Ricci gets on board and other links

After a little lull, BC added another member to Spaz's recruiting class in Massachusetts defensive tackle Max Ricci. Ricci is a bit raw but has much needed size. Let's hope this begins another mini recruiting push as BC's class remains smaller than many of our opponents.

The Globe had a nice feature on Matt Ryan. I know he is only in his third year, but this is sort of a make or break season. If he is going to be an elite QB it needs to start coming together soon. Peter King is also going to feature Ryan in his MMQB next week.

The Sporting News posted their ACC overview and their BC preview.

This article throws cold water on Charlie Davies' comeback. If he can't get on the field for Sochaux, hopefully he will end up on a team where he can work on his fitness and form.

Mike McLaughlin is off to a good start in Baltimore.

Catching up with Troy Bell.

Former Eagle player and GA Ryan Mattison is now a full time coach with Bowdoin. Best of luck to him.

Check out WZBC this Saturday

As I've mentioned in the past, while at BC, I covered football, basketball and a little hockey for WZBC. It was a great time and fortunately the station's sports staff is still going strong. During the summer they have a BC sports talk show on Saturday afternoons. You can listen live online at WZBC.org starting at 1 PM ET. I will be a guest in their first hour and new baseball coach Mike Gambino will be a guest in their second hour. We'll be talking football and expectations for the upcoming season.

Behind the scenes with Herzy and other links

Here is a behind the scenes shot of Herzy's ESPN Magazine photo shoot. I was a little surprised that the Dark Knight inspired the eye black. I know he was only about 10-years-old at the time, but didn't anyone tell Mark about Chris Hovan using the eye black while dominating at BC?

The USA Today also featured Mark and included quotes from McGovern.

When I read this piece on Jared Dudley's basketball camp, it became pretty obvious to me that Jared not only has his head on straight but has a long-term plan for himself and his career.

A few BC names popped up on HD's best position's piece.

Providence basketball announced our game is scheduled for December 8.

This is a roundup of Donahue's latest recruiting efforts.

Reading too much into the preseason All Conference team and other links

The ACC media members selected four Eagles onto their Preseason All-ACC Football team. The honorees were Anthony Castonzo, Thomas Claiborne, Montel Harris and Luke Kuechly. The only team with more was UNC. If we had the second most players on the squad and some of our better players were snubbed, does this mean we have the best talent in the ACC this year? I don't think we have the best talent, but the gap between BC and the conference powers is not a wide as the media or some at BC would leave you to believe. I think the team and the fans should use this list as a confidence boosters. BC can compete for the division. Don't let the excuse makers lower expectations. We are all about "ever to excel."

This preview thinks BC will go 10-2. I love the optimism, but don't think our schedule is as easy as they do.

Mike Gambino hired his first assistant Scott Friedholm. The Providence grad has coached at Navy and Maine.

Ryan Quigley spoke with his hometown paper while coaching at a kicking camp. He seems like another good BC guy.

IMG acquired our radio rights holder ISP Sports. This probably doesn't mean a whole lot for BC. The only real synergies might come in ad sales and marketing programs when IMG puts their marketing clients in ISP's broadcasts.

Here is a decent season preview from a Virginia blog.

BC hoops recruit George Matthews is trying to decide if he should go to prep school for a year or give college a shot now.

About the Chick-Fil-A Bowl

Many thought Gary Stokan's explanation on what BC needs to do to get considered for the Chick Fil A Bowl was double talk to placate BC critics. It's not. I joined the Atlanta Sports Council and actually met privately with Stokan earlier this year. Within two minutes of meeting him I was hitting him up with BC bowl questions and he was very candid. It wasn't an on the record conversation, but now that Stokan has spoken about it publicly I don't think I am breaching any confidentiality.

The Atlanta Sports Council is very open to BC and appreciates our TV draw and the newness we would bring to either game. Ticket sales and attendance are vital to the bowl. The Council has commitments to sponsors and local hotels to have the stadium full. That doesn't just mean tickets sold. It means they want butts in the seats. If any school were to buy their allotted tickets and eat them (which BC has done on a smaller scale in the past) it would hurt the Bowl.

A team doesn't need to fill all 12,000 allotted seats. The bowl can live with a smaller commitment if they can pair us with a strong ticket buying opponent (say South Carolina, Alabama or Georgia). However, BC has never stepped up to the plate on the minimums. I don't know if BC doesn't think they could rally 5,000 fans or doesn't want to take the financial risk involved. Maybe they just don't want to embarrass themselves by coming up short for such a public ticket push.

As much as it would be my dream, I don't think BC should focus on the Chick Fil A Bowl. The short window to sell tickets will always be a challenge for BC. Instead we should try to get into one of the Labor Day weekend kickoff games. Those would have more than a year of build up. BC marketing and the fans could plan out the trip and spread the word. We've brought more than 5,000 to Notre Dame and more than 4,000 to Clemson. With planning and support we could do the same for a big game in Atlanta.

If you want to do something about this, send Gene a note and let him know that you would buy tickets for either of Atlanta's games. Send the bowl game an email too. If 5,000 of us let them know we are excited about these games, we may actually get into a real bowl one day.

Radio interviews with AC and Herzy and other links

On this page you can hear interviews with Castonzo and Herzlich with an Atlanta radio station at the ACC Media Kickoff.

Here are the results of most of the preseason awards and predictions.

Athlon ranks BC 34th overall.

Brian St. Pierre is back at his high school working out and hoping for another shot at the NFL.

Hopefully Sean Duggan will be the next St. X star from Ohio to come to BC.

While Herzy hit the links in Greensboro, Castonzo worked on his thesis. The Chick-Fil-A Bowl will consider BC if we commit to a certain level of ticket sales. I never thought BC would get in the Chick Fil A Bowl until BCMike told me he was getting married that night. His jinx will ensure that BC is playing in its biggest bowl in decades in Mike's own backyard on the one night he cannot get to the game.

