Collegiate Stadiums

Collegiate Stadiums

NCAA FBS College Football Stadiums, Attendance, Stats, History & Travel Blog

Tag Archives: Kristi Dosh

Game Recap: Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia versus Auburn

I was one of the first people in the press box at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but that was good as it gave me time to settle in.

 

Seated beside me was Lyn Scarbrough from Lindy’s Sports and he was nice enough to spend the evening talking to me. I also had time to talk to Kristi Dosh and Chadd Scott for a few moments. Bryan Fischer and Spencer Hall were here but I didn’t get to meet either of them.

 

I have a different style of game recap that should be coming out on National Football Authority so I put together a more dry version for here.

 

Side Note: I managed to get a parachuting cow for my wife.

 

Game recap:

 

The Chick-fil-A Bowl was played in front of 72,919 fans, the 15th straight sellout for the bowl. The crowd was loud, but since both the Auburn Tigers and the Virginia Cavaliers wear the same colors, it was hard to distinguish which team had the most fans in attendance.

 

The game itself was an intriguing matchup of a young, but talented, Auburn team versus a methodical, veteran Virginia squad. However the game was ultimately decided on special teams plays.

 

Virginia received the open kickoff and went 34 yards on nine plays before punting the ball to Auburn, tackling the Auburn returner at the seven yard line.

 

Auburn looked tentative on their first possession and was unable to convert for a first down. The Tigers immediately punted the ball back to Virginia after just three plays.

 

The Cavaliers quickly went 64 yards on just five plays for a touchdown on a balanced drive that saw both running and passing plays go over 20 yards each.

 

Auburn again floundered on offense with a four play, 12 yard drive that lasted just 56 seconds before they again punted the ball back to Virginia. The Tigers also lost starting quarterback Clint Moseley on the last play of the drive and the game was starting to look like it was getting away from the Tigers.

 

This time Virginia had a little more trouble moving the ball, only gaining 11 yards on six plays. Garrett Harper then blocked the punt for Auburn and the Tigers took over at the Virginia 15 yard line, in great position to tie the score.

 

Auburn did just that with a quick two play drive, capped off with a three yard rush by Kiehl Frazier.

 

The Cavaliers were only able to hold onto the ball for two plays before running back Perry Jones fumbled the ball on a nice play by the games defensive MVP, Chris Davis, and Ryan Smith recovered the ball for Auburn.

 

The Tigers had a little more trouble moving the ball on this possession, only gaining five yards on the drive and ending with no points after kicker Cody Parkey missed from 44 yards out.

 

Virginia took over at their own 27 yard line and drove for the go ahead touchdown in 10 plays, finishing with a six yard reception by Kris Burd.

 

Auburn was determined to not let Virginia pull away as they gained 60 yards on their first play when running back Onterio McCalebb, the games offensive MVP scampered down the left side line for the big gain. A few plays later McCalebb ran the ball into the end zone from three yards out to once again tie the score, this time 14-14 after the extra point.

 

Auburn again used special teams to keep momentum on their side by executing a beautiful onside kick that was recovered by their own kicker, Parkey.

 

By the Tigers maintaining possession of the ball, the Virginia defense seemed to lose their energy and Auburn drove 59 yards in just 5 plays for another touchdown on a one yard run by Frazier.

 

Virginia countered with a promising drive that had plays that included a 17 yard run and passing plays of 11, 16 and 17 yards. However the drive stalled at the Auburn 15 yard line and the Cavaliers lined up to attempt and short field goal. Instead, the play was a fake but the intended receiver tripped and Virginia was stopped short so Auburn took over at their own 12 yard line.

 

The Tigers again took advantage of the Virginia special teams mistake and took just 3:32 to drive 88 yards for another touchdown. The big play on the drive was a 28 yard pass from Barrett Trotter to McCalebb and the touchdown play was a 25 yard pass from Trotter to McCalebb.

 

With just 54 seconds before halftime, Virginia managed to get off six plays, including passes of 25 and 29 yards, allowing kicker Robert Randolph time to kick a 24 yard field goal to end the half and cut the Auburn lead to 28-17.

 

Auburn received the second half kickoff and drove 80 yards on nine plays that finished on a 22 yard touchdown run by Tre Mason.

 

Virginia countered with a touchdown drive of their own when running back Kevin Parks scored from a yard out with 6:20 left in the third quarter.

 

Auburn took over at their own 25 yard line to begin their next possession, but was stopped after five plays and punted the ball back to Virginia.

 

The Cavaliers took over on their own six yard line, and barely avoided giving up a safety when quarterback Michael Rocco was sacked at the one yard line. However another special teams mistake did lead to a safety for Auburn when Angelo Blackson blocked the Virginia punt out of the end zone. This gave Auburn a 37-24 lead, the ball and momentum.

 

Auburn returned the free kick 62 yards to the Virginia 15 yard line but had some trouble moving the ball on this possession. The Tigers were also called for a personal foul penalty which made for a long field goal attempt but Parkey was again able to convert to extend the Auburn lead to 40-24.

 

Virginia worked a nice eight play drive but it finally ended on an incomplete fourth down pass and Auburn took over at their own 33 yard line.

