Army West Point Athletics
Black Knight Blog - September 2009
September 01, 2009 | General
The Black Knight Blog is an 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 your feedback!
Click below to ready blogs from past months:
August 2009
2008-09 Black Knight Blog entires
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Happy Wednesday, Army fans. As you may be starting to pick up on the rotation, a fitting analogy given the MLB Playoffs, Dallas Miller here with you today on what feels like a crisp fall day here at West Point.
While we here at Army are in full swing as far as the fall sports schedule goes, I am also in the midst of an exciting experience - watching a person I played college football against succeed in the NFL. Having played at DIII St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., we faced off against current Indianapolis Colt Pierre Garcon on two occasions throughout my playing career.
Back in 2004, while Garcon was at Norwich University in Vermont, he roasted the Fisher secondary for 198 yards and four TDs, including the game-winning Hail Mary, in a 39-34 win for the Cadets, who share a military connection with West Point. Norwich University, founded in 1819, is recognized as the birthplace of the ROTC program by the Department of Defense, and is the oldest of the six Senior Military Colleges in the U.S. (North Georgia; Norwich; Texas A&M; The Citadel; VMI; Virginia Polytechnic Institute). We probably should have known then (or after watching this) that he might have a chance at the next level, because everyone in the stadium knew where the ball was going whenever it was in the air, but we still couldn't stop it!
Garcon then transferred to DIII football power Mount Union College where he went on to become a two-time National Champion and All-American. During the 2006 season, in which he collected 67 receptions for 1,212 yards and 17 touchdowns, he suffered a late season injury that limited him to just one catch for three yards in Mount Union's 26-14 win over Fisher in the National Semifinals. It couldn't have bothered him too much though, because in the National Championship game the very next week Garcon made eight catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns to help Mount Union beat UW-Whitewater 35-16.
While it's not totally unprecedented for a DIII player to be invited to an NFL training camp, or even make the practice squad, there are few who have actually made an impact on their team. One of the most-known that comes to mind is London Fletcher, a product of John Carroll University, who played with the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Redskins. After his game-clinching TD against the Dolphins on MNF, and a solid outing against the Cardinals, Garcon interviewed on ESPN.
In other sports news that I have a vested interest in, a number of Army teams hit the road this weekend while the football team stays home to host Tulane. Rather than note all the matchups separately, take a look here to see where the Black Knights will be in action as we break in to October.
And finally - partly because I'm terrible at coming up with topics to blog about, and partly because I'd like to make this experience just a touch more interactive, I'm going to open my next post, scheduled for Tuesday October 13, to questions and suggestions. If you've got a general question or a suggestion for a little-used blog topic, email me at dallas.miller@usma.edu. Let's see what happens!
Go ARMY!
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Good afternoon Black Knight blog readers. It's a late entry today, so you can bet I'll be paying my dues in one way or another... the candy dish looks empty, it is halloween treat season, and given my tendency to bring in sugary snacks, my coworkers are probably happy that I'm late today. Annie Holliday here, checking in between phone calls and all sorts of fun fiscal-year-end tasks.
Tracy covered a lot yesterday so I'd like to take a different direction with this blog entry. Are you following Army Athletics on twitter? If not, you should! The whole AC team here does a great job keeping it stocked with links to the latest releases posted on goarmysports.com, and several sport competitions are often tweeted about in real time. As you know there are a multitude of options for following your favorite Army teams, and the twitter micro-blogging platform is a particularly great way to grab updates without totally interrupting whatever else it is you might be busy with on a given day. I remember loving it during the baseball team's Patriot League Championship run last year. I wasn't able to be there, and I was nowhere near a computer. All I had was my phone, and I didn't think it was appropriate to text someone every ten minutes, so the twitter updates (which I could check on my phone) made for the best way to keep up on the action. If you're wondering what in the world all this "twitter" stuff is, read through this FAQ to learn more!
Last thing... I have a request for those who have made it a point to follow the tweeting on football game day. If you have your own twitter profile, let yourself be known this Saturday when the Black Knights take on Tulane at home. Give a small shout-out (or big, as the case may be) at some point (or several points!) before, during or after the game. Just be sure to put @armyathletics so we are able to find your tweet among the masses. Who knows, perhaps we can all get Army Football to be a trending topic someday.
Until next time... Go Army, Beat Everyone!
Monday, Sept. 28
Happy Monday all! Tracy Nelson at the keys today, wishing that I actually was that enthusiastic about the start of the work week. It was a long weekend, so I’m a bit tired as I ring in the final week of September. It’s crazy to think that October is already right around the corner. I keep seeing Halloween candy and costumes galore, which I find hard to believe!
While time is flying by, the weather around here is certainly beginning to take on more of a fall feel. It’s about 65 and sunny today, but you can tell that fall is in the air. One positive about the change of seasons here at West Point has to be the scenery, and fall is one of my favorite times of year around this beautiful post. The trees morph into a rainbow of burn oranges, reds and yellows and it’s absolutely gorgeous in the Hudson Valley.
With fall coming at us full-force, the 2009-10 competitive seasons have been booming as well. As I’ve mentioned several times before, volleyball remains my chief responsibility during the fall and this season has been a real treat! The team opened Patriot League play last weekend and picked up a pair of wins at Bucknell (3-1) and Colgate (3-1) to move to 14-3 on the season. Youthful energy has been the story this season and it’s been a pleasure to watch. The Black Knights head down to the Lehigh Valley this weekend to face Lehigh (Friday) and Lafayette (Saturday). Lehigh pulled off a shocking win over American last weekend, which in the Patriot League volleyball universe is a major upset. American has won the last eight-straight titles and up until last Saturday, Army had been the only conference team to upend the perennial powerhouse Eagles. Not only did the American loss prove to be a statement win for Lehigh, but it also opens the door for Army to potentially secure the highest seed and host the PL Tournament in November. I don’t want to get ahead of myself though, so I’ll just leave it at that. It’ll be a battle of unbeatens as Army and Lehigh clash at 7 p.m. Friday night in Bethlehem, Pa.
