BC team where everyone likes to shoot. I hope someone is willing to rebound a bit!

Depth Chart shuffle and other links

The Depth Chart came out and surprised some people with the new look at RG. Mark Spinney will start over Thomas Claiborne. I asked BC for an official explanation and did not get one. The consistent rumor I did hear was that this was not performance based, rather an internal "team rules" sort of thing and that Claiborne will probably play Saturday.

Isaac Johnson is heading to Cincinnati. Best of luck to him, but the whole thing seems weird. What is going to happen in Cincy that he couldn't have accomplished here?

Catch up with former Eagle Markell Blount.

Golf and ND tickets available as part of Kevin Eidt fundraiser

I didn't know Kevin Eidt, but I was a BC student when he died suddenly in 1997. That sort of tragic loss can often be catalysts for friends and family, and Kevin's family did just that. They established a scholarship fund (details of the Fund background, awards, and commitments can be found at www.kevinsfund.org) and hold a variety of events to support the fund.

One of their annual events is a golf tournament on a football weekend. This year the 12th annual Kevin Eidt Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament is Sunday October 3rd at Wayland Country Club (Wayland, MA). This year in addition to the regular golf registration, the charity also has a set of 4 BC/ND tickets for the weekend of the golf tournament. The seats are in section FF and are available along with a 4-some package for Sunday’s tournament for $1,000. $440 of this package is tax deductible.

This opportunity is first come first serve. If you are interested contact Kevin's brother Christian by email (cjeidt@optonline.net).

For more on the golf outing go to http://www.kevinsfund.org/golf/kmegolf.htm

Primetime for BC-Notre Dame

As I first said on Twitter, BC-Notre Dame will be a night game. The ESPN/ABC channel is still to be determined.

Rettig: redshirt or ready?

In his the notes section of his latest column, Conroy mentioned the true freshmen who may still see playing time this year:

Spaziani spent the week getting longer looks at some true freshmen that will see some action.

Spaziani didn’t mention any numbers, but linebacker Steele DeVitto has been on the bubble. The staff also wanted to give a long look to wide receivers Shakim Phillips and Alex Amidon, both of whom missed most of training camp with hamstring injuries.

“Because of our situation, depth-wise and where we are in the program, we’re going to have to play some of these guys on special teams and put them in backup roles,” said Spaziani. “We know we’re going to need them down the road and we don’t have the luxury of (redshirting).” . . .

Not mentioned is true freshman quarterback Chase Rettig. Surprisingly the idea of whether they should redshirt Rettig is still being kicked around the Yawkey offices. But the staff knows they are reaching the point of no return. Using him with say only six games left is a waste. You either use him now and let him take his lumps or groom him as planned and let him play next year.

This decision would be much easier if Shinskie showed a bit more consistency. Rettig's continued improvement also muddles the situation.

Virginia Tech will be the test. Shinskie got better against Kent State, but we still don't know if he can be that good every game. If he can hold up against the Hokies and execute the offense, Rettig will redshirt. If the offense sputters again, this debate will go into overdrive next week.

Blogpoll ballot Week 3

I have only undefeated teams ranked this week. This not some sort of grand design or strict adherence to resume ranking. It is more a result of looking at all that teams that have lost so far and not thinking much of any of them. In fact I think the best team with a loss might be Georgia -- which has two losses. But both losses were to quality opponents. I moved BC up a bit just based on the teams that moved around us. The only team I feel slightly guilty about is NC State. I actually think they've looked good. It is just that my TOB bias is making me doubt how long they will sustain this momentum.

Games I watched
NC State-Cincinnati 50%
Georgia Tech-North Carolina 50%
Georia-Arkansas 10%
Michigan State-Notre Dame 50%
Clemson-Auburn 50%
Temple-UConn 10%
Cal-Nevada 20%
Stanford-Wake Forest 50%

