Every Poll's Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End

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.

Question: How many wins for the Cardinals in the Fall?
Results:

7 or less - 42%
8 - 27%
9 - 15%
10 or more - 14%

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.

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.

An Interview With Kitt O'Brien

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.

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...

From OTP...

OverThePylon: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?
KittO'Brien: 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.

OTP: 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?
KO: 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.

OTP: 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?
KO: 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.

OTP: 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?
KO: 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.

OTP: The offensive line positions are some of the most important in football. What are your favorite things about playing such a vital role?
KO: 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.

OTP: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?
KO: I'm keeping my options open, but I am really considering Business or Natural Resource Management.

OTP: 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?
KO: 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.

From our readers...

Readers: What does he anticipate his biggest challenge will be stepping up to D1 from a smaller school? Speed? Level of talent?
KO: 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.

Readers: What sort of weight has the coaching staff asked you to gain? How do you plan on doing that?
KO: 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.

Readers: Are you training on campus right now? If not, when will you be training?
KO: Yes. I have been training here since June 1st.

Finally, one last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Kitt?
KO: I plan on living up to high expectations, and hopefully starting all four years.

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!

Virtual Scheumann Stadium

For 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.


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.

BSU Marketing Caught Napping

Well, 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.

RV and I decided to bounce some additions to "Game On" in an effort to jazz it up a bit. Have a look:

Game On 2.0
Game On. And On.
Game On. Like Donkey Kong
Game On. RIP MJ!!!!11
Game On. Don't Fumble
Game On. No More ShitShows
Game On. Parrish in the Hizzy
Game Off. We Takin A Break
Game On. Pwning MAC West Since 2008
Game On. Pwning IU Since 2008
Game On. Can't Stop, Won't Stop. Unless You're Buffalo or Tulsa
Game On. Where'd Nate Go?
Game On. Even When You Paralyze Our Best Player We Still Pwned You. Leet
Game On. Our RB Is 5'6" and Makes You Look Like Teh Suxxor
Game On. Eck on the Twit, Hit Me Up
Game On. Other MAC Blogs Is Bullshit. Rich Brooks Says So
Game On. Wait, We Didn't Practice That. Game Off.
Game On. Cocaine's a Helluva Drug
Game On. They Peed On Dude's Rug
Game On. Mooncrotch
Game Fucking On

Ok, that's enough Friday silliness. Got some other suggestions for BSU's high-speed sports marketing department?

Enough Financial Data to Make Your Head Spin

OTP's co-editor, RV, stumbled across this website 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...


Ball State University
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.

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.

Let's look at the rest of the MAC in terms of football revenue ranking...
1. Temple: $9,184,112***
2. Kent State: $6,040,915
3. Central Michigan: $5,712,638
4. Ball State: $5,436,482
5. Northern Illinois: $5,341,447**
6. Miami: $5,321,463
7. Ohio: $4,986,723
8. Akron: $4,707,537
9. Eastern Michigan: $4,655,860
10. Toledo: $4,441,368
11. Bowling Green: $4,127,434
12. Western Michigan: $2,522,901***
13. Buffalo: $1,882,475****
*-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.
**- Northern Illinois adjusted revenue for institutional support to individual teams without disclosing which teams, and how much
***- Western Michigan includes $14,680,397 of revenue not allocated by gender or sport
****- 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

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.

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.


University of Kentucky
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.

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.

The rest of the SEC's football revenue in rank order...
1. Georgia: $67,053,051
2. Florida: $66,124,945
3. Auburn: $59,671,354
4. Alabama: $57,370,617
5. LSU: $52,687,713
6. South Carolina: $50,433,037
7. Tennessee: $40,264,212
8. Arkansas: $40,135,364
9. Kentucky: $25,861,744
10. Ole Miss: $17,768,432
11. Vandy: $16,924,277
12. Mississippi State: $15,994,121

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.

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.

BSU Releases Portion of Scheduled Game Times

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.