Volleyball certainly isn’t the only sport going on this fall. The annual Army-Navy series got underway this past weekend, with each academy picking up a win. The Army golf team captured the “Star” for the first time since 2005 by way of a thrilling 6-5 road victory. Click here for the full story from Shak himself. Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team dropped a heartbreaker in Annpolis. The teams played to a 0-0 tie before Navy won the “Star” on a penalty kick in the 98th minute that gave Navy the 1-0 victory. Tough loss for Kurt Swanbeck’s club, which had won three-straight against the Mids until Saturday’s setback. The Army women’s soccer team will take its chances against the Mids on Oct. 9 in Annapolis.
Football Saturday returns to West Point this weekend when the Black Knights host Tulane at noon at Michie Stadium. A 31-10 loss at Iowa State last Saturday evened head coach Rich Ellerson’s club at 2-2 on the season. Army welcomes Tulane to West Point for the second time in three years. The last time the Green Wave were in town, third-string QB Kevin Dunn found Mike Wright for a spectacular catch in the endzone in what was definitely one of the most exciting football games that I have seen here. “The catch” sent the game to OT where Owen Tolson knocked a 25-yard FG through the uprights to give Army the 20-17 win. Army beat Tulane again last year in New Orleans and will look to make it three in a row on Saturday. Check in about 11:45 a.m. and you can catch yours truly starting up the in-game blog, which is one of many, many ways to tune-in if you can’t make it to West Point for the game. If you’re lucky enough to make the trek and are one of the first 5,000 fans through the turnstyles, you’ll get your very own Army “mini helmet” – good stuff!
That’ll do it for now. Here’s to hoping you enjoy the rest of your week!
GO ARMY! BEAT TULANE!
Thursday, Sept. 24
The sun is shining, the football team is 2-1, the golf team is getting ready for a big match at Navy this weekend and hockey is right around the corner. All seems to be good at West Point.
Ryan Yanoshak joining you on this lovely Thursday in the Hudson Valley.
After two days of no events, the Black Knights get back into it today with the women’s soccer team playing at Brown. That leads us into a busy weekend that includes football, golf, men’s and women’s tennis, volleyball, cross country and men’s soccer. This schedule link is a great resource so you can track your Black Knights.
The football team heads to Ames, Iowa, for a matchup against the Cyclones of the Big 12. Keep an eye on the site for a preview later this morning. Spoiler alert: Iowa State’s offensive line is huge.
The golf team has played very well in its first two events and will play at the Naval Academy Golf Course on Saturday and match against the Midshipmen. This is one of the very cool events that Army participates in. It is styled after the Ryder Cup with four-ball matches in the morning and singles matches in the afternoon. First team to 11 points wins. Army is looking for its first win since 2005 but coming off a win at the Mulekicker Fall Classic and a fourth-place finish at the Leo Keenan Invitational is a positive. So are the three wins interim golf coach Major Chad Bagley posted against the Mids when he was a player. Keep an eye on the site for a preview tomorrow.
I know it’s only September but hockey season officially begins next Saturday with the annual Black-Gold scrimmage at 4 p.m. at Tate Rink. One week of practice, then the squads heads to Omaha, Neb., to play in the Mutual of Omaha Icebreaker Tournament. The team is putting on a clinic this weekend and you can still register for this free event if you call 845-938-3711.
BKB: We had another great turnout in Black Knights Alley last weekend. Kudos to those of you who got Nick Hill autographs. It will be a great keepsake when he makes it to the Major Leagues with the Mariners … Improvements are always being made to BKA so make it a point to make it part of your gameday experience here at West Point … Gene U, we miss you buddy. Take care of yourself.
Wednesday, Sept. 23Good morning everyone. Tim Volkmann sitting here tickling the keys on my keyboard for the Black Knight Blog on another sunny day in the Hudson Valley.
As Brian Gunning talked about a couple days ago, I too have been making a concerted effort to get my tuchus out of bed early a couple times a week and take advantage of the great work-out facilities we have at our disposal around here at West Point. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are leaving the MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) Facility with their workouts already complete as I slowly shuffle my feet through the doors, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Darn early birds...
There are definitely some fit people up and about at that hour too. I got a new ipod for my birthday a while back, and purchased one of those velcro bands for it so I could where it around my arm while I worked out. As I trotted along yesterday on the treadmill, I noticed another guy working on the bicep machine that was also wearing a band for his ipod, only his looked a little different. While I have to double mine through the loop to make sure it doesn't fall off the piece of spaghetti I call an arm, he looked like he had at least two bands velcroed together to make it all the way around his massive gun. Sheesh. Show-off.
This week, I have been working on the football game program for our next home game against Tulane on Oct. 3. I'm looking forward to reading the main player feature on Carson Williams written by our newest staff member, Dallas Miller. He is typing away as we speak, transcribing his interview with the Black Knight senior right now. Fans can look forward to a Cadet Q&A with senior defensive end Brad Marren as well as features on Felix "Doc" Blanchard and the women's volleyball team.
With the football team on the road this weekend at Iowa State, there will still be some stars appearing at Michie Stadium. The US National Lacrosse team will be in town on Saturday and Sunday to practice, host a youth clinic and play an intersquad scrimmage in preparation for the 2010 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships to be played in Manchester, England next July.
