Army West Point Athletics
Black Knight Blog - March
February 01, 2009 | 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!
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Tuesday, March 31
Good morning Army faithful! What a beautiful Tuesday we have outside here at West Point today. The sun is shining, temps are rising and there's not a cloud in the sky. Tracy Nelson joining you for today's edition of the Black Knight Blog. Not sure why, but it seems like forever since I've posted on here! If you ask me, it's a perfect day for a baseball game! Lucky for those of you living in the area, your Black Knights will be hosting Columbia later this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. If you can't make it out to Doubleday Field for all of the action live, there's plenty of ways to stay tuned-in - the game can be seen on Knight Vision by clicking here and our very own Brian Gunning will be providing one of his signature, witty in-game blogs. You can find that as the top story on www.goARMYsports.com closer to game time.
Although I have to say that I miss traveling and spending my time watching volleyball and basketball, I really do enjoy the spring portion of my job because it gives me a chance to really catch-up on other work here in the office. While my days througout the winter months featured endless game notes, statistics and trips all over the northeast, nowadays they are full of a mish-mash of daily tasks that are pretty much all over the map. That being said, I'm just going to continue today's blog with some random thoughts ...
Hard to believe that the Final Four is upon us, huh? March Madness flew by in a blink this year and I hope all of you have enjoyed the highlights (and lowlights for some). Good thing I'm not a fortune teller because let me tell you, my bracket is a mess! Although I am beating everyone in my family, but I don't think that's saying much ... sorry guys! Speaking of family, I am counting down the days until Easter weekend arrives! My family is visiting West Point that weekend and hoping to enjoy some Army-Navy baseball action. A couple of doubleheaders are on the docket, along with a delicious Sunday Brunch at the Thayer and of course, some shopping/eating/site-seeing. I do have to say that working at a place like West Point has its benefits - it's a wonderful destination for people to visit!
While I make it seem like my spring season is full of nothing to do, I am in charge of taking care of Army's women's tennis team, which is red-hot these days! After a bit of a slow start - by Army women's tennis standards - the Black Knights have won 16-straight matches and are poised to defend their Patriot League title for a fifth year in a row. I don't like to brag, but between volleyball (26-4), basketball (19-12) and women's tennis (18-7), I have the best winning percentage of anyone in my office - 63-23 (.733) - not too shabby if you ask me! Back to tennis, if you get the chance to check out the ladies any time soon, I highly recommend it. They are currently playing their matches inside at Army state-of-the-art Lichtenberg Tennis Center. But, I would think they'll be looking to move things outdoors to Malek Courts sometime soon. Although I enjoy watching the girls inside, I'll take the chance to sit outside in the sun any day! The Black Knights continue their Patriot League slate this weekend, hosting Lafayette (8 a.m.) and Holy Cross (12 p.m.). Those will be the final conference matches leading into a highly anticipated re-match with Bucknell on April 11 in Lewisburg, Pa. I have never gotten more psyched for a match than last year's Patriot League Championship between Army and Bucknell here at West Point last year. It all came down to one match with Sarah Giles-Madden storming back for a thrilling win to clinch the program's fourth-straight title. The team stormed the court and the celebration lasted long into the afternoon. Ironically, Bucknell will host this year's championship event, April 24-26, at Varsity Courts. I get ahead of myself too easily. Army has not lost a regular-season Patriot League match since 2002.
One final thought, I've been knee-deep in work leading up to the 2009 Black Knight Awards, which have been set for Sunday, May 17. For those of you that did not pay attention last year, the Army Athletic Association was proud to present the inaugural version of the awards last May. It was a pretty well-received event that celebrated a very successful year in Army Athletics. Awards were distributed, cadet-athletes and coaching staffs honored, and even some cameo appearances from some administrative-types highlighted the show. Ideas have been brewing since then, so get ready for a night of fun and laughs this year! I can't share any secrets as of now, but I think it will be a very successful event thus far. Mark your calendars now! Knight Vision will also carry the entire event live online.
Okay kids, it's time for me to sign off. Before I do, let's look ahead to the week ... like I mentioned, you can find me later this afternoon checking out some baseball action at 3:30 p.m. ... the softball team hits the road for a mid-week contest at Rider tomorrow at 2 p.m. ... that does it until Friday features a men's tennis doubleheader here at West Point ... the gymnastics team also has a busy weekend ahead as the Black Knights host the ECAC Championships all weekend at the Lou Gross Center ... baseball gets back to Patriot League play when Army plays host to Holy Cross in doubleheaders both Saturday (12 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) at Doubleday Field ... women's tennis is set for its Patriot League doubleheader on Saturday here at West Point ... the Army lax team will also take on Patriot League foe Bucknell on Saturday at noon at Michie Stadium ... the softball team continues its Patriot League run at defending conference champion Lehigh all weekend ... finally, the track and field team will be in action all day Saturday at a pair of meets - the Auburn Track Classic and UPenn Invite.
I hope you are all having a wonderful day thus far. Get outside and enjoy the sun!
GO ARMY! BEAT EVERYONE!
Monday, March 30
Happy Monday Black Knight blog fans! Annie Holliday checking in with you this morning to give you the weekend wrap up. Click on the links to read the entire stories.
On Friday, the track and field team kicked off the Dick Shea Invite, and the softball team left early for Easton, having moved their series against Lafayette up a day in anticipation of the stormy weather moving in later on in the weekend. Although they lost both on Friday, the softball girls battled back and notched two wins on Saturday afternoon to split the series. Saturday morning brought the remainder of the Dick Shea heptathlon and decathlon competitions, along with the rest of the men's and women's events. I ran by on Saturday afternoon and the meet was still going strong, although there was no way I could tell you how Army was doing at that time. (Thank you Mark for doing such an excellent job writing the summary of those meets! I don't know how you keep up with it all.) Both tennis teams were also at home Saturday. Women's Tennis beat Albany and Hofstra, where Men's Tennis dropped their match against Hofstra and defeated Lehigh later in the day. Baseball was away against the Bucknell bison, losing twice on Saturday, and splitting the doubleheader on Sunday. Finally, Golf finished 16th amid treacherous conditions at the Towson Tournament, and Lacrosse narrowly missed beating Colgate, losing in double overtime to close out the weekend.