Sept.
3 (Thurs.) NORTH TEXAS (7:30) - ESPNU
CARDINAL VARSITY CLUB DAY Presented by ProLiance Energy

12 (Sat.) NEW HAMPSHIRE (7:00)
Presented by Central Indiana Orthopedics

19 (Sat.) at Army (Noon) - ESPN Classic or ESPNU

26 (Sat.) at Auburn (TBA)


Oct.
3 (Sat.) TOLEDO * (Noon) - ESPN Plus/GamePlan
HOMECOMING Presented by Ball State Federal Credit Union

10 (Sat.) at Temple * (1:00)

17 (Sat.) BOWLING GREEN * (Noon)
FAMILY WEEKEND Presented by Marsh Supermarkets

24 (Sat.) at Eastern Michigan * (1:00)

31 (Sat.) OHIO * (Noon)
YOUTH DAY Presented by Mutual Bank


Nov.
12 (Thurs.)at Northern Illinois * (6 p.m.) - ESPNU

18 (Wed.) CENTRAL MICHIGAN * (6 or 8 p.m.) - ESPN2 or ESPNU
SENIOR DAY Presented by Lifetouch National School Studios

24 (Tues.)at Western Michigan * (7 p.m.) - ESPN2


Dec.
4 (Fri.) Marathon Mid-American Conference Championship Game
(MAC East Division Winner vs. MAC West Division Winner)(8 p.m.) ESPN

Welcome to Twitter, Coach Eck

The Ball State Daily News is reporting o-line coach Jason Eck has joined six other MAC coaches on the Twitter. You can check out his page here.

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 lot of bullshit to wade through.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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 here. End shameless plug.

An Interview with Jason Pinkston

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.

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.

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.

From OTP...

OverThePylon: 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?
JasonPinkston: 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.

OTP: 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?
JP: 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.

OTP: 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?
JP: 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.

OTP: 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?
JP: 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.

OTP: 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?
JP: 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.

OTP: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?
JP: I plan on majoring in education. I know that everything starts with the academics first because I'm a student-athlete.

OTP: 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?
JP: I run track during the school year so I can keep my speed up for football.

From our readers...

Readers: What was the Big 33 experience like?
JP: 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.

Readers: What was it like playing for Glenville and such a well known and respected head coach?
JP: 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.

Readers: When is Jason heading to campus to start working out?
JP: 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.

Readers: How exciting is it to be able to play with so many of your former prep teammates?
JP: 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.

Finally, one last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Jason?
JP: 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.

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!

A Sad Day for a BSU Alum

Some 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.

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:



In reports today, first brought out by Busted Coverage, 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.

An Interview with Connor Ryan

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 Ethan Buckles and Eric Williams, OTP was able to touch base with Connor Ryan, incoming freshman and soon to be household name as a wide receiver for the Cardinals.

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...

OverThePylon: 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?
ConnorRyan: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.

OTP: 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?
CR: 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.

OTP: Give us a well known wide receiver that you would compare yourself to. Additionally, what sort of wide receiver do you admire or idolize?
CR: 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.

OTP: 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?
CR: 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.

OTP: 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?
CR: 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.

OTP: 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?
CR: I like to fish.

From the readers...

Readers: Are you training on campus right now? If not, when will you be training?
CR: 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.

Readers: Has there been any discussion as to what receiver you'll be playing?
CR: As of now X and Z have been mentioned to me.

Readers: What are you looking forward to the most about BSU?
CR: 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.

Readers: 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?
CR: 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.

Readers: What lead him to choose Ball State over his other offers?
CR: 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.

Readers: Where does he see himself fitting in next season on a team with a lot of young WR's?
CR: 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.

And finally, one last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Connor?
CR: 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.

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!

ESPN Takes a Potshot at Kentucky, Ball State

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.

Schlabach's piece 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...

9. Kentucky Wildcats
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.

10. Ball State Cardinals
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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Some Mid-Week Housekeeping, Linking, and Fundraising

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.

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.

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!

And now for the linkage!

For the Cardinals:

• The New York Times profiles Ball State in their preseason countdown. 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.
• In the Bleachers 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.
• In alum news, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee responds to questions regarding Nate Davis 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.

For the Wildcats:

• CNNSI profiles Rich Brooks and insists he is ending the basketball monopoly in Lexington. This season will ultimately be the marker of Brooks' success with Big Blue.
• A Sea of Blue continues to be the one stop shop for Kentucky coolness, as former WR Dicky Lyons Jr. begins to blog for them. Great pick up for Glenn, Ken, and the gang over at ASoB.
• Chip Cosby points to the news that incoming recruit Morgan Newton has been named the suburban athlete of the year for Indianapolis by the Indy Star. 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.
  

An Interview With Ethan Buckles

OverThePylon is proud to present our next installment of catching up with the new recruits for Ball State as they make their way to Muncie to begin their freshman season next fall. Today's guest is Ethan Buckles, offensive and defensive star from Indianapolis' Cardinal Ritter High School who was kind enough to answer not only our questions, but questions from some of our readership as well.

