Frozen Four: Why Not Boston?

Brian: Last week, Tom Reale of College Hockey News ran an article discussing the next round of host cities bidding for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Frozen Fours. Host cities reportedly placing bids for this cycle of Frozen Fours include Buffalo (site of the 2003 Frozen Four), St. Louis (2007), Denver (2008) and Washington D.C. (2009). In addition, newcomers Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Omaha are also planning bids. Surprising absent from the list of potential host cities? Boston.

"To date, there has been no official confirmation of a bid pending from the city of Boston. The then-Fleet Center was a somewhat unexpected snub in 2005 and was thought at the time to be an early favorite for this round of bids."

Is it getting harder for host cities to host the event multiple times in a short time frame? Perhaps. Reale does mention that the time period between a single city hosting the Frozen Four has widened since 1992. Milwaukee's span of four years (1993 and 1997), Boston's span of six years (1998 and 2004) and St. Paul's span of seven years (1994 and 2002) are the three shortest time periods between host cities hosting a Frozen Four.

However, it is not as if Boston last hosted the Frozen Four a few years ago. The city of Boston and the Fleet Center last hosted the event in 2004, an event which saw two Hockey East programs - Boston College and Maine - make the final four. That was also the last year that a Hockey East program hosted the event. Before 2004, Hockey East also hosted the Frozen Four in 2000 (Providence) and in 1998 (Boston).

If Boston isn't planning on bidding on the 2013, 2014 or 2015 Frozen Fours, that will mark an 11 year period where college hockey's penultimate weekend is not hosted by a Hockey East program. In that same time span, the Frozen Four will have been held in these far-flung outposts of college hockey: St. Louis, Washington D.C., Tampa, and now potentially Pittsburgh (Robert Morris? C'mon!), Kansas City or Omaha.

I know what you are thinking. We are living in an age where the only thing on college athletics directors' minds is the bottom line. Where cost-cutting measures are all any AD talks about, and where program travel costs and the mere existence of Division I-A men's ice hockey programs are highly scrutinized. Host the Frozen Four somewhere in the Midwest or the middle of the country to cut down on program travel costs.

That's all well and good. However if there's one area of the country that lives and breathes college hockey, it is New England. Put simply, to go 11+ years without having a Frozen Four in Hockey East country is a disservice to its 10 member programs and all of college hockey. I sincerely hope Boston puts a bid together for this round of bidding and ends up hosting a Frozen Four in 2013, 2014 or 2015.

All Eyes on QB and the Big Finish

Brian: Pictures say a thousand words, eh? Well, scrimmage #2 is in the books and all eyes are on the Eagles' anemic offense but most importantly, the quarterback competition. During Wednesday's scrimmage, Shinskie and Marscovetra winded up taking a majority of the snaps. Was there improvement? Well, I guess slight improvement? Here are the respective lines of our freshman quarterback candidates:

• David Shinskie (Fr.) - 9 for 16, 127 yards, 1 INT
• Michael Marscovetra (Fr.) - 6 for 11, 43 yards, 1 INT

The Eagles offense didn't find the end zone until the last play of the scrimmage, when Marscovetra handed off to Jeff Smith for a three yard TD run. For those keeping track at home, here are the combined QB stats from scrimmages 1 and 2.

• David Shinskie (Fr.) - 12 for 24, 149 yards, 2 INT
• Michael Marscovetra (Fr.) - 11 for 17, 58 yards, 2 INT
• Codi Boek (Jr.) - 4 for 6, 15 yards
• Justin Tuggle (RS Fr.) - 2 for 6, 9 yards, 1 INT

Yikes! So two questions Jeff. Who do you think will emerge from the QB competition between Shinskie and Marscovetra? And what should Spaziani and the Eagles do with Justin Tuggle, who has been relegated to 3rd in Spaz's QB pecking order.

Jeff: First, Tuggle is a redshirt freshman who, if he is the number 3 man, should hold a clipboard and like it. The only question of "what do you do with this guy?" relates to Marscovetra who is the only person being considered to redshirt. The potential redshirting of Marscovetra might also be reason why he saw so many snaps in the scrimmage. In a way, right now, Spaz and the staff need to learn more about Marscovetra than any other quarterback on the team.

Brian: Are you getting concerned that without a quantum leap forward, what we've heard from the two summer scrimmages is what we are going to get come September 5?

Jeff: You have to be concerned since Spaz's quotes and sound bytes make it sound like he is disappointed with the QB play so far. He had expectations when he offered these two freshman scholarships and he's been around the Heights long enough that his expectations should be realistic. Spaz being disappointed is not a good sign for the Eagles. However, Shinskie is averaging 12.4 yards per completion over the first two scrimmages, and that seems decent to me purely from a statistical standpoint. You have to consider that the first-team defense he was up against is much stronger than the second-team defense. So at this point, I feel that Shinskie is clearly the heavy favorite to emerge as starter.


Big Finish

Brian: Here is a pretty fair assessment of Boston College's offense from the FSU blog Tomahawk Nation. Montel Harris - product of BC's great offensive line or damn fine running back?

Jeff: BC has not had any damn fine running backs since I've been following them. They've all somewhat been products of good lines.


Jeff: Blaudschun reports that Coach Spaz is in favor of scrimmaging other local teams as part of the summer workouts. Agree?

Brian: It's a good thought but the injury bug has already hit ACC teams fairly hard this summer. I'd imagine injuries would be even more prevalent if you scrimmaged a Harvard, New Hampshire, UMass or Rhode Island, no?


Brian: Steve Conroy of the Herald talks about the opportunity that this year's true freshmen have to step up. Name one freshman you expect to make a name for themselves this season.

Jeff: Dave Shinskie will continue to be the BC freshman getting more ESPN air time than any other freshman.


Jeff: Maine goaltender prospect Brian Billet commits to BC. Good news?

Brian: As the only goalie signed for the class of 2014 and reportedly one of the best goalie prospects in the country, yes. Definitely. Especially since he lives in Maine and plays for the EJHL's New Hampshire Monarchs.


Brian: SI's Stewart Mandel thinks this is the season (or next season!) that the ACC finally lands two teams in those coveted BCS bowl slots. Agree?

Jeff: Yes. Unlike previous years, there are a couple of teams that have just enough preseason hype that a 10-2 type record could get them in without winning the ACC Championship Game. Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Miami Fla. ...


Jeff: Greg Paulus was named the starting QB at Syracuse. Good thing or bad thing for when BC plays Syracuse starting next season?

Brian: Good thing. You want Syracuse to turn in a respectable performance this season so BC isn't criticized for weak scheduling next season, and apparently Paulus is the Orange's best option this season. Also good that Paulus won't be around next season and Syracuse will turn to yet another green QB.


Brian: The Sun Bowl unanimously chose to take the 5th best ACC team for the years 2010-13 over the Big East offer (the conference's 3rd best team or Notre Dame). Is this a blow to the Big East?

Jeff: Well, in all reality, Notre Dame would not fall to the Sun Bowl often so it was a great business decision by them to take an NC State or Clemson type team with a good fan base. The Sun Bowl will also get the occasional FSU or Virginia Tech appearance over having Rutgers or Pitt play annually with hopes of Notre Dame falling into their slot. But, this is yet another indication that it's laughable how some think BC should have stayed in the Big East.


Jeff: Last one, BCMike's new blog BCDraft drafted the best tailgating drinks and the #1 overall draft pick went to Bloody Mary's. WTH?

Brian: Sorry, BCMike, but true Eagles only drink Bud Light whilst tailgating. Or Busch Light, if you are strapped for cash.


Brian is on an international recruiting school trip next week so aside from a few season preview posts written this week, you will be in Jeff's hands. Who will play LeBatard ("BAM!") to Brian's MW next week?

Football season is almost here ... Go Eagles!

Game On! BC-BU at Fenway January 8, 2010

Game On!
Game On!

The rumors and speculation about a Hockey East version of the NHL's popular Winter Classic may now come to an end. According to the Herald, an official announcement for BC-BU at Fenway will be made next week (August 20).

