Eagle in Atlanta -- atleagle.com

Flutie could be key benefactor in O'Bannon case

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:34:00 +0000

For those not following it, former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon is suing the NCAA for not sharing revenue generated from his likeness. This is a potential huge lawsuit impacting thousands of former college athletes given the millions of dollars of royalties at stake. As for Fluite, being part of one of the most famous plays in college football certainly has its benefits, but Doug does not receive any money from the NCAA. So every time that highlight is shown, ever time his picture is put on some memorabilia or he is used in a video game, he does not get paid but the NCAA does. Heck even Phelan and Bicknell Jr could be on the receiving end of some nice pay days due to their involvement.

I know there are many lawyers who read this blog, so feel free to chime in in the comments. Although O'Bannon brought the case, I imagine the class action nature of the suit will complicate things and dilute some payouts. But Flutie definitely should have money coming to him given how much others have made off of his play over the years.

I don't think this will change the nature of paying current student athletes. Hopefully it will be resolved with some clear guidelines for future use. These kids put a lot on the line and deserve to share in some of the wealth they generate.

Beanpot Champs and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:22:00 +0000

The Beanpot can often be sort of a Groundhog's day for BC Hockey. If we win it can be a springboard to a strong finish. The season is not over if we lose the Beanpot, but we've yet to win a National Championship without winning the Beanpot first. So BC's closer than it had to be win on Monday was a good start to the end of the season. As I tweeted after the game, let's roll from here.

The team is deferring to Reggie Jackson more as the season progresses. Jackson will have to step up against Wake since Trapani did not make the trip due to illness.

HD thinks Rettig will have an impact early at BC.

Beanpot Game Watches

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:14:00 +0000

A few chapters are hosting Game Watches for the Beanpot. It is a great time to meet fellow BC fans and get more involved in your local chapter. Here are the ones that sent me notes. Add yours if need in the comments section.

Charlotte
Brazwell's Pub
1627 Montford Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28209

Denver
The Pour House Pub
1435 Market Street
Denver, CO 80202

San Francisco
Shanghai Kelly's
Broadway at Polk

Washington, D.C.
Porter's Dining Saloon
1207 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-775-3797

Congrats to Carmichael, Dunbar

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:54:00 +0000

Congrats to the two BC guys who just picked up Super Bowl rings. With the win Pete Carmichael Jr (on Payton's left above) will enter next offseason as a hot coaching name. Who knows though, maybe one day he'll be back at the Heights.

I hope Dunbar gets another shot at the Super Bowl too. The ring is nice, but I would rather see him healthy.

BC storylines in the Super Bowl and other links`

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:05:00 +0000

We are nearing game time, so here are a few Super Bowl and BC links...

Jamie Silva has a professional cut his hair for the first time since 2003. Seems like bad luck to me, but this is the Super Bowl -- you want to look good.

Jo-lonn Dunbar won't play Sunday, but he will be across the field from one of his high school friends.

Recent signee Aaron Kramer has the right frame to be one of our Olinemen. Now he just needs to add some weight and strength.

New signee CJ Jones is expected to be a DB but also may get some touches on offense.

How a newspaper should blog

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:44:00 +0000

Great piece this morning on the BostonHerald.com. Instead of just reposting the game story, Steve Conroy used the expanded space to breakdown BC's last second 3-point attempt. He used good quotes and sprinkled in his own analysis. These local newspaper writers have access and a huge platform. I wish they would use it like this more often.

Still not good enough

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:38:00 +0000

I am a sucker. I keep waiting for things to click and the team to put it together and make a run. In fact, that's what's so frustrating about the past few weeks. The team is playing better but still not good enough. Today's loss to Duke was just another example of where the team was too impatient, didn't play smart defense and got bogged down too often in offensive possessions.

Likes
-- Raji hitting midrange shots. We have so little diversity in this offense and with these possessions. I hope Raji can become consistent enough to knock down those 12 footers. If he does it will open up things for others.
-- Making free throws. It is simple but it kept us in the game. If we were flexing more, we'd be getting to the line more.
-- Sanders driving to the hoop. Sanders played well. Instead of forcing things, he drove when he had space and a path to the basket. He's strong enough to get through most guys. Now if he could only improve his handle.

