legend11

Slight problem with this "GET RID OF UGGLA" stuff: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/ugglada01.shtml#contracts The Braves still owe him $13 mil/year for two more years. He ain't going anywhere, fellas, unless it's to AAA ball. Hate to say it.

Wait. Did Alabama win that game or not? Because judging by that article...

Six drops is the official tally. http://hamptonroads.com/2013/09/after-dropfilled-opener-hokies-receivers-put-extra-work-jugs-machine

Here's a 22 minute video of every play of the game: Watching this, I have nothing to add to the analysis, except one thing: I counted at least 8 dropped passes, 6 at the very minimum. Logan Thomas' numbers weren't Logan's fault. We need guys who can catch the ball. When I was sitting in the stadium, this game felt over after the pick-six. Watching that video, I now see that we had other chances to possibly claw our way back into the game, to make the game feel more competitive, even after that pick. It also seemed that on the few chances we had to create and sustain a drive, we had unfortunate penalties (holding, illegal formation, etc.) that slowed us down. All in all, I like the way our team is constructed from the inside out. If our O- and D-Line stay tough (and that's a big IF), that will keep us close in games this year. And Blueinbama, you were asking about McCarron. It was briefly discussed last year, but he is the classic "game manager". He's going to always keep a high completion percentage, but not necessarily pass the visual test that, say, RGIII did or Andrew Luck did. He does exactly what Saban asks; nothing more, nothing less. And obviously that's enough considering the rings on AJ's fingers haha.

#beatbama

After the Rutgers game last year, writers at thekeyplay.com created the #beatbama hashtag slightly out of jest, and slightly out of irrational support for VT. Then it took on a life of its own. Earlier this week, they came out with this article. Excuse the language. #BEATBAMA was never about beating Alabama. It was about sacking up. It was about running head first through a loss. It was knowing you're too short, but laying out anyways. It was about getting fired up and not backing down. It was about not wanting to hear one more damn word about how much Alabama was going to win by. It was about believing in these new coaches, the players, owning this offseason, and not rolling into a ball. It was about pride and scoffing at Vegas' line. It was about making the dumb choice, hope and faith over logic, that you'd repeat over and over. A retweet from Spencer Hall, one of my favorite writers: Am I fool for believing in my team? Am I a fool for loving my school? Am I am fool for just betting every piece of my soul I have on the underdog? Yes. I would go to New Orleans one billion times and back and watch us lose the Sugar Bowl. I would go there one billion times and blow my lungs out and watch Danny Coale catch that ball. I'd go there one billion times over and have my guts ripped out my mouth. I'd go there, I'd go to Death Valley, I'd go to to FedEx, I'd go to Miami, I'm going to Columbus, I'm going to South Bend, I'm going to Ann Arbor, I'm going to Madison, and I'm going back to Atlanta. I will go anywhere, everywhere, to watch the Orange and Maroon, decked out in orange and maroon, because that's what HokieNation does. It was never about beating Alabama. It was about us. The 2013 season is here. Get yourself right, and let's fucking go. Link: http://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2013/august/26/it-was-never-about-beating-alabama

