The full football schedule was released last week and we’ll be covering that in a bit more detail soon, but today we just wanted to touch briefly on a couple of other recent developments around JMU Athletics.
First, the good news, or at least what we assume to be good news. JMU announced the hiring of Marlin Ikenberry to become the new leader of the Diamond Dukes and mercifully replace the [too] long-tenured Spanky McFarland. Needless to say, he’s got his work cut out for him after the otherworldly malaise of the last few years. Ikenberry’s record doesn’t shine on the surface, but even being in the .500 ballpark at a place like VMI is damned good and we’re hearing anecdoctally that he had a great reputation with players down in Lexington and he’s clearly plugged into the Virginia recruiting pipelines. It can’t get much worse than the last few years so we’re choosing to be excited about the hire. Plus, we don’t need to tell you that the name Ikenberry just screams “rootin’!”
Next, some much more concerning news out of the greater CAA. Despite the CAA’s general ideological opposition to paying Cost of Attendance Stipends (or being relevant in any way actually) even in limited sports, the conference’s membership agreed this year that the decision would be left up to each individual member school. Didn’t take long for JMU to fall behind the pack as UNCW, Towson, and College of Charleston have all announced they’ll be paying such stipends beginning immediately in some form or another. Really, forget falling further behind former “peers” like App. St. or GMU and just get used to the fact our walk in the wilderness may only be just beginning. Look, like most halfway considerate fans, we’re not all that comfortable with this idea generally or at JMU specifically, but seriously – what the hell is the purpose of massive investment in shiny new facilities if you’re going to cheap out on this and just admit you’re falling into a massive competitive disadvantage (and don’t forget Liberty is going FCOA across the board because they can afford it)? If JMU is going to stay in the CAA forever so be it, but if they’re going to continue talking about being the “national model” for anything other than monitoring the situation, don’t they at least have to keep up with their conference mates?
Last week we learned that Dante Sterling was transferring out of JMU after redshirting as a freshman. Matt Brady wasted no time replacing him on the roster. Ramone Snowden, who played for Niagra the past two years, has officially transferred to JMU. Snowden led the Purple Eagles in rebounding and was second on the team in scoring last season. He averaged 10.7 points and 6 boards a game.
Snowden appears to be a pretty good get at this stage of the game. He provided an inside presence for a relatively small Niagra squad. However, at 6’6″ and 210 pounds, he’ll most likely play more on the wing for JMU. According to what we’ve read, he’s a versatile player who can play down low and shoot from the outside. He apparently had the green light for the Purple Eagles, launching a team high 126 attempts from behind the arc. He managed to hit just 34% of them however. His versatility could definitely open things up for his teammates and help provide secondary scoring though.
Snowden will have two years of eligibility remaining and will sit out this upcoming season, per NCAA transfer regulations. He had previously committed to ODU in high school, but went to Niagra after failing to meet the Monarch’s academic standards. He was rumored to be considering playing for Liberty or George Mason prior to committing to JMU.
We’re both traveling this week plus there just ain’t much going on, but a few quick items to get your JMU fix:
Still looks best in this uni!
– C.J. Sapong has bounced back from his off-field struggles to tear things up on the field lately. He’s scoring in bunches now for the Philly Union and led them to a win over MLS front-runners Seattle last week.
– AD Jeff Bourne sent out a solid follow-up to the gameday experience survey including disclosing a fact we definitely agree with. Namely, that kickoff times between 3-6 p.m. are the best. Hopefully we’ll see a lot more of those in the near future.
– Finally, it’s June 30th, 2015, do you know where your “comprehensive plan to strengthen JMU’s ‘national’ athletics brand” is?
Everett Withers doesn’t mess around. JMU’s head coach has spoken a lot about creating a new culture for JMU football and holding everyone accountable to his high standards. Yesterday, he backed up the talk. Withers dismissed three players who failed to live up to his expectations from the program. The players, Rhakeem Stallings, Jimmy Moreland, and K.J. Ford, were charged with petty larceny earlier this year and were suspended indefinitely. They’re due in court today, but Withers had had enough apparently. He offered the following explanation:
It is my responsibility to grow and mentor young people as we take our journey through the process of building a culture in the JMU football program. We must establish a foundation that seeks competitive excellence on and off the field. We set standards and we mentor our student-athletes to meet those standards. Unfortunately, these three young men are no longer associated with James Madison University football due to violations of our team core values and disregard for the legal system. When individuals threaten the integrity of our team appropriate action will be taken.
