JMU has invested a lot of money in athletic facilities over the past few years. The softball complex, new baseball stadium, and other upgrades have been great. Of course the crown jewel is the expansion of Bridgeforth Stadium. We’re still 71 days away from filing into the stadium to kick off the football season, but it’s already looking very impressive from above.
Like everyone else who went to JMU in the 90’s, I am completely blown away by this new stadium project. I went to football games when I was a student, but it was more like something you just did on your way back from D-hall, than something you planned your day around. And if you didn’t feel like actually going into the stadium, you could just peak through the chain link fence in the south end zone. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what it was like. Luckily I found this picture though.
This picture looks like something from the stone ages. When I first saw it, I assumed that if we zoomed it we’d see students with Sony Walkmen and parachute pants. Upon closer inspection, it appears it was taken during the construction of the parking deck. Which means it’s actually from after I graduated. And I’m not that old. I wonder if it looked even worse when I was on campus.
The headline says it all. Ok, I’ll give you a second to reread, and another to let it sink in. The Charleston (WV) Daily Mail first reported this morning that the West Virginia Mountaineers have scheduled a “home” game at Fed Ex Field, home to the Washington Redskins, against our very own Dukes during the third week of the 2012 season. To say that I flipped out when I first got a tweet (@jmusportsblog by the way) referencing this on my way in to work this morning would be vastly understating the situation. Near hyperventilation while I waited for my stupid phone to fully load the webpage to confirm it was more than a rumor would be more accurate. Almost immediately I tried to contextualize this with other offseason lightning bolts that came so out of the blue. Gibbs 2.0 announcement (knew already the Skins couldn’t win regardless due to Snyder). MJ returning to the court for the Wiz (knew already the Wiz couldn’t work due to creaky knees and terrifying roster). Basically nothing I can recall from an offseason perspective had prepared me for something so world-view changing. Those other events seemed great but had glaringly obvious downsides and pitfalls. This is the very definition of a win-win. Exposure, money, and opportunity will all be second to none. (although we do need to show up in droves)
What it Means
First, it means serious credibility with recruits and casual alumni and fans. Quick poll in the office and most everyone who normally thinks I’m whackadoodle for my JMU obsessions perked up when you say the Dukes are playing at FedEx. It also means you Skins ticket holders can finally leverage that waste of money into something better than a half-full country show. Next, it means some folks, in this case WVU, has taken notice of the program JMU’s been steadily building. Not just the Tech win or the Nat’l Championship, but the solid fanbase that’s been developing and potential for a solid turnout. Even though WVU’s getting a fat $2M guarantee for taking this home game to the DC area, don’t underestimate the confidence they must’ve had that the Dukes will seriously assist them in selling tix in the huge monstrosity that is the concrete disaster in PG County. Third, it means the folks in the Athletics department down in the ‘Burg have been gettin’ it done!
Lastly, this is an enormous opportunity to essentially have a tryout for FBS conferences, in particular the Big East. After all, West Virginia (and Pitt) is the one who just shot down Villanova’s chance to move up in football due to their weakassed fanbase, lack of facilities, and lack of hunger for the trappings of big-time football (stadium, tailgating, etc.). Needless to say, JMU is fast becoming the antithesis of that profile and should be primed to show off their wares after a year in New Bridgeforth.
Our Take on the Particulars
JMU’s taking down 350k no matter what, but folks are discussing the “incentives” that could take the deal to 500k ($10 per ticket for every seat over 42,500 up to 57,000). Ain’t happening. I’m all for trying and am absolutely giddy about the opportunity to persuade the unconvinced on the magic of JMU football, but 40,000 tickets would be an UNBELIEVABLY unqualified success for the Dukes given our recent history (maybe 5-10k at Maryland and VT), but even 25-30k would be amazing! Yes, we’ve got tons of alums in the area and this will be a glamour matchup, but that will be nearly half the capacity of the now-reduced FedEx Field (party decks debacle brought to you by the danny). Folks were seriously impressed that Boise turned out maybe 25,000 and took over a solid 1/4 of the joint last year and I’ll bet we’ll turn lots of heads by surpassing that number. (editor’s note: I mistakenly interpreted the incentives to read that JMU alone had to sell 42k plus tix while the word we’re getting today – thanks foati – is that 42-57 includes both JMU and WVU tix meaning this could really happen)
Now imagine a less offensive mascot and thousands of purple and gold streamers!