 

The tigers moved the ball 47 yards on eight plays and were aided by a 15 yard personal foul penalty on a late hit by Virginia. Parkey added another field goal to make the score 43-24 in favor of Auburn.

 

Virginia unsuccessfully tried to score once more when Rocco was intercepted by Auburn with just 6:57 left in the game.

 

Auburn finished out the game with a clock eating, ball control possession that saw them kneel on the ball at the Virginia four yard line, then celebrate the victory by dancing with fans and catching parachuting stuffed Chick-fil-A cows.

A Thank You to All Who Have Helped Me

I’ve had an online presence for years, but never really put much time into it till recently. For years, all I had a basic website that was actually just a homemade html script that I wrote myself in notepad and had to manually update.

As social media grew, I finally decided to start using twitter about a year and a half ago when my brother and I went on our bowl tour. To be honest, I didn’t really understand how it worked, got frustrated when I only had about 20 followers after a few weeks and quit using it till last college football season.

After spending a week back on twitter, it finally clicked on how to use it in a way I enjoyed. I learned how to engage other users. Those users that responded back to me varied from crazy fans to college football bloggers to high profile members of the media.

Since my favorite sport is college football, I decided to only follow certain types of accounts. I focused on official school athletics accounts, college football awards accounts, college football bloggers who knew what they were talking about and national sports writers.

I think it is amazing that if you are following two users who are conversing back and forth, you can read what they are talking about, possibly inject your own question or opinion, and often times receive a response back, even if the conversation is between two people you have never talked to before in your life. I kind of liken it to being at a huge party, and you are working the room, meeting people, and entering and leaving private conversations as the other parties invite or ignore you.

As someone who is terribly shy in person, twitter was a great way for me to gather the courage to ask questions of people I would never have a chance to meet in real life and often get actual, personal responses. This story focuses on some of my favorite follows on twitter, with a few small Q&A’s from people who have helped and encouraged me along the way.

Once I got the basics of twitter down, I really started to enjoy my time using it; in fact, probably way too much for my wife’s liking. One tweet from Toledo’s athletic account (@UTRocketsdotcom) had a link to a website called StadiumJourney.com, which has stadium and arena reviews for just about every venue you can come up with. They currently have 48 writers on six continents and 11 countries!

Thankfully, co-founder Paul Swaney (@PaulSwaney) was very receptive to me when I asked a few questions and allowed me to write a guest review of Beaver Stadium. Fortunately I wrote it well enough that he asked if I would become a writer for the site on a more permanent basis. While the exact layout of my region has changed a little over the past year, I am the Appalachian Regional Correspondent for the site and enjoy going to sporting events I would otherwise never dream of attending.

In just one year, I have covered 35 different stadiums for the site, with all but a few being via free tickets or on media credentials provided by the teams. As I started going to events I got to experience some amazing things and meet some people who gave me the desire to put more time into my website.

As I focused on making sure that I didn’t hurt the image of bloggers when I scored my first credential, I sent an email to someone that always has answered my questions and is a respected member of the media, a sports writer for the Washington Post, Patrick Stephens (@D1scourse). Stephens was kind enough to send me a long email back with all sorts of hints and tips, which really eased my nervousness.

Thankfully the SID at the school I was credentialed for was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He allowed me to attend the post-game interview, spend over 30 minutes conversing with me, and just generally made me feel at ease.

This got the ball rolling and colleges and minor league teams became more willing to provide me with credentials. This allowed me to be able to gather better pictures and write my reviews on site, along with the opportunity to meet a few members of the working media, who always seem curious when the conversation turns to my college football stadium travel goal.

As I got to baseball season, I really started to get the itch to write about college football since I enjoy it so much more. I spent more time on twitter and came across some people who would respond to my questions, helped spread the word about our ESPN Fanwiches contest entry, and offered advice on running a blog.

Stephens, along with Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB), Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) and Michael Felder (@InTheBleachers) helped gather votes for the Fanwiches contest from their followers.

At this point, I also learned that I was eligible to become a member of the Football Writers Association of America, something that has been a neat experience, getting random gifts in the mail from bowls and being allowed to attend Big East Media Day as I reported on a few weeks ago.

McGuire was kind enough to travel along with me to Big East Media Day, and Mark Ennis (@mengus22) met up with us there. Ennis even got me out of my shell and convinced me to converse with various people and promote my goal.

As I got back from media day, I focused on writing better for my site and Felder and McGuire have always been there to provide help when I need it. One other person who has helped me out a ton is Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres), who offered me an opportunity to post some of my stadium experiences on the Crystal Ball Run website.

Since I have a record number of trips lined up for this fall to visit new stadiums, thankfully a good number of the schools have been kind enough to provide me with credentials, which will allow me to write game stories and experience some amazing things, which I will be sure to include on the site. I hope that you will continue to come back, and check out my writings and follow along my journey to visit 142 college football stadiums.

Since this story is about the people I love to follow on twitter and the people who have helped me, I have managed to score a few short twitter and college football related Q&A’s with Swaney, Torres, Felder and McGuire which are posted below, then I provided my top college football twitter follows.

