Army West Point Athletics
Black Knight Blog - September
September 03, 2008 | General
The Black Knight Blog is a new initiative provided by the Office of Athletic Communications to offer Army fans an even more in-depth look into the everyday happenings here at West Point. The intent of this blog is to keep readers informed with a light, personal touch that will further enhance the fan experience. Please enjoy and send any comments, questions or concerns to tracy.nelson@usma.edu. We welcome as much feedback as possible!
Click below to ready blogs from past months:
August
TUESDAY, SEPT. 30
Hello Black Knight sports fans. It’s another blogtastic day here at the home office in Building 639 at West Point. The sun is shining, I just stuffed myself full of Italian cold cut sandwiches and brownies (I had an apple too, Mom, don't worry) at our weekly football media luncheon and I am ready to pen, err, type another installment of the Black Knight Blog, according to Tim Volkmann.
I am off to the print shop as soon as my fingers finish typing this entry to pick up the men’s soccer programs for this evening’s showdown with Yale, set to kick off at 7:00 p.m. I gave Dennis and the ITT Knight Vision guys the evening off, so if you can’t make it to Clinton Field in person, but still want to follow along with the game, live statistics will be available by clicking here once the game has started.
While Army’s record currently stands at 1-6, only one of those losses have been by more than one goal. Not bad for coach Kurt Swanbeck’s squad that has 12 freshman and six sophomores accounting for a large chunk of the roster. A strong junior class has been working very hard. Along with leading scorer and ACL tear survivor Bryan Connolly, Andrew Kydes, Peter Campbell, Cole Dietz and the rest of the class of 2010 have the team going in the right direction.
Men’s soccer athletic trainer Sam Visco just stopped by on her way over to the training room and said, not only did she bake a chocolate chip cookie cake for one of the other trainer’s birthdays, the guys are hungry for a win tonight. This means that, not only do I have to stop by the training room on my way to the game tonight to “check on the players” (read: get a piece of cookie cake), it should be a good night for the Black Knights.
As I am sure you have already read in my game preview, this is the 38th time Army has played Yale, but only the second time since 1979, and the Bulldogs pulled out a 1-0 win last year in New Haven.
Coming up this Saturday, Army will play what has turned into our Patriot League opener versus Colgate at 1:00 p.m. Last Saturday’s American game was washed out thanks to Hurricane Kyle, and was rescheduled for a matinee on Monday, Nov. 3 at 1:00 p.m.
Hard to believe tomorrow is the first day of October already. Time to start thinking about what costume I’m going to wear for Halloween. Last year, I was a Jedi (yes, I made my own light saber all true Jedi do). Since you can’t be the same thing two years in a row, I’ll have to come up with something different for this year. Maybe I’ll see if I can buy a Ryan Yanoshak mask those are pretty scary.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 30
Ice and Putters
Good morning Black Knights fans as we work our way through the alphabet and I get another crack at the Black Knights Blog. I am Ryan Yanoshak and work primarily with the golf and hockey programs. It is shaping up to be a great week for both of those programs and in turn me.
First, we’re going to forgive Monday’s scheduled poster who was knee-deep in finishing up a media guy. Plus, she is a sweetheart who will do absolutely anything to help a co-worker so she has earned a pass, with our apologies to our loyal readers who tend to share cookies and energy drinks.
Army hosts Navy in its annual dual match Saturday and Sunday at the West Point Golf Course. The match is styled after the Ryder Cup with singles and doubles competition and should be a great weekend of golf between service academy rivals. Navy won last year on its home course and Army head coach Jimmy Ray Clevenger has been working diligently to counter with a young, but talented lineup. One of the questions about the Army golf team that often comes up is “why are the scores so high early in the season.” These wonderful young men don’t need me to make excuses for them but in their defense, not one of them is spending the summer at their local country club playing 36 holes a day while hitting buckets in the afternoon. Most of the summer is military training and academic work, not figuring out the exact distance of a nine-iron. That being said, when they return to West Point, they go right to work and get in as much time on the course as possible. Keep an eye out later this week for a preview of the match. Details are usually sparse because coaches keep lineups pretty close to the vest but we will do our best.
The day after the Army-Navy match, the Philadelphia Flyers will be on post for two days as part of their training camp. This bas became an annual tradition with NHL teams taking advantage of the spacious locker rooms, huge O’Meara, Malek, Dawkins Class of 59 Strength Development Center, Tate Rink and the great minds here in the Center for Enhanced Performance and those that perform military-based training and team-building. The Flyers are scheduled for a tour on Tuesday and will eat lunch in the mess hall with the Corps of Cadets. It’s pretty exciting to see a team on its way to the Eastern Conference finals and a great story to write as NHL players rave about the men and women of the United States Military Academy. The Black Knights officially open practice this Saturday with the Black and Gold Scrimmage set for Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. and the home-opener Oct. 18 against Merrimack.
BK Blog Notes: The men’s soccer and rifle guides are available on-line and for purchase. Check out each team’s home page for info. Hockey, swimming and rifle soon to be posted ... Brian Gunning takes to the microphone today for the Stan Brock Press Conference. Bob Beretta is away so Gun Boat is in charge. You can watch on Knight Vision beginning at noon ... The men’s soccer team is home at Clinton Field tonight at 7 p.m. against Yale ... Quiet mid-week, with no other events scheduled until a busy Friday ... Keep an eye on the site in the next few weeks for a story on Shane Kimbrough ’89, who is set to do some impressive things in November ... Army-Tulane football notes are posted. Kickoff Saturday at 3 p.m. ET from New Orleans ... Counting down the days to the Cubs vs. Rays World Series ... If you see Golfweek, pick up a copy for some great stories about former Army golfers as well as a sidebar about Army vs. Navy. Beth Baldry did a great job tracking down members of the Class of 2005. The magazine has a subscription fee to view it on-line so that’s why there is no link.
Make it a great one! Beat Navy, well Yale first!
