tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363122112024-03-05T20:56:19.175-05:00OverThePylon<i>Covering Ball State and the University of Kentucky </i><br><br>
<b>The Definitive Blog for College Football on the Web.</b><br>
If We Were the Only Site Left.RVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298042173093245058noreply@blogger.comBlogger390125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-42067997094547951562009-07-13T09:11:00.005-04:002009-07-13T09:20:43.561-04:00Moving Day...Life... it's absolutely full of transitions. From one to the next, this life is in perpetual motion from one stopping point to the next. And for OTP, it's time we take that leap to a different sort of interface, and a different sort of experience for you... the reader.<br /><br />Blogger and this site allowed us to sort of test our wings a bit, and see if this blogging thing was really for us. Turns out, it was. A blog that will celebrate our one-year anniversary in just a couple weeks, that follows a relatively small market small following team has turned a couple heads in the sports blogosphere, and that's truthfully more than any of us thought possible.<br /><br />As we sat and took stock of where we were at, where we were going, and what we wanted to achieve, it became increasingly clear that blogger was not the format we needed or that would provide the most beneficial set up for us. Hence, we've decided to move to a better looking, better running, better experience for you guys.<br /><br />Our new address: <a href="http://www.overthepylon.net">http://www.overthepylon.net</a>. Update your bookmarks, update your feeds, tell 2 friends, have them tell 2 friends, etc. OTP has some killer stuff in the pipeline for the remainder of the offseason, not to mention our Prelude to a Season pieces and Homer Previews similar to last year. It's going to be a whirlwind sort of season and next few weeks, and I hope each of you who normally reads us or those of you who have simply stumbled on this page can check out the new digs. Go Cardinals, Go Cats, Go OTP!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.overthepylon.net">http://www.overthepylon.net<br /></a></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIRvom7E-lGnvDRrKZMTuusMz8YCPqt7QE9zpyP8MgUQn1O6Qh-q9ytd-Wtkth9wDWZTPMm99UwIqZfhFBFlF1J3p4KhM6aDzmDullrmDeJX91ntG0_zHdvf82-SHWA72ZcEU/s1600-h/otp+logo.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIRvom7E-lGnvDRrKZMTuusMz8YCPqt7QE9zpyP8MgUQn1O6Qh-q9ytd-Wtkth9wDWZTPMm99UwIqZfhFBFlF1J3p4KhM6aDzmDullrmDeJX91ntG0_zHdvf82-SHWA72ZcEU/s400/otp+logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357933882665934978" border="0" /></a>Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-47013565022684421912009-07-07T15:16:00.004-04:002009-07-07T15:20:35.515-04:00South Carolina Following in Kiffin's Footsteps<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfStY-VkGcukhxIAGKMUYu3ao9AKhyphenhyphentEqY3pRTEuzBEDMZamu017v-iwWHmkvB1wagvDHXpW8XEmXrM-EyUj3R7vp_QTi-EoLPByNbQdZdl506jnlXK9CXQqK1JQ1CwtCXnJzk/s1600-h/spurrier+ass+man.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfStY-VkGcukhxIAGKMUYu3ao9AKhyphenhyphentEqY3pRTEuzBEDMZamu017v-iwWHmkvB1wagvDHXpW8XEmXrM-EyUj3R7vp_QTi-EoLPByNbQdZdl506jnlXK9CXQqK1JQ1CwtCXnJzk/s400/spurrier+ass+man.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355800043458507666" border="0" /></a>There is a major, major, seismic, major announcement coming from OTP in the next week. That is the reason for the somewhat odd post scheduling and lack of any real substantive information. Well... that and the fact that it's July and there's virtually nothing of note in the college football universe.<br /><br />Until today, at least, when South Carolina <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4311314&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines">announced</a> they had been following in Lane Kiffin's footsteps...<br /><br /><blockquote>COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina has reported 14 NCAA secondary violations from the past six months, including one for an improper text message to a recruit and another for "impermissible snacks."<br /><br />Five of the violations were from the first-year program of men's basketball coach Darrin Horn.<br /><br />The school's athletic department released the violations this week. It discloses secondary violations twice a year because of open records requests made by The Associated Press and other media outlets.<br /><br />The NCAA rulebook defines secondary violations as "isolated or inadvertent by nature," that give only a minimal recruiting or competitive advantage and that don't involve significant inducements or extra benefits. For instance, South Carolina was cited because "student-athletes were provided impermissible snacks during away-from-home contests."<br /><br />Just one of the five men's basketball citations rose to Level I, the more serious classification where infractions are reported directly to the NCAA enforcement staff. The school reported on Feb. 13 that a basketball player and a recruit were provided entertainment not allowed under NCAA rules during an official visit.<br /><br />The other basketball violations were classified as Level II, infractions processed by the Southeastern Conference office and sent to the NCAA after the academic year. Those included a basketball prospect interviewed by the media during an official visit; free tickets not issued according to procedure; impermissible free tickets to South Carolina's NIT loss to Davidson at the Colonial Life Arena in March; and a prospect was given improper hotel accommodations during an official visit.<br /><br />The names of any coaches, staff, players or recruits were not included in the infractions report. The school said all eligibility restoration requests involving the infractions were granted.<br /><br />South Carolina's football program was cited for three infractions, two of which were the more severe variety.<br /><br />The school said an assistant coach wrongly texted a prospect and football recruits watched a display that simulated a game-day experience against NCAA rules.<br /><br />Also, an ineligible player was provided transportation to an away game.<br /><br />The track program committed two Level I secondary violations. One occurred when coaches attended voluntary athletic related activities, the school said, while the other involved the women's track coaching staff allowing two prospects an official visit before getting proper approval.<br /><br />The remaining three infractions involved men's soccer players given an impermissible nutritional supplement; a men's swimmer competing before he was certified as eligible; and an athlete practicing past the two-week period allowed before they were added to the team list.<br /><br />No sport was not indicated in the final violation.<br /><br />South Carolina also released its drug-testing results from Jan. 1 through June 30. The athletic department said it found seven positives for marijuana use and 12 for approved prescription medications among the 530 tests given. There were no positives for drugs of abuse or alcohol, according to the results.</blockquote>Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-800369822847998392009-07-01T09:24:00.005-04:002009-07-01T09:34:08.596-04:00Every Poll's Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_9aB1_VKXJjrJyiTyqmlx0U6cVk_vt7R5EPxyAIyE679UBlk_fD8gWiC8Qhv4MF9_8X-Nxw81DE89IuxgqeKRIYfm7sBG0ACEoGXfRVPuVHH9s9S-QKLhZIR804EpMUciFsY/s1600-h/polling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_9aB1_VKXJjrJyiTyqmlx0U6cVk_vt7R5EPxyAIyE679UBlk_fD8gWiC8Qhv4MF9_8X-Nxw81DE89IuxgqeKRIYfm7sBG0ACEoGXfRVPuVHH9s9S-QKLhZIR804EpMUciFsY/s200/polling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353484397358312482" border="0" /></a>The first Poll of the Week here at OTP is in the books, and the populace has spoken regarding the wins for the Ball State Cardinals next season. Our results were highly unscientific as well as exceptionally pessimistic, so I hope beyond hope that these are way undershooting the victory runway.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Question</span>: How many wins for the Cardinals in the Fall?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Results</span>:<br /><blockquote>7 or less - 42%<br />8 - 27%<br />9 - 15%<br />10 or more - 14%</blockquote>Apparently the 114 or so folks who voted in this puppy see things differently than I do, as 7 wins is a virtual guarantee for the Cardinals in my opinion.<br /><br />With the close of PotW #1, we open PotW#2, this time Kentucky themed. Your mission, should you choose to accept it is the number of victories for the Wildcats this fall. Things to consider... a wickedly brutal schedule in conference, a relative unknown QB situation, key losses on the defensive line. Have at it, ladies and gents. Right hand side.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-76425365382991175372009-07-01T08:28:00.003-04:002009-07-01T08:47:18.163-04:00An Interview with Zane Fakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUpAn12Ym0RRpMF7tV-6iD8gv6ReyQeSZ0bmjB-GCKntmM9xyHTla1X03PQFMW0HCscfXgxVNy8NwuH-ubq95pfp_9mttyERwvSdNOGYjP8df_WJ9dpd-ETW6VRUVH-Uy7eru/s1600-h/zanefakes.PNG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUpAn12Ym0RRpMF7tV-6iD8gv6ReyQeSZ0bmjB-GCKntmM9xyHTla1X03PQFMW0HCscfXgxVNy8NwuH-ubq95pfp_9mttyERwvSdNOGYjP8df_WJ9dpd-ETW6VRUVH-Uy7eru/s320/zanefakes.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353472043164879298" border="0" /></a>OverThePylon has been fortunate this offseason to sit down with some of the best and brightest new recruits for the Cardinals. And frankly, with recruits like these in the earliest of stages of their Cardinal career, the future looks excessively bright for the Cardinal and White.<br /><br />Today's guest is Zane Fakes. The 6'3" 235lb. tight end, formerly of Plainfield High School, now finds himself in an offense that made Darius Hill a household name and an NFL free agent signee. This will be a small transition for Fakes, as he spent his high school career dominating the opposition from the tailback position, amassing over 2200 yards on the ground. Expect this young man to find a home on the field in very short time, and once that happens, watch out.<br /><br />From OTP...<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">OverThePylon</span>: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZaneFakes</span>: Overall my experiences were very fun. I enjoyed the attention I got from all schools. Although it was not very much. I got the standard letters that all players get. I would say out of the D1 programs Ball State, IU, and Purdue gave me the most attention. Coach Faulkner was my main recruiter. He is a great guy and always had faith in me. I really only considered going to BSU or University of Indianapolis, a D2 program that my older brother plays for.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: You've been mentioned as potentially moving to the tight-end position, but you were a stellar halfback in high school. What are you hearing from the coaching staff in terms of where you'll be playing next fall?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: I will be playing at the tight end spot. They will use me as a guy that moves behind the line of scrimmage more than a hand in the dirt kind of guy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: As a player, how does it motivate you to hear the MAC and BSU generally disrespected by every major national service?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: It gives me and the whole team motivation to prove them wrong. This team is going in the right direction to do that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: The offseason has been a transitional period for BSU, with a coaching change, a ton of talent leaving, etc. How did that sit with you as a future Cardinal? Any worries or thoughts about not coming?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: I was just happy to earn a scholarship from a school. The ball was not really in my court to decide to stay committed or leave. I was offered in the winter after the coaching change was made. It had no effect on my decision. Coach Parrish is a great coach and an even better guy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: I've had contact with a few of them before this summer, but now that the whole class is at BSU working out I am getting to know many of them. I think this class will gel very nicely. We all like to win and work hard.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: I am majoring in exercise science. I am looking forward to academics. It is the most important thing because it will get me on my way to a good career and life.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: I really do not have any unusual hobbies or talents. I just stick to school and football. </blockquote><br />From our readers...<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: Can you tell us what you think will be the hardest thing adjusting to in playing in the MAC and for BSU?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: The hardest thing will definitely be adjusting to the speed and strength of the players. Also learning that I won't be one of the best on the field this year. Hopefully that changes in the next few years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: Can you compare you high school coach Brian Woodard to your new head coach in Stan Parrish?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: Brian Woodard is one of my favorite people I know. He is a great coach. His intensity and ability to joke around with his players while getting things done are the best things about him. I have not really had a chance to interact with Coach Parrish as a football coach. I am sure he is one of the best!