The Enormity of the Herzlich story

Things are about to change for Mark Herzlich and BC football. In a few weeks the hoped for and hypothetical will become real. Mark will play football again and if the ACC media day is an indicator, this story will be huge. But Mark's candid responses to his risk and his goals opens up all the possibilities in play in this unbelievable narrative.

First (and this is our worst fear), Mark admitted that if he breaks his left leg, it would have a hard time healing due to the radiation and tumor. Most wouldn't risk that, but as we know, Mark is not most people. I can't see this ending that way. However, if this ending takes a sad turn, it will not be a tragedy and I don't think it would play out that way in the media. A broken leg would just mean Mark left everything he had on the field and that football ended his career, not cancer.

I think most BC fans expect Mark to contribute and be an emotional inspiration this season. If he is pretty good and BC is pretty good, Mark will still be the center of attention on a weekly basis and an inspiration to us all.

Mark clearly expect more than that. He wants to be better than he was in 2008. If he is better than his ACC Defensive Player of the Year season, he will win the Heisman. That's not hyperbole. Regardless of my BC allegiance, I believe that after the Reggie Bush nonsense, the media/Heisman voters would trip over each other in a rush to mail in their ballots for the All America, cancer-conquering linebacker from a BCS conference. The hype and pride surrounding his recovery would quadruple if Mark plays that well. No other candidate would stand a chance.

The odds of a defensive player winning the Heisman are long. The odds of a BC player winning the Heisman are long. But Mark has already shown that he is an outlier and isn't worried about statistics and normal outcomes. As I said, this story is going to be huge. Why not think big and think the impossible?

Raycom's story:

Day 1 of the ACC Media Kickoff

First a tweet from Bruce Feldman that captured the day:

I doubt any school has two more impressive spokesmen than BC does w cancer survivor Mark Herzlich and Rhodes Schl candidate Anthony Costanzo

HD wrapped up the events. When people weren't talking about Herzy they were talking about the agent mess at UNC.

The Herald their coverage Sunday night. The Globe is taking there time forgetting that they have a blog they can use before things go to print.) The Herald also noted Castonzo's weight gain.

BCeagles.com did an admirable job covering the events and getting atmosphere shots.

The players have to tell the same stories over and over again, but every once in a while someone will uncover something new like the Herzlich brothers bowling with Clemson's Jacoby Ford.

Here are the players -- including Herzy -- making names for themselves this year. While Castonzo is one of many ACC players expected to be a 1st round draft pick.

This flikr album has a good mix of posed and candid shots. A shot of Mark and Anthony.

Maryland's Alex Wujciak was asked about his brother committing to BC.

Brad Herzlich's essay on Mark

If you ignored the Athletic Department's annual report or didn't get a hard copy in the mail, you missed out on a great essay written by Brad Herzlich. Because it deserves as wide an audience as possible, I posted Brad's work below.

Mark Herzlich, my best friend, my brother, is a warrior. He was an All- American, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, a projected top draft pick. He turned a smear of eye black into a feared glare of intensity. Last May, Mark proved that his relentless attitude isn’t confined to that 6,000-square-yard piece of turf. He battled cancer in front of millions, finding himself, his health, and his religion; a personal trial streamed live over the most public of arenas. Even with the hopes and expectations of the world on his shoulders, he remained gracious and loving. He remained determined, never wanting sympathy and always putting others first. And, most impressively, he remained stubbornly positive, heart locked on the day he could call himself a survivor, high stepping into Boston College’s Alumni Stadium with fire in his eyes, adrenaline in his veins, and a 12-inch titanium rod in his left leg. The doctors told him they would try to save his life. They would do their best to save his leg. Best-case scenario -- he would jog again. Mark heard their words, but within a day, he had made up his mind. “They know cancer, but they don’t know me.”

In his relatively short time in the public spotlight, Mark has demonstrated his fortitude. He wracked up tackles. He beat cancer. But I was lucky enough to have him as an inspiration before anyone else could even pronounce our last name. He was the subject of my first-grade role model sentence and the reason I started playing football. He would pick me up when I was down and knock me down when we played pick-up in the neighborhood (even though he two-hand touched everybody else). No matter the problem I faced, he always held the answer. Honestly, I felt silly for how much I looked up to him, until I realized that everyone else did, too.

When I was 14, Mark invited me to a preseason seven-on-seven at BC. He toured me through the locker room, introduced me to the guys, and even invited me to run routes with the team. Mark was a freshman in his first weeks on campus, the youngest player in a new system. Never have I heard of another player bringing a sibling to practice, let alone as the only freshman at summer workouts. He introduced me to future NFLers and threw me into Matt Ryan’s drill. He put his reputation on the line because he wanted me to be included, to enjoy myself.

That’s just the type of person Mark is. He’ll sacrifice himself for those around him. Throughout high school, he never hesitated to bring me along with his friends when I had nothing to do. He backed out of a senior week in Cancun, opting for a camping weekend spent with yours truly in the hills of Jim Thorpe, Pa., knowing that the next four years would be dominated by football, with little room for the brotherly time we cherished.

Mark has uplifted the sporting community. He helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight cancer. He has reached out personally to dozens of athletes, coaches, officials, and fans going through similar struggles. All while he continued to fight for his own life. He has turned me into the man that I am, so maybe I’m biased, but I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the tremendous support and recognition provided to him by the Boston College family over the past year.

Brad will play football at Brown next season. As much as I would have loved to see the brothers together at BC, I also think it is fitting that Brad creates his own path at a different school. Regardless, he obviously going to make those around him better. Congrats to Sandy and Barbara on raising two great young men.

Getting ready for the ACC meetings and other links

BC is absent from the burnings questions facing the ACC this year. It seems that the media is either predicting big things for us or ignoring BC as usual. There is no in between.

The Daily Press thinks we will finish third in the division.

On this page you will find an interview Matt Ryan did with an Atlanta radio station a few days ago. In it he recounts his first start against Syracuse.

