A Few Reflections

A few reflections on the start of spring practice yesterday. ... The weather was fine as the session started, even a little warm in the sun. But as the clouds moved in, the sun lowered and the wind picked up it first got chilly and then got cold. ... A census of visitors to the practice included a grandmother of a player (who will be on the sunny side of the stadium today, you can be sure), a semiretired alum who played for Bob Blackman, a couple of other Blackman vets cutting out at the end of his workday, a mentor of coach Buddy Teevens and a certain blogger/web type. By the end of practice only the last was still there, grateful that he'd packed an extra coat in the car and brought it to the field despite thinking it probably wouldn't be necessary. Turns out it was.

... Correction on the attendance: a father, mother and presumptive recruit showed up near the end of the practice and landed a tour of Floren Varsity House.

The video interview with Coach Teevens was conducted in front of the timeline in the Blackman Lounge. Apologies for the buzzing sound in the video but the man can get a lot of names into a minute and a half, can't he? Hopefully there will be a few more such reports periodically, sans the buzz.

Teevens was right about the enthusiasm during practice. It would be relatively quiet for spurts and then the noise would explode, usually on a big pass play or a defensive stop. ... Practice seemed to run smoothly, a result in part of no turnover in the coaching staff since last fall. ... There were no new coaches but there were new faces in uniform, however, as the football program continues to attract walk-ons, including a former baseball player and a former basketball recruit. ... The dearth of offensive linemen and tight ends was readily apparent when the team broke into positional drills. ...

Practice ended with the players broken into three groups – big guys, not-so-big guys and fast guys – to run sideline repetitions against a required standard. It's always interesting to see who runs the hardest and who dogs it. Don't think for a second the coaches don't notice.

The field looked a lot neater than just a week ago with the cyclone fencing and lacrosse goals gone, replaced by more familiar sleds and practice equipment. ... The equipment included what I call "the trampoline." I'm not sure what it's actually called, but it looks like a good-sized, rectangular trampoline that defensive backs practice their drops under as a way to get remind themselves to stay low. ...

There were still a lot of lacrosse lines on the field. It will be interesting to see how long they last. ... Oh, and there were no cannons anywhere to be seen.

Another practice session is slated for 4:45 today and a report will be posted on Green Alert tonight. ... I'll try to get a roster with current numbers so as to be more comfortable sharing notes on just who it was who made that catch, that interception or that knockdown. A few number changes and a few duplicates made that a dangerous proposition yesterday.

Not much to report elsewhere today. The Columbia Spectator offers up a story about the Lions' defensive problems last year and what needs to improve on that side of the ball in 2008.
The Sports Network has a column about the top 25 FCS (I-AA) prospects in the upcoming NFL draft. No Ivy Leaguers are listed in the chosen 25 or the "best of the rest." The only Dartmouth opponent listed is UNH quarterback Ricky Santos, who is in the latter category and projected as a free agent signing. ...

Away from the Ivies ... for a detailed story about Penn State coach Joe Paterno and the age issue, check out Ivan Maisel's story on espn.com. Remember the tirade Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy went on last year after he was unhappy about what a reporter wrote about his quarterback? That QB, who wasn't at all happy about Gundy's rant, is using his last year of eligibility at the FCS level. Check out this espn.com story.

Away from the sports world, the New York Times has a fun piece under the headline When Strings Are Attached, Quirky Gifts Can Limit Universities, about gifts to colleges and how they can change over time. The second "take" on this story talks about Dartmouth's tradition of 10 cent tea at Sanborn and about firewood for the Dartmouth president's home.