Ethan comes to the Cards with experience as both a defensive end and a tight end, with a 6'7" height, 225lb. weight, and a verified 4.9 40 yard dash time. Big, strong, experienced, and fast, but most importantly, an incredibly nice young man and a great representative for the program, University, and football team.

Buckles looks to learn from either a defensive front 7 that will rival nearly any team on the Cardinals' schedule this year, or from tight ends like Madaris Grant as they help him adjust to the rigors of division 1 FBS football.

OverThePylon: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football? What were some of the schools that showed major interest?
EthanBuckles: Coming from such a small school it was mostly about marketing myself as a player to try and get some recognition from colleges. I went to a lot of junior days and camps for the schools that were interested in me. I filled out all the requests for information for any school who asked me too. I had interest from the University of Virginia, Purdue, IU, Cincinnati, Northern Illinois, and some other schools, as well as Ball State. Ball State was the first to offer and I committed the next day, so I'm not sure if more offers would have come or not.

OTP: You're certainly unique in the fact that your skills translate to both sides of the football. What do you like best about playing offense? How about playing defense?
EB: I like offense because I love scoring. Not me personally but as a unit. I'm a football junkie and I love the strategies and so I love it when a play works perfectly and we score. And I love defense because you always have to be attacking.

OTP: With the tight end positions and defensive front unit sort of crowded places, do you anticipate being able to play and contribute right away? Is redshirting something that's being considered?
EB: I have not actually talked about redshirting at all with the coaches but that could possibly be in their plans. I'm going to go in with the mindset that I'm ready to play and work hard this summer. Hopefully they'll think I'll be ready to help the team at the end of the summer.

OTP: 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?
EB: I was a little down for a bit because I knew Coach Hoke. He worked me out and he offered me a scholarship. But once I learned that my scholarship would be honored and that Coach Parrish was going to take the job, I was fine. He's a great coach with a great history.

OTP: 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?
EB: I'm very excited to come in with a class this talented. The reputations of all these guys speak for themselves. I've met a lot of them at games and on my official visit and other things. They seem like cool guys. I think we'll be able to do a lot over these next four years.

OTP: 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?
EB: I'm a very competitive person so I like mostly any games like golfing, bowling, and things like that. I am also a very accomplished opener and eater of crab legs.

From the readers...

Readers: Where are you expecting to play this season? DE or TE?
EB: I was recruited by Ball State as a defensive end, and they haven't told me anything different. But I also know they've had some injury issues at tight end so we'll see. I'll do anything really... long snap, special teams, anything.

Readers: How big of a leap is it from Class AA football to Div 1 College Football?
EB: We were actually only class A my senior season. But we played a lot of bigger schools. In the regular season we were undefeated and that included a team who would wind up winning the 2A championship also a team ranked 6 in 3A. That being said it will still be a huge transition. For me, the biggest difference will be simply not being the biggest on the field anymore.

Readers: What attracted you to Ball State?
EB: Ball State is very close to my home so all my family can come see me play and I can go home and visit. Also many family members have gone there. My mom, dad, two uncles and a brother are alumni. They are a program on the rise and I wanted to be a part of that.

Readers: How do you use your height to your advantage when playing DE?
EB: My height gives me great length so that I can get into a blocker before they can get to me. Also I can get into the passing lanes and I'm hard to throw over.

One last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Ethan?
EB: This is definitely a program on the rise. That much has been evident over the past two years. Over the next few years me and my class will continue that trend and do bigger and better things.

Big ups to Ethan for talking a bit with OTP and our readership. Ethan is just another example of quality young men who wear the Cardinal and White, and who represent simply the best sort of student athlete around. Whether or not he is successful on the field is not even a question, it is only a question as to how soon the rest of the MAC and the country begin to remember the name, "Ethan Buckles".

What the "Experts" Say About the Cardinals

Most fans of major college football programs wait with bated breath as the supposed gurus and preseason publications prognosticate their lot in the college football universe for the coming season. Prognosticating in early summer for the season about to unfold is wildly speculative and usually wrong, but we, as fans, continue to support these endeavors with flashy covers, pages of stats, and usually a page or two of cheerleaders thrown in to make sure the blood doesn't all pool in our brains.

This year's crop of preseason magazines found their way into my hot little hands over the weekend, and OTP is proud to share what these augurs of the college football world had to say about our beloved Ball State Cardinals.