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26
Wet and Wild
Good afternoon Black Knight Blog fans! Annie Holliday here, after Tracy so awesomely switched with me on yesterday's blog entry due to finalizing some stuff with my move. I hope you will forgive me for the brief entry today, I'm not as skilled at operating on little sleep as your average cadet or Army SID (seriously, my coworkers put in some long hours... rumor has it that when I left a voicemail for Mady early this morning around the time most are in their fourth round of REM sleep, one of the Athletic Communications staff members heard the phone ring... he was still hard at work on one of his media guides!) Anyway, if I transpose a letter or two, or miss a word altogether, I'm blaming the lack of rest, and all the caffiene and sugar I've consumed to try to make up for it (which is becoming increasingly ineffective)
First off, the day began with a lot of rain, and although it appears to have taken a break, it is most certainly going to be back, thanks to tropical storm Kyle. A few different events have been affected. The Men's Soccer game against American that was scheduled for tomorrow, September 27, at 1 p.m., has been postponed until November 3 now. The Women's Tennis team has been pushed strictly indoors for their Eastern Championships, which was expected. Although the field of teams ended up getting whittled down due to the forecast, there is still much talent and competition from the region to be seen, so stop by Lichtenberg Tennis Center tonight or this weekend to check it out. As of this writing, no other local Army events are affected, and Sprint Football is still on track to beat Navy on Sunday down at Shea.
My own day began with a mystery CD on my desk. Upon putting it in my computer, I found it was the images Pointer View photographer Eric Bartelt had snapped at last Friday's Army Volleyball vs. USC game. He had given it to me because during the 10 minute break of that game, all of the new members of the men's club volleyball team were selected to participate in the in-game promotion, and I asked Eric if he wouldn't mind snapping a few shots for me (I volunteer with that club). It was a variation on musical chairs where the players had to run and get a ball before returning to sit. Asking a group who already knew each other to be part of the game was a good idea---it made for some entertaining moments and a feeling of friendly competition you might not get from a group of strangers. Although, I could have gone without the fears of hurt ankles & knees during the impromptu wrestling match for the last ball on one round. Nonetheless, it was a great way to fill the 8 minutes or so of break and keep the crowd enlivened. Our Game Day Promotions and Marketing team have put together some great stuff this year---come on out to a game, and check it our for yourself! You might walk away with a t-shirt, water bottle, bragging rights, or a combination of all three!
Until next time, stay dry, and have a great weekend. Go Army!
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25
A Change of Pace
Buenos dias mi amigos! Tracy Nelson at the keyboard filling in for an absent Annie Holliday. We pulled a little switcheroo to accommodate Annie's moving from Middletown to right here in good old Highland Falls. If you haven't noticed, our schedules can get pretty busy most days, so to ensure that we get the BK Blog updated daily, we are on a rotating schedule. So, for those of you expecting Annie today, I'm afraid that you'll have to wait in anticipation of tomorrow's entry.
I write to you with a full stomach, which makes me very happy, after having walked up to Grant Hall for some mangia. If you're ever in or around West Point for an event, I would totally recommend checking out Grant at some point! It's located just outside of Cadet Area amongst some of the oldest buildings here at West Point - truly a sight to see! I love taking a stroll or a run through that part of post because it's like going back in time. Not to mention that the food is fabulous! I would recommend the Bouncing Betty (I think that my wrap today weighed about six pounds) or the Comm's Combo (half a wrap/sandwich with a cup of soup - the chili is to die for!). I find that it's the perfect destination during the break of a baseball doubleheader...
Since I know that most of you are reading this thing hoping to hear something about Army sports today, I will let you in on a few happenings here at West Point. The football team is about to take off for Texas tomorrow. Rumor has it that there are two planes going Houston's direction tomorrow afternoon. The team plays on Saturday at 12:35 EST (11:35 local time) and can be seen on Versus. Both soccer teams and the women's tennis teams are in for a fun-filled weekend in the rain. With nearly a 100% chance of precipitation on Friday and Saturday, it should be an interesting weekend for those folks. Luckily, tennis has the luxury of using the Lichtenberg Tennis Center as the team hosts 18 other clubs for the Eastern Championships Friday-Sunday.
Also in action, the sprint football team takes on arch nemesis Navy on Sunday here at Shea Stadium. Kick is set for 1 p.m. Meanwhile, the cross country team is in Minneapolis for a Saturday meet.
I’m finishing on a high note with the most successful of all fall programs the women’s volleyball team! The Black Knights start Patriot League play this weekend down in the Lehigh Valley against Lafayette on Friday at 7 p.m. and then Lehigh on Saturday at 4 p.m. I spent my first two years out of college working at Lafayette wonderful experience before the West Point job was dangled in front of me. It’s always bittersweet when the Black Knights take on the Leopards, but don’t worry, I realize who signs my paycheck!
Good luck to all of our teams this weekend! Check back tomorrow to get Annie’s take on what’s up here at West Point!
Some sidenotes: The women’s basketball team announced the hiring of Jason Marshall to the staff earlier today - welcome! ... the Philadelphia Flyers will be at West Point, utilizing Army’s state-of-the-art training facilities Oct. 6-7 ... a special ticket package for the final three Army home football games was announced on Wednesday (click here to get in on the what-a-deal) ... Lt. Gen. Franklin Hagenbeck was on hand to cut the ribbon as Jefferson Hall Library and Learning Center was dedicated on Wednesday afternoon ... the facility is breathtaking (especially at night), and is the first new academic building to be erected at West Point in 36 years ... that means Nixon was President, Mady Salvani was probably working in our for a decade already and I wasn't even born yet!
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24, 2008
Believe It Or Not, There is Basketball In the Air
Good afternoon, everyone. Brian Gunning working the keyboard this afternoon. While most of the talk around West Point this week has centered around football and the big trip to Texas A&M, I figured I'd change things up a bit.
In additon to working with football, I'm the main men's basketball contact, and since everyone else has been shamelessly plugging their sports on here lately, I figured it's my turn. I guess my visit with two former players and current staff members inspired me. Capt. Sean O'Keefe is a 2004 graduate and now is the Director of Basketball Operations. 2nd Lt. Grant Carter finished his career last season and is serving as the team's athletic intern this year. Both of them were over here going through my photo files for a project they're working on. It was good to get the skinny on some things. Unfortunately I can't share everything or that would be the last time they, or any member of the hoops staff, talked to me.
