Monday Quick Hits

Roster watching is a vital activity for Lions fans for the next two weeks as we await news on any further changes to the lineup and the updates on player weights.

In a tweet made on Saturday, Head Coach Pete Mangurian remarked on how the team looked leaner and how he was pleased about that.

Yesterday's first day on the field at camp was marked by absolutely gorgeous weather. Those conditions will continue in NYC today before getting a bit hotter the rest of the week. Rain is not expected anytime in the near future.

 Week two opponent Fordham is more than a week into its preseason camp and it already looks like last-minute transfer QB Michael Nebrich will indeed be the starter for the Rams. Nebrich worked under new Fordham Head Coach Joe Moorhead at UConn last year, and they obviously have a good connection.

Back from the Road!

I returned to New York just about the same time as the players reported to training camp yesterday.

Real practice begins today in a crucial evaluation period for the team. This is where we'll separate the pretenders from the contenders.

Full updates will resume here tomorrow, but here are some quick news alerts:

-The CU roster is updated as far as personnel is concerned, (weights won't be updated until a few more days from now). THREE more players are gone: DB Chris Alston, LB Eddie Hitchcock, and FB Andrew McHugh.

-As I have reported, the freshman offensive linemen are VERY likely to get some action this season. One or two may even become starters before mid-season. With that in mind, this article about freshman Keith Ramljak is very encouraging.

-Former Columbia QB M.A. Olawale's brother is making a splash with the Dallas Cowboys in preseason. Jamize Olawale scored a TD in last night's exhibition game against the Chargers. Jeff Adams '12, got into the game as well, but was not as impressive.

Good Choices

I'm still on the road this week, but there are two key updates to mention today.

DiBillio Out for 2012

I am happy to report that Princeton rising sophomore Chuck DiBillio will not be playing this fall.

You'll remember that DiBillio had an outstanding freshman campaign, rushing for 1,000+ yards and winning Ivy Rookie of the Year honors.

But soon after the season, he suffered a stroke and doctors still don't know what caused it.

The fact that DiBillio, his coaches, and his family were even considering having him return to the field before that cause was found was... well, outrageous.

I shudder to think of the huge tragedy it would be if we had a death on the field at an Ivy game or practice. In fact, that wouldn't be just a tragedy in a preventable case. It would be a crime.

For the record, I think Columbia would have defeated Princeton either way. But DiBillio's life is a lot more important than any game results.

I am glad sanity has won out in the end.


Mangurian's Latest

Now that we're closer to training camp, the latest blog post from Head Coach Pete Mangurian plays things a little closer to the vest. But it's still very good to hear from the coach as we get so close to the actual season opener.

Once again, it's important to note that Mangurian is clearly pushing his strategy to go with a leaner and meaner team. I would not be surprised if the CU roster is closer to 75 players than 100 by the time we reach the end of this season.

Two Updates!

Two quick pieces of breaking news:

1) UConn QB Michael Nebrich has transferred to QB-poor and week two opponent Fordham. He can play for the Rams right away. Will he get the starting job in time for the game at Wien Stadium on Sept. 22nd?

2) Columbia has already "signed up" it's first new recruit for the freshman class of 2013. He is Kendall Pace, a 6-5 265-pound OL from Bishop McNamara HS in Maryland.


Comment away!

Roar Lions Hits the Road

I'll be in Ohio and Illinois this week and back to NYC in time for training camp, which starts just ONE WEEK from today!

(Posting will be a bit spotty as a result for the next seven days, but rest assured that all relevant breaking news will be covered).

As fans, we tend to focus on the actual season opening game being the beginning of the season. But for the players and coaches, training camp is the true start and we're just seven days away.

This is going to be a very exciting camp as a big number of starting spots are clearly up for grabs. I just hope Head Coach Pete Mangurian and co. have enough time to evaluate the players to make a solid decision; Ivy League training camps aren't as jam-packed as BCS school slates.