Army head coach Joe Alberici was tabbed one of the assistant coaches for the squad by Mike Pressler, who is serving as the national team coach in addition to his duties as head coach at Bryant.
The 40-man training team, which will be whittled down to 23 for the world championships, will practice from 9:30-11:30 a.m., before hosting a sold-out youth clinic from 1-3:30 p.m. p.m. At 6:00 p.m., the team will split up and play at game. Tickets for the game are $8 for adults and $5 for youths 18 and under.
Former Army All-American and two-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Adam Fullerton will return to his alma mater as a member of the training team. To view the complete roster, click here or for more information about US Lacrosse, visit the website at www.uslacrosse.org.
And if that doesn't satisfy your craving for lacrosse, Army will host Stony Brook and Marist on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Shea Stadium for a day of fall-ball scrimmages starting at noon.
Have a great day everyone -
BEAT IOWA STATE
Tuesday, Sept. 22
Mady Salvani writing today's blog ... sorry I am so late. Fall sometimes gets away from me as we are in the midst of the fall sports plus trying to look ahead to winter and spring. Rifle will be starting soon and I am in the midst of women's soccer which has five shutouts in eight games. I am also working on gymnastics and just want to remind you that Army is the host school for the 2010 NCAA Gymnastics Championships. Last time it was hosted was in 2005.
That year Trooper Dan sang the national anthem, and it was outstanding. The floodlights were on him, just like in Hollywood, and the crowd went crazy after he belted out the song.
However, gymnastics is a tough sport to take photos of. You cannot use a flash or strobe (put lights around the area where the athletic event is going to take place). On all six events - floor exercise, still rings, parallel bars, pommel horse, floor exercise and vault, they hold position for just a second or two. And if you are good, you can get a great shot but if you are like me, most will be blurred. I have yet to get my award winning shot, but maybe I will do it at this year's meet.
I had a wonderful time at the Hall of Fame dinner earlier this month. It was nice to meet the "Lonely End" (Bill Carpenter) along with seeing Mike Krzyzewski, Bobby Knight, Tracy Hanlon and Nicki Robbins (the last two I covered when they competed in basketball/track and softball). I also had a chance to chat with Gen Murphy, who was here twice as Army's Athletic Director (I was there for his second tour, not his first).
Kept it short today because I have a lot of irons in the fire (my young co-workers will laugh as they probably never heard of that saying).
Monday, Sept. 21
Winning Weekend
Happy Monday out there in cyberspace! Tracy Nelson with you today and I have to say, what a weekend to be an Army fan!? Four teams combined to put seven wins on the board over the last three days. It was an exhausting one for all of us in Athletic Communications, covering competitions left and right. But when the teams win, it makes every hour worthwhile.
I should start by saying congrats to Coach Ellerson for leading the Black Knights to a 24-17 win over Ball State on a picturesque Saturday afternoon at Michie Stadium. Army broke a 17-17 tie when Donovan Travis intercepted Ball State QB Kelly Page for a TD in the fourth quarter. The double-eagle flex defense took over from there, came up with a key sack on 3rd and 8 that forced BSU to punt it away with time winding down, which helped put the Black Knights at 2-1 this season. It was a great day to be an Army football fan (especially when Navy suffered a 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh on Saturday)! The Black Knights now look ahead to Iowa State this weekend. It should be a tough test against the 2-1 Cyclones out in Ames, Iowa. Here's a bit of trivia for you ... did you know that the three masterminds behind Army's equipment operation are all Iowa State products? Yep, our very own Nick Determan, Jon Sedgwick and Blake Reid are all originally Cyclones. It's crazy to think that when I arrived at West Point, my native Western New York roots hadn't really allowed me to meet many people from the Midwest - let alone the state of Iowa. I can't even begin to list them - it would be too long. Since coming to West Point, I've realized that ODIA's population of Iowa natives has to be larger than any other state represented (except California in the football offices perhaps). Those Iowans better realize what school signs their paychecks when they travel to Ames this weekend!
Although I did spend my Saturday blogging from Hoffman Press Box high above all the football action, the better part of my weekend was spent at Christl Arena for the West Point Challenge. The Army volleyball team played there for the second year in a row, offering a different venue for the team’s premiere home tournament event. I’m used to being in Christl for hoops, so when they bring up a portable volleyball net and change the lines on the hardwood, I’m all thrown off.
Friday was a marathon session, as Volk and I did four-straight matches with the first starting at 10 a.m. and the fourth at 4 p.m. We then had about an hour and a half break when Volk passed the baton to Dallas for the final match of the day. Volleyball stats work much like any other sport with one person serving as the inputter (typist) and the other as the caller. I type, they call. It’s a good little system that we have going – even though I went to sleep last night hearing dig 20, set 2, attack 13, dig 8, set 2, attack 15 in my head all night. It’s all in a day’s work! I have to publically give kudos to Volk and Dallas for helping me out this weekend. It’s a lot to ask, but they did a great job, so thanks guys!
Now, back to my previous statement about winning making it all worthwhile. The volleyball team must have read my mind because the Black Knights managed to go undefeated (4-0) on their way to capturing the tournament title with a thrilling 3-2 win over Binghamton on Sunday afternoon. It was a great end to a very tiring weekend. The girls played their rear ends off on Sunday. As exhausted as I was sitting there, I could only think of how physically drained their bodies must have been after playing such a grueling tournament all weekend. I wouldn’t be able to walk! Friday night’s match against Iowa was certainly an eye-opener for Army volleyball fans. In the span of less than a week, the Black Knights shocked nationally ranked Pepperdine – then ranked #19 in the country – and then knocked off a powerful Iowa team out of the Big Ten. Click here to read all of the match recaps from throughout the weekend. Congrats to senior setter Maureen Bannon for being named the MVP based on her outstanding performance. Freshmen dynamos Ariana Mankus and Francine Vasquez also made the all-tournament team.