Dislikes
-- 3-point shooting. There is not much to say. We are terrible from outside and the misses are symbolic of the core problems on this team. We don't have enough good shooters and guys rush things.
-- Dealing with Duke's size. How many times were we going to force things inside against two or three Duke defenders? Also, we let them control the boards. Our guys were did not box out well or close on long rebounds.
-- Trapani's play. I kill Sanders, so it is only fair that I point out how inconsistent Trapani can be. He wasn't hitting his shots and didn't play particularly strong defense.
-- ESPN's scheduling. How many of you missed the first ten minutes of the game as Nova needlessly fouled Georgetown in the noon game? I did. Yet we are so dependent upon ESPN that BC nor the ACC can't say much about the disruption. The games are too stacked and there was no way we were going to see the beginning live.

Thoughts on the new schedule

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:25:00 +0000

BC only has so much control over its schedule...yet that doesn't mean we can't pick it apart! As a reminder, here is the schedule:

Sept. 4 - Weber State
Sept. 11 - Kent State
Sept. 25 - Virginia Tech
Oct. 2 - Notre Dame
Oct. 9 - @ NC State
Oct. 16 - @ Florida State
Oct. 23 - Maryland
Oct. 30 - Clemson
Nov. 6 - @ Wake Forest
Nov. 13 - @ Duke
Nov. 20 - Virginia
Nov. 27 - @ Syracuse

Here are the issues (good and bad) surrounding the schedule and my thoughts.

Herzy comes back against Weber State. Labor Day weekend has always been an awkward Saturday for BC football. Many students are not on campus yet. Many locals use it as a last weekend of the summer getaway and the Boston sports scene is distracted by the Red Sox and a major golf tournament. With Herzy's pending return, we could have used our opener to turn the game into a major event. Instead we have a cupcake in Weber State. The game will probably not be on TV and there will be 20,000 fans in the stands. Another wasted opportunity.

Soft opening. If you look beyond the marketing and momentum, opening with Weber and then Kent State will be a good for the team. Like last year we will still have some questions around our passing game and some key spots to fill on defense. Playing two easy games and having a bye prior to a home game against VT is a nice way to start the season.
October could be scary. It is a brutal five game stretch that includes our two toughest road game. The middle of the schedule also includes four of the five division games. One month will make or break the season.
Syracuse back where it belongs It will be nice to close the season with the Orange. Closing with a Big East team also means we will know our division fate well before the final weekend.

Overall this is a very fair and forgiving schedule. If we go 3-2 in October, we will certainly finish with a winning record. I won't make a final prediction yet, but we should be bowling again.

Down goes Duke and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:57:00 +0000

The BC women hit another high point in an uneven season by upsetting Duke Thursday night. Congrats to them. It was the first time we've beaten then since joining the ACC.

Syracuse fans are excited to have BC back on the schedule.

The Boston media is paying attention to Pete Carmichael, Jr.

Jamie Silva will be surrounded by BC folks in Miami.

Here are some additional recruiting links:

HD talked to recruiting coordinator Mike Siravo.

Pierre Louis is one of the keystones of this class.

Jaryd Rudolph thinks he might move to the defensive side of the ball.

Spaz placed a premium on character in this year's class.

Sean Sylvia's extra year of high school paid off.

2010 Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:13:00 +0000

Here is the first look at the 2010 schedule.

Sept. 4 - Weber State
Sept. 11 - Kent State
Sept. 25 - Virginia Tech
Oct. 2 - Notre Dame
Oct. 9 - @ NC State
Oct. 16 - @ Florida State
Oct. 23 - Maryland
Oct. 30 - Clemson
Nov. 6 - @ Wake Forest
Nov. 13 - @ Duke
Nov. 20 - Virginia
Nov. 27 - @ Syracuse

I'll have more later today.

Mega recruiting roundup on Spaz's first full class

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:16:00 +0000

With a full year under his belt, Spaz signed and announced his first full BC class. Although I am repeating myself, let me say that I try not to get caught up in the emotion of recruiting. We won't know the impact or success of these guys for two or three years. There are some definite positives though about this class as well as a few areas of concern. This is what I like:

-- Closing on QBs. When BC's first QB commit started to hedge and eventually switched to Michigan State, Spaz and team didn't waste any time and still landed two solid prospects. As the season progressed, one of those QBs, Chase Rettig turned into a real sleeper.
-- Solid Linebackers. Two of the highlights of the class are Kevin Pierre-Louis and Steele Divitto. A position of strength just got stronger.
-- Staying strong in New Jersey. The Garden State has been and should continue to be our most important recruiting territory.