But the great news is as follows. While this won’t be VT/Boise in terms of a tv deal, it should be televised and we can show out some serious purple. I also think the tailgate atmosphere has a great chance to rival anything I saw at VT/BSU last year. I mean seriously, this is James Madison and West Virginia we’re talking about and I say that with pride! Just the excitement of rolling to a game like this with flags and magnets and full coolers and all the accoutrement is unreal and it will be incredible to have our own Dukes involved and see the purple and gold caravan rolling out to Raljon.
Oh yeah, and there will be beers sold DURING the game. Doubt most fans will need them by gametime, but it’s a rare treat for a college game and can make for a serious bowlgame atmosphere.
What Needs to Happen
1) Start spreading the word to anyone and everyone in JMU Nation. Serious stage and HUGE tailgates should be surprisingly strong selling points. Really, there’s no reason at all the tailgate itself shouldn’t be LEGENDARY in terms of JMU events. Did I mention in-stadium beer sales?
1a) When spreading the word, begin warning people that weddings, especially those where Dukes are parties, are absolutely inappropriate on September 15, 2012. Might also want to consider firing up the contraceptives during late December and early January. (over the line? No way, this is Standard T we’re talking here)
2) Buy your tickets from JMU as soon as they go on sale. I cannot emphasize this enough. Forget about the ticket incentives and just focus on the “trying out for FBS” and showing off JMU Nation angles. We only get credit for tix bought through JMU so don’t pussyfoot around and wait for “better deals” on Craig’s List. Yes, they’ll be out there, but you suck if you don’t help.
3) Get down to Bridgeforth and cheer this year. The team will need all the help it can get in the new stadium THIS season and winning games and making the playoffs will go a long way in building momentum for this unprecedented game.
Well folks it’s all over. Puddleduck is your 2011 JMUSB Battle of the Bands Bracket Champion. They narrowly defeated another JMU band, Everything, in the final by capturing 53% of the votes. Everything and it’s ubiquitous “e colon” logo were fixtures on campus in the 90’s, but apparently commenter Tedward spoke for the majority when he said “Puddleduck defines JMU at this time.”
Puddleduck was the band for my junior and senior years. Like many of you, I spent a lot of time at JM’s back in the day. And when I think of JM’s I first think of dime drafts, then I think of $2 pitchers, then I think of an assortment of bad shots, and then I think of Puddleduck. Considering that I saw dozens of other bands there and pretty much went there just to drink cheap booze and chase women, it’s pretty impressive that any band ranks that high. Actually, on second thought the Jerky Turkey and Jo-Jo Dog both probably top Puddlduck, but they’re still up there.
So Todd and I wanted to thank you for indulging us on this little walk down memory lane. It was fun to plan this whole thing and to blog about each of these bands. It was more fun however, to read some of your comments and emails about the bands in the bracket or the ones we left out. As a sign of our gratitude, we’d like to offer everyone a free copy of the Puddleduck Reunion Show from Alley Katz earlier this year. OK, that was up there already and it has absolutely nothing to do with us We thought we’d point it out though for any Puddleduck fans out there who aren’t familiar with how Google works. And with that, we’re done with this little off-season diversion.
Well, well, well. We couldn’t be prouder of our readers! At long last, we had two huge upsets in the Final Four of the bands bracket and both JMU originals are dancing all the way to the championship.
On the Blue Fox side of the bracket, fan favorite Puddleduck ran roughshod over Agents of Good Roots, while on the JM’s side, Everything pulled off the tourney’s biggest shocker but knocking out the overall #1 and enormous favorite Dave Matthews Band.