I have to say that this year’s team was a big question mark in my mind heading into this season. They have surely filled it up with lofty ideas and expectations now that they are off and running to an impressive 12-3 start to the year – with a handful of HUGE wins to boot. Army heads into the start of Patriot League play this weekend sitting atop the conference standings. Picked to finish third in the preseason poll, the Black Knights are riding high on young talent and confidence. Perhaps this could be the year that they unexpectedly win it all. Even if that’s not in the cards, I can’t say enough about the job that head coach Alma Kovaci and her assistants – Jeremy Sands and Julie Chester – have done with this group. They are feisty, confident and play with passion. It’s a pleasure to watch them play.
Alright, now that I’ve gone off on that jaunt, Alma was not the only youngin’ coach to get a win this weekend. First-year head women’s soccer coach Stefanie Golan led her team to a 1-0 win over Hartford on Sunday at Clinton Field. Just a junior, keeper Alex Lostetter set a new Academy record with 20 career shutouts. That's a pretty impressive number considering that the Black Knights are not even halfway through the season thus far. The Army sprint football team also improved to 2-0 with a 24-14 win at RPI on Sunday. All-in-all, Sunday proved to be a winning day for all Black Knight teams as Army went 4-0.
Also getting their start this past weekend, one of the West Point’s winningest programs stepped on the court. The five-time defending Patriot League Champion women’s tennis team participated in events at Quinnipiac and Stony Brook, Friday through Sunday. Click here for complete results from what was a very successful individual weekend for 10-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Paul Peck and his club. If you’re around West Point this weekend, it’s a great opportunity to catch the team in action as they host the annual Eastern Championships. The massive tournament features 30+ teams and is one of the premiere fall events in the northeast year in and year out. Matches will be played at both Malek Courts (outdoor) and Lichtenberg Tennis Center (indoor) all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
It's amazing how quickly weekend's like this past one pass you by. Before I realize it, basketball will be starting up. I'm already having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that the Army hockey team's season opener is less than two weeks away. It's mind boggling how fast time flies sometimes. Here's to hoping that Monday, Sept. 28, feels as good as this Monday does right about now.
GO ARMY! BEAT IOWA STATE!
Monday, Sept. 21
Friday, Sept. 18
Miscellany
Good evening blog readers, Dallas Miller here with you today. This edition of the Black Knight blog contains a number of miscellaneous items, with particular rhyme or reason to associate them.
1) Setting up for a national TV broadcast is cool. Having spent the better part of my day working with the good folks at CBS College Sports Network, I can say with confidence that it's a very good thing I have nothing to do with getting the game on the air. Broadcast trucks are rolling production studios, packed to the gills with computers, switchboards, monitors, cables, cameras, radios, knobs, buttons, lights and coffee. Lots of coffee. That's not to mention the people, who scurry around from here to there doing who knows what. At the end (or rather, beginning) of it all, everything gets broadcast to millions of homes.
2) Army volleyball makes for good entertainment. The Black Knights opened the two-day West Point Challenge today with a 3-0 win over Quinnipiac and a 3-1 win over Iowa. The Iowa match at the end of the night was very competitive, and freshman Ariana Mankus (career-high 23 kills) seemed to seize control and push the Black Knights to victory.
3) As I'm sure some of you followed last week's football game against Duke remotely, let me be the first to say that anyone tasked with keeping up with Army fans on a live blog has a challenge ahead of them. I sat next to resident live-blogger Tracy Nelson during the game, and was impressed with how often fans peppered the blog with questions about the game and Army football in general. The press box is about 40 degrees - ever tried to type with frozen fingers? Kudos to Tracy.
4) Cadets are great to work with. I had the pleasure of speaking with a current football player for a game-day feature that will run later in the season. He was a great interview, and I appreciate his taking the time out of an incredibly busy day. I've said it before, but it's an honor to be in the company of a person who has achieved so much and clearly is just getting started.
5) Go Army! Beat Ball State! Need I say more?
6) In other news, sprint football will look to stay unbeaten on the year on Sunday. The Black Knights notched a decisive 29-0 win over Fairleigh Dickinson last week, and will take on RPI with an eye on 2-0.
7) Enjoy your Saturday. Take care of yourself, and each other.
Dallas
Thursday, Sept. 17
How Can I Help You?
Friday, Sept. 18: Hello again! I'm back with another bit of advice --- if you are a military member trying to track down the AKO page that has the coupon code for watching the game on CBSC online, type "Army Football" into the AKO Search Engine (located at the top right of the main page). Click on the first search result, and voila! it should bring up a page with all of the information!
Good morning Black Knight Blog readers! Annie Holliday with you on another busy day in the office! On the line up for your friendly front desk assistant this morning is some mailing, a lot of year-end fiscal year paperwork, appointments, and what is sure to be another day full of phone calls and visitors!
Besides the usual business related stuff, I get a lot of questions from fans and supporters of Army Athletics every day. This time of year they are mostly centered around football, but I get questions about other things too, such as if we charge admission for soccer games (no, they are free!) and when will the men's basketball media guide be printed (it won't, we've gone green this year). Many times there are some great references on our website that would have answered a caller's question before they even dialed our office. For example, Game Day Central on our main page has everything you would want to know about the Army Football game. Links to the roster, depth chart, and statistics are all located at the top of the page. Further down, the tip sheet gives information about times of events and what media is broadcasting the game. Everything you wanted to know about game day parking is also linked here, as well as information about what promotional item you might expect to receive if you're among the designated number of first entrants to the stadium.
