A Headline Harvard Didn't Want

In a New Era at Harvard, New Questions of Standards (New York Times)

The worst-kept secret in Ivy League basketball circles over the past few months has been unusual goings-on with regard to recruiting at Harvard. I've been around long enough and know enough people that I kept hearing stories that made me wonder. But because everyone liked fired Harvard coach Frank Sullivan, and because you'd have to think there was probably a little jealousy with regard to Harvard's hiring of Tommy Amaker, the initial reaction was to wonder if things weren't being exaggerated just a bit.

Now comes a lengthy story in The New York Times confirming those same stories.

High up in the Times' piece is what newspaper people call the "nut graf," summarizing the story:

... (T)he group of six recruits expected to join the team next season is rated among the nation’s 25 best. This is partly because Harvard Coach Tommy Amaker, who starred at Duke and coached in the Big East and Big Ten conferences, has set his sights on top-flight recruits. It is also because Harvard is willing to consider players with a lower academic standing than previous staff members said they were allowed to. Harvard has also adopted aggressive recruiting tactics that skirt or, in some cases, may even violate National Collegiate Athletic Association rules.

There's a lot more. Do go back and click on the link to read the story.

On a different note, I suggested some time back that it would be a neat idea for Dartmouth or a Dartmouth fan to drop a few (and I don't mean many) bucks down to be a monthly sponsor for the Any Given Saturday football message board. Turns out someone was paying attention. Someone who favors Crimson. Now each time people visit the site they are greeted by a Harvard flavored banner reading:

HARVARD March 2008 at AGS is brought to you by the generous donations from the fans of Harvard University

There is supposed to be a Harvard fact a day posted prominently on the site, which is visited by a lot of fans, alums and likely a few potential recruits and their families.

Off the football field, yesterday was a particularly good day for Dartmouth athletics in a winter that hasn't had many. The men's basketball, men's hockey, women's basketball and women's hockey teams all won.

Oh yeah, and the baseball team split its season-opening doubleheader at Navy. Jason Blydell, who enjoyed a solid season as a defensive back last fall, had a team-high two hits in a 1-0 win in the opener and added another hit in the nightcap. Russell Young tossed a two-hitter in the first game.

Kind of hard to to process the concept that the Dartmouth baseball season has started when I look out my window up here on the shoulder of Moose Mountain and see three feet of standing snow.

Oh, and if you've been following the saga, the snow removal people did come and move our driveway piles back to make room for that next snowball. Two thoughts: 1. Ka-ching. That won't be cheap. And 2. Are they really expecting more snow?