If you're still in the mood for Black Knights action, you can catch Men's Tennis at UPenn later today, Baseball hosts Columbia tomorrow afternoon, and Softball heads to Rider Wednesday. Check out the full schedule for all the upcoming competitions.
And if that still isn't enough, your favorite ODIA volleyball players will be tearing it up in the noontime staff intramural volleyball league up at Arvin. Stop in and cheer us on!
Until next time, have a great day and GO ARMY!
Friday, March 27
Bring on the Spring Weather
Greetings from West Point on easily the nicest day of the year. Brian Gunning here today, unfortunately in my office instead of outside at an event enjoying the very spring-like weather that has invaded the Hudson Valley. It is certainly a change from the rainy fun we had around here yesterday and the mid-40 temps and wind that Bob and I sat out in at the home baseball opener on Tuesday.
I grew up in the midwest, went to school in Ithaca and worked in Syracuse for five years so I would say I'm fairly proficent at operating in winter weather, but there is nothing like this time of year when the sun starts to warm things up. Instead of dreading having to leave the comfort of my office to go do something, I'm looking for an excuse to venture outdoors to get something done. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunites this time of year. In fact, I'm headed out the door in a few minutes to catch spring football practice number six. The only bad thing is Coach Ellerson has the guys in the Foley Athletic Center, which while one of the nice practice facilities in the nation, still has a roof. I say that today, but I will probably be thanking my lucky stars for that structure soon since I have a sneaking suspicion that today's sun and 60-degree temperature isn't going to last.
Speaking of spring football, it has certainly been an interesting couple of weeks for the team under the direction of Army's first-year coach, Rich Ellerson. It is always interesting to see how a team reacts to a change in leadership, and I can honestly say that the guys seem to have really bought into Coach's philosophies. The pace of practice is very quick and intense, and while there are still some kinks to be worked out as the new systems are implemented, there are starting to be a lot more "good job" and "that's it" coming out of the coaches' mouths. The first week was all about teaching the fundamentals and basically how practice was going to run. After a week off from spring break, this week has been about acclimating players to some different positions than they might be used to. For instance, it's kind of strange to see 6-10 Ali Villanueva lined up at wide receiver. Ali was the starting left tackle last season, but has been working as a receiver this week. The coaches feel he gives them a unique advantage on the edge blocking defensive backs, getting after linebackers and even catching the ball in certain situations. The funniest thing to me is that Ali is wearing the #3 jersey in practice. Some of you may remember that Carlo Sandiego wore that last year. Anybody who has ever seen all 5-6 of Carlo standing next to Ali will appreciate the irony.
Spring football doesn't just signal the start of the new season for the team on the field either. A lot of preparation for the season has already begun behind the scenes. One of the meetings Bob talked about yesterday was our first football home game operations get together of the season. The first home game isn't until Sept. 12, but it's important that we start identifying things that need to be accomplished to improve the game day experience for all of our fans. We've also started getting down and dirty with some of the marketing initiatives. Single-game tickets go on sale next Wednesday, and we'll be announcing the giveaways for each game early next week. Before you know it, Bob and I will be pulling our usual run of late nights trying to finish the media guide so we can enjoy a week or two of summer.
Checking out the weekend, both the baseball and softball tems open up Patriot League play on the road. Coach Joe Sottolano's squad is at Bucknell for four games, a doubleheader on both Saturday and Sunday, while Coach Jim Flowers' softball squad is at Lafayette for four games. Never fear, there are still plenty of chances to see Army teams in action here at West Point this weekend. The women's tennis team hosts Albany and Hofstra tomorrow, while the track teams are competing in Dick Shea Invite, their first outdoor home meet of the season. The men's tennis team will try and get Coach Jim Polling his 100th win at Army, hosting Hofstra and Lehigh on Saturday.
The golf team is at Towson for a two-day affair, while the lacrosse team will go for its first Patriot League win on Sunday at Colgate.
One last quick thing for my officemates who may be reading this - quit storing the birthday goodies in my office. There's a reason that when you come back to grab something it isn't there.
Well, enough of my ramblings today. Time to go see what Coach E has in store for the guys today.
Enjoy youre weekend and GO ARMY!!
Thursday, March 26
MEETINGS, MEETINGS AND MORE MEETINGS!!!
So you want to be a college athletics administrator? Well, be prepared to sharpen your classroom skills because you’ll spend more time than you can ever imagine in meetings. We meet about everything here at West Point. In fact, we even have meetings about meetings. All in a day’s work, I guess. It’s one of the reasons I’m joining you later today for the Black Knight Blog (yes, my last round of meetings today has cost me a $1 late fee for causing me to miss my 3 p.m. deadline).
Bob Beretta with you here today and let me get started by wishing Tracy Nelson a happy birthday. Tracy is one of the newer members of our Athletic Communications staff, joining us just under two years ago. Our loyal blog followers know her well, thanks to her regular entries here at BK Blog Central and her live blog entries for football and lacrosse. I hate to admit this, but I’ve been working here at West Point almost as long as Tracy has been alive (as she's quick to remind me), but thankfully she added a year to the difference today. That’s pretty depressing. Tracy’s special day marks the last March birthday celebration in our AC office. Seems like almost everyone on the staff was born this month. That means the regular run of baked goods that have flooded our office the past few weeks is sadly over (thanks to Annie Holliday for her special offering today). It's a long way until my birthday in September Shak, so eat up!!!
