HokieinATL07

Separate the big 2 + pick of the litter from the rest. Pay students, have the NFL throw in cash, make it for profit. Then have the schools not included go back to amateur sports. No playoffs, bowl system like what it used to be. I'm not certain which I'd prefer VT to be honestly. There's something purer about going to the amateur route. Less money driven. Less slimey.

...but tOSU, UGA, 'Bama lose it? They are clearly for profit operations. What about the middle tier teams that profit some but not as much - like VT? Just my random thoughts. I saw a thing where some university president had privately and non-quotably predicted CFB would not be a viable college sport in 20 years due to the financial pressures being so out of control. I don't doubt it with the trajectory it's on. Won't be too long before the field of schools that can continue to afford to field teams starts to regress and the number of teams starts to drop off. At least at the FBS level.

My wife and I did a weekend on the Bourbon Trail from Louisville. Did a bus tour to distilleries outside downtown, and then another day marching up and down Whiskey Row. In downtown, the Peerless Distillery is a great tour, the tastings are top notch, and the venue is wonderful. Rabbit Hole is another one we'd go back to in a heartbeat (we keep a Rabbit Hole Madiera bourbon in our home bar now as a standard, that stuff is smoooooth) - it's in an area they call "NuLu" and being redeveloped. Lots of cool places there right now. The Old Forester distillery on Whiskey Row doesn't require reservations just to go in and have a drink at their bar. It was crowded, but the drinks were good. 4th Street Live is just one bar after another, music, etc. Great environment. Porch Kitchen and Bar was the best place we ate at the whole time. And if you can find a place that does a Hot Brown sandwich, try it and thank me later. There were several breweries, we tried one and it was good. We didn't try more, we were there for bourbon and not beer. We also went to Justin's House of Bourbon and Down One Bourbon Bar - there a bunch where you can sample more to your hearts content, of all price classes. I considered springing for the $400 single neat pour of Pappy Van Winkle but my wife hit me when I voiced the thought. I should have let her him me more and splurged... Good thing I'm not going to the game. I'd end up skipping the game and going back to bourbon places I missed the first time instead. ** Edited by HokieinATL07 at 10/24/2023, 5:33:34 PM

....rec league for the last game of the last season he played rec ball (many moons ago now). Son's team had been slaughtered something like 15-1 earlier in the year by the same team. Then won 2-1 for only their 2nd or 3rd win of the season. It was fun watching those kids go all out effort wise. Even though they weren't that good, they hung with the other team and snuck in a goal at the end to win it. having said that - anything is possible, you never know until the game is over what the result will be.

It's the body of work over multiple seasons that counts, along with clearly starting the right guys at least most of the time. Maybe Bowen is improving, maybe it was his version of the occasional good Stiney game. Time will tell.

Up 14-3 on UGA at halftime.

Look at the spending, compare VT spending vs. the top teams spending. It becomes apparent when you compare VT investment vs. today's top teams. See links: https://www.on3.com/news/top-25-highest-spending-college-... https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/virginia-polytech... I tried to do multiple links - I guess I'm technology challenged/limited. But the link information (which may not be 100% correct) shows generally we're way behind investment wise than the top teams today. If they are even close, football games become a reason to enjoy bourbon and fall weather but don't expect lofty accomplishments for a while.

...puts on the screen.

It's Blacksburg after all. Plan on lightning rods set up for your cars. Don't want to have what happened to Lee Corso's car happen to yours!

It gave enough to know that everyone from WB to Fu to Ballein to various bean counters had a hand in why the program slide so bad. But it also gave enough to show the ship is being righted and the future of the program is looking brighter. More funding, better facilities, improved staff support, coaches getting recruiting on a bit of an upswing, etc. It left me with the impression the mistakes of the past are being addressed and there's better hope for the future. In the age of needing to put a best foot forward so we can somehow have a seat at a big boy table in the conference realignment game of musical chairs, the article left me with a "so your telling me there's a chance!" impression for the future. I get the posters that are unhappy with it. It aired VT dirty laundry and does have a bad look for what happened behind closed doors. It's embarrassing. And E(SEC)PN has earned the reputation for tearing others down to make it's darlings look better. Sometimes the only thing that gets the dirty laundry thrown out is to shine a light on it, though. Overall, I didn't think it was a hit piece and was glad to see it.