 

Q&A with Aaron Torres:

1) What are a few of your favorite accounts to follow on twitter?

Truthfully, if I’ve learned one thing in my time in the blog game, it’s to follow as many accounts that you find fun/interesting as possible. Twitter is a great meritocracy. It’s not exclusionary. If I find you interesting, I will follow.

As for my favorites?

Well, if you’re looking for great overall college football content, I highly encourage @DrSaturday, Yahoo’s Matt Hinton. Matt writes the way I wish I could; smart, concise and with a tone that’s easily readable for everyone. For humor, I follow @EDSBS, which is Spencer Hall at Everyday Should Be Saturday. While I’d like to one day write like Matt Hinton, I know that I’ll never be able to write like Spencer. Matt is more of a technically sound writer, while Spencer Hall is just crazy funny. For anyone not following him, you’re doing yourself a great disservice.

As for others, from the “newsier side,” my favorite national writer is probably CBS Sports Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyCBS), my favorite beat writer is either Travis Haney (@TravHaney), new to the Oklahoman (formerly at South Carolina) or Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) who covers Tennessee. Both are fun, engaging and really talented writers. Also Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) from College Football News is awesome for strictly SEC stuff. I’ve gotten to know him really well over the last year, and no one knows the SEC better. If you’re looking for someone to tell you about the back-up right guard on Auburn’s depth chart, he’s your guy.

 

2) How would you describe to someone what they would get if they followed you on twitter?

Well it’s funny. Sometimes I feel like I’m on Twitter all day, am constantly finding funny and interesting links to share, conversing etc. Others I’m barely on there.

As for what you’ll get, well a few things. For one, I always try to respond to anyone who engages me. What I love about Twitter is that it breaks down all walls, and puts you directly in touch with the person you’re trying to speak with. So if someone is nice enough to take time out of their day to ask me a question, comment on an article of mine, then I usually respond. Just as long as their comment isn’t “You suck.” Understand, I don’t mind criticism, and actually embrace it. If you tell me why I suck, then we can talk. Chances are probably pretty good that I do suck. Just be mature about it and tell me why.

Besides the engagement, I just like sharing fun links, and of course posting my articles and podcasts.

 

3) What sites do you write for beyond Crystal Ball Run and Aaron Torres Sports?

As of right now, no. But if you Googled my name, you’d see my work in all kinds of funny places. Previously I’ve been a staff writer at BetUS.com, a contributor at Slam Online and AL.com, and also had a few things published by Sports Illustrated back in the day.

But as of right now, it’s just those two.

 

4) What draws you to college football?

I love everything about college football. I love how each coach and team have their own unique personality (unlike the NFL where just about everyone runs the same offense). I love the passion of the fans, and that in some places, college football means a little too much. But really, the thing I love about college football is what most outsiders hate, the lack of a playoff.

The way I’ve always seen it is like this: Take a television show like Seinfeld. Know how some people say it’s the funniest thing on TV, and others think it’s terrible? Well, the show isn’t terrible, people just don’t “get,” it. They don’t get the jokes, the unintended humor, the “this couldn’t possibly happen but it’s still hysterical” anyway nature to the shows.

And really, that’s how college football is: You either “get it” or you don’t and those who don’t get it never will. But the same things those people complain about, mainly lack of a playoff is what I love the most. College football has a playoff. It’s called every single Saturday. Lose today, and your season could be over. You might not get a second chance. You might not get a “wild card.” Which is what makes college football great. Every Saturday feels like life and death. And in a contextual sense, it is.

Just look at this season. Know why there’s so much fuss about Jordan Jefferson right now? Because any college football fan knows that if he doesn’t play and LSU loses, they might not get a shot to play for the title. Same with Oregon and Cliff Harris. Same with the loser of Oklahoma-Florida State, or LSU-Alabama (if they’re both undefeated). And that just isn’t the case in any other sport. If Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning or Alex Rodriguez gets in trouble and gets suspended, it means nothing. The team names the replacement, moves on, wins or loses and moves on to the next game. It isn’t quite that easy in college football.

And that to me is what I love above college football. To me, it’s the greatest reality TV show on television.

 

5) Do you prefer watching college football live or on TV?

I actually prefer watching at home. The primary reason being that I feel like I’m missing too much by going to the stadium. As someone who writes about, and needs to have opinions on the sport, I don’t think it’s fair to me as a writer, or for my readers if I’m writing about the sport when I’m not watching it.

Now with that said, I do try to get to at least one stadium a year. I’m not opposed to going to 1-2 more, it’s just kind of how the opportunities present themselves. Last year I had the chance to take in my first SEC game at Ole Miss, and this year, I’m trying to talk my buddy into going to a game at Wisconsin (random, I know. But he’s originally from Minnesota, so it isn’t really a stretch). I’ve also been to Michie Stadium, amongst others, which I know is one of your favorite places to watch a game. It’s mine as well.

 

6) Do you watch all the games on TV like Sun Belt Tues or just the bigger games?

