Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Florian to be a TV star and other links
Luke Kuechly is considered one of the best LBs in our region.
BC is going hard after Connecticut prospect Tommy Jordan but he sounds sold on Florida.
You can catch Jared Dudley on ESPN's First Take Monday morning.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Will Noreen ever make up his mind and other links
Mr. Basketball Minnesota Kevin Noreen of Minnesota Transitions has one recruiting visit left and is contemplating Washington or Oregon. Arkansas, Northwestern, Providence and Boston College remain in the hunt for the 6-foot-10 1/2, 232-pounder. The Gophers have shown cursory interest.
If he were still considering BC, wouldn't he have ended his world tour by now? Also, his collection of potential programs is varied with no real theme or tie. It is too bad he doesn't realize that Donahue's system is perfect for him.
BC seemingly has a high percentage of talent returning...most of the offensive skill players, LBs, etc. Yet using Phil Steele's calculations we are behind most DIA programs.
Congrats to Senior Rower Laura Petty who was named to the All-New England Region first team.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Baseball team bounced from ACC tourney and other links
Kiwi's brother was in a bad motorcycle accident and remains in critical condition. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
BC just offered OT Paul Gaughan and has interest in Jack Tabb.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
BC stays alive and other links
Eagle Action is holding a multipart interview with Steve Donahue. In part 1 he talks about the transition and his early recruiting efforts.
We haven't discussed Phil Steele much but BC players are scattered throughout his all ACC teams. Castonzo, Claiborne and Harris all made first team offense. Kuechly is the only one who made first team defense (Herzy is second team). Quigley also received first team honors.
Will Sean Duggan be BC's next Cincy recruit? His offer list is picking up.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tough loss in ACC Tourney and other links
Here is some much deserved attention for walkon Brendan Murphy.
Stewart Mandel acknowledges that the media often overrates Florida State while overlooking BC.
Ron Brace is hoping to put his terrible Rookie year behind him. He attributes most of his struggles to the mental complexity of the pro game.
BC guy Alejandro Bedoya was one of the last cuts for the US World Cup team.
I found this article interesting, especially given our past dependence on midwest talent.
Many are betting on Miami and FSU leading the ACC back to prominence. I think both programs are still a few years away from reaching their old form.
Gene promoted some long time Athletic Department staffers.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
ACC Tournament Previews
-- BCeagles.com's preview and recap of the season
-- The games will be on NESN
-- A capsule of the relevant ACC news and notes
-- This Yahoo link covers all the postseason tournaments
Monday, May 24, 2010
Welcome new alumni and other links
If rumors are to be believed, Steve Donahue persuaded former Colgate commitment Danny Rubin to come to BC. So we will have at least one 2010 recruit.
Heading into the ACC Tourney, BC is squarely on the bubble and considered one of the last five in.
CFN came out with their ACC skill position rankings. They didn't think much of Shinskie but like Harris and Pantale.
Blackmon is ready for his position switch.
After a long hiatus, KSK broke out a new Matt Ryan explained.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Baseball gets into ACC Tourney and other links
The audio is not great and it is a bit anticlimatic, but here is the video feed of Suntrup's announcement.
BC held a Q&A with Steve Donahue and he claims that my pet peeve (2010 recruiting) remains a priority.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Out of the mouths of babes...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Suntrup is an Eagle
Suntrup seems like the type of QB we would and should recruit. Preppy, pro style, mid westerner who went to a Catholic High School. His transition to a place like BC should be pretty seamless. Suntrup is the type of guy who wants to be the next Matt Ryan. We might as well leverage that on the recruiting trail. Speaking of Ryan...the only downside I see of landing your top choice is that sentimental favorite and legacy John Loughery will probably go elsewhere.
Let's hope Suntrup gets plenty of press this summer and helps build momentum for this class.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
HD stepping up BC coverage and other links
I was whining about Donahue's 2010 recruiting yesterday, so I should note that he added another body to the 2011 class. Let's hope something breaks soon for this summer.
Green Bay is using the spring to shuffle around all their BC players. Raji is moving to NT and Blackmon is moving to safety.
On the football recruiting front, BC is targeting Florida DE Clay Burton.
Even with a new TV partner, the ACC is likely to continue its Sunday Night Hoops package.