Quick Taylor update and other links

As promised, here is my Eagle Insider story on Travis Taylor. Basketball wise this is not big deal. Campus politics wise it is huge. Let's hope everyone gets on the same page so this doesn't happen with future recruits.

[WARNING BLATANT SCOUT.COM PIMPING AHEAD] Eagle Insider will have premium recruiting articles of our own soon, but if you like recruiting, you might want to sign up now because you can gain access to the network's content. Right now we have updates on the following BC targets:
-- Richard Rodgers
-- Patrick Flavin
-- Leonte Carroo
-- Chase Hounshell

HD has been putting together "key stretches" for each ACC team. Here is BC's version.

Mike Gambino has eyed the BC baseball job for a long time.

Preston Murphy is back at URI as an assistant.

The Blackhawks traded former Eagle Marty Reasoner to Florida.

Update on Nebrich

I broke the news via twitter that BC did have a skills camp on July 8. No one was offered out of that event. ESPN's ACC and Big East bloggers picked up on the non-story, but this is all getting a lot of attention because it is a slow news time.

Getting to the bottom of the Michael Nebrich nonsense

For those who didn't pick up on the Michael Nebrich story, here is a very quick timeline:

-- Mid-level 2011 QB prospect verbals to UConn. (He doesn't have a BC offer.)
-- UConn writer/blogger reaches out to the kid and is shocked to find out BC is talking to him after he has verbaled to another school.
-- BC fans flood writer/blogger's post doubting BC's interest given we have a QB in this recruiting class and that he seems to be a middling prospect.
-- Thin-skinned writer/blogger posts an excerpt of the alleged BC email as proof of BC's dirty tricks, including a BC coach claiming that Edsall will be leaving after this season.

First let me say this: the UConn writer Des Connor is a melodramatic chicken shit. He posted the email but didn't take the final step of showing which BC coach wrote it. Let me save him the time: the email either came from Mike Siravo, Dave Brock, Ryan Day or Grad Assistant Bob Callahan. Why play games? The coach has nothing to be ashamed or afraid of because...

1. There is nothing illegal about recruiting a player who has committed elsewhere. Nebrich cannot sign with anyone until February. Every school -- including UConn -- keeps recruiting committed players after they verbal.
2. Randy Edsall is a good bet to move on from UConn. While I don't love negative recruiting, it happens. And negative spin happens in all walks of life. Anyone who has ever bought anything from a salesperson surely knows this. And if BC is going to go negative, I don't think questioning UConn's stability is a bad angle. In the past two offseasons alone, Edsall has been a candidate for numerous open positions. One of these days he is going to jump.
3. BC was just trying to get him to campus to evaluate him. According to Scout and Rivals, Nebrich doesn't have an offer from BC. We already have a QB in this class. I assume BC wants to see him as an athlete and if we can use him anywhere. This is not doing anything underhanded with a 5-star prospect. It was purely due diligence with a mid-level guy. If anything it shows the staff is looking high and low for talent.

This has already received more attention than it deserves. Just know that this UConn writer is either oblivious to the rules of recruiting or looking to generate attention for himself.

Travis Taylor not coming to BC and other links

Travis Taylor won't be transferring to BC. The initial spin blamed BC and painted a picture that BC did not know about his suspension. Fortunately that is not the case. BC was well aware that Taylor had some history. Where things fell apart was the story Taylor shared with BC and what the truth was. I will have more about the case on EI Thursday, but for now, know that BC did not screw up or screw over this kid.

I could read variations on the Herzy story over and over. Here is another good one with some Dick Vitale quotes.

In this mailbag Stewart Mandel admits he thought BC fans were spoiled when we complained about TOB, but now we might have been right.

This is the latest recruiting roundup for the Atlantic Division.

Part II of AC interview and other links

Here is part II of BC Draft/Eagle Insider's interview with Castonzo. In this section he discusses his improving teammates and the highlights of his BC career.

BC put up a video interview with new baseball coach Mike Gambino on bceagles.com. Unfortunately BC is not letting us embed those videos (yet). Also you can get a glimpse of the new Under Armour polo shirts.

Matt Tennant has good things to say about Sean Devine and his time at BC. Matt also says he wants to go to law school after his playing career is over.

The BCI guys spoke with the Football Outsiders to better understand how they came about their projections for BC.

BC is in the final three for Delaware lineman Trip Thurman.

Craig Smith got a new deal with the Clippers.

Troy Vincent was on campus to talk to the football players about finishing their degrees and life after football. I hope with all the agent news going on in college football, that he told them to be smart about their decisions off the field.

BC Draft's Interview with Castonzo

As I mentioned there will be many different voices at Eagle Insider. I was very excited when the BC Draft guys agreed to contribute and there first effort didn't dissappoint. They held an interview with Anthony Castonzo (PART I) and touched on a variety of topics both personal and related to Xs and Os.

Part II will be up Tuesday.

More on Gambino and other links

BC made the Gambino announcement official this afternoon. I like his youth and the fact that he is a BC grad, but I think his biggest asset will be his eye for talent. He has been Virginia Tech's recruiting coordinator and over the past few years the Hokies have upgraded their talent.

Baseball America has a rundown of the other candidates that interviewed and speculates that current assistant Steve Englert will stay on.

Soaring to Glory put together a good Q&A with the College Baseball Blog regarding the Mike Gambino hire. What I find interesting is that the close observers of the baseball are not concerned about the Aoki loss and feel he left the program in worse shape than he found it.

Dr. Saturday thinks we will win the division again.

The National Football thinks that Harris is the 2nd best RB in the ACC.

BC just offered Florida WR Tacoi Sumler.

Report: Gambino next BC baseball coach

According to the Herald, this afternoon BC will announce Mike Gambino has been hired as the new BC baseball coach. As I tweeted, this is a safe, sound hire. Gambino brings a nice mix of college and MLB experience. He also played and recruited at BC, so he knows what he is getting into and what sells at the school. I also appreciate that he left BC to join Peter Hughes at Virginia Tech. Sometimes that time spent away makes you appreciate what BC is all about and gives you some exposure to things that BC might need to emulate.

