Yesterday, the players at Virginia Tech's football press conference threw down the smack like it hasn't been thrown down in this tepid "rivalry" in quite awhile.
If you've read the various blogs from the beat writers today, then you know that Andrew Miller , Logan Thomas , and Jack Tyler had some choice things to say about Virginia in yesterday's weekly press conference. That's fine to read them in the blogs, but nothing quite has the impact like seeing the quotes stream out over Twitter, one right after the other.
https://twitter.com/HokiesJournal/status/405026633331257344
https://twitter.com/AndyBitterVT/status/405026956082573312
https://twitter.com/AndyBitterVT/status/405028252621615104
https://twitter.com/HokiesJournal/status/405028657523359744
https://twitter.com/RTD_MikeBarber/status/405030325295644672
https://twitter.com/RTD_MikeBarber/status/405030576387670017
https://twitter.com/HokiesJournal/status/405032308216193024
https://twitter.com/AndyBitterVT/status/405032597694078977
https://twitter.com/AndyBitterVT/status/405035311006101504
Wow. Smack-a-rama. Smack-a-rooney. Smack-a-licious. I don't remember the last time I saw this much pre-game smack talk in this gentleman's rivalry.
Somewhere, Cam Young, he of the infamous quote "If Virginia was playing Iran, I would root for Iran," is smiling.
Now, where you stand on the issue of smack talk depends upon your viewpoint. Former TSL blogger bourbonstreet, now the captain of his own blog B.Street and So.Main, is old school and doesn't like smack talk. "Barking dog don't bite" he says in this TSL message board thread where the smack talk is discussed.
As for me ... well, I think this rivalry has gone soft. (Actually, that's unfair. I think all of college football has gone soft.) I miss the days when the Hokie fans tore down the goal posts in Scott Stadium (1983, after the 48-0 squeaker), then engaged in on-field brawls for nearly half an hour with Hoo fans who tried to return the favor in Lane Stadium the following season (1984, the John Ford Miracle Catch 26-23 UVa win).
I miss Frank Beamer getting his tooth accidentally knocked out by one of his own players in a post-game melee following the 1989 game in Scott Stadium (although I'm sure Frank doesn't miss it).
I miss Jimmy Kibble throwing punches on the sidelines. (When was that? 1998?)
I miss ... well, I miss Cam Young saying "If Iran and UVa played, I'd root for Iran."
In other words, I miss the days when this rivalry was nasty. No, I don't want any criminal acts to be committed, and I don't want anybody to get seriously hurt, but I do want to see some life in this rivalry, which has become so one-sided this century. We're up to 3,287 days of the Commonwealth Cup collecting dust in Blacksburg, so we need some excitement somewhere.
Which isn't to suggest that I'd like to see Virginia win one of these games. Oh, no-no-no. That is the quickest way to breathe life back into a rivalry, but absent that unpleasant outcome, the second best way is probably a little smack talk.
Mission accomplished.