I also want to thank Mark Brumbaugh for grabbing the keyboard in my absence yesterday, as I was detained all day in an executive staff off-site retreat. I guess, he saved me a couple of dollars since I would have been on the hook for a dozen donuts rather than the simple dollar bill for which I am presently responsible.
Well, since returning from Florida with the baseball team on Sunday, I attended five meetings on Monday, two on Tuesday, an all-day staff retreat on Wednesday and five more meetings today. That’s a lot of sitting time. Makes me really appreciate the chance to go out and observe an athletic practice or live sporting event. So what are all these meetings about? Just to give you a flavor for the types of things we are discussing and planning for in the athletic department these days, we’ve had meetings this week on the 2009 football season home game operations, the production company for the video board this fall, Army Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee meetings, conversations regarding our radio affiliate package, regularly scheduled weekly meetings with our AC, multi-media, External Operations staffs, and standing meetings with various department heads here in the athletic department. We’re also holding a conference call tomorrow with members of Marist College’s athletic department and the Hudson Valley Renegades regarding next month’s WPDH Hudson Valley Baseball Classic. All interesting topics, of course. But very time consuming.
It’s been a rude awaking returning from Florida this week after enjoying 80-degree weather and cloudless, blue skies the previous 10 days. I just finished thawing out from Tuesday’s home opener at Doubleday Field a few hours ago. Let’s just say a four-hour marathon in 40-degree temperatures and high winds (we really need to get a press box at Doubleday Field) was not the climate I was dreaming about last week in the Sunshine State. The bright side is that Army won the game and I missed two other meetings by working the baseball game.
While our spring sports are in full swing, it never is too early to start thinking about football. We are currently five sessions into Spring Practice here at West Point and things are moving along well for new head coach Rich Ellerson and his staff. You can follow the progress of the team through our regular written and multi-media updates. We continue to provide a written report following each practice, as well as three multi-media features weekly.
Just a reminder that single game Army football tickets go on sale next Wednesday. For the fourth consecutive year, ticket prices to individual home games will remain unchanged. There is no better deal in the Hudson Valley than $29 ($36 for Homecoming) for a ticket to an Army football game. And our $99 season ticket offering is remarkable. Keep your mouse ready to click on goARMYsports.com (like it would be poised to click anywhere else) Tuesday as we announce our game day promotions schedule for the 2009 season. We began an aggressive promotional campaign centered around giveaways last fall, and will continue along that same path this fall. I think fans will be excited about the things we have in store for this season.
That’s about it for now, time to head off to ... well, you get the idea.
Have a great day. Until next time, be well and GO ARMY!!!
Wednesday, March 25
Good afternoon Army fans. I figured I would wait until a little later in the day to post so everyone had time to rest up from yesterday’s live blog doubleheader.
That’s actually just part of the truth. I like to catch up on things like this blog, the KnightVision content and the Army Diaries when I eat lunch, so today I discovered that there wasn’t a blog entry yet. Using the alphabet (Yanoshak posted yesterday) and my calendar (BLOG is scribbled on Mar. 25 on my calendar), I realized that our leader, who happens to be out of the office today, was scheduled to go. Instead of hoping for doughnuts tomorrow, I figured that I, Mark Brumbaugh, would pinch-hit today.
As I mentioned, yesterday featured two live blogs as Brian Gunning covered the 16-3 Army baseball romp over Quinnipiac and Tracy Nelson covered lacrosse’s valiant effort against #6 Hofstra. The blogs are still up, so be sure to check them out.
While Tracy did a tremendous job, as always, I have to hand it to Gunny for the line of the night:
“I'm not going to lie - this game is kind of dragging. It has about as much rhythm as me on the dance floor.”
- Brian Gunning, 5th Inning
Army then went on to score 10 runs to ice the game. Based on Gunny’s pleas for people to send in gloves for him, I’m not sure that it wasn’t already iced in a more literal sense.
Thank you to everyone that wrote in to our bloggers. You, certainly added some quality content!
With spring break now passed, the spring sports are certainly in full-swing here at West Point. I am looking forward to being on an equal temperature basis with the track team this weekend. Last Friday, I was home in Rochester, N.Y. watching the Thursday night snow melt off while writing about the track team in Tampa, Fla. Not fair! Nonetheless, the Dick Shea Invitational at Shea Stadium (where else?) this weekend with the combined events starting on Friday (60 degrees and sunny ... good enough for me!) and the bulk of the action taking place on Saturday (55 degrees and 30% chance of rain ... not too bad).
It should be an interesting event. There will be over 20 teams competing and over 800 athletes have been entered. Check back for more information on that tomorrow.
The other spring sport I cover is men’s tennis, but I am not sure if they are ready to venture outside quite yet. They will play two matches on Saturday and will have the chance to give head coach Jim Poling his 100th win at Army.
As for today’s schedule, baseball (3p.m.) and softball (3:30 p.m.) are in action here at West Point today. Unfortunately there will be no live blogs today, but Gunny will he heading down to the Foley Athletic Center to cover spring football practice, so be sure to check www.goARMYsports.com later on today for an update.
That is all for now. Until next time, GO ARMY!
Tuesday, March 24
Good morning Black Knights fans. Great news from West Point, the sun is out which bodes well for our triple-header on post today. If you plan your afternoon correctly, you can watch, baseball, softball and lacrosse. And if you can’t make it to West Point, we have you covered there as well.
Ryan Yanoshak joining you on this lovely Tuesday morning. Before we get into March Madness, we begin with your Black Knights.
Today, the golf team wraps up play in Williamsburg, Va., looking to improve on its 18th-place standing at the First Market Bank Intercollegiate. The 18-hole final round begins this morning.
Here on post, the baseball team is hosting Quinnipiac at 3 p.m. in its home opener. Coach Joe Sottolano and his players are coming off a successful trip to Florida and will play at Doubleday Field Tuesday and Wednesday (against Long Island) before opening league play at Bucknell this weekend.
