What the hell are the interwebs for if not for rumormongering and rampant, uninformed speculation about doomsday scenarios for collegiate athletic conferences?! Well call us sheep, but we’re definitely not going to let an awkward, something-seems-fishy-here, strange bit of commentary from CAA commish Tom Yeager slide by without shamelessly contributing to the general internet hysteria that results when the uninformed masses (that’s us) try to make sense of things like this on blogs, Twitter, and message boards.
One thing I do know is that Yeager and co. need to figure out that as the CAA has grown in terms of reputation, exposure, and marketability, so has the peripheral yak (again, that’s us and the general Twitterazzi). When they botch something like yesterday’s “we’re going to have a vote on raising the conference exit fee to something in the seven-figure range and then hold a presser to tell you about it” by not actually being able to get a quorum of school presidents and then being forced to give a very awkward statement about why that vote was called off, they’re going to set off the rumor mill.
Look, there are a lot of ways to look at yesterday’s vote being called off but the two most likely are a) the presidents were just busy and b) Yeager knew it wasn’t going to pass because some schools are on their way out. The first one is boring, but the second is a WTF moment for the league. We know GSU is gone to the Sun Belt after they change planes in the CAA this fall. We also know VCU and GMU have been linked to the A-10. And now we know that JMU President Rose and AD Jeff Bourne said yesterday they are not sure how JMU will vote. Lastly, we also think we know that technically CAA Football is a separate organization with separate bylaws from the rest of the CAA and who knows how that affects things. Oh yeah, and we have this quote from Yeager on GSU’s announcement about the Sun Belt. “…the CAA could not accomodate that desire [to move to FBS] within Georgia State’s timeframe.” Whaaaa?!?! If I’m Mason or VCU, that certainly sounds to me like a conference with designs, albeit slowly developing designs, on raising their profile in football. And a conference that just got tossed out of ESPN Bracketbusters, which for better or worse has been helpful in those March Madness runs, because they signed what amounts to essentially a football deal with another network.
Needless to say, we’ll probably be talking about this business a lot this summer and maybe the next couple of years, but for now we just hope that Rose, Bourne, and Alger are staying ahead of the game and positioning JMU well for however the dominoes fall.
Look, things are slow around JMUSB HQ right now. Rob managed to keep us afloat while I was doing some sorely needed traveling last week. Plus you know, the Masters, Opening Day, and the temporary Kentucky championship. Down in the ‘Burg, Women’s Lax continues to roll, some good stuff from Track & Field, and Spring Practice for football have all been going on, but we’re basically on Spring Break too when it comes to our ability to dive that deep into Dukesland.
But one thing we did notice over the weekend with at least a tenuous JMU tie was this damn fine slo-mo goal celebration from CJ Sapong and Sporting Kansas City after Kai Kamara’s gamewinner over LA Galaxy last night! Enjoy.
Update: JMU announced that Scott has been hired and he’s going to coach the tight ends.
Last week, the Richmond Times Dispatch broke the story that Latrell Scott was a candidate to join the JMU coaching staff. Tonight, Phil Orban, the Sports Director from WRIC-TV 8 in Richmond, is reporting that Scott has been hired. Scott succeeded Mike London as head coach of the Spiders after the 2009 season. Richmond went 6-5 under his leadership in 2010. It was his only season at the helm. He resigned 8 days before the 2011 season kicked off after being arrested and charged with DWI.
Despite the unfortunate end to Scott’s tenure at Richmond, I think there is a lot of upside to this move. The man made a mistake and it cost him dearly. He paid the price for his actions though and is ready to resume his career. Assuming that Matthews and his staff have done their due diligence and they are confident Scott is not a risk, I think this is a good hire. Bringing in a guy with head coaching experience to help on the offense could pay big dividends. And dare we speculate that bringing Scott in specifically to work with the receivers and tight-ends means that the Dukes are going to (gulp) pass more? The smart money is still on Mickey going with the “run to set up the run” offense whether we like it or not. He did give the playcalling duties back to Jeff Durden and brought in a former head coach to work with him though. Maybe Mickey will actually surprise us and air it out a bit.
Georgia State playing in front of its largest crowd ever.