Another great reference is the Sports Calendar (found under the Schedules tab) where you can see in one glance all of the events in a given day, week or month. The Traditions heading offers links to the lyrics of the various songs and cheers you might hear at an event, a few facts about the Army mule, and a run down on academy history, leadership and the honor code. Check out the staff directory for mailing and email address information for the department, and the Marketing section for insight into the scheduled free sports clinics, Scout days, the Black Knight Buddies program, and other community outreach initiatives.
One question I get a lot is how to get help with a KnightVision technical issue. Despite my mad skillz with mapping printers, I am not savvy enough to help with all that media player error stuff that seems to pop up every once in awhile for individual users. If you click on "contact us" at the bottom of the page and fill out the form with all the information about your issue, the JumpTV Help Desk will respond promptly and help you out. This is also the best way to address a billing issue as well.
Well everyone, it's a busy weekend ahead, including lots of action from one of my favorite sports to play and watch... volleyball! After their great performance at Pepperdine last weekend, I am that much more excited to see the Women play in their West Point Challenge tournament up at Christl Arena (which is free admission, too... just a subtle hint to local readers... we would love to see packed stands for the Friday 7 p.m. match against Iowa!) These girls play with such heart, their enthusiasm is contagious and their determination palpable. Even if you don't know a thing about volleyball, you will absolutely be drawn into the action and likely have a lot of fun watching how they all work together. On top of the tournament, it's a big alumni weekend for both the women and the men's volleyball teams (the men are a club sport), and that means a lot of catching up and goodwill is in store while former players and old friends arrive at West Point for the tournament and football game.
Women's Soccer will be home this weekend as well! So try to catch one of your Army teams in person, and if you can't, be sure to follow along on the website, via live stats, twitter, by calling the A-Line (845-938-ARMY), etc. There are always plenty of options to find out the latest information about Army Athletics.
Have a great day, and Go Army!
Wednesday, Sept. 16
Fun With Language
Happy Wednesday to our faithful followers! A rather sleepy Brian Gunning with you today. Why so sleepy you ask? Well, In my 3,256th effort to try live a little on the healthier side, I've been going to the gym before work. I took today off, but a few days of a 5:30 a.m. alarm clock have definitely caught up with me. I don't dare mention that to any of the cadets I see though. I will get absolutely no sympathy from any of them.
One of the highlights of my week is heading over to Randall Hall to listen to football coach Rich Ellerson give his take on the team. Coach Ellerson is one of the most interesting and intelligent speakers I've ever been around. At least once per press conference, Coach uses a word or phrase that I've never heard used in that context before, but perfectly sums up the situation.
Yesterday was no different. In his opening statement alone, there were a couple of great turns of phrase that I'd never heard in reference to a football game. Let's see if you can find them ...
"The critical situations, I thought in the first half, especially defensively, we were playing extraordinarily well in some negative field position. But as the game wound down, we had a couple of plays where it looks like a guy dropped out of a spaceship he’s so open. The fourth quarter and that goat rope at the end, you have to say that the critical situations were lost."
Now I've been in this business for a little more than 12 years, and I can honestly say that was the first time I ever heard a coach refer to a player "dropping out of a spaceship" and the end of the game turning into a "goat rope." I will definitely be adding those to my lexicon.
In case you don't read the transcripts of Coach Ellerson's weekly and postgame press conferences, here are some of my favorite turns of phrase that he has used in his time here ...
"That’s something we have to be able to do in our sleep, and we look like we are sleeping but not doing it in our sleep."
“Offensively they have a little fireplug of a running back (MiQuale Lewis) that can make you miss in a phone booth."
"Even in the second half, when we looked a little bit like a clown act because we were jumping off sides and doing all those things, we didn’t have a negative play."
"We are working out there. We are competing. Honestly, everyone is different, but as a competitor I didn’t know if there were mother’s and dogs in the stands or 52,000 people."
"We knew we would get better as the season went along, but the question was whether or not we could get better between the first quarter and fourth quarter. Well, we did. The problem was
that we were a yard sale in third quarter and part of the second, so we have to kind of smooth out that learning curve for those guys, but you are quite correct. They played with confidence."
"Everyone is not in as pristine health as we might have hoped for, but everybody is with us and that was job one. I guess we still have a few days to screw it up, but I’ve pretty much chickened out in terms of the kinds of things we’re doing in practice. Unless somebody falls in the shower, we should get them all to the game.”
"We moved (fullback) CeDarius (Williams) around a bit, but just like the SAT, our first guess was right."
“A quarterback is like a doctor. The most important thing is ‘do no harm.’ You can’t go out there and try and win the
game, you have to go out there and operate."
"We’ll not only have a guy that is pivotal in our throwing game, but also a guy that can move somebody off of the line of scrimmage and make linebackers keep their head on a swivel. When he cracks you, if you don’t see it coming, it may be the last thing you do that day.”
"“We expect to look a little bit differently. Mass times acceleration equals velocity, and we’re going to accentuate the acceleration."
And perhaps my favorite ...
“I’ll speak to expectations. Expect that this adventure is going to be difficult. It is going to be hard. And expect to win.”
