While it can be argued this year's schedule is anything but friendly, there are a couple of road trips I always look forward to in even-numbered years: Cornell and Colgate. Others may be bothered by the blue highways necessary to get to the Upstate New York schools, but I love them. I've often commented to friends after returning from Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y., that it's like Back to the Future or taking a trip back to the '50s. The last couple of hours of that drive send you past "motor courts," and sleepy downtowns with wonderful old movie theaters. Past auto dealers who have new cars behind massive picture windows in the middle of the village instead of on some "strip," and more. (If you have a little extra time, Cooperstown is only a little out of the way and that's really special.)
What brought this all to mind is a story in the New York Times about Route 20, which I drive from Albany out to Colgate. The story includes this:
When the New York State Thruway was built in the 1950’s, to the north of the old highway and roughly parallel, progress along Route 20 skidded to a halt. To historians, the road is like a highway set in aspic, with vignettes of architecture, some of which may not be around next year.Speaking of Colgate, the fine 13 Yard Line blog has a detailed look at the Raiders up on the site.
The Daily Dartmouth ran a story out of the media day poll on the Big Green's outlook this year. The story mentions that tailback Chad Gaudet is back but that's not the case. He'll continue rehabbing the knee he hurt on his first carry last fall and will not be playing this year.
The New York Post has a story about Columbia coach Norries Wilson and the challenge facing him as he tries to turn the Lions around. It mentions that Columbia has had just five winning seasons in the past half century. Wow.
The Ithaca Journal has a story about a former Cornell football player who earned a mechanical engineering degree and now is a crew chief in NASCAR's Busch Series. Offered Chad Walker: "I was probably the only guy who had a (Dale) Earnhardt poster at college.”
The Journal News writes about Nick Hartigan's bid to make the New York Jets. It notes he's been accepted at Harvard Law. Former Harvard QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is battling ex-Louisville star Dave Ragone for the No. 3 slot with the St. Louis Rams and didn't hurt his chances with a good first exhibition game.
The web site Deadspin has Four Tiny Tidbits On: The Ivy League. I was a little nervous clicking through to that one, but you needn't be. ;-). Among other things, Deadspin provides a link where you can watch Thomas Edison's film from the 1903 Princeton-Yale football game in New Haven. From the Library of Congress description of the film, which runs 3 minutes, 47 seconds and is well worth watching:
The camera was moved to many positions throughout the stadium, which contained an estimated 50,000 spectators. The opening scene was a complete pan around the locale, showing the crowd assembled to watch the game. The remaining scenes were photographed from various positions throughout the football field, showing the game in progress. There is line play shown as well as broken-field running.
The Boston College athletic director said he'd like the Eagles to play a New England I-AA opponent each year. They may do that, but it won't be nearby Harvard, it won't be longtime rival Holy Cross and it certainly won't be Dartmouth. The AD told the Boston Globe: "The problem is, the 1-AA teams you play have to offer at least 60 scholarships in order for it to count towards your win total. That's why we can't do anything with Holy Cross or Harvard right now, because they only do need-based scholarships."
The Boston Globe has a very nice story about former Williams College football coach Dick Farley who is "poised for induction" into the College Football Hall of Fame. (Do read the story; you'll enjoy it.) ... I used to wonder if Farley would some day take the bait and move to the Ivy League, but in hindsight it doesn't surprise me that he stayed where he did. I clearly remember a high-profile, former Dartmouth coach (not football) telling me that he also had a chance to coach at Williams. He agonized over the decision because while he wanted to coach in Division I, he felt he'd have been set for life if he'd gone to Williamstown, Mass.. A number of other Ivy League coaches (at Dartmouth and elsewhere) have told me that NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) coaching jobs are as good as gold.
Previews of Dartmouth's opponents will continue on the premium Green Alert site Monday with a look at Harvard.
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