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This column from ACC writer Ken Tysiac has been making the rounds. Tysiac is anti-expansion as we all should be. The current ACC configuration is ideal. We should only consider expansion if our hands are forced. Until then lock in the current partners.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
When do we start worrying about basketball recruiting?
I still really like Donahue and his potential, so I am not worried yet. However, if by September we don't have any recruits or transfers I think Donahue will have built himself a big hole. If he wants to build something at BC and prove he can transition from the Ivy League, he cannot let the program bottom out in his second or third season. It will be used against him on the recruiting trail and will kill momentum and interest among BC fans. He needs to leverage Jackson and show improvement each year to gain wider credibility. That will be tough if he is playing a team of freshmen and sophomores in 2013.
So I will do my best to remain patient and stay on the Donahue bandwagon...let's hope there are some diamonds in the rough who feel the same way this summer.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Did the ACC help Notre Dame stay independent?
One of FOX's objectives was a national Saturday game. Much of their fall Saturday's have afternoon baseball, so a national game would probably have to have a noon ET start time. The ACC could have accommodated that. The Pac 10 could not. The Big XII might but that means a lot of 11:00 am local starts. Notre Dame -- even with South Bend's funky timezone thing -- probably would be willing to play games at noon. It wouldn't be the same exposure they get from NBC, but money talks. If FOX pays the Irish in the neighborhood of the ACC's $17 million I am sure ND will play the early game Saturday.
If the ACC had taken the FOX offer, I doubt ESPN would have broken the bank for the Irish. They have enough content and get enough Notre Dame via their road games against other schools.
With FOX as a free partner with deep pockets, Notre Dame can either move or leverage the interest to get more money out of NBC. A decent contract will placate those around Notre Dame who want the Big Ten's money.
What does this all mean for BC? If Notre Dame joins another conference, we will probably never get back on their schedule. As long as they remain independent, they will have to talk to us...especially if there is pressure from their TV partners to find attractive, and proven ratings grabbing opponents.
Monday, May 17, 2010
More on the ACC TV deal
1. It was better than anyone thought. ESPN passed on their exclusive window earlier this spring and lowballed the ACC until the end. Thankfully FOX came in with a full court press and forced ESPN's hand. ESPN also needed the ACC now more than they did last spring. With Turner entering the college hoops world, ESPN needed to secure the flagship college hoops conference for content. ESPN also rebranded ESPN 360 into ESPN3. As part of that they need a major conference willing to put their games online. The SEC was not willing. The ACC was.
2. Some of you will still have a hard time seeing all of BC's games. Because we are now in bed with them, this means more games on ESPN U, more games on ESPN3.com and continued regional partnering with Raycom. Sorry folks. If your cable company doesn't step up, consider a dish or fios.
3. ESPN will sell some of their games to Raycom. Instead of Raycom bidding seperately they have agreed to buy ACC games from ESPN. That means there will still be regional, syndicated broadcast coverage of ACC sports. It is to be determined if this will carry ESPN branding, ACC branding or Raycom branding, but it will be a Raycom production and probably have the same affiliate network Raycom now has.
4. The ACC is betting on the future. The ACC's deal is smaller than the SEC's. It is also shorter. So next time the ACC will negotiate before the SEC. The thought process with this is that the economy will be better, there is an advantage for setting the market and the power football teams (Miami and FSU) will be stronger.
5. This helps protect the conference but doesn't guarantee anything. The deal is strong and makes it much less likely that anyone will bolt but it is still short of the Big Ten and the SEC's deals. As long as there is money on the table, teams will listen.
ACC and ESPN reach TV deal
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Baseball beats Dartmouth and other links
The Ravens are giving McLaughlin a shot as a fullback. Hopefully he makes it. The odds are not in his favor since he is learning a new position at the highest level. The flipside is that they must like him as a long snapper and special teamer and think moving him to a thin part of the roster is a way to keep him on.
This is a terrible article about expansion trying to play it smart. The only reason I am noting it is because it continues to use the "BC is an afterthought in Boston" theme as an excuse to call our move to the ACC a mistake. What all these guys fail to realize is that staying in the Big East would have generated less interest in BC within Boston and although we don't dominate the Boston market like some colleges dominate their tiny markets, we are a consistent ratings winner. And our ratings in Boston and nationally mean more than scoring a 91 in a four-tier TV market does for some of these other schools.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Noreen tripped up by ACC rules and other links
Former Eagle Stalin Colinet now counsels high school athletes on the recruiting process.
