Your guide to breaking news, recruiting updates and important offers from TheSabre.com! |
|
SabreMail - Aug. 20th, 2004 |
Sabre Links
Home Page Football Recruiting
Recruiting Home Basketball Recruiting
Recruiting Home Sabre Edge
Home Page Sabre Products
|
|||||
TheSabre.com isn't the National Enquirer. It's not a place for speculation, rumor, gossip and innuendo. But that was easy to forget this week when star linebacker Ahmad Brooks took an unexplained leave of absence from football practice for two days.
Why do we have that rule? Simple. It's unfair, uncivil and inappropriate to engage in speculation about the private matters of student-athletes. If something of that nature becomes part of the public record -- an arrest, a team suspension, etc. -- then it is fair game for discussion. If it's merely an allegation from a poster with no verification, then it's gossip. You wouldn't want someone gossiping about you on an Internet message board, right? So we don't allow it. Posts that included idle speculation about Brooks were deleted throughout the week. Posters who stuck to the facts could discuss the matter without facing the daisy cutter, our trusty tool for wiping out entire threads of inappropriate subject matter. Brooks returned to the team Wednesday night and said "personal issues" led to his brief hiatus. We may never know the exact nature of those issues, but it's fair to say that more than a few people overreacted to his absence and jumped to some hasty conclusions. At UVa's "Meet the Team" event on Thursday, I was talking to tailback Michael Johnson about some of the rumors and gossip on the message boards. "Wow," he said, laughing. "That's crazy." But hey, it's human nature to wonder, to speculate, to jump to conclusions, to fear the worst. Especially when a mysterious situation involves a star player, fans are going to react that way. And I have no doubt that when a similar circumstance arises in the future, things will get crazy around here once again.
John Galinsky |
||||||
Recruiting News | ||||||
This Week In Recruiting By Chris Horne Our resident recruiting expert, Chris Horne, is on vacation this week. Good timing since things are relatively quiet on the recruiting front. He'll be back on the beat next week, however, providing all the latest recruiting information and updates for Edge subscribers.
For more recruiting information and updates, please see Sabre Edge.
|
||||||
Support TheSabre.com's Sponsors | ||||||
Today's SabreMail is brought to you by Advance Auto Parts.
Sabre readers! Play the Advance Auto Parts "Sports Shuffle" every week, as many times as you like, and earn the chance to win a 3-month subscription to the Sabre Edge! Every game you play increases your chances to win. Please show your support and look to your local Advance Auto Parts store for all your automotive needs in 2004. See the link below to find a location nearest you and current store specials. As always, thank you very much for actively supporting the sponsors of TheSabre.com. Their support directly contributes to the future growth and improvement of our unique online community.
|
||||||
News, Notes and Fan Discussion | ||||||
Thousands of fans meet the team
"Our fans are second to none," said senior guard Elton Brown, one of the most in-demand players for autograph seekers. "They're the best, always supporting us." No kidding. The Cavaliers have sold 38,278 season tickets, a school-record figure that is close to what would be considered a season-ticket sellout (39,000). "We're very appreciative of all 38,278 who signed up to be with us for every one of the games," Groh said. "They're the foundation of it. By the same token, we're looking for those people who can just come once in a while, too. You don't have to be a season-ticket holder to be on this train, because that broadens our fan base." Open practices highlight training camp
TheSabre.com was represented at each open practice as John Galinsky and Greg Waters filed daily reports from Cavalier Camp. We reported all of the news, including the absence of Ahmad Brooks, the quarterback competition, the development of the receiving corps, the injuries, the scrimmage highlights and much more. Even though practices are now closed to fans and media, the daily reports will continue based on teleconferences with Groh and interviews with players. To stay on top of all the training camp developments, subscribe to Sabre Edge and get the inside scoop going into the 2004 season. Cavs picked No. 16 in AP poll Some say expectations have never been higher for a Virginia football team. That notion gained more credence when the Cavaliers were picked 16th in the AP preseason poll. UVa has been ranked higher in the preseason just once. In 1990, the 'Hoos started off at No. 15, then rose to No. 1 by midseason before falling to No. 23 in the final poll. A relatively soft early schedule could allow the Cavs to creep into the top 10 for the first time since 1998. For the entire AP preseason poll, please see the link below.
