The Big Guy Addressing The Troops

Click photos to supersize (and be sure to scroll right on the top one)The Real Commander In Chief

Dartmouth President Jim Wright has the full attention of the Big Green players while addressing them early in Wednesday's practice. Wright spent the better part of an hour milling around Memorial Field, chatting with players and watching the action. It will probably soon be an urban legend (rural legend?) that he sent in the play that resulted in a touchdown on the first snap of the red zone scrimmaging. (See last night's practice story) ...

The second double-session of the fall will take place today with drills starting at 8:30. Check Green Alert for a full recap of the morning action by 12:30 p.m., or so, and look for a full report on the afternoon session at the usual time tonight. The temperature could hit 90 degrees this afternoon so it figures to be a l-o-n-g day for the guys. ...

Sophomore quarterback Max Heiges gets a mention about Marin players in college football in this story out of the Bay Area. ... The new editor of FCS football for The Sports Network chimes in with his picks in Week One of the regular season (for most schools) and he's going out on a limb regarding one of Dartmouth's opponents. He picks Holy Cross in what would be (for me, at least) a stunning upset of Massachusetts. He also takes Colgate over Albany in a close one. (link) ...

With the season upon us (OK, not us but them) it's time for a look at the College Sporting News consolidated rankings, which combines the results of six of the most respected sources in the FCS. The consensus regarding Dartmouth's opponents has New Hampshire fourth in the nation, Yale 34th, Princeton tied for 28th and Holy Cross tied for 31st. (link) ...

On the eve of the Tennessee Titans' final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, another writer doing a story on imminent cuts went to Casey Cramer, the former Dartmouth tight end. (link) Said Cramer:

I used to lose sleep, I'd worry. But now I understand it is out of your hands and you just have to quit worrying about it. You can't control what happens.

It has definitely taken me four years to be able to come to that idea, to be able to live it. But I am probably still going to be nervous after the game, just because I'm a nervous guy.

Former Dartmouth kicker Dave Regula '98 gets a quick mention at the end of this Akron Beacon Journal story about soccer players who also kick PATs and field goals on the gridiron as Regs did in high school. Regula still holds the Dartmouth record with 38 career field goals.

The televised college football season kicks off tonight with LSU at Mississippi State on ESPN, Tulsa at Louisiana Monroe on ESPN2 and Tennessee Tech at Eastern Illinois on CSTV (which we still don't get).

And finally, you won't hear this from our hard-working friend Jake down at Columbia. On the way to practice yesterday I had to stop for a black bear cub crossing the road in front of me. I reached for my camera but by the time I got it the cub was gone.