Here is more on Donahue's first verbal -- Dennis Clifford. Tyler Harris is another 2011 prospect for Steve Donahue. We are also laying down roots for the 2012 class with targets like Kaleb Tarczewski.
The Herald had a nice and rare feature involving BC Track.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Softball season ends in ACC Tourney and other links
I asked Bruce Feldman about BC's chances in his chat on Friday. He still thinks we are second tier.
The news that Miami and Notre Dame are renewing their series is bad for BC. It is one less open date for the Irish and another ACC team on their schedule. However, if Notre Dame stays independent, our chances of getting them back on the schedule improve. As an indy they won't be able to play any Big Ten or SEC teams late in the year. The ACC and BC would accommodate them and give them much needed October and November dates.
This has been around a bit, but I thought some might find the analysis interesting. I always put a lot of weight into returning starters, but this study shows it is not a significant factor.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
QB recruiting and other links
Akil Sharperson is coming to BC as a preferred walk on. He seems like a special kid.
BC, Duke and UNC were the top ACC performers in the academic progress report.
Here is another wrap up of the ACC meetings. The GMan thinks we will sign with ESPN.
If you missed Jared Dudley on First Take, you can click on this link via his twitter account.
Although they still haven't signed many guys, Donahue's crew has been very active. BC has interest in Wisconsin product Paul Jesperson. Meanwhile Kevin Noreen seems to be talking to everyone and remains undecided.
This baseball america blog mentions BC commit Kevin Walter and speculates that if he is drafted high enough he might skip the Heights and sign with an MLB team.
Former Eagle Razzie Smith is trying to make a go of it in the CFL.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Hoosiers at the Heights and other links
The ACC meetings closed without a resolution on the TV deal. I know Fox has real interest in getting in on ACC football, however, I think the ACC worries about a potential lack of presence on ESPN and what that would mean for the brand.
CFN produced another solid season preview of the team. It also includes depth charts, Offensive Scouting and Defensive Scouting.
How do you want the Expansion to play out?
1. The Status Quo. In this scenario all the other conferences shuffle yet the ACC remains as is. This will only happen if the new ACC TV deal is very strong. If it falls short of what Big Ten and SEC schools make then all the current ACC teams will listen and explore new conferences. My ideal ending would be for BC to remain with the current roster of ACC teams in a 12 team conference. I don't think this will happen. I just don't see the ACC putting together any sort of package that is as lucrative as the Big Ten's cable network.
2. BC joins the Big Ten. In my opinion this is the longest of long shots, but the continued floating of BC as a potential Big Ten target keeps the idea alive. While we don't fit the Big Ten's profile, I could see why they would want BC. We deliver good TV ratings (despite the national perception), have a strong history in multiple sports and bring a very good academic profile. We would be a fish out of water in the Big Ten, but we would be a very rich fish out of water. I would support a move to the Big Ten but don't see it happening for a variety of reasons. The Big Ten has all the cards in this scenario, so why would they take a risk on BC when they could take a better fit like Mizzou?
3. BC becomes part of the Big-ACC. This involves the post raid ACC and Big East teams getting together to form some sort of East Coast Conference. If this happens, I assume that the ACC has been striped of some of its marquis programs (FSU? North Carolina? Clemson?) and the Big East teams looking for partners are programs we want no part of (UConn, WVU). Although we could ascend to the top of this conference, I think public perception would be very low. Would the casual BC fan be excited? Would the conference be able to generate serious TV revenue? I doubt it. Unfortunately this is the most likely scenario. We would remain in a BCS conference and remain playing East Coast teams, but that would be the only benefit. This would feel like a mid major afterthought.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
BC and the World Cup and other links
Here is more on BC commit Brian Mihalic. I like that Spaz is building up the class with big, line prospects. I also appreciate that we are a factor in the Cleveland area again. Given our sales pitch and success with Cleveland guys, we should do well in northeast Ohio.
HD lists Max Holloway as a potential breakout player.