Not all was rosey. I was concerned about the following:
-- Too heavy on New England prospects. I know the quality of New England football has improved, but I still feel like this class was too reliant on the low hanging fruit in our backyard. We need to continue to hit Ohio and Florida and look high and low for great recruits.
-- Not using all of our scholarships. There are two schools of thoughts on this. One is that if you don't like your the last few prospects there is more value to holding a few scholarships for transfers or next year. My opinion is that BC should always near the maximum number of scholarships and recruits every year. My belief is that there is so much attrition, you need bodies in your program. I also believe that you never know if that last flyer will develop into a great player (see Jamie Silva).

Spaz has now put his own imprint on BC recruiting. These guys will be part of the future and are now part of the family. I wish them all the best.

What does everyone else think?

Rivals ranked the class 47th overall. Scout slotted BC at 44th overall.

The ACC had a roundup of all the conference's recruits.

The focus of this article is Pierre-Louis but it also contains a quote from Spaz regarding our open competition for the QB job.

Signing Day eve and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:13:00 +0000

Wednesday is National Signing Day and we will finally meet Spaz's first full recruiting class. Look for a variety of analysis on our class, the ACC and New England recruiting. BC will also have their usual PR and profiles on the incoming recruits. Once everything is settled, I'll give my thoughts on the incoming guys.

In the later discussion on this roundtable, one of the Rivals guys already labels BC's class a disappointment.

These guys think Rettig will challenge Shinskie for the starting position. All the practices have been "informal" so far, but there is very good word of mouth on Rettig so far. Let's hope his back doesn't act up.

Tennant and McClaughlin were the only BC players invited to the NFL Combine.

Jim Noel's brother will go to Maryland if he can eventually qualify.

BC keeps talking to Matt Ryan's cousin.

BC cruises in Beanpot opener and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:16:00 +0000

BC got up early over Harvard and never looked back. This is the fourth time in the last five years they have advanced to the Beanpot Finals where we will play BU...again. That is the joke -- the "BU Invitational." Now let's hope we have a slightly different outcome from most years.

Dr Saturday is using Signing Day as a chance to rehash his defense of the recruiting systems. I disagree with him, but understand his point and analysis. My arguement is that All America teams are often selffulling based in part on recruiting hype.

One of the last recruits BC was focusing in on decided to commit to Syracuse.

The Herald had a good article on Sanders' struggles this year. I think the injury is part of the problem but Rakim is forcing things and has yet to show that he understands his own weaknesses.

Beanpot prep and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:25:00 +0000

Because Monday is February 1, the Beanpot starts early this year. The Globe did a nice job of asking players from each team about the event and what the tourney means to them. BC plays Harvard in the opener at 5 pm ET.

The Super Bowl is bringing some media attention to Jamie Silva, including recounting his dumpster diving.

The BC women improved to 3-4 in the ACC with a win over Miami.

Could Matt Tennant be snapping the ball to Matt Ryan again? Tennant was one of the Centers the Falcons tracked this week.

Another BC Center, Dan Koppen was honored in his home town this weekend.

This is a nice article on how Marty Reasoner changed his game to hang on in the NHL.

Another wasted opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:10:00 +0000

In a way this game was as frustrating as losing to the midmajors earlier in the year. The team played well defensively and controlled most of the game, yet fell apart on their late possessions. Supposedly one of the benefits of everyone coming back this year was that they would have more experience. We have the benefit of spending more time on strategy and execution. Yet, with the game on the line we took bad shots and let Florida State escape with a victory. Here are my thoughts. Leave yours in the comments section.

Likes
-- Trapani getting good baskets and playing good D. Trapani picked up a lot of points on putbacks. That should be a big part of his game every week. He also played very good D -- probably the best of all our frontline guys.
-- Trapping with Elmore. This is becoming a nice change of pace and threw FSU off its game for long stretches.
-- Hitting big 3s. They finally started falling for us. Of course it wasn't enough.
-- Sanders improving. He still made dumb mistakes (like getting in foul trouble early) but did provide many positive plays. I wish he could do it without the mistakes.

Dislikes
-- Too many wasted possessions because of the shot clock. A lot of this is on Jackson, but the guys are not moving to help him. Still, Reggie has to have a better idea of when to go to the basket.
-- Not enough passing. Sanders and Jackson were both black holes where the ball did not escape. They need to be patient and get others involved.
-- Late game strategy. None of the possessions were great but even the last one was nonsense. Why are we taking so much time and not even getting a shot off? Terrible.

Who knows what to expect. The team is playing better, but they've now squandered two conference games with poor decision making. So much for turning a corner.

