Fortunately – OK, I'll stop with that stuff after this – the day is supposed to improve as it goes on.
It should be an interesting spring given the number of two- and three-year starters the Ivy League tri-champions are graduating, including record-setting quarterback Dalyn Williams.
Be sure to follow BGA Premium for coverage of the spring sessions.
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Here's the spring practice schedule, keeping in mind that it can – and if history is any indication will – change:Tuesday, April 12 – 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 14 – 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 16 – 9:45 (might be moved up by an hour or so)
Tuesday, April 19 – 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 21 – 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 23 – 9:45
Tuesday, April 26 – 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 28 – 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 30 – 9:45
Tuesday, May 3 – 5 p.m.
Thursday, May 5 – 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 7– TBA
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Had to laugh at this headline from the Daily Pennsylvanian:Penn football ready for likely ban on tackling at in-season practicesFrom the story:
Changes still need to be voted on by Ivy presidents
Over this summer, the eight presidents will vote on the motion and, if it does pass, it will be implemented in preparation for the 2016 season.Green Alert Take: Given the volume of adulatory media coverage the Ivy League has gotten for being on the front end of the no-tackling movement, I think if you have a mortgage you would be well-advised to bet it on the motion being passed. In fact, go ahead and bet my mortgage on it ;-).
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More from the DP:Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens has long made this cause his hallmark crusade, unilaterally banning in-season tackling in 2010. And it didn’t go unnoticed. I can’t think of any other way anything relating to Dartmouth football would get airtime with Stephen Colbert.Ouch.
On the other hand, the reference to Dartmouth does end with this:
The Big Green’s share of the 2015 Ivy title is proof-positive that teams can compete without hitting during practice.
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Former Dartmouth safety Troy Donahue is expected to work out for his hometown Denver Broncos today according to the Coloradan, which notes:NFL rules allow teams to bring in players on pro days who went to high school or played college football in the team’s metropolitan area.
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UNH will have a new quarterback after four years of Sean Goldrich and Andy Vailas. Sound familiar? Allen Lessels looks at how the QB situation is setting up for Dartmouth's opening-day foe in the UNH Insider.
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Princeton is dropping its Sprint (nee Lightweight) football team after an historic run of futility. From a release that came out of Princeton's news services:Since its last league title in 1989, Princeton has had 18 winless seasons. Since its last league win in 1999 it has lost 106 consecutive league games, and over the last five seasons it has had to forfeit four times.Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber:
"(I)n recent years serious questions have been raised about the safety of the sport as currently constituted at Princeton, the inability of Princeton teams to compete successfully, and changes that have taken place in the league in which it plays."Princeton's defections leaves Cornell and Penn as the only Ivy schools to field football teams that play the game that has a 172-pound weight limit. Other league members are Army, Navy, Chestnut Hill, Franklin Pierce, Mansfield and Post.
The Princeton team, which was forced to compete without any admissions support from the university, was coached by former Brown receiver and NFL special teams standout Sean Morey.
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As a Penn Stater, the son-in-law of a Penn Stater and the father of a Penn Stater, I'm not the biggest fan of Ohio State, and therefore Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer. That said, I can't help but think he's right to decry the NCAA deregulation of text messaging to recruiting prospects. Ranting against the NCAA change he said:"Do you really want text messages from 100 universities on your phone when you come out of school? The (prospects) I know don't. 'What? I don't want to hear from these schools.' Some intern is going to be punching text messages on your phone, and maybe you can block numbers and all that, but that's just too hard, right? Because it's easier on coaches? Maybe it's easier for the enforcement because people are doing it, but it just doesn't make sense."
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And finally, you may have heard about the wildfire burning in the Everglades. (LINK) That Certain Dartmouth '14, who is working as a ranger for the National Park Service and living in the park, called last night to let us know that while the fire has burned 3,800 acres she's safe and isn't being evacuated. She finishes her winter in the Everglades at the end of the month, after which she will be stationed once again this summer in Yellowstone.