Good article from Grantland: http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/70601/get-lucky-and-dont-screw-up-the-secret-to-the-atlanta-braves-success The Atlanta Braves are suddenly on an 11-game win streak, 13½ games up on their nearest division rival. How in the world did that happen? In a way, the 2013 Braves are an extension of their 15-year run of National League dominance, an achievement the likes of which we’ll probably never see again. Anyone who rooted for another NL East team near the turn of the century probably quivers with anger at the memory of an Atlanta team that was almost perfectly constructed to dispassionately steamroll all comers, year in and year out. It was an awesome sight to behold, or it would’ve been if I hadn’t been angry enough that my eyes were bleeding while it was going on. Books have been written on the success of the Cardinals, A’s, and Rays, and could be written on what the Pirates and Astros are doing now. But the Braves’ dynasty wasn’t about swimming against the current or seeking out every small advantage — it came together almost by accident, but once it had, it was a master class in avoiding the fatal mistake. You can’t count on drafting two future Hall of Famers in the span of a couple years, but the Braves fell into Tom Glavine and Chipper Jones. You can’t count on adding a third Hall of Famer in an unremarkable trade, and yet John Smoltz–for–Doyle Alexander happened. And sure, signing the best pitcher in the league to a big free-agent contract is a pretty safe move, but nobody could have foreseen Greg Maddux winning the Cy Young in each of his first three years in Atlanta. Acquiring and developing these players took skill as well as luck, but it’s not all that uncommon for a team like this to come together. What set those Braves apart is that once that team came together, it never stayed completely static. General manager John Schuerholz assembled the best starting rotation of all time and was unafraid to let any piece go when the time was right. Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Steve Avery, Kevin Millwood, and Denny Neagle were all cashiered when better value could be had. None of the team’s signature position players — Ron Gant, Ryan Klesko, Terry Pendleton, Fred McGriff, Andruw Jones, Javy Lopez, Jeff Blauser — got the kind of contract (except Chipper Jones, who hit like one of the five best third basemen of all time until the very end) that leaves the Phillies annually on the hook for $25 million of largely ineffective Ryan Howard, or saddles the Yankees with (at least at the moment) a $45 million left side of the infield that’s played a combined six games in 2013. The Braves never spent big money on a closer, rolling over relief aces year to year and turning young guys who threw hard into 30-save men five years before Billy Beane made it cool. This was made possible by a relentless stream of homegrown players, many of whom came from Georgia, the Carolinas, and northern Florida. Blauser became Rafael Furcal, Marquis Grissom became Andruw Jones, and Lopez (not immediately, but eventually) became Brian McCann. Schuerholz didn’t win so consistently because he bet big and won. He just made a series of small moves, most of which paid off, and he avoided the killer mistake. And while the current Braves are under new leadership, Frank Wren’s team is largely built the same way. [h=3]Get lucky[/h] Wren pounced on Justin Upton, Dan Uggla, and Jordan Walden in trades when all were undervalued. Andrelton Simmons is probably the best defender in the game, but there was no guarantee he’d hit even as well as he has in the major leagues. Kris Medlen pitched way over his head last year. Evan Gattis is a Disney movie character who fell into the Braves’ lap. And Chris Johnson, a throw-in in the Upton trade, is leading the National League in batting average, which might be the most ridiculous stroke of all. [h=3]Buy local and build from within[/h] The Braves sit in the middle of a hotbed of amateur baseball, and they own it, as is borne out by their extraordinary hit rate on high draft picks. Simmons was drafted out of a junior college in Oklahoma and Medlen and Freddie Freeman came from California. But many players were drafted by the Braves in the third round or higher from a school in Georgia or a state that abuts it: McCann, Mike Minor, Jason Heyward, Alex Wood, Craig Kimbrel, and Jordan Schafer. [h=3]Avoid the big mistake[/h] The Braves have actually had a lot of things go poorly, especially in recent years, from two key bullpen arms blowing out earlier this year to Heyward and B.J. Upton struggling mightily this season. But there’s always a solution, and the organization is never hesitant to go to it when things go bad. When shortstop prospect Tyler Pastornicky cratered last season, in stepped Simmons. When Tommy Hanson was used up, Wren dumped him for Walden. By refusing to throw good money after bad, Wren has avoided the fatal wound and the Braves are in line for their third playoff appearance in four years while their would-be competition, the Phillies and Nationals, have soiled their proverbial beds. It’s a methodical, unsentimental, not-particularly-innovative approach. But it works.

A-fraud.

Ha, no no. It's the Heat's league to lose again next year. With that said, a healthy Bulls team could give them problems. Add to that the LaMarcus Aldridge trade rumors and the Bulls could put themselves in really good shape to compete in the East.

Yep, and Marvin Harrison just called Ray Lewis and said, "Hernandez is doing it all wrong..."

We also can't forget about the voting rights act case, and the affirmative action case ruled on this week, both of which have sent political pundits and bloggers into quite a tizzy. That's three high profile cases in three days. Is that normal?

And most of those teams are in the NL Central. The Cards can't lose right now (even though they lost yesterday...), and it figures that the first year the Pirates are any good, they're 3rd in their division. Poor Bucs. But 4 NL teams having a better winning % than the best AL team? That's unheard of. What I find fascinating is that the Braves, Cards, Reds, and Pirates (the four teams ahead of the Red Sox) have all more or less built their teams through drafts and development. Good to see these teams' patience starting to be rewarded.

And above all else, it was an entertaining game to see. Good meeting you, Ryan!

I applaud the work of President Steger as he transitions out. He moved our school forward academically, and showed great leadership during one of the toughest times a university could face.

Well, it depends. Will this school make sure that the kids have enough protein and minerals in their daily diet that supplement what various meats can provide? If so, then this is a fine thing. Having lived in New York and knowing school teachers there, I can tell you that the school lunches are the same basic crap we all ate growing up in southwest VA. Rectangular pizzas, tiny burgers, frozen fried fish... A "vegetarian" diet certainly adds more nutritional value to a growing child than what's currently offered.

So instead of answering my questions, you claim you were being sarcastic. This would actually surprise me if it hadn't happened so many times before on these forums. And exactly what have I said to lead you to believe that I "coddle these animals"? I want you to copy and paste the words that made you believe that.

Nice job, David! Something as important as the donation itself is him spreading the word about how easy it is. Hopefully many more people will get involved.

Nope, I'm not offended at all. It's just that everything you post is so void of logic and so far from reality that I'm consistently perplexed. Do you even know the definition of "conservative" and "liberal"? Do you sincerely think that conservatives wouldn't agree to take the couple of days it takes to actually find out who did this? I'm all for punishing this bastard to the fullest extent. But to suggest that it's "liberal" to want to take a minute to figure out who the bastard is, is patently absurd and simply false. I suggest you take a step out from under whatever rock you're living, and take a look around for a minute. You'll find a world that operates much, much differently than the way you view it.

