Speculation sharks are circling

It has been my experience that since DeFilippo left, BC has not been a place where gossip leaked. But that hasn't stopped two of the biggest College Football Media guys -- Pete Thamel and Bruce Feldman -- from openly speculating that a change is coming at BC. Both are reputable enough with good track records. So if it is not coming from BC, where is it coming from? My guess -- coaches and agents.

Agents and coaches talk to media folks to get names out there and names associated with certain jobs. I will do a breakdown of candidates depending on the outcome of the NC State game, but most of the names kicked around are ones we would guess anyway (Candle, Hafley, Leipold, etc.). The one name of the bunch that I find fascinating and exciting is Joe Moorhead. Moorhead's name was prominently tied to BC the last time Addazio's seat got really hot. But Addazio pulled out of the nose dive and Moorhead jumped at the Mississippi State opportunity. BC was always a better fit and Moorhead leaving his current job might be one of those win-wins for all involved.

The timing of the coaching carousel might also really work to BC's favor this year. Rutgers is the only job which will seemingly have a similar search list. All the others will certainly target different guys from BC, meaning we won't be bidding against other programs.

But we've been down this road with Addazio before and he is still here, so don't buy into the agent gossip just yet.

Thoughts on Media Day

BC posted a quick behind the scenes video, but there are full video below (with my thoughts).

By way of his promotion Campanile now gets direct media time. Nothing too revealing but he does talk about Hamp Cheevers progression and his expectations of his jump in play.

I always enjoy Jim Reid's media sessions because he's so passionate. Sometimes with older coaches you wonder how they connect with young players, but with Reid you can see how players would like him.

Loeffler got more time and most of it was spent on Brown's development. Loeffler comes off as knowledgeable and presentable but isn't as dynamic in front of the camera as the other Coordinators.

Addazio spoke for a long time. He seems pretty excited about his players and his team. He is saying the right things. The small -- but important thing to me -- was that Addazio had a shirt with the throwback logo! BC needs to make a logo switch!

What to expect out of BC's Media Day

Tuesday is BC's annual Media Day. Since the team is only a week into practices, there is usually nothing revelatory about who is doing what or who is shining and rising up the depth chart. It will be interesting to see how the local media approaches Addazio. I imagine there will be a few topics:

1. Expectations. BC is getting national attention and votes in the Coaches Poll. This is the most preseason hype to any Addazio team. Will he use the Media Day to raise expectations or lower them?

2. Follow up on Smith. There will be a few new media members there. Will any even broach the Smith-Addazio history or just let Saturday night's statement stand?

I also am interested to see how much of a push they give Dillon. This could be a huge statistical season for the second year RB. He puts up the type of highlights that the College Football media love. He's an under the radar Heisman candidate now. Does BC give him a big push Tuesday to let the local media know that Dillon is going to be a national name?

Stan Heath gets Globe treatment

It is not often that BC Basketball assistants are the subject of offseason features in the Globe's sports section. But here we are in August and Vega is writing about Jim Christian's biggest offseason addition: Stan Heath.

Other than bringing credibility and familiarity to the staff, Heath should help instill better defense. You get the sense from the article that this wasn't a career stop he planned, but he's glad to be back at work and glad to be reunited with Christian.

This is a rebuilding year for Basketball, but will also be critical for establishing the new culture. Having Heath's experience and support should help the young players realize what is needed to win at this level.

When does Jim Christian head to ESPN?

Despite numerous connections through friends and alumni, BC never really took advantage of ESPN's headquarters being down the road in Bristol. Our coaches and players were nonfactors on national TV. It was only after Addazio came on board that we finally had a coach willing and able to do the dog and pony show at ESPN. During his Heisman push, Andre Williams also spent a day down in Connecticut and it was all topped off with Addazio joining the Coaches Broadcast during the BCS Championship game. I know College Football is a bigger deal than college basketball and Addazio is a TV friendly personality, but I hope BC follows the same ESPN-friendly model with Jim Christian.

Despite the coaching change, Christian has some ESPN ready talking points that should carry him through any interview. He's a new coach taking over. The ACC is adding Louisville. Hanlan is coming back and BC should be better than we were last year. Plus there is bound to be a hot topic whenever he visits, that can fill an interview (see: Addazio's Tebow timing). It is not critical what he says or even what shows he gets on during his trip. What matters is the credibility and association with the ESPN family of shows and reporters.

Right now Christian should be focusing on recruiting. He still needs to find a player or two for next year and potential transfers for down the road. But come this summer -- when recruiting hits a quiet period -- Christian needs to get down to Bristol. Those relationships help our recruiting, help public perception and help market the program. Winning games is the most important thing Christian can do, but winning over the Worldwide Leader in Sports is not a bad move.

Addazio TV

Steve Addazio will spend most of Tuesday all over the ESPN family of networks. He'll start the day on Mike & Mike, but also be seen on First Take, College Football Live and SportCenter. I don't know how Addazio will do in his various appearances but this has to be viewed as a positive and a major step forward for BC's Marketing efforts.