Believe it or not, practice gets going in less than a month, but the team has already been getting after it in individual workouts to get ready for the season. While not quite as physically demanding, we've been gearing up for hoops around the communications and marketing offices as well. I've delved into preparing this season's media guide and should have it ready to go for Patriot League media day on Oct. 23 in Baltimore. Also, if you haven't seen the main page yet, be sure to check the updated schedule. There were two changes announced today. The first Army-Navy game of the season will now be played on Sunday, Jan. 25 at noon instead of Saturday, Jan. 24. The switch was made to accomodate ESPNU's broadcast of the game as part of the conference's television package. Also the game at American will now be Feb. 4 instead of Jan. 21. Keep checking the web for updates, but as far as I know that should be it for now.
If you haven't heard, Christl Arena will have a new look on game days this year. We've decided to offer 50 premium courstside seats for the 2008-09 season. The seats are located right along the sideline and include hospitality. Not only do you get a great view of the game, you get a great meal to go along with it. The price is only $160, which includes every men's and women's home game. That's a great deal for a seat that will be closer to the action than mine. For more information call Asst. AD for Development Doug Fillis at (845) 938-2322. One other change in seating this season is that, except for the floor seats, Christl Arena will be general admission so the earlier you get to the game, the better seat you get!
There should be plenty of reasons to catch the Black Knights in action this season. It has the makings of a very interesting season. A lot of key players are back from last year's Patriot League semifinal run. The last two seasons, head coach Jim Crews and his squad have started to turn the corner. The 29 wins since the start of the 2006-07 season is the most in any two-year period since 1977-78 and 1978-79 (33) when someone named Mike Krzyzewski was the coach. Army has also defeated every Patriot League team at least once in that span.
Of course, the big question is how to replace 1,000-point scorer and first-team All-Patriot League performer Jarell Brown. Jarell had an unbeliveable senior year. Despite having a huge target on his back and battling a number of injuries throughout the year, he averaged more than 18 a game and broke the Academy single-season three-point record. One of the gutsiest things I've ever seen on a basketball court was his effort at Bucknell last season. After suffering back spasms at Lafayette and hardly being able to walk until a couple days before the game, he played more than 39 minutes and scored 21 points to lead Army to a 16-point win. It snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Bison and was the squad's first win at Sojka Pavilion. Not bad for someone who we weren't sure would play until the starters were introduced.
I'd keep my eyes on junior guard Josh Miller. Josh really started to come on at the end of the season, and was the key to the Black Knights postseason win at Lehigh when he scored a career-high 25 points. He was the first Army player to get named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team since 1995. In addition to being Army's leading returning scorer, "Snacks" led the team in steals and assists last season.
It won't be one player that makes the difference this season, but rather a number of players contributing. One of the most telling stats from last year is Army was 5-2 when at least three players scored in double figures and 2-7 when only one player scored at least 10 points. If guys like Marcus Nelson, Cleveland Richard, Doug Williams, Chris Walker, Tyrell Thompson, Kenny Brewer, Nathan Hedgecock, John Moonshower, Jon Sizemore and Rickey Royal can build on some of the outstanding performances they posted last year, there will be plenty of options that will make Army's motion offense tough to stop. With a 19-member roster, that also includes returners Eric Zastoupil, Curtis Koszuta, Mitch McDonald, Jeremy Hence, Billy Van Harp and Ben Leatigaga practice should be intense every day as everyone is fighting for playing time. It will also be interesting to see the addition of Ross Trampler and Julian Simmons to the mix. Ross was at the Academy last year, but the big man missed the entire season with an injury. Julian played at the prep school last year, lighting it up for 24 points per game.
I'm excited to sit down with Coach Crews next week to talk about the upcoming season. Maybe if you're nice, I'll give you a little sneak peek of what the boss has to say about his squad before the media guide comes out.
All this hoop talk has got me fired up! I can't wait for the opener on Nov. 15 against Dartmouth at Christl.
Other happenings: While basketball practice starts in mid-October, hockey's regular season gets rolling on Oct. 18 at Tate Rink ... Shak made the trek to Atlantic Hockey League media day in Rochester today where the Black Knights were picked to finish fifth after winning the regular-season title last season ... I was over at football earlier helping a media member snag some interviews and no one should have any worries about the players' attittudes heading down to Texas. To a man, they all talked about continuing to work hard and focus on getting better each day ... Congratulations to Bob Beretta on his numerous writing awards from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Among his honors was the "Story of the Year" award for his recap of the Black Knights' unbelievable football win against Tulane last season at Miche Stadium. For those of you who haven't read it yet, check it out here.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 23, 2008
Beat Navy!
Hello blog readers, Mark Brumbaugh at the controls of the blog today. This week I am looking forward to my first Army-Navy battles as a member of the Army staff. It just so happens that the sports that I cover are leading off the 2008-09 slate.
The Navy sprint football team will face the Black Knights on Sunday at 1 p.m at Shea Stadium. Navy has had the upper-hand recently, but I know that head coach Lt. Col. Mark West is looking to put an end to their winning streak. The sprint football team dominated their season opener and held up well against a much larger opponent this past weekend in Wagner, so it should certainly be an interesting matchup. Their team motto this year has been “fast forward,” since West would like the team members to focus on establishing their own legacy. What better way to do that then to put Army up early 1-0?
I have enjoyed traveling with them the past two Sundays. The season opener produced last week’s Army Play of the Week, so be sure to check out the ITT Knight Vision section on the right of the main page if you missed it and be sure to check out all of the other goodies the broadcasting folks put out (men’s soccer has the current play of the week with a nice goal down in Alabama).
This past Sunday I rode down to Wagner in Staten Island, N.Y. with the team. I haven’t been by the New York City area in a while, so it was great to see the famous skyline again. Many of the plebes were just excited to see the outside world. I also decided that Wagner has the second best press box view of the Hudson River.
While sprint football will be the first to face Navy head-to-head, Army and Navy will both be sending their cross country teams to the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota on Saturday. The Black Knights will certainly be looking to finish ahead of their arch-rival and see how they measure up for the annual Army-Navy Star Meet in October.