Congrats to Coach Gambino and let's hope when we finally have the new baseball field, we'll have a championship team playing on it.

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.

More incoming transfers and other links

Another day, another transfer. This time Donahue landed former Oregon wing Matt Humphrey. Like Taylor, Humphrey will sit out next season and have two years remaining when he does suit up. He was a bit of a disappointment at Oregon given his recruiting rating coming in, yet is supposed to be a good, high energy kid.

Spaz added LB/FB prospect Nick Lifka to the recruiting class. His high school coach had very good things to say about BC's fit for Lifka.

Scout.com likes what they see in current commit Brian Miller.

EDSBS is marking the biggest dickish moves in college football history. Not surprisingly Lou Holtz's fake punt in 1992 made the list.

Donahue adds depth with transfer

The Donahue staff grabbed a critical transfer in former Monmouth forward Travis Taylor. Taylor will be eligible for the 2011-2012 season and have two years remaining in his college career. Although we won't know his impact for another season, Taylor was very good for Monmouth (arguably their best player). Plus we really need the depth after we graduate all of this year's seniors. This is a solid (and much needed) pickup. I also expect at least one more incoming transfer this summer to bolster the 2011-2012 team.

Noreen heading to WVU and other links

After seemingly talking to every program in the country, Kevin Noreen signed with West Virginia. It's a good program but from what I gather, I don't think his style of play will mesh with Huggins more physical, bang'em schemes. Best of luck to him, but the whole thing seems like a missed opportunity for him and BC's new staff. The good news is that Donahue's first elite camp went really well and the staff is laying the foundation for their new approach.

Ohio prospect Shaq Washington is set to make his announcement and is still considering BC.

Several baseball players were honored with postseason awards.

Nice weekend at the Hayes house and other links

Soon to be Eagle (hopefully) Kevin Hayes was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft. Everyone is assuming Hayes will come to BC, but Chicago also acquired his brother, current Eagle, Jimmy in a trade. Would they have done that if they weren't going to press him to skip BC and go straight to pro hockey?

Jo-Lonn Dunbar was back in Upstate New York to host a football camp and talk about the NFL.

Here are some of the upcoming storylines for the 2010-11 basketball season.

Sample vuvuzelas played over BC's biggest moments

As you know, I am a fan of the vuvuzelas. In honor of the World Cup, Youtube has created a feature that allows you to play the horn over highlights. Just click on the soccer ball icon on the right side of the time box on any Youtube clip to hear it (sorry but the feature doesn't work when embedded). You can listen to the Flutie Hail Mary

Or Matt Ryan at Virginia Tech.

Now that the U.S. is out of the Cup, there won't be much of a BC angle. But let's hope Charlie Davies is a big factor in 2014.

Flutie still a fan and other links

ESPNBoston posted a Q&A with Doug Flutie on his latest news. He mentions Billy and BC sports throughout. Since this is Billy's last year, I fear we might not see Doug as much in the coming years.

Andy Katz thinks Reggie could skip his senior season and enter the NBA draft in 2011.

BC grad Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah aka Kofi Kingston will be wrestling at the DCU when WWE hits New England.

Most of you probably read this but it looks like the Hockey team's T crash may have been the fault of the T Driver.

Sanchez's tough luck and other links

Former Eagle Tony Sanchez was having a great first season in the minors until Tuesday when a stray pitch broke his jaw. He will have surgery and is out indefinitely. He should fully recover...let's just hope the bad luck surrounding the Pirates doesn't trickle down to their prospects.

NC State hired Maryland's AD to run their athletic department. I don't feel strongly one way or the other about Yow, but wonder if she'll pressure TOB to finally win.

Want to go on record with your season prediction: check out BCI's feature that let's you predict throughout the season.

Know your likely BC bowls: EagleBank Bowl

Since we know BC will never be selected for the top bowls, the only options are playing our way into the Orange or getting sent down to the afterthought bowls. The ACC has some new bowl affiliations this year, so I thought we should take the time to learn about our likely destinations. This will be a series of posts over the summer. Part III is the EagleBank Bowl.

Bowl: EagleBank Bowl
Named Sponsor: EagleBank. Since the bowl is new and made for TV, it has never been without a sponsor name that I could reference. The actual bank is a regional D.C. based financial institution. Do the players get free checking as part of the gift bag?
History: Does two years count as history? Both games have been decent, but no real history has been made yet. Nothing historic or memorable took place in the 2008 or 2009 EagleBank Bowls.
Opposing Conference: The Naval Academy, the MAC, the Big Ten and Conference USA.
Date: December 29, 2010. The game will be on ESPN at 2:30 ET. This is actually a big improvement over their original slot prior to Christmas.
Location: Washington, D.C. Our nation's capital doesn't need a lot of background from me. There is plenty to do and see. The weather is cold (as anyone who went to Maryland last year can tell you), but not as bad as Boston. The cool thing about the game is that it is held at RFK. The Redskins' old home is certainly outdated, but the seats are close to the action and the stadium has seen a lot of great football.
Fun Fact: The bowl has a sponsorship program that allows fans to buy tickets for military families. This is a nice idea and does two good things -- adds atmosphere and provides a nice bonus for those serving our country.
Prediction: We are not going to D.C. this year. The EagleBank Bowl selects the eighth ACC team and I don't see a situation where we will be there. We will play in the game some year, but I don't expect it to be this season. If/when we go, it actually will be a good opportunity to finally sell tickets since we have so many alums and fans in the area.

All America honors and other links

The Sporting News named Kuechly and Castonzo to their All America teams. Surprisingly Kuechly made first team while Castonzo was third. I would have expected Castonzo to have more support from a national publication.

