Comments on: Black and White http://www.the-a-line.com/2010/09/black-and-white/ It is what it is, unless it is not Tue, 01 May 2012 06:00:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Not-a-Hoo http://www.the-a-line.com/2010/09/black-and-white/comment-page-1/#comment-1147 Not-a-Hoo Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:26:43 +0000 http://www.the-a-line.com/?p=1616#comment-1147 Sometimes you're the windshield.  Sometimes you're the bug.  We've had a lot more windshield moments than we have bug moments since 1993.  And they'll come again.  Sometimes you’re the windshield.  Sometimes you’re the bug.  We’ve had a lot more windshield moments than we have bug moments since 1993.  And they’ll come again. 

]]> By: Atlee http://www.the-a-line.com/2010/09/black-and-white/comment-page-1/#comment-1144 Atlee Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:10:44 +0000 http://www.the-a-line.com/?p=1616#comment-1144 At this point in the season, I'm just hoping for good tailgating weather.  That's what I'm now looking forward to the most.  In fact, if tailgating were suddenly banned, I'd just stay home. I'm not sure but that the football coaching staff may have finally screwed the pooch.  Beamer still hasn't lost his stubborn streak, nor given up on his core philosophy of defense and ST's will win games, and the offense just don't lose games. He also used to be pretty good at "managing expectations".  Apparently he has forgotten how to do that.  Instead of talking about the seriousl lack of experience on D, and the missing left tackle and left guard, he was full out talking about and pretty much agreeing with any talking head that VT was a dark horse candidate for the BCS Championship Game. What we heard was how this team had the fastest overall team speed ever.  {Although the slowest members of the team must reside on the kick off coverage team}  How the defense was fast enough to help cover some of the holes left by graduation. When you build the fan bases expectations beyond all reality, it really comes back to bite you in the arse when the team begins 0-2, including a lost to a D1AA team. At this point in the season, I’m just hoping for good tailgating weather.  That’s what I’m now looking forward to the most.  In fact, if tailgating were suddenly banned, I’d just stay home.

I’m not sure but that the football coaching staff may have finally screwed the pooch. 

Beamer still hasn’t lost his stubborn streak, nor given up on his core philosophy of defense and ST’s will win games, and the offense just don’t lose games.

He also used to be pretty good at “managing expectations”.  Apparently he has forgotten how to do that.  Instead of talking about the seriousl lack of experience on D, and the missing left tackle and left guard, he was full out talking about and pretty much agreeing with any talking head that VT was a dark horse candidate for the BCS Championship Game.

What we heard was how this team had the fastest overall team speed ever.  {Although the slowest members of the team must reside on the kick off coverage team}  How the defense was fast enough to help cover some of the holes left by graduation.

When you build the fan bases expectations beyond all reality, it really comes back to bite you in the arse when the team begins 0-2, including a lost to a D1AA team.

]]> By: Atlee http://www.the-a-line.com/2010/09/black-and-white/comment-page-1/#comment-1143 Atlee Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:01:40 +0000 http://www.the-a-line.com/?p=1616#comment-1143 While I agree Weaver will squeeze the last ounce of blood out of a turnip, please don't put all of the BSU game change on Weaver.  One thing is for sure in the athletic department.  Nothing connected to the football program happens without the complete agreement of Beamer. There is no way in Hades Weaver would have/could have moved that October game with BSU to a Labor Day night leaving only 4 full days available to the team to heal, prepare, and practice if Beamer did not give his blessings to it. While I agree Weaver will squeeze the last ounce of blood out of a turnip, please don’t put all of the BSU game change on Weaver.  One thing is for sure in the athletic department.  Nothing connected to the football program happens without the complete agreement of Beamer.

There is no way in Hades Weaver would have/could have moved that October game with BSU to a Labor Day night leaving only 4 full days available to the team to heal, prepare, and practice if Beamer did not give his blessings to it.