Boston College and Boston University will play their own Winter Classic at Fenway Park on Friday, Jan. 8. The official announcement will be made next week.

Sources confirmed the game will take place at 8 p.m. It will be preceded by a women’s game between the University of New Hampshire and Northeastern University.

Jerry York is a) very excited b) wants it to be COLD! and c) expects a high turnout ...

"It’s going to be a late start (8 p.m.). How cold might that be?," York asked quizzically. "I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I think ticket prices will be pretty good. I envision 25,000 people, maybe. What a thing for Hockey East. Hey, the CCHA has done it. The WCHA has done it."

25,000 at Fenway for outdoor BC vs. BU Hockey East action a week after the NHL's Winter Classic's Bruins vs. Flyers game? Overly ambitious? I'm as excited as the next Eagles and Terriers hockey fan, but 25,000?

Your thoughts?

Thoughts on UNH Men's Hockey Recruiting Violations

Brian: Move along. Nothing to see here. Or at least that's the best I can gather right now.

Back on July 23, USCHO.com reported that the NCAA placed New Hampshire's men's hockey team was placed on two years probation for major recruiting violations. A New Hampshire associate head coach reportedly sent 923 impermissible e-mail messages to 30 prospective high school freshmen and sophomores during the 2007-08 season.

The university self-reported the violations to the NCAA, but the NCAA decided that the self-imposed punishments weren't severe enough. The NCAA's punishment of UNH men's hockey, which will run from April 24, 2009 to April 23, 2011, will include:

• Public reprimand and censure.
• Reduction by one in the number of permissible recruiters in men’s ice hockey who can be off-campus at any given time from April 24, 2009, through October 23, 2009.
• Two years of probation. The period of probation begins the date the university accepted the committee’s additional recommended penalties. (Self-imposed)
• The 30 involved prospective student-athletes will not receive an expense-paid visit to the university’s campus. (Self-imposed)
• None of the 30 involved prospective student-athletes will be allowed to sign a National Letter of Intent with the university. (Self-imposed)

The NCAA's punishment of New Hampshire men's hockey will not affect either their hockey scholarships or eligibility to compete in post-season play. In addition, New Hampshire is still scheduled to host the 2011 NCAA Northeast Regional in Manchester.

My take: I'm trying hard to find a competitive advantage for BC over UNH's men's hockey program but I'm failing to find one.

I was expecting to read some reaction over The UNH Men's Hockey Blog, but there hasn't been a post on the recruiting violations as of yet. The only analysis on the violations I can find is from Mike McMahon over at Warrior Rink Rat blog. I largely agree with his analysis.

While UNH can still technically sign the 30 recruits involved in the violation, it is unlikely that they will given that these recruits can't receive a paid visit to campus and can't sign a National Letter of Intent (meaning that even if these recruits commit to UNH they will be a significant flight risk to Dick Umile). From everything I can tell, the specific list of 30 recruits will be kept well under wraps, so even if BC can sign a few of these players in a year or two, it will be hard to tell whether these recruits were involved in this specific recruiting violation.

Certainly UNH's recruiting will take a bit of a hit as a result of this violation. However, outside of UNH losing out on most (if not all) of these 30 recruits, I don't think there's much to be gained by York and BC. Maybe the Eagles will be able to sign another recruit that we wouldn't have otherwise, but that seems to be the extent of what the Eagles stand to gain from UNH's recruiting violations.

HD's Preseason Predictions and the Big Finish

Brian: ESPN’s ACC blogger HD has her three predictions for the Eagles in 2009. Namely,

1. Dave Shinskie will be a better quarterback than people think.
2. The Eagles’ running game will flourish behind one of the best offensive lines in the conference.
3. The losses up front and in the linebacking corps will be too much to overcome.

Care to pick apart any of these statements?

Jeff: As usual HD's statements are vague so that we can never truly say "I told you so!" at the end of the season.

First, I agree with her that Shinskie will be the guy and will be a decent ACC quarterback. Tuggle and Boek had their chances to be "the man" but in all likelihood that time has passed.

Secondly, we know our backs are young and pretty good and our O-line is almost becoming overrated now after being very good for over a decade.

But to her third point, will the losses on defense be too much for the team to overcome and win ANY conference games? Will it be too much to overcome and win the Atlantic Division again? Will it be too much to overcome and be the 5th best defense in the country? What does she mean?

If she means that we won't be the 5th best defense in the nation again, well, duh!!! ...

If she means we won't win the division again, then she is just joining the crowd of Boston College football naysayers ...

But if she thinks that's the reason we won't go to a bowl game or won't win a bunch of games, she is very, very far from being right. BC went without B.J. Raji in 2007 and did fine. We've dealt with Toal's extensive injury problems over the last several years and have been fine. Good players graduate and move onto the NFL. BC has had good players leave before and we have rebounded, and they will again this year. It's just as simple as that.

The quarterback position is somewhat questionable but the running backs should be the best we've had in a since Derrick Knight and William Green. The linebacking corps has injury issues but the secondary will be the best it has been in years. The defensive tackles won't be as good but the defensive ends will be much improved. The only thing that might be too much to overcome in 2009 is HD's terrible predictions when she hopes to keep her job.

Brian: Whoa. Settle down there. Well I don't think HD has to worry about job security by making a uninformed season preview of Boston College, because it seems every college football prognosticator (with the exception of Phil Steele, who thinks we'll finish 3rd in the Atlantic) has made a similar assessment. Safety in numbers I guess.

The only thing you said that I will slightly disagree with is your assessment of the secondary. Our defense led the country in interceptions last season. I think this was largely due to the strength of our line (particularly Raji and Brace in the middle) and our linebacking corps of McLaughlin, Herzlich and Akins putting pressure on the opposing QB. While I have great faith in the secondary this season, I wouldn't expect a better performance than last season's performance given that we've lost a lot of talent in front of them.

Also, the running game will be strong, but this is predicated on having a capable quarterback under center than can move the ball through the air. As you mentioned, this remains to be seen whether we have such a capable signal caller.


Big Finish

Brian: The ACC announced game times and networks for the 2009 Big Ten/ACC Challenge. BC will travel to Crisler Arena and play Michigan on Wednesday night, December 2 at 7:30pm on ESPN2. Do you like the time slot and network selection, or are you disappointed because you’ll be attending the Illinois at Clemson game that night starting at 7:15?

Jeff: That sounds like a perfect two TV setup night. BC can't complain about being on the Deuce when playing Michigan in basketball.


Jeff: BC and the ACC also announced that Matt Tennant and Jim Ramella will represent the Eagles at this year’s ACC Football Kickoff weekend. That cool with you?

Brian: You bet. It’s a great honor for the seniors and is a testament to the offensive and defensive line talent our school consistently produces.


Brian: Pittsburgh Penguin Brooks Orpik is bringing the Stanley Cup to Boston College. If you had one day with the most famous trophy in sports, where would you take it?

Jeff: If I were a well-known alumni, I'd take it to the Heights, but since I'm not, I don't know. I might have to go to South Beach and drink out of it all night.


Jeff: The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with ex-Eagle Andrew Alberts. With all the recent player movement of various Eagles in the NHL, who has the best chances to hoist the Stanley Cup this season?

Brian: You have to still like Orpik's chances with Pittsburgh, but Patrick Eaves and Andrew Alberts have a good shot in Carolina.


Brian: Last season, the Eagles finished dead last in offensive turnover rates, turning the ball over 26 times on 637 offensive plays. Will we see any improvement in that category this season?

Jeff: Yes, even if for no other reason than that we go to more conservative play calling with Logan gone.


Jeff: HD thinks we have the 5th best running back corps in the league. Objections?

Brian: Considering that Montel Harris had nearly as many rushing yards and TDs last season as Miami's Graig Cooper and Javarris James combined, I am surprised to see Miami (Fla.) ranked ahead of BC. Georgia Tech shouldn't even be ranked (their entire offense is rushing!) and Clemson at #8? I thought C.J. Spiller was a darkhorse Heisman candidate?


Brian: Last one, Matt Ryan indeed won the ESPY for Breakthrough Athlete (the ESPY’s will be aired on Sunday). I believe you had this one right. Time to gloat. Have at it.