Truthfully, I try to watch as much as I can, but at some point, you’ve got to allow yourself to have a bit of a social life. In particular, if I know I’m going to commit all day Saturday to watching college football, all day Sunday writing about it, and most every Thursday night too, then usually give myself Friday night’s off. I’ve missed some good games in the past, but at some point, you’ve got to get away from the TV/computer, and try to live your life.

However, I will confess this: Tuesday night Sun Belt football allowed me to first cross paths, with a man who is now very near and dear to my heart, and quite possibly my favorite coaches in college football.

It happened two years ago when Hawaii played Louisiana Tech mid-week, and I couldn’t help but admire Tech’s coach Derek Dooley.

The day that Tennessee hired him, I knew they’d made a great decision. And it was thanks to Tuesday night’s with the Sun Belt.

 

Q&A with Michael Felder:

1) What are a few of your favorite accounts to follow on twitter?

I think any good list has to start with @bomani_jones a guy who is always thoughtful and really looks not just at sports but at where things fit in the general context of the world. I’d also recommend @Andy_Staples from Sports Illustrated, knows his ball and mad respect for his barbecue crusade. @BryanDFischer, @Adam_Jacobi, @CNPatterson3, @TomFornelli and the rest of the @Eye_On_CFB staff at CBS really hammer down the sport as well. That’s where I’d start me list.

Outside of that a personal favorite of mine is @wafflesgirls because they are hilarious.

I highly recommend following your team’s beat writers and specific blogs. They’re more informative than national people and often can and will be more interactive than national writers and personalities that are bombarded with mentions daily.

 

2) How would you describe to someone what they would get if they followed you on twitter?

Great question and a tough one, yet easy one to answer. Easily stated, they’re going to get me. What makes that tough is describing all that entails. I’m very football-centric and I try to answer all my replies but I also have a life outside of the game so that gets tied into twitter as well. They’ll get food, television, fun drink times and some social commentary as side dishes to the observations, opinions and knowledge that I drop on football.

 

3) What sites do you write for beyond where I have found you at Crystal Ball Run and In The Bleachers)?

Onside Kick (OnsideKick.com and @Onside_Kick). A great site with both NFL and CFB articles a special “stream” feature that allows users to compile their own “reader” of sorts to get their team’s news and/or updates from their favorite writers. The Onside Kick team is one I’m proud to be a part of with guys I’ve looked up to and have really helped me during my growth as a writer. Names like Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) and Matt Zemek (@MattZemek_CFN) really make the site go, I’m a nice add on to what they bring to the table.

 

4) What draws you to college football?

I grew up in the Southeast and always loved college football. Whether it was going to Dowdy-Ficklen with the ECU alumni i call my parents or hitting Kenan to see the Heels I was a big fan growing up. What sealed the deal was getting to see big time football atmospheres like Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Clemson as I went through high school. The atmosphere is unrivaled by any other sport and I say that as a guy who has been to UNC-Duke basketball match ups.

Playing ball at UNC was the icing on the cake and being involved on so many levels helped grow the knowledge that I have now. It is a unique experience that truly shed a lot of light on not just the nuance of the game but the underbelly of the college football world.

 

5) Do you prefer watching college football live or on TV?

Tough choice here because I love being in Kenan on game day. The smells, the friends and most importantly the ability to see the entire field like every old safety wants to. There really is no place I’d rather be than Chapel Hill in the fall. Well, no place besides my couch, with my remote, my beer, my food and my friends.

I can’t go long before I need some Chapel Thrill in my life and the memories made make every trip worthwhile but I watch more games from the climate controlled fortress that is my house than I do in the seats. But best believe I’ll be in Kenan for the home opener to open the Blue Zone.

 

6) Do you watch all the games on TV like Sun Belt Tues or just the bigger games?

All the games. I love Sun Belt Tuesdays. It is great for those kids to get some shine on the national stage and it is always a fun event. People complaining about it can just turn the channel.

 

Q&A with Kevin McGuire

1) What are a few of your favorite accounts to follow on twitter?

For all-around college football and more, I enjoy @IntheBleachers @Mengus22 and @Aaron_Torres. For information, any of the CBS college football writers will get the job done, with @McMurphyCBS and @dennisdoddcbs leading the way, and @MrCFB always good for some conversation.

 

2) How would you describe to someone what they would get if they followed you on twitter?

Twitter can be tricky and a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it and start decided what you want to use it for, it will open up plenty of doors. I’m not looking to follow people who tweet pictures of their lunch or complain that it is Monday. I’m on Twitter for real-time information. Find the right people to follow and it becomes my leading news aggregator and source. Everybody uses Twitter for different reasons and you need to understand what you ultimately want to get out of it. Whatever you decide, there will be people to follow to help you get what you are looking for, whether it is sports, entertainment, politics, video games or whatever else you can think of.

 

3) What sites do you write for so people can find your work?

I am the national college football writer for Examiner.com, where I also cover Penn State football, the Philadelphia Soul and the video game industry from time to time. I am also a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering mostly Penn State football but dabbling from time to time with the entire college football scene and the Philadelphia Phillies. I also host a podcast and BlogTalk Radio show, and the website I have set up to be the home base for that, in addition to my college football commentary that may not be suited best on Examiner (try to stick to news headlines) is No2MinuteWarning.com.