Derrick Knight's cousin (who is from Mass) is headed to NC State. TOB played up the BC connection as they are with Matt Ryan's cousin John Loughery.

Scouting services still think Herzy has great NFL potential.

Donahue adds another to the 2010 class

One of my fears has been eased as Steve Donahue added another commitment to this current class in Florida guard Gabriel Moton. Donahue recruited Moton at Cornell but saw him commit to the Air Force Academy. When Donahue switched jobs into the ACC, his pitch to Moton became more appealing. Can you blame Moton? Would you rather spend your summer in basic training or playing hoops at the Plex and taking one class at BC?

Moton should play right away and see most of the minutes that had been penciled in for Heslip. Now for balance and impact sake, let's hope Donahue gets another under the radar guy this summer.

(Thanks to the commentors for posting the links during the day.)

Lynch's gift creates another new opportunity for BC

I occasionally whine about our fanbase and bemoan that we are lacking in big sports boosters. But I don't mind that we don't have our own version of T. Boone Pickens as long as we have guys like Peter Lynch. For those who didn't see it, Lynch just gifted BC $20 million to start a new "academy" aimed at teaching leadership to young educators moving onto jobs in the Boston area.

When I give my measly amount to BC each year, I never designate how I want it spent. I figure it is the Board's job to decide that. If I had Lynch's money I would probably give more specific demands on how it should be spent. I just hope that I would spend it in the right way. Maybe instead of getting the football team a private jet, I could just ask Lynch what he would do.

Bicknell honors his father and other links

Bob Bicknell is now coaching with Buffalo and credits his father for most of his success. I hope the Bicknell's patch things up with BC, because it was nice have Jack SR back around when Jack JR was on Jags' staff.

I didn't note this early in the week, but BC announced the newest members of our Hall of Fame. Congrats to all those who were honored.

HD considers Kuechly the 14th most important player in the ACC. Rivals considers him the 78th most important in their 100.

Jamie Silva is hosting his football camp next week in Rhode Island.

Ryan Glasper is trying to catch on with Connecticut's UFL team.

One of Phil Steele's formulas has us going 11-1 this season.

Davies is the US's biggest supporter

Lost in the excitement and controversy surrounding one of the best games in the history of US Soccer, is that the Americans are playing without one of their top goal scorers, BC guy Charlie Davies. Given all he's been through (horrific car accident, hard recovery, followed by disappointing cut from the US team) no one would blame Davies if he chose to keep a low profile and deal with the emotions of this all by himself. Fortunately for us, he's not. He's out in front cheering on his teammates and country men. We obviously miss his skills, but I think the team misses his spirit, hence the flat openings. Hopefully Charlie's cheering section will send positive vibes to the boys for the rest of their run.

If you are on twitter, be sure to follow Charlie during the World Cup and on his continued recovery.

Know your likely BC bowls: Sun Bowl

Since we know BC will never be selected for the top bowls, the only options are playing our way into the Orange or getting sent down to the afterthought bowls. The ACC has some new bowl affiliations this year, so I thought we should take the time to learn about our likely destinations. This will be a series of posts over the summer. Part II is the Sun Bowl.

Bowl: Brut Sun Bowl
Named Sponsor: Brut -- the men's deodorant and aftershave company. BC guy alums from the '90s will have to confirm this, but I think we got a sample of Brut deodorant in one of those welcome boxes from when you check into the dorms. I know they threw in Right Guard at times too, but I think Brut was part of it because I had an unused travel size Brut stick rolling around in my stuff for ages. As for sponsorship, Brut is fine, I guess. We've had so many random companies associated with our games, what's wrong with a company dedicated to making guys smell good?
History: The Sun Bowl has a great history. It is the fourth oldest and continuous bowl and has a strong payout of $1.9M. Although the early games attracted regional teams, many of college football's biggest programs like Alabama, Oklahoma and USC have played in the game. Because of its age and history the Sun Bowl has always had decent TV coverage and time slots.
Opposing Conference: Pac 10. The Pac 10's got good depth yet their fans don't travel. So if we end up in the Sun, we will face a good team in front of a truly neutral crowd. Not bad.
Date: December 31, 2010. The game will be on CBS at 2 PM ET. December 31st day games are not bad, since they won't encroach on anyone's New Year's Eve plans.
Location: El Paso, Texas. Of all the places to go, El Paso is not a bad spot. It has a unique feel, will have decent weather and there is good golf and other things to do. In most years, El Paso would be a fun place to spend New Year's. In the past, those looking for a little fun, something wild, etc could always cross the border for the night. Now...not so much. All that violence you read about in Mexico is butting right up against the border, taking some of the cheesy charm out of El Paso. The real downside to El Paso is that it is hard to get to...even if you are in Texas. El Paso is closer to Phoenix than it is to Dallas. There are very few direct flights from the east so most Eagles will probably have to connect through Chicago, Dallas or Atlanta.
Fun Fact: The Sun Bowl takes place in the Sun Bowl Stadium and is only half a mile from the Rio Grande. The stadium also looks cool on TV as it is built into a hill.
Prediction: The ACC Championship game loser cannot fall below the Sun Bowl, so there is a very real chance we could play here. I actually don't think it is a bad spot -- nice little history, a unique destination, potentially interesting opponent. I just fear that no BC fans will make it to the game. I don't think I could swing it. If the ACC keeps its affiliation with the Sun Bowl, we will end up there eventually but probably not this season.

Things still uncertain in our old home

The surprising thing about the conference shuffle is that you didn't see many posts or articles calling for BC to rejoin the Big East. The "BC back to the Big East" meme is a favorite of the old timers in the media and the spitballing Big East bloggers. This time around everyone assumed the Big East was going to collapse, so BC moving back wasn't even relevant. And it now appears that BC is in a stable, protected conference at least until the next TV contract. Our old conference, the Big East, remains in turmoil. Here is an excellent State of the Conference from USF bloggers Voodoo Five (HT BCI). I feel sorry for Pitt, Syracuse and even Rutgers. They were all poised for bigger and better things and now are back in conference purgatory. The ACC is not perfect, but it's home.