Jeff: No need. That one was too easy.

Can Florida State Win the Atlantic? and the Big Finish

Brian: The AJC’s Mr. College Football compares each of the preseason magazines predictions for the 2009 ACC Atlantic Division race and offers up his own set of predictions. Here is the breakdown:

Writer	1	2	3	4	5	6
Athlon	FSU	NCSU	CU	WFU	BC	UMD
Lindy's	FSU	WFU	CU	NCSU	BC	UMD
Phil Steele	CU	FSU	BC*	NCSU*	WFU	UMD
Sporting News	FSU	NCSU	WFU	CU	UMD	BC
The Kickoff	NCSU	WFU	CU	FSU	UMD	BC
Mr. CFB	FSU	CU	NCSU	WFU	BC	UMD

* tied

The general consensus appears to be that Florida State will win the Atlantic Division this year, with 4 of the 6 writers/magazines picking the Seminoles. This leads Barnhardt to ask the question, can Florida State win the ACC Atlantic? Well, can they? Is this the year that the Seminoles gets back on track, or do you expect someone else to emerge from the ACC Atlantic?

Jeff: To be perfectly honest (and I know I'm a homer) I say it's going to be Virginia Tech and Boston College again until someone proves they can beat them. The Eagles might fall off a little this year because of all the changes in coaching staff and some personnel on the field but who is going to step up and beat them?

FSU certainly has issues and they have to travel to Chestnut Hill ...

NC State has been - straight up - the worst team in the Atlantic Division since full conference expansion, so even though hopes are high in Raleigh for this season, there is really no reason to get too excited ...

Wake Forest and Maryland I'm picking to finish 5th and 6th in the division in no particular order ...

And finally, Clemson has C.J. Spiller which is great and all but they still have offensive line issues, questions at the quarterback position and as much uncertainty as anyone else in the league.

Virginia Tech and BC went to Tampa last year despite probably having worse teams than the year before so since they could get it done last year with less talent, there is no reason they can't do it again this year as their talent matures.

Brian: Can Florida State win the Atlantic this year? Sure. But much like the last few seasons, they certainly aren't going to run away with the division. The Seminoles defensive unit is fairly inexperienced, and they similarly have to fill the hole left on the defensive line with the graduation of Everette Brown. Christian Ponder has his moments, but was wildly inconsistent in his first full season as a starter under center. See 2 TDs and 0 INTs and 199 yards passing in the Champs Sports Bowl win over Wisconsin, and a combined 0 TDs, 6 INTs in losses to both Wake Forest and Boston College at home. The Noles also lose playmakers Greg Carr and Preston Parker, so the supporting cast is a bit inexperienced as well.

Finally, the ACC schedule - at least the Atlantic Division slate - certainly doesn't break in their favor this season, as they have to travel to Clemson, Chestnut Hill and Winston-Salem. In particular, Wake Forest has been a thorn in Florida State's side, having won each of their last 3 meetings, including two in Tallahassee. On the other side, the Seminoles get the benefit of not facing Virginia Tech this season, but they do get three of the tougher draws in Georgia Tech, Miami to open the season and at North Carolina.

Going back to the Atlantic predictions, I think its interesting to see how high some of the sportswriters are Wake Forest and N.C. State. As an Eagles fan, I know not to undervalue the job guys like Jim Grobe and Tom O'Brien can do with mediocre talent, but I just don't see it happening this season. If you average the above predictions, this gives you a rough idea of what the Atlantic preseason predictions will look like come ACC Media Day:

1. Florida State
2. N.C. State
3. Clemson
4. Wake Forest
5. Boston College
6. Maryland

Not sure whether I agree or disagree with these preseason rankings at this point. I think one thing is clear though. Unlike a year ago, the majority of the high expectations for the conference are in the Coastal Division. This is probably why you see such a wide range of preseason predictions for the Atlantic. With no clear cut favorite in the Division, the tried-and-true preseason prediction fallback is - of course - Florida State.


Big Finish

Brian: The Legacy x4 guys take a look at ACC Media Day preseason predictions and compare the past 4 season's predictions to postseason results. What they found is that Wake Forest edges BC as the least predictable team in terms of order of finish in their respective division. You surprised?

Jeff: Not surprised at all. This is really the most underrated team award not the hardest to predict team.


Jeff: Which will happen first? BC winning an ACC Football Championship or being predicted preseason to win the title?

Brian: No brainer. BC wins an ACC Football Championship before they are ever tabbed the preseason conference favorite.


Brian: Matt Ryan has been nominated for the 2009 ESPY Award for "Best Breakthrough Athlete." Ryan is up against Shawn Johnson, Evan Longoria and Derrick Rose. Will he take home the award? Who will?

Jeff: The NFL is king so Matty better win.


Jeff: The Globe's Bruins Blog reports that the Bruins aren’t likely to sign Brock Bradford, making him an unrestricted free agent. Your thoughts?

Brian: I hope a franchise takes a chance on Bradford but it looks like due to his size – 5'10", 175 pounds – he’ll have to grind it out in the AHL for a few years.


Brian: This blog takes a crack at ranking the ACC coaches. David Cutcliffe at #7 with 1 ACC win under his belt? Do you agree with any of this blogger’s ACC coaching rankings?

Jeff: I don't strongly disagree with any of his rankings right now considering Spaziani hasn't held the head coach title before. One win at Duke is worth like 8 at Florida State.


Jeff: JPG takes a second look at 2009-2010 ACC basketball and has BC predicted to finish 3rd in the ACC behind only Duke and UNC. Surprised at the News & Observer’s high expectations for BC hoops next season?

Brian: I am somewhat surprised about this. I think we are still a year away from contending for the conference title. Georgia Tech at four is surprising too. I know they get Derrick Favors and return some talent, but worse to fourth is asking a lot of Paul Hewitt.

Jeff: Will the basketball team finish higher than the football team in the conference this year?

Brian: No. Basketball will be good and will make another NCAA tournament appearance, but I don't think they will finish in the top four. Despite what the above football preseason predictions say, I don't expect BC to fall lower than 4th in the ACC Atlantic Division standings.


Brian: Last one, the NY Times’ Quad Countdown previewed BC at #60 in their countdown, down 14 slots from a season ago. Out of conference, only Kent State (109) and Northeastern (NR, since they are I-AA) came in lower ranked than the Eagles. You surprised the NYT thinks more highly of our other two out of conference opponents than they do of BC?

Jeff: Yes, I am shocked Central Michigan is getting ranked above us in the Quad Countdown. I guess we'll prove everyone wrong again this year starting September 19 at Clemson.

Headlines: 'Eagles in the NHL' Entry Draft

Brian: Not much BC-related news over the weekend, other than the NHL Entry Draft. Here is the list of Boston College recruits selected:

Chris Kreider: 19th overall pick (Round 1) to New York Rangers
First up, the bad news. Kreider becomes only the 12th Eagle to get drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry draft. Of the Eagles 11 other first-round selections, they averaged only 2.4 years in school, with only Brian Boyle (26th overall to the Kings in the '03 draft) staying in school all 4 years. Hopefully York gets in Kreider's ear early about staying in school and BC can retain his services for more than 1 season. Surprisingly though, the Rangers have one of the youngest rosters in the league, so hopefully that can persuade Kreider to stay in school a bit longer. Flight risk here is pretty high for a first-rounder.

Player	Pick	Team	Draft Year	Yrs at BC
Bill Guerin	5th	New Jersey Devils	1989	2
Brian Leetch	9th	New York Rangers	1986	1
Craig Janney	13th	Boston Bruins	1986	2
Chuck Kobasew	14th	Calgary Flames	2001	1
Marty Reasoner	14th	St. Louis Blues	1996	3
Brooks Orpik	18th	Pittsburgh Penguins	2000	3
Krys Kolanos	19th	Phoenix Coyotes	2000	2
Chris Kreider	19th	New York Rangers	2009	??
Brian Boyle	26th	Los Angeles Kings	2003	4
Cory Schneider	26th	Vancouver Canucks	2004	3
Nick Petrecki	28th	San Jose Sharks	2007	2
Patrick Eaves	29th	Ottawa Senators	2003	3

Kenny Ryan: 50th overall pick (Round 2) to Toronto
Ryan is a 6'0" 204 pound forward from Franklin Village, Michigan. Aside from having a good Eagles last name, Ryan has been compared to the NHL's Jere Lehtinen. Ryan was previously playing for the U.S. National U-18 Team Development Program, registering 20 goals and 16 assists in 49 games.