In other news: The men's soccer team hosts Quinnipiac at Clinton Field tonight at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ITT Knight Vision ... I promise the men's basketball roster will be updated this week. Just finalizing a few of the details. I will break a little bit of news now, though. There will be two freshmen and two sophomores that played junior varsity last season added to the mix ... Speaking of basketball, we got two tip-off times for road games this week. Both the games at Lafayette and at Bucknell will start at 7 p.m.
That does it for me today. Have a great rest of the week. As always, GO ARMY!!!
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Football Season Means Meeting Season
Well, we’re three weeks into football season and that means three weeks into meeting season. What exactly does meeting season entail? Well, how about eight different meetings plus a conference call on Monday, then three more meetings before 11 am this morning. Bob Beretta with you this beautiful morning along the banks of the Hudson, writing from my new digs down here in the basement of Building 639. I must admit I feel a bit isolated these days without the frenzied activity of the Athletic Communications out before me, but I’m trying to adjust best I can.
It takes an awful lot of coordination to pull off the events we do surrounding an Army home football game – everything from Black Knights Alley to the video board programming, to in-game presentations to the postgame autograph session and giveaway distribution. Oh yeah, then there’s a little thing called a national television broadcast that we must preside over and assist, which quite honestly is a major undertaking in it’s own right.
We do our best to try to troubleshoot all the potential pitfalls entering the weekend and address all the issues that may have presented themselves the previous week. It all adds up to a tremendous amount of communication across West Point and athletic department agencies and a great deal of attention to detail must be paid. Annual staff turnover creates additional challenges so we can never assume everyone is on board with the existing plan, because there are always so many faces introduced to the mix each year.
Having said all that, I feel things went very well last week and the Hall of Fame ceremonies were extraordinary. Mike Krzyzewski delivered the acceptance speech on behalf of the entire class and his words were truly inspirational. We were able to offer a live video web stream of the event via ITT Knight Vision free of charge. And for those that were unable to view the proceedings live, do yourself a favor and view it through our archives. You can access the banquet link by clicking here. Coach K’s speech took place after dinner, following the plaque presentations. The entire event has developed into a highlight of our academic year and remains a thrill for those of us with the privilege of dealing with these greats throughout the week.
Well, sorry to be so brief today, but I’m off to our weekly press conference with head football coach Rich Ellerson. Not a meeting, but a commitment nonetheless.
Until next time, be well and GO ARMY!!!
Monday, Sept. 14
Weekend Recaps
It seems like I always draw the gorgeous days to write the daily blog and today is no different. Ryan Yanoshak joining you on a beautiful day in the Hudson Valley after a great weekend here at West Point.
Where to begin to cap the weekend? The Hall of Fame ceremonies is probably a good starting point. The Class of 2009 was inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame on Friday and once again, it was a memorable event. From Bobby Knight’s stirring introduction of former athletic Director Ray Murphy during the plaque unveiling to Mike Krzyzewski’s wonderful speech during the formal black-tie banquet, the event once again highlights the greats of Army Athletics.
You can find a story as well as photo galleries from Friday’s events by clicking here.
The six inductees in this year’s class were also gracious enough to sign autographs and pose for photos in Black Knights Alley for an hour prior to the football game. The group was then honored at halftime.
Black Knights Alley was again a huge draw prior to the football game. The band Sidewayz was excellent. The lead singer told me she was 12 and her band mates didn’t look any older, yet the group covered everything from Ozzy Osbourne to John Mellancamp. They are expected to be back on the Alley again later this season and if you get a chance, you have to check them out.
Sidewayz was far from the only attraction though in the fan-fest area and the large crowds seemed to enjoy the experience. The Army gymnastics team wowed the crowd with flips, tucks and other terms that I don’t know, plenty of food and beverages were offered,
Hudson Blue was its usual stellar self, the Army Football Tailgate Show drew a crowd of listeners, members of Army’s lacrosse, women’s tennis, gymnastics and soccer team’s were milling around, as was Army team handball. Add in the inflatables for children, face painting and a host of other options and it all made for great pregame festivities.
Be sure to come out this Saturday before the Ball State game. The gates to Black Knights Alley open at 9 a.m. and you won’t want to miss the Black Knights Walk at 10 a.m. when the team arrives.
While the football team came out on the losing end, it was another good weekend for Army Athletics. The volleyball team shocked #19 Pepperdine, the sprint football squad opened with a win, the women’s soccer team beat St. Louis and the golf team turned in an impressive effort in winning its own tournament.
I had a chance to get out to the Mulekicker Fall Classic on Sunday and what an effort by the squad. Three players – Matt Krembel, James Raymond and Matt Philie shot under-par rounds as Army won the team title by 10 strokes against a very good Hartford squad. The Army Gold team moved up three places from the first day and finished fifth.
We have a quiet beginning of the week, event-wise as the men’s soccer team hosts Quinnipiac Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Clinton Field.
Make it a great one.
Friday, Sept. 11
I Remember....
I (Tim Volkmann) remember it was a beautiful fall morning.
I remember the sun was shining and I was in a really good mood because it was pleasantly warm day in western Massachusetts. I remember walking along the sidewalk at Springfield College where I was in my third year as the assistant sports information director.
I remember leaving one of my graduate classes I had just started taking towards a master's degree. I remember it was the first time I had been in classroom in over four years and it felt kinds of strange. I remember not caring because it was such a beautiful day and I was outside walking around instead of sitting in my office at my desk behind a computer. I remember walking slow.
I remember walking up to Blake Arena, the building my office was in. I remember the New York Yankees had just finished a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox a day earlier. I remember knowing the security guard inside the door was going to have something to say about my Yankees taking three-straight from her beloved Sox.
