The Envelope Please . . .

Tomorrow is Ivy League football media day when the annual preseason poll will be released. How did the media do last year?

Here's how the 2014 poll looked:
1. Princeton (9 first-place votes), 128 points
2. Harvard (8) 127
3. Dartmouth 91
4. Penn 79
5. Yale 68
6. Brown 65
7. Cornell 34
8. Columbia 20

Here's how 2014 played out:
1. Harvard 7-0
2. Dartmouth 6-1
3. Yale 5-2
4. Princeton 4-3
5. Brown  3-4
6. Penn 2-5
7. Cornell 1-6
8. Columbia 0-7

Worst prediction: Princeton to win it all.
Runner up for worst prediction: Yale to finish fifth.
Best prediction: Cornell to finish seventh.
Next-best prediction: Columbia to finish eighth . . . but that was too easy.

How does the accuracy of last year's poll compare to the first nine years of BGA? Check it out:

Check this electronic precinct tomorrow for results of the 2015 poll and coverage of this year's media day.

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A double-dose of news out of the Carolinas today ;-)

From North Carolina, the News & Observer has a story headlined, "UNC chancellor Folt understands the athletic challenge."

Carol Folt was Dartmouth's provost and then interim president before the arrival in Hanover of Phil Hanlon. The News & Observer story is introduced this way:

University leaders generally remain in the background when athletics are is in the public eye. Unless things go really wrong, as was the case at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where ill-formulated intentions, lax oversight and thirst for athletic success created a noxious stew.

Of particular interest from the story for people in these parts:

A public school swimmer growing up in Akron, Ohio, Folt was faculty mentor for Dartmouth’s swim team and a member of the school’s faculty athletic oversight council.

“She was nothing but positive about the role of athletics on our campus,” recalls Big Green athletic director Harry Sheehy, who oversees 35 varsity sports. “She showed up at events on a regular basis. Was very positive about the student-athlete experience and the value that it added to the collegiate experience.”

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The Gazette in South Carolina writes about John Patterson, a longtime high school and college coach in the Carolinas who moved to New Hampshire and took a job as an athletic director when son Bo Patterson '14, began his career as a football wide receiver and baseball outfielder for the Big Green. From the story about John Patterson returning to South Carolina to coach high school football:

“I’ve been in the Carolinas my whole life,” the new Stratford offensive coordinator said. “I’m a Carolinas guy but I’m a father first.”

Good for him.

Word is Bo may be on the field helping his dad out.

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And finally . . .

Yes, it was this dramatic. Click to enlarge.

Once again I left my good camera behind and had only my iPod to snap a few shots during our dinner on Lake Memphremagog Saturday evening. Yesterday we crossed into Canada and had lunch in the bilingual village of Knowlton, Quebec. (LINK)

If you are in Hanover and have a free day, Knowlton is a gentle 2 1/2 hour drive almost due north and it's well worth it. The little town is filled with restaurants and antique shops. Just remember your passport.

And while I'm at it, um, uh, that post the other day about our anniversary? I, uh, um, misstated the date. It was Aug. 8 not Aug. 7. (I actually knew that and Mrs. BGA had fun teasing me, but no excuse ;-)