Of Rankings And Polls

The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings are something like preseason football polls in that their greatest value might be that they get people talking. Do they mean anything? Sure. Does it make any difference if you are No. 9 last year and No. 11 this year, as Dartmouth is? Not really, if you ask me. But like the polls, people will discuss the rankings, brag about the rankings and complain about them. Here's what The Dartmouth wrote about them.

In case you are wondering, here's where the Ivies fall this year and where they were last year:

1. Princeton University (2007: 1st)
2. Harvard University (2007: 2nd)
3. Yale University (2007: 3rd)
5. University of Pennsylvania (2007: 7th)
9. Columbia University (2007: 9th)
11. Dartmouth College (2007: 9th)
12. Cornell University (2007: 12th)
14. Brown University (2007: 15th)

Also in the top 10:
Stanford was No. 4, Cal Tech No. 6, MIT No. 7, Duke No. 8, Chicago tied with Columba at No. 9.

Dartmouth has a new dean of the college. Replacing Jim Larimore is Thomas Crady, a graduate of Northern Michigan, where he went on to earn his masters. He holds a Ph.D. from Iowa State.

Crady comes from Grinnell College in Iowa where he was the vice president of student services. The Dartmouth College release on his appointment is here. The Daily Dartmouth story can be found here.

Neighbors around Harvard Stadium are complaining about the scheduling of a night football game against Brown according to this story. Said one neighbor after being told there have been no real problems with the Boston Cannons pro lacrosse night games played at the stadium: “Football caters to undergrads and drinking before. It’s a completely different atmosphere. Anyone around for football games knows they have tremendous impact on the community.”

Green Alert Take: If only it were still so in the Ivy League. Harvard-Yale, yes. Harvard-Brown? She's kidding, right?

Want your own Derham Cato '04 autographed Toronto Argonauts' jersey? Find it on eBay.

Princeton grad Jason Garrett's first preseason game as offensive coordinator couldn't have been much more productive. Here's a story.

Casey Cramer and the Tennessee Titans invade New England tonight. (Story) Those of you who can pick up WMUR-TV, the ABC affiliate out of Manchester, N.H., can see the game live. Those of us who live in the shadow of Moose Mountain's north peak can't, unless we have the right satellite package or a massive antenna. We don't.

Out in Calgary meanwhile, this from the Calgary Sun in anticipation of the Stampeders' game against the BC Lions and Columbia grad Tad Crawford tonight:

KEY ROSTER MOVES

CALGARY -- DE Anthony Gargiulo return from his ankle injury, taking the place of Pat MacDonald and going back to his starting position.

Coming up later today on Green Alert premium: A look at Holy Cross, the fifth in a series of previews of Dartmouth's 2007 opponents.

... And then it's back to the garage where we are preparing a two-day yard sale up here on the mountain. Too bad we aren't in town because we're selling off a ton of stuff that would be perfect for student apartments. Anyone interested in a nearly complete set of Noritake Joanne china? Or a 27-inch TV that works perfect except that the speaker is kaput and you need to run it through your stereo? ;-)