So now it’s all come down to this. Cast your votes now as Rob and I are looking forward to wrapping this up and getting back to the sort of frivolous and irresponsible sports reporting you really expect by cranking up the CAA Football previews and of course, enlightening you on the now 75 days or so until the Monster in the ‘Burg opens.
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We’re almost there folks. After starting with 16 bands, we’re down to the last four. And unlike this year’s NCAA tournament, there aren’t any Cinderalla stories. All four bands were also based out of Virginia, with 3 of the 4 having ties directly to our great alma matter.
JMU’s own Puddleduck had the smallest margin of victory of any of our remaining contenders, but still prevailed in a blowout over Emmet Swimming. Thank you for that by the way. They’ll be facing off with Agents of Good Roots in the Blue Fox Regional Final. Agents by the way is quite possibly my favorite band ever to have a lead singer who sounds like he got stabbed in the throat with a ski pole.
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And the two bands squaring off to win the JM’s Region and advance to the finals are the Dave Matthews Band and another of JMU’s finest, Everything. While this might appear like a bit of a David vs Goliath situation, you have to consider that for a time in the mid-90s, Everything was actually a pretty big deal in their own right. And despite the fact that the late LeRoi Moore of DMB went to JMU, Everything has got to be considered the home team in this one.
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Will it be an all JMU match-up of Puddleduck vs Everything? The platinum selling DMB cruising to the title? Cult favorite Agents of Good Roots taking it all? Cast your votes and check back Monday for the final match-up.
The Blue Fox Region was pretty much chalk, with the exception of the #7 seed Emmet Swimming securing an upset win by a slim 4% margin over the Pat McGee Band. That caught me by surprise, but I guess the TT Reynolds crowd has more pull here than I thought. Their reward is a match-up with the red hot #3 seed Puddleduck, fresh off an absolutely dominating win over Slackjaw. It’s worth pointing out that the boys in Puddleduck were all from JMU and the guys in Emmet Swimming were from George Mason. I think you see where I’m going here, but if you don’t then let me spell it out for you. Vote for Puddleduck people.
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The other contenders looking to reach the Blue Fox Regional Final are the #1 seed Agents of Good Roots and #4 seed Virginia Coalition. Agents seem to be generating some buzz and are emerging as a trendy pick to win it all. VACO emerges from a hard fought battle with Magraw Gap and looks to leverage its eclectic style (bonus points for go-go) to make a run.
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Check back later this week before the Final Four and don’t forget to cast your votes for the JM’s Region below.
Former JMU soccer player CJ Sapong seems to have a knack for scoring memorable goals. He scored the fastest goal for a rookie in MLS history in his debut in March. Last weekend, he became the first player ever to score in the brand new Livestrong Sporting Park. The rookie is making an impact for his team Sporting Kansas City. Sapong and team captain Davy Arnaud are the only two players to have played in every match this season.
Well, the bands bracket seems to have created a good deal of interest and even a bit of controversy (apparently someone’s a Boxturtle fan out there). But it’s time to wrap up the first round and move on to the Elite Eight on the JM’s side of the Bracket. Despite hanging in for a while, Nickel Bridge couldn’t hold off the DMB onslaught. Dave and the boys move on to take on Mr. Greengenes. I think we said Mr. Greengenes “was” a fixture on the Dewey scene, but recent reports from the Rusty Rudder and its ilk seem to suggest the present tense remains appropriate.
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In the bottom half of the bracket, JMU’s own Everything lit up Shannon Worrell and looks primed for a strong tourney run while Gibb Droll pulled off one of the bigger upsets in the first round by just nipping Fighting Gravity at the wire. But a solid win for our little niche nostalgia. Should be a tight matchup in the next round of two true JMU acts.