With all of the scandals that have rocked college football recently, I’ve still never heard of a school being penalized by taking away future wins. If the reports are true and Georgia State is indeed headed to the Sun Belt however, then that is exactly what could happen to JMU. The Dukes, and every other football program in the conference really, will be robbed of of one guaranteed win each season going forward that they have rightfully earned by allowing Georgia State to play CAA football. It just doesn’t seem fair. Other schools pay players, forge transcripts, or run completely afoul of the legal system and they lose a few scholarships or vacate past wins. Now JMU, William & Mary, Delaware, and the rest of the CAA are giving up infinite future wins. All as a result of inviting Georgia State to join the conference in 2005. I guess there’s no statute of limitations on stupid.
Losing never feels good. Some losses sting a little less, when you know what the win means to the victor. JMU fell to Oklahoma State 75-68 in the WNIT Finals on Saturday. The loss ended the Dukes’ season, but it was anything but sour. In their run to the finals Coach Brooks and his team represented the entire JMU community well and picked up a lot of new fans in the process.
I’m on my way out the door for a quick vacation, so I just wanted to offer our congrats to the ladies for a great season. It’s amazing what a team can do when everyone from the head coach to the last player on the bench, approaches the game with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. All eyes on you men’s team.
Leading off, let’s give it up for Kenny Brooks and the ladies. Coach Brooks and the Dukes are headed to Stillwater (Oklahoma, not this one) to play Oklahoma State for the Women’s NIT Championship this Sunday. To advance to the finals the Dukes defeated Davidson, South Florida, UVA, and Syracuse. If you’re scoring at home that means they’ve racked up more postseason wins in the past 2 weeks than the men have in the past 3 years. And they’ve been winning over more and more fans each game. Over 4,000 fans packed the Convo for Wednesday night’s semifinal win. They got snubbed by the selection committee, but rather than pout they’ve gone out and taken care of business in the WNIT. So regardless of whether you’re a big fan of the women’s game or not, show a little love for this Dukes squad. Coach Brooks has built a program we can all be proud of.
Spring Football You Say?
That’s right. Mickey and the Dukes are in the midst of Spring practice. Thank God. Much like in every non-Landers or non-Rascati year, the focus will be squarely on the QB play this Spring. Justin Thorpe is firmly sitting in the QB 1 slot. However, due to last year’s suspension and past injuries, he’s never really had a consistent stretch of practice reps (let alone games) as the starter. Mickey is looking to change that and hoping Thorpe can make strides as a passer.
More Rumors Of CAA Defection
The internet was buzzing this week with talk of Mason and VCU skipping town for the A10. Now there are reports that another CAA team could be on the way out. Apparently, Georgia State has seen the writing on the wall and the powers that be realize they’re not up to par with the rest of the CAA Football. Therefore they’re going to drop down a level to the Sun Belt. (ed. note – It turns out the Sun Belt is not actually a level down from FCS. It’s a FBS conference. Seriously. I looked it up and everything.) Take it easy Panther fans. We kid because we love we don’t care at all about your football program.
Weren’t the Diamond Dukes Were Supposed To Be Good?
If this year’s JMU Baseball season has taught us anything, it’s that you should never put too much faith in preseason polls for sports you know nothing about. I love baseball. Love it. I just don’t know much about the college game. So when the preseason polls say the Dukes are expected to successfully defend last year’s CAA Championship, I believe them. The Dukes are 6-18-1 (1-8 CAA) and stuck in dead last. Alas, it appears the poll voters were idiots. Or the Dukes are just under-performing. I’m blaming the voters.
Scary Details Emerge About the Alleged Fight
The Breeze published this account of the alleged incident that led to Jace Edwards’ suspension. There are two sides to every story and now we have one. As a former fraternity guy myself, I can see how something like this would happen. It doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t make anyone involved proud, but sometimes bad things happen. I really wish they didn’t though.
One Bitter Fan’s Opinion On the Final Four
I’ve heard a lot of people say that it’s a shame when fans’ frustration with their own team’s shortcomings prevents them from appreciating the joy of watching other great teams compete. The people can get bent. JMU hasn’t made the tourney in 18 years and nobody is holding their breath for a return anytime soon. But I love college hoops and I’m obviously not going to miss the Final Four, so I might as well pull for some team. Like most people in the free world, I’d never really developed any opinions whatsoever on anything related to the state of Kansas. It was just there. Of course I can’t even accurately tell you where there is other than “in the Midwest.” I mean, honestly who cares where Kansas is? Yet this weekend, I’m a Kansas fan by default. Nobody outside of Kentucky could possibly root for a Calipari or Pitino coached team. That’s just a fact. And rooting for Ohio State, or The Ohio State University as the world’s most annoying fanbase prefers to say, is not an option for any self-respecting human being. So Rock Chalk Jayhawk and all that.