Know your likely BC bowls: Independence Bowl

Since we know BC will never be selected for the top bowls, the only options are playing our way into the Orange or getting sent down to the afterthought bowls. The ACC has some new bowl affiliations this year, so I thought we should take the time to learn about our likely destinations. This will be a series of posts over the summer. Part I is the Independence Bowl.

Bowl: AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Named Sponsor: AdvoCare V100. Advocare is a over the counter multivitamin and mineral supplement. Their current claim to fame is that they are not banned by the NCAA! I would hope not. I am guessing the bowl goodie bag will be filled with powders and vitamins that you can only find at GNC. This is a sponsor any Strength and Conditioning coach should love.
History: The Independence Bowl has a fairly decent history. It has been played since 1976 and is the 9th oldest in college football. Although it has never been a major bowl, some of college football's elite programs have made stops in Shreveport along the way, including Notre Dame, Washington, LSU, Georgia and Nebraska.
Opposing Conference: The Mountain West. So we could likely see some teams we have played in recent years like BYU or Colorado State.
Date: Monday, December 27 at 4:30 pm. That's a tough slot to make for anyone. I don't think I would be able to swing it. Fortunately the game is on ESPN.
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana. Let me first state that the goal of this series is not to mock the bowl hosts. That said, Shreveport is a really bad spot for a bowl game. It is hard to get to for most fans on the east coast. It has the chance to be real cold during the game. There are some historical sites to check out and a collection of third-rate casinos, but that's about it. It is not like you could even stay in New Orleans and drive to the game -- they are 400 miles apart.
Not so Fun Fact: Last year when Georgia played in the Independence Bowl, the strip clubs in Shreveport were advertising on the Atlanta sports radio stations...so we have that to look forward to.
Prediction: We are going to the Independence Bowl. I will publish the whole series and hope for an ACC championship, but I think we end of here regardless of our record.

Dust settles on conference expansion for now

Since Texas is staying put, it looks like the conference shake up business is settling down. A few mid majors might move to fill out slots in the Pac 10 or Big XII, but BC is not going anywhere. This is really the best news we could have hoped for. We are part of an ACC with a better TV deal and can continue to grow our ACC roots. If anything, the what if game just reaffirmed we are where we belong. The thought of playing West Virginia again or UConn annually seemed to upset most BC fans (it did this one). The ACC is not perfect and I don't think we will ever be appreciated there, but it is our home...for now.

So how long will this peace last? I only see two things that could force BC's hand.

1. Notre Dame decides to join a conference. This would have a ripple effect across the whole landscape. If the Irish ever decide to join a conference, you can be sure that BC would be rumored to follow. If they went to the Big Ten we would be listed as an appeasement (Catholic, private, rival). If they went to the Big East you would hear talk of us "coming home."

2. The BCS conferences break away from the NCAA. I think the issue is too complicated because of the non-revenue sports. But if the NCAA starts a DIA playoff, you know the BCS conferences would talk of doing their own thing.

Bringing a horn to the Heights

Watching the World Cup sparked an idea. Next season the Super Fans should start blowing vuvuzelas when the other team is on offense. I know this would annoy most of the stadium. The down in front, whale pants crowd would be in an uproar. But the student section filled with the cheap plastic horns could finally give BC a unique home field advantage. Mississippi State fans bang cow bells all game. This could be our thing...yet with only a more international and obnoxious flair. As the BC's jumbotron used to say "Signal Deafening Noise!"

Just when I think I am done, media fires up Big Ten talk

I don't think BC will ever get a Big Ten invite, but it has to be mentioned that today three different articles all picked BC as the best candidate for the Big Ten. Interestingly two of the articles are built on the idea that Notre Dame would be the 13th Big Ten team and we would be their "partner" at 14. Who says that only BC fans consider this a rivalry.

First this short bit from the Courier Post in south Jersey.

The school to go after would be Boston College.

That would bring the Boston TV market to the Big Ten Network and add an instant rivalry. In addition to Notre Dame-Michigan, Notre Dame-Michigan St. and Notre Dame-Purdue, you’d also have Notre Dame-Boston College. And remember, Penn State-Notre Dame has had its moments, too.

Then there was this profile from an Iowa paper. Every one keeps mentioning the academics, but I think that aspect is overblown. If the Big Ten was making decisions based purely on academics they would have invited Mizzou before Nebraska.

This article is all about Notre Dame, but sees BC as a key chip in luring the Irish in.

The conference would then add a 14th school - I vote for Boston College, which would draw the Boston market and add a natural rivalry to entice Notre Dame - and be done with expansion. No need to add Rutgers, Maryland or Missouri if Notre Dame is already on board.

As I keep saying, we are not going to the Big Ten, but it is refreshing to hear BC praised. At times it feels like we are unappreciated in the ACC.

Will probation impact USC in 2013, 2014?

I've been focusing on the conference realignments, so I haven't mentioned the NCAA's sanctions against Southern Cal. The Trojans were hit with a two-year bowl ban and a 30 scholarship reduction (spread over three years). Although USC leadership was whining about the bowl bans, the scholarship issues will be more impactful. But how impactful is the question. Will it even matter by the time we play USC in 2013 and 2014? Let's look at the two most similar cases and how long it took the powers to recover.

Alabama
Hit with scholarship reduction beginning in 2002
2002 record: 10-3
2003 record: 4-9
2004 record: 6-6
2005 record: 10-2

Miami
Hit with scholarship reduction beginning in 1996

1996 record: 9-3
1997 record: 5-6
1998 record: 9-3
1999 record: 9-4

As you can see, the second year has been when the programs bottom out. By that time most of your experienced talent has graduated and your less talented and smaller recruiting classes are more important to the program.