Brian Dumoulin: 51st overall pick (Round 2) to Carolina
Dumoulin, a defenseman from Biddeford, Maine, was previously playing for the NH Jr. Monarchs of the ECHL. Dumoulin joins former Eagle Patrick Eaves in the Carolina organization.

Philip Samuelsson: 61st overall pick (Round 2) to Pittsburgh
Samuelsson joins the ever-expanding list of Boston College Eagles congregating in Pittsburgh - Orpik, Scuderi, Lovejoy and Guerin (resigned for another year). The Penguins organization also owns the rights to current Eagles defensemen Carl Sneep. Samuelsson, a defensemen, played for the Chicago Steel of the USHL last season, tallying 22 assists in 54 games.

Patrick Wey: 115th overall pick (Round 4) to Washington
Patrick Wey is a 6'2", 200 defensemen from Pittsburgh, PA. Most recently, Wey was playing for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. Wey, Samuelsson and Dumoulin will look to fill the Eagles hole on the blueline left by the departure of Anthony Aiello, Tim Filangeri, and Tim Kunes.

Steven Whitney, Pat Mullane, Brooks Dyroff, Parker Milner, Patrick Alber: Undrafted
The best prospect of this bunch may very well be freshman forward Steve Whitney, according to York:

“I think the class will have an impact and probably the best prospect for us might be Steve Whitney of Wakefield, who didn’t get drafted because of his size (5-foot-7, 160 pounds). But if small kids can show they’re durable over four years it can make a difference.”

Toss Up: Offseason Football Musings, Outdoor Hockey and Rice's Draft Stock

Jeff and I tackle some of the offseason storylines and other random thoughts on our minds today in a game of Toss Up.


Toss Up - Which school will win more games in football this season - My old school or my new school?

Jeff: Your new school is going to go 5-2 at home and 2-3 on the road. Northwestern misses Ohio State but still has Penn State and Wisconsin at home with Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa and Illinois on the road. Northwestern is an improving program but I see them winning a few less games this year than last year. Your new school is just happy to go to a bowl. BC meanwhile should win 8 games this year.

Brian: Jeff, you have it all backwards. At the risk of instantly sounding like a homer (trust me, there is literally no Northwestern school spirit in the grad programs here so this isn't the case), Northwestern will win more games than BC this year. One team has a much easier schedule, plays in a weaker conference, and has a returning senior quarterback under center. The other team plays in a better conference, has a tougher schedule and has to play arguably the best program in the conference (Virginia Tech) as opposed to missing the best team in the Big Ten (Ohio State). Northwestern will breeze to a 4-0 record out of conference with wins over Towson, Eastern Michigan, at Syracuse, and Miami (OH). Then in conference, the Cats will beat Minnesota and Indiana at home and Purdue and Illinois on the road. They will likely lose to Penn State at home and Iowa and Michigan State on the road. I would chalk the home Wisconsin game up as a toss up. That gets Northwestern to 8-4 or 9-3 on the year.

While I am ever the BC optimist, I think there is just way too much offseason turmoil to overcome for the Eagles to get to 8 or 9 wins. I would be doing cartwheels if we get to 7-5 or 8-4, but I think that a 5-7 or 6-6 season is more in the cards for Boston College this season. Early prediction for wins? Let's say Northeastern, Kent State, Wake Forest, Central Michigan, at Virginia, at Maryland.

Also, Northwestern's HC Pat Fitzgerald just got a contract extension through 2015. The short-term future in Evanston looks bright. And I would never bet against a QB named Kafka.


Toss Up - How do you like your BC vs. BU hockey games? Inside or outside?

Brian: I like the outdoors game as a novelty game to be held once every few years. But if this becomes a yearly event, I'm not too sold on that idea. I will say that I love the idea of an outdoor game for this season - since we've been calling for this for some time - but remember this likely would be a league game and would count in the final Hockey East standings. What would be cooler in my opinion is to have one of the Beanpot tournaments held outdoors since those games don't count towards the regular season Hockey East crown. Either that, or have the City of Boston host a winter tournament outdoors.

Jeff: Outside for sure. It looks like we are getting something that we wanted. BC is going to play at Fenway Park. The truly sad thing would be though is that now we are going to play this marquee hockey game maybe the football team will make a major bowl and Eagles have a conflict of interest and attendance at both the bowl and the hockey game are hurt as a result. You would consider making the trip to Fenway, right?

Brian: Of course.


Toss Up - 2009 Notre Dame Football - BCS bowl bound or Not?

Brian: Not this year for the Irish. Dr. Saturday nicely lays out the case for the Irish's BCS hopes, and I tend to agree with him. I see the Irish going 8-4 or 9-3 this year and missing out on a BCS at-large berth. With the schedule being as light as it is this year, I don't believe 9-3 gets them in. Quick glance at the schedule makes me think the Irish have 5 automatic wins (Nevada, at Michigan, at Purdue, Washington, Washington State), 2 sure losses (USC and Michigan State) and 5 toss up games, including the Eagles matchup with the Irish. Don't sleep on an improving Stanford team, who nearly knocked off the Irish in South Bend last season. I can see the Irish adding 3 more wins to the regular season win total from a season ago, but +4 in the win column will be too much for Irish fans to ask. The Irish will play in a very good bowl - perhaps the Gator Bowl - but will fall short of the BCS this season.

Jeff: Very very sadly, I have to say right now that ND is going to a BCS bowl this year. ND has such a weak schedule that they could lose to BC and USC and still go to a BCS game. BC has beaten the Irish before in years that they have gone to a BCS bowl. If ND beats BC this year I would say almost with certainty that they will be playing in a BCS Bowl and if BC beats Notre Dame, there is still a decent chance that they go on to a BCS Bowl.


Toss Up - Which do you prefer - Playing rivalry games or cupcakes after bye weeks?

Jeff: I hate BC's schedule as far as where the bye weeks fall this year. We know that we open with Northeastern which is probably a good thing considering the uncertainties that have developed with this team. Then our bye week falls after the Central Michigan game (on October 31) and before the Eagles' trip to Charlottesville. Central Michigan is not a bad team but it is still a game we should win and it is a meaningless out of conference game. Then Virginia is possibly the weakest ACC team we play and they are also a Coastal opponent which is far less important than an Atlantic Division game. I would much prefer at least one of our bye weeks lead up to the Florida State, Clemson, Notre Dame or the Virginia Tech games.

Brian: I'm not going to get too worked up about where the bye week falls this season as the college football season only has one bye week for most teams (12 games in a 13 week period). Northwestern doesn't even have the benefit of a bye week this season as they play their 12 regular season games in 12 weeks and end before Thanksgiving.

Going back to 2006, the Eagles have won every game while coming off the bye week. (In 2005, we lost to a nationally ranked Virginia Tech team on a Thursday night after having the previous Saturday off.) I would expect that trend to continue this season with a win at Virginia. If forced to pick though, I would say that I'd rather play a lesser opponent after a bye week rather than a rival or a strong opponent. The Eagles always seem to get up to play teams like Virginia Tech or Notre Dame, and the luxury of having a week off before playing these teams can I think be to the detriment of the team. The team starts to overthink the matchup, etc. In my opinion, I'm happy playing lesser opponents after the bye week instead of a strong opponent.


Last one, Toss Up - Will Rice get drafted tonight?

Brian: Yes. He'll be a mid-to-late second rounder. Even though the draft is heavy on point guard talent this season, Rice is a good enough pure shooter than he will get drafted tonight. The only mark against him is that it's unclear what position he'll play in the pros since he is a bit undersized as a shooting guard. Still, I think a team will take a chance on Rice.