I remember opening the door and seeing a bunch of people crowded inside the entrance looking up at the small, wall-mounted television that the security guard was always watching. I remember expecting to see Sports Center on, like usual. I remember it wasn't on this time.
I remember straining my eyes to see the image of a tall building with a bunch of smoke coming out of the side of it. I remember wondering where it was and what the heck was going on. I remember the CNN reporter explaining that, just minutes earlier, an airplane had crashed into one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. I remember how quiet it was in the hallway, even though there were over 25 people standing around.
I remember thinking how awful this was to look at and how tragic it was for all the people on the plane and in the building, but I also remember thinking that it was just a terrible accident and that there was nothing else to worry about.
I remember watching as another plane slammed straight into the side of the other tower. I remember asking if that just really happened or if it was just a replay of the first crash. I remember the answer but not wanting to believe it.
I remember watching in horror as the first tower fell down on itself. I remember standing there with my mouth gaping wide open as the enormous building crumbled to the ground in a big cloud of dust like an gigantic sand castle falling over.
I remember as we all stood around and helplessly watched the rest of the morning unfold. I remember the feeling in my stomach sinking even lower as they showed footage of the Pentagon building that had just been hit by another plane before watching the second tower fall.
I remember not really knowing what to do with myself for the rest of the day. I remember the images of both crashes and the building falling down that just kept playing over and over again. I remember not wanting to watch them anymore but also not being able to stop.
I remember that our women's soccer game that was scheduled for later that day was cancelled. I remember the headlines on our website explaining why the game had been called off. I remember going home early but not really wanting to.
I remember sitting on my couch all afternoon with my eyes glued to the television. I remember thinking about how three weeks earlier, I had driven all the way down the West Side Highway of Manhattan and around the World Trade Center to go over the Brooklyn Bridge to my buddy's place so my girlfriend and I could get up early the next morning to go see Tim McGraw on the Today Show in Manhattan. I remember looking up at the Twin Towers as we drove by, thinking about how enormous those buildings were. I remembered not being able to fathom that they were both big piles of rubble now.
I remember throwing things at my television in anger. I remember swearing as those planes kept crashing over and over and over again. I remember getting up at one point to get in my car and make the two and a half hour ride to New York City to help. I remember sitting back down because I was scared.
I remember later that evening not being able to sit on my couch any more. I remember getting in my car and taking a ride over the bridge to downtown Springfield. I remember the warm breeze on my face as I walked down Main Street. I remember sitting down on a bench and staring up at the tall building that surrounded me. I remember thinking, that these buildings were not even half the size of the two that I had just watch disappear.
I remember calling my family but not really knowing what to say. I remember wanting to call, who by that point, was my ex-girlfriend to talk, but not. (I guess the trip to take her to see Tim McGraw didn't do any good - I'm still not a big country fan to this day). I remember crying.
I remember the discussions in the athletic department the next day about whether we should play any of our games the rest of that week. I remember selfishly wanting to so we would all have other things to talk about other than air planes and terrorists.
I remember a year later, watching the Springfield College football team play at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, just across the river from Manhattan on Long Island. I remember the beautiful view of the skyline from the gorgeous campus. I remember talking to one of the Midshipmen before the game as he explained how bodies from the terrorist attacks were airlifted from Ground Zero to Kings Point as they were pulled from the ground. I remember being sucked back to how I felt on Sept. 11 when I saw the look on his face as he illustrated how the campus had basically become a huge morgue.
I remember the summer of 2007 when I saw the job posting for an opening in the Army Athletic Communications office. I remember back to my job interview with Bob Beretta and how he talked about it being our duty to make the experience here the best that it could be for our cadet-athletes. I remember him also talking about how there were soldiers around the world that would be spending what free time they had in the field tuning into our broadcasts and logging on to our website to check up on their favorite Army teams.
I remember how lucky I felt when I got this job and how proud I was to be a part of something so important to our country. I remember thinking that, since I probably would never have the opportunity to serve in the armed forces, this might be the next best thing.
We should all take time today to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001. And never forget.
Thursday, Sept. 10
Today's blog will be done by Mady Salvani and it could not have come at a better time as tomorrow is the Hall of Fame Class Induction. As I have said in the past, it is my favorite time of year. The excitement mounts as each class is inducted. Since I have such young co-workers, only Bob Beretta is familiar with some of the younger inductees.
Me, I am familiar with a majority of them, having seen them on the playing field or over the years I have done so much research on them that I feel I know them. That was especially true of having met Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis and Pete Dawkins at various Army functions over the years. As a matter of fact I have a photo that Blanchad and Davis signed (the famous shot of them with Red Blaik) for me framed in my office. I don't have a photo of my pets or any family members, but that photo is proudly displayed.
I knew everyone in last year's class during my days in SIO except one. I did not see Arnold Tucker play but since I am old, one of my young co-workers with an innocent look on his face asked if I had watched Tucker (who played in the late 40s) on the gridiron. I was sorry to disappoint him but I hadn't.
This year's class is just as exciting. I feel I know each one personally. As a matter of fact I worked for the oldest member of this class in General Ray Murphy (USMA '42) during his second tour as Army's Athletic Director. The secretaries, who ran ODIA when I first started back in the days of black and white TV, were excited when it was announced he was going to be the next Athletic Director because they had worked for him his first tour and were happy he was returning.
I never had an occasion to visit Gen. Murphy in his office, but when you are just starting in a job, everyone is so important and you feel like a small fish in a big pond. Now I have more interaction with AD's as my job over the years has grown.
Last year I spoke to Bill Carpenter, the "Lonely End" for an interview and that is among my own personal highlights. He is part of football lore that I have read so many times - he is rolled up with Blanchard and Davis and Steffy and Dawkins and Oliphant and so on.