Down at the Army Softball Complex, Jim Flowers and his players are hosting Manhattan in a doubleheader slated for 5 p.m. The softball team is also slated for back-to-back home games with Ivy League foe Yale scheduled for Wednesday at 3 p.m.
And today at 7 p.m., the lacrosse team is hosting Hofstra at Michie Stadium in a game being nationally televised on ESPNU.
We understand that not all fans can make it out to West Point today so in addition to live stats being offered for all three home games, our office will blog from two of the games. Tracy Nelson will be at lacrosse at 7 p.m. while Gun Boat returns to his familiar seat in the Army baseball press box to bring you all the action from the diamond. You can log on to the home page at www.goARMYsports.com about 15 minutes before each game begins for a unique take on the competitions.
BK Rumblings: As of this morning, we don’t have a fine for completely missing your turn in the blog rotation. Expect that to change with the addition of Article 25 to the fine system ... Spring football practice continues with several position changes highlighting the workout .... Have you filled out your bracket yet? No not that one. Memphis doesn’t play hockey. Or if it does, it isn’t among the 16 teams comprising the men’s hockey bracket. Three Army opponents made the tournament and I have two of those teams winning two games meaning two teams Army played during the regular season (one which they beat) will be part of the Frozen Four. Air Force won the Atlantic Hockey Association title for the third straight year and is the No. 4 seed in the East. The Falcons will play about an hour from here in Bridgeport, Conn., against No. 1 Michigan at 3 p.m. Air Force is a talented team that can score goals and has great goaltending. If its special teams play well, an upset is on the horizon ... Had a chance to watch the Brigade Boxing Open last night that aired on ESPNU. Not sure there is a better announcing team than Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas. If you get the opportunity, catch the replay.
Don’t forget your sunscreen and Go Army!
Friday, March 20
This is Mady Salvani delivering today’s log from the sunshine state of Florida. I am here with the softball team competing at the Rebel Spring Games as the Osceola County Softball Complex in Kissimmee. We have had great weather and exciting games. Because of game times and working inside at the Softball Complex, I have not had a chance to get as much sun as I would like. So yesterday I spent four hours soaking up the sun. I am nice and red and even my eyebrows got burned. I did this for my co-workers so I could come back with color. The things we do for each other.
We left West Point on Friday, the 13th, - yes I know I don’t consider myself superstitious, but it was not the day I wanted to fly on. We left West Point and the weather was probably about 30 and we arrived in Florida to high 70s.
What is nice about traveling with the team is you get a chance to know the players. In home games I am separated from them, other than passing them on my way to get lineups. Here we are together for meals and travel in the same vans for the whole week. The players are awesome and they get along so well with each other. You also get to know the parents and it feels like old home week when everyone starts arriving for the games.
I had rifle competing at the NCAAs Friday, so I went back to my room to get results after we got something to eat. For some reason a hamburger looks great to me in Lent, when the rest of the year I usually have pizza. Saturday I got up to take a walk, which I rarely do at home. At noontime the West Point Society of Florida put out a nice spread for the team in the breakfast room at the hotel. Jerry (USMA ’63) and Bonnie Pogorzelski brought in tons of food, soda and large cake welcoming the players. Parents were arriving that day as well as everyone scattered afterwards to spend time with each other.
I had two teams other than softball competing that day. The rifle team closed out competition at the NCAA Championships and gymnastics had a home quad at Gross Sports Center. I finished late but my room overlooks the pool so I was quite content.
We opened Sunday early (which meant leaving the hotel around 7:15 still dark out) to head to the field for games vs. Yale and Columbia.
Since I am always cold, I didn’t know how to dress because it is cool early in the morning. Long pants with shorts underneath and a jacket solved that dilemma. The games did not go as well as I had hoped as we lost but there were signs that this young team would emerge before the week was out.
Monday was the start of what I had hoped for as Army defeated Manhattan 6-1 then had its rally nipped in a 6-4 loss to Akron a team that shut out Lafayette earlier that day. The Leopards are picked second in the Patriot League and Army was selected fifth.
That night when I returned to my room, I could not get the door open. The games were late and I had to get my stories and stats up on the web. The latch at the top of the door someone was across it and limited access into the room. I tried breaking the door down like they do on TV, first with my shoulder and when they didn’t work I took a running leap and threw my leg at the door NOTHING. So the maintenance man arrived with a hacksaw and after 15 minutes I was back into the room.
Tuesday we had late games vs. St. Peter’s and Wisconsin-Green Bay. The baseball team was also in our area that night and the girls wanted to go to go and cheer the guys on after our games. Our last game was at 5 and the guys played at 6:30, plus it would be a 45-minute ride. We easily defeated St. Peter’s 9-0 in five innings, but didn’t start playing the second game until after 5. We won the second game 5-2 and after a quick talk a couple of vans with the players headed to the field and I was headed home to work. I would have liked to go the baseball game as well, but I knew I would not get my own work done in time.
Wednesday was a pair of early morning games vs. Wagner and Rider two more wins in the scorebook, both very exciting as we won 6-2 and 3-1 in eight innings. We were certainly a happy team leaving the field for two reasons we won four straight games and he next day was our day off.
Everyone spread to different parts of Florida, with some heading to Disney World or Sea World and a few to beaches. I went for a walk but got lost I need a GPS for walking as well as in the car as I have no sense of direction.Finally after an hour I worked my back to the hotel (I was probably half-a-mile away) as I had some work to do, but also headed to the pool where I was joined by Erin McClain and her mother. I had a nice time along with getting a good burn. That night I walked to a fast food place but then remembered it was not in the best part of the city, so I didn’t hang around too long.
Friday was our final day and the players wanted to go out with a pair of wins. We came close blanking FDU 3-0 and though we jumped out to a 1-0 lead fell to Brown 5-1 to finish with six wins, which is something we haven’t done in a long time at these games. It bodes for the rest of the year and future.