Jeff: I am sticking by my prediction that he will not be drafted but I am hoping that he will or if he goes undrafted that he will be picked up by an NBA team.

Belated Congratulations to the BC Penguins

Brian: This happen while I was on blogcation, but I did want to congratulate the Pittsburgh Penguins on capturing the Stanley Cup in seven games over the defending champion Detroit Red Wings. BC alum Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi win their first Cup, while Bill Guerin wins his second cup but first since 1995. Also, Ben Lovejoy - who played a season for the Eagles before transferring to Dartmouth - will also get his name stenciled on the Cup. Penguins-Red Wings Game 7 was also the most watched NHL game in 36 years.

Orpik, Scuderi and Lovejoy join these Eagle alum that have recently hoisted the Cup: Joe Mullen (1989, 1990, 1991), Doug Brown (1997, 1998), Kevin Stevens (1991, 1992), Brian Leetch (1994), Brian Gionta (2003), and Ryan Shannon (2007).

The College Hockey Blog runs through all the Penguin collegians.


Also, a while back I posed the question on our Twitter feed, but with the Cup win, Orpik and Scuderi join some elite company. I can't find any definitive list online, but how many players can say they have won both a Stanley Cup and an NCAA National Championship?

The only ones that I could come up with (with the help of the Twitterati) in recent memory are Neal Broten (Minnesota, NJ Devils), Chris Drury (BU, Colorado Avalanche), and BC's Brian Gionta (NJ Devils). Ryan Shannon was a year too late at BC.

Others?

Baseball Secures First ACC Championship Berth and the Big Finish

Brian: Yesterday the baseball team knocked off No. 4 North Carolina yesterday 3-1 to secure a spot in the 2009 ACC Championship.  This was the first W against UNC since the Eagles joined the conference in 2006.  The Eagles notched the victory just at the right time, as they had dropped crucial non-conference games to LeMoyne and Connecticut over the last two weeks.  The College Baseball Blog has the Eagles as one of the last 5 teams in the NCAA Tournament.  Will yesterday's win be enough to get BC off the bubble and into the NCAA regionals?

Jeff: Let's be honest, I am not going to pretend I know enough about NCAA baseball to disagree with TCBB but I think another win against UNC wouldn't hurt or a few wins in the ACC Championship would lock us in.

Brian: The Heels must have been pissed we took game 1 yesterday because they came out blazing today, defeating the Eagles in what could be mistaken as a low-scoring football score - 16-10.  Hopefully the team can regroup and take the rubber match (Saturday 1pm).  It would be nice to end the regular season on a high note just as we opened the ACC schedule - with a series victory over a Division champ.  Plus we could use a win tomorrow to build some momentum going into the ACC baseball Championship.

Speaking of the ACC Championship, seven of the eight tickets have been punched for Durham. Florida State, Clemson and BC have already made it from the Atlantic, and Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Miami and Virginia are in from the Coastal. Duke and Virginia Tech are battling for the eighth and final spot.

This year's ACC Baseball Championship action begins on Wednesday.


Big Finish

Brian: The ACC awarded the ACC baseball Championship to Myrtle Beach, SC for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons. The tournament will be played at BB&T Coastal Stadium, home of the Carolina League's Myrtle Beach Pelicans. It is a somewhat bold move considering the ACC is going against the NCAA's ban on predetermined championship events in the state of South Carolina. You know, because of that whole Confederate flag flying over the state capitol issue. You like the selection?

Jeff: Yes. This is good for South Carolina. Down here, college baseball is only a step behind college basketball in terms of popularity.  Hopefully the conference will be able to attract the casual college baseball fan to attend the games in 2011. Not to mention it's centrally located to most of the ACC teams.


Jeff:  This past week, ACC coaches voted unanimously to kill the idea of an 18 game ACC basketball schedule.  Your thoughts?

Brian:  Not surprised at all.  While this deal might have increased the revenue from the ACC's TV deal, it certainly wouldn't help each school's ticket gate.  Two more league games would likely mean at least one less home game against Directional State U. 


Brian: The Dagger takes a look at the ACC's men's basketball coaches and ranks Al Skinner in THE UNINSPIRING AND/OR JUST PLAIN BAD category.  That category - of course - being the worst of the five categories.  Fair or foul?

Jeff: Very foul.  He's done a lot with the program that has the least tradition of any ACC team.


Jeff:  Speaking of Skinner, did you know he is on the NCAA ethics committee as the ACC's representative?

Brian:  I did not know that fact.  Ever to excel, eh?


Brian:  Doc Saturday outlines scenarios where fans should be rooting for their team's non-conference enemies next season to help boost your teams' "quality wins."  It is a given that we'll root for Northeastern, Kent State and Central Michigan during the regular season but will you also make an exception for Notre Dame?

Jeff: No.  A win at Notre Dame is always looked at as a quality win regardless of whether they finish 6-6 or 9-3 so I will not be cheering for them at all.


Jeff:  College Hockey News gives us an early projection of the Top 10 in 2009-2010.  BC doesn't make the Top 10.  You surprised?

Brian: Yes, very surprised.  Don't sleep on the Eagles.  Last season, the Eagles tallied their lowest goal total for the season (112) in the Jerry York era, and the lowest in 48 years.  They also lost a lot of 1 goal games.  The only question mark will be Muse, as USCHO is reporting that he will be out until November.  York and the staff are scrambling to recruit a third goaltender.


Brian:  It's only May, but that certainly doesn't prevent any early offseason celebrity trash talking when it comes to college football.  Regis Philbin recently predicted that Notre Dame would win 11 games and make a BCS bowl this season.  That cool with you?

Jeff:  This is crap.  The thing that makes it possible though is that while most teams in America need to win a major conference to go to a BCS game or at the very least go 10-2, Notre Dame only needs to go 9-3 and do it against a schedule that is probably weaker than if they played in a major conference.


Jeff: Last one, did I read corrently in a comment this week that a commentor didn't realize that I am the biggest supporter of an annual Boston College vs. Connecticut football matchup? I would love to see BC play Notre Dame, Penn State, UConn and one cupcake as their annual OOC games. Can you come up with a better out of conference slate?

Brian: You read correctly. I was as surprised as you. Sad to say Notre Dame is done with us after 2010, so for purposes of this exercise, I am done with them. I guess they grew tired of us beating them year after year. I've got Penn State, Syracuse, a healthy rotation of Vanderbilt/Stanford/Northwestern (the smart kid bowl) and Army - to replace the I-AA game, with the hopes that one day the shame of scheduling I-AAs will return.

Renewing Rivalries and the Big Finish

Brian: Scott Toole of lehighvalleylive.com wrote yesterday about how Penn State and Pitt should renew their rivalry on the gridiron. Penn State and Pitt have played 96 times, but not since 2000. Joe Paterno is pissed Pitt spurned his idea of forming an all-sports conference that would have taken Pitt, Boston College and Syracuse out of the Big East (then only a basketball conference). I think this is a pretty cool idea. For such a rich football history (96 games is a LOT of football games), I think it's time to bury the hatchet between the two in-state rivals.

Since both Pitt and Penn State are among two of the teams that BC has played the most over the years, this article got me thinking about Boston College football rivalries. Using the College Football Data Warehouse - a really cool resource if you haven't checked it out - I took a look at the most common opponents BC has faced over the years:

Opponent	GP	W	L	T	Pct.
Holy Cross (I-AA)	82	48	31	3	0.604
Villanova (I-AA)	45	29	15	1	0.656
Syracuse	45	17	28	0	0.378
Temple	37	28	7	2	0.784
Army	36	24	12	0	0.667
West Virginia	33	11	21	1	0.348
Boston University*	32	27	4	1	0.859
Navy	29	18	11	0	0.621
Pittsburgh	29	13	16	0	0.448
Fordham (I-AA)	27	14	11	2	0.556
Miami Fla.	27	4	23	0	0.148
Rutgers	26	19	6	1	0.750
Massachusetts (I-AA)	23	18	5	0	0.783
Penn State	23	4	19	0	0.174
Detroit Mercy*	19	12	7	0	0.632
Notre Dame	18	9	9	0	0.500
Clemson	18	8	8	2	0.500
Georgetown (I-AA)	17	11	5	1	0.676
Saint Anselm NH*	17	11	3	3	0.735
Virginia Tech	17	6	11	0	0.353

I think it's time we renew our rivalries with some of these teams. And no, I'm not talking about West Roxbury HS (how did we lose to those guys?!). Three of those teams we already have current or upcoming series scheduled - Syracuse, Massachusetts, Notre Dame (if only for 2 more years) - and three ACC teams make the top 20 - Miami (FL), Clemson and Virginia Tech.