The Sporting News College Football 09 Preview Magazine
The Sporting News has put out preview magazines for years, but for whatever reason is not considered to be one of the premier previews of the season. The information contained within is good enough, and it makes for at least something to fill the days before August, but for the most part, as one would expect with such a large national following like SN, the focus is on the top-tier teams and not on the ins and outs of the MAC and the teams within it.

An example of this sort of "non-factor" status in the college football universe is the fact that SN loads one page with 3 different MAC teams. One column a piece isn't much to get across any insightful commentary or in-depth analysis. Instead, the BSU column space is reserved for commentary on what we've lost (11 starters on offense and defense, 7 of them All-MAC selections), and commenting on the fact that while last year's 12-2 campaign was good, it was nowhere near as good as it should have been.

SN pegs the November 24th contest at Western Michigan as the "Game to Watch" for the Cardinals, as they opine that this is the closer of a 3-game stretch that BSU must go at least 2-1 through to have any shot at a Bowl Game.

Overall, it's an accurate but fairly rudimentary preview of BSU. In fact, it sort of feels like this entire piece was sort of rushed through and simply to fill column space for the MAC, as nothing really worthwhile comes across or through other than Nate Davis left and Brady Hoke did too.

Predicted BSU Final Standing: 4th in MAC West
Predicted MAC West Champion: Western Michigan
Predicted MAC East Champion: Buffalo
BSU Players on SN All-MAC Team: MiQuale Lewis, Brandon Crawford
BSU Players on SN All-American Team: None
Of note: SN ranks BSU 10th in the MAC in terms of recruiting because "a coaching change lost Ball State its mojo late in the recruiting process"... Charlie Cardinal ranked best mascot in the MAC... The best fans were given to Central Michigan, best stadium to Toledo, and best home-field advantage to NIU... Buffalo, Bowling Green, Western Michigan all projected to go Bowling.


Lindy's Football 2009 College Preview
Lindy's is actually a decent option for anyone looking for a national publication with adequate coverage of the midmajor programs throughout the land. Unlike the Sporting News, Lindy's prides itself on being insightful and detailed, while still prognosticating and opining page after page. Lindy's, for the most part, handles the MAC with at least some semblance of dignity and respect, and donates more than three or four pages to the entire conference.

For Ball State, they were the focus of the MAC lead in, as Lindy's mentions how the Cardinals went from "heavyweight to lightweight contender in a matter of months." The overarching theme of the conference coverage as an entire entity revolves around transition and change, and special attention is given to the new faces on MAC sidelines.

As it stands with Lindy's, BSU is the 5th-best team in the conference, according to ranking, clocking in at #94 nationally. The team-specific write up focuses of course on the loss of Davis and Hoke, as well as the offensive line. Lindy's lists the change in atmosphere around the program as a result of the recent success as a strength, and lists the new responsibilities of Faulkner and Parrish as potential problems.

BSU National Ranking: 94
Predicted BSU Final Standing: 3rd in MAC West
Predicted MAC West Champion: Central Michigan
Predicted MAC East Champion: Buffalo
BSU Players on Lindy's All-MAC 1st Team: MiQuale Lewis, Madaris Grant, Brandon Crawford, Sean Baker
BSU Players on Lindy's All-American Team: None
Of note: Lindy's says BSU should still be "one of the best in the league" despite the losses... Lists MiQuale Lewis as the #12 RB in the country... Lists MiQuale Lewis as #3 in the league on the Top 10 NFL Talent list... Lists the BSU-CMU game as one of "The Big Ones", or the most important games in the league. CMU appears on the list 8 times... Lists MiQuale Lewis as the 6th most valuable running back in Fantasy College Football


Athlon Sports College Football Preview
Athlon Sports is consistently one of the well-written, well-researched, and well-thought out preview publications in all of college football. However, the write up on the Cardinals in this year's publication had best be slanted incorrectly if Cardinals fans want any semblance of success come fall. The overarching theme is that the Cardinals lost simply too much talent and coaching off last year's dream season to have any shot at success. When coupled with the apparent love affair with Central Michigan and Buffalo, that doesn't spell good things for Ball State in terms of prognostication.

Athlon's magazine is chock full of unit rankings, national coverage, etc. and it is clear that the MAC doesn't generate a lot of interest on the national scene, nor does it demand respect from those that cover college football for magazines like Athlon. Out of 120 FBS teams, BSU is ranked 109. However, 4 MAC teams and one BSU non-conference opponent (North Texas) is ranked below the Cardinals. So that's good news.