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: Are you on campus and practicing yet? What has been the biggest change in terms of working out or practice?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: I am on campus lifting, running, and doing 7 on 7 workouts. The biggest change is how hard everyone works. I thought I worked hard in high school, then I came to BSU and it was a whole different world. I am getting used to the level of intensity. It is becoming fun.</blockquote><br />Finally, one last one from OTP...<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Zane?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZF</span>: Enjoy the show that the entire team is going to put on in my next four years!</blockquote><br />Big thanks to Zane for taking some time out to field some questions from us and our readers. Like those before him his answers revealed not only football insight regarding himself and the Cardinals, but truly show a student athlete that is committed to winning, academics, and doing it better than most every other major college football player. Best of luck, Zane!!Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-79242422382891896592009-06-30T07:00:00.000-04:002009-06-30T07:00:33.315-04:00An Interview With Kitt O'Brien<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7DX0rO1aGwbXRwb3HXAahGLWKAd28ExVwhQqKkohotObSTk7c-4rAWi2keoStSdlwjr4U-ntdfRNd98pp1KmcnLEfykovGh6Cnlg1d7CPnZpVkOajjXdr1bqaRahUVzOG59T/s1600-h/KITTOBRIEN9_19200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7DX0rO1aGwbXRwb3HXAahGLWKAd28ExVwhQqKkohotObSTk7c-4rAWi2keoStSdlwjr4U-ntdfRNd98pp1KmcnLEfykovGh6Cnlg1d7CPnZpVkOajjXdr1bqaRahUVzOG59T/s320/KITTOBRIEN9_19200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352768064945623250" border="0" /></a>OTP is fortunate to continue our interview series with new recruits for the Cardinal and White with today's guest... Kitt O'Brien. Kitt comes to Muncie after a ridiculously successful career at Lewis-Cass high school in Walton, IN. The 6-6 300lb. guard was totally dominant in his high school career, and for someone his size, is remarkably quick and agile.<br /><br />As most BSU fans will tell you, the offensive line over the next season or two will be the linchpin for continuing the success of the last several years. A dominant line that replaces the starters lost with players capable of opening holes for MiQuale Lewis and protecting Kelly Page will be almost a necessity for the Cardinals to continue Bowling, and competing for the MAC. Kitt O'Brien certainly plans to figure into that equation...<br /><br />From OTP...<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">OverThePylon</span>:Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KittO'Brien</span>: The recruiting process for me was like a roller coaster ride, with the majority of Ball States coaches leaving. as for other schools I was considering Purdue, and Miami(OH). Coach Faulkner was my main recruiting coach and Coach Parrish was the one who actually offered me my scholarship.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: As a former guard, and a massive one at that, do you anticipate moving to any other positions or being able to fill in any other holes in the o line?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: Right now I am going to play wherever I can get to the field fastest. At this point that is looking like the right guard position, but in future years I would love to move out to tackle.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: The offseason has been a transitional period for BSU, with a coaching change, a ton of talent leaving, etc. How did that sit with you as a future Cardinal? Any worries or thoughts about not coming?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: There was a point after Coach Hoke Left when I got worried, but the only time I had a second thought about coming was when Coach Funk left. He was a big reason for my scholarship offer and when he left I had some second thoughts, but I was confident Coach Parrish would make a good hire to fill the position.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: I moved into a house at Ball State the day after I graduated and I have gotten to know everybody really well. All of us freshman are figuring out exactly what is expected of us and we are all working really hard.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: The offensive line positions are some of the most important in football. What are your favorite things about playing such a vital role?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: Just the fact that the offense runs through me. If one of us messes up it can cause the whole offense to fail. Having that much pressure on you to succeed makes me love my position that much more.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: I'm keeping my options open, but I am really considering Business or Natural Resource Management.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: I used to raise sheep and show them at the county fair. Most people are shocked to hear that when I tell them. I also was a Basketball player in high school.</blockquote><br />From our readers...<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: What does he anticipate his biggest challenge will be stepping up to D1 from a smaller school? Speed? Level of talent?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: In high school my team would throw the ball about 14 times a game. So learning the pass blocking technique isn't going to be the biggest challenge but it will be the most important thing for me to learn. And of course the speed is going to take some getting used to.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: What sort of weight has the coaching staff asked you to gain? How do you plan on doing that?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: I weigh 312 right now and that is where the coaching staff is wanting me to stay. I plan on maintaining my weight through our training program.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: Are you training on campus right now? If not, when will you be training?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: Yes. I have been training here since June 1st.</blockquote><br />Finally, one last one from OTP...<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Kitt?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KO</span>: I plan on living up to high expectations, and hopefully starting all four years.</blockquote><br />Big thanks to Kitt for taking the time out of his schedule, training, and field work to answer some questions from us and the readership. Like those that came before him, and hopefully those that come after, Kitt is further proving that regardless of on-field results, this program is stocked full of high character young men that we, as fans, should all be proud of. Good luck, big fella!Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-52826906172702974062009-06-29T10:26:00.003-04:002009-06-29T10:32:19.428-04:00Virtual Commonwealth StadiumLike virtual Scheumann Stadium we talked about earlier, EA Sports' newest version of NCAA Football's take on Commonwealth Stadium has hit the interwebs. The curious thing about this particular photo shows a visiting section decked out in red. This must mean Alabama is there, as clearly, if it were a Louisville game, most of those seats would either be empty or filled with blue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iI-D8vbq3Og7zOu3VNsRTtccY5Q1HzaA8_5EB_eXvhpVZsXYGkMUMNTB-mDQo1AyGhYDwfhhL01Y3q_lfSdS3ScGNcdNGN759sk6EMuLaoIobhBQuYlMcSrbSB8S2ytz9S7s/s1600-h/Kentucky+Stadium,+NCAA+10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iI-D8vbq3Og7zOu3VNsRTtccY5Q1HzaA8_5EB_eXvhpVZsXYGkMUMNTB-mDQo1AyGhYDwfhhL01Y3q_lfSdS3ScGNcdNGN759sk6EMuLaoIobhBQuYlMcSrbSB8S2ytz9S7s/s400/Kentucky+Stadium,+NCAA+10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352756902982794082" border="0" /></a><br />No clue about whether or not the virtual coffee and hot chocolate runs out by halftime, whether or not you can smuggle in virtual bourbon, or whether the virtual band is as virtually dull as in real life. But it's only a few short weeks away until you can answer all those things for yourself.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-31334228342823951252009-06-29T08:37:00.003-04:002009-06-29T08:41:16.619-04:00Virtual Scheumann StadiumFor anyone like me who's anxiously awaiting the release of NCAA 2010 on July 14th, this comes as yet another dose of awesome to sort of get you through the shakes until it hits the shelves. Virtual Scheumann Stadium. No word yet on what virtual Charlie looks like, whether or not the Pride of MidAmerica is accurately represented, or whether or not virtual Sean Baker actually eats virtual souls in the game. Supposedly, if it's in the game, it's in the game, so virtual souls should be collectively soiling their virtual pants.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSqJDXAj2O0xbOhy1QANpw6yFrZ2rox9tA0tRfIPDUxf16dHTjkkDE_JcPLgDQg4nN_zB2cXfn6dxiA5GBWvWw-SIXnt9nrtEx1hYVJ0WUCTv7n1W-vRlhHFnXAD_MvDH5JBw/s1600-h/BSU+Stadium,+NCAA+10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 501px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSqJDXAj2O0xbOhy1QANpw6yFrZ2rox9tA0tRfIPDUxf16dHTjkkDE_JcPLgDQg4nN_zB2cXfn6dxiA5GBWvWw-SIXnt9nrtEx1hYVJ0WUCTv7n1W-vRlhHFnXAD_MvDH5JBw/s400/BSU+Stadium,+NCAA+10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352728404305444466" border="0" /></a><br />Everything looks fairly good, though the visitors section is in the wrong area of the stadum, and I'm not sure how the hill is going to look. But, hey, at least the stadium looks good.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-25087844971000777262009-06-26T15:04:00.003-04:002009-06-26T15:16:37.547-04:00BSU Marketing Caught NappingWell, the word around the Muncie Campfire is that Ball State Football will once again sport the "Game On" slogan this year. So while we earlier lauded Coach Eck for his proactive approach to embrace technology, the ol' sports marketing department has sputtered and come up with a rehash of 2008 material. Lame, guys. Hella lame.<br /><br />RV and I decided to bounce some additions to "Game On" in an effort to jazz it up a bit. Have a look:<br /><br />Game On 2.0<br />Game On. And On.<br />Game On. Like Donkey Kong<br />Game On. RIP MJ!!!!11<br />Game On. Don't Fumble<br />Game On. No More ShitShows<br />Game On. Parrish in the Hizzy<br />Game Off. We Takin A Break<br />Game On. Pwning MAC West Since 2008<br />Game On. Pwning IU Since 2008<br />Game On. Can't Stop, Won't Stop. Unless You're Buffalo or Tulsa<br />Game On. Where'd Nate Go?<br />Game On. Even When You Paralyze Our Best Player We Still Pwned You. Leet<br />Game On. Our RB Is 5'6" and Makes You Look Like Teh Suxxor<br />Game On. Eck on the Twit, Hit Me Up<br />Game On. Other MAC Blogs Is Bullshit. Rich Brooks Says So<br />Game On. Wait, We Didn't Practice That. Game Off.<br />Game On. Cocaine's a Helluva Drug<br />Game On. They Peed On Dude's Rug<br />Game On. Mooncrotch<br />Game Fucking On<br /><br />Ok, that's enough Friday silliness. Got some other suggestions for BSU's high-speed sports marketing department?Edgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04139939153098761575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-4195970171359579512009-06-26T08:23:00.004-04:002009-06-26T08:35:16.038-04:00Offseason Roundtable #13<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4oMAkn0E9knqHe6K6gm4sHAXIb3quz7kds6biI_7dtBZ8RDHlcCtOm273StXAAZG5hf75hYtsZFlPw5H83tVrRHbKGQGKOVJWf1Czp6wtgXIZGiV6F_NljiR6mVZ9GmmBA8Zyw/s1600-h/Charlie-Cardinal-5.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351611048533326450" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 98px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4oMAkn0E9knqHe6K6gm4sHAXIb3quz7kds6biI_7dtBZ8RDHlcCtOm273StXAAZG5hf75hYtsZFlPw5H83tVrRHbKGQGKOVJWf1Czp6wtgXIZGiV6F_NljiR6mVZ9GmmBA8Zyw/s200/Charlie-Cardinal-5.png" border="0" /></a><em>In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...</em><br /><em></em><br /><strong>1.) Ball State coach Jason Eck has fired up a Twitter account. Surprising? Expect more coaches to do this?</strong><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> I think it's great news but a little surprising that BSU or a coach there would be even close to the cutting edge or at least on the normal side of the scale in terms of college football. Considering the athletics department has always been sort of lagging or sorely lacking in terms of cool little tech stuff, website stuff, information for fans, etc. If this is the last step, it's a yawn. If this is the first step, it's great and sorely overdue. Now, we just need to get Coach Parrish on there.<br /><br /><strong>RV:</strong> It'll start spreading with each school that has a good or young SID. There's no reason to not take advantage of every corner of the Internet, and while Twitter might not be around in a few years, it's here for now. It's a great way to touch recruits and your fanbase alike and as long as you follow the rules (you know who you are) there shouldn't be any problems.<br /><br /><strong>Edge:</strong> More coaches will join up, absolutely. And if they don't do it soon, they'll miss the opportunity. As I said yesterday, the NCAA has yet to act on Twitter like it has MySpace, Facebook, etc. Coaches might as well mine that gold vein while they can because it'll be tapped before too long.<br /><br /><strong>2.) The big news out of Alabama is that the Tide are appealing their 21 vacated wins punishment. Any chance the NCAA lets the Tide keep those victories?