More Spring Game Notes
-While Marcorus Garrett looked great overall in the game, some critics tell me he still has what they call "happy feet" when hits the hole. This slows him down and affects his momentum.
-Head Coach Pete Mangurian was on the field most of the game directing traffic. Norries Wilson used to do this too, but not to the extent that we saw Friday night. Mangurian was also very vocal when players didn't run routes the way he wanted them.
After the game, the coaching staff headed right out of town to mount a major recruiting trip for the class of 2017. There will be no games to watch of course, so these visits will be all about meeting with the recruits, their families and coaches. This is a crucial moment for the new Mangurian staff because it's the start of the first recruiting process where the first Columbia reps these kids will be seeing are Mangurian's people.
Cruelest Cuts of All
We're out of "rumor territory," according to Mangurian's interview last week with Dalen Cuff, the coach is really looking to cut some players and get the roster size down.
I've heard that as many as 15 players will go, but it's possible that high number is more of a motivational tool from the staff and in reality the real number lost will be a lot smaller.
Remember, with only about 75 players on the roster right now, a 15 player cut would be a 20% reduction in veteran personnel. That also means that with 34 incoming freshmen, the total number of players on the team this fall should be about 95.
But with depth always an issue, which players will get the axe?
A Chorus Line
Maybe the most controversial part about the spring game was all the dancing done by the defensive unit after strong plays and series.
I don't really have a problem with that kind of enthusiasm, but I can see why a lot of football purists hated it.
Obviously, Coach Mangurian had no problem with it and he even sent out the above dance picture on his Twitter feed.
Feel free to weigh in in the comments section.
Chelsea Janes Strikes Again!
Yale Daily News writer and graduating senior Chelsea Janes once again lays the Eli Administration bare with a scathing and on-target review of the book that so many Ivy academics clearly use as their guide to destroying athletics in the Ancient Eight.
Sadly, Columbia's Jonathan Cole could easily be confused as the author of the same book as he has come to many of the same false conclusions in his calls to reduce recruited athletics at Ivy schools.
The only crucial point Janes leaves out is the fact that since ancient times, the best scholars valued athletic ability and effort as a key component to intellectual stimulation. Healthy mind, healthy body and vice versa.
Now, we face obesity epidemics and students of all ages lying around texting or buried in laptops instead of getting physical activity.
With the way their teachers denigrate athletes, is this any wonder?
11 comments:
I wouldn't mind dancing in the hole IF they made people miss, but they just stood there in the hole??? I still need someone with the ability to turn the corner and make people miss. I haven't seen it. In fairness to the Gerst fans, they never gave him a pitch to go outside and turn the corner. When Nick did get the ball inside, he was mauled. He did have great hands out of the backfield, so that's an additional weapon/outlet for Brackett. Lots to fix, and not lots of depth...
Again, GREAT punting! Tough KOs and need to fix the FGs/PATs - which could make, or break games in the Ivies. Bring in a kicking coach/consultant to fix that and we should be good. I saw these kids warm up and they have very good legs!
Players dancing after a 1st team versus 2nd team scrimmage, really? Coach Murphy and Bagnolli would THROW the players off the field. What in the WORLD are they celebrating? Coach Mangurian - food for thought as it is a reflection of you/your staff; act professionally from the top down!
There was a Diane M. sighting at the game. This would have been a GREAT opportunity for her to work the crowd and shake hands... no such luck! New class at GS... Interpersonal Skills 101, take it!
Players dancing after a first team and second team scrimmage? OMG #1 lion! Give them a break, they were just having some fun! They are NOT professionals and they were serious during their scrimmage session. To me and the rest of the fans around this was NOT a reflection on Coach M's unprofessionalism. Showed us that he encouraged some competition.
What's odd about the Yale/Levin debate over the worth of athletics on an elite college campus is that the University of Chicago tells us what happens when the Administration kills competitive sports.
Chicago is a great school. One of the best universities in the nation. But if the argument is that by eliminating recruited athletes an elite university would strengthen its student body over time, Chicago doesn't really prove that point.
In particular, Levin suggests that the bottom of Ivy classes are filled with athletes who drag down performance. But the 25th percentile of Columbia's undergraduate college has an SAT of 2080 and an ACT of 31. The 25th percentile at Chicago has an SAT of 2090 and an ACT of 30. Tough to see how the athletes are dragging down alma mater.
In fact, Chicago is a less selective school than any of the Ivies. Without criticizing Chicago at all, it's certainly not more in demand among the best and brightest students in the country than Columbia or Yale.
And maybe I'm biased because I had such a great time at the Harvard-Columbia basketball game this year, but I doubt Chicago offers a better student or alumni experience than Columbia.
In the end, sports adds something positive to student life, and the athletes make Columbia a more interesting place than Chicago. The games are fun for students and alumni and they create a lifetime of good memories for the athletes. And there is no significant impact on academic quality that results from playing FCS football!
Chicago certainly proves that you can have an elite university without sports, but it doesn't prove that you would end up with a superior student body. I think Chicago's low national profile and smaller applicant pool proves something quite different.
The University of Chicago is known as the school where fun went to die. It has no campus life, but interestingly it has a better field house on campus than Levin.
I have no problem with a celebratory
dance after a good stop. It serves as a bonding ritual and encourages the concept that the D is a unit and, as such, is only as strong as its weakest part. I think the O should get a dance too if they score!
Jeff Adams gets some love from SI.Com http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/don_banks/04/24/watchlist/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_wr_a1
Check out Mangurian's blog. (www.petemangurian.wordpress.com) He's got some interesting things to say about the offense from the game, and leave comment on his blog. Let him know what you think.
Coach seems to be happy with whoever is running with the first unit at the fullback position. Who might that be?
Jake, you mistakenly said "destroyin academics" in your writeup.
The starting fullback next year should be Andrew McHugh. Big, tough kid from MA. He's hurt now (broken foot), but should be ready next year.
Not to belabor the point, but would you ever see Matt Sodl, John Alex, Galen Schnyder, or Des Werthman dance after THEY made plays? think about it. Those were guys represented the program, and the University, with great respect; and now we have dancing in scrimages?? Forget my observation/judgement, just think about what those players would do...
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