If you recall my Sept. 12 blog entry and have taken a look at the photos from the Army-Cornell men’s and women’s cross country meet (more just added from ace photographer John Pellino), you may have noticed that my Dukes of Hazzard inspired plans of getting aerial photos by launching a golf cart airborne did not work out. A perfect storm of circumstances conspired against me.
The first obstacle was an actual storm. The light rains before the race turned into heavy rains throughout the race. I do not remember seeing the General Lee flying through the rain, or it ever raining in Hazzard County, Ga. for that matter, so I had my doubts about whether this was a safe thing to do. Now I know some of you may be saying, “you moron, launching a vehicle without wings is dangerous even if it is sunny.” Really? How so?
Second, the golf cart must have had some sort of speed limiting device on it. Running it wide open, it seemed to hit its max speed much sooner that it should have, but then the engine would power up when going uphill to maintain that speed. And to think I was more concerned about getting a musical horn on the thing! Actually, much to the disappointment of some West Point Elementary students, it did not have any horn at all. At least it had a roof.
Finally, Mady had new pants that she did not want to get mud on. That was the deal breaker. I did not have much of a problem launching an underpowered, wingless vehicle airborne in inclement weather, but it would have been quite rude of me to risk ruining her new pants.
Nonetheless, it was a fun time and I wish cross country had a couple more home meets!
Of course, there is more fun to be had here because after a long summer break, it is finally time to BEAT NAVY!
MONDAY, SEPT. 22, 2008
Welcome to the Monday morning edition of the Black Knights Blog. I am your host Ryan Yanoshak.
Quite a weekend here at West Point. No doubt you read Tim’s post on Friday detailing all the folks that have been through this week. Friday and Saturday, we had a chance to see most of them and our coach (Mady Salvani) recapped the events of Friday with a blog early Saturday morning.
The Hall of Fame festivities were everything there were supposed to be and more. You know West Point is a special place but when you see Bob Knight shaking hands with Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins, it is truly a great night. Or Jack Riley, the former Army hockey coach who happens to have a gold medal after leading the 1960 U.S. hockey team, posing for photos with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. No word on if they compared medals. Photos here.
It was a busy weekend for the 10 inductees into this year’s class of the Army Sports Hall of Fame and those great athletes were generous with their time, signatures and smiles. Alexis Albano, Curt Alitz, John Boretti, George Clark, Jose Olivero, Coach Knight, Richard Shelton and Arnold Tucker smiled for every photo and signed every autograph all weekend. It was great to see those folks in Black Knights Alley prior to the football game. Lots of smiles, memories, stories and hugs for the class.
Speaking of Black Knights Alley, it continues to be a must-see attraction before Army football games. Had a chance to walk through before the kickoff against Akron and the hockey team was showing kids how to shoot, the softball team was painting faces and the men’s golf team was passing out schedules. Food, music, cadet-athletes and bunch of things to do: doesn’t get much better for football pregame. Check out the photo gallery from BKA here.
Alas, the Hall of Fame is behind us and for the first time in 2008, the football team is getting ready for a road game. The Black Knights travel to Texas A&M for Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. (Eastern time) kickoff. If you can’t make it to Texas, Versus will carry the game, as will the Army Radio Network.
Kind of a quiet week. The golf team is action today and tomorrow in Manhattan, Kan. No other events are scheduled until we get into the weekend, with women’s soccer, volleyball and tennis all on the slate on Friday.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 20, 2008
This is Mady Salvani reporting to you on the Hall of Fame plaque unveiling and dinner Friday evening.
Friday, Sept. 19, felt like Christmas morning - to me it was like being a kid all over again anxiously awaiting for all the guests to arrive. That morning I went with Shak (RyanYanoshak) to the Hotel Thayer to return photos, a lacrosse stick, awards and newspaper clippings that several of the inductees had lent us. When I walked into the lobby I saw Col. Tom Rogers who was the Officer Representative for Bobby Knight and Mike Krzyzewski. Also with them was basketball star Bill Schutsky (who lives locally) and his wife Donna.
The excitement was mounting. I had all I could do to get my work done waiting for 4 p.m. to arrive that was when I would change clothes (since it was formal I could not arrive in a pair of slacks) and head to the Kenna Hall of Fame. My only mistake was I forgot there was no parking close by and had to park in A Lot which is not a problem when I wear regular shoes, but to walk down that hill in heels nearly killed my feet.
However, that is a small price to pay for the evening ahead. When I arrived at the Hall of Fame there were already a slew of guests but not my inductees. The first one I spotted was Alexis Albano and I was excited to see her and her family once again. There were a lot of folks coming in, but not ones I recognized so I went outside to greet the buses coming in. Next one to arrive was Jose Olivero, soccer and lacrosse.
The inductees started to come in Curt Alitz (track/cross country/swimming), who I watched grow up on post and is now a doctor stationed here; Richard Shelton (pistol), George Clark (hockey), John Boretti (baseball/hockey/soccer) and Arnold Tucker (football/basketball). Still missing was Bobby Knight, and when I looked out the window I saw the basketball players assembled so I assumed he was expected shortly. I rushed down with camera in hand, but finally had to give up as it was getting close to induction time.
Shortly after I arrived upstairs, Coach Knight appeared and as you can guess there were a throng of people rushing over to him. Already there was Coach K with his daughter and son-in-law, Chris Spatola, who starred on the hardwood at Army.
Former Army hockey coach Jack Riley, who was Coach Knight’s neighbor back in the days, was among the first to greet him. Jack has a great sense of humor and was already calling for me to take a photo of him, Coach Knight and Coach K. When I took the photo I didn’t realize until later that I have a shot of three Olympic coaches who won gold medals and all got their start at West Point.
The ceremony began and each inductee had a chance to say a few words. Each one thanked their parents, teammates and coaches and gave credit to West Point for molding them into the person they are. Whenever people think that ROTC could replace the service academies, they are wrong. West Point takes and molds young men and women into becoming leaders at every level in society.