Given our location and history with ESPN, you would think BC faces would be on ESPN all the time. Unfortunately that hasn't been the case. And it is not all ESPN's fault. Our coaches and players either have not been accessible or have lacked even the littlest bit of charisma or personality. Showing just a little energy and passion goes a long way on TV. TOB and Spaz were obviously not comfortable doing this sort of thing. Jags had his one ESPN halftime show, but didn't do much otherwise. Other schools have sent their coaches across country to ESPN and ESPN gladly put them on air. In the offseason, ESPN is welcoming to any sort of football content. If Addazio is any good, he could be back on before the summer ends.

These sorts of appearances won't win BC any games this fall, but it will work to change the perception of the  program. Recruits will notice as will the ESPN execs in charge of scheduling. I also think our fans will notice. Passion can be contagious. If Addazio truly spreads the message, he will get a lot of leeway out of the gate.

I will recap all the events late Tuesday. Tune in and give your thoughts as Addazio works his way through Bristol.

Pantale news puts damper on Media Day

Media Day is about fluff, a happy outlook and getting to know the players a bit better. Things didn't go according to plan though as BC announced that Senior Captain Chris Pantale broke a bone in his foot and will miss significant time. That's a tough loss out of the gate as Pantale has real potential and was hoping for a breakout season. Supposedly with Martin's scheme, BC can use more WRs in place of TEs, so I don't think it will derail the offense. It is also a chance for Naples to step up.

Spaz later explained that Ramsey and Miller were both dealing with injuries too.

The good news was that the media turned out in force. The Globe even sent someone!

Spaz was in a light-hearted mood and asked for pitches right down the middle.



BC Sports Information Department did a great job tweeting comments, taking pictures and shooting video.

There should be even more news tomorrow. And for those fans going to the open practice, be sure to take pictures and send them along.

High School vs College Sports coverage at ESPN, Globe and Herald

ESPN recently announced they will shutter their High School Sport coverage. This doesn't really impact BC, since very little of ESPN's high school stuff focused on New England nor incoming BC students. But it did get me thinking about the local coverage of high school and college sports in the Globe and the Herald. What's unexpected and frustrating is how good the high school sports coverage is compared to the college sports. For two struggling papers in a struggling industry, the Globe and Herald generate a ton of varied and in-depth high school coverage. And its not just football and basketball. The locals get plenty on women's sports, lacrosse and baseball.

I would like to think this is a measured business decision on the parts of the paper. I am sure they rationalize the allocation of resources by saying they sell more locally because of high school sports or that it is cheaper to cover. But even though much of the Herald's coverage is rolled up by its local town papers, this still cannot make sense. Based on the Globe's own displays of popular articles, high school sports barely registers. Declining subscriptions of all papers surely aren't impacted by high school sports or else you would see even more coverage around the nation. People like seeing their friends and family in the paper, but how many people does one softball pitcher from Quincy know? It just can't be moving the needle. If ESPN cannot make money on it, I doubt the locals are.

What I think happens with high school coverage is that people at the papers care more. The young writers assigned to the beat are aggressive and looking to hone their skills and get noticed. The editors who assign the stories are probably a little older and members of these communities. They perceive more value to that coverage because it is hyper-local and personal. It is not speculative piece on the BCS or which school is moving to what conference. I also blame the more experienced writers on the college beat. I know in the past summer was always a time for them to take off or relax a bit. But those days are gone for most college writers. It is now year round beat. There is plenty of news and features that can be run. If bceagles.com and the online sites can create content year round, why can't the Globe or Herald? I know we care more, but we are also generating page views. Those are lost opportunities for the papers. And with the viral nature of sports, a good BC or college article can bring in 100 times more traffic than a high school story. Think of how many tweets or links you've read in the past two months from Florida papers regarding FSU or premier college writers from newspapers getting linked nationally. That's not happening in Boston. It is a shame too as I think local college coverage will continue to die. I just wish some of those promising local high school writers were given the same encouragement and support to cover the local college landscape. The old guard is failing us and its employers.

Does anyone from the Boston media want to talk to Spaz?

It is one thing for the Boston media to ignore BC. I can live with that since there are usually bigger stories out, like say the Penn State molestation scandal. But the more telling sign of complacency in the local sports media field and on the BC beat is that no one has gotten a quote from Spaz on the subject. Here is a BCS head coach who played under and revered Joe Paterno and was a peer of Jerry Sandusky. No one thought to get a reaction quote on the case? Florida papers asked Al Golden about it. Other Big Ten coaches avoided answering questions, but at least they were asked.

Like Golden, I am sure this is very painful for Spaz. But the beat guys as journalist at least need to get an official "no comment" on the subject. Complacency in the media makes them less relevant and also enables cover ups like went on in Happy Valley.

Round up of growing Spaz criticism from national outlets

The national guys are starting to weigh in with Spaz comments. Some are more critical than others and some deflect blame from Spaz to Jags or Gene. In the end though I think Spaz will be judged by his record and how the team responds in the second half of the season. Of course the best line of the week was from SBNation as they quoted an exchange between two BC fans on BCI.