The unit rankings by Athlon show either a blatant disrespect for the Cardinals or a major overvaluing by Cardinals fans. Out of 12, BSU ranks the following in terms of units, according to Athlon: QB-11, RB-2, WR/TE-10, OL-11, DL-3, LB-9, DB-3.

As for the final jab at the Cardinals, Athlon says BSU would be competitive in the MAC East, but it will be difficult "to be much of a factor in the MAC West".

BSU National Ranking: 109
Predicted BSU Final Standing: 5th in MAC West
Predicted MAC West Champion: Central Michigan
Predicted MAC East Champion: Buffalo
BSU Players on Athlon All-MAC 2nd Team: MiQuale Lewis, Madaris Grant, Sean Baker, Brandon Crawford, Davyd Jones
BSU Players on Athlon All-American Team: None
Of note: MiQuale Lewis ranked as the 11th best RB and 22nd best overall for Fantasy College Football... BSU ranked 4th in MAC for recruiting this offseason... Central Michigan the top-ranked MAC team at #69... Large piece on new coaches in the FBS. Lists Parrish's pros as his experience as a QB coach, and his cons as a lack of success as a head coach and his age. Calls his hire "strange."


Phil Steele's College Football Preview 2009
By and large, there is no better preview magazine available than Phil Steele's Football Preview. Most who cover college ball in some capacity call it simply "The Bible" and truthfully, even that is putting it mildly. Steele focuses on statistical analysis and simply loading the most information possible in a preview magazine. If you're a casual fan or just looking for college football reading material, this is the ONE magazine to purchase.

Steele dedicates pages and pages to the MAC and its members, and even goes so far as to break down the MAC stats from last year, filtered down to only taking into account statistics accrued against other MAC teams. It's impressive, it's fair, and it's packed.

As for the MAC in general, Steele falls in line with most other major publications by picking Central Michigan to win the West, but shocks many by picking Ohio to win the East, and Buffalo finishing 4th in the East. Buffalo seems to be the belle of the ball on the national scene, probably more so because of their coach than their potential, but Steele bucks the national trend and goes with the Bobcats over the Bulls.

As for Ball State, Steele touches on the losses of personnel and coaching (following the obvious) and indicates that he expects the Cards to take a few steps back from last year's dream season. Steele gives a shout to Kelly Page, and says he expects him to be "solid", but states that Page has nowhere near the supporting cast that Davis did and teams will now be gunning for the Cardinals. According to Steele, a simple winning season would be an accomplishment for this Ball State team.

BSU National Ranking: 108
Predicted BSU Final Standing: 5th in MAC West
Predicted MAC West Champion: Central Michigan
Predicted MAC East Champion: Ohio
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC 1st Team: MiQuale Lewis, Madaris Grant
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC 2nd Team: Brandon Crawford
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC 3rd Team: Michael Switzer, Davyd Jones
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC 4th Team: Sean Baker, Ian McGarvey
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC Honorable Mention: Briggs Orsbon
BSU Players on Steele All-American 4th Team: MiQuale Lewis
Of Note: BSU ranked 25th in the country for their RB unit... Ohio, CMU, Akron the MAC members going Bowling... MAC ranked 11th out of 12 for toughest conference of 2009... Ohio, Toledo, Temple, Akron all in the Most Improved Teams for 2009... Ball State's unit rankings for 09: QB-11, RB-1, REC-9, OL-11, DL-5 , LB-9 , DB-6 , ST-7 , COACH-9


So what does all this tell us about the upcoming year for the Cardinals? That no one expects much of anything from these men. And truthfully, that's when a team is the absolute most dangerous, pundits, critics, and prognosticators be damned.

An Interview with Eric Williams

OverThePylon was exceptionally fortunate in getting a chance to touch base with incoming BSU recruit Eric Williams. Williams, a 5'11" Warren Central running back who also happens to be the cousin of one MiQuale Lewis, runs a 4.6 40 and looks to carry on the great excellence at tailback that his distant gene pool has created. Williams turned heads left and right over the winter as he selected BSU over BCS conference schools, and did so in the midst of a coaching change and the high level of uncertainty and doubt that most recruits feel amidst the change over.

OverThePylon: Much has been made about the fact that you chose Ball State over major BCS conference schools. Aside from your cousin, Miquale, what were some of the reasons that led you to BSU?
Eric Williams: The main reason I chose Ball State is the atmosphere. Its close to home and it was a top 25 school which presented itself to me as an opportunity to play as a true freshman. Also, to better myself around the person who I really learned every thing i know from and that's Quale.