Coach Knight had the crowd laughing with stories of West Point during his days here as a young kid coaching a Division I program. He threw a few jabs at Jack Riley, noting he copied some of his colorful language. Mike Silliman 's (deceased) children were there and Coach Knight commented that he was the finest collegiate basketball player he had coached. Some tribute coming from a man who is the all-time winngest coach.
The unveiling took place and there were a few photo opportunities, but there was no milling around afterwards because the ceremony got started later than planned and folks had to be moved to the next session of the program - Eisenhower Hall.
I rushed back to the office to change from a regular dress to a long dress (formal affair). By this point I could hardly walk, but knew I might get a chance to say hello to both Coach Knight and Coach K as I was working in my office (then called Sports Information) when they were at Army. Coach K's office was right next to ours in the present building we are housed. All the coaches offices back then were in the same building. Football was on the second floor with the head coach's office where Admissions is now Men's basketball was where men's soccer office is and our office was around the corner. So I saw Coach K everyday.
When I first started in ODIA, our offices were in Arvin Gymansium and our office was across the hall from swimming and diving office (which was part of our office back then). Bob Knight was upstairs along with several other offices and football had the whole fourth floor.
I said earlier I saw all but one of the inductees’ play, which tells you I am no spring chicken. But I have very young folks in my office and my boy Gunning (Brian), bless his heart, asked me Thursday night if I saw Arnold Tucker (Class of 1947) play at Army.
I gently padded the young boy’s shoulder and said, “Gunning, he played over 60 years ago, and if I saw him playing, I don’t think I would be standing here working in the office with you.” What would we do without youth.
After I changed I rushed over to Eisenhower Hall and Shak was directing me to a group of men he wanted me to take a photo of, but I had forgotten to put a card in my camera. I missed that chance but ran into Coach Joe Sottolano (baseball) and he introduced me to Pete Jackson, and I remembered him from baseball (didn’t take much as he was talking to Joe).
We started talking and somehow it came up in the conversion that Mike Gyovai was here. Mike was one of the finest defensive players I ever saw play (he played for Bobby Knight). Former Army SIO Bob Kinney (who also attended the affair) said he was like a “bull in a china closet.” It was true, but he could take down any player and was fearless. He was built more like a football player. Pete introduced me to Mike and I probably sounded like an idiot because I was so enamored meeting him again after all those years.
Shortly after I ran into Coach K and got a hug from him. I coach grammar school basketball at Sacred Heart in my spare time and a long time ago I asked Coach K about plays, and he told me to keep it simple and it was excellent advice then and now.
Afterwards I got a picture of my boy Shak with Coach K. Shorting after that shot I saw Coach Knight coming up the steps. I said hello to him, but I didn’t know if he would remember me. I admired him when we all worked in the gym and had a copy of his defensive playbook. He remembered me and put his arm around my shoulder, and luckily Pat Fishburne was there to take a photo. I mentioned that playbook and he said the one with the mule looking like a devil and I said yes and I used it with my team for years.
Folks went inside to their tables. Our office would be busy during dinner as Bob Beretta, senior associate athletic director, reponsible for pulling all this together, along with multimedia director Rich DeMarco, interviewed each of the Hall of Famers. Another photo opportunity for me.
The dinner was great (though none of us got a chance to eat) as a number of former inductees came back along with several of our present-day coaches. It was just like a big old fashion family reunion formal style.
The time came for the awarding of the individual plaques along with watching a video (which our office help put together) of each of the athletes. I was just as excited with the upcoming video as meeting the inductees.
Afterwards the evening came to an end. It was after 11 o’clock but our office was still busy as I had to rush back and write a women’s soccer story, Shak was writing a release on the Hall of Fame and I would put putting up a photo gallery later that night or early morning. Tracy Nelson was finishing up a volleyball tournament and Bob Beretta was doing last minute details getting ready for a TV game in just a few hours as he would be arriving at the stadium by 6 a.m.
I had a wonderful and exciting time and can’t wait for next year’s class.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 19, 2008
Happy Friday Black Knight fans. Today's blog entry is being brought to you today by the letters T and V which stand for Tim Volkmann ace assistant director of athletic communications here at West Point.
It is another busy day around the office, and everyone has lots to do to prepare for the weekend. I’ll be getting a workout in just a little while as some of us will be picking up the football game programs, all the cases of drinks and everything else that needs to be lugged up to the fourth floor of Hoffman Press Box for tomorrow’s game against Akron at 1:00 p.m. You have to be in tip-top physical condition to be a sports information professional around these parts. I wish I could be more like Mady Salvani, who you read yesterday eats hot dogs and fast food all the time and never puts on a pound. Metabolism in an unfair thing sometimes.
Football gameday at West Point is awesome to say the least. While a lot of preparation and hard work goes into it, there is no better place to not only watch a football game, but come early and enjoy all the sites and sounds in Black Knights Alley.
Tomorrow there will be a new resident parked in Black Knights Alley that fans will be able to check out. You’ll be able to see a real-live Army tank, or Bradley Fighting Vehicle if you want to get technical. At halftime, they are going to drive it up to one of the closest parking lots and run over anyone that is parked illegally. Don't say I didn't warn you.
One of the other cool things about working at West Point is you never know who you might run into on a daily basis. If you were around at all this week, you may have seen the likes of St. Louis Cardinals coach Tony Larussa, Hall of Fame basketball coach Bobby Knight, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, former NBA great Isaah Thomas, Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins, famous Texas oil magnate T. Boone Pickens, and legendary hockey coach Jack Riley walking around post. I went over to swimming & diving practice the other day and former USA Olympic diving coach Hobie Billingsley was coaching the Black Knight divers. He was filling in for our regular coach, Ron Kontura, this week while he was coaching Team USA at the FINA Junior World Championships in Germany.
I didn’t get a chance to meet him, but I also heard Gen. Hal Moore, who wrote the book We Were Soldiers Once...And Young, returned to his alma mater for a visit. The book was turned into the 2002 movie, We Were Soldiers, and Mel Gibson portrayed Moore in the film.
Who would you want to have play you if they made a movie about something you did? I think I would choose Brad Pitt. We look so much a like...