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Vote quick this week as we’ll be sorting the other side of the bracket very soon to get onto the Final Four. And hey, we might even start rolling out some CAA Football previews this weekend and unfortunately reporting on what has been a bit of an offseason of discontent despite the enormous balm of New Bridgeforth.
We’re wrapping up the first round today and taking a look at the bottom of the Blue Fox Region. We’ve got JMU’s own Puddleduck and 3 other bands with ties to other Virginia colleges. Let’s jump right in and take a look at the 3-6 match-up.
#3 Puddleduck v. #6 Slackjaw [polldaddy poll=5150492]
Puddleduck – I saw these guys play at JM’s on many a Thursday night back in my junior year. The routine was always the same. I’d roll out just after dinner at D-Hall with a couple of buddies. Since most of us weren’t yet 21, we’d walk down the train tracks memorizing all the info on our fake IDs, swearing to each other that if one of us got rejected, we’d all go home together. Then most weeks someone would get denied at the door (usually JMUSB commenter Tedward) and the rest of us would pretend like we didn’t know him, walk right in, and belly up to the bar for some dime drafts (not a typo, beers were 10 cents.) We’d spend the next few hours drinking lots of very bad beer, chasing girls, and listening to Puddleduck before wandering our way back down to the row for a late night party. And while I don’t think anyone is going to argue that the band was particularly gifted or musically complex (Exhibit A the lyrics to Row Psalm), they were the JMU band for a time. They even secured a coveted gig at The Bayou in Georgetown over winter break, which turned into a mini-JMU reunion of sorts. Puddleduck brings back a lot of really good, yet slightly beer hazy, memories for me.
Slackjaw – I always kind of considered this band to be UVA’s version of Puddleduck. That’s not to say that the two bands had anything in common musically. They didn’t. The band consisted of guys from UVA who started out just playing parties and bars around their campus, just like Puddleduck did at JMU. Of course this means that Slackjaw’s early shows probably had crowds with an overall higher average SAT score and an overall lower average personal attractiveness than Puddleduck’s. I really dug their music though and to this day it takes me days to get the guitar riff from AFH out of my head every time I hear it. I only saw them live a couple times, but the parents of a group of girls we were friends with got Slackjaw to play their graduation party our senior year. Maybe this sort of thing was normal with your circle of friends. To me however, it was like some sort of 1990’s JMU version of the Royal Wedding. I’m easily impressed I guess. I’m telling you though, a couple of kegs of Beast Lite, 3 sleeves of red solo cups, and a college band in the backyard was high society to me back then.
# 2 Pat McGee Band vs. #7 Emmet Swimming [polldaddy poll=5150493]
Pat McGee Band – Todd and I were in the same fraternity in college and these guys played one of our big parties my senior year. We held it at Melrose to accommodate a larger crowd. The band was really hot at the time, so of course we all used the fact that they were playing as leverage to bring much better looking woman than usual to the party. There was one girl in particular that at least one of our friends invited with hopes of elevating his game for the occasion. As soon as the show ended however, Pat jumped on the bus back to campus with us and promptly spent the night with girl. The lesson, join a band folks. Join a band. I also was at one of their shows at the Bayou once when John Popper from Blues Traveler showed up and played the entire set with them. I sincerely thought I was watching musical history unfold before my very eyes that evening. I walked out of there convinced I had a story that I’d be able to wow people with for years to come. Swing and a miss with that one. Still though, songs like Girl From Athens and Rebecca could bring the house down back in the day.
Emmet Swimming – OK, I might as well just come out and say it. I’m pretty sure I never even saw this band play once at JMU. I don’t think I even went to one of their shows anywhere actually. They had that one kinda, sorta recognizable song, Arlington, that I remember. I also recall them getting some decent buzz and folks talking about their potential to blow up. Well, I did a couple quick searches and that definitely didn’t happen. They are playing a free show in my neighborhood a week from Saturday though. Yep, Emmet Swimming is playing the Del Ray Music Festival. I love my neighborhood. I love this annual festival. Coachella it is not. In fact I am quite certain that if you went back 10 or 15 years and asked any band in this bracket, “Where do you see yourselves in 2011?”, that “playing a free show in Del Ray for a bunch of families on a Saturday afternoon while a herd of toddlers line up so Bubbo the Clown can paint their faces and make them balloons shaped like a wiener dogs” would not be the first words out of their mouths.