</strong><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> God, I hope not. At some point or another, the NCAA needs to stop giving out these slap on the wrist punishments, or reducing something with actual teeth down to nothing on appeal. Here's their chance to hold someone to the fire a little, thought a better punishment would be loss of scholarships, probation, etc.<br /><br /><strong>RV:</strong> No. Alabama should take their dose of shut the hell up and be glad they didn't have to forfeit their wins or lose a SINGLE god damn scholarship. Talk about getting off light...sorry, but just be glad the NCAA is just growing it's baby teeth and hasn't decided to fully operate as an association. *insert joke about Alabama claiming a national championship here*<br /><br /><strong>Edge:</strong> I don't see the NCAA changing a thing. It's a formality for Alabama to proceed with an appeal. It's not like they'll get a worse punishment for appealing anyway, so what's the harm?<br /><br /><strong>3.) Former Hoosier Kellen Lewis has ended up at Valdosta State for his final year of eligibility. Does this kid have any kind of future whatsoever in football?</strong><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> I wish there was a happy ending in store for Lewis, but I simply cannot say there is. This young man had a ton of talent, a ton of opportunity, and at least the ability to get a great education. It's a shame anytime someone doesn't take advantages of the things in their life that can advance them, and I think Lewis is one of those textbook examples of someone who just didn't take advantage of everything he had in front of him. Best wishes as he goes to Valdosta State, but I feel like this is probably going to be a sad ending to a fairly sad book.<br /><br /><strong>RV:</strong> Depends on your definition of football. If by football you mean not involved in any kind of football whatsoever, then yes. He has a future in football. <br /><br /><strong>Edge:</strong> Valdosta State is his future... how's that for a dose of reality? He'll play, but he's done after this. Finishing at IU, he may have had an outside chance at the NFL, but that's left him for good. Kids, pay attention to this scenario. This is what drugs gets you. Valdosta State football.<br /><br /><strong>4.) There's talk of Northwestern heading to play a game at Wrigley Field. What are your thoughts about these games housed in a different sort of locale or place than what is normal for athletic teams?</strong><br /><strong>Alan: </strong>I think it's a good idea if done properly. ND in Yankee Stadium, USC at Dodger Stadium, something cool like that. But the games have to be two really excellent teams. And unfortunately, Northwestern wouldn't be one of those 2 really excellent teams. However, I would love to see Wrigley play host to an ND game.<br /><br /><strong>RV:</strong> Unless they're playing Illinois/OSU/Michigan it probably wouldn't sell out. The whole barnstorming idea is near and dear to my heart, but Northwestern doesn't deserve to have a game like this. When you can only fill 60.6% of your own stadium, you can continue to try and sell out at home. I think it's great for teams that are trying to expand their academic and athletic base, but traveling down the purple line to get off at Addison is just a joke.<br /><br /><strong>Edge:</strong> I think it's more a media play than anything. It's exciting for the players in one aspect, but it really doesn't mean anything other than to say, "I played at Wrigley". Put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. Play football at Wrigley, it's still a football game.<br /><br /><strong>5.) Unsurprisingly, the BCS has rejected the proposal of the Mountain West Conference to redo the BCS Championship formula. Is the BCS ever going to change or are we going to see this structure for the near future?</strong><br /><strong>Alan: </strong>For the near future, we have the BCS. It's not perfect, there's probably some room for improvement, but it sure as hell is better than a playoff. Kudos to the Mountain West for at least trying to be part of the solution instead of just sitting back and bitching, but a playoff isn't the answer.<br /><br /><strong>RV:</strong> The BCS will change as soon as someone figures out how the powers-that-be can make more money. Changing to a +1 is probably more likely, with the BCS adding an additional game to their format and creating a new bowl for to the highest bidder. I don't see any reason for them to change the current format until football is ready to rip its foundations out and start fresh. I vote no.<br /><br /><strong>Edge:</strong> I expect to see an increase in these types of proposals from the mid-majors. The MWC didn't really front a revolution here, but this type of talk and action has the potential to snowball. Certainly other conferences feel the same way but don't want to rock the boat just yet. Every year we hear it anyway: playoff this, playoff that... that's never going to stop. I do see something happening in the future, but it's going to be a long time coming. There are way too many factors to adopt a playoff system at this point, but you can be assured the talk will continue and the mid-major efforts for change will increase.<br /><br /><strong>Readers: what do you have to say? Comment away!</strong>Edgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04139939153098761575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-32835451420688211982009-06-25T15:30:00.000-04:002009-06-25T15:41:57.121-04:00Enough Financial Data to Make Your Head SpinOTP's co-editor, RV, stumbled across <a href="http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/index.aspx">this website</a> when surfing the interwebs for whatever he normally looks at and realized the virtual gold mine he had just uncovered. Provided by that site are the operating expenses, revenues, etc. for almost every team under the sun as they've reported to the NCAA. For BSU and UK, the teams we cover, the difference was in fact, staggering. Rather than try and compare the BSU apples to the UK oranges, we'll handle them separately, but equally, despite the whole kerfuffle that "separate but equal" has caused in the past...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdal28wS3WRJrzggvhtmWkhSsKc2uOaNyqaIH4JZs1vSVRtq9a8E2RNV0lK42KbwEgWDH1zeBOR7DlyScUZminsnF4j4aZaLhmwjuzpedzUI98I9SKYRyOF1d-XrW2bUpWaPU/s1600-h/7366.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdal28wS3WRJrzggvhtmWkhSsKc2uOaNyqaIH4JZs1vSVRtq9a8E2RNV0lK42KbwEgWDH1zeBOR7DlyScUZminsnF4j4aZaLhmwjuzpedzUI98I9SKYRyOF1d-XrW2bUpWaPU/s320/7366.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351352226307463410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ball State University</span><br />The Cardinals reported an overall financial break even for athletics, at $17,427,728. Now, those numbers include every single sport at BSU, including the non-money makers, and that difference is mighty. For example, the football team clocked in with $5,436,482 in revenue for last fall. The basketball programs (men's and women's) generated $2,589,547. The sports not named football and basketball generated $5,293,108.<br /><br />In terms of expenses, football clearly had the highest expenses at $5,436,482... the same as their revenue. The same is true for the basketball programs, where the revenue and expenses were equal. Creative accounting? Result of zero-based budgeting? Probably, but at least there's a revenue figure to sort of compare ourselves to.<br /><br />Let's look at the rest of the MAC in terms of football revenue ranking...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Temple:</span><span> $9,184,112***</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Kent State: </span><span>$6,040,915</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />3. Central Michigan: </span><span>$5,712,638</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />4. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Ball State</span>: </span><span>$5,436,482</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Northern Illinois: </span><span>$5,341,447**</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Miami: </span><span>$5,321,463</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Ohio: </span><span>$4,986,723</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Akron: </span><span>$4,707,537</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Eastern Michigan: </span><span>$4,655,860</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Toledo: </span><span>$4,441,368</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />11. Bowling Green:</span><span> $4,127,434</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. Western Michigan: </span><span>$2,522,901***</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />13. Buffalo: </span><span>$1,882,475****</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*-Temple University contributed $18,631,923 in terms of institutional support to the total revenue of the athletic department. Disclosure of amounts to teams not included.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />**- Northern Illinois adjusted revenue for institutional support to individual teams without disclosing which teams, and how much</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">***- Western Michigan includes $14,680,397 of revenue not allocated by gender or sport</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />****- Buffalo does not include any sort of student fees or state allocation in their revenue. That was nearly $16 million in revenue for the entire department</span><br /><br />The MAC is clearly tightly grouped, but I have no earthly explanation for Temple's eye-popping first place aside from the institutional support piece, which tells me they had to offset a ton of expenses by providing a boatload of institutional support. The adage says it takes money to make money, and it takes making money to be successful, so at this rate, Temple is due for a National Championship within the next several years.<br /><br />For the Cardinals that's a ton of revenue, but it is my hope that with the recent success on the field, the Cardinals can continue to see that revenue increase. How? Good question. We seem to have things pretty well right now, and are sometimes unable to fill the Scheu despite having the best team in the state. But for that number to get any higher, seats will need to be expanded and filled on a routine basis. Then, and only then, will that number climb into the stratosphere needed for continual long-term success.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIHt3bC2lDTz3vss3dt22bEdA78-9wDiw1JKON5sxSxlP2J0JcVkWBnC3r7FGG8VtGhsh2rxjdqGGSUezfBYiBPuXwC2YGIrtdj9rR5Kzrfi_AcXyZX07OvC2aLb6TGeLblXS/s1600-h/UKentucky_logo.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 79px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIHt3bC2lDTz3vss3dt22bEdA78-9wDiw1JKON5sxSxlP2J0JcVkWBnC3r7FGG8VtGhsh2rxjdqGGSUezfBYiBPuXwC2YGIrtdj9rR5Kzrfi_AcXyZX07OvC2aLb6TGeLblXS/s320/UKentucky_logo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351352341138343858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">University of Kentucky</span><br />For the Wildcats, it's certainly an exercise that leads to some surprising conclusions and facts about the moneymakers on the campus. For the .edu crowds that see no purpose in athletics, Big Blue turned a $4 million profit for the overall athletic department. Let's see the chemistry school make that sort of change having people watch test tubes and bunson burners.<br /><br />The football program turned a profit as well, clocking in with $12,018,188 in expenses to $25,861,744 in revenues. In comparison, the basketball program, the measuring stick for most Kentucky fans, clocked in with $8,584,145 of expenses, along with a $14,867,027 revenue pool. The overall athletic budget also clocked in with a total of $28,644,802 of revenue not allocated to any particular sport. That may come from television contracts, apparel deals, etc.<br /><br />The rest of the SEC's football revenue in rank order...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Georgia:</span> $67,053,051<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Florida:</span> $66,124,945<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Auburn:</span> $59,671,354<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Alabama:</span> $57,370,617<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. LSU:</span> $52,687,713<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. South Carolina:</span> $50,433,037<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Tennessee:</span> $40,264,212<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Arkansas:</span> $40,135,364<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">9. Kentucky:</span> $25,861,744<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Ole Miss:</span> $17,768,432<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. Vandy:</span> $16,924,277<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. Mississippi State:</span> $15,994,121<br /><br />Holy cow, standard deviation. To see a $50 million difference between top to bottom sort of further proves that there are clearly a group of haves and a group of have nots in terms of revenue. That would certainly explain why the elite programs in the SEC continue to be elite. Entities that make money hand over fist are usually the best at any given task, and football and athletics are no different. The only redeeming factor is that most of Alabama's revenue is eaten up by Nick Saban's astronomical contract and Tennessee's revenues will soon be pissed away on assistant coaches salaries or letterhead to send secondary violation notices to the NCAA.