Another one of the other perks of working in this area is the proximity to New York City. I will be making a trip to the Bronx later today to take in my final game at Yankee Stadium. Being a Yankee fan since before I can remember, it will be kind of a sad evening for me.
I have been to countless games over the years, some more memorable than others. I was there the night Aaron Boone ripped the Boston Red Sox hearts out in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS (and unfortunately I was there a year later for Game 7 when Boston made up an unprecedented three-game deficit in the ALCS on their way to the World Series). I saw Roger Clemens win his 300th game and strikeout his 4,000th batter and also got to watch my boyhood hero, Don Mattingly, do what he did best. There was no happier 12-year old in the entire world when I got his autograph that day back in 1987.
I also had the opportunity this summer to take my little sister (who was born the night the Yankees won the World Series back in 1996) to her first Yankee game. I wanted to make sure she had the opportunity to see “The House The Ruth Built” before it was gone. That might be my favorite memory of all...
THURSDAY, SEPT. 18, 2008
Hi, this is Mady Salvani reporting to you on Thursday, Sept. 18 ... I apologize for the lateness of this blog, but it has been a busy day in the office.
First all I would like to wish our boss, Bob Beretta a happy birthday -- Annie Holliday baked an apple pie, Tracy Nelson brought in doughnuts along with a card that we all signed. I did not offer to bake as I have burnt every pot and pan I own trying to cook simple meals like heating up water for soup cooking spaghetti or boiling eggs. The last time I made a birthday cake for a member of the staff was about 18 years ago and it wasn’t eatable, so I decided to retire from that department.
After we gave Bob a card and wished him well, everyone took off for different parts. Gunning (that’s Brian Gunning) is busy working on the flip card for Saturday’s football game, Shak (Ryan Yanashak) was sending his hockey guide to the printer, and Tim (Volkmann) is working on his swimming guide. Bob was running to another meeting, while Tracy (Nelson), Annie (Holliday) and Mark (Brumbaugh) were getting ready for the West Point Volleyball Challenge starting at noon at Holleder.
I went to take a few shots of Army’s volleyball game against Hartford. It was the first time I have been able to get to a match. I was hoping it would take a little longer instead of its quick 3-0 dispatching because I could not find a comfortable spot to shoot from.
After I raced back to the Office, I had just enough time to write a women’s soccer release before heading to Gross Sports Center for photo day for the gymnastics team with Jon Malinowski volunteering to take the photos. He is an excellent photographer and helps out the Olympic sports time and again.
I went back to the office to head with Shak to football practice to pick up Bob and Cadets Trey Miranne and Lowell Garthwaite for the Radio Show at Torches on the waterfront in Newburgh. N.Y. Even though I live in the area, it was my first time there. I certainly wasn't disappointed as there was a nice crowd of Army fans, the food was great and everyone had a nice evening.
For fine dining I usually go to Pete’s Hot Dog Stand or McDonald’s. If I go classy, it is usually Wendy’s but I was pleasantly surprised by the food in Torches. I just wish I could cook half that good. Also in attendance was Bob Beretta’s mother, who took the short trip from Marlboro to wish her son a happy birthday.
It was the first road trip for the weekly radio show available through KnightVision on the internet, but I remember when the show first started years ago and the site was from C.B. Driscoll’s across the Mall in Newburgh.
It was in the days before wireless cards, so I would stay back in the office and would call Bob Beretta every 15 minutes with updates on e-mail questions from the general public for the coach.
Most of the shows are scheduled for Thursdays at the Thayer Hotel. In addition the show will also be hosted at the Captain’s Table in Monroe, N.Y., and Chili’s Grill and Bar at the Palisades Center in Nyack, N.Y. I am excited about going to both places, especially the Palisades Mall because this time I won't get lost as Shak will be driving. I have never been there on my own ans I get lost whenever I try to find it and instead wind up going over the Tappan Zee, get frustrated and after I turn around in Connecticut, just head on home.
Tomorrow we will be going from early morning to about 2 a.m. Tracy has ESPN here for the big volleyball match between Army and No. 5 ranked USC at Holleder at 5 p.m. I feel bad that I won’t be there to see us defeat them, but I won’t be far just across the street at Kenna Hall of Fame for the unveiling of plaques for the 10 members of this year’s Hall of Fame class.
I spoke today to former Army lacrosse coach Dick Edell and he wanted me to give my best to Jose Olivero. Bobby Knight is returning to West Point, where he got his start as a head coach, along with Richard Shelton (pistol), Arnold Tucker (basketball), Alexis Albano (women’s soccer/track), John Boretti (soccer/baseball/hockey), George Clark (hockey), Jose Olivero (lacrosse/soccer) and Curt Alitz (cross country/track/swimming), who is a doctor stationed at West Point. Ted Kanamine (swimming/water polo) won’t be able to attend and Mike Silliman is deceased, but his son and brother will be in attendance and are bringing his Olympic Medal for the display case.
Afterwards we will attend the dinner at Eisenhower Hall where Bob Beretta and Rich DeMarco will interview the Hall of Famers throughout the dinner. Later that night the office will be crowded with folks finishing up. Bob will be writing a release on the Hall of Fame Class, Tracy will be twrapping up the volleyball tournament, and I’ll be trying to do a photo gallery (along with Shak’s help) and write up the women’s soccer match earlier that day at the Governor’s Cup in Albany.
Bob may leave the office around 2 a.m., but will be back to work by 6:30 to prepare for Black Knight Alley and a TV football game. All in a day’s and night’s work.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008
Tennis Galore
Good morning (or afternoon/evening depending on when you’re taking time to do your daily check of the Black Knight Blog)! With a crazy week coming up that is simply jam-packed with events here at West Point, one team is heading out on the road for a trio of tournaments throughout the weekend.
The Army women’s tennis team officially started its 2008-09 season at the North Texas Invite. However, this weekend is when things really get moving for these girls and four-time defending Patriot League champions! As you might have guessed, I cover women’s tennis as a part of my duties here in the Athletic Communications office, along with volleyball and women’s basketball. So, I see it as my job to plug these teams as much as I can!