Saint Anselm is now in Division II so they are out, BU terminated their I-AA football program in 1997 and Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy) has been sans a college football program since 1964. Jeff, would you like BC to schedule any one of the remaining 11 teams on that list in the near future. Is that something you might be interested in?

Jeff: No. I am glad we are playing Syracuse in the future and of course I hope we play Notre Dame in the future. However, I don't care to play any other teams on the list that are not in our conference aside from Penn State. I want to play Penn State because of geographic location and the quality of their program now, but not to build/continue a rivalry. Rather than play "rivalry games," I would prefer to continue to schedule two-game series with the Penn States, BYUs, Stanfords, and USCs of the world.

Brian: I think rivalry games are good for BC, as they are a football program without a whole lot of history or geographic rivals. Personally, I would like to see BC renew their series with both service academies - Army and Navy. Since the trend of scheduling I-AA opponents isn't going away anytime soon, I think scheduling Army, Navy or both is a respectable alternative to the MAC and I-AA games. Not to mention Navy runs a triple-option attack, so that is one more opportunity to get some reps in defending that unique offense (for the years when we play Georgia Tech from the Coastal).

If Gene isn't going to renew with Army and/or Navy and continue to schedule a I-AA team, why not renew with teams like Holy Cross, Georgetown, Villanova, or Fordham? BC and these schools have history, much more so than schools like New Hampshire (11 games all time), Rhode Island (7 games), Northeastern (4 games) and Hofstra (0 games).

Finally, let me say that I agree with you Jeff and love the idea of scheduling Penn State. If not Penn State, I would also like to schedule a Pittsburgh or a West Virginia, but with Syracuse already on the schedule for 8 of the next 10 years, I say we have no room for a second Big East team on the schedule. Hopefully, there is some truth to the rumor of a Penn State vs. Boston College football series, and that rivalry is renewed.


Big Finish

Brian: The $1 billion Boston College master plan was finally approved by the Boston Zoning Commission. The community staged a last ditch protest over the water supply?! Ok. Anyway, you excited? Great for the competitiveness of our baseball and softball programs, right?

Jeff: Of course I'm excited. Took way to long but it's definitely a good thing for the baseball team.


Jeff: Following up on our conversation yesterday about the ACC Atlantic Division favorite, give me one reason why NC State shouldn't be the favorite?

Brian: Among other reasons ... the schedule. At Florida State, at Virginia Tech, at Boston College. Three of their toughest ACC matches are on the road. It proved very tough to win on the road in the ACC last season and this season should be more of the same.


Brian: The ACC released its 2009-2010 bowl partnerships yesterday. The only change is the ACC dropping its affiliation with the H-Bowl in Boise and picking up the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, AL as the 9th bowl tie-in. The GMAC Bowl is scheduled for January 6 so BC doubled it chances to play in a January bowl! Do you like the changes?

Jeff: I am extremely happy that we dropped Boise and added another warm weather bowl, but the downside is that the matchup is against a MAC team.


Jeff: From the AP comes this story about how the Carolina Hurricanes were crushed when Chuck Kobasew wasn't available with the 15th pick of the 2001 NHL Draft. You surprised the Hurricanes wanted to draft Kobasew that badly?

Brian: Not at all. That BC championship team was stacked with talent - Kobasew, Kolanos, Gionta, Orpik and an Eaves.


Brian: ESPN's College Football Live will be ditching its usual format next week for a week-long series on Notre Dame football. Gross. Will you watch?

Jeff: I'm as likely to watch as I was before.


Jeff: Non-ACC baseball action this weekend with BC set to host Le Moyne on Saturday and Sunday. Where is Le Moyne? Do the Eagles get the sweep?

Brian: Yes, the Eagles will get the much needed sweep to bolster their NCAA tournament resume. Apparently Le Moyne is in Syracuse (had to look it up). The Le Moyne Dolphins? Really?? Lots of dolphins there in upstate NY?


Brian: Last one, Eagle Insider sat down with Gene DeFilippo on Wednesday and he was (again) quoted as saying "Some of our alumni want us to be Harvard Monday through Friday and Alabama on Saturdays." Are you as sick of hearing this saying as I am?

Jeff: NO! Absolutely not. This is the greatest point Gene ever makes and I support him beating it to death. We can't do it all.

Headlines: The Financial Health of College Athletics and BC

Brian: … and we’re back.

Because BC is a private institution, it is somewhat unclear – to me, anyway – how the athletic department is performing financially in this economic environment. However, all around the college athletics landscape, schools are reporting significant losses and threatening to cut programs.

Our neighbors across the Charles River, M.I.T., the largest athletics department in the country, announced that they would be reducing the number of varsity sports from 41 to 33. Alpine Skiing, Golf, Men’s Ice Hockey, Women’s Ice Hockey, Men’s Gymnastics, Women’s Gymnastics, Pistol and Wrestling are all getting the axe.

College baseball programs across New England are shuttering their doors as well. Following Vermont’s announcement that they would be discontinuing both baseball and softball after 2009, UMass announced that they would be possibly cutting their baseball program. Over the past few years, baseball has been cut at other New England schools for budget reasons, including New Hampshire, Boston University and Providence.

Every few days there seems to be a story about a college athletics department trying to make up budget deficits by either cutting programs or coming up with creative ways to manage the shortfall.

Taking a look around the ACC, North Carolina is instituting a hiring freeze in its athletics department, eliminating overtime pay, and chartering smaller planes for team travel. NC State has switched to traveling by bus to Virginia Tech instead of chartering a plane. The U has cancelled flights and instead opted to charter a bus to both their South Florida and Central Florida away games next season. Florida State’s president T.K. Wetherell has discussed considering using pay cuts and unpaid vacation to close its budget gap. The Seminoles deficit reportedly stands at over $5 million.

In Knoxville, Tennessee charged $5 to its spring football scrimmage for the first time. The Vols under first year coach Lane Kiffen drew 51,488 to their game on April 18. (Although not sure BC wants to take up this practice as they might see their spring attendance figures fall even lower than 2,000).

And finally, since we were just there, here’s a novel idea out of Las Vegas. UNLV held a garage sale of athletic apparel and equipment that netted them $50,000. The Rebels sold apparel made by adidas, Russell, and New Balance as their athletics programs are switching to Nike. This is a great idea and I hope Gene is reading. Not only does this tap yet another revenue source, but it would also give fans access to authentic BC athletics gear, which I know many fans are craving.

What sort of trickle-down effect some of these cost-cutting measures will have on BC athletics remains to be seen. However, I would imagine we are only going to hear more bad news from athletics departments across the country during the offseason.

For instance, what does decreased local competition in college baseball mean for BC in the short term? Likely more out of conference games during the week where the Eagles have to jump on a plane or travel farther by bus to compete. What happens to the Baseball Beanpot without UMass?

Most of the Hockey East schools have remained largely silent about the financial health of their athletics department so far, but you have to start wondering about some of these smaller schools that compete in Hockey East like UMass-Lowell and Merrimack. College hockey is one of the most expensive sports to sponsor.

NC State can easily decide to charter a bus instead of a private plane for their basketball and football trips to Blacksburg, but BC doesn’t have the same sort of opportunity to save on travel costs.

