Back To Work

After a day off -- and away from football -- it's back to work for the Big Green today as another double-session day kicks off the final week of preseason. There will be an intrasquad scrimmage Thursday, the much-misunderstood "Mock Game," Saturday (it's not a game at all) and then Colgate week begins one week from today. Check in this afternoon for a report on today's first practice and tonight for a report on the second.

On the drive over to the Maine coast yesterday we went directly past the UNH football stadium where Dartmouth is scheduled to play in 19 days. The new FieldTurf is nowhere to be seen. As of yesterday morning the field was one large, smooth rectangle of dirt. There was talk a few weeks back about a problem in Durham and the outside possibility of the game being shifted to Hanover, but that talk has quieted down. It was a little weird seeing the field the way it is, but FieldTurf can go down pretty fast. Just ask the New England Patriots, who put the stuff down between back-to-back home games. From a recent story in the Manchester Union Leader:

...(B)usy construction crews made a lot of progress with excavation and solidifying the base last week and the FieldTurf folks are expected back in Durham this week. If things continue to go well, the surface should be ready in plenty of time.

Speaking of UNH, a story in today's Union Leader brought up a stat that blew me away. Did you know the Wildcats were just 4-4 over their final eight games last year? Me neither. It's mentioned briefly in this story. ... Former New Hampshire receiver David Ball was signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad after being cut. (link)

Colgate linebacker Mike Gallihugh is one of 16 players who have been named to The Sports Network's Buchanan Battle watchlist for the top player in the nation in the FCS, "the division formerly known as I-AA." Gallihugh had 11 tackles and shared a sack in Saturday's 13-11 win over Albany.

Former Princeton standout Ross Tucker kept a diary with the Washington Redskins through the preseason for SportsIllustrated.com and shares what it's like to be cut -- probably for the final time -- after six years in the NFL. (He was actually put on injured reserve, but believes it signals the end of his pro career.) In his first-ever meeting with Washington owner Daniel Snyder, Tucker writes, he cracked:

"I am pretty sure that I am the only 28-year-old Princeton grad that has been fired five times already."

For what it's worth, there's a fullback/tight end who appear to have stuck again this year with the Tennessee Titans who can relate.

Not sure how to read this, but it appears Anthony Gargiulo is being pulled from the lineup for today's Calgary Stampers' Labour Day Classic game against Edmonton. From a Calgary Sun story: "The only change in the starting defence will be nose tackle Keron Williams returning from his groin injury and Tearrius George moving outside to replace Anthony Gargiulo. "

Former Harvard quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been traded from the St. Louis Rams to the Cincinnati Bengals. This story notes that the Bengals can now claim having had the two players reputed to have registered the highest scores ever on the Wunderlic Test. The other? Onetime Harvard standout Pat McInally. Whether it's true or not, it makes for a good story.