Ryan4VT

We are getting close to the start of season! Two-a-days are right around the corner, and the season will be here before we know it. With that comes the annual Pick'Em!!! 
 
The format we have used the past 3 years works nicely. Don't have to pick every week to make the playoffs, but still rewards those who are consistent but never get that win (me). 
 
Here are the rules again:
 
1. One point per correct pick
 
2. There will be a Game of the Week (GotW), with 3 points awarded for correctly picking the winner, and an additional 2 points up for grabs if you guess the correct combined score as well. There may be dual GotWs, so there are points to be had here.
 
3. Each weekly winner will auto-qualify for the SWVA Sports Pick'Em Playoffs
 
4. There will be a weekly running total kept to settle the "wild card" spots. This also seeds those who have won a week as well. 
 
5. Tiebreakers are as follows:
     A: Correct GotW pick
     B: Closest to combined score, without going over.
     C: If both go over, closest to the correct score.
     D: If same score is picked, there will be a number picked 1-10. The number will be flowed through a reliable 3rd party poster (GMan), and whoever is closest to that number wins. We've never came down to tiebreaker D, but I guess it's good to have it before it happens. 
 
 
I will post the games for Week 1 on August 25th. 
 
Good luck everyone!!

I remember playing rec league basketball as a youth, and we would have an "A" squad made up of the better players and a "B" squad made up of the lesser players.  The A's would play the first and third quarters, the B's would play the second and fourth.  
 
Trying to build fundamentals and equalize talent at an early age isn't just limited to soccer in this country.  

To further expand on how popular soccer has become locally, I was in a store yesterday and overheard a man talking to his coworker, apparently he as trying to get a 3rd co worker to work his Tuesday and he would work her Friday. Yes this guy was willing to work the day of the 4th in order to get Tuesday off to catch the US/Belgium match. 
 
and because it apparently matters the guy was light skinned with red hair and a distinct Appalachan accent.

I have refereed youth soccer on a volunteer basis in Galax for 8 years.  When I started, we had teams in every age group through high school.  Now we have 7U and 10U, only.  Because of the high latino population of this area, we couldn't schedule matches.  Our 13U team defeated Pulaski 10-0 and could have beaten them 20-0 if the kids hadn't gotten together and decided among themselves to not shoot anything on goal for the entire second half.  After that match in 2009, our teams started showing up to matches in empty fields.  Teams started no-showing our kids without warning and forfeiting matches.  The following season, we were only able to schedule matches with North Carolina teams as all neighboring localities refused to schedule us.
 
The result has benefited Galax soccer in ways unimaginable.  We are playing many more matches and against significantly better competition.  Our varsity program, many of which were members of the team in the previously mentioned Pulaski game, won the VHSL state championship.
 
Given these kids lineage, I would assume this lady wouldn't approve.  They have, however, been awarded the VHSL state tournament sportsmanship award every year they have qualified for state competition since Galax began it's soccer program.  All while receiving blatantly racist harassment, ridicule, abuse and even, in one instance, physical assault.
 
I love the game!  it is simplistically complicated and, like most sports, teaches lessons far beyond the pitch!

I agree whole heartedly, as a youth soccer coach....I and most of the other coaches at ERSA coach fundamentals, teamwork and above all sportsmanship to the young ones.  Celebrating individual accomplishments can come later.  I see nothing wrong with giving a kid a trophy for buying into the team concept.  IMO, it's a little too early to be learning about the "real world" when you have just recently learned to tie your own shoes....Let kids be kids, while they are still kids....they have plenty of time to learn about the real world when they get a little bit older....  By the way, I gave trophies to my 6-8 year olds...and even fed them pizza and snacks after their last game....we had snack bags after each game.  Anything to encourage kids to keep coming out and playing the sport.  I feel that while they are kids, it needs to be for "FUN" and they should enjoy it, otherwise they may decide they don't want to come out next season....

All I can say is 750 kids playing at East River Soccer Complex this spring....16 teams in the U-8 Division alone.... must be doing something right...
 
 
I love soccer, my kids love soccer....that's all that matters to me....doesn't matter what anybody else thinks... that's what's great about this country.

I stumbled into two tickets this week. I guess I'll be classing up the joint this year.

Now I've got that song stuck in my head, thanks.
 
But, yeah, it's like Battle tried to select the worst possible candidate.