OTP: Speaking of MiQuale, the backfield for the Cardinals is going to be quite a crowded spot next year. Are you hoping to compete for a spot in the rotation? Is redshirting something that's being considered?
EW: There are a lot of backs at Ball State. Some have attributes I don't but I have attributes that most of them don't have. I'm more of a slot receiver type running back. I like to bail out the quarterback, keep him safe, and make his completion number go sky high. As for me in the rotation, it has been talked about but I have to prove myself first and that's what I intend to do is prove why I deserve to be on the field as a freshman.

OTP: 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?
EW: When coach hoke left my respect for him never changed but his word became nothing more but an open statement to me. The day before he left he had gave me his word that he would be staying, then the next morning he left. At that point I was gonna decommit and take my offer at the University of Louisville, but I realized that Coach Hoke didn't recruit me and make my feelings for Ball State what they were. It was Coach Stan Parrish, and most of all, Coach Eddie Faulkner.

OTP: 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?
EW: I haven't really gotten to know any of the other recruits but when i get to school I'm hoping to have a nice relationship with my teammates to make this class what it is expected to be... the best class.

OTP: 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?
EW: I'm not really a video game type guy. I enjoy playing and reading and playing with my niece and nephew. Also I coach my siblings and keep my head on straight in order to show them that they can do it too.

OTP: Be honest, now... who's a better running back? You or your cousin?
EW: All kidding aside, Quale is the better running back. He is more experienced and I'm still catching up, but i think my break away speed and will to hit is more up than his.

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Eric?
EW: To all the Cardinals out there who know me and who don't, I'm here to improve Ball State football and before I leave I will have a MAC Championship and hopefully a Heisman trophy!

A big shout out and many thanks to Eric, and here's to watching this young man run roughshod over the MAC! And you can bet that OTP will be championing his cause when it comes time to fire up the hype wagon.

Ian McGarvey Out of the Doghouse

When last we heard from young Mr. McGarvey, he of placekicking fame at Ball State University, he was getting tossed off the team in one of Stan Parrish's fist official acts as Cardinal head coach for a DUI citation and subsequent arrest on campus in February.

News filtered out of Muncie quietly and discreetly on Tuesday that McGarvey has been reinstated to the team and will participate in all team activities, trainings, etc. going forward. For McGarvey, his indiscretion netted him a suspension which amounted to around 3 months.

Terms of Ian's punishment, what he had to do, or what hoops he presumably had to jump through are mere speculation, but suffice to say that I'm sure it wasn't pleasant. So Ian McGarvey happy trails on your way out of Stan's dog house and welcome back to the team.

Morry Mannies... Hall of Famer

From a release from BSU...

Morry Mannies, who has served as the radio “Voice of the Cardinals” for the past 53 years, will be inducted into the Indiana Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame Oct. 1 at The Fountains in Carmel, Ind.

Mannies, who serves as Ball State’s play-by-play announcer for both football and men’s basketball, has broadcast over 5,300 Ball State and high school games and logged over 35,000 hours behind the microphone. He began broadcasting Ball State games while a freshman at the university. He received his bachelor’s degree from Ball State in 1960 and his master’s from the university in 1964.

In addition, the Mannies family established the Morry E. Mannies Sportscasting Scholarship in the summer of 2007. The scholarship, which was established by Mannies and his children Julie and Jeff, benefits Ball State juniors or seniors majoring in telecommunications who have a declared interest in sportscasting, have acquired sportscasting experience at Ball State and have high academic achievements as a student.

Mannies is a three-time winner of the Indiana Sportscaster of the Year Award and is a three-time recipient of the Mid-American Conference Sportscaster of the Year honor. He has been inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame, the MAC Hall of Fame, the Delaware County Hall of Fame and the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame. Mannies was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as its Silver Medal Award recipient in 2002.

A recipient of the Ball State University Alumni Association Beneficence Award in 1985, Mannies was awarded the Alumni Association’s highest honor when he received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.

Mannies will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with 1968 Ball State alum Tom Cochrun, who served as the main anchor at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis from 1986-95, and was news director at WISH-TV in Indianapolis from 2003-06. Also being inducted in October are Dick Baldwin, David Goodnow, Jimmy Mack and Anne Ryder.

Mannies has closed every Ball State broadcast for the past 53 years with his patented saying, “Good Night and Good Sports”.

Love him or hate him, the guy IS Ball State sports. Instantly recognizable, by sweater or voice, Mannies was cut from the same cloth as many of the best sportscasters of his day and time.

