John Feinstein, the celebrated sportswriter who died yesterday at age 69, featured the Dartmouth football program prominently in his final book, The Ancient Eight: College Football’s Ivy League and the Game They Play Today, which hit bookstores late last fall. From a Publishers Weekly review of the book:
Though he gives space to each of the league’s eight teams, the Dartmouth College Big Green stand out as the unofficial protagonists. They started the season reeling from the recent deaths of offensive lineman Josh Balara from cancer, and longtime coach Buddy Teevens from injuries sustained in a car accident. Feinstein describes how acting coach Sam McCorkle rallied the grieving team to a 5–2 season, tying for first in the league.
Find the full review HERE.
Veteran Sports Illustrated writer Pat Forde has an appreciation of Feinstein HERE.
Green Alert Take: I had a chance to spend a little time talking with Feinstein on the sidelines of a Dartmouth football practice in the early stages of his research for the book. I gave him a few insights to players he would be interviewing after the practice and offered him a business card with a subscription to BGA Premium, although he never took me up on it.
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From a Combine-week story headlined, Where have all the NFL's small school prospects gone? (LINK):
NIL money and the one-time transfer rule, which went into effect for the 2021 college football season, allowed college athletes to transfer once and not sit out the season (the rule expanded in 2024 to allow unlimited transfers with no penalties as long as players met academic requirements). That led to a steady decline in small school players making the combine. They're all moving up before they go pro.
And . . .
(A college director of player personnel) estimated the range for a player moving up to a Power 4 program for a starting role to be in the mid-six figures.
And . . .
An FCS offensive coordinator -- also not authorized by his team to speak -- said he had an "average, at best" tackle transfer out of his program in December for a deal at an FBS school worth $1.7 million.
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EXTRA POINT
With the temperature in these parts hitting the 50s this week – and possibly the upper 60's over the weekend – mud season is upon us. That being the case, I drove the two miles to the trailhead for my daily hike the past couple of days just before sunrise, when the ruts on the road were still frozen, and before the road could turn into dark brown oatmeal.
I shot this from the peak today. With the sun rising behind me you can see a shadow profile of the mountain I was atop in the middle of the frame.