I am also the editor and lead writer for Nittany Lions Den and a contributor to Crystal Ball Run. As if that weren’t enough, I have my own personal blog, KRMcGuire.me. I’ll spare you all of the Facebook links for now.

 

4) What draws you to college football?

I have always loved college football since I was a kid going to Penn State games. To me it’s a much more fun game to watch than the pro game, because I get a sense the games mean more to the players. Going to a Division 2 school (Shippensburg) I feel allowed me to enjoy the game on a different level many people do. It gave me a few years to just watch the game of football be played without distractions off the field and without being overly commercialized. To me, the college game has grown and become a business in many aspects, but it is still more enjoyable for me to watch a bunch of college kids battle for victory rather than a paycheck. Leave your OSU, Miami and USC jokes at the door please.

 

5) Do you prefer watching college football live or on TV?

I cover games in person, but I very much enjoy when I can sit at home and watch games on tV, from the comfort of my couch in sweat pants and a sweatshirt on a big screen TV. Look, being at a game is a great experience, especially for the big ones, but when Penn State is playing Eastern Michigan I feel I can get more enjoyment out of watching the game at home than being in person.

 

6) Do you watch all the games on TV like Sun Belt Tues or just the bigger games?

I don’t dedicate myself the way a guy like Phil Steele does, but if a game is on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday the odds are very good I’ll be watching on TV or on the computer, no matter the conference. And since I work from home during the week, I’m very likely to have on replays on TV while I work when they play them on various networks such as ESPNU or CBS Sports, or online via ESPN3.com etc.

 

Q&A with Paul Swaney:

1) What are a few of your favorite accounts to follow on twitter?

To be honest, I’m still not completely in love with Twitter. Most of my favorite accounts to follow are non-sports related, although I do like @sportspickle, and @DatDudeBP

 

2) How would you describe to someone what they would get if they followed you on twitter?

For a long time I only utilized the @StadiumJourney account, but lately I’ve been using my own personal account to share more of my personal thoughts and articles that I run across that are interesting

 

3) Do you write for any sites besides StadiumJourney.com?

I began writing for Bleacher Report back in 2009 and gained enough confidence as a writer there to start StadiumJourney.com

 

4) What draws you to travel to stadiums?

I love to travel in general. Seeing different parts of the country and the world is a real privilege, and a great way to experience different places you might not otherwise see. Sports is just an excuse. I love sports as well. When you combine my two favorite hobbies, then this became a natural fit.

 

5) Do you prefer watching college football live or on TV?

I like watching on TV because I can change the channel if the game becomes uninteresting, but the experience is only fulfilling when you see a game in person.

 

6) Do you watch all the games on TV like Sun Belt Tues or just the bigger games?

I’ll watch pretty much any sporting event, but any FBS football game will be on my radar. I’m a bit of a movie hound as well, so if I’m at home there’s either a sporting event or a movie on.

 

Finally, my top College Football twitter must follows (In completely random order):

  • @Andy_Staples
  • @InTheBleachers
  • @KegsnEggs
  • @mengus22
  • @KevinOnCFB
  • @Aaron_Torres
  • @jppalm
  • @DanWetzel
  • @Mark_Schlabach
  • @BFeldmancbs
  • @stiffarmtrophy
  • @CFBPundit
  • @PeteThamelNYT
  • @ChipBrownOB
  • @MrCFB
  • @bylawblog
  • @SportsBizMiss
  • @DrSaturday
  • @richarddeitsch
  • @TeddyGreenstein
  • @aadelsonESPN
  • @D1scourse
  • @murphsturph
  • @JayChristensen
  • @PDBuckeyes
  • @ThayerEvansFox
  • @JenniCarlson_OK
  • @FO_College
  • @CFBZ
  • @Matthewcelder
  • @McMurphyCBS
  • @bubbaprog
  • @BrianDFischer
  • @Mattsarz
  • @NunesMagician
  • @AthlonSteven
  • @DanWolken
  • @BlatantHomerism
  • @CfbToday
  • @CornNation
  • @eyeandeer
  • @IntelligentCFB
  • @Year2
  • @CrystalBallRun
  • @GeorgeSchroeder
  • @Brian_Ewart
  • @PeteStellaFOX
  • @LisaHorne
  • @CoachesBTN
  • @FBSchedules
  • @Pollspeak
  • @ScottEnyeart

Today’s Best

Today’s picture is of the all-black uniform that Texas Tech will wear this season.

All black Texas Tech uniform for 2011

Today’s Best is going to be real short because the first article is so good.

If you only read one of these links all week, maybe even all month, it needs to be this article from Kristi Dosh on why the Perryman article about the economic impact on the state of Texas if Texas A&M moves to the SEC is nothing but a scare tactic.

Then again, if you want to read more, try the following:

You can debate Lane Kiffin, who I refer to as the “worst coach in FBS” with the guys at Crystal Ball Run.

Matthew Elder has the opposite opinion of me on the Roger Goodell ruling on Terrell Pryor and I think it is always worth reading the opposing sides point of view. Don’t worry, I still believe Goodell was 100% correct in what he did.