Using the same patter for USC, you would have to expect the 2010 season to be solid with the worst of it coming in 2011. By the time we play them in 2013 they should be back on the upswing. But I do have one caveat in all of this -- I don't think much of Lane Kiffin as a coach. I don't see him as the type that will 1) see this out and stay at USC, 2) have the plan in place to return them to the Carroll glory days.

Regardless of how good they are or who the coach is, I still plan on making the trip out to see BC in the Coliseum. Let's hope the Trojans troubles make for easy wins for BC.

More conference shake up thoughts

With Colorado officially in the Pac 10 and Nebraska all but certain to join the Big Ten, the national game of musical chairs has begun. Although rarely mentioned, BC is a player in all of this. We have a great (yet not threatening) combination of TV/sports/academics. We have ties to the ACC, the Big East and Notre Dame. BC would be a nice piece to any conference, but where will we land? Here is my speculation and thoughts on some of the players and issues at hand.

BC to the Big Ten?
While this is not a strong rumor like "Rutgers to the Big Ten" or "Mizzou to the Big Ten" there are still some whispers about it. If the Big Ten wants to reach that deep into the northeast and hit up as many TV homes as possible, I could see their interest. But I think the Big Ten will approach at least five other schools before they come to BC. If the Big Ten did approach BC, I think we would have to go. The money alone is reason enough, but the long term security of being in the premiere athletic conference makes sense. However, I wonder if our leadership would be willing to go down that path again...

Father Leahy and Gene D
I don't know if many BC fans understand the personal and professional pain Father Leahy and Gene went through during the ACC expansion. They both bet their careers and legacies on the move. They were vilified in public by supposed friends and former colleagues and were sued personally. We and they are fortunate it all worked out. Now it is time again for more politically jockeying and backroom dealing. Are these two still game? If BC were to do something bold like ditch the ACC for the Big Ten, we would look like the biggest money hungry, disloyal school in the country? And Gene would be called every greed inspired insult in the book. I don't think this will become an issue since I don't think the Big Ten will come calling, but our leadership and their willingness to play ball this time around is a factor.

Where do we want to be?
I think given all that could happen, BC would prefer to stay in the ACC in its present configuration. If the ACC falls apart or starts to seriously lag behind the other conferences in revenue, then things could change.

ESPN, The SEC and The ACC
The only way the ACC falls apart is if the SEC raids the conference. As regular readers know, I feared raid as recently as this week. Now not as much. This is all speculation on my part, but I think the logic holds. SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has admitted that their deal with ESPN does allow for more money if the SEC expands. But I imagine ESPN must have protected itself with a provision regarding who they would be willing to pay more for. You have to assume ESPN is not willing to pay a premium for content it already has. So I could see why they would pay more if the SEC secured Texas or Texas A&M. ESPN doesn't have an all inclusive deal with the Big 12, so those programs would be considered new content. However, the ACC and ESPN are already in bed together. ESPN owns it all. Why would they suddenly be willing to pay more for FSU or Miami? Surely they won't let the SEC hold them up like that. Also, ESPN's new deal with the ACC is indirect incentive for the network to keep the ACC whole. If the ACC is raided, ESPN's ACC inventory would be in jeopardy. The Pac 16 and Big 10 have or will have their own cable networks. They are independent of ESPN. There are no other players out there for ESPN to "partner" with. For better or worse, the SEC, ACC and ESPN are all intertwined. If they SEC expands now, I don't see it being at the ACC and ESPN's expense.

If the ACC is raided
Then we are back looking at a leftover conference filled with the remnants of the Big East, Big 12 and ACC. This would probably still be a BCS conference, but it would lack in geographic, institutional, historic and economic relevancy. This would probably be the worst case scenario, but we would survive. We could potentially be a big fish in this small pond, but the money and marketing lost would hurt the athletic department long term.

What do I think will happen
The situations keep changing, but right now I actually think the ACC will be okay. I think we stay at 12 teams and don't lose any members. I don't know how long that will last, but my guess is another five years. Eventually a playoff will come and things will get reshuffled again.

Larmond ready to step up and other links

HD gave BC some more pub...this time with a feature on Colin Larmond Jr. HD is right in that Larmond will be a focal point of the offense next year. I think his upside is huge, but he will need a lot of help. First from Shinskie who will have to start looking off of him on occasion (in order to free him up -- if that makes sense). He will also need his fellow WRs to step up. If he is the only option other teams will key on him all day.

Brady Heslip has made his decision and will transfer to Baylor. Good luck to him, but this whole thing still seems like such a waste.

People keep talking about our easy schedule yet no one is considering the fact that Duke and UVA might be better than the experts think.

Pat Dean was excited about being drafted and now must decided if he signs or comes back to BC.

BC and ND renew deal and what it means

Some good offseason news as BC and Notre Dame agreed to a six-game extension of our Catholic rivalry. This is big news for BC and for college football.

The BC angle
Despite this game being the most popular among our fanbase, Gene D was willing to walk away from the series due to Notre Dame's demands. We would not sign up for a lopsided series (i.e. 4 ND home games vs 3 BC home games). We entertained Notre Dame's desire for neutral site games but once again weren't willing to do it on just their terms. In this arrangement, the series continues with a few breaks in '13-14 and '17. All articles leave the door open for games beyond 2019. Although part of me dreads the Notre Dame fixation among some BC fans, congratulations are in order to the Athletic Department for pulling this off. By securing the series, the Irish help solidify our out of conference schedule, give the program that added emotional boost, and grow our history and rivalry with the only other Catholic school playing FBS football.

The College Football Angle
The commitment to BC is just one more indicator that Notre Dame is not joining the Big Ten any time soon. Would they be signing these future deals (that come with penalties if they are broken) if they were going to join the Big Ten this summer? If the Irish don't join a conference, then the Big Ten might go to 16 teams and start a chain of events that shakes up even the ACC.

I cannot tell you what the college football landscape will be like in 2019. I cannot tell you the state of BC football in 2019. I can tell you we will be playing Notre Dame -- and for better or worse -- that is all most BC fans care about.