]]> By: Greg http://www.the-a-line.com/2010/09/black-and-white/comment-page-1/#comment-1141 Greg Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:31:39 +0000 http://www.the-a-line.com/?p=1616#comment-1141 I believe this disaster is nothing more than Frank's riding the crest of a big wave finally crashing upon the shore of irrelevence and big Jim's obsession for $$$$$$$$$$.  As mentioned above, our coaches used to be hungry.  Now they are fat and happy.  They used to have something to prove, now they feel they've proved it and it seems cashing in on all those endorsements and contracts is worth more.  It all started, in my mind with Frank's discontinuance of two-a-days in summer practice.  Why on earth, I have no idea.  Those brutal workouts build stamina, strength and a desire to get out and kill somebody.  But, old Frank stopped them - an early sign of Frankie going soft?  Then there's the year in and year out whiffs on recruiting.  Sooner or later losing those top calibre defensive line, linebacker and secondary recruits will begin to show.  This is the year it finally happened.  Even Bud with his vaunted coaching ability cannot, apparently work his magic on this bunch.  Then there is "give me the money" Weaver.  Any AD with an ounce of sense would have foreseen what VT was up against this year, especially with the young, inexperienced and totally untested defense.  But good old Jim moves a very important game from mid October to the first week of the year, knowing full well that the defense may not be up to the task.  Judging by their performance this past Saturday, this defense needs all the JMU's , directional Michigans and Strawgraspers it can get before playing the big boys.  Then, there's only a 5 day rest between game 1 and game 2, further stressing the young defense.  On top of that, if game 1 is unsuccessful, then the emotional let down would have to be handled by that totally untested, young defense in a very short week.  Guess what!!!  The entire scenario lined up on the negative, just as could be predicted.  I certainly hope old Jim is happy with his extra $1M for moving the game.  I suspect what it cost this program in respect and future income is going to be a lot more than $1M. What does it really matter if VT wins out the rest of the year?  We freaking lost to JMU!!!  Think about it for just a minute.  Where has Michigan been since losing to Appy state?  Nowhwere until Saturday's win against the domers.  It has taken them a full 3 years to even return to some semblence of respect.  The no 13 team in the land losing to JMU would be akin to VMI losing to Radford High School for crying out loud.  I don't really think the heavy drinkers of O&M Kool Aid have any idea the severity of this loss, what it really means and what is probably going on internally right now within the program.  Oh, that's right, Frank doesn't have to worry.  He's nearly untouchable at this stage of his career.  His call in phone calls are screened on Monday nights.  He is insulated from the real world with his "I win 10 games every year and go to a bowl game every year" mentality has replaced reality.  Well Frank, time to wake up, take a deep breath and smell the stench that is the rotting corpse of your once-proud football program.  Your long run of bowl games and 10-win seasons is in deep distress.  It may be already too late to salvage much of anything from the carnage this year, but you'd better darned sight make some massive changes in the off season. I believe this disaster is nothing more than Frank’s riding the crest of a big wave finally crashing upon the shore of irrelevence and big Jim’s obsession for $$$$$$$$$$.  As mentioned above, our coaches used to be hungry.  Now they are fat and happy.  They used to have something to prove, now they feel they’ve proved it and it seems cashing in on all those endorsements and contracts is worth more.  It all started, in my mind with Frank’s discontinuance of two-a-days in summer practice.  Why on earth, I have no idea.  Those brutal workouts build stamina, strength and a desire to get out and kill somebody.  But, old Frank stopped them – an early sign of Frankie going soft?  Then there’s the year in and year out whiffs on recruiting.  Sooner or later losing those top calibre defensive line, linebacker and secondary recruits will begin to show.  This is the year it finally happened.  Even Bud with his vaunted coaching ability cannot, apparently work his magic on this bunch.  Then there is “give me the money” Weaver.  Any AD with an ounce of sense would have foreseen what VT was up against this year, especially with the young, inexperienced and totally untested defense.  But good old Jim moves a very important game from mid October to the first week of the year, knowing full well that the defense may not be up to the task.  Judging by their performance this past Saturday, this defense needs all the JMU’s , directional Michigans and Strawgraspers it can get before playing the big boys.  Then, there’s only a 5 day rest between game 1 and game 2, further stressing the young defense.  On top of that, if game 1 is unsuccessful, then the emotional let down would have to be handled by that totally untested, young defense in a very short week.  Guess what!!!  The entire scenario lined up on the negative, just as could be predicted.  I certainly hope old Jim is happy with his extra $1M for moving the game.  I suspect what it cost this program in respect and future income is going to be a lot more than $1M.

What does it really matter if VT wins out the rest of the year?  We freaking lost to JMU!!!  Think about it for just a minute.  Where has Michigan been since losing to Appy state?  Nowhwere until Saturday’s win against the domers.  It has taken them a full 3 years to even return to some semblence of respect.  The no 13 team in the land losing to JMU would be akin to VMI losing to Radford High School for crying out loud.  I don’t really think the heavy drinkers of O&M Kool Aid have any idea the severity of this loss, what it really means and what is probably going on internally right now within the program.  Oh, that’s right, Frank doesn’t have to worry.  He’s nearly untouchable at this stage of his career.  His call in phone calls are screened on Monday nights.  He is insulated from the real world with his “I win 10 games every year and go to a bowl game every year” mentality has replaced reality.  Well Frank, time to wake up, take a deep breath and smell the stench that is the rotting corpse of your once-proud football program.  Your long run of bowl games and 10-win seasons is in deep distress.  It may be already too late to salvage much of anything from the carnage this year, but you’d better darned sight make some massive changes in the off season.

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