A link via Brian Grummell again with more about how bad the USC ruling by Paul Dee and company was. In fact, the ruling was so bad that USC and AD Pat Haden are still considering suing the NCAA.

An idea for commissioners for NCAA sports.

Finally, I leave you with what I thought was a joke of a picture, the Cy-Hawk trophy which will be awarded to the winner of the Iowa State-Iowa football game each year. Yikes!

The Cy-Hawk trophy

Interesting Links

I have a collection of links that I have been meaning to post and I never seem to get around to it, so that is my goal today, to basically “dump” all of the links into a post. Then I will try to make it a daily or every other day type of post on my site so the links are more relevant. Sorry this one is so long, but it is what I selected after sorting through over 1,200 bookmarked links.

Of course, lets start with my first ever guest column, which covered Michie stadium for Crystal Ball Run.

The Fiesta Bowl has been taking hotel kickbacks just like every other bowl does. Not sure why it is a surprise but here is the story.

Howard Schnellenberger retired and FAU put together a nice slideshow of his career, while smart football wrote this nice article. If you want a different take on Schnellenberger, try this story from Andrea Adelson or the official release from FAU.

Phil Steele has released his bowl projections for 2011.

This story just proves that USC believes that they are the pro team in LA and are using their Coliseum lease to keep the NFL away.

Here is a story about the King and his strikeout call which I got to experience when I met him the other week.

Michael Felder explains on Crystal Ball Run why the Pro offense is still the best.

Kristi Dosh explains here take on what the final conference expansion will look like, and it is really good.

A story on how John Aderhold is the reason the Georgia Dome actually got built.

Here is a simple one, Sports Illustrated’s preseason top 25.

Jenni Carlson gave us this great Boone Pickens story.

Virginia Tech is having a special ceremony for Frank Beamer before the Appalachian State game for 25 years as Head Coach.

Surprise! James Laurinitis used HGH. Shock!

John Infante always does good work, but this really shows the issue with the NCAA.

Tony Barnhart explains how the SEC and ACC will not go to 9 conference games, which I wish the B1G would re-consider. Unbalanced conference schedules are just plain silly.

Ralph Nader is a different person, and now he plans to sue the BCS.

Picture provided by Jay Paterno of the 1975 Sugar Bowl press conference held at a Howard Johnson hotel

Another great story from Kristi Dosh on why athlete’s are never going to get paid.

Awesome post from eyeandear on 25 hated figures in college football history.

Brian Ewart might focus on Villanova hoops but he nails conference expansion talk here.

A collaboration from Andy Staples and Stewart Mandel as they give us 10 reasons to love college football.

Gregg Doyle is dead wrong in this story if you ask me. I don’t understand how it is good to ban twitter or other social media. Jenni Carlson explains why the athlete’s should be allowed to use twitter.

Lost Letterman took a look at what happened to the guy who stalked Erin Andrews.

A cool photo of the Liberty Bowl taken by Kevin Reed and shown on capturememphis.com

 Beyond the Bets has released his predicted points spreads for all 796 FBS games.

Real neat story on the last words from the late Randy Walker to Dan Persa from Thayer Evans.

I hope Notre Dame promptly fired who every designed those helmets

The above photo is from Lost Letterman which appears in this story about the terrible shamrock helmet of 1959.

Michael Felder again here with his take on how hard training camp really is. I’ll trust him on this since he played for UNC.

Another surprise from an Ohio State guy, according to ESPN, Gordon Gee would rather save his job than do things the right way.

UNC boosters are thinking about suing the athletic department because they believe that Butch Davis was only retained as long as he was to help raise funds from alumni.

Allen Kenney takes a look at why the Longhorn Network will kill the Big XII.

Kristi Dosh tells us why you better be ok with being poor at first if you want to work in sports.

Jerel Worthy shows off his tattoo of Sparty slaying the Michigan wolverine

A very troubling story about agents and how schools and coaches manipulate their players.

A video from the 1940 Mississippi State game at Alabama.

A good story by Matt Zemek called “The Pressure of Poverty” which shows the opposite side of his “The Pressure of Prosperity” article.

USA Today article on why you keep getting those annoying calls to buy season tickets. Temple and Syracuse are the worst in my experience from the 17 or so schools and bowls who contact me every year.

The NCAA plans on having an agent registration program. Question is, what took them so dang long????

Spencer Hall of EDSBS made it on the Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio. Here’s the audio.

The Iron Bowl was used by police to track down dead beat dads and arrest them. Watch the video, it is worth your time.

George Schroeder, who has the best twitter avatar ever, delivers a great story on how the PAC 12 might not be in a good position to expand anymore.

Michael Felder explains better than I did why polls are outdated and should be changed.

I’m sure you all saw the “JT” wristbands that the Ohio State players were wearing. Here is a story on why Ohio State took them away. Personally I think they should have just said “Cheat.”

 

A photo of the "JT" Jim Tressel wrist bands

 

A site that is quickly becoming one of my favorite, eyeandear again with 10 coaches who will not make it to February.