Herzy's health (and hair)

The real news of the day was Herzy telling reporters his leg was "80% to 85%" percent back. There was also a nice feature on Mark in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday (thanks to George for the link). Now that it looks like Mark has turned the corner, can we move onto the frivolous? Look at that picture above. Does that look like a bad-ass, cancer-beating, All America Linebacker? He looks like he got off early from his summer internship at a Law Firm. Or he's a young Financial Analyst whose office goes casual on summer Fridays. I am glad he has his hair back. I just think it is time for a return of the mohawk! Would it be that weird for him to wear the eyeblack when in public? I don't care that it is hot or summer time -- get the beard back ASAP! Quarterbacks wear light blue polos and hang out with their mothers. You're on defense, Mark! I know...I know. These guys are different...Kuechly wears Clark Kent glasses...Mark goes by Sandon in class...they all study and graduate...blah blah blah. That's nice. But that's not what I think we need. Put the polo back in the closet. Take some clippers to some of those nice new curls and get in kick ass mode. Summer practices are just around the corner. Go BC and beat cancer!

Baseball features, expansion news and other links

Three different BC baseball players were featured in various articles this weekend...

Mickey Wiswall is hoping to get drafted high and see it followed by a good offer. While I would love to see him come back for his SR year, you can't blame these kids for taking the money. School will always be there. You never know when the injury bug could hit.

John Spatola's rise to major league prospect was a little less predictable, but he is also hoping to get drafted and get a shot with some team.

Andrew Del Colle is hoping to end his tough luck cycle this summer in the NECBL summer league.

This article does not focus on BC but it was too good for me not to highlight. It's Yahoo's Dan Wetzel exposing the stupidity and hypocrisy of the BCS and how the participants leave hundreds of millions of dollars on the table by not having a playoff. I haven't harped on it lately but Gene should have been a leader in the playoff push long ago. BC has never and will never benefit from the current bowl system. The playoff only would have gained momentum if BCS participants were driving the conversation. BCS schools who were not benefiting from the BCS should have been leading the charge. Instead we find ourselves waiting for dominoes to fall again...not knowing what the future brings.

Evan Ravenel had a solid season last year, but not the break out performance we had hoped for. His transfer, while a disappointment, was not a surprise. Where he is transferring is a surprise! Evan will move on to Ohio State. I wish him luck and hope he does well. At least he is going to a strong program in a solid conference.

Sailors honored and other links

A day after winning the Coed National Championship, BC sailors Tyler Sinks and Taylor Canfield were named All-Americans. Congrats to both.

A Patriots blogger recapped the Tom Brady event that saw Herzy intercept the three-time Super Bowl winner.

Just when we were getting to know Quinton Alston, he ups and commits to Pitt. It must have been the tour.

Behind the Scenes of BC recruiting tour

New Jersey LB Quinton Alston is one of BC's recruiting targets for the 2011 class. He already has an offer in hand and has made an unofficial visit. Fortunately for us, his mother is documenting the process and posted a video of their day at BC. There is music but no speaking so you can't hear what was said, but from the order and the shots you can tell what BC emphasizes. You'll also pick up on how important the GAs are in the process since they are doing a lot of the escorting. Overall, I think Yawkey, Alumni and the campus show pretty well.

Kickoff times and other links

We now know the scheduled kickoff times for our first two games. The first game against Weber St. is 1PM and will be on ESPN3 (formerly ESPN 360). Once we knew we would open against Weber State, ESPN3 seemed inevitable. What a wasted opportunity to give Herzy the showcase and tribute his comeback deserves. Surprisingly the Kent State game will be on TV. It will kickoff at 3:30 on ESPN U. That should actually be a fun game considering the midday start and good weather we usually have in September. Assuming we start 2-0, Virginia Tech has a good chance to be a prime time game. Notre Dame will also be on TV. The rest of our TV schedule will then depend on our record, ranking and opponent.

Our sailing dominance continued as the team won the Coed National Championship. We cannot be stopped on the water!

Here is Goodman's roundup of the ACC.

Eagle Action posted Part 1 of their annual Q&A with Gene. Not much news so far but he does discuss expansion's impact on the conference.

You can watch Southern Pigskin's preview of BC below.

Reloading on D and other links

This might be one of the better things HD has written this offseason. She takes a look at defensive consistency and notes how well we've done over the past six years. Obviously Spaz deserves the lion's share of credit for that. But it is nice to think we can "reload" each year regardless of who we lost the prior season. Plus I don't think we'll ever have to recover from a Brace/Raji/Herzy like loss again.

Finally a Steele stat where we are in the Top 10 -- career oline starts.

Rivals considers Montel Harris the 96th best player in college. No explanation of their methods or reasoning. I don't really take these silly things as slights but I have a feeling we are going to surprise a lot of people again.

Marcellus Bowman is off to Canada to play in the CFL with Winnipeg. Many BC guys have had nice careers up north. Best of luck to him.

You may have read this already, but Herzy is healthy enough to play in Tom Brady's charity flag football game.

Cory Schneider got a new deal in Vancouver.

Recruiting update and other links

Local Tight End Anthony Fabiano is getting more and more interest from BC and hoping to turn it into an official offer. Spaz's guys are also very interested in Ohio DE Jack Miller.

HD included Herzy in her ranking of ACC players at 25 (the lowest position for anyone ranked). I understand the hedging on Mark's impact...most previews are doing it. But at this point you have to assume a bigger impact. This guy was the ACC defensive player of the year and defined game changer. Even at less than 100%, he's going to be one of the most important players of the season. In my opinion he should be listed alongside Kuechly in any discussion/ranking of BC defensive players.

As most of you know, BC did not make the baseball NCAA tournament, however, UNC did. We have their sympathy, but I would rather have their slot.

Another Phil Steele nugget -- returning tackles. With Kuechly returning, I would have predicted a higher ranking here.