Moving over to the Blue Fox Region we’ve got two potential upsets on tap today. First, the top seed and JMUSB favorite Agents of Good Roots try to defend their home turf of Roanoke against the severely underseeded interlopers from Charlottesville, Baaba Seth. Next, the younger alumni faves from Virginia Coalition take on the bracket’s only bluegrass act and a name that will make everyone smile in Magraw Gap.
#1 Agents of Good Roots v. #8 Baaba Seth
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Agents of Good Roots – Look, we loved these guys. And more impressive, this is the one non-friend, non-DMB band in the bracket that still got the smile of approval from my wife, who happens to be lightyears ahead of the two of us in sheer music/hipster cred. I mean really there’s only one question: Where you’d get that vibe? To their credit, Agents didn’t sound like anyone else in this bracket and definitely brought their own unique and at times funky style. One minute they sounded like an edgier version of contemporaries Rusted Root and the next they sounded like they might have been a decade ahead of their time with some hip-hop style crossover jams. But surprisingly, upon throwing this album in for another spin this week, it didn’t hold up nearly as well as I imagined it would. Sidenote: Listening to these old albums on cd has definitely been a highlight of this project. Found a great Gibb Droll song on an old compilation cd from The Pit in Nags Head. Incredible album also featuring solid outputs from Babyfat and Mudcat Jones while also containing absolute dreck from The Ernies and of course, Sev.
Baaba Seth – The truth is these guys slightly predate us and definitely are more of a UVa-centric band, but they’re a) awesome, b) still playing fabulous occasional reunion shows in Charlottesville, and c) were two decades ahead of their time. World music was years from being mainstream cool, but this huge, eccentric band was cranking out creative material throughout the 90’s. If all of these bands were starting over today, these guys might have the best shot at larger success of the non-mainstream acts in the bracket. That said, they just got a sweet write-up in the UVa alumni mag so feel free to vote against them on general principle.
#4 Virginia Coalition v. #5 Magraw Gap
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Virginia Coalition – VACO gets points for a number of reasons. Mainly, they have a cadre of songs I still enjoy listening to and are are still mildly relevant. As our reader Jamie (who is apparently now a quotable source for the Wash Post – what has journalism come to?!) pointed out, they are a real sleeper, especially given that Dukes alum from the classes of the “aughts” are likely to be more familiar with, and supportive of, these guys. Also, this is the only band on the list who played a basement party at a house I lived in and that was damn cool (thanks Scooter P!), not to mention an appearance or two at The Lodge (now that’s an old school reference I hope will provoke a comment or two, preferably from a few of our favorite female readers). On the other hand, they lose points for palling around these days with the overrated OAR crew and because I once saw them play a hideous set at Champps in Fair Oaks mall during some type of Redskins Late Night show during one of the joke-to-even-call-them-playoff-runs under Gibbs 2.0. During this debacle, they appeared to be making nice with one Larry Michael, also known as The Curse, The Cooler, Danny’s Fluffer, and Bill Lumberg.
Magraw Gap – Yes, I was also sure the name was McGraw Gap, but a very brief search of the interwebs revealed my just how hazy my memory was. They were a good time at JMU, mainly because I had no real exposure to bluegrass prior to college and was in love with it by the time I left. These guys were my first live introduction to the genre and for that I’m forever grateful. Featuring a fairly young Larry Keel and later being tapped to back Keller Williams, MG was actually way more legit than I realized at the time. I always thought it was a cute gimmick and never really appreciated how fortunate my timing was with this rocksolid group, but I certainly do now. If you enjoy an all-string lineup and can track down their self-titled album, you won’t be disappointed.