Georgia announced that they are a few years late to the party and finally got a fan text system at Sanford Stadium.

Another story on why nine-game conference schedules are no good.

Bryan Fischer wrote this story on how Colorado lost their way in football and how head coach John Embree plans to rebuilt the program gold brick by gold brick. John Embree also gave CBS is take on paying players, which he things should be done after they graduate.

New logo of the Famous Idaho Potato BowlOn the way home from Big East Media Day, I told Kevin McGuire that I hoped they named the Idaho Bowl the Potato Bowl and well, they didn't disappoint.Kristi Dosh shows us why athletic departments are broke, they overspend on facilities.Iowa sued Southern Miss for having a similar logo and won.Iowa defeated Southern Miss in court for having a similar logo

 Boise State agreed to not wear blue-on-blue uniforms at home for conference games, but the Mountain West doesn’t have a penalty if Boise State wears them. Apparently they can’t wear all orange either.

At Big East media day, the print media portion of coach interviews were winding down right as I was about to get a one-on-one with Skip Holtz. Then I looked up and Pete Thamel of the NY Times came over and I gave up my spot since he is a better reporter. This isn’t the story from the Holtz quotes, but it is a good story on the Big East and how they are going to get a large amount of money for their TV contract.

Kevin McGuire wrote this story on his Big East media day experience at the clambake.

Bryan from PittScript wrote this story outlining the relationship between the head coaches of WVU and Pitt.

A fluff piece on how cheeseburger lover Charlie Weis blamed Florida for eating his cheeseburgers. 

The Big East wants to poach Maryland and Boston College. I guess they like schools that can’t sell out small football stadiums.

Felder again with a guide to make you a better fan.

John Infante again with a “just do it” story on making student athletes just athletes. He believes that the majority of fans will not even notice and thus, still show up in large numbers.

Andy Staples loves college football and BBQ. Since he gets paid to write about college football, he is giving us his BBQ advice for free. Read it, study it, and enjoy it. You can’t go wrong listening to the guy who directed me to the greatest food I have ever eaten, Archibald’s in Tuscaloosa.

Bo Pelini still blames the Big XII refs for the Nebraska loss against Texas A&M. Funny that A&M is now sticking it to the Big XII.

A story by Pat Forde on yard markers. It’s much better than it sounds.

One of the best panels ever put together on the issues with college football.

Eric LeGrand still wants kickoffs.

UCF is so desperate for fans that George O’Leary asked fans of other schools to support his team after their games are over. So sad…

The Mountain West may be going broke.

Ohio State needs to look at the Oregon compliance department and learn how to track memorabilia.

Year2 looks at if defense or offense sells tickets. A great analysis.

Joe Posnanski on why people stay loyal to college teams.

Tim Hyland wrote a great piece on why he can’t wait for college football season to begin.

Aaron Torres scored a podcast with Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo.

Andy Staples gave us CASH, now he gives us LOOT.

Navy and Notre Dame have extended their contract through the 2026 season.

The B1G came up with this logo for their Championship Game

 Pat Forde explains why college athlete’s really aren’t as poor as everyone makes them out to be.

Here is a look at what might happen to college sports if the NCAA folds.

Another reason why Lane Kiffin is one of the worst coaches in FBS, or why you shouldn’t go for two very often.

Smart Football with a long story on the theory of football offenses.

A very accurate story on how Maryland isn’t a football school and a story on the Maryland’s athletic department is broke.

Probably the most important story in years and almost no one has talked about it. The Virginia Tech helmet study.

The Price of Victory in college football from Black Heart Gold Pants.

FO College gives this look at why Keith Jackson is his favorite. Since Jackson is my favorite announcer of all time, I loved the article.

A ticket from the 1952 Senior Bowl

 It’s a basketball story, but Kristi Dosh explains how a coach can bring in millions for an athletic department.

USC has had traveler as a mascot for 50 years. Here is a story about traveler’s history.

Traveler has been USC's mascot for 50 years

 If you want more mascot history, here is the history of the Lobo at New Mexico.

An old photo of the New Mexico Lobo mascot

 SmokingMusket gave a great look at future WVU schedules and why they like to play in NFL stadiums.

Brian Grummell of CFBPundit gave his top 10 college football coaches and his bottom 10.

The trophy for the Hawaii versus Wyoming rivalry is missing. Below is a picture just incase you happen to find it.

A picture of the missing Paniolo trophy, awarded to the winner of the Hawaii versus Wyoming game

 Aaron Torres had one of the best articles of the summer on what if Tim Tebow had played at Alabama.

Idaho came up with this great Mark Schlereth bobblehead

 I consider this the best of all the articles I have read from John Infante. It basically talks about how it is time for schools to decide if they are either in or out of the NCAA.

Utah provided a link that has every media guide since 1948!

Felder put all the current FBS programs into tiers.

 Finally, all the way from basketball season, Kristi Dosh shows how the B1G shares ticket revenue. Something most conferences don’t do.