Head coach Paul Peck is a nine-time Patriot League Coach of the Year and for good reason. This team is among the best in the region and is perpetually one of West Point’s top programs. With a roster of 20 players, including five seasoned seniors, two juniors and 11 outstanding sophomores, Peck will send a handful of kids to three tournaments this weekend. Check out http://www.goarmysports.com/ for all of the results. This, of course, is all in preparation for next weekend’s Eastern Championships at West Point, Sept. 26-28. That event features 30-plus teams and really utilizes the state-of-the-art facilities here at Army, while (free admission!) also offering some top-notch tennis for spectators.
I think that does it for my shameless plug of the day. Now, it’s time to run some errands (pick up a special gift check back tomorrow for details), get some groceries for my family’s visit this weekend and then chain myself to my desk to get some much-needed work done! Enjoy the rest of your day and be sure to check in tomorrow!
Also Around West Point: The Army volleyball team picked up yet another win last night to improve to 9-1 this year (yeah ladies!) ... the team is back in action for the West Point Challenge with three matches spanning tomorrow and Friday (see yesterday’s entry from Mady for more info)... Army will face #5 USC on Friday at 5 p.m. if you can’t make it to Christl Arena for the match, catch it live on ESPNU with Beth Mowins and Phil Bush on the call ... It’s Hall of Fame craziness around here over the next few days ... the Class of 2008, which includes legendary coach Bob Knight, will be inducted on Friday night ... the weekly Stan Brock Radio Show, This Week In Army Football, has moved to Torches in Newburgh for Thursday night's 7 p.m. show ... this week, coach Brock will be joined by seniors Trey Miranne and Lowell Garthwaite ... if you would like to submit a question for coach or the players, click here ... if you are in the area and would like to drop by Torches on Front St. to enjoy good food, a beautiful waterfront view all while talkin' some football.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 16, 2008
Beat of the Week
Annie Holliday here checking in with you on this Tuesday afternoon. The rest of the staff is up at the weekly football press conference, and I'm headed up there as soon as these copies of the Akron Football release are ready to go. Check back later to the main goARMYsports.com web page to find quotes and notes from Coach Stan Brock.
The women's volleyball team is in action tonight against Columbia, marking the halfway point of their "seven matches in seven days" campaign. If you haven't had a chance to see Coach Kovaci's crew tear it up on the court, come on out to Gillis Field House tonight at 7 p.m. They are a great team with a lot of talent, and every match provides countless opportunities to celebrate and cheer for your Army Black Knights. The atmosphere is always high energy, fans are respectful and very supportive, and admission is free! It can't get any better than that. Even though as the Athletic Communications office coordinator I am not assigned to work for any specific teams, I am a huge fan of Army Volleyball (both the women and the men) so you'll probably be getting a double dose of shoutouts between mine and Tracy's entries on the blog this fall.
Speaking of shoutouts, volleyball continues with their West Point Classic tournament this Thursday and Friday, finishing up the competition streak with a highly anticipated match against University of Southern California. The BTO (Brigade Tactical Officer) sent out notice on Sunday that the Beat of the Week would be "Beat USC!" That means that the entire Corps of Cadets is saying "Beat USC!" whenever they salute an officer or higher ranking classmate this week. You want to talk about support! That's at least 4400 people getting behind the volleyball team's efforts for Friday.
Well the copies are done and I must run. Have a great day!
GO ARMY!
MONDAY, SEPT. 15, 2008
Goodbye Weekends
Brian Gunning (Gunn, Gunny, or as the basketball staff prefers for some strange reason, Gun Boat) at the controls of the Black Knight Blog today. My apologies for the late entry. I’m sure you were all feverishly clicking refresh all day waiting for my latest pearls of wisdom.
I’ve been shaking off the rust from this past weekend all day. With no football game and very few home events to take care of, we had an uncharacteristically quiet weekend. Usually, we don’t get an off week so early in the season. It’s always good to catch a break, but now we start the long stretch of eight straight weeks with a football game. What that means for me is 55 straight days of office time. Hey, those TV and radio announcers don’t just show up and know what they’re talking about.
I’m not the only one. Everyone in the office will be cranking out some heavy hours over the next few months.
We definitely cherish our free weekends around here, especially during the school year. Here’s an insider’s view of how I took full advantage of my time off ...
Friday Night
6 p.m. Depart office
8 p.m. Dinner
11 p.m. Wake up neighbors with my snoring
Saturday
8 a.m. Wake up in a panic thinking I’m late for the game
8:02 a.m. Breath sigh of relief after realizing there is no game
8:04 a.m. The neighbors hate me again
9:30 a.m. Make some actual breakfast instead of a granola bar in the car on the way to the office
10:30 a.m. Put dishes in the sink where they will probably remain until the next off week in November
10:32 a.m. Begin formation of the indentation that will appear in my couch
10:35 a.m. Start my quest to watch every one of my 200 channels at some point during the weekend
Noon FOOTBALL!!! People assume we know everything there is to know about sports. The fact is, I get so focused and busy on our stuff that I watch less sports now than I did before I started working.
1:15 p.m. A little halftime snooze
5 p.m. Wake up from what turned out to be second-half and first quarter of the next game nap
5:02 p.m. Actually get off the couch, but have to peel cushion off my back
5:10 p.m. MORE FOOTBALL!!!
8 p.m. The pizza man arrives. I’m not cooking two meals in one day.
8:30 p.m. Begin thinking to myself, “I ate way too much pizza.”
8:31 p.m. - Finally the much-ballyhooed Ohio State USC game starts.
8:36 p.m. Realize it’s not going to be much of a game and see what the ESPN game is.
8:45 p.m. 11 p.m. I turn into the Big Kahuna of channel surfing
11:01 p.m. It’s been a long, hard day so I’m out like a light
Sunday
8 a.m. Wake up for no reason
8:02 a.m. Picture falls off the wall from the vibrations of my snoring as I go back to sleep
10 a.m. My first cup of coffee on the weekend. Usually by 10 a.m. on a weekday I’ve accounted for about half of Juan Valdez’s yearly salary.
Noon Start watching NFL pregame shows
12:04 p.m. Realize what a waste of time NFL pregame shows are
1 p.m. Flip on FOX and cross my fingers the Bears’ game is on.