<br /><br />In a nice little comparison, the University of Louisville's overall athletic budget featured around a $1.4 million profit. The football program contributed $16,082,457 of revenue, along with $11,601,884 of expenses. Little brother indeed.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-4923812367728533772009-06-25T13:00:00.003-04:002009-06-25T13:05:52.642-04:00BSU Releases Portion of Scheduled Game Times<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLS0GbMePbEPHRW9VDDOdo1SKm5900drHBBDSPfKh7gGP0ADqjANYj6joWJlrY1hwZUixoxDhzLCD77KPYMLLurb8xi8cIPNLtUhnUeuTItp7MVrLTfk5r0Ld4r7lKZPFI28z/s1600-h/bsulogo100100.GIF"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLS0GbMePbEPHRW9VDDOdo1SKm5900drHBBDSPfKh7gGP0ADqjANYj6joWJlrY1hwZUixoxDhzLCD77KPYMLLurb8xi8cIPNLtUhnUeuTItp7MVrLTfk5r0Ld4r7lKZPFI28z/s400/bsulogo100100.GIF" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351312500875744514" border="0" /></a>Ball State has announced its football game times for the 2009 season, and the Cardinals will have six games televised on the ESPN family of networks. Below is the complete 2009 football schedule with game times which have been announced.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sept.</span><br />3 (Thurs.) NORTH TEXAS (7:30) - ESPNU<br />CARDINAL VARSITY CLUB DAY Presented by ProLiance Energy<br /><br />12 (Sat.) NEW HAMPSHIRE (7:00)<br />Presented by Central Indiana Orthopedics<br /><br />19 (Sat.) at Army (Noon) - ESPN Classic or ESPNU<br /><br />26 (Sat.) at Auburn (TBA)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oct.</span><br />3 (Sat.) TOLEDO * (Noon) - ESPN Plus/GamePlan<br />HOMECOMING Presented by Ball State Federal Credit Union<br /><br />10 (Sat.) at Temple * (1:00)<br /><br />17 (Sat.) BOWLING GREEN * (Noon)<br />FAMILY WEEKEND Presented by Marsh Supermarkets<br /><br />24 (Sat.) at Eastern Michigan * (1:00)<br /><br />31 (Sat.) OHIO * (Noon)<br />YOUTH DAY Presented by Mutual Bank<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nov.</span><br />12 (Thurs.)at Northern Illinois * (6 p.m.) - ESPNU<br /><br />18 (Wed.) CENTRAL MICHIGAN * (6 or 8 p.m.) - ESPN2 or ESPNU<br />SENIOR DAY Presented by Lifetouch National School Studios<br /><br />24 (Tues.)at Western Michigan * (7 p.m.) - ESPN2<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dec.</span><br />4 (Fri.) Marathon Mid-American Conference Championship Game<br />(MAC East Division Winner vs. MAC West Division Winner)(8 p.m.) ESPNAlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-71096042012775109022009-06-25T08:27:00.006-04:002009-06-25T15:10:25.111-04:00Welcome to Twitter, Coach Eck<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGzR8ab0z-X2cRA87lEToF6hyEr5SpafnYzpAEuWFxn0KyRUVuqggODGMztw38OMeoz9qtKNmRivyDdohpmWx8vpNQENga39xz8gIX-wIwMkmxSKBUqg_jwOIOeaW2KnEQJUC0A/s1600-h/eck.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351248757758303042" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 133px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGzR8ab0z-X2cRA87lEToF6hyEr5SpafnYzpAEuWFxn0KyRUVuqggODGMztw38OMeoz9qtKNmRivyDdohpmWx8vpNQENga39xz8gIX-wIwMkmxSKBUqg_jwOIOeaW2KnEQJUC0A/s200/eck.jpg" border="0" /></a>The <a href="http://media.www.bsudailynews.com/media/storage/paper849/news/2009/06/25/Sports/Football.Offensive.Line.Coach.Uses.Twitter.To.Target.Recruits-3749097.shtml">Ball State Daily News </a>is reporting o-line coach Jason Eck has joined six other MAC coaches on the Twitter. You can check out his page <a href="http://twitter.com/Coach_Eck">here</a>.<br /><br />Although it's been around since 2006, Twitter has lately become one of the top go-to social networking tools available. I finally submitted to its awesomeness over the past month to follow real-time setlists from concerts, so I have to now admit that it can be a pretty useful tool - but there's a <em>lot</em> of bullshit to wade through.<br /><br />In case you don't understand how it works, it's all pretty much SMS-based (i.e., text message) with messages uploaded via phone or computer. So, we can assume Eck will whip out the ol' Blackberry and Tweet all the BSU fluff we could ever want.<br /><br />We've covered this time and time again, and all I can say at this point to Coach Eck is: BE CAREFUL. Our favorite whipping boy Lane Kiffin has already gotten himself in trouble with the Twitter by posting a recruit's name. Of course, it wasn't Lane that posted it, but an assistant who knew no better. Whatever.<br /><br />The NCAA has yet to advance to the year 2008 in terms of technology and its role in recruiting, so you can bet sometime this season or during the spring of 2010 we will see some amendments to the recruiting bylaws.<br /><br />It's great to have a potentially strong marketing tool at your disposal, especially since nearly all electronic-based communications are banned by the NCAA. Twitter will eventually join this list, but for now it's fair game. That is, until someone pulls a Kelvin Sampson (Lane, I'm looking at you).<br /><br />So, while you still can, follow Coach Eck on Twitter this season. I doubt anything will be too insightful, but it's yet another outlet for all things Ball State. Begin shameless plug. And don't forget OTP is also a part of the Twitter clan. Follow us <a href="http://twitter.com/overthepylon">here</a>. End shameless plug.Edgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04139939153098761575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-74853150694471863142009-06-24T12:15:00.004-04:002009-06-24T12:35:44.077-04:00The MAC on National Television in the Fall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6T8sTfrTHVx0UhPeHZzMkZmW0kZfi-4WnN1HJkC6DzZlFfk3qW6LjLVnjjLZcAolB-BlpP8yT117qR0nuiWx_a6l43MTwZegytueEB0DANyl7SVQEaB68Jbo8oKA_Hsn573hs/s1600-h/mac+logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6T8sTfrTHVx0UhPeHZzMkZmW0kZfi-4WnN1HJkC6DzZlFfk3qW6LjLVnjjLZcAolB-BlpP8yT117qR0nuiWx_a6l43MTwZegytueEB0DANyl7SVQEaB68Jbo8oKA_Hsn573hs/s320/mac+logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350930430197768514" border="0" /></a>The MAC has released it's nationally televised games for the fall football season. Fire up those TIVO's...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, Sept. 3</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">North Texas at Ball State</span>, 7:30 PM (ESPNU)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Sept. 5</span><br />Kentucky vs. Miami (Cincinnati, Ohio), 12 Noon (ESPNU)<br />Akron at Penn State, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)<br />Toledo at Purdue, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)<br />Western Michigan at Michigan, 3:30 pm (ABC & ESPN2)<br />Northern Illinois at Wisconsin, 7 pm (Big Ten Network)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, Sept. 11</span><br />Colorado at Toledo, 9 pm (ESPN)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Sept. 12</span><br />Central Michigan at Michigan State, 12 Noon (ESPN or ESPN2)<br />Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)<br />Eastern Michigan at Northwestern, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)<br />Western Michigan at Indiana, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)<br />Kent State at Boston College, 2 pm (ESPN360.com)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Sept. 19</span><br />Ohio State vs. Toledo (Cleveland, Ohio), 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)<br />Eastern Michigan at Michigan, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)<br />Temple at Penn State, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)<br />Northern Illinois at Purdue, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)<br />Indiana at Akron, 3:30 pm (ESPNU)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Sept. 26</span><br />Buffalo at Temple, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Oct. 3</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Toledo at Ball State</span>, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Oct. 10</span><br />Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)<br />Miami at Northwestern, 12 Noon (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN Classic or Big Ten Network)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Oct. 24</span><br />Central Michigan at Bowling Green, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Oct. 31</span><br />Akron at Northern Illinois, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, Nov. 3</span><br />Bowling Green at Buffalo, 7 pm (ESPN2)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, Nov. 5</span><br />Miami at Temple or Eastern Michigan at NIU, 7:30 pm (ESPNU)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, Nov. 10</span><br />Ohio at Buffalo, 7 pm (ESPN2)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, Nov. 11</span><br />Toledo at Central Michigan, 8 pm (ESPN2)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, Nov. 12</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Ball State at NIU</span> or BGSU at Miami, 6 pm (ESPNU)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, Nov. 13</span><br />Temple at Akron, 8 pm (ESPNU)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, Nov. 18</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">CMU at Ball State</span> or Buffalo at Miami, 6 pm (ESPNU)<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">CMU at Ball State</span> or Buffalo at Miami, 8 pm (ESPN2)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, Nov. 20</span><br />Akron at Bowling Green, 5:30 pm (ESPNU)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, Nov. 24</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Ball State at Western Michigan</span>, 7 pm (ESPN2)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, Nov. 27</span><br />ESPNU (11 am)/ESPN360.com multiple selection date<br />EMU at Akron, Buffalo at Kent State, Temple at Ohio, NIU at CMU, Toledo at BGSU<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, Dec. 4</span><br />Marathon MAC Football Championship Game<br />Ford Field, Detroit, MI, 8 pm (ESPN2)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Dec. 26</span><br />Motor City Bowl (vs. Big Ten)<br />Detroit, MI, 1 pm (ESPN)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Jan. 2</span><br />International Bowl (vs. Big East)<br />Toronto, ON, Canada, 12 Noon (ESPN2)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, Jan. 6</span><br />GMAC Bowl (vs. ACC)<br />Mobile, AL, 7 pm (ESPN)Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-4109559414962136942009-06-24T11:15:00.000-04:002009-06-24T11:24:47.397-04:00An Interview with Jason Pinkston<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7TzOktcTQKbc-mJGze_xV9oWrXXS1TFXJj45ui5GtdWznJJLIgEpb7rsP3XwB6QGsSvEo1s95tglCyjP5OTTRHUmHldLMXstBMMZpxPyFCMDNyuzxSXMcfOhut9RmnZc5K5Q/s1600-h/jason+pinkston.PNG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7TzOktcTQKbc-mJGze_xV9oWrXXS1TFXJj45ui5GtdWznJJLIgEpb7rsP3XwB6QGsSvEo1s95tglCyjP5OTTRHUmHldLMXstBMMZpxPyFCMDNyuzxSXMcfOhut9RmnZc5K5Q/s320/jason+pinkston.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350873042070017186" border="0" /></a>In terms of incoming recruits, one of the most celebrated, heralded, and most excited for prospect is Jason Pinkston. From Glenville, OH, where the Cards have built a pretty formidable pipeline to one of the best schools in football-rich Ohio, Pinkston was clearly a high visibility high reward target for BSU to land this past season.<br /><br />Defensive backs are by nature difficult to find when it comes to recruiting. It is without question one of the most difficult positions to play, but also one where the adjustment from high school to college is a significant leap. Thankfully, Pinkston comes to Muncie with a great set of physical skills, at 6-0 and 185, Pinkston brings impressive size for division 1, and even more so for the MidAmerican Conference.<br /><br />Pinkston's most recent success came as he was invited to be part of the Big 33 football game, an All-Star contest featuring prep stars from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Talent overloads those rosters, and Pinkston was still able to distinguish himself as a player that would excel at the next level. We are exceptionally grateful to have the opportunity to touch base with him.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">From OTP...</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">OverThePylon</span>: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JasonPinkston</span>: Coach Parrish was the first to recruit me. He came to my school and offered me a scholarship. Cinci showed major interest as well as Michigan also. Them two were the only other colleges I was considering.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: As a tall as well as fast corner, you're a highly coveted prospect, especially for the MAC. Would you consider yourself more of a coverage guy or a physical corner?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: I would consider myself a little bit of both. My coaches say I'm a great cover corner but I also like to jam receivers and mix it up in the run support also. I want to be a complete cornerback not just a cover corner.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: The corner position at BSU looks like an area with immediate need and opportunity. How much of a contribution are you looking to make immediately? Planning on starting? Any position shifts?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: I plan to go down there and do my best. Yes I do expect to compete for a starting spot but if it doesn't play out that way I'm going to make sure I play my role and do what the coaches ask me to do.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: The offseason has been a transitional period for BSU, with a coaching change, a ton of talent leaving, etc. How did that sit with you as a future Cardinal? Any worries or thoughts about not coming?