Eagle in Atlanta Ballot - Week 4

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
2	Oregon Ducks	--
3	Nebraska Cornhuskers	5
4	Ohio St. Buckeyes	-1
5	Oklahoma Sooners	-1
6	Arkansas Razorbacks	1
7	Texas Longhorns	-2
8	TCU Horned Frogs	-2
9	LSU Tigers	2
10	South Carolina Gamecocks	-1
11	Stanford Cardinal	8
12	Michigan Wolverines	-2
13	Wisconsin Badgers	1
14	Boise St. Broncos	1
15	Michigan St. Spartans	--
16	Auburn Tigers	--
17	Utah Utes	-4
18	Florida Gators	-1
19	West Virginia Mountaineers	5
20	USC Trojans	--
21	Boston College Eagles	2
22	Nevada Wolf Pack	--
23	Missouri Tigers	-2
24	Temple Owls	--
25	Northwestern Wildcats	--
Dropouts: California Golden Bears, Iowa Hawkeyes, Clemson Tigers, Maryland Terrapins

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

Still no love in the polls and other links

I didn't think we would be ranked after a bye week, but I am surprised BC is not gaining more traction in the polls. We are still in the bottom half of the other team's receiving votes list.

With Mike Dantonio suffering a heart attack Saturday nightl, former BC assistant Don Treadwell is now acting head coach of Michigan State. Treadwell is just the latest assistant from TOB's first year to become a head coach. Treadwell also interviewed with Gene after Jags was fired.

Here's Kevin Armstrong's excellent piece on Kiwi.

VT kickoff time and other links

The Virginia Tech game will kickoff at noon. It will be syndicated on the Raycom/ACC Network. Good news for the Parent's Weekend crowd. Now Parents can take kids to dinner Saturday night. Not great news for those BC fans outside of ACC markets who will either go to a sports bar, buy ESPN Gameplan or watch on ESPN3.com.

Although talk seems to focus on Duke and Florida, BC remains a player for basketball recruit Alex Murphy. Some of Murphy's teammates are also gaining attention.

John Loughery is considered one of the best QBs in the Philly area. He has interest in BC but doesn't have an offer.

Does Marc Colombo have one more comeback left in him?

Some recruiting news and other links

It looks like it will come down to BC and Pitt for Pennsylvania prospect Brandon Clemons.

He committed a few days ago, but here is a story on future Eagle Victor Nelson.

Here is a breakdown of Castonzo's play. While they show a few rough moments against UNC from last year, I still think he holds up as a Top 10 pick.

Men's soccer beat BU Friday night.

Where is the Wildcat?

As BC struggled to establish the run on Sunday, I kept wondering why didn't we use the "Bazooka" (Tranq's version of the Wildcat). Last year it was a relatively effective tool and created big plays against NC State. I can only think of two reasons:

1. We are 'saving it' for bigger/ACC games. I can sort of understand this reasoning. The games against Weber State and Kent State were never really in doubt. Putting one of our key plays on tape for future opponents wouldn't have been worth the potential big play we would have against our first two opponents. While I understand this argument, I don't agree with it. I think it would have been better to practice it in live situations. I also think the beauty of any play is to use it, put it on tape and then add a counter or variation against future opponents.

2. We don't have the personnel for it. Montel was the key, but Rich Gunnell and Jeff Smith were also part of the formations. We did use Clyde Lee in motion on the play but never gave him the ball. He was always a decoy. I know we have practiced it this summer. Let's hope that it is not buried because they don't like the player options. Lee, Flutie (as a passer), Finch and Swigert could all compliment Montel in using the Bazooka this year.

Since you asked...

Over the years readers have asked me a lot of questions related to following and enjoying BC football. The post is a rundown of all the products and services I use myself. I am not paid by any of the following. If any of the companies represented below would like to make my endorsement more formal, just email me.

I use a Lenovo G555 notebook for my blogging. I find Lenovo are very affordable and very reliable and can be customized with whatever you need. I bought it via newegg.com.

I watch most of my BC sports on a Panasonic HD TV. It is LCD. We bought it in 2006 and have had great picture quality throughout.

I subscribe to DirecTV HD. We have had DirecTV since 2002 and have moved once in that time. Moving the service was as easy as the commercial. I initially made the switch because I was exasperated with my cable company’s awful service and refusal to sell ESPN Gameplan. I haven’t looked back since. DirecTV has great customer service and to my untrained eye, a better HD picture than most of my friends and family have with cable. (Let me know if you want to do the refer a friend program with DirecTV.)