I just want to let you know that I am finishing this blog from my hotel room. I hate air conditioning for two reasons, it is too cold and I can never adjust it right, so right now the sliding door is open and I am overlooking the pool yes the pool and it is gorgeous. I called back home to find out that there were a few snow flurries it snapped me back to reality quickly as I was thinking earlier about working in the yard this week. It won’t happen.
When next I write my blog I will back in the frigid area of the Hudson Valley. We have games Tuesday and Wednesday at home and I bet it will be about 25-30 degrees for those hearty fans who attend me I have a press box and heat and I turn it as high as I can.
So long from Florida as I have to run and enjoy this warm weather as long as I can.
Thursday, March 19
Happy March Madness one and all!!! Today is the day that many college basketball fans wait for all year long. Some say, it might even be better than Christmas! Tracy Nelson at the keys today and what a perfect day for me to fall in the blog rotation. With the start of March Madess starting in less than three hours, I can't help but get overly excited about my favorite time of year. As everyone has pointed out in this week's blog entries, things are very quiet around West Point this week. Most of the cadets are gone on spring break, so I figured why not turn the focus to the Madness for a bit before catching you up on all things Army ...
It brings back memories of seeing my alma mater, St. Bonaventure, nearly pull-off an upset of then-powerhouse Kentucky in a 2OT thriller, or my little brother spelling the word "DUKE" out with his 400+ dollars of winnings when he won a pool in 2001. Mind you, he was only about 15 at the time and it made me sick to think that he had more money than his big sister did! Among many other things, the NCAA Tournament is exciting because it gets people involved in the game that might not have payed attention as closely thoughout the year. People all over the country fill out their brackets, some picking teams based on school colors or names they like, but nontheless it's fun for all!
In my family, it's fun, but moreso a little bit competitive. We fill out our brackets for bragging rights (I have to follow those pesky NCAA rules, right?). Note: I was last year's winner and am hoping to repeat. I grew up a Duke fan for really no good reason other than the fact that my mom is a Duke fan and she would have it no other way. If I really wanted to get under her skin, I should have bucked the system and became a UNC fan. I can imagine how that would have gone over! Apparently, I had no backbone at the age of seven or eight, so I followed along just as my younger brother, Jay, did as well. For years, we all picked Duke to win it all. The Blue Devils were Gods and completely invincible. They seemed like they couldn't lose. In 2001, they didn't, my brother collected his money and honestly hasn't shutup about it since. Since then, however, at least he and I have smartened up a bit and not picked our sentimental favorite, opting for maybe a more "realistic" choice. Let's face it, the Dukies have "struggled" in the last couple of years and it hasn't gone unnoticed to those haters in my life that like to point it out - you all know exactly who you are!
I've only seen Duke play twice in my life, and really only remember one of the games. The first time I saw them, I was so young I really can't recall much. They played at the old Aud in Buffalo, N.Y., making the trip in honor of a local native and a guy named Christian Laettner - perhaps you've heard of him? My mom said that I had a crush on Bobby Hurley back then. I have a thing for little guards I guess! The most recent time was two years ago when I really couldn't contain my excitement! I remember watching Selection Sunday and the minute that Duke was put in the Buffalo regional, I packed my bags and headed for home. My mom and brother had already purchased tickets for the regional months before, so I sent them on a mission to find a scalper. There was no way I was missing this opportunity!
I secured a ticket and broke out my blue, including a J.J. Redick jersey that I had purchased earlier that year. We shuffled into HSBC Arena all ready to go. Plenty of Duke fans in the house, but plenty of haters as well. Our seats weren't great, but I couldn't have cared less. They were playing VCU in the first round - obviously a win, right? Maybe not. Instead, it turned out to be the Blue Devils first opening round loss that I could remember in recent years - a heartbreaking 79-77 score. Here's to hoping Binghamton doesn't catch the same upset bug that the Rams did that year. Instead of my memory of that tournament featuring a Duke win that I witnessed, it was one of a different nature. The tickets weren't cheap and there were still two games to be played. So, the Nelson family stuck around as this relatively unknown character from Davidson put on an absolute show. It's a shame that Stephen Curry won't get to show his skills in the Big Dance this year ... he and the Wildcats are still alive in the NIT though and there's always next year. I will always be greatful to him for taking everyone at HSBC's mind that day and turning it from a "wow, Duke bit the big one" and turning it into "and who the heck is this kid?"
I put The Bucket List in my Netflix queue earlier in the week, which got me thinking. My list isn't long, but there are two things that I would like to accomplish in my life. They are simple, but could present a bit of a challenge. (1) Live through my 100th birthday and (2) see a Duke-UNC game at Cameron. The first may be a little tougher than the second, but hey, I've got 74 years to make my way down to Tobacco Road. Even if I'm 80, I have no doubt that it would be up there on my list of highlights in my life!
Now that I've probably bored you with my stories of hope and dispair, I should probably tell you that I didn't pick Duke to win it all this year. I went with a more sentimental and "realistic" winner in Pitt. I would love to see Jamie Dixon's Panthers cut down the nets, having grown such an appreciation for him and his efforts for keeping his younger sister, Maggie's, memory alive. If you're reading this, you're likely and Army fan and the name Maggie Dixon needs no introduction. Jamie has been the driving force in the growth of the Maggie Dixon Classic over the three years since her tragic passing. It has quickly evolved into one of the top women's basketball events in the country. It's been an honor to travel to The Garden for the past two years with our women in support of such a great cause and hope it continues for years to come. I would put money on the fact that my mother picked Duke (I think she has every year since I was born) and Jay probably went with a smarter choice.