One thing is clear – with 31 varsity sports (the most in the ACC and over twice the number of varsity sports sponsored by the U) and some of the furthest distances to travel in the conference – Gene and the school are going to have to get fairly creative if the athletics department starts to produce a budget deficit. I would hate to see BC cut a varsity sport. I am optimistic that a school like BC could weather the storm better than most schools, but a major BCS program cutting varsity sports may not be unprecedented in this environment, as could be the case at a program like Oregon State. In Corvallis, the message is clear: "Unless donor dollars increase, some minor sports might disappear."

The financial health of college sports and athletic departments balance sheets in the near term may prove to be a larger challenge for Gene than the move from the Big East to the ACC.

Winter Classic Coming to Boston?

From the Herald, Ice is nice at Fenway for Bruins ...

Don’t breathe a word of this. Because nobody’s supposed to know. But the Boston Bruins will host the NHL’s Winter Classic outdoor hockey game against an unnamed opponent Jan. 1 at Fenway Park!

Our spies on Lansdowne Street say the League has given its blessing to a 2010 New Year’s Day game in the Hub of Hockey, choosing Boston over New York and Philadelphia.

League reps had visited all three cities and, in Boston, looked at both Fenway and Gillette Stadium . However, scheduling around any Patriots post-season play was a tricky proposition, we’re told, and ultimately Fenway got the nod.

I say forget the Bruins ... how about Boston College vs. Boston University hockey at Fenway Park?

Gene, make it happen.

A Look at First-Year Coaching Success and the Big Finish

Jeff: Brian, I call today Masters Friday. Do you know what the Masters is?

Brian: Don't you mean Good Friday? And yes, I know what the Masters is, thank you very much.

Here is a look back at each of BC's head football coaches performances in their first season at the helm. The results are not pretty.

Year	Coach	Record	Conference
1978	Ed Chlebek	0-11	--
1981	Jack Bicknell	5-6	--
1991	Tom Coughlin	4-7	2-4 Big East
1994	Dan Henning	7-4-1	4-3-1 Big East
1997	Tom O'Brien	4-7	3-5 Big East
2007	Jeff Jagodzinski	11-3	6-2 ACC

Poor class of 1978. That year's team under first year coach Ed Chlebek went 0-11, including losses to these football powerhouses - Villanova, Holy Cross, Massachusetts, Temple (in Tokyo!), Tulane, and all three service academies!

Going back 32 years, the only coaches that were able to compile a winning record in their first season as coach were Dan Henning in 1994 (7-4-1) and Jeff Jagodzinski in 2007 (11-3). Both coaches were able to capitalize on the success of Tom Coughlin (1991-1993) and Tom O'Brien (1997-2006).

These results are not particularly encouraging for Frank Spaziani in his first year as head coach at the Heights. Jeff, please tell me why I shouldn't be discouraged by our recent history and should expect good things (a.k.a. a winning record) from the Eagles in 2009?

Jeff: You shouldn't be discouraged because our most recent history includes Jagodzinski compiling one of the greatest seasons in the history of BC football. If Jags could do that, Spaz can at least have a winning record. Also look at the personnel he has returning with our two young running backs and a spectacular defense including the reigning ACC Defensive POY.

Brian: You're right, Jeff. One of those reasons has to be the returning starters on defense. HD tooks a look at the ACC schools over the past five years that have finished in the Top 25 for the total defense statistic. Will BC again rank in the Top 25 for total defense in 2009?

Jeff: I would think so. Defense is Spaziani's specialty so I would expect the Eagles to have a strong, strong defense for years to come.

Brian: I am cautiously optimistic that the Eagles will have another winning season next year. The team has a lot of work to get better on offense and on special teams this summer before I feel more comfortable.

Still, the schedule sets up somewhat favorably for the Eagles next year. BC is likely to win 3 or all 4 of their out of conference games (Northeastern, Kent State, Central Michigan, at Notre Dame) and then the team only needs a couple of ACC victories to push them to 7 wins. The most likely candidates being at Virginia (also breaking in a new offense), North Carolina (retooling after losing several offensive playmakers) and at Maryland (always seem to find a way to beat the Terps) - all at the end of the season. Clemson will take a step back, and we get the tougher ACC Atlantic teams - Wake Forest, Florida State and NC State - all at home.

Here's hoping that Spaz can top the first-year coaching records of Chlebek, Bicknell, Coughlin and O'Brien.


Big Finish

Jeff: Former Eagles pitcher Joe Martinez had a good day on Tuesday. His first major league action out of the bullpen for the San Francisco Giants - 1 game, 2.0 innings pitched, 1 strike out, 1 walk, 1 win. Pretty good, eh?

Brian: Great first outing on opening day in relief of Giants starter Tim Lincecum, who only lasted 3 innings. He did give up 2 earned runs but the Giants backed him with 2 runs in the 4th and 1 run in the 5th to give Martinez his first MLB victory.

However, last night he was bloodied up by a line drive off the bat of Mike Cameron that struck him in the head. He was able to walk away and was taken to get a CT scan. Here's wishing Martinez a speedy recovery.


Brian: In an interview with Lars Anderson on bceagles.com, Anderson says the 2009 offense will be all no-huddle and much more up-tempo. The plays will all be called with hand signals. Does this at all worry you considering we will have one of three very green quarterbacks under center next year?

Jeff: Absolutely. This terrifies me with the lack of experience we have at the helm no matter who ends up being the starting quarterback. Longer term though, I like it.


Jeff: Buffalo Sabres prospect Nate Gerbe was named AHL Outstanding Rookie of the Year. How long will it take for Gerbe to make the Sabres roster?

Brian: If the Sabres don't make the playoffs, I would expect Gerbe to be called up sooner rather than later.


Brian: The ACC Sports Journal takes a way, way too early look at the 2009-2010 ACC men's basketball power rankings, and has BC ranked 9 of 12. Fair or foul?

Jeff: BC probably deserves a slightly higher ranking but it's not so far off that I can call it foul.


Jeff: Goon's World takes a look at the number of NHL players from each NCAA men's ice hockey program. BC and North Dakota tie for second place on the list with 16 players, only topped by Michigan's 25 players. Anything on that list stand out as odd to you?

Brian: The few number of NHL players from New Hampshire jumps out at me immediately (5). The Wildcats are tied with Harvard, Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State, and Nebraska-Omaha - all non-factors on the national stage. And they wonder why they always crap the bed in the NCAA tournament?


Brian: Patrick Stevens of the Washington Post uses some crazy math (25 points for a National Championship, 10 points for a Final Four, 1 point for an NCAA tournament berth, and so on, and so forth) to determine which ACC basketball program has been the best over the past decade. BC ranks 4th on this list behind only the schools that have won National titles this past decade (North Carolina, Duke and Maryland). This surprise you?

Jeff: Not at all. We've known this for a long time. BC has had a spectacular run in basketball since 2000. Skinner gets a lot of heat from fans for no reason.


Jeff: Greg Norman shot two under in his opening round at the Masters. Any chance he finishes top 5?

Brian: Slight, slight chance. If I was playing oddsmakers, I would only give him a 5% chance. Still, impressive that he shot -2 and matched Tiger's first round. Norman is the sentimental pick to win, right?, since he has finished 2nd in the Masters three times - two times in the 1980s and one time in the 1990s. And you thought I knew nothing about golf!


Brian: Last one, the UVA blog From Old Virginia takes a look at the joke that is the four-team ACC men's lacrosse league. Your solution?

Jeff: Fix Title IX.

The Quarterback of the Future? and the Big Finish

Jeff: Continuing our discussion on playing basketball games in football stadiums, let me reiterate that I love having regionals, Final Fours, and conference tournaments in arenas large enough that a sellout is not a guarantee. I like the accessibility of tickets, I like having no trouble parking around the stadium, and I like having a little room to stretch during a two game five hour session of watching live basketball. 20,000+ are going to show up and fill at least the lower bowls for these things and provide the proper atmosphere down at courtside. Ford Field is a different beast than the Georgia Dome and I can understand a little criticism but I am still absolutely shocked that you and our commenters don't seem to recall the hype that surrounded Michigan State playing Kentucky there which set all kinds of basketball attendance records. It's really the same concept as NHL teams playing in baseball and football stadiums which everyone seems to love. Why the hate against the Ford Field Final Four?