One Last Thing Completely And Totally Unrelated to JMU
It’s the text of Springsteen’s keynote from SXSW. And while we’re at it, here is one of my all time favorite videos of Bruce and Arcade Fire.
Two items mid-week. First, in case you didn’t know, and judging by blog interest you didn’t, the women’s hoops team is hosting a WNIT Final Four game tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at The Convo against Syracuse. A few cool notes here are that the ‘Burg and JMU Students seem to have really jumped on board with Coach Brooks’ teams’ run even if it doesn’t register with the rest of us. They’ve been getting steadily larger crowds each game through their run and the ticket office reported today they’ve already sold more than Sunday’s win over UVa. The run has included W’s over ACC schools UVa and Wake Forest and the Big East’s South Florida. Hopefully they can notch another Big East win over the ‘Cuse and advance to the final where they’ll meet the winner of the San Diego @ Oklahoma St. game. Lastly, the pep band’s version of Gogol Bordello’s Start Wearin’ Purple has also been gaining much more widespread enthusiasm on campus thanks to this run and we can’t wait to hear it at BFS come September.
What we pay to see!
Second, a bit of a shakeup in the Football Coaching staff was announced this week. For some reason, even the Chicago Tribune picked up this story from the Sports Network, but we’ll take the midwestern love where we find it. A few roles have been upgraded, included former JMU star Tony LeZotte, who will become a full-time (and presumably full-paid) assistant this year. But the big takeaway is that Mickey is turning the playcalling duties back over to long-time OC Jeff Durden. As most of us know, many JMU fans had been calling for Durden’s head for a while before Matthews took the playcalling away from him and assumed that job himself last year. Particularly after the ’09 and ’10 seasons I think we all agreed the offense appeared to have the pizzazz of a Sbarro. However, even if it’s a fool-me-twice situation here, we’re generally fine with this. MM didn’t do anything fancy last year (though he did have to play the meat of the season with an injured, untested QB) and just continued running the same dreadful stretch reverses and occassional hitches to nowhere as before so really, what’s the difference. ’04, ’08, ’12 – if this really is another great year, we all know it’s going to be built on an O-Line allowing for running the ball, running the ball some more, and then running it again regardless of whether it’s the tailbacks (’04) or the QBs (’08), or some combination (’12) doing the toting. Plus now Mickey can go back to what he does best: having his own personal contest to see if he can pop his eyes out or burst a neck-vein first while chucking visors and threatening the children of atrocious FCS officiating crews!
According to reports that emerged over the weekend, VCU and George Mason could soon be on their way out of the CAA. Along with Butler, the two schools are already in discussions with the Atlantic 10 about joining the conference. Ruh-roh. Losing these schools would not be good for the CAA. Not good at all.
When I first heard of these potential moves, I assumed Mason and VCU were as good as gone. It seemed like a complete no-brainer. Both schools have unquestionably developed into very successful hoops programs and find themselves caught in a conference that appears to be driven by football at times. Neither school fields a football team and a move to the A10 would align them with schools sharing common athletic goals. Mainly, it would group them a bunch of other basketball first schools that aren’t flight risks if football conferences come calling. Schools like Xavier, St. Louis, St. Joseph’s, and St. Bonaventure have athletic programs driven by basketball. The CAA’s basketball profile has been on the rise for years, but it’s still a couple football moves away from erasing all the progress it’s made. If ODU, JMU, or Delaware make a jump for a better football set-up, the dominoes could start falling in a way that crushes the CAA. And that is a very real risk for GMU and VCU. Plus, while both the Rams and Patriots have gotten at large bids to the NCAA tourney in recent years, the A10 is a perennial multi-bid league.
After some more reflection however, I’m not sure it’s as much of a no-brainer as I originally thought. The A10 is a stronger basketball league top to bottom. As much as I love CAA hoops and think it is still underrated, it could be tougher for VCU and GMU to replicate their success in the A10. And VCU might get cold feet if it looks across town at its former CAA rival Richmond. The Spiders made the jump in the 90s and I’m not sure they’re better off for it. They’ve had some good years, but they’re not at the level of Xavier or other top A10 programs. VCU and Mason might be more comfortable sticking around in the CAA, a league they know they can win in any given year. But the risk of sticking around and being left behind for football, might force their hand. However you look at it, losing both programs would be a major blow to the CAA. It would likely force JMU’s hand and get them moving to find other football centered schools to align themselves with.