Tennant's good week and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:22:00 +0000

Matt Tennant made the most of his week in Mobile. All the Koppen comparisons can't hurt his draft prospects. I think Matt is going to be very good at the next level but his size is going to hurt his standings with some scouts and GMs. On the flipside though is that Seattle, Houston, Tampa, Green Bay, and Washington are all running Alex Gibbs' zone schemes and Tennant is well verse in the techniques.

BC picked up another Hockey East win by beating Providence Friday night.

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association nominated BC's Kevin Moran for the Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in the nation.

BC is still in the mix for OLine prospect Sean Hickey.

Praise for Roche and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Pat Duquette took some time to talk about Tyler Roche and his impact on the team. Roche's season has been a microcosm of this year. He started well, but struggled with injuries and then finding minutes and his role. Now let's hope his solid play of late is the key to a strong finish.

The BC-Under Armour relationship got a small mention in this article on UA's continued growth.

Former BC Tight End and Jack SR son, Bob Bicknell joined Chan Gailey's staff in Buffalo.

As I tweeted yesterday, Chase Rettig is considered one of the sleeper QBs in this recruiting class.

Florida WR Curt Evans is one of BC's targets for 2011.

Clemson follow up and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:28:00 +0000

ESPN's broadcast crew had good things to say following the game:

As I predicted Sunday, the PR train for Pete Carmichael has begun.

This is a great read on incoming BC basketball recruit Kevin Noreen's high school. Because Noreen is climbing up the state's record books, his "unconventional" high school is facing criticism for other coaches and educators.

BC lost out on recruit Bruce Gaston. Compounding the snub was the fact that he used a Red Sox hat when playing the hat game at the press conference. No respect. All sorts of bad karma will be headed his way from the hat gods!

BC continues to recruit New Jersey the old fashioned way, while Greg Schiano covers the state in his helicopter. Both schools have interest in 2011 prospect Anthony Sarao.

Despite his size, Matt Tennant is grading out well at the Senior Bowl. There is also a Tennant note buried in this article too.

HD doesn't rank the Alumni Stadium experience very high among ACC schools.

Former Eagle Chris Snee is back in the Pro Bowl.

Did we just turn a corner?

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:48:00 +0000

Solid win and dare I say, a potential season changer. We developed a model for success against Miami. We showed at VT that we can compete. Tonight we took control of the game midway through the first half and then built up a dominant lead. As importantly we held on in the second half. There is still a long way to go, but the ACC is mediocre this year and we can conceivably beat every team left on our schedule. We could also lose. But before I get ahead of myself, here are the things I liked and disliked about the game. Leave your thoughts below.

Likes
-- Reggie Jackson as the spark. Cool stat from Twitter: "Final Reggie Jackson update of the night, with Jackson on the floor BC was +26, without -20". Reggie was also clutch in making his free throws in the final minutes.
-- Elmore knocking down open shots. Is it me or is Elmore becoming a good change of pace? He also seems to understand the flex better than guys who have been around longer.
-- Good defensive rotation. Other than becoming a bit passive when Dunn got in foul trouble, we did an excellent job switching on defense.

Dislikes
-- Still being too careless with the ball. I understand that Clemson's style of play is going to create turnovers, but we had some stupid turnovers...Raji with a careless travel...Jackson with a carry...Jackson and Paris both getting in the air and making poor passes...Sanders driving into traffic. It was very frustrating.
-- Trapani forcing 3s. The first one helped, but the others just clanged. Trapani needs to be closer to the basket on offense.
-- Too many possession straying from the flex. We had better flow on offense and were more efficient, but our half court still wasn't great. The guys need to move and screen better in the flex.
-- Southern's defense. He was pretty ineffective. Dunn did a much better job with Clemson's bigs.

As I said, the season could go either way, but I think these guys are starting to get "it". I now just wish Al would give Reggie a few more minutes and run the offense through him.

Davies road to recovery and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:42:00 +0000

This amazing story on Charlie Davies is a must read. Despite his serious injuries and multiple surgeries, Davies now has a chance to join his US teammates in South Africa for the World Cup.

BC added Tahj Kimble to the recruiting class. Like Montel Harris he is a running back from North Florida.

In this blog entry on Michigan, Andy Katz also touches on BC's troubles.

