Let the Games Begin (Or Practices)

At the recent Fieldstock celebration on campus, a team of Dartmouth football players took part in the chariot races. From left to right, Michael Reilly, Brendan Murray, Alex Shulman and Shawn Abuhoff. The lucky passenger: Chad Hollis. Gotta love the helmets. (click photo to enlarge)

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The wait is almost over. For Dartmouth football players who have yet to take the conditioning test, it will take place tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. on Memorial Field. The first practice is slated for the stadium at 2 p.m.

In a new wrinkle, Dartmouth will split the squad and have "Green" and "White" practices for the first four days. Half of the team will be on Memorial Field tomorrow at 2 and the other half at 3:25.

The schedule for the rest of this week, keeping in mind that changes aren't just possible, they are expected:

Thursday
8:30 a.m. White practice (Memorial Field)
9:55 a.m. Green practice (Memorial Field)

Friday
8:30 a.m. Green practice (Memorial Field)
9:55 a.m. White practice (Memorial Field)

Saturday
8:30 a.m. White practice (Memorial Field)
9:55 a.m. Green practice (Memorial Field)

Sunday
2:45 p.m. Full team practice (Blackman Fields)

Monday (Double sessions begin)
8:15 a.m. First practice (Memorial Field)
3:45 p.m. Second practice (Blackman Fields)

A reminder: I'll be at every practice and have a full story after each practice on Green Alert Premium, including two stories on days of double sessions. The goal is to have each story posted on the site within three hours of the end of practice.

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I wandered through Floren Varsity House and up to the football offices yesterday and there were a lot of big, maybe slightly nervous and confused young men in the lobby of the building. Yesterday was early check-in for players from "away." Players from less-distant locales will be arriving today.

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Former Dartmouth safety Matt Burke is in his second year as linebackers coach for the Detroit Lions. His 440-foot bungee jump in New Zealand got his players' attention according to a story in the Detroit Free Press.

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Touching Associated Press story about two-sport Villanova star Matt Szczur (Most Outstanding Player in the FCS National Championship game) who was a 1-in-80,000 match for bone marrow. All he knows at this point is that his marrow was donated to a girl between the age of 1 and 2 years old and that he'd do it again.

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The final tally is in and I can't say I disagree with the outcome. While a few Dartmouth fans complain each year that other schools kick off practice as much as a week or more earlier than the Big Green, practicing without classes is regarded as being of more benefit. In some regards, it's an NFL camp.