View From The Grandstand

(Click in that little box at lower right to go to full screen. Unfortunately the blog program
doesn't allow the picture to be as defined as it is on my screen, which is perfectly clear.)

The beauty of the FieldTurf on Memorial Field is that Dartmouth can practice pretty much regardless of the weather. Where it gets a little tricky is running the entire practice on one field instead of two, the way they did for years over on Blackman Practice Fields. This short video (30 seconds) shot yesterday from the visiting stands offers a look at how the various components of the team each have staked out areas for individual drills. To the far right are the offensive linemen and tight ends. Running backs are (or were) in the bottom right corner although it appears they are out of the scene. Quarterbacks in red are at the 15 working with selected offensive teammates. Wide receivers are at the top of the screen at the 30 as the video starts. Linebackers are at the 20 on the left side of the field, defensive linemen in that left end zone and defensive backs across the field from the linebackers at the 10. I think that's everyone ;-)

•

Confirmed yesterday that DJ Crook, the "run-on" quarterback who enrolled at Penn State for the spring semester, attended Dartmouth's football camp. The freshman from Barnstable, Mass., who listed Dartmouth, Penn, Villanova and Albany as his final three schools before accepting a preferred walk-on offer with the Nittany Lions, could be their No. 3 quarterback this fall.

•

With Dartmouth baseball playing a doubleheader against Harvard starting a 1 tomorrow on Red Rolfe Field at Biondi Park, the Big Green's football practice needs to wrap up around that time to avoid foul balls that occasionally land on the field. To that end, Dartmouth's next-to-last Saturday of spring football will kick off around 9:45 a.m. Coach Buddy Teevens said there will be more of a team component than individual drills, but it will not be a scrimmage per se.

•

Had to laugh at this quote from new coach David Archer in a Cornell Sun story about his first spring as the Big Red's head coach:

“When you teach a concept, you want to use Bloom’s taxonomy to kind of gauge how that concept gets learned."

I mean, is that guy an Ivy Leaguer or what? He might also have a pretty good sense of humor tossing that one out there.

And in case you are wondering, here's your Wikipedia primer on what Archer was talking about ;-)

•

Brown will be holding its spring game tomorrow. From a Brown release:

While the Bears have a number of holes to fill for next season, (coach Phil) Estes is buoyed by the return of seven All-Ivy players to the lineup, led by offensive tackle Cole Hooper '14, wide receiver Tellef Lundevall '14, defensive end and co-captain Michael Yules '14, defensive back Emory Polley '14, kicker Alex Norocea '14, offensive guard Dan Austin '14 and outside linebacker Ade Oyalowo '14.

The Bears will also welcome back quarterback Patrick Donnelly, who will be a fifth-year senior in the fall.

•

Harvard football will be conducting is annual Bone Marrow Drive today.

•

The Daily Princetonian has a story about defensive end Mike Catapano hoping for a phone call this weekend from an NFL team. From the story:

While he has not gotten the hype of FCS products like Oregon’s Dion Jordan or LSU’s Barkevious Mingo, Catapano is nonetheless expected to be the first Ivy League player drafted this year.

Time will tell but Harvard tight end Kyle Juszczyk is rated the No. 1 fullback candidate in the draft by Mel Kiper. The Harvard Crimson has a story about Juszczyk in which Harvard coach Tim Murphy said he thinks he may be a fifth-round choice.

And the Ithaca Journal writes about center JC Tretter's NFL draft chances. The Journal cites a draft source who said Tretter, too, could go in round five.

Rounds two and three of the draft will be tonight. The Ivy Leaguers who hope to be chosen will be paying strict attention tomorrow when the final four rounds will be held.

---

Click pictures to supersize . . .

Shadows dance across the ridges seen from Moose Mountain this week.

It would be great to have the views right out our door but we need to cross
the road to get the best look. This is what we see from our driveway.