In case you didn’t know, and honestly you didn’t, Kenny Brooks’ team had a huge OT comeback win against Wake Forest last weekend and is now set to host South Florida in the Women’s NIT Sweet 16 this Friday. Game’s at 7 p.m. and admission for students is free. You even get schwag and to see the band fine-tuning Start Wearing Purple, which apparently is finally catching on! Additionally, the winner gets the Cr(App) St. at UVa winner with the home team between JMU and UVa likely determined by whoever gets more attendance in this round in the event they each win. Would be pretty sweet to host UVa for a chance to go the NIT Final Four so best of luck to the women’s team!
[Interesting thought on the women’s team: Cooler from a casual JMU fan’s perspective to win the WNIT or lose a first-round NCAA game/get blown out by a Baylor/UConn type in the second round?]
On a personal note, as some of you who follow us on Twitter may know (@JMUsportsblog) I dork out, I mean really dork out, occassionally, about adventure racing. Thanks to an old JMU friend of mine, I’ve fallen in love with this fun, difficult, but admittedly over-indulgent, first-world, fringe sport. But this week I actually have a JMU sports angle on my pricey masochistic hobby! Our female teammate this weekend (“elite” division teams are coed) was none other than the absolute best athlete in Harrisonburg, Dukes Field Hockey Coach Antoinette Lucas. In her very first race, in this case a 12-hour race in Shenandoah River State Park between Luray and Front Royal, she was a rock-star and only us boys held her back from a better finish. Seriously, nothing like having a former Olympian on the team to remind the rest of us of our “amateur” status. Also, the race was the very first event produced by a new company, Adventure Addicts Racing, owned by JMU grad Andy Bacon! Having done a ton of these the past few years, I am happy to report that in true Dukes style, this was a top-class event. If you’re interested in the sport at all, check out the Adventure Addicts website or read our team’s race report from this weekend. Thanks to Coach L and now you all know why we often and inexplicably skew radically towards Field Hockey on an otherwise football/hoops/Sapong-centric blog.
JMU announced today that Coach Matthews suspended four members of the JMU football team. The four players are Jace Edwards, Anthony McDaniel, Wyatt Johnson, and Corey Davis and the suspensions were for a “violation of team rules.” Edwards is the biggest name of the group. Last year as a redshirt freshman he started 5 games for the Dukes. Of course he started those games because the #1 QB, Justin Thorpe, was suspended for a violation of team rules himself. Edwards had shoulder surgery and was not scheduled to participate in spring practice anyway. He will serve his suspension by missing the first game of the season against St. Francis. Corey Davis’ suspension will keep him out of 7 Spring practices, while McDaniel and Johnson will be held out for the entire Spring.
Matthews and the administration were typically tight lipped about things and offered no details about what the players did or what rules they violated. Without jumping into baseless speculation, when we read the news our assumption was that these suspensions are related to the fight that Edwards was involved in at a fraternity house last year. The Daily News Records’ Matthew Stoss pretty much confirmed that via Twitter earlier. If you recall, the police investigated the alleged incident and even went so far as to seize certain individuals cell phones. No charges were ever filed against Edwards or anyone else as far as we know.
The timing of the suspensions is a bit curious. The alleged incident took place last year and there hasn’t been any police action taken for months. Maybe something was going on behind the scenes or the football program was looking into things on their own though. In any case, Edwards is the only player who will miss any game action. And while the game he’ll miss is only against St. Francis, it could be costly for him and have an impact on the program.
JMU will be heavily favored against St. Francic and the game is likely to be a blowout. If the Dukes build up a big lead, then Justin Thorpe will surely be pulled early for another QB to come in for mop up duty. Were he not suspended, Edwards would probably get those reps. Now they’re up for grabs. And with a number of big QB recruits coming in, is there a chance we see one of them impress the coaches enough that they get the mop up duty in week one? Given Matthews’ history, it seems unlikely that he’d pull the redshirt of a QB like Ian Fischer in week one. Crazier things have happened though. And if Matthews did do it, and the QB looked good against St. Francis, could he pass Edwards on the depth chart? This little guessing game is probably all for naught. JMU will probably just throw Andre Coble back there and run the wildcat if they build a big lead. You never really know though. This suspension might make the competition for back-up QB a whole lot more interesting.