A 9 game conference schedule is outta wack...some folks play five home/four away while others play four home/five away.  Stick with 8 and tell Notre Dame to either go "all in" or get the f^$& out...

I know Bruce is a QB coach at heart, but if I were the Cards I swear I'd move him to TE and let him play there. The kid is physically gifted and needs to be on the field, and we've seen him truck people before. Just my two cents anyways.

just set the damn limit at "whatever" age cut off for the SR year and don't worry about all this crap...the kids who are holding back for athletic reasons won't want to miss out on a SR year if trying to continue on to college...all this screwing around at the middle school level is ridiculous. 19 years old or younger as of Aug 1st  and 4 years of eligibility from 9-12 to compete is fair for everyone...play within the rules and stop worrying about hold backs...if a kid can hold back and still meet those rules for whatever reason...athletics or academics or even just to allow a kid to emotionally mature for a year...WHATEVER...so be it...you don't need all this crap at the lower levels.  

Wait.......you mean you guys don't call us that? How dare you.......... Haha

I like how they worded his alma mater as "The Richlands" instead of Richlands High School. Now there's some respect.

Hahahaha. Had to do it man. I hope you get that fixed up. It must be something wit the cookies or something of that nature.

..........;)

I never said "poor = trash", nor would I ever imply that. There are many noble people who arexin poverty or just above. However, in the lower economic groups, you will find almost universally the human beings referred to as "trash". It's an "all A are B, but not all B are A" scenario.
 
It's a socioeconomic characteristic of many people in poverty to splurge today, because they don't know when the money will be there again. That's not opinion, either...I can point to studies that actually show this very thing.
 
Lee and Dickenson are unique, IMO. I temd to credit tghe legal system in part. Circuit Judges in those two particular counties will jackhammer your sorry a** if you get caught doing something you shouldn't.
 
As to Grayson...it is beautiful. I prefer the Whitetop area to Mount Rogers, personally. Thompson Valley is lovely, but is being overrun with those less desirable as of late.

After years of being in a heated battle with WWE, The Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Saturday, was on the Wrestlemania 30 telecast Sunday, and made his first appearance since 96 on Raw last night.
 
He apparently died this evening. No details have been released yet. But this is straight up creepy. Man was just on tv last night doing his thing and looked healthy and completely normal. Makes me wonder what happened......
 
Update: he apparently was walking from a hotel to his car with his wife and he just collapsed and died. Very sad.
 
RIP Warrior

You are really setting yourself up to look foolish by building a National Championship Trophy Case for a trophy you haven't earned yet. If the new AD was the one who made the desicion to have the case removed then that is a good sign for Tech's future. More changes are needed though if Tech hopes to win a National Championship. I think Beamer and his staff has taken Tech as far as they can. Tech will not win a National Chmapionship with the current coaching staff.
On the other hand I do think Beamer should be respected for building such a solid program and I hope Tech will let him leave on his terms unlike Bowden and Fla. St.

Babcock is exactly what VT needed.

And now here's Buzz Williams in the CBS studio with Kenny Smith, Barkley, etc.  Who would have thought a week ago that we'd be talking about Virginia Tech during the NCAA tournament?!  WHEN DOES BASKETBALL SEASON START?!

Ha, I think this is borderline inexplicable.  VT basketball was moribund at very best, maybe even dead.  It would have taken me a lot to believe that a rock star coach like Buzz Williams would even consider the job, much less take it.  This immediately injects life (back?) into the program, and creates an excitement that I haven't seen since those fun(ish) Seth days.  Williams built some tough teams at Marquette; I can't wait to see what he's able to accomplish at VT.  
 
I'm beside myself with excitement right now.  LET'S GOOOO

I think you have him confused with another recording artist...
 

 

Yes, I'm sure the fact that Junior had 6 prior restrictor plate points race wins before yesterday, had finished runner up in 3 of the past 4 Daytona 500's, and that two of his team mates finish in the top 5 along with him had nothing to do with his victory. Nascar planned the whole thing. Man, you would think with Nascar being so good at fixing outcomes they could have at least orchestrated a 1-2 finish for Junior and the #3 and maybe have even gotten Danica in the top 5.....

If you have a chance, post some more songs...I'd like to here more.  BTW, I pride my self on giving honest feedback even if that isn't what you want to here (see my signature)...

Lankford from richlands and cook from graham in finals.