Make no doubt about it, this is a tough loss for the Dukes on the field. Moreland was a fan favorite and a tremendous talent. As a true freshman, he started all but one game at corner last season. He had three picks, 12 pass break ups, and blocked a ridiculous 5 kicks. The sky was the limit for him. Stallings was no slouch either. The redshirt sophomore started 10 games at linebacker and was third on the team in tackles with 80. Ford redshirted last season, but the defensive lineman was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school.
While this does nothing to raise our expectations for the defense this fall, it’s a good move for the program as a whole. Withers is huge on accountability and this sort of decisive action definitely sets a tone and helps avoid any Andre Nation or Justin Thorpe type situations down the road. Withers has made it clear that he wants players to excel on the field and set an example off it. Dismissing players as talented as Moreland and Stallings shows he’s not kidding around.
It’s still 73 days until JMU kicks off the 2015 football season on September 5 against Morehead State. It’s a date we’ve been looking forward to for months. It’s also a game that we only kinda sorta care about. No disrespect to Morehead State (the alma mater of the great Phil Simms btw), but the Eagles won’t be given much of a shot to win by anyone. And with good reason. They don’t have anywhere near the resources or support that JMU has. And as a result, this figures to be little more than a tune-up against a team from a school that few JMU fans have much of a connection with.
It’s still a home game though, with all of the opportunities to tailgate, catch up with old friends, and watch Vad Lee and the Dukes perform. It’s going to be fun and we’re definitely looking forward to it. However, much like recent out of conference opponents St. Francis or Central Connecticut States, Morehead State isn’t exactly a team that leaves JMU fans overcome with excitement.
Coach Withers and his staff seem to have less affinity for these sorts of match-ups than the previous regime. We’ve heard a lot of talk about “juice” and a willingness to take on FBS teams, but he’s been locked in scheduling wise. We don’t yet know what sort of out of conference schedule JMU play when Withers is calling the shots. But that doesn’t mean we can’t play fantasy AD ourselves and aimlessly speculate. read more…
So in the spirit of BuzzFeed’s most awful listicle, we’ll just keep trucking along with our Offseason Lists. After throwing out random, old-nerd beer and book selections, this week we’re fessing up to all the dad rock we’re listening to this summer in our first Offseason Listening List. As you’ll quickly be able to tell, we can be a little locked-in-our-genres and have some big blind spots, but we like everything so share in the comments what you’re into this summer.
Shakey Graves – Dearly Departed: This former one-man band is now a three piece band with what appear to be two 13 year olds, but these guys have huge potential if they can keep any semblance of control on their on-stage partying. This song was one of a couple featuring Esme Patterson helping out on vocals and is fantastic.
The Lone Bellow – Heaven Don’t Call Me Home: This song’s not exactly predictive of the entire excellent album Then Came the Morning, but it sure does make me happy (and I’m guessing Zac will agree here).
Sturgill Simpson – Turtles All the Way Down: It’s not the best song on the incredible Metamodern Sounds in Country Music album, but it’s easily one of the most original lyrical topics and the clearest sign to date that the worst of the shittastic bro-country era may finally be behind us (also see Stapleton, Chris)
Jenny Lewis – Just One of the Guys: I wasn’t a Rilo Keilly nut, but I liked this song immediately and have been surprised by it’s staying power for the last few months. I’m still happy to hear it every time.
Hiss Golden Messenger – Saturday’s Song: This isn’t new, but seeing this truly dad-group perform on their limited touring schedule was the highlight of the year show-wise so far.
Eric Church – Like a Wrecking Ball: I think Church may finally be the one those of us that still like country music have been waiting for – a mainstream-accepted act that doesn’t sound like just another frosted-haired Kenny Chesney.
Rayland Baxter – Olivia: For Dric.
Amy Helm – Rescue Me: Hey it’s Levon Helm’s kid and who knew? She seems to be finding her way just fine.
Hozier – From Eden: An unexpected highlight of my only festival so far this year. When I first heard Take Me to Church, I’m guessing I wasn’t alone I immediately thinking “this is great, but definitely a one-hit wonder type.” But there’s real depth in his eponymous album and his former connections to the Trinity.
Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks – Little Fang: I know absolutely nothing about the who, how, or what the hell is going on with this group? person? album? but somehow this has been on our house playlist for months and neither of us have wanted to cut it out.
Chris Stapleton – Tennessee Whiskey: Former songwriter for big names finally showing why he should’ve been the one on stage all along.
And a few bonus picks from Rob:
Lady Lamb – Billions of Eyes: What can I say? I’m a rapidly approaching middle aged man who likes girl indie-pop. So be it.
Sufjan Stevens – Should Have Known Better: One of those songs where, depending on your perspective, you could dive into the lyrics and come away either feeling depressed or incredibly uplifted, or you could just zone out and enjoy the melody. In short, it’s a Sufjan Stevens song.