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: Coach Parrish told me he wasn't going anywhere so I never worried. He told me that he will be here for me and he is. I respect him for keeping his word. I like to compete so when the corners graduated I thought I would have a chance at competing for one of the corner spots.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: Yes I talk to Connor Ryan everyday almost so we keep in touch. I also talk to Armand Dehaney the other cornerback we brought in so we're all just excited for the season and ready to get started. As long as we play as a team and not individuals we will gel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: I plan on majoring in education. I know that everything starts with the academics first because I'm a student-athlete.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: I run track during the school year so I can keep my speed up for football.</blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">From our readers...</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: What was the Big 33 experience like?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: The Big 33 was really fun. I like comparing myself to the other D1 players out there so I could see how I rank. I did really well in practice and also in the game. I liked the Big 33 game because it's all man to man and that's what I love to play.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: What was it like playing for Glenville and such a well known and respected head coach?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: Playing for Glenville... it's fun and high expectations. Each and every week all the eyes are on you so you have to bring your A game. We play good teams and we're one of the top teams in the country. It was great because [Coach Ted Ginn, Sr.] teaches us about more than football. He teaches us how to be a better person and become successful in life.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: When is Jason heading to campus to start working out?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: The coaches told me to call them after the Big 33 game and we will work something out but I'm trying to get down there ASAP.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Readers</span>: How exciting is it to be able to play with so many of your former prep teammates?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: It's great cause we all play defense and we can be on the field together again at the same time just like in high school... dominating.</blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Finally, one last one from OTP...</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">OTP</span>: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Jason?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JP</span>: It's going to be an exciting year and we look forward to getting better each year.We had a great 09 recruiting class so now it's time to go to work.</blockquote>Big thanks to Jason for fielding these questions and giving a great set of answers. The corner position at BSU has the opportunity to really provide the right player a ton of playing time and a great opportunity to succeed from the get-go. Jason certainly has the talent and skills, and from this, it looks like he's got a great head on his shoulders to go along with athletic skills like whoa. Good luck, Jason!Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-18735006641577834842009-06-23T16:31:00.003-04:002009-06-23T16:35:42.873-04:00Introducing the Poll of the Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyToBoWkpuLKY-JMlZKuP7L-zQX_mRsSbZ6ipaQgCKnVvQ7fS_vZ4p3GXWmU1RZeDYEi9bVY7AMP9-fUBBM8c11spljuXhICryWjMoyWk6M11AXC8SxmFxeTwuk3L84mjykBQr/s1600-h/vote_or_die.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyToBoWkpuLKY-JMlZKuP7L-zQX_mRsSbZ6ipaQgCKnVvQ7fS_vZ4p3GXWmU1RZeDYEi9bVY7AMP9-fUBBM8c11spljuXhICryWjMoyWk6M11AXC8SxmFxeTwuk3L84mjykBQr/s400/vote_or_die.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350624454991436098" border="0" /></a>OTP wanted to sort of test some things out before the season got rolling as to their viability, usability, and reader response, so new things born will see their infancy over the next month or so. Today's new feature is the Poll of the Week.<br /><br />If you were in Paris Hilton's home, Poll of the Week would take on a very different meaning, but here at OTP, it's a week long question for readers to vote on, cast their opinion on, etc. without having to wade through posts, other comments, etc. While sort of rudimentary, and somewhat limited, it is a nice way to take the pulse of the readership without too much trouble, effort, or work by either us or them.<br /><br />This week's question? How many wins for the Cardinals in the fall. Choices range all over the place, and the early voting seems to do the same. Check it out over on the right hand side of your page, and vote away. P Diddy has made no promises you'll die if you don't.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-68969222078919679252009-06-22T13:41:00.002-04:002009-06-22T13:47:32.121-04:00A Sad Day for a BSU AlumSome may remember Brian Collins as a budding journalist, who was seen on NewsCenter 43 on campus at Ball State. The program itself is a great opportunity for those seeking to become journalists the opportunity to get on camera and get their proverbial feet wet reading the prompter, getting a news feed, and listening to a producer in your ear telling you what to cover next or which camera to look at.<br /><br />For the majority of those anchors, there isn't anything newsworthy or notable about their experiences there, as student news shows aren't much to write home about. But on rare occasions, lightning strikes in a bottle. And when that happens, it will be forever compared to Brian Collins, famous for this:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W45DRy7M1no&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W45DRy7M1no&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />In reports today, <a href="http://www.bustedcoverage.com/?p=16717">first brought out by Busted Coverage</a>, Collins has apparently been given the old heave-ho from his gig in Waco, TX. Yes, that man above actually parlayed this clip into a career in television news broadcasting. His catch phrase is used on Sportscenter, and random things like the Oscars, when Will Smith referenced it after some technical difficulties. A sad day for Collins, not only because he is now unemployed, but because that clip above just became relevant again. Boom goes the dynamite indeed.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-32623349062191829382009-06-22T10:04:00.003-04:002009-06-22T10:21:10.816-04:00OTP Back to Normal...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicXHWB1c5ybhN3pZ7wfE3A1bBA95daw6pSYvfA7pOsHZDuaTKJ7-eciEKgmUKJ5XxXFAh3gJ7526DBi_257F8fyYszaQHIGnoNgETKUaXGXByPHK9g5VopoQD1-nfLnfUj4K5/s1600-h/pylon1_med.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 333px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicXHWB1c5ybhN3pZ7wfE3A1bBA95daw6pSYvfA7pOsHZDuaTKJ7-eciEKgmUKJ5XxXFAh3gJ7526DBi_257F8fyYszaQHIGnoNgETKUaXGXByPHK9g5VopoQD1-nfLnfUj4K5/s400/pylon1_med.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350156647582907714" border="0" /></a>Like in the old grade school days, eventually the actual teacher had to return to reality and the classroom, and the fun style and change of pace brought about by the substitute went the way of the dodo. Today at OTP marks another moment sort of like that as Edge is relieved of his Yankee hating and management duties here to retreat once again to the Statcave. Big thanks to the resident rocker of OTP for his leadership and witty writing while I ventured back to the Hoosier state for a week of needed R-and-R.<br /><br />As we begin the backslide out of June, another record setting month for OTP, it's time to transition the site from offseason mode to preseason mode. Shortly you'll be seeing us releasing our preseason Top 25 picks, our predictions for the order of finish for the random conferences, and who we're looking to for success, failure, and everything in between as 2009 begins to get closer. We'll be comparing our picks (Alan, Edge, and RV) to the national pundits and such to prove at the close of the year that they, along with us, don't really have a crystal ball. However, our mythical non-existant fortune predictor is just as accurate as they are.<br /><br />In the coming weeks you'll see RV setting up a new NCAA Online Dynasty and Edge rocking out even more stat work. The recruit pieces will continue and we're hoping to unveil something exceptionally special over the next couple weeks, but details and that sort of thing is exceptionally secretive until we get the go ahead and the green light. Homer Previews will be back in the fall after we unveil our preseason Top 25, and we're already nearly triple what we had for last year, this year ranging from the Big 10 to an FCS school. It's going to be awesome. If you have suggestions for the coming preseason festivities, or an idea for something, drop us a line. Get ready all... this season, and OTP, are ready to rock.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-39228990157216434772009-06-19T11:20:00.001-04:002009-06-19T11:39:58.195-04:00An Interview with Connor Ryan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinN3VbkN8OuSxVlaOM6BX-IVArBwy5sMbAPprannNA43824fYyEbPzKWt0UcOB6rwqTDslkfML3vAencTTfwh_qUSZ8uAQhkFg0zIpLxwtvm5uUG5tZrGmggeEXqRWSf37s3KW/s1600-h/connor+ryan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348693443405036386" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 262px; height: 166px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinN3VbkN8OuSxVlaOM6BX-IVArBwy5sMbAPprannNA43824fYyEbPzKWt0UcOB6rwqTDslkfML3vAencTTfwh_qUSZ8uAQhkFg0zIpLxwtvm5uUG5tZrGmggeEXqRWSf37s3KW/s320/connor+ryan.jpg" border="0" /></a>OverThePylon is proud as can be to bring you the next installment of chatting with our future Cardinal rockstars. Off the heels of interviews with <a href="http://overthepylon.blogspot.com/2009/06/interview-with-ethan-buckles.html">Ethan Buckles</a> and <a href="http://overthepylon.blogspot.com/2009/06/interview-with-eric-williams.html">Eric Williams</a>, OTP was able to touch base with Connor Ryan, incoming freshman and soon to be household name as a wide receiver for the Cardinals.<br /><br />Ryan hails from St. Ignatius outside of Cleveland, where he was a member of the most recent state championship team. Ryan has all the physical attributes, at 6'2", 185lbs, while running a 4.59 40-yard dash. The fact that this young man is one of the top wide receivers in a football rich state while playing for a football powerhouse, bodes exceptionally well for future success...<br /><br /><blockquote><strong>OverThePylon</strong>: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your<br />chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?<br /><strong>ConnorRyan</strong>:Getting recruited to play football at a Division 1 college was a dream come true. I love football and playing in college has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. My chief recruiters were coach Parrish and when coach Hoke left coach Lynch stepped in. Both recruited me very well. The schools that showed major interest were mostly all the MAC's, Virginia, and Northwestern.<br /><br /><strong>OTP</strong>: With the wide receiver position sort of a crowded place, do you anticipate being able to play and contribute right away? Is redshirting something that's being considered?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: I was recruited for a reason and that was to contribute right away. I fully anticipate to work hard on the off season and become a major factor in the offense this year. I was always told that they needed me to step up and become a player along the lines of Briggs. As of now I have not been told anything along the lines of red shirting. But I am going to work hard enough to where I don't have to.<br /><br /><strong>OTP</strong>: Give us a well known wide receiver that you would compare yourself to. Additionally, what sort of wide receiver do you admire or idolize?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: I would compare myself to Wes Welker because he is a very polished receiver. He is a great route runner, he can also be a possession receiver, and the next play he could beat the DB deep with his speed. I idolize patriots wide receiver Anthony Gonzales. He went to my high school and coached me at a few practices and games. My goal is to work as hard as he did and become just as successful.<br /><br /><strong>OTP:</strong> When Coach Hoke was transitioning out of that role in Ball State, what was it like as a recruit? Were you concerned about the direction of the program or the ability to maintain success?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: When coach Hoke left I was shocked and confused on what to do. I was worried he would take the whole coaching staff. So I waited a few days. When coach Parrish was announced as the next head coach I was thrilled. I was the first one he called right after his press conference and I knew right then that Ball State's success would be maintained.<br /><br /><strong>OTP</strong>: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: I have met many of the recruits and I think that this class with definitely mesh. This class has a chance to be something special, but at the same time for us to be successful we are going to have to work just as hard as the classes before us.<br /><br /><strong>OTP</strong>: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: I like to fish.