This has quickly become one of my longest entries this year! I hope you're still reading and I didn't lose you back on graph three. But like I said, things have been nice and quiet around these parts this week so I thought I'd take the time to write a bit. Bob and Mady are still down in Florida with baseball and softball, respectively. The baseball team had yesterday and now today off from games, but the softball team picked up a pair of wins against Wagner and Rider yesterday. They've won four-straight ... dare I say they're on a roll? Time will tell as they play a pair of games on Friday to close-out the trip. Baseball has won three-straight and has three games remaining on the itinerary before returning to West Point for the team's home-opener on Tuesday against Quinnipiac at 3 p.m. You can find me enjoying the game behind home plate - I can't wait to get outside!
Moving ahead to the weekend, the wrestlers will be in St. Louis for the NCAA Championships beginning today and running through Saturday. Click here for Timmy V's complete preview and notes on the NCAAs. Let's just say that Tim hasn't exactly let it go unnoticed that he still has competitions this week, while the rest of us pretty much take a break from action. While wrestling is in St. Louis, Tim will be traveling up to Worcester, Mass., for Army's lacrosse game at Holy Cross on Saturday at noon. The BKs are coming off a stunning loss, 13-12 in OT, to Lehigh on St. Patrick's Day and are looking to get back on track against the Crusaders. A couple of other events to keep on your radar ... Gymnastics closes out the regular season with a tri-meet against Temple and Navy in Philadelphia on Saturday ... Outdoor Track and Field kicks off its season at the University of South Florida Bulls Invite on Friday. Check back in with www.goARMYsports.com for all of the latest scores and results.
Now look at that. Just writing today's blog has already shaved almost an hour off our waiting time for tips! Let the Madness begin in under two hours! Enjoy, and (I'm sorry, it has to be said) let's go Duke ... and GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY!
Wednesday, March 18
Good morning Black Knight blog fans! Annie Holliday checking in with you on another beautiful day at West Point. Friday marks the vernal equinox, when day will last as long as dark, and the sun will sit directly above the equator. In other words, it marks the official start of SPRING! As the daylight hours start to outnumber the night, it is no wonder we all eagerly await the chance to take in the spring sports competitions on their home fields. One can't help but love the opportunity to cheer on the Army teams while simultaneously watching the hudson valley area transform from grey and brown hillsides to verdant and lush forests. I was just uploading some photos the other day, and there were so many images defined by green... whether from the fields, or the foliage beyond... and I almost forgot about all of the snow we had this year (almost). Anyway, those little reminders - first day of spring, images of seasons past, even the changing of the clocks - only further encourage us to come out of hibernation and get outside. So I hope all Army fans will come out and experience West Point as spring sports get going full force. Baseball and Softball will both take to their home fields next week on March 24 and 25. Outdoor Track & Field hosts the Dick Shea Invite March 27-28, and Men's and Women's Tennis teams will also compete at home that weekend. You can find the entire Black Knights schedule here (clicky-pop!). Keep an eye on our main page too for all of the great previews, blogs, and wrap-ups that accompany the Army games.
It's definitely quiet around post this week. It was strange to run yesterday and not pass a single cadet. My phone rings less than normal, and entire hours will pass with no emails coming through. The reduction in external activity has definitely helped me take advantage of the chance to catch up on a few projects as well as get ahead on others. Around the office, it seems like any other week. Except of course Bob and Mady are in Florida. But Mark is hard at work preparing for Track coverage this weekend, Tracy is currently chatting it up with Coach Alma Kovaci, and Brian just returned from a photo shoot for the upcoming Ellerson feature in the New York Times. Tim is getting ready for Wrestling to shine in the NCAAs, and Ryan will be giving a new staffer a West Point tour later in the day. I myself should close this blog and get to uploading more photos to go with all of the stories Softball and Baseball have inspired this week.
Have a great day everybody. Go Army!
Tuesday, March 17
Sham-Rock Michie Tonight
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Brian Gunning coming at you today from a quiet West Point. Most of the cadets are on spring break so the usual activitiy all around post is at a minimum. Unfortunately the only green I'm wearing is my envy of Bob and Mady, who are enjoying the lovely weather in Florida with the baseball and softball teams, respectively.
That doesn't mean there isn't work to be done though. While a lot of teams are either off or away for the week, the lacrosse team is prepped and ready for its league opener tonight versus Lehigh. Our marketing folks have come up with plenty of incentives for fans to come out and celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Michie Stadium so down some corned beef and cabbage and come out to cheer on the Black Knights as they begin the defense of their 2008 Patriot League regular-season title.
Give In To the Madness
It's also a week of anticipation, not just for things to get cranked up again around here, but for the start of the NCAA basketball tournaments. I watched a lot of the conference tournament action this past week with a little bit of jealousy. Since my last entry, both the mens' and women's basketball seasons came to an end in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Both teams lost to the top seeds who eventually went on to win the league championship (Tracy already detailed the women's side). Coach Jim Crews' squad was just shy of becoming the first No. 4 seed ever to advance to the Patriot League title game, losing the semifinal round 61-60 at American. I know the coaches and players were disappointed with the outcome, but the guys have nothing to hang their heads about. They nearly pulled off a huge upset on a hostile floor against a team that had beaten them by 22 and 24 points during the regular season. If one play goes differently in the last two and a half minutes, I would be telling you all about our trip to Holy Cross for the championship game and maybe talking about our NCAA Tournament seed.
The good news is that we bring back our top four scorers, including second-team All-Patriot League and Patriot League All-Tournament pick Cleveland Richard who led the squad at 12.0 points per game. Add in Josh Miller, the team's leader in assists, PL All-Rookie Team pick Julian Simmons and Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Nelson, along with several other key contributors from this year's squad, and their is plenty of reason for optimism on the hardwood next season.