I never sat in the Army stands when Carpenter played, but watched him on our B&W TV with my father who kept telling me to watch #87 who never joined the rest of the team in the huddle. It was a big discussion as to how he got the signals, and last year Bob Anderson explained it to me when I interviewed him.
Ralph Chesnauskas played football, hockey and baseball but I recognize his name from the files for football. I know back then that Jack Riley use to recruit football players for hockey even though most couldn't skate. He explained to me that they were very good on defense which to me meant boarding the opponents.
Thomas Truxtun and Jack Rust are names synonymous with lacrosse as Truxtun Lacrosse Center houses the Army lacrosse team's locker rooms, training facility, team room and coaches offices, while an award in Rust's name is given out each year to Army's top defensive player. I learned a lot about both doing research for Friday's program.
I saved the Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Nicki Robbins and Tracy Hanlon for last as I knew all three personally. Coach K to fans and Mike to me worked in the ODIA Bldg. in an area that now houses men's soccer along with track and field.
I watched Mike on the hardwood as a player. Later he was hired as Army's new basketball coach after a year at the USMA Prep School, where he coached future Army Hall of Famer Gary Winter and followed him to West Point. At the time I heard folks saying they could not believe who Army had hired to coach basketball. Here was this kid with no collegiate experience and with just a year of coaching at the Prep School.
Just like his former mentor, Bobby Knight, Mike went on to greatness. His wife played on the ODIA softball team and I think broke her thumb trying to catch a ball at first base. Me, I took care of the scorebook because they didn't know where to hide me. I could hit, couldn't run (though my arms were always going fast) and couldn't catch.
I coach a local grammar schools girls' basketball team and used to ask Mike for advice and I still remember what he told me - "keep it simple." I would run several options off one play for the kids, but I always tried to keep it simple despite parents complaining about more intricate plays.
I first saw Tracy Hanlon on the hardwood in the Central Gymnasium playing basketball. A lot of the basketball players were multi-sport athletes who were softball as well as track stars. Hanlon was the latter and could get down court faster than anyone I have seen. When various basketball coaches tell me they have a player who is probably the fastest ever at Army, I don't always agree as basketball was the first sport women played at West Point and I was there from the first day.
Tracy scored 32 points in a game back in a time when you didn't have the 3-point shot and 70-plus scoring games. I can still see her racing down the court finishing off a layup. I think she was only a sophomore, but was already making a name for herself in track. There was a tier for sports back then and you had one person designated for the "major" sports while the "minor" sports where a tag-team effort in the office.
However, I followed Tracy's career in track and she just continued to amaze. I am looking forward to seeing her on Friday as well.
Nicki Robbins is one of the finest softball players in school history as evident by all her success on the diamond as well as nationally. She set all kinds of records her freshman year and that was no easy task considering the people before her. Nicki struggled somewhat her sophomore year and I remember telling her to "relax, don't try to kill the ball, you are better than any player out there." No they are not going to write about that being the turning point in her life, but that year Army won the Patriot League title and went to its first NCAA Tournament.
Nicki led the team to its second NCAA appearance as the team captain her senior year. She put the team on her back and said "follow me." If she struck out at the plate, which was rare, she would challenge her teammates to pick her up by getting hits. Army not only went to the NCAA Tournament but posted a win, the lone one thus far by an Army women's team at the Division I level - women's basketball did so a few times at the Division II level.
I am excited about seeing everyone and getting to take photos at Friday's event. If you are coming to the game, YOU HAVE TO GO TO BLACK KNIGHTS' ALLEY for this group will be doing an autograph session - think of that list of ARMY GREATS - not everyday do you get to meet the "Lonely End" that maybe your grandfather spoke about or to meet players like CARPENTER, MURPHY, CHESNAUSKAS who played for one of the finest coaching minds in EARL BLAIK - you have to stop by because if you don't, you are missing a chance of meeting players who helped write the history books at Army.
Above is a photo I took at last year's Hall of Fame Ceremony of Bobby Knight, Jack Riley and Mike Krzyzewski - what is so significant about them other than they all coached at Army - well they all lead USA teams to Olympc gold medals.
Wednesday, Sept. 9
Good morning/afternoon to all of you reading. My apologies for not getting today's blog posted sooner, but I had a few other items to take care of first. Tracy Nelson with you on this beautiful Wednesday at West Point! The sun is shining, albeit a few clouds, but overall a very nice looking day.
I just checked the forcast for Saturday in anticipation of football's big home opener against Duke. The experts are calling for a few showers, but didn't indicate many so it should be a great day for a game! If you are making the trek to West Point, make sure that you come in time to catch some Black Knights Alley before the game! It's a great, family-friendly atmosphere and is the ideal tailgate for any fan. I love taking time to sneak away from my work in the press box to head down for a quick wander. My mom and her best friend are coming for this weekend's game, and I have told them that they MUST stop at Black Knights Alley. It's a great way to interact with cadets, eat some good food, listen to live music and much more. This week, as Army celebrates Hall of Fame weekend, the newly inducted hall of famers will all be in attendance to sign autographs. This includes Coach K himself (that's Mike Krzyzewski for those of you that may not know), so get there early and get in line! I think this is the sole purpose for my mom making the trip. I would have to agree that a run-in with Coach K trumps a weekend with me any day - especially if you're a life-long Duke basketball fan like myself and my family members. Good thing I haven't caught that football buzz yet and I'll be pulling hard for the Black Knights this weekend! Let's make it two in a row!
As for myself, it's been a surprisingly busy week. I've b