The Eagles didn't fret much about losing Tyrese Rice because he had a bit of an enigmatic personality and tended to drift. But what Rice could do, and had the respect to do it among his teammates, was get the Eagles refocused at times if the situation called for it. Biko Paris, who took over for Rice, doesn't have the demonstrative personality and neither does Reggie Jackson or Rakim Sanders. Senior Tyler Roche doesn't have that personality trait and neither does Joe Trapani. Yet, a lack of leadership in key moments has led to BC floundering in home games it should have won like against Rhode Island, Harvard and Maine.

Skinner keeps talking about our effort and consistency. I just want to see a Clemson game where we don't get behind by 20 points.

Get to know Pete Carmichael Jr

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:51:00 +0000

With the Saints now in the Super Bowl, you will probably start to hear the name Pete Carmichael, Jr a lot in the next two weeks. Carmichael is the coordinator of the high-powered New Orleans Saints offense and of course he went to BC.

BC fans might not realize the Carmichael connection since he played baseball, not football, at the Heights. Pete's dad, Pete Carmichael, Sr, was a long-time BC assistant under Yukica, Bicknell and Coughlin.

Pete Jr hit many of the same stops as other BC guys including a stints at UNH and Louisiana Tech. His big break came in New Orleans as he got high profile positions like QB coach and now OC. In most years Carmichael would be a hot name and tabbed as a "genius" and whatnot. But with Sean Payton still calling the plays, Carmichael is left a little bit in the shadow. I think that will change this week as Payton and Brees will have a chance to shine the light on their valuable OC.

Some hoped Carmichael would be interviewed for the Head job at BC after Jags was fired. I never got confirmation if he was interested or even seriously discussed. Now with his ascendancy into the NFL's biggest stage, we may not get a chance to ever see him on the Heights. Regardless, it is nice to have another BC connection to the big game.

Bad bounce in Blacksburg

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:19:00 +0000

That was a tough loss because BC was the better team for much of the game. A few bad whistles and a few bad decisions down the stretch decided the game. I don't think this team has turned everything around, but I think today was another indicator that they can compete. They need to finish strong and try to get to .500 in the league. Here are my thoughts on the game.

Likes
-- Dallas Elmore's Defense. Once he got in the game, he really shut down VT's best player in Delaney. He also was a positive force on offense. I think he has now earned regular minutes.
-- The ball going through Reggie Jackson. Yes, there were a few bad possessions that ended in shot clock violations and yes he lost the dribble late, but Jackson played well and seems to be getting more comfortable with the game on his shoulders.
-- Corey Raji hitting open looks. If the other team is going to give Raji those midrange jumpers, he needs to nail them and he did.

Dislikes
-- Another slow start. This team had to dig out of a hole again. They need to play better defense right from the start.
-- Sanders still not getting it. He had three turnovers (and could have been credited with two others). He forced shots. He still is not a positive force. He needs to play with his back to the basket and dominate smaller players. Instead he wants to drive. I hope he turns it around soon.
-- Offense against the 2-3 zone. The guys didn't move the ball well or penetrate earlier enough into the possessions.

Fortunately the next three games are at home. I don't know which version of the team will show up, but things are looking up.

BUmmer: BU tops BC again in OT

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:26:00 +0000

After a thrilling 3rd period where BC forced OT, BU put a damper on the night with an early game-winning goal. All reports say that it was a thrilling game. Conte was packed and it was back and forth. Yet even in their down year, the Terriers always seem to have our number. Maybe we will get revenge in the Beanpot.

Herzy's return and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:16:00 +0000

The big news of the day was Herzy's return to practice. As he explained to ESPN in the clip above, his leg strength is not back, but his upper body is nearly where it was precancer.

You can see his hair start to sprout back in this link.

The women's basketball team lost a close one to UVA Thursday night.

Jags and TOB both made HD's best of the decade list. TOB also made the best of the Big East coaching list for his work at BC. HD had BC as her third best ACC program of the decade.

Big recruit for women's hoops and other links

noreply@blogger.com (ATL_eagle) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:05:00 +0000

BC landed the commitment of mega recruit Justine Hartman. The California native is now the centerpiece of the 2011 class and should compliment the already strong 2010 group. If we were recruiting like this in football or men's hoops, the hype would be through the roof.

Earlier this week Pat Forde lumped our basketball team with other historically underachieving programs.

Even though they didn't win the conference, HD ranked the 2007 team as the 3rd best ACC team of the '00. She also listed the comeback at Lane Stadium as the best game of the decade.

Herzy's younger brother won Jim Henry Award. Brad is headed to Brown next year and will play along side Matt Ryan's younger brother.