<br /></blockquote>From the readers...<br /><blockquote><strong>Readers</strong>: Are you training on campus right now? If not, when will you be training?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: I am on campus right now. I arrived Friday, June 12th. I am living with Kelly Page, Briggs Orsbon, Kyle Hoke, Steve Schott, and Scott Kovanda.<br /><br /><strong>Readers</strong>: Has there been any discussion as to what receiver you'll be playing?<br /><strong>CR:</strong> As of now X and Z have been mentioned to me.<br /><br /><strong>Readers:</strong> What are you looking forward to the most about BSU?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: I'm looking forward to playing with the older guys on the team that have put so much work and effort towards this football team making it so successful.<br /><br /><strong>Readers:</strong> What was his experience like playing for one of the best high school programs in the country at St. Iggy? What is his favorite memory from that experience?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: Playing for Saint Ignatius was a dream of mine as a kid. Every year at Ignatius we are expected to win a state championship. It was really nice to win one my senior year and end a seven year drought. My favorite memory was probably winning the state championship and holding the trophy up with my teammates and having my brother on the team made it that much better.<br /><br /><strong>Readers</strong>: What lead him to choose Ball State over his other offers?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: I chose Ball State over my other offers because there is a chance for immediate impact as a freshman, which I wanted to take advantage of. Also, coach Parrish has been with me the whole time and he has been honest with me and I feel that he reminds me a lot of my high school coach, which made me feel a lot more comfortable with my decision.<br /><br /><strong>Readers</strong>: Where does he see himself fitting in next season on a team with a lot of young WR's?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: There are so many good receivers on the team that I look up to. I am trying to learn from these guys each day. I think I would fit in as a deep threat and a deeper possession guy, which has been hinted towards me already. </blockquote><br />And finally, one last one from OTP...<br /><blockquote><strong>OTP</strong>: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Connor?<br /><strong>CR</strong>: I want to tell the fans that Ball State football needs their support and with their support there is no reason that we can't win a MAC championship within the next few years.</blockquote><br />Big, big, big major league thanks to Connor for taking the time to chat a bit with us and let the readers see what a great young man he is. This recruiting class will be something extremely special if their on field successes and personalities are even half of what they are off. Good luck, Connor!Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-65280407613706415722009-06-19T07:30:00.001-04:002009-06-19T07:31:17.877-04:00Offseason Roundtable #12<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7Zp4ZHTs_K3Bd_KWhYtV0eTBx5BjrBwxY7NSB4CMCLyaEWDC6cbFXgCSNiH5bZypjWKuCVVe05ufjgARCSS7Naiq0CG7KXw9NjPrSS0xK3eowG4wJ3JWy_i_QIf8vwARtcFA4g/s1600-h/Charlie-Cardinal-5.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348735160292743394" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 98px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7Zp4ZHTs_K3Bd_KWhYtV0eTBx5BjrBwxY7NSB4CMCLyaEWDC6cbFXgCSNiH5bZypjWKuCVVe05ufjgARCSS7Naiq0CG7KXw9NjPrSS0xK3eowG4wJ3JWy_i_QIf8vwARtcFA4g/s200/Charlie-Cardinal-5.png" border="0" /></a><em>In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...</em><br /><em></em><br /><strong>1) We never did discuss everyone's thoughts on the Rose Bowl coming to ESPN in 2011, this placing all BCS games on ESPN for at least three years. How does that sit with you?</strong><br /><strong>RV:</strong> I don't have a problem with it, the BCS already has an unfair advantage in the CFB world. ESPN might as well botch all of the BCS games rather than let Fox have an opportunity to botch it up. What's the worst that could happen?<br /><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> The game itself moving to ESPN isn't nearly as disturbing as the entire BCS moving over to the Worldwide Leader. Not that ESPN ever really championed the conversation about how to improve the BCS or an alternative sort of method to picking a national champion, but you can assume that ESPN will now be lauding the BCS as the greatest thing since the forward pass. It's a real shame, and though I am not a playoff fan, there is probably a better way to facilitate who plays for the championship than the way we currently have. But ESPN won't be engaging in such a discussion now, or ever, and that's a disservice to those of us who watch Gameday, ESPN, or any other major network that has some ties to the current structure.<br /><br /><strong>Edge:</strong> I'd be more concerned with viewership than anything. Sure, 95%+ have ESPN, but some still don't. I also totally agree with what Alan said about ESPN not being in the fight for change in the system. Whether or not it needs it, at least one of the biggest voices in sports would have covered it (relatively) unbiased. Not going to happen that way now.<br /><br /><strong>2) Brett Favre. Had enough or can't wait to see how this unfolds?</strong><br /><strong>RV:</strong> I still think Kiffin is going to find a way to get him at Tennessee, regardless of how illegal it is. Beyond that, I hope he gets mauled by a hay baler.<br /><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> Way done. I always liked Brett Favre. Thought he was fun to watch, a model of someone who wasn't blessed with prototypical talent or physique, yet managed to achieve success like few others in the NFL. He could have retired a Packer, been a God to those fans and that city, and sort of rode off into the sunset of retirement without a sour thought about him anywhere. Over the last year or so, Favre has managed to completely tank all that good will and actually build up some sizeable hatred. Last summer was sort of like a car accident that you didn't want to watch but couldn't look away. This summer is just painful and aggravating, and at some point an athlete needs to know when it's time to walk away.<br /><br /><strong>Edge: </strong>Know what would suck? Planning a vacation with Brett Favre. You'd never settle on a destination, and in the end you'd just end up in some mediocre place. He needs to let it go because in the end, it's a no-win for everyone. I felt bad for Jets fans last year, and I feel bad for Vikings fans now. They're put in a bad spot, along with everyone else on the team. Brett, take Mike Tyson's advice and just fade away to Bolivian.<br /><br /><strong>3) Settle a long-standing dispute. The best subs for tailgating: Subway, Blimpie's, or Jimmy John's?<br />RV:</strong> Blimpie's. Good lord, they put Subway to shame. Plus the guy who runs the Blimpie's by work is hysterical.<br /><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> Quality or price? Quality? Jimmy John's. Price? Subway. However, their formerly rotund spokesman Jared was a Bloomington guy and IU student. Therefore, I have to go with Jimmy John's. The only good thing about Bloomington is that they are keeping Bill Lynch away from any other school. That's an incredibly generous thing for the Hoosiers to do, and I, for one, am thankful for that sort of kindness.<br /><br /><strong>Edge:</strong> Oh come on guys, what's better than showing up and saying, "Hey, I got the five! Five dollar! Five dollar footlongs!" I'll go with Subway since I can't get a Blimpie's anywhere close to the stadium (no, I will not go all the way to Memorial Drive to get Blimpie's), and I'm not Mikey Moneybags like Alan to get JJ's.<br /><br /><strong>4) The release of NCAA Football 2010 is approaching rapidly. What feature has you most excited with this year's installment?<br />RV:</strong> I'm interested to see where they took the online dynasty. I hope they gave it enough attention even though Madden is being updated like gangbusters. Hopefully they've improved the robo-QB and the cyber-LB and made it a bit more realistic.<br /><br /><strong>Alan: </strong>Oh sweet jeebus, I simply cannot wait for this game to come out, and will apologize in advance to my girlfriend, employer, friends, and the like, because I can virtually promise you I will be a ghost for a couple of days. The fact that you can run the Wishbone, the fact that you can gain points through achievements for your favorite school, the fact that you can simply play football all week long. What isn't to love? What am I most excited about? Everything.<br /><br /><strong>Edge: </strong>I may be requesting a vacation day in July. I am most excited for better adaptive opponents. Just last week I was playing on Heisman difficulty in '09 as Ball State. In two consecutive games, MiQuale had a total of over 1,200 yards. Yes, you read that right. When I can run 3 running plays all game and not get sniffed out after the third one, there's a problem. So, I'm looking forward to the challenge.<br /><br /><strong>5) This summer marks the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the O.J. Simpson murder case. Looking back and reflecting on this, what athlete would not surprise you by "pulling an O.J."?</strong><br /><strong>RV:</strong> I'll go outside the box and say Houston Nutt. After the fiasco in Arkansas, it seems that his insanity knows no boundaries and Ole Miss got just enough of a taste of success to turn up the craziness.<br /><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> Let's see... to recreate the OJ fiasco, you'd need an athlete who's been in movies, who's past their career, and married to a white chick. Not being specific enough, you'd also need to have someone who clearly isn't well put together, who can't make good decisions, and demands to be noticed, known, and part of the national conversation long after anyone cares about them or thinks they're relevant. So, Brett, when this Vikings thing doesn't work out so well for you, there's always double murder if you're just looking to grab some headlines. Not sure if you have an Al Cowlings to drive you around, but I'm sure someone in southern Mississippi has an SUV you could chill in.<br /><br /><strong>Edge: </strong>There's simply too many nutjob athletes out there, and at this point no one would surprise me. I'll have to say that I can see someone like T.O. going O.J. in the future. Especially with Keyshawn at the wheel of the white Ford Bronco (or Escalade, whatever). "This is Keyshawn, you know who this is, damnit!" But who would I <em>like</em> to see this happen to? Jimmy Fallon. He just needs to go to jail. Forever.<br /><br /><strong>Readers... comments... go!</strong>Edgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04139939153098761575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-63330181906504536632009-06-17T10:14:00.004-04:002009-06-17T10:42:07.925-04:002008, By The Numbers, Part 5<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348306383369966930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 196px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU04niAyp7v6o0UQ2uCUCk8axQH4f4lHeHBhypULuRgbNn8l-3Z4AzUiXtV_CHK2i8LgCBLlEAXmlhPGZM3gLV7q6Jfp2OBVTkioV3XT35PfezaI8LCJfSIdJr7CfVHS1AXLr_ng/s320/chalkboard.jpg" border="0" />You know, sometimes it's fun to just play with the numbers from last year and try to make comparisons, whether it be between teams or between conferences. You can learn a lot that way... or you can confuse the hell out of yourself and your readers. There's always a risk to everything, isn't there?<br /><br />Today, let's talk a little more on scoring, but let's look at it from a conference standpoint. All of us watch games for different reasons. I'm talking about those non-personal games, like for instance, Oklahoma State and Missouri. Now, neither one of those teams mean anything to me, but I'm an offense guy. I like seeing how each side fares against the defense. Inevitably, the enjoyable offensive game for me is a high scoring game on both sides.<br /><br />That's not to say those 3-0 games aren't enjoyable, but like I said, I'm an offense guy. I like to see some points in the air and on the ground (and inevitably some defensive scoring). Those who like the defensive side of the game watch for other reasons. And then there's those that just take a game where they can get it. Perfectly fine with us.<br /><br />Now, I'll try to put aside the opinion aspect of this and get to the facts. What I did was look at each conference's total points scored and points allowed in conference games only. From there, it was pretty simple to see what conference games net the most points per game. As it has been recently, there's very few surprises here. Let's look at the top three scoring conferences:<br /><br />1) <strong>Big 12</strong>: Average of 67.59 points in a conference game<br />2) <strong>Conference USA</strong>: Average of 60.35 points in a conference game<br />3) <strong>Sun Belt</strong>: Average of 58.32 points in a conference game<br /><br />This isn't too surprising, and it doesn't really tell us much. Was it good offense, or was it just shitty defense that allowed this to happen? My impression is it's a lot of both. I can say that Oklahoma seemed to bolster that Big 12 number.