Toro Y Moi – Empty Nesters: If I could dance, this song would make me want to dance. Repeatedly. The acoustic version might be even better too.
Heems – Sometimes: I just dig it. And I want to spur a debate about whether or not this playlist we created is “eclectic” or “completely and utterly disjointed.”
Neon Indian – Annie: I’ve gone back and forth on this song for a few days now, but I’m starting to really dig it. Perhaps it’s because I think that if I was in a cheesy summer comedy, this would be a great song to play during a montage of me and my goofy friends fixing a car, saving a school, or something like that. Or maybe it’s just catchy.
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Alabama Pines: No JMUSB music list would be complete without some Jason Isbell. However, it would be virtually impossible for us to narrow it down to one particular song, so we’ll go with this great suggestion from @DaveButz. Really though, anything by Jason Isbell is alright by us.
Gogol Bordello – Start Wearing Purple: Because we’re Rootin ‘fer Dukes!
Rogue has been crafting fine ales for decades. The wonderful folks from Newport, Oregon have recently created a special brew that might be just about the perfect JMU football tailgaiting beverage. You guessed it, it’s a purple. It’s called Wasted Sea Star Purple Pale Ale and it’s believed to be the world’s first purple beer.
Brewed with purple corn nectar, the beer has a distinct reddish-purple hue. And since it’s made by Rogue, you can count on it to be tasty. We’ve longed for a purple beverage to show our Dukes’ pride on gamedays. Sure, there’s Purple Drank, but we prefer to leave that to the Lil’ Waynes of the world. A purple pale ale is much more our style.
It turns out, the brewers at Rogue aren’t actually brewing this beer specifically for us Dukes fans. Shocking, we know. Instead, it’s being brewed to raise awareness of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome, which is a pandemic killing millions of sea stars along the Pacific Coast. A portion of the proceeds from the beer will go towards research to fight the pandemic. So it’s for a good cause. But mostly, it’s purple.
Sadly, the beer is only available in limited quantities in Oregon, Washington, and California. If any Dukes fans from out there will be making the trip back to the ‘burg this fall for a game, bring a few bottles of the purple stuff. And feel free to share.
Tom Yeager, the only commissioner the Colonial Athletic Association has ever known, announced his intention to retire today. This upcoming school year, will be Yeager’s last as commish. He’s held the position since the league was founded all the way back in 1985. JMU was a founding member, along with Richmond, George Mason, William & Mary, East Carolina, UNCW, American, and the Naval Academy.
Much has changed since the conference was founded 30 years ago. It’s obvious that many JMU fans would like the school to move on for greener pastures. At its peak though, the CAA was a pretty fantastic mid-major hoops league and the premier FCS football conference in the land. Tom Yeager deserves a lot of credit for the league’s success. During his tenure as commissioner, “the conference has produced 19 national team champions in five different sports, 33 individual national champions, 16 national coaches of the year and 17 national players of the year.” That’s remarkable.
By no means am I an expert on CAA history, nor am I particularly well informed about the inner workings of the league office. I don’t get why some JMU fans grumble every time Yeager’s name is mentioned though and seem to blame him for JMU’s current “struggles” to find a fit in today’s college sports landscape. Seems like misplaced anger.
I’m not arguing the CAA is a great league or the right home for JMU. That’s a topic for a different day. Whatever your thoughts on the state of the conference though, JMU needs to own its place in it. Letting Sherman Dillard and Dean Keaner run the hoops program into the ground, while pouring millions of more dollars into football than its peers, didn’t exactly create a strong bond between JMU and its more hoops-focused league brethren. It shook things up to the point of instability.
After that when the realignment dominoes started falling, the hoops schools with better options headed for the door. There were other factors at play, and maybe those schools would have eventually left anyway. JMU’s actions definitely played a role in the CAA’s massive transformation though. Gripe all you want about the replacement schools (and I do, repeatedly), but don’t blame Yeager if you’re frustrated that JMU is stuck in a “crumbling” CAA. Plus, if we’re being honest here, mocking the CAA and acting like JMU is too good for it, is just counterproductive. Doing it despite the fact that the Dukes are far from dominant in hoops or football, really ain’t a good look for us as a fanbase. Neither is taking out our frustrations on the league commish. Instead, let’s wish him well and tip our hats to a heck of a career.
Don’t worry, a little light reading won’t turn you into one of these guys.
So this is more than a bit off-topic from our usual selections, but it’s the offseason and we don’t want to completely disappear. In the spirit of that offseason, we present the inaugural edition of JMUSB’s Summer Reading List (really brings back the warm memories, eh?). Look, it’s established that we’re old dorks. But we certainly aren’t literary experts, so take this with a grain a salt and feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments. Hopefully you get a chance to sit on the beach with something worthwhile for you.