1:01 p.m. Realize the Giants have a 1 p.m. game so my only hope to see anything involving Bears is the Discovery Channel.
2:03 p.m. Get some beauty rest (Don’t you dare go look at my headshot)
5:15 p.m. If beauty rest actually worked, I’d be Brad Pitt
5:18 p.m. Where’s that leftover pizza?
6 p.m. Believe it or not, leave the apartment for dinner.
8 p.m. Return home and start the Entourage countdown
10:30 p.m. After watching Vinny and the boys, start to dread Monday morning
11:15 p.m. Try and avoid thinking about Monday by falling asleep
Monday
6:15 a.m. Realize how good I had it over the past two days and start marking the calendar until Nov. 9 after I get back from the trip to Rice.
6:17 a.m. - On second thought, realize how much I like my job. Working at West Point and getting to be associated with the types of people I get to come to work with every day is a privilege that I don't take lightly.
Other news and notes: In case you missed the story on the front page, the Texas A&M football game will now start at 12:35 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. It will be broadcast live on Versus ... Don’t forget we’re back in our normal routine this week so be sure to check out “This Week in Army Football” on Thursday night. Coach Brock and Rich DeMarco will be out at Torches on the Hudson in Newburgh this week starting at 7 p.m. ... Congratulations to Alma Kovaci and the Black Knights volleyball team. The ladies went 3-0 at the Big Orange Tournament in Syracuse this weekend. Jamie Clark was named co-MVP ... Keep checking the main page for Bob Beretta’s story about a special visitor to West Point today. St. Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony Larussa was in town today to talk with the baseball and softball teams.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12, 2008
Opening Days
Greetings blog readers. Mark Brumbaugh, the cross country, track & field, sprint football and men’s tennis contact, here again. I hope you took my advice from my Sept. 2 entry and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Academy and Hudson River meteorological phenomenon of tropical storms rolling through at Michie Stadium last Saturday.
I am hoping the rain stays away today because I would hate to tear up the West Point Golf Course. I will be driving our in-office photographer, Mady Salvani, around in a golf cart during today’s Army-Cornell cross country meet. I hear that last year Mady was behind the wheel and ended up airborne at one point, so she will gladly stay behind the lens this year.
However, little does she know, when I was three or four years old I watched enough auto racing to recognize the sponsoring brand names when my Mom took me along to the grocery store. On one fateful day, I was pretty excited to see multiple brands that I recognized in one location. Like all kids that age, the volume of my voice increased with my level of excitement. Unfortunately for my mother, we happened to be in front of the beer section. I guess she was pretty mortified and a few strangers probably wanted to call child protection services.
Even worse for Mady, I was also a huge fan of the General Lee. No, not General Lee the USMA class of ’29 (as in 1829) graduate - I am talking about the high-flying, orange muscle car from The Dukes of Hazzard TV show. As a kid, I would watch the reruns of that show on cable almost daily. As long as Mady can hold onto the camera, we might have some aerial cross country photos this year! You might be thinking, “that was just a TV show you moron, you will be lucky if the cart is the only thing that breaks on the landing.” Well, I always thought that the car seemed to hold up fine on landings, so in my estimation, the golf cart should hold up fine just charging through a bunker or something.
Regardless, this is opening weekend for the sports I cover. Cross country is running its first and only home meet of the year on the West Point Golf Course (gentlemen at 3:30 p.m. and ladies at 4 p.m.). Men’s tennis is opening its fall schedule at 3 p.m. today and will be playing through the weekend. Finally, sprint football opens on the road against the Fairleigh Dickenson-Florham JV team in Madison, N.J. on Sunday at 2 p.m.
I think one of the best things about working in college sports is that you get the fun and excitement of opening day over 20 times a year. I know the cross country teams are set on improving at the Patriot League Championships and beating Navy, so they will want to post a good showing today against Cornell. Men’s tennis is eager to show off the skills they gained from their trip to Spain over the summer (photos here).
Finally, sprint football is ready to “fast forward” into a winning season. I think they will get things going in the right direction because they have some really nice shoes. I dropped in on practice last week when they all got their new Nike cleats. It looked like a Nike Christmas behind Shea Stadium when they were trying them on. There were Nike boxes strewn everywhere and shiny swooshes on everyone’s feet. Pretty cool.
I need to rig up a musical horn on this golf cart, so until next time, GO ARMY!
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11, 2008
Have you noticed yet we are rotating the blog alphabetically? That means it’s my turn as we go through the alphabet. I am Ryan Yanoshak (Shak for those who follow the hockey blogs or have seen the tattoo on my back) and work with the ice hockey and men’s golf team’s.
Because I spend most of my time around those two squads, I must insert some shameless plugs. The golf team opened its season earlier in the week in Nebraska City, Neb. While the 12-th place finish wasn’t what they were hoping for, it was the first competition of the season. Unlike most golfers, the cadets spent the summer training across the globe and a golf course and driving range weren’t always readily available. Coach Jimmy Ray Clevenger took two freshmen and a sophomore on the trip as he works diligently to help rebuild the strong tradition of Army golf. Also golf-related: captain Sam Walenz is writing a diary for the season and it will be posted at some point today. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the cadet diaries, please do. It provides an interesting insight into their world. Golfweek Magazine will also be running a feature of the Class of 2005. Still waiting to get details of the story but I am hearing it will be a six-page spread complete with some interesting golf photos from Afghanistan. Once it is published, we will have it in our features section of the site.
Hockey season isn’t far away and ideally the media guide will be done in the coming week. Captain Zach McKelvie has insured the boys are working hard during dry-land workouts. In the coming days, keep an eye out for some hockey-related news concerning an NHL team that will be at Tate Rink (hint: they will be your Eastern Conference champions this year). Also, head coach Brian Riley is in Toronto accepting an award on behalf of a former player from the NHL as well. Details as soon as the NHL returns my calls.
While we are at shameless plugs, the 6 a.m. Thursday and Friday Game Of Some Pretty Decent Skaters Hockey League was at it again bright and early. Honestly, I am not