...Fu didn't have the people skills to turn it around. He couldn't win friends and influence people to get their buy-in. Add in Fu's own mistakes and you have mistakes and personalities not meshing, it added up to a program that didn't work.

It was affordable, and honestly one of the best trips to the area I've had. Probably need to book a year in advance to get a spot though. They have cabins that at least at the time wouldn't have been too bad on the bank account if you could split the cost with a few people. For all I know, the park is getting in on the gouging by now, though.

Some backroom deals for some combo of NcST, BC, Louisville, Pitt, Duke and Wake to have good landing spots in the B!G or B12 so there's enough votes to dissolve the ACC and end the GoR (I think it works that way?), and maybe it could really happen? Would Tabaco Row actually go along though? They like having their inner clique running their conference.

Can't blame the writers - there is a subject people are interested in so they write things people will click on and read so they can get paid. There's a reason they aren't writing high volumes of stories about Finnish Hobby Horse Competitions (and yes there is such a thing, it's quite comical).

I paid $200 per month for my room in our 3BR apartment in '96 and '97 (Vawter for 3 years on campus too). Looking up The Retreat - $900+ per person the bottom end rate. Of course, while we had a basic pool, we didn't have a sauna, big screen outdoor TV's, etc. There was a gym but it wasn't really outfitted with much. Still - that's a 4.5X growth in housing. The students of my time would have trashed anything nicer - but those parties were rather fun!

I won't laugh at them when they're still recovering from last year's trauma. That's a pretty low down thing to do. If that situation in the locker room is scaring off new kids, I can only say I hope the kids still in that locker room get the relief and help they need. If it's just more LOLUVA occurring, though, well then LOLUVA.

It won't happen, I know it. I can be an idealist and still wish, though.

I'm sure Fu's flirtations with leaving didn't do him any favors on the recruiting trail. Good coach, good man, but socially tone deaf. Of course, he'll pop up back up in Texas at some point as a P5 assistant, then get another HC gig, and having learned hard lessons from VT, he'll probably win a Natty or something. :-P

It's amazing how they tie they're own self-identity to it and take it so personally. I actually like Kirby and the UGA team. Bennett is a guy that is easy to like and root for. But I just can't join the ranks of UGA fans because their fans are so d*mn arrogant. So many have never even been in a college classroom anywhere, much less one in Athens. And teeth - I like to associate with people with teeth. The front row of a UGA game has 20,000 legs but only about 18 teeth. I was hoping TCU could find a way to pull an upset simply to enjoy watching the locals meltdown. Oh well.

Beyond that I don't care except the game watching parties are fun. So maybe UGA wins first game, then loses. Two good parties with local friends and see them meltdown!

Looking at you aTm.

Atlanta is only 45 mins - an hour away, though. Spring Break'ing to the panhandle is 6-7 hrs depending on destination. If Roanoke were to develop more vibrant and appealing, it could stand in potentially good enough. The real thing that's needed is showing recruits they'll get a chance at exposure, NIL, development, success on the field, and as good a shot at the NFL draft as anywhere. I do think the town of Blacksburg is not as welcoming and open to students as Athens. Especially football players. They worship the players in SEC territory. Culturally, Blacksburg townie's could be less harsh minded to the students. I know the students have earned the rep (only takes the small minority of brats) but still. It contributes to the narrative that the local mountain hillbillies aren't real welcoming to the black, urban youth recruits and the overall environment at other places is better for the incoming players.

Two recruits, Wells, and Drones. Four total, three of them younger and at first glance talented and full of potential. Need the line to get better to keep them off their backsides and from having to run for their lives 1/2 a second after the snap.

They'd have a much different tone. It's not worth the vitriol people spew on these boards.

Having basically an agent to help players get better NIL deals with a name like Deion attached to boot - it would be a big help to recruiting.

Not saying it's easier to recruit to TCU but they have a richer talent bed to mine in Texas. I've never been to Fort Worth but I'd imagine that it would seem more advantageous to a 17 year old recruit to want to spend 4-5 years at than Blacksburg. I think a more apt comparison to recruiting to Blacksburg is actually Athens, GA. Combine the whole New River Valley (Radford, Christiansburg, etc.) and you get a similar sized population. It's a town that's really centered around UGA. Very similar culture in both areas to be honest. Except Blacksburg doesn't have a vibrant City like Atlanta nearby.