The first two rounds of the tournament are always my favorite because you get to see a lot of teams that aren't normally on television a lot during the year, and there are always the shockers that screw up everyone's bracket. I definitely have my favorite teams I want to see do well, but for the most part I'm an underdog guy. Honestly, I don't remember a whole lot about last season's Final Four, but I still vividly recall Valparaiso's Bryce Drew beating Mississippi and the pandomonium on the court after Hampton knocked out Iowa State. I guess it's the Cub fan in me.
Unfortunately, I've also had to experience those types of games from the other side. One of the worst feelings I've ever had in this business was in 2005 while I was still working at Syracuse. Standing in the locker room after Vermont upset us in the first round and watching those guys, especially the seniors who had been so instrumental in the 2003 national championship run, have to answer the media's questions and try to explain what just happened was just gut wrenching. While it was definitely a bad feeling for everyone, it actually reinforced why I lthink we all love our job so much. While most people only get to know a student-athlete or a coach through what they see on TV, we get to interact with them on a daily basis and get to know them as people. That's especially rewarding at a place like West Point where we get to deal with very special young people. I think that's why it hurt so much to watch what happened that night in Worcester four years ago and last week in Washington. That being said, I know that staff and those cadets will do everything in their power to come back even stronger next season.
President's Cup Update
Army fans will be pleased to know that the Black Knights are in contention for the Patriot League's President's Cup, the league's all-sports trophy. Through the completion of 13 sports, Army is in third place only 3.75 points out of the top spot. The mens' squads are actually in the lead, 1.5 points ahead of second-place Colgate, while the women are in the third spot.
In cross country, football, golf, rowing, swimming and diving and track and field, the points are awarded on the final team standings. In team sports with postseason tournaments, points are awarded based on a combination of the team's finish at the Patriot League championship and the regular-season standings.
Keep An Eye Out
While the football team is taking a break from its spring preparations, fans will still be able to get a glimpse of how things are going under new head coach Rich Ellerson. The New York Times was in town last week and will be running a story very soon about Army's new mentor and his plans to reverse the Black Knights' recent fortunes.
That about does it for me today. Don't forget to check out the lacrosse team tonight. Until next time ...
GO ARMY!
Monday, March 16
Aloha, Part 2
Happy Monday Army fans! Mark Brumbaugh here from the confines of building 639 at West Point on yet another beautiful, sunny and 50 degree day.
As someone who has lived in the northeast for the vast majority of my life, cold weather doesn’t bother me all that much. However, it’s hard not to wish that I was in someplace a little warmer hearing about all of the Army sports spring break trips such as baseball, softball, men’s tennis, and coming this Friday, track and field.
Additionally, we received our second email from a loyal Black Knight Blog reader in Hawai’i. Col. (Ret.) Chuck Cardinal (USMA ’75), the president of the West Point Society of Hawai’i, checked in with some very kind words for our staff here (thanks!) and told us how he watches Army sports on KnightVision while travelling. He even watched a spring football game in Taipei at 1 a.m. Talk about a true fan! I'd like to hear if any other BKB readers have taken time during international travel to watch a live game on KnightVision.
While we certainly appreciate feedback from any location, is there anyone in like Alaska that wants to chime in to remind us that 50 degrees and sun in March is something to be excited about? I don’t know off the top of my head how many Alaskan cadet-athletes we currently have here, but I do know for one that pole vaulter/sprinter/hurdler Hallie Huggins (who could very well break the Academy pole vault record in the near future) hails from Wasilla. As always, you can contact any of us BK bloggers here (even if you are yet another enjoying perfect weather) with any thoughts, comments, suggestions, compliments, criticisms, rants, arguments, etc. If you read Bob’s post on Friday (Aloha Part 1 and a bunch of other issues), you already know that you can indeed reach the boss at robert.beretta@usma.edu.
As we move the discussion back towards ice and snow, I have to send a shout out to the hockey team. Unfortunately their season concluded after facing a strong Mercyhurst team in Erie, but nonetheless it was a pleasure to watch them battle this season at Tate Rink. With several younger players in the lineup this season, I’m sure they will be looking for some big things next year. My alma mater also bowed out of their conference tournament, so I guess I’ll have to settle for just seeing if my Pittsburgh Penguins can keep the hockey season going on into the spring.
As for the week that will be, it will be very quiet at West Point as the cadets are on spring break. However, there is one home matchup, which will take place tomorrow night. Army lacrosse, fresh off of their win at Rutgers, will host Lehigh at 7 p.m. in a St. Patty’s day matchup at Michie Stadium. If you wear some green, you will save some green! Tickets will be half-price for those that wearing green or are in the holiday spirit.
Keep checking goarmysports.com though as Bob and Mady will be continuing to send in the scores from all of the baseball and softball matches in Florida.
Go Army!
Friday, March 13
Aloha From Alligator Alley, Explaining the BKB, Football Coverage, Message Boards and More
It’s weeks like these that make you love working in college athletics. Only in athletics could you find yourself in three different Eastern cities for events last weekend, with the potential to be in one of three different cities Wednesday, three on Thursday and two on Friday. Our final destinations for this weekend crystalized with the results of the men’s and women’s Patriot League tournaments Sunday afternoon, but for a while the travel plans for the staff were changing by the minute.
They call it March Madness for the craziness of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but it’s so much more than that for those of us that work in athletics this time of year with the winter athletic teams in postseason tournaments, the spring sports in full swing and spring football practice underway.
Not to recap the entire weekend, because that’s been done here already at the Black Knight Blog, but to get a sense of the craziness that was last weekend, allow me to share the travel details that Brian Gunning, myself (Bob Beretta) and Rich DeMarco experienced last Saturday. It began with spring football practice at 8:30 a.m. Following the three-hour session, we needed to hop in a van and head to Bethlehem, Pa., for our women’s basketball team’s Patriot League quarterfinal matchup against Holy Cross set to begin at 2:30 p.m.. While in the van for the two-hour drive, we wrote and posted a report on the football practice to our Web site.