SBNation's Exchange of the Week:

SoaringToGlory: Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d be flirting with a 2-win season.

CSOM_97: FLIRTING? We are whoring ourselves out on a cheap crack-infested strip in a bad part of Detroit on the off chance Richard Gere happens by with our second win

SoaringToGlory: Please tell me no gerbils will be harmed in the making of this football season. That would be the last straw.

Pat Forde's Forde Yard Dash:

Coach who should take the bus to work
Frank Spaziani (38), Boston College. Spaz was dealt a bad hand when running back and preseason ACC Offensive Player of the Year Montel Harris got hurt and missed the first three games. But still, the offensive ineptitude in Chestnut Hill has been sobering.

In Spaziani's first year as head coach, the Eagles averaged 24.8 points per game and went 8-5. Last year the scoring dipped to 18.5 points and the record to 7-6. This year BC is 1-4 and averaging 20.6 points -- but just 14.5 against FBS competition. And after playing four at home in the first five, the next three are on the road.

ACC Journal:

There Are No Winners In The BC-TOB Divorce

Pre-snap Read:

This season is turning into a disaster for Spaziani and Boston College. Just through the first week of October, the Eagles have lost to Duke for the first time since 1927 and at home to Wake Forest for the first time since 2003. And before that, B.C. was absolutely manhandled by a U.C.F. team that went on, after that victory, to lose to F.I.U. and B.Y.U. in consecutive weeks. This isn’t the Titanic. It’s not the Poseidon Adventure. Boston College’s season is going down like the Andrea Doria: it’s not like no one thought the Eagles were unsinkable, but few thought things would go so foul, so fast. Someone will be held responsible; Spaziani will be the fall guy, and I won’t argue that it shouldn’t happen.

The Alphabetical:

Q is for Quaeritur. Latin for "the question is asked," as in "who was the last ACC team to lose to both Wake Forest and Duke in one season?" Boston College, the double-barreled shotgun of eastern seaboard football failure just went off in your mouth, because you are the answer thanks to a 27-19 loss to Wake this past Saturday. We remind everyone that Boston College fired a perfectly good coach because he went on a job interview, and deserves all of this.

Yahoo! Sports:

FRANK SPAZIANI. Boston College fans seem like a basically patient, reasonable lot, especially when it comes to a guy who helped bring the program back from the brink in the wake of an epic gambling scandal in the mid-nineties. But the two most high-profile B.C. blogs on the web were unequivocal after Saturday's 27-19 loss to Wake Forest: It's time to fire Frank Spaziani as head coach. Like, yesterday.
With the loss, the Eagles fall to 1-4 — the one win coming against an FCS patsy, UMass — and have now lost home games to Northwestern, Duke and Wake Forest in a span of a little less than a month. Of course, that was supposed to be the easy part of the schedule. From here, forget extending the 12-year bowl streak: If they can't beat similarly flailing N.C. State on Nov. 12, they're spiraling fast toward 1-11.

Stewart Mandel:

And while I'm not sure whether to blame coach or athletic director for this one, Gene DiFilippo's well-intentioned but risky decision to fire Jeff Jagodzinski in January 2009 when he interviewed for an NFL job is costing Boston College dearly today. While Frank Spaziani is the easy target to blame for the Eagles' downward spiral (they're 1-4 so far this year), a team can't go through three coaches in four years and not have it affect recruiting.

New BC Media site and other links

Considering the inconsistent coverage BC receives from the Boston media, it makes sense for the school to cover the team themselves. The latest addition to the Media coverage is BC's media center. Most of this has been available in the past but the game highlights are new.

The team played in pads for the first time. Full contact comes Friday. The first scrimmage will be Saturday night.

BC commit Joël Zoungrana earned an award in Canada. I always like to hear what recruits say because it tells you what the coaches are saying to them. Here are some quotes from Joel with my bolds for emphasis.

There has been a lot of change in this program. Coach Spaziani has only been there for three years. They just need to find some stability and it’s going to be fine. I am not worried about the program at all.

Given what they are telling a camper who they recruited, I think BC must be hearing about an uncertain future for Spaz. Let's hope Spaz blows the doors off of this season so that no one questions his future at BC.

Growing respect for BC? and other links

Either everyone read Doc Saturday's dead on assessment of BC the other day, or there is a growing, and pretty accurate, assessment of what BC football is and can be. HD got things rolling with this post. She thinks we will be a contender again. This Rivals article also covers the team's issues well.

This is a pretty good roundup of differing opinions on Matt Tennant.

One of our latest Hockey recruits played in New England but is from Florida. That's got to be a first.

Despite the economy BC raised its tuition again. The good news is that the percentage increase was smaller than usual and they increased the amount of financial aid the school gives. I had hoped that the economy would force a "tuition correction" at the college level, but it looks like it will just be a drag as opposed to a full restructuring.