Being stubborn and doubling down on what doesn't work seems to be a failing lots of leaders have these days. I can understand the position that maybe with another offseason and more development, Wells can grow into better next season - if Wells were showing growth to support that position but he really isn't.

Not that the players don't deserve it, I think they do. But reality is the best players are going to be lured by the highest $$$'s and right now, Virginia Tech doesn't have the ratings to get the players the high $$$ deals. I'm sure there's room for debating exacts depending on data sources but see the link. Until VT marketing finds a way to get more eyes and interest and boost marketability for NIL deals, getting back into the better recruiting echelons is going be challenging. Not necessarily impossible, but harder than it used to be by a long shot. I'm not a marketing person or a salesman so I have no idea how to do it. I'm wondering if VT football has run it's course and won't be able to compete with the big boys in it's current state and in the current market. The current state - admin, marketing...something to change it up and make it more interesting to tune into - I think that might need to change.

I liked the Hokie putting Matty Ice on the ground.

There's a Gumby's in Columbia, SC. The fight Shane Beamercocks are getting their licks in. No more Gumby's, no more Damnit's, No more Pokey Stix in Blacksburg, but they are in Columbia. Coincidence? I think not! We lost our good luck charm drunkie food. We need it back! I'm going to quit my job and reopen a Gumby's in B-burg, and the only thing on the menu will be Damnit's and Pokey Stix!

I hope so, will be hilarious to watch it play out!

I have watched so little football. Deer camp, camp fires, and cold mornings. It's been a great fall! Deep freezer is pretty full. Not gonna need to buy red meat for a really long time and it's all definitely free range organic!

Haul a cow to top floor of Pritchard? Throw a vending machine from an upper floor into the pit? Long range water balloons with a big slingshot aimed at the cadets while they're drilling? Main Egg panty raid? Kegger at Terrace View or Pheasant Run? Station Party? The Dietrich Dash? That means making the kids eat something to produce the Dietrich Dash. Crawling Downtown? Schultz doesn't exist anymore but if it did, the Schultz Sh*tz Run was a thing on my hall. Is the fountain in front of Squires still there? If so a bottle of dish soap in it will produce a pretty sudsy reaction when it is on. On a serious note, paying respect to the April 16th Memorial. I knew a few of those people, tell them they are not yet forgotten. War Memorial on the Drill Field. Walk around the Duck Pond. Go wander Blacksburg until you find the Big Boy - a few year's ago it was in the woods behind my freshman year roommate's house. Gumby's. Too cold now for Slusher Beach but tell your son he needs a view from his room when he lives on campus. Make the kids march across the drillfield at 7am in the cold and wind. Sarah Lee's and Souvlaki. Lord I hope those are still there. This post has created a total nostalgia-gasm for me. I now really want to make a trip back.

I hate saying that, there's obviously something really wrong whether it's coaches, players, or combo of both just not being on the same page. Add in a QB that is both INT prone and also looks like he's still not completely comfortable with the offense and reading how defenses scheme against it, and it's a recipe for what we have. I hope the players are enjoying themselves otherwise in Blacksburg. They're still just college kids, caught in a bad situation not completely of their own making. My sympathies to them, the coaches, the fans who are all riled up - everyone. Just a really bad season. Hopefully the team gets back on track better next year. Glad I saved my Blacksburg travel budget for the spring. Maybe even summer. I need a long weekend up there with the wife in a nice AirBnb and give her a tour of all the hiking trails within distance, then acquaint her with a rail at TOTS and a pizza from PK's (hoping they are still there, I haven't looked).

We are who we are. Those 3 games, if won, would have us in a perception that we're better than we are. I like the wake up call this is giving Virginia Tech. As much as I adore Frank Beamer, think back to the reality that he let good special teams and defense mask a really bad offense for a long time. He kept getting bailed out by Pride and Joy and Bud Foster. It cost him and Virginia Tech the chance at greater successes in a lot of circumstances. He was satisfied with something that wasn't as good as he thought it was on offense. If we were 5-4, there'd be a perception of satisfaction that probably shouldn't be there and it might result in a more long term lack of growth, similar to Frank's offenses.