<br /><br />So, who was at the other end? Well, I have to actually throw out the independents here. They only played a total of four "conference games", and their average was 41 points. So, discarding them, here's the three lowest:<br /><br />1) <strong>ACC</strong>: Average of 42.92 points in a conference game<br />2) <strong>SEC</strong>: Average of 45.53 points in a conference game<br />3) <strong>Big East</strong>: Average of 46.54 points in a conference game<br /><br />Again, not too surprising or revealing. Unless you look at geography. What's the deal with that? If you're east of the Mississippi, your conference game doesn't net a lot of points? Maybe there's something to this. We will have to investigate further, once we secure more research funding (yes, you may contribute; <a href="http://overthepylon.blogspot.com/2009/06/some-mid-week-housekeeping-linking-and.html">we accept donations</a>).<br /><br />But you know what's cool? If you're sitting at the bar and someone starts talking about college football, you can drop this bit of knowledge on them, right? Then, the discussion can go in all directions, could become heated, possibly getting you into a fist fight... you know what... best to keep this info to yourself.Edgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04139939153098761575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-71597973175731890632009-06-16T08:07:00.005-04:002009-06-16T08:27:22.593-04:00Brady Hoke - Ladies Man?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cYhmHaPbMSsDLncQEildkwGBSCWWVcgqsFe7qZHXlv6vnSgLNJVGrLap8sjPRoCT10_Rf7hcozXEVZ4g0vmH4VbwY704stKWFQJtZYOpUt6ys1TZ7C1JoJsE0PHqB2cYCD1Jeg/s1600-h/ladiesman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347897643572574578" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 154px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cYhmHaPbMSsDLncQEildkwGBSCWWVcgqsFe7qZHXlv6vnSgLNJVGrLap8sjPRoCT10_Rf7hcozXEVZ4g0vmH4VbwY704stKWFQJtZYOpUt6ys1TZ7C1JoJsE0PHqB2cYCD1Jeg/s200/ladiesman.jpg" border="0" /></a>Yesterday I mentioned a story about how the Ball State football camp is underway and is drawing some pretty good numbers. Well, our old friend Brady Hoke is in the football camp mode in San Diego. His participants? More than 80...<a href="http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/060809aab.html"> ladies</a>! Look out Leon Phelps, you've got competition now!<br /><br />I really can't joke too much about this at the risk of sounding extremely sexist. And, all the proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation for breast cancer research. So, it's all fun and noble at the same time. But I have to think that Hoke may have his eye out for some talent given the horrid season the Aztecs had last year. Or maybe the west coast has tamed and gotten the HokeManBeast in touch with its feminine side.<br /><br />Again, in all seriousness, kudos to Hoke and the San Diego State staff. In other news...<br /><br />Media outlets are <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4260722&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines">suing Florida State and the NCAA </a>concerning public records laws. Ugh... why won't this end? Poor Bobby Bowden. He's probably seriously considering a life of bass fishing about now. What I find odd is that two hours after this story broke, Florida State University president T. K. Wetherell announced his intention to retire. So clearly someone's had enough of this debacle.<br /><br />There's not much else going on this morning, but rest assured we will be back if something does break today. And gear up for another stat post coming tomorrow. I'll leave you with this:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347899811941899314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 155px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5KnI4_nfBF7wMa9PjO8wY-w4unSl-YGzbWsIHVCkl5S3u2z5ccKvqDCrjGVScenZRMseR027z9ZHGuKDSkmnEEu8EZoqcGkAOMHKorkSo5xIraZa5v0HJhYpKgGJoqzGQTq9lw/s200/2888003.jpg" border="0" /><br />Joba Chamberlain is retarded.Edgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04139939153098761575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-43062662688569952642009-06-15T08:31:00.003-04:002009-06-15T08:57:49.509-04:00OTP Under New Management (For the Week)For the next week, I will be your fearless leader in the wonderful world of OTP. I received a cryptic text message Friday that said "You're in charge for the next week" from Alan. That's all it said, and I haven't been able to reach him. I can only assume one of three things:<br /><br />1) Alan is shut inside in the dark lamenting the third sweep of his beloved Yankees by the Red Sox this year, only leaving his recliner for bathroom breaks and nuking Hot Pockets.<br /><br />2) Alan is having a very rough time with this analog-to-digital television transition and is at home waiting for the cable guy.<br /><br />3) Alan is on vacation.<br /><br />Whatever the case may be, the blog must go on.<br /><br />So what's going on with our Cardinals? Not much really. I did receive an email that this year's <a href="http://ballstatesports.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14200&ATCLID=3749884">football camps</a> run by coaches has brought in about 500 participants, about 10 times as many kids as it brought five years ago. So, in all aspects, things really are looking up for our Cards.<br /><br />What else is going on... let's see... <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4255376&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines">Alabama may appeal </a>the recent decision by the NCAA to vacate 21 wins. Other than just going through the motions of this decision, there really is no point in this for Alabama, especially if it requires a bunch of work on their end or the NCAA's. What's done is done, the guilt was already admitted, the punishment was a joke, so let's move on guys.<br /><br />Oh, I almost forgot! Mark Schlabach <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4253643&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines">wrote another article too</a>. If anyone needs a summer vacation, it's this guy. He should only be contracted to write when it's necessary, not when he's bored and has to fulfill a quota. The subtitle of his column: "Questions would be answered with a conference challenge." No shit, really? It's a good thing you're here to tell me this, Mark.<br /><br />Perhaps the biggest news of the past few days is that the Rose Bowl will now be <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4253867&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines">broadcast on ESPN</a> beginning in 2011. This means the Worldwide Leader will air every BCS game from 2011 to at least 2014. This should stir up the ol' comment pot, so how do you readers feel about this BCS monopoly?<br /><br />We'll have more in store for you this week, so check back daily (or hourly if you're really bored).Edgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04139939153098761575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-9808142548870658712009-06-12T08:46:00.006-04:002009-06-12T09:44:26.291-04:00Offseason Roundtable #11<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUsKUob-88KFH32f80C708kGdyCFg7fX02uT9SWSu0T9s6LEhvAUMyPHcLn5IQnx9v-XiNUZQRCxwRv8n0ACbEooBVOu-a5TqigGBCFYSSuV4QyQIAhlggn7G5Eubl6IscWhLlA/s1600-h/Charlie-Cardinal-5.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346421655349643458" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 98px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUsKUob-88KFH32f80C708kGdyCFg7fX02uT9SWSu0T9s6LEhvAUMyPHcLn5IQnx9v-XiNUZQRCxwRv8n0ACbEooBVOu-a5TqigGBCFYSSuV4QyQIAhlggn7G5Eubl6IscWhLlA/s200/Charlie-Cardinal-5.png" border="0" /></a> <div align="left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDxo3oLLunebqBsyJcpKbGqDWAynFYHfTnMb2dhoBRWQQ8hPv9OSp_-AujhaaLh5ct_KoDDkqAYtli6uEFJngN55TW5GKtcdS1P8p5prJtJdg4rFwupwtcgT3HxPISBzhxrxu/s1600-h/Charlie-Cardinal-5.gif"></a><em>In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...</em><br /><br /><strong>1.) Lane Kiffin has quite possibly committed yet another minor NCAA violation by letting ESPN film an "Outside the Lines" program while he was meeting with a recruit. When and how will this all end?</strong><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> It won't end until either Kiffin is run out of town, or the NCAA drops the proverbial banhammer on Tennessee thanks to his transgressions. The bottom line in all of Kiffin's theatrics and problems is that now he absolutely MUST win. Where as before all of this, fans wanted wins, now they expect wins. They are the only things that will make the rabid UT fanbase sit back and forget about all these little problems.<br /><br /><strong>Edge: </strong>It's tough saying <em>how</em> it will end, but I can bet on how it will begin to end. At some point, the money-makers and boosters are going to start calling for heads to roll. Some poor guy (or gal) will lose their job simply because of an association with these problems - we'll say an assistant compliance officer or something. It's a shame really, but it happens all the time. Kiffin will not be held accountable for any of this. That is until he starts losing, which almost seems inevitable at this point. I predict turbulence for the next couple years, and in the end, the Kiffin era will be a black eye to the Tennessee program. It's got to put fans in the worst possible situation, and I really do feel bad for Vols fans at this point. Just not the way you want to start 2009 at all.<br /><br /><strong>RV:</strong> This is all just fluff, even when major violations are committed, the NCAA hands down a quick pat on the back and whispers "Please don't do that again or we'll have to do something that won't affect you". This won't end until Myles Brand is replaced by someone who decides that our beloved sport deserves to be treated with more respect. I'd have to imagine Tressel, Kiffin, Saban and Carroll all laugh at the idle threats the NCAA has put forward. Someone will finally piss off someone connected and they'll lose a few scholarships, at that point all these idiotic violations will slow down to a slow crawl, reminiscent of the Irish running game.<br /><br /><strong>2.) We've covered the Mark Schlabach article as it related to Ball State and Kentucky, but was there anything else in his toughest/easiest 2009 schedule column that surprised you?</strong><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> Surprising? No. It's not a secret that some of the big boys in the SEC schedule pretty weak opponents. It's also no secret that the Big 10 does the same. There are few examples of major conference teams that actually schedule tough quality opponents, and that's a real shame. I long for the days when major college teams played other major college teams instead of Directional State A&M Tech.<br /><br /><strong>Edge:</strong> No, I honestly don't think anything else in there was surprising. But I will say that I was surprised to see Ball State even in that article. I think Mark lost some money betting against the Cards during their 12-0 run, then put money on them to win the MAC championship and GMAC. Basically, the Cards shit in his cereal and he's taking it out on them now.<br /><br /><strong>RV: </strong>I'm surprised that they don't go after bigger programs. At this point in the season, nobody knows how each schedule will look, so if you're creating a fluff article why not go after the big boys? Every schedule can be scrutinized to some degree and if it doesn't, just make it up like the rest of the sports journalism world. Integrity? Don't worry about that.<br /><br /><strong>3) Breaking news today is that due to players giving other students their own textbooks for free, Alabama must vacate wins from 2005 to 2007. Your thoughts?</strong><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> My initial thought was, "Way to go Alabama, and welcome to BSU from like 5 years ago." At least in the grand scheme of things, BSU set the standard. In all seriousness, this is nothing new for the SEC. Most every school save for a small number have been on probation at some point or another during my lifetime, and honestly, vacating wins is the worst punishment around. It's a slap on the wrist and a light slap at that.<br /><br /><strong>Edge: </strong>Stupid, and this "textbook scam" thing has been done many times before. Tip: you're going to get caught! But what can you do? Alabama got lucky in that the penalty didn't affect anything from the present to the future. So they get knocked around a bit in the media, but then they can move on. I agree with the way Saban put it when talking to reporters after the ruling. His team isn't going to be affected now, and his recruits won't suffer for it. Time to move on.<br /><br /><strong>RV: </strong>Lame. Vacate wins? What the hell does that mean? I'm pretty sure any AD/Head Coach will trade potentially vacated wins (which equate to a slightly above average wrist massage) for a chance to skate the rules. As already established, until scholarships start going out the window, these rules will continue to be massaged, avoided and outright broken. I realize that there has to be a certain level of flexibility when dealing with student-athletes, but does anyone really think that being on double secret probation with the NCAA means anything? Toothless kitten.<br /><br /><strong>4.) Now that we've had a chance to digest a lot of the preseason polls from some of the major names in the business, what teams do you think will surprise everyone with a better-than-anticipated showing in 2009?</strong><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> I think Georgia will turn some heads, and I think Notre Dame will be a dark horse contender for the national title, but for very different reasons. Georgia for the reason that their schedule is so tough and their conference so regarded that if the Bulldogs win the SEC, they're a shoe-in for the national title game and not many people are looking past Florida. As for the Irish, they play a reduced strength schedule and are staring 11-1 in the face. With a record like that and an outside shot at 12-0, the Irish are national title contenders for certain.