We get the DirecTV Sport Pack. This allows us to view most of the second tier sports channels and gave me access to ESPNU from the early days. Atlanta is considered an ACC market so I no longer need to get ESPN Gameplan to watch the syndicated BC games.

We also have DirecTV’s DVR, which I use to rewatch all the BC games. When my TIVO died, I thought nothing would ever be the same, yet I’ve really enjoyed DirecTV’s DVR. I find it easy to use and I can get through the second viewings more efficiently than with TIVO…which at times had a slow pause button.

We have SiriusXM radio. It is in our Honda so it was the legacy XM receiver. It is great to have BC games in the car. However, my complaint is that when two ACC teams are playing one another, SiriusXM usually only has one feed of the game. I don’t want to listen to another school’s announce team. (I need my Meter!)

I have Gameday on as background most college Saturdays but rarely focus on the whole program. I find it has too much fluff and with the little kids around, I can’t always hear or pay attention. I usually watch College Footbal Final live and DVR the 6 AM version to see anything I might have missed or slept through. I know many hate Hotlz and May, but I think College Football Final does any excellent job of giving you highlights and news from around the country.

I buy all my football tickets through the BC ticket office. Depending on schedules, I usually only go to a game or two a year, but I want to make sure that BC gets the benefit of my purchase. I have never used any online ticket resellers for any BC stuff.

I give to the BC Fund every year (good times and bad). In the whole scheme of things, my gifts are a drop in the bucket, but I feel the effort and symbolism of the gift is as important as the size. Alumni gifts are what made the school I love, so I need to do my part to make sure the school is better than ever for the next generation.

I don’t give to the Flynn Fund. I did once in 2008 after they agreed to an interview on the blog. But that wasn’t a quid pro quo. I felt that I needed to support the sports product. Now – with time – I’ve reverted to my old stance of giving directly to the University. In my opinion, the BC Fund should get my money and best decide what to do with it.

I got my both my khaki and maroon BC stadium pants from Pennigton & Bailes. I also have a BC polo from Pennington & Bailes. As you can guess, BC gear is the fallback when family wants to get me a gift, so I also have a BC Vineyard Vines polo and a BC Vineyard Vines belt. I have a BC Under Armour sweatshirt and a BC Under Armour fleece. I love Under Armour products and will probably buy more BC UA stuff in the near future.

When I travel to Boston, I don’t necessarily stay in one hotel. My preference is to go to the Back Bay where T and taxi access to BC is readily available. I’ve stayed in the Copley Marriott, the Copley Westin, The Taj (when it was the Ritz), Fairmont Copley Plaza, the Boston Park Plaza, the Hyatt Downtown Crossing, the Cambridge Marriott, and the Newton Marriott. I have a good friend who works at the Logan Hyatt and the Hilton Boston has a BC rate. All of the above are fine hotels. In my non-blogging life I am in the hospitality and travel industry so I sort of have to play Switzerland here. If you are looking for the best rate/location combination and are not brand loyal or brand conscious, I strongly recommend bidding very low on high rated properties on Priceline. Don’t overshop on hotels. Parity agreements are so tight that you are most likely going to find the same price on Expedia, Orbitz or a brand’s website. In general, the only way to get “deal” is via Priceline, Hotwire or have some sort of negotiated rate with the hotel directly.

I am in Atlanta, so when I fly up to BC, it is usually on Delta or Airtran. Most of you are familiar with Delta. That is where most of my frequent flyer miles are so all things being equal, I will pick them. Althogh Airtran is a very good airline. Most of their planes are newish and I’ve never had a real service problem with them. If you haven’t flown Airtran and a good rate comes up, give it a try. In fact, there was a whole BC crew that flew down and back to Tampa in 2008 on Airtran.

I’ve eaten in many restaurants in Boston, but I am not there enough to keep up with the restaurant scene. My wife and I had a great meal at Zocalo Cocina Mexicana the last time we were in town.

For those coming to ACC country for the first time and have been curious about Chick-fil-A, I highly recommend it. It is fast food and not a life changing event, but it is great for what it is. If you are looking for a quick fast food run on a road trip, get the classic chicken sandwich.

If there are any other products or topics I missed, send me an email or ask a question in the comments. As I said, no one above has paid me for my two cents. These are products I use and enjoy.