I've been fortunate enough to follow two programs with absolute legends at the microphone. For Kentucky, it was Cawood Ledford. And Ball State's Ledford is Morry Mannies. Two men who were both simply outstanding at what they did and let their passion for their respective games and schools bleed through the speakers one syllable at a time.

In a time when the sports media landscape is dominated by those who simply talk longer or louder than everyone else, who fling opinion and vitriol until something resonates, it's nice to see broadcasting bodies honor those who simply did exactly what they were called to do without going overboard and doing it better than most anyone else. Congrats to Morry!

Some Love for Nate

While it was a bit of a surprise who he went to and when, Nate Davis continues to bring it with the San Francisco 49ers. Despite sitting on a depth chart staring at the backsides of Shaun Hill and Alex Smith, Davis is impressing those that matter and some that don't with his arm strength, accuracy, and general awesomeness. Says Samuel Lam of MVN...

Even though this off-season's quarterback battle will mainly feature Alex Smith and Shaun Hill, would you believe that the quarterback that will benefit most from this could be Nate Davis?

The rookie quarterback out of Ball State was drafted in the fifth round and could be projected to be the team's third string quarterback. He even could end up as the fourth stringer behind veteran Damon Huard.

But how can he benefit from a battle that doesn't even involve him?

Now, the 49ers would be fools to not name Shaun Hill their starter for the 2009 season. Everything that has gone right for Hill has gone accordingly and he should be rewarded with the starting role. With an impressive 7-2 record as a starter, Hill does give the 49ers the best shot to win.

But let's say that Hill does get the #1 spot on the depth chart. Who would be #2? You would think Alex Smith will take that spot, but Davis could be a solid challenge to Smith.

Smith is the pet project of the Mike Nolan era. With that #1 overall pick status looming over Smith, the "bust" word starts to creep closer and closer around 49ers camp. The 49ers surprised some by restructuring Smith's contract to keep him around. But if he does not perform well, he should not be rewarded the #2 spot. If Davis does play better, Smith's career in San Francisco might as well be over.

Smith says that he has fully recovered from off-season shoulder surgery and would be ready to handle the upcoming battle for the starting job. But with a lot of uncertainty behind Smith, Davis would probably benefit from the battle for the #2 spot on the depth chart.

Davis has been criticized for having an unorthodox way of gripping the football. But that shouldn't take away his ability to throw the ball deep and accurately. In fact, those are the skills that I have yet to see from Smith at the pro level.

Davis looks to have more upside (and more potential) at this point than Smith does. If Davis outperforms Smith this off-season, the 49ers should not hold onto Smith as the future of the franchise. They need to let it go and move on.

Dyslexia, the learning disability that Davis has, should not be a problem for Davis as he learns the playbook. He has said that he is a great visual learner and as long as he is able to visualize the play and picture it, he will be just fine on the field.

And as Davis continues to battle for a position on the roster, he might just be good enough to make it to #2. He probably won't win the top spot, but could very well set himself for a bright future if he can show his goods in training camp. And over recent years, backup quarterbacks have excelled when the team's starter is unable to perform. In recent memory, we can find a Tony Romo or a Matt Cassel quietly taking notes as a backup. When their time came, they never looked back.

While Nate himself has said it isn't dyslexia, the point is noted. From all evidence available, Alex Smith simply isn't a serviceable starter in the NFL. Bust or not, a term which is thrown around far too frequently, it's simply a matter of economics.

Davis, as the piece suggests, brings something Smith doesn't. He brings hope. He brings optimism. He brings an unknown. Because the Alex Smith known, isn't very good. Keep it up, Nate.

Ball State's Acadmic Progress Report

In the latest Academic Progress Rate Report issued by the NCAA, Ball State University student-athletes in 18 of the school’s 19 intercollegiate athletic programs graded out better than the necessary 925 score, and 11 of the sports programs were at or above the national average for all NCAA Division I institutions.

The APR data submitted by schools across the country is for the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years. The data is a four-year average, and any score below 925 is subject to penalties from the NCAA.

Ball State’s men’s basketball program scored an 873 on the APR and as a result will be limited to awarding 11 athletic scholarship renewals for the 2009-10 academic year.