<br /><br /><strong>Edge: </strong>I fully expect to see some improvement from Oklahoma State and LSU. I think Oklahoma State will be the wedge between Oklahoma and Texas on who will be conference champs, much like Tech last year. As for LSU, I would be very surprised if they are not the next best team in the SEC in 2009. I also agree with Alan - Notre Dame could do some serious damage, and I also think Ball State will be a bit better than the bottom 20%. I hope that's not wishful thinking...<br /><br /><strong>RV:</strong> Insert Homer Pick Here. I am an unabashed Notre Dame fan, and it's time for this team to come to fruition. If someone told me that an OL had 100+ starts, a top 3 WR crew, top 3 TE crew, a QB who can make every throw (and better stats than Stafford through their first two years), talent all over the backfield, a Tenuta-blitzkrieg defense, a soph terror at DE, one of the best defensive backfields in the country and lost very little on either side of the ball...I'd say you're describing a top 10 team. Throw in that schedule and it's almost a lock that they'll be top 10. The only problem is that everyone loves to hate on the Irish, so any slip up will be deemed a death to the Weis era (and rightfully so). But beyond the Fighting Irish, I feel like Miami is going to get their swagger back. There's too much pride and talent to have them continually suck balls and Randy Shannon can't be that bad of a coach. They need to get the ball rolling, and quickly.<br /><br /><strong>5.) It's still a long way to kickoff... what's on your to-do list this summer before the fun begins?</strong><br /><strong>Alan:</strong> Lots of barbecuing, getting ready for kickoff, and trying to figure out how in the world I'm going to prepare for the fall. Hopefully my Yankees will get their collective asses in gear, so as not to give me an ulcer.<br /><br /><strong>Edge: </strong>Red Sox. 8-0 against the Yanks this year. Alan, I'll send you a bottle of Tums and some Prilosec. But more importantly, the Phish concert at Deer Creek. Definitely the top priority of the summer. And if any of you are in Muncie, check out the local "festivals". Your rock & roll reporter will be making some musical appearances this summer.<br /><br /><strong>RV: </strong>Well, my main goal is to get the transition to our wordpress OTP page finished, but that's a hell of a project in a busy summer. Hopefully I can continue to drop my handicap near single digits, find a rich, mute ex-gymnast to marry and find a way to visit friends on both coasts. I submit that none of this will happen, but without goals in life, what do we have?<br /><br /><strong>Readers... Comment section... Go!</strong></div>Edgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04139939153098761575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-88401286590141493052009-06-10T18:31:00.003-04:002009-06-10T18:57:36.197-04:00ESPN Takes a Potshot at Kentucky, Ball State<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOdlFjp4SgtbUWijJdftzUCfll2ispgnBZ1cS_g52p8SqapeY5Jx03oKs74j7lNTRDYwCeehqysagq5TNiNX_n3C456b-WJGiDHfu3991qmnI00tCQMZwLS0SgvEfXkYiuWIv/s1600-h/cupcakes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOdlFjp4SgtbUWijJdftzUCfll2ispgnBZ1cS_g52p8SqapeY5Jx03oKs74j7lNTRDYwCeehqysagq5TNiNX_n3C456b-WJGiDHfu3991qmnI00tCQMZwLS0SgvEfXkYiuWIv/s320/cupcakes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345836397992356002" border="0" /></a>You know, this time of the summer is usually reserved for media coverage of the major programs. Most all of your ESPN headlines will be about the Notre Dames, the Floridas, the Texases of the college football world, with an occasional Lane Kiffin violation sprinkled in for good measure and a routine breaker. So imagine my surprise when I opened Mark Schlabach's newest column on ESPN and both Kentucky and Ball State were actually mentioned.<br /><br /><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4247827">Schlabach's piece</a> chooses to highlight the best and worst non-conference schedules in FBS for the 09 season, and while neither BSU or UK will set the world on fire or the pundits aflutter with their scheduling, I find it challenging to believe that either team would be in their bottom 10. Au contraire, mon frère. What is most disappointing is not that Kentucky is ranked 9th worst in the country and BSU 10th, it is the sort of catch-22 hypocrisy that the WorldWideLeader perpetuates with this sort of drivel. Says Schlabach...<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Kentucky Wildcats</span><br />I'm guessing new Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari can't wait to watch the Wildcats play football this season. UK's football schedule looks a lot like the ones Calipari's basketball teams played at Memphis every season. The Wildcats open the season Sept. 5 at Miami (Ohio) and then play rival Louisville at home two weeks later. After opening SEC play, Kentucky plays Louisiana-Monroe at home on Oct. 24 and FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky at home Nov. 7.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Ball State Cardinals</span><br />Want to finish the regular season with an unblemished record? Call Ball State. The Cardinals have the scheduling formula down to an exact science. A year after the Cardinals rode a soft schedule to a 12-0 record during the regular season, they'll once again play one of the country's weaker nonconference slates. Give Ball State credit for playing at Auburn on Sept. 26. But they could have done a little better than North Texas (home), FCS opponent New Hampshire (home) and Army (road).</blockquote><br />As the SNL Church Lady says, "Isn't that special!" Schlabach makes some good points, and I would argue that Kentucky and Ball State's schedules aren't exceptionally strong, but for an accurate picture to be given, one has to look at the context. The why's behind the schedule. And you, or Schlabach, or whomever else chooses to look past the "truth" of ESPN, will find some context.<br /><br />For Kentucky, it's a simple explanation really. Not only do the Wildcats play in the toughest conference in football in the SEC, they play in the toughest division of the toughest conference. Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vandy, and Kentucky. That's tough stuff, brother. Also in conference the Cats get Mississippi State, Alabama, and Auburn. Show me a non-SEC team with a schedule like that from top to bottom. As for their out of conference opponents, the Cats have two pillow fights with Eastern Kentucky and Louisiana Monroe. Miami of Ohio is a game specifically designed for the Cats to make the trip to the Bengals stadium, and will be a good series. As for the Louisville Cardinals, don't blame Kentucky for their recent struggles. The fact that Steve Kragthorpe has driven the Cardinals into the dark abyss faster than if Ted Kennedy was behind the wheel shouldn't reflect poorly on Kentucky.<br /><br />For the Ball State Cardinals, it's much more infuriating. This is the same ESPN that used to bag on Ball State left and right and go so far as to making them a punchline in their bottom 10 when the Cardinals scheduled their rear ends off in the late 90's and early 00's. So if you schedule hard and lose, you're a joke. If you schedule easy and win, you're a coward. What exactly is the middle ground? And more importantly, that's even under the assumption that there is anyone who would voluntarily play the Cardinals. Last I checked, finding games for mid-majors who were 12-2 the previous year and ranked in the Top 15 were fairly hard to find.<br /><br />To be completely truthful, I'm not sure how to take this. Is this Schlabach simply looking for some commentary amidst the summer doldrums? Is this Schlabach not doing his homework? Is this Schlabach simply taking a few swipes at programs who in recent memory has seen their share of jokes? It's hard to say, really, but Schlabach is quickly putting himself in the OTP doghouse, and should definitely be a Take-With-A-Grain-Of-Salt columnists for Cardinals and Cats fans.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36312211.post-88018014263415125932009-06-09T15:24:00.005-04:002009-06-09T15:53:14.486-04:00Some Mid-Week Housekeeping, Linking, and Fundraising<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG83T214cWnF-Lr_wjTD6ifLG0lpEJfn47234EArW37xhhLGNDhA4wUbKUydhKU5IGAUi-hnnZ-QZLg3SXRIeGOXj3A81867gOODVmPsD_Zvzd0SjOIc-iyu-Qt0nDEMUuvu7s/s1600-h/charlie+cardinal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG83T214cWnF-Lr_wjTD6ifLG0lpEJfn47234EArW37xhhLGNDhA4wUbKUydhKU5IGAUi-hnnZ-QZLg3SXRIeGOXj3A81867gOODVmPsD_Zvzd0SjOIc-iyu-Qt0nDEMUuvu7s/s320/charlie+cardinal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345417693598554850" border="0" /></a>It's summer. You know that. You also know that news from the world of college football trickles out of the information spigot exceptionally slow, as we wait for fall practice to kick up and the preseason polls to be released. We're only a couple months away from all that happening, but until it does, it's slow going. Alas, today is more of a housekeeping day here at OTP and the day where we ask your help for the Cardinals.<br /><br />With the recent ability of OTP to land top-level interviews, commentary, and expertise about the Cardinals, we feel some sense of responsibility to give back in some ways for the program we love and the University that allowed all of us to get somewhat educated, some more than others. In some ways, BSU is really the defining thing for a lot us who write this site, contribute to this site, and read this site. And frankly, BSU is doing a hell of a job raising its profile in terms of victories, but none of that really matters if the dollars being raised don't increase. It's because of that that OTP is asking our readership to help the Cardinals out, while helping OTP out at the same time.<br /><br />This summer is a summer of potentially great transition for us, as we move to a new site interface, increase and better the nuts and bolts that run the place, and hopefully move away from Blogger. Unfortunately, that means moving away from free software and actually paying for site maintenance, creation, and hosting fees. So the need for OTP to move upward coupled with the need for BSU to receive some much needed funding has brought about the OTP Fund Drive 09. Over on the right hand side of this page, you'll see a little "Donate" button that will link you to Paypal. What we're asking for is donations that will go toward OTP's improvement and also the Cardinal Varsity Club. 50% of all donations will go to CVC, and your contribution can help increase the profile of this site and our school. There isn't any amount too small, as BSU needs all the help that it can get. We'll have a running scoreboard over the next month as to who donates the most, and the Top 3 donators will receive some cool BSU prizes for their collection. Thanks in advance if you decide to help out!<br /><br />And now for the linkage!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For the Cardinals</span>:<br /><ul><li>The New York Times <a href="http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/the-quad-countdown-no-85-ball-state/">profiles Ball State in their preseason countdown</a>. The Cardinals clock in at #85, and truthfully, this is one of the more accurate preseason pieces on the Cardinals, and I've read (and shared) almost all of them. Of special note to us is the mention of this here OTP wonderment in terms of coverage of the Cardinals. Giggity.</li><li><a href="http://inthebleachers.net/non-bcs-conference/mid-american/50-best-of-the-non-bcs-number-47/">In the Bleachers</a> is counting down their top 50 players not in the BCS, and one Briggs Orsbon makes their list at #47. Something tells me he will not be the last Cardinal in this list, as MiQuale Lewis has got to be up there. If he isn't, then shame on them.</li><li>In alum news, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/2009/06/what-to-do-with.html">responds to questions regarding Nate Davis</a> and how the 49ers intend to use him. Quite frankly, Davis appears to be a project for the 9ers, and one they believe is worthy of spending time on. Time will of course prove me right or wrong, but I believe the 49ers got an absolute steal when they were able to pick Nate.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">For the Wildcats</span>:<br /><ul><li>CNNSI <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/cory_mccartney/06/08/kentucky-brooks/index.html?eref=T1">profiles Rich Brooks</a> and insists he is ending the basketball monopoly in Lexington. This season will ultimately be the marker of Brooks' success with Big Blue.</li><li>A Sea of Blue continues to be the one stop shop for Kentucky coolness, as former WR Dicky Lyons Jr. <a href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/2009/6/8/902652/dickys-world">begins to blog for them</a>. Great pick up for Glenn, Ken, and the gang over at ASoB.</li><li>Chip Cosby points to the news that incoming recruit Morgan Newton has been <a href="http://chipcosby.bloginky.com/2009/06/08/newton-receives-another-honor-set-to-arrive-at-uk-tuesday/">named the suburban athlete of the year for Indianapolis by the Indy Star</a>. In reality, that's not all that impressive an award, but knowing The Star, I'm sure they hated being positive about anyone affiliated with Kentucky.<br /></li></ul>Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06189349464228063765noreply@blogger.com2