1) A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash – Simply the best book I’ve read in the last three years. Completely unexpected and I’m forever in debt to the amazing woman that pointed me in Cash’s direction. I can’t even talk about it because to try to explain anything will ruin it. Just read this right now and don’t ask questions.
2) The Long Lavender Look by John D. McDonald – Ok, this one’s a bit of a personal pick and it may not be for everyone (particularly anyone under 30 or so), but McDonald’s Travis McGee is my favorite recurring character ever created. I’ve been patiently spacing out the 20 or so McGee novels, limiting myself to one per beach vacation (basically once a year), and I’m
This would still be “newfangled” technology to McGee.
legitimately sad that I’m nearly through these fun, but often melancholy and never without a grisly death or two, time-capsules to the [mostly] 70’s south Florida. You can really start anywhere in the series, but the world’s best indie-version private eye stories rarely disappoint. PC-crazies should beware that while McDonald’s views on crime, law enforcement, and sometimes even the environment are way ahead of his time, there’s a definite Mad Men-era attitude towards race and gender here. The Long Lavender Look is not typical of McGee (there’s no long-distance travel and very little houseboat cruising time), but it’s a cool picture of a part of South Florida that hardly exists at all today. So pour yourself some Plymouth on ice and find yourself a cheap folding chair.
3) Serena by Ron Rash – Some (though judging from the numbers not many) of you may have seen Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence reprising their frequent relationship in the movie based on this novel last year, but as always the book >>>>> the movie and this is definitely worth the read.
4) The Night Swimmer by Matt Bondurant – Homer pick, but also legit. We’ve plugged this one by JMU’s own Bondurant before, but I’ve also been surprised how much the feeling and eerie mood of this story of modern searching at the edge of Ireland has stuck with me a few years after reading it. The couple in the book combines the tropish Ugly American with a real searcher in a way that oddly hits home and I always like a story with subtle, but not cartoonish, hints of the supernatural/spiritual world.
5) Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote – Gotta have a classic on the list and with all the hype and controversy over the “new” Harper Lee novel due out this summer, the debut novel by her longtime compatriot and mentor seems fitting. The most stunning thing about Other Voices is that it was published in 1948. 1948. It’s just incredible how fresh the issues discussed still seem given that sexual and gender identity issues have only recently taken center-stage in American life.
6) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – Thrones and Potter nerds unite for summer reading fan service!
7) Praisesong for the Widow by Paule Marshall – shoutout to Dr. Bryce-Finch wherever you are. If you take the time to check this out, you’ll realize it’s about as far away from my own life experience and privilege as possible, but this one always slows me down and helps me find empathy for others through the realization we all really have no idea what anyone else’s story really is. You can find a great searching-for-deeper-meaning story through a protagonist with any background.
8) Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: 16 Writers on the Decision Not to Have Kids edited by Meghan Daum – maybe this non-fiction selection is a little too personal, but it’s a great thought-experiment whether you actually identify with this thought personally or just question your friends’ or family members’ decisions.
What’s everyone else reading this summer?
Former JMU tight end Mike Caussin recently got married. Normally a JMU football alum tying the knot wouldn’t be news, but Caussin got hitched to a celebrity of sorts. His bride is the lovely Jana Kramer. According to US Weekly, Kramer is a country singer and One Tree Hill alum. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about One True Hill is, but apparently being an alumnus of it is important to tabloid readers. That’s fine. We’ve always had sort of an understanding with US Weekly that we’ll cover the JMU alumni related stuff and they’ll take everything else. It works out well.
Here are a few other JMU related nuggets to start your week with.
There is no league policy on the issue, but JMU and every other CAA Football program have decided not to provide athletes the full cost of attendance. Also, note that the article states JMU home games will be featuring replay reviews this season.
Checking out the West Virginia hoops schedule shows us that JMU will play the Mountaineers in Charleston, WV on November 16. That’s a solid OOC road game for the Dukes.
Coach Brady announced the signing of JUCO transfer Shakir Brown. The 6’6″ guard/forward averaged 20 and 10 playing for Angelina College in Texas. He shot 48% from the field and a solid 36% from long range.
The Diamond Dukes’ Kyle McPherson was named to the 2015 Lousville Slugger Freshman All America team. The second baseman batted .311 and had an on-base percentage of .401. He was also named the CAA Rookie of the Year.
Other than that, my Google alert just tells me that lots of small town papers are very proud of their local kids who made the dean’s list at JMU. Slow week.