“The Ball State athletics program has a rich tradition in excelling in academics and athletics,” Ball State athletics director Tom Collins says. “We have consistently been among the highest rated institutions in the Mid-American Conference in regards to APR and graduation rates. Our men’s basketball program from the 2004 to 2007 seasons underwent some coaching changes and a number of student-athletes transferred for a variety of reasons, causing the team’s APR to fall below the required 925 score. Our current coaching staff has stabilized the program, and as always, academics is a top priority. We are excited about the academic success of our student-athletes and look forward to improvement among the men’s basketball team as we move forward in 2009-10.”

In 2007-08, Ball State’s 420 student-athletes tallied a 3.024 cumulative grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale and finished second among the Mid-American Conference’s 13 schools for the league’s Academic Achievement Award. Since the 1973-74 season, Ball State student-athletes have garnered ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors 93 times, which ranks 23rd in the nation among all schools in the history of the Academic All-America program, which is conducted by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

“Our coaching staff has laid a strong foundation for our program over the past two years rooted in four traits – character, commitment, mental toughness and dedication,” Ball State head men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor says. “We have made great strides both on and off the court having graduated all four seniors this year and having all five freshmen honored at the President’s 3.0 Scholar-Athlete Luncheon. We are focused on our future and will continue to develop quality young men throughout our program.”

Below are the scores of all 19 of Ball State’s intercollegiate athletics programs along with the national average for all NCAA Division I institutions:

BSU Team - (Nat. Avg.) - Team APR Score
Women’s Gymnastics - (983)- * 995
Men’s Golf - (963) - * 994
Women’s Basketball - (962) - * 990
Women’s Swimming - (979) - * 990
Men’s Tennis - (964) - * 987
Men’s Swimming - (967) - * 987
Women’s Soccer - (973) - * 986
Women’s Indoor Track - (965) - * 982
Women’s Outdoor Track - (966) - * 982
Field Hockey - (985) - 978
Women’s Golf - (976) - * 976
Women’s Cross Country - (971) - * 975
Women’s Volleyball - (972) - * 974
Men’s Volleyball - (971) - * 972
Softball - (968) - 962
Women’s Tennis - (974) - 961
Football - (939) - * 944
Baseball - (946) - 939
Men’s Basketball - (933) - 873
* Denotes team score higher than the national average

So what's this all tell us? For starters, it tells us that Ronnie Thompson continues to give little parting gifts to the Cardinals, this time in the form of two lost scholarships. Ones that can be returned pending improvement in the basketball APR. Thankfully, mercifully, this appears to be the last little remnant of the Thompson administration, and thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Hill, Gerberry Sign Contracts, Brewster profiled

Marking the fourth and fifth Cardinals from the 2008 departing class to sign NFL contracts, Dan Gerberry and Darius Hill both signed with a pro squad earlier this week. Hill, whom we reported a Bengals signee on Monday, a senior tight end for the Cardinals last year, was a 2008 All-MAC First Team selection after catching 40 passes for 670 yards and seven touchdowns. He also earned 2007 all-conference first team honors after receiving honorable mention in 2006. A 2007 John Mackey Award Semifinalist, Hill registered 65 catches for 926 yards with 11 TDs as a junior. He set the Ball State career record with 31 touchdown receptions and ranked third with 2,544 career pass receiving yards. Hill's 157 career receptions ranks third on the Cardinals charts, while his four games of 100 or more yards receiving ties for sixth on Ball State's career chart.

Dan Gerberry has signed with the Detroit Lions after a rookie tryout last weekend. He will attend the Lions next mini-camp May 18. A senior center for the Cardinals in 2008, Gerberry was an All-Mid-American Conference First Team selection as a senior. He started all 14 games in 2008, and started all 50 games in his four year career. He was part of an offensive line which ranked first in the MAC and fourth in the nation for fewest sacks allowed at 1.0 per game. A 2008 team co-captain, Gerberry blocked for an offense which ranked 24th in the nation in passing with 258.0 yards per game and helped H-back MiQuale Lewi set a single-season rushing record with 1,736 yards. Gerberry also protected junior quarterback Nate Davis, who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League Draft, after passing for 9,233 yards and 74 touchdowns in his collegiate career.

Gerberry and Hill join Nate Davis (49ers), Robert Brewster (Cowboys), and Andre Ramsey (Seahawks) as Cardinals on a squad at least for now. It is expected that punter Chris Miller will make #6 once opening day hits. Miller hasn't signed a contract yet, though he has auditioned for at least one squad.

The aforementioned Robert Brewster was profiled yesterday in the Dallas Morning News, and you can check that out here. Some cool video of Robert, as well as his strengths, weaknesses, fit for the Cowboys, and some quotes about him from the Cowboys OL coach.