So then how do you suggest we figure out who "they" are? Who are you going to drop into tar? Surely you wouldn't do something like take the time to acquire data and let evidence mount; that's just so politically correct and needs to be avoided at all costs.

There's nothing more inspiring than marathon day. Here are tens of thousands of people who put forth months and years of training to prepare for those exact 26.2 miles, and being there to see them achieve such an accomplishment is a wonderful thing to witness. Yet here we are tonight facing a tragedy when we should be celebrating the accomplishments of so many. I can only think of the unimaginable fear that those who were near the explosions are feeling right now. There's no preparing for moments like these; I just pray this is the last. My deepest sympathies are with those affected by today's events.

Ha, I agree. Not only do I want to see them swept, but I want the Nats to always lose in heartbreaking fashion like they did last night.

Nine. And. One.

Wait, this isn't too surprising??? Oh... http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9131624/auburn-tigers-coaches-bribed-players-altered-grades-broke-recruiting-rules-gene-chizik-according-report Report: Auburn bribed players Auburn's football program changed players' grades to secure eligibility, offered money to potential NFL draft picks so they would return for their senior seasons, and violated NCAA recruiting rules under former coach Gene Chizik, according to a report by former New York Times and Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts. The report appears on Roberts' website, Roopstigo.com. According to three former Auburn players, as many as nine players' grades were changed before Auburn's win in the 2011 BCS national championship game. "We thought we would be without (running back) Mike Dyer because he said he was one of them, but Auburn found a way to make those dudes eligible," former Auburn defensive lineman Mike Blanc told Roberts. In an interview with AL.com on Wednesday, Blanc denied saying that quote. Blanc later tweeted: "Man this article is outrageous and isn't true." According to the report, Auburn coaches offered money to players for any number of reasons, including as a means to convince players to bypass the NFL draft. Darvin Adams, a former Auburn wide receiver, told Roberts that coaches offered him cash to keep him at the school. Blanc and Mike McNeil, another former Auburn player, told Roberts the money amounts reached "several thousand dollars." "Coaches would say, 'Don't tell anyone where you got it from,' " Blanc told Roberts. McNeil told Roberts he had a meeting with then-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, now Florida's coach, in 2007. Muschamp denied McNeil's account to Roberts through a spokesperson. "I had no clue what it was about because I'd never directly asked him for anything," McNeil told Roberts. "He slid about $400 over to me. He went into a drawer and gave me money and said, 'Is this enough? Is this good?' And I said, 'Yeah, I'm good.' " Blanc told AL.com later Wednesday his knowledge of the payments was second-hand. "Yeah. Me, personally, I don't have any direct knowledge of it," Blanc told AL.com "You just hear stuff. I'm pretty sure other guys on the team that know more, like guys that were closer to Darvin and these other players I know. Darvin probably would have told those guys. I know Mike and Darvin were really cool. Maybe Darvin could have shared some information with Mike. But, me, personally, I don't know nothing factual that any guys got any money." An Auburn athletic department spokeman declined comment to AL.com, as did Chizik's agent, Russ Campbell. McNeil is awaiting trial for armed robbery stemming from a March 2011 arrest. In June, his former teammate Antonio Goodwin was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his part in the incident. Ben Hand, McNeil's former attorney, maintained McNeil's innocence to Roberts. Former Auburn defensive back Nieko Thorpe told Roberts that Auburn, in a team meeting, threatened players' scholarships if they contacted McNeil, Goodwin or the two other players arrested. McNeil told Roberts he felt Auburn used him as a scapegoat at a time when the Tigers faced negative publicity from allegations that the father of star quarterback Cam Newton had asked for money during his son's recruitment. An NCAA investigation found Auburn committed no major rules violations in the Newton case. "Maybe there is a fear in Auburn's mind that Michael knows too much," McNeil's father, Clifton, told Roberts. "Their fear is that Michael will expose the family secret. It's a way to silence him." Thorpe also told Roberts the coaching staff far exceeded its NCAA-allotted per diem for entertaining recruits. Thorpe said coaches gave players $500 to entertain current Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, even though the NCAA reportedly limits expenses to less than $50 per day. Thorpe also tweeted Wednesday that he was "misquoted" in Roberts' story. Roberts defended her reporting to AL.com, saying she feels players are feeling pressure to soften their quotes. "I think it's very difficult to take a strong stance and to tell the truth and then to have to deal with the consequences in a place where I think the story even shows that there is a great deal of pressure to keep what's in-house, in-house," Roberts said. "I think the entire sort of umbrella of the story explains just what's at risk for people who step outside the bounds. In some ways, it almost dovetails with the story that they may not know exactly what's going on. They may feel that kind of pressure to then alter what they said to me." All of these allegations happened under Chizik, who guided Auburn to its first national title since 1957 after the 2010 season. Chizik was fired after a 3-9 season last year.

Ha, my guess is that the NCAA will figure out a way to screw up this case, too.

Plumlee and Withey?