Meeting my Sports Travel Heros plus the King, the Prince and the Sporting Puma

Andrew Kulyk, me, Peter Farrell, the King, Paul Derrick, the Prince

As I alluded to in this article, there are two particular people who inspired my desire to visit every FBS and bowl stadium; Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell from The Ultimate Sports Road Trip.  Yesterday, I got a chance to catch up with them at a Jamestown Jammers game, along with Mike “the King” Casiano, Gary “the Prince” Herman and Paul “the Sporting Puma” Derrick.

It was a great opportunity to pick the brains of the best, and most famous sports travelers in America, if not the world. It also helped ease the pain of my decision to cover the Erie Seawolves for Stadium Journey instead of joining the King, the Prince and the Sporting Puma in Cleveland where they witnessed Ervin Santana’s no-hitter.

 

The Ultimate Sports Road Trip, Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell

Peter Farrell and Andrew Kulyk of The Ultimate Sports Road Trip

Kulyk and Farrell were the first ever to attend a home game for every NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB team. In all, at the time of the projects completion, it was 121 teams in 102 venues spread around 49 cities.

The Ultimate Sports Road Trip finishes the journey

Kulyk and Farrell continue to visit profession venues as teams expand stadiums, build new venues, relocate and leagues add teams.

However, they haven’t stopped at just professional venues, adding well over 200 additional venues to their list across college football, college basketball, minor league baseball, minor league hockey and other sports in multiple countries.

As a Penn State fan, it was nice to hear that one of their favorite memories from a visit to Beaver Stadium for a college football game, where Jay Paterno rolled out the red carpet for them. According to Farrell, Jay Paterno contacted them and gave them a great visit after an appearance on National Public Radio.

In fact, Kulyk and Farrell have been featured in just about every possible sports publication, radio program and even TV you can think of, ranging from ESPN and SI to all of these.

In getting to talk with Kulyk and Farrell, I learned that they cover the Buffalo Sabers and the Buffalo Bisons for WNY Media and Artvoice, in addition to working their full time jobs. That made me feel good because I learned that I wasn’t the only one who had to balance a job that isn’t 9-5 with sports travel and this blog. 

 

The Sporting Puma, Paul Derrick

Derrick is a “rookie” when it comes to sports travel, having been to “just” 57 venues once he completes his NorthEast tour on July 30th. However, he is well into his goal of visiting all 30 major league baseball parks, having been to 21 already, not bad for someone who didn’t attend their first sporting event of their life until 2007.

I really enjoyed talking to Derrick and learning about his dedication to his sports travel while balancing in work and a girlfriend. Being married, I know all about the fine line between attaining travel goals and keeping the significant other happy.

Derrick had high praise for Texas A&M and their fans, who he said made the college football experience at Kyle Field top-notch. Of course, I am sure he will have to re-visit Kyle Field with news coming today via Kristi Dosh’s interview of Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne that the stadium will be renovated section by section over the next few off-seasons.

 

Royalty Tours USA, Mike “the King” Casiano and Gary “the Prince” Herman

Herman and Casiano go by their nicknames, so that is how I will reference them here.

The Prince attends an average of 350 sporting events a year, having been to over 400 unique venues, while the King averages over 400 events a year and has been to an undetermined number of venues but it is at least a few hundred.

While those numbers may look fictional, I can attest to the fact that they do actually make that many events. It helps that they live in the New York area and are season ticket holders for both the New York Mets and the New York Yankees.

The King and the Prince completed visits to all of the same venues as Kulyk and Farrell, reaching the finish line just two weeks later. The two groups maintain a friendly relationship, constantly trying to get to new professional venues before the other, such as their upcoming race to see the Winnipeg Jets.

The King prefers to attend major league events, having only missed one game in the (albeit short) history of Citi Field, and will a be attending his 7,000 professional baseball game next June at Citi Field, with over 6,000 of them being MLB games. Counting all sports, he has attended over 11,600 events including 10 no-hitters after yesterdays!

The King keeps score at every game and has an extensive list of cheers that he unleashes throughout the games. He is such a well known and well traveled fan, that he even got a a shout-out by the Trenton Thunder PA announcer the other night before he even unleashed his first “Strikeout King” cheer.

Gary "the Prince" Herman

The Prince is the man who put our entire meeting together, and the one who runs the Royalty Tours website, with weekly recaps and stories of the past weeks experiences. You can read more about how he met the King and his sports travel business here. He is a very personable guy who loves to meet up with sports travelers, so be sure to contact him if you are going to be anywhere near New York.

 

Thoughts

Doing some math at the end of the night, we determined that between the six of us, we have attended around 20,000 sporting events, with Derrick and I only accounting for approximately 300 of those. A truly staggering number.

I loved getting a chance to meet up with some fellow travelers, the first time I have ever had the chance. Hopefully I will get to meet more people throughout the college football season if plans hold true. Right now I am scheduled to meet Jarrett of My College Football Quest when he visits Penn State for the Alabama game and Stadium Journey c0-founder Paul Swaney at the November 4th Kent State game.

I have multiple trips planned throughout the season, so if you are a sports traveler or just a college football fan, feel free drop me a line, especially if I am headed your way. I know I plan to try and grab a beer with Aaron Torres when I make my UConn-Boston College-Red Sox trip.