By The Book

I was wandering around the Dartmouth Bookstore the other day and stumbled across a new book about relationships called, Finding the Doorbell. Because I'd written a magazine story about the local author, Cindy Pierce, I flipped through the pages of the book and lo-and-behold, there were a handful of Dartmouth football players from a few years back mentioned in the author's notes.

Pierce, whose father Reg '46, ran the popular Pierce's Inn here in Etna for many years, wrote of her "gratitude to Brooks Goff and the Class of 2006 football team members." She wrote that, "Their respectful questions and openness launched this book idea."

Mentioned in addition to Goff (the author's nephew) were Charles Ganske, Josh Dooley and Daniel Tootoo.

(For the magazine story I wrote on the author, click here.)

Our local paper has a column today entitled, "Dan Mackie Knows all, tells all! 2009 predictions." Be forewarned, it's all tongue-in-cheek. Dan's sixth prediction:

Dartmouth College's embattled football team wins Ivy League title. Buddy Teevens leaves to coach Notre Dame.

An astonishing note in a story about a placekicker headed to Harvard next fall caught my eye and sent me back to the Harvard press guide to see if it could be true. It is, with one clarification. The note:

... (I)n the 15 years with coach Tim Murphy at the helm, every Crimson four-year player has had at least one league championship and undefeated season.

That every four-year player at Harvard since Murphy took over has graduated with at least one Ivy League championship during their career is absolutely correct. And each of those four-year players has been on an undefeated team, although the story should have said undefeated in the Ivy League.

The championship streak will continue at least through the Class of 2012, which was part of an Ivy title team this fall as freshmen.

How successful has Murphy's run at Harvard been? In the six years before he arrived, the Crimson did not enjoy a single winning season overall. After going 4-6, 2-8 and 4-6 in his first three years, Murphy led his fourth Harvard team to the Ivy League championship with a 7-0 conference record and a 9-1 overall mark.

Harvard's record since 2001: 64-15 overall and 46-10 with four Ivy League championships.