Brian: First of all, Jeff, the NHL's Winter Classic is a novelty game played once a year. They don't play any of the NHL playoffs games outside. Totally different beast. And second, yesterday on PTI, Wilbon asked TK whether Michigan State would have any sort of home court advantage for playing at Ford Field in Detroit. TK agreed that there would be some home field advantage but made the point that it wouldn't get too loud in Ford Field because the court is in the middle of the field and the seats are too spread out to have crowd noise that will impact the game. I totally agree with this point. Same sort of affect that Michigan's Big House has with crowd noise as compared to Oregon's Autzen Stadium. Autzen only seats 54,000 but is known as one of the loudest places to play in the country. The Big House has a reputation for not getting that loud despite the 100,000+ people in attendance.

Your other point about the greater availability of tickets ... I just don't understand why someone would want to go to Ford Field and sit in the cheap seats in this day and age of high-definition television. I would much rather watch the game at home on an HD television than sit in the cheap seats at a Final Four to say I was there. In that case, watching the game on TV is a much better option to actually watch the game.


Anyhow, with the Final Four this weekend and the Frozen Four next weekend, we will be winding down the basketball and hockey coverage and starting to get excited about this year's upcoming football season. So many questions for the offseason ... how will Spaziani perform in his first year as head coach? What does Gary Tranquill bring to the table? Will Dan McGovern fill into Spaz's DC position seamlessly? And that is just questions about the coaching staff.

Today, we focus on this fluff piece from HD about the BC quarterback competition. What interests me more than who will be our quarterback for the 2009 season is who is BC's quarterback of the future? We all know that (your boy) Codi Boek, Justin Tuggle and Dominique Davis will be competing for the starting role in 2009, but what about going forward? Throw Indian Hills, NJ QB recruit Michael Marscovetra into the mix, as well as BC's first recruit for the 2010 class Joe Boisture. Boisture, in particular, spurned the recruiting efforts of schools like UCLA, LSU, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin and appears to be a solid pickup for the class of 2010.

That is five potential QBs on the roster by 2010. No, Andy, I'm not including Flutie.

Now I know we have no inside information about the QB competition and who is going to emerge this fall as the starter, but who is your horse in this race? Who do you think our starting QB will be over the next few seasons? Lay out a "5 year plan" for Coach Spaz and the coaching staff.

Jeff: Well, as you alluded to I would love for it to be Codi Boek, but that is just not happening. If he had more promise you would assume he would've at least been on the depth chart last year. That doesn't mean he won't see snaps this year but as far as being our QB of the future I am ruling him out. After seeing Dominique Davis play last year, we also know that there is a ceiling for his potential also. That ceiling might be high enough to get the Eagles back to Tampa now that he could be the starter from day 1, but it is a ceiling that will prevent us from comparing him to Doug Flutie and Matt Ryan. So this leaves Tuggle as the best bet for the man that could emerge this year and could be the QB of the future.

Brian: Here's what I would love to see happen. I'm thinking that Tuggle wins the starting role in 2009. I know there are some that argue that Davis's experience starting 3 games last season gives him a leg up, but I'm not buying it. Three starts in the ACC does not an experienced college quarterback make. I mean, if Davis is the favorite because he started 3 games last season - with a different head coach, different OC and different offensive playbook, let's not discount the fact that Codi Boek played in 3 juco games at ARC in Sacramento before breaking his arm!

But I digress. I obviously don't like Boek's chances in this horse race. I think Boek is in the mix for nothing more than increased competition for Tuggle and Davis.

In 2010 when Boisture gets here, you redshirt him and Tuggle is again the starter in 2010. Hopefully by then he is getting Russell Wilson-esque pub going into his sophomore season. If this is the case, it will be interesting to see what Davis does. Does he stick around? Does he transfer? Who knows.

In 2011, Tuggle is your starter as a junior and Davis is the senior backup. Boisture is third on the depth chart as a freshman. Then for the 2012 season, you call for an open competition between Tuggle and then-sophomore Boisture. If Boisture gets the nod, he has the 2012 through 2014 seasons to be BC's quarterback.

There is my five year plan.

Jeff: You're putting a lot of eggs in the baskets of guys who you've never seen throw a pass.

Brian: That's what YouTube is for (Joe Boisture, Justin Tuggle #1, Justin Tuggle #2) dude. The wildcard, of course, is Michael Marscovetra. Who knows how he will perform at the Heights. I realize some guys don't pan out but to me it just seems curious that we would have so many QB prospects on the roster.


Big Finish

Jeff: The Eagles baseball team notched 2 wins this weekend. What do you expect them to do against the Wolfpack?

Brian: NC State (5-7) is right behind BC (5-5) in the ACC Atlantic standings. I am optimistic that the Eagles can take 2 of 3.


Brian: The women's basketball season ended Wednesday night, as the Lady Eagles fell to the South Florida Bulls 82-65. The reported attendance was ... 702?! That ain't right, is it?

Jeff: I'm surprised that you're surprised by that figure. The women's games are typically attended by families and families are not going to last minute find out the Lady Eagles are playing and plan a trip to Conte on a weeknight.

Brian: The women's team deserves better. If that game is at South Florida, they get a couple thousand to attend. Just a guess.


Jeff: Your men's ice hockey captains for 2009-2010 are Matt Price (C), Matt Lombardi (A) and Ben Smith (A). That cool with you?

Brian: Sure. The only other returning junior is Carl Sneep, but he plays on defense and they usually give the captaincy and the assistant positions to forwards.


Brian: It is rumored that Memphis basketball threw $21 million dollars at BC alum Bruce Pearl to become the Tigers next basketball coach. Jeff, you are ex-Baldwin Bruce Pearl. You jumping the Vol ship or staying put?

Jeff: Take the money and never think twice. Go dominate Conference USA.


Jeff: The Hobey Hat Trick finalists were announced yesterday. All three players are from Hockey East. Any doubt which college hockey conference was the best in the country last year?

Brian: None.


Brian: The MLS club Chivas USA is offering soccer fans all-you-can-eat tickets for $25. If BC football was to offer a similar ticket deal, how much food (in a dollar amount) could you put down over the span of one football game?

Jeff: I'd say 5 hot dogs, 3 popcorns, a pizza, 2 nachos and a bag of M&Ms. Add in several cokes and I figure my tab is approaching $80.00.


Jeff: Last one, who would you most like to smoke a joint with? Willie Green, Ryan Sydney, Sean Williams or BJ Raji?

Brian: That's cold man, and falls under the category of way too soon ...

Eagle Fans with Cablevision Rejoice?

Brian: From the Sports Business Journal comes word that ESPN brass have reached a deal that will allow cable and satellite distributors to pull an ESPN Classic for ESPNU switch-a-roo!

ESPN Classic’s days as one of the country’s biggest sports channels may be over.

Executives in Bristol are set to allow cable and satellite distributors to swap ESPN’s classic sports channel for its college network, ESPNU, which they hope presents a newer, hipper alternative to Classic’s staid, dated programming.

As part of the offer, ESPN also is looking for added distribution for its Spanish-language channel, ESPN Deportes, and its broadband network, ESPN360.

Score. This means Eagles fans will have greater access to ESPNU and the network's slate of ACC football, basketball and D-I college hockey games. Not to mention the possibility of ESPN360 being provided on a wider range of cable providers (something I currently don't have access to with Time Warner in NYC).

For reference, last season there were ...

• 7 men's basketball games televised on ESPNU - Loyola (Md), Iowa, Miami (FL), at Virginia Tech, at Virginia, Florida State, at NC State
• 3 men's ice hockey games televised by the U - Vermont, at Maine, Boston University (with the Notre Dame game on ESPN Classic / ESPN 360)
• 3 football games televised by the U - Kent State, Central Florida, Clemson (with the Rhode Island game on ESPN 360)

Of course, with ESPN Classic's move to a sports tier, this means less opportunity to watch the 1984 Flutie Miracle in Miami game in its entirety on a rainy Sunday. But that is a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Petition your local cable or satellite provider to make the switch!