Monday, May 10, 2010
ACC Meeting news and other links
Donahue has interest in Arizona PG Jahii Carson. I am glad to see us working the 2011 targets, but we still need a flyer or two for the 2010 class! We are still waiting on the official word from Kevin Noreen.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Another look at Donahue and other links
Here is another feature on Herzy. Despite knowing the story, I find each article refreshing and inspiring. This season cannot get here soon enough.
This blogger predicted our starting five and the other ACC lineups for next year. The list includes the now departed Ravenel.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Brust staying in Big Ten and other links
If you've been meaning to catch some BC baseball, Sunday might be the day for you. The guys will play two against Florida State.
This is a few days old, but the Broncos cut Marcellus Bowman. I think he will struggle making an NFL roster. The upside of the early cut is that he can now get a shot at another team.
Friday, May 07, 2010
More hoops roster shuffling
Donahue is also closing in on his first transfer in Centenary guard Damon Starring. Because Centenary is dropping down to DIII, Starring would not have to sit out a year in a transer.
It is not all good news though as Evan Ravenel will transfer. That leaves BC, very thin in the front court. I don't know if or how Ravenel would have adapted to Donahue's scheme but I always liked him as a player. He wasn't dominate nor did he have great talent, but he seemed to play smart and hard.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Reading too much into the tickets video and other links
The ACC might not sell the most tickets or travel well, but as a conference we drive ratings. Check out this article. It makes me think that even in a down economy the ACC has real bargaining power with the latest round of TV talks.
These are the reasons HD is excited about the new football season.
Brady Heslip will visit Oregon this weekend.
The Pac 10 and the Big XII are considering some sort of TV alliance that would pool their market power and potentially form a network. Where is the ACC when all of this is going on?
Donahue's staff has interest in prep schooler Aaron Cosby.
BC is hoping to hit the St. Xavier (Kentucky) pipeline again with Daylen Hall.
This is an interesting story regarding Mike McLaughlin's decision to sign with Baltimore. Although they didn't draft him, they recruited him hard. Let's hope it proves to be a good fit.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Cassara's unexpected rise and other links
Mr. College Football is the latest pundit to rank BC in the middle of the division.
Donahue stills needs a body to two for this recruiting class, but is already making plans for 2011. He offered local product Dennis Clifford a scholarship last week. Hopefully they can get the big man to commit this summer.
Here is the latest recruiting roundup from the ACC Sports Journal. The Journal also has a pretty good spring summary from EA's Eric Hoffses.
Herzy was on Ivan Maisel's podcast.
Finally, you may have seen this elsewhere but please support the BC Club of Atlanta and, blogger/friend BCMike in their annual performance at Relay for Life.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Expansion overload and other links
On the recruiting front, BC is in the mix for Paul Gaughan.
Hofstra should do everything in its power to hire Skinner. My guess is that Al would rather wait for a bigger job to open next year.
Deep in this article is a mention of Tanner McEvoy and his interest in BC. Warren Ball is another potential BC guy.
Ayla Brown is the latest young BC grad to get a network TV slot. She'll bring her youthful perspective to CBS's morning show.
BC baseball put their rough weekend behind them and beat Northeastern tonight.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Interviewing with BC helps one's wallet and other links
HD highlighted Herzy's contributions to "Lift of Life." Herzy will also be part of the V Foundation Fundraiser later this month in Sarasota.
While the men's basketball team hopes for transfers, the women's team is getting them. This should help our depth.
Here is HD's post spring power rankings. Not surprising, we are in the middle of the pack.
This has been in other places, but it is worth noting that Fedex will no longer sponsor the Orange Bowl. I don't think of it as a big deal...inevitably some other sponsor will fill the void. The ROI is always tough to justify on these events, but for companies without an established brand, the exposure from naming rights is huge.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Herzy at Lift for Life and other links
The Chiefs bloggers like Gunnell's chances of contributing.
Not a good weekend for the BC baseball team. With the latest loss, they now fall to .500 in ACC play.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Hokies take down baseball team again and other links
Brian Toal is hoping to make the most of his tryout with the Giants.
Now that former Iowa commit Ben Burst has won his appeal he will likely go to another Big Ten school instead of heading east to play for Donahue.
Future Eagle Andre Williams also excels on the track. Let's hope the track speed translates to big plays in football.