Who Knew?

It's Saturday and you know what that means. You've got the time to read a longer story or sit and watch a video that runs longer than 90 seconds, so grab a seat and get ready.

I can't take credit for finding this – I learned of it via the Voy message board – but a recent grad student with a law degree who produces well-done weekly YouTube videos on college football history last week released one titled, The BIZARRE DRAMA Between ESPN & The Ivy League. It runs 14 minutes, 30 seconds.

Here's the description accompanying the video:

When The Ivy League initially signed a television deal with ESPN in 1988, the relationship between the two sides was on rocky ground. However, in 1989, ESPN attempted to fix this with a proposal designed to give The Ivy League more television exposure. The end result was a disaster, with The Ivy League bashing ESPN, and with the relationship between the two sides being beyond repair. This is the story behind the drama between ESPN and the Ivy League at the end of the 1980s.

As it says in the BGA Daily intro, you've got the time. The table is set so watch away:

 

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I should have put two-and-two together before reading this NOLA story about incoming walk-on (a term Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens does not use) Parrish Abramson because I was the Big Green beat writer when his dad, Neil, played for Teevens.

At 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, the younger Abramson towers over his father, who was listed at 5-10, 175 when

Neil in his playing days

 he was a defensive back on the 1988 Big Green. Following his senior season Neil Abramson was recognized with Dartmouth's Lester Godwin Award, "presented to the senior football squad member who, through extraordinary perseverance, has risen above personal disadvantage to contribute measurably to the team."

Neil Abramson, though his bio did not appear in the 1988 media guide when only "Leading Players" were profiled, finished third on the squad in tackles with 67, tied for the team lead with four pass breakups and recovered one fumble.

From the NOLA story above:

Parrish Abramson has heard stories about Coach Teevens all his life. Before Teevens coached at Tulane University in the early 1990s, he was the head coach at Dartmouth, where Neil Abramson enrolled after his four-sport career at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge. Neil Abramson played free safety for Teevens and the Big Green at Dartmouth.

Teevens returned to Dartmouth in 2005 and has led its football program ever since.

Neil Abramson said that from day one, Teevens stressed three things — discipline, respect and punctuality. “I was hosting a recruit who was late, which made me a few minutes late to the meeting with Coach Teevens,” he recalled. “I wasn't allowed in the meeting, even though I was late by only a few minutes. I had to camp outside his door all day to get in to meet him.”

The lesson stayed with him. “To this day, I still set my watch and clocks 10 minutes ahead," he said. "Growing up, Parrish knew this as Teevens Time.”

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Pennsylvania's Reading Eagle has a preview of a local high school team where the incoming quarterback (LINK) . . .

". . . has some big shoes to fill after the departure of two-time All-Berks selection Logan Klitsch, who is now at Dartmouth.

Klistch led the Berks Football League in passing yards in each of his final two seasons with 2,405 yards in 2021 and 1,330 yards in 2020. Last season, he completed 65.4% of his passes and threw for 24 touchdowns and also ran for 691 yards and 20 TDs." 

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Tris Wykes, who did a fine job covering Dartmouth football and shooting pictures at games and practices, shares news that Doug Johnson, who coached in the Big Green freshman football program before it was disbanded and then worked on the defensive side as a part-time coach, is on the coaching staff at nearby Lebanon High School. Johnson was a running back at Tufts and befriended a generation of Big Green players as the owner of AJ's Restaurant in White River Junction.

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A 1,500-word preview of the New Hampshire football team that Dartmouth will face on Oct. 15 went up on BGA Premium last night. This evening's posting will take a look at Sept. 24 opponent Sacred Heart with Valparaiso set for tomorrow. If you haven't yet signed on, the stories will be piling up and you'll struggle to catch up if you don't hurry. To sign up or renew your subscription, CLICK HERE.

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EXTRA POINT
It's one of the biggest days of the year here as we celebrate the West Newbury Summer Festival. Because the parade route is just 3/10 of a mile from the post office to our road, it turns around and you get to see it twice. How great is that?