Of Big Guys and Buckeyes

As a safety at Dartmouth Peter Pidermann didn't have a chance to go up against players from big-time programs like Ohio State and Arizona. He'll have that opportunity when he plays rugby for Dartmouth in the USA 7s Collegiate Championship Invitational tournament, which is set for the Columbus Crew stadium Jun 4-6. From a story pulled together by Rugby Magazine:

Several teams have succeeded in getting some crossover athletes – most from football. The one turning heads perhaps is Nate Ebner, who left rugby to play football for Ohio State, and is back with the OSU 7s team. Ebner has brought a football teammate, with JJ Emmenecker also stepping on for the Buckeyes.

Brett Thompson at Arizona is another example of a rugby player now playing football and back to 7s.

The story also includes this ...

Dartmouth has recruited Peter Pidermann a free safety on the Dartmouth football team, while Harvard brought in former 400-meter runner George Eggars and former judo specialist Dan Oshima. Oshima played in a warmup tournament and was a huge surprise.

For an earlier note about Pidermann's rugby debut and football future, click here.

Speaking of Big Green seniors, former quarterback Alex Jenny is mentioned in his local press for being honored by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame 2010 NFF Hampshire Honor Society. (Link)

Although he doesn't have the football pedigree of his predecessor Hank Paulson '68, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner '83 doesn't mind mixing it up on the basketball court. Bloomberg News has a story with a Dartmouth mention toward the end.

A defensive end hoping to lead his high school to its third state championship in a row next fall has heard from Dartmouth and Army according to a note in the Tulsa World. Oklahoma, in case you haven't been paying attention, has become a fertile recruiting ground for the Big Green since former Sooner receiving great JJ Jackson joined the coaching staff.

It's long (almost nine minutes) but at least take a peek at the Penn website video extolling the virtues of its new George A. Weiss Pavilion weight and strength training facility built under the arches of Franklin Field.

Harvard coach Tim Murphy is overseas visiting military personnel on the Coaches Tour 2010 organized by the USO/Morale Entertainment/Armed Forces Entertainment. He is sending back missives for a blog of sorts. Find an entry here, another here, and a third here.

One of the advantages Colgate reaps from trading Dartmouth for Syracuse on its 2010 football schedule is an incentive for fans to buy season tickets. From a Colgate release:

As a bonus for purchasing a season ticket package, the Colgate Athletic ticket office will include one (1) ticket to the Colgate vs. Syracuse football game on September 25 at the Carrier Dome. This will be the first time that your Raiders will be facing a FBS school since 2003, and also the first time that Colgate will be facing Syracuse since 1987.

For reasons regular visitors to this electronic neighborhood should understand, after reading that blurb I wondered what the deal was for Colgate students regarding the Syracuse game. Looking for the answer I clicked on the 'Gate ticket brochure. That didn't answer my question but it did enlighten me as to what one school is doing to try to encourage season ticket sales.

The brochure notes that season ticket holders will receive the following benefits, "a total value of more than $200:"

• One (1) ticket to the Colgate vs. Syracuse football game at the Carrier Dome on September 25th ($25 value)
• Free Parking Pass ($20 value)
• One game program for each home weekend ($20 value)
• Preseason BBQ with the Colgate football team players and coaches on Friday, August 27th at 5:00 p.m at Andy Kerr Stadium. ($30 value)
• Entered into a raffle for a chance to win two (2) sideline passes to a
• selected Colgate Football home game (TBD) ($30 value)
• Entered into a raffle for a chance to win two (2) tickets to the Colgate
• Football’s “End of the Year’ banquet (February, 2011) ($50 value)
• One Flex Pass good for general admission (per order) to any 15 home regular-season men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s hockey, and men’s lacrosse games. ($75 value)
• Two (2) general admission tickets (per order) to the men’s ice hockey
• games versus Niagara, on Dec. 11th, 2010 ($12 value)
• Priority Status for purchasing tickets to away Colgate and NCAA playoff games.

I know Colgate has struggled in recent years to put, um, seats in the seats despite a terrific product. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

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And finally, That Certain Hanover High Senior has her final high school sports event today, a softball doubleheader at Laconia. Four years really have gone by like a flash.

That Certain Colgate University Freshman has a nice ring to it.