We arrived at Stabler Arena in Bethleham at 1:45 p.m., 30 minutes before Rich and I hit the airwaves for the radio call of the basketball game. After handling those broadcast duties, we stayed to watch Lafayette upset American in another quarterfinal contest, then jumped back in the van for a trip to Washington, D.C. for Sunday’s men’s game against American. While in the van, I had to write a baseball recap from the team’s doubleheader against George Mason and post to our Web site. Of course, we were able to make a pit stop at our favorite dining establishment on our way through Delaware by now I’m sure you are familiar with the Dog House (Gunny has espoused the virtues of our favorite dog and cheese steak haunt on several occasions here at the BKB). We rolled into D.C. around 11:15 p.m., turned the clocks ahead one hour and tried to sleep fast, as we faced a noon-time tip at Bender Arena for the men’s Patriot League Tournament semifinal game on Sunday.
If both the men and women had won, we would have had games on Wednesday and Friday, forcing the postponement of my scheduled trip to Florida with the baseball team on Thursday. While I was rooting very much for that to happen, my plans, unfortunately, went unaltered, which is why I am reporting to you today from bright and sunny Tampa.
Alligator Alley
Well, I’ve been in Tampa less than 24 hours and I already have gotten in more workouts than I did in the previous three months at West Point one late yesterday afternoon and one early this morning. I love coming down here with the baseball team (thanks to the generosity of George Steinbrenner, who funds most of the trip for our baseball team each year). We stay in a hotel about two blocks from George M. Steinbrenner Field (the former Legends Field), the same hotel that many of the young players in the Yankee organization stay in during spring training. One of my all-time favorite running parks is right across the street Cancer Survivors Plaza (which has taken on added significance for me this year). Army head coach Joe Sottolano and I try to break away together a few times each year (I have to limit it to a few times because he has about three years, 20 pounds and heaps of energy on me), to run through the park, around Steinbrenner Field (which is absolutely immaculate) and back to the hotel. In the back of the park there is a body of water surrounded by woods, the kind of pond in which you’d expect to see alligators. Now, Tampa is far removed from the Everglades and you wouldn’t expect to see any alligators this far inland, but we always have cast a suspicious eye toward the ponds as we run on the boardwalk through the woods. Imagine our surprise last year when we actually spotted a couple of alligators in another pond in the park. Apparently, someone dropped them off in the public park and they were living in one of the bodies of water located right in the middle of the park. We always used to joke that we were going to go for a jog in Alligator Alley, but we never thought we’d experience what we saw last year. Needless to say, I didn’t have much trouble keeping up with Joe that day.
It appears the creatures have been removed since our last visit, because I am happy to report that the cones that surrounded the pond as a warning to the public are gone and so are the gators.
Aloha?
So why would I write Aloha, from Florida? No, I didn’t mix my metaphors. Every once in a while we receive an email or letter from an Army fan that is priceless. Yesterday, Tracy Nelson shared a note that was sent in by loyal BKB reader Allison Taravella all the way from Honolulu, Hawai’i. Apparently, Allison, a former West Point resident, grew up in the neighborhood right behind the Dog House in Wilmington, Del., and much to my shock and utter disbelief, has not only never experienced the ambience that is “The House,” but had never even heard of it until reading our blog. Allison, I just can’t fathom that. Many style points for righting in, but you lose a few for sharing that information. Very disappointing. While we're at it, I'd like to publically thank the owners of the Dog House for allowing me to plug in my laptop on each of our last three visits to charge the battery and allow me to continue working on Army stories during our road trips. I'm sure the staff is wondering about that strange guy who waltzes in each time with laptop in hand. The same staff was behind the grill during each of our two visits last weekend, so I'm sure they were a little perplexed. Might be a first in Dog House history. Hopefully, they read the BKB.
Anyway, Allison writes that she enjoys reading the BKB daily and had some other nice things to say (she even recommended her own favorite dining establishment, but I cannot provide the name because I wouldn’t want to offend the owners of the official restaurant of the Army AC staff, aka the Dog House). The note actually served as a bit of a reassurance for us in the Athletic Communications Office, that this thing we call the BK Blog is really worth continuing. Thanks, Allison and Aloha!!!
BKB Explained
We devised the Black Knight Blog last summer as a way to engage our fans on a daily basis to provide a light-hearted, behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in the world of athletics. It was developed as place we could share news and notes that might not gain attention otherwise and a place where our readers could get to know those of us responsible for promoting West Point’s cadet-athletes a bit. It is not meant to be a hard news source. though we do break news here from time-to-time. I mean, where else would you learn that six of the eight members on the AC staff enjoy birthdays in the month of March? Or that Tim Volkmann is a big fan of the Bee Gees (see Tuesday edition of BKB)?
The really important stuff (where else would I actually write the word "stuff") can be found elsewhere, but much like our philosophy with the live in-game blogs that we provide, the BKB is meant as place for us to share some personal experiences, all folded around the main context of Army Athletics. And we try to have a little fun doing it. I’m very proud at how the BKB has evolved ... in less than six months, it has already been cited nationally and has been the source of much positive feedback.
While we have a self-imposed posting deadline of 3 p.m. each day, the BKB is generally written on our own personal time and doesn’t take away from our day-to-day responsibilities.
Message Boards
One of the most interesting developments in the world of college athletics in recent years has been the emergence of message boards or chat boards. The boards provide a social networking option for fans to get together and exchange ideas on a myriad of topics, athletics included.
As a college athletics administrator, I learned a long time ago that you must have a thick skin to survive in this industry. We are like coaches in that our decisions are very public and certainly open to criticism. With the emergence of these chat boards, one can get instant feedback on almost any decision that he or she makes that affects the public in any way. I have no problem with that. I do get a bit defensive when one of my staff members gets unfairly criticized anonymously on one of these boards. So permit me to get on my soap box for a moment here with an open message to those anonymous message-board posters. The first amendment a