Men's basketball schedule announced Thanks to ACC expansion and the conference's decision to stick with a 16-game league schedule, the Virginia men's basketball team will not play every ACC team twice this season. The Cavaliers will face four ACC teams just once. They will play Miami (Jan. 12) and Clemson (Jan. 22) at home and travel to Georgia Tech (Jan. 8) and Duke (Jan. 16). That means UVa season-ticket holders won't get to watch the Yellow Jackets and Blue Devils -- expected to be among the nation's best teams -- at University Hall. Still, Virginia will have home games against everyone else in the conference, including Virginia Tech on Feb. 12, as well as respectable nonconference opponents such as Arizona (Nov. 21), Richmond (Nov. 28) and Western Kentucky (Jan. 5). Another schedule highlight is a neutral-court game against Auburn at the Siegel Center in Richmond. The Cavaliers open at home against Robert Morris on Nov. 19. To see the entire schedule, please see the link below.
Cavalier Sports Weekly to debut Sept. 5 It won't be your typical boring coach's show. At least that what the creators of Cavalier Sports Weekly are saying. The half-hour television show, produced by Cavalier Sports Marketing, "will consist of game highlights and features that tell the compelling stories of University of Virginia student-athletes and coaches as they strive to meet department, team and individual goals," according to a UVa press release. In other words, it will be good old Cavalier propaganda, but let's hope it's entertaining. The show debuts Sunday, Sept. 5, and runs weekly through April 17, 2005, on Comcast SportsNet. The host of the program will rotate among Virginia's student-athletes and coaches. Lunchtime Poll results We conducted several Lunchtime Polls on the football message board this week. Here are the questions, with the most common answers in parentheses.
|
||||||
TheSabreShop.com - The Place for Wahoo Gear! | ||||||
Check out what's new in TheSabreShop.com! TheSabreShop.com is ramping up for the 2004 football season. Here are just a few of the new items we have in stock. And remember, TheSabreShop.com has over 300 quality items for you to choose from.
And don't forget to browse the great selection of items we've got in-stock and ready to ship!
|
||||||
What's New on TheSabre.com? | ||||||
Sabre Edge articles and columns from the past week
There was a nice surprise waiting for the thousands of fans who showed up for "Meet the Team" Day at Scott Stadium. Ahmad Brooks, the guy who caused a mini-uproar with his mysterious two-day absence from practice, was there in his No. 34 jersey, smiling, signing autographs and claiming that his "personal issues" are now behind him. "People blew it out of proportion, saying different things about it, so I had to clear my name," said the star linebacker.
Al Groh lured Mark D'Onofrio from Rutgers to help improve UVa's recruiting presence in talent-rich New Jersey. The 34-year-old assistant coach already has paid dividends in that respect. At the same time, he is making an immediate impact on his on-field area of expertise: special teams.
The ongoing Ahmad Brooks drama, heightened by his absence from Tuesday's practice, has obscured another, much more pleasant story line during the preseason - the stellar play of fellow linebacker Darryl Blackstock. Blackstock has been a terror during training camp, flashing the all-around skills that may make him the best defender on the team. Not only is he rushing the quarterback and stopping the run effectively, he is making plays in pass coverage.
Virginia coach Al Groh says that being the starter at quarterback is not the same as being the starter at left tackle or running back. "He's the guy," Groh said. "I don't think anybody in sports is more in the limelight than the quarterback of a major college or NFL team." In that respect, Marques Hagans started settling in as "the guy" for the Cavaliers back in the spring and that process appears to be drawing to a successful conclusion.
Falling a mere 20 points short of a qualifying SAT score was not an easy fact for Olu Hall to register. But after a pep talk from Virginia defensive coordinator Al Golden, Hall says he is looking at the positive aspects of being at Hargrave Military Academy this fall. Likewise, fellow UVa commitment Brandon Albert says he is looking forward to improving academically and athletically at Hargrave before he heads to Charlottesville.
Virginia's opponents already know that Elton Brown is a devastating blocker. This season they might find out how difficult it is to block him. The 6-6, 338-pound senior, an All-America candidate at right guard, was practicing as a defensive lineman during goal-line drills Sunday.
While Virginia coach Al Groh says, "I don't think at this stage anybody on the team is eliminated at any position," the situation at quarterback seems to be gaining some clarity. Marques Hagans, as expected, is getting all of the work with the first team in scrimmages and seven-on-seven drills. The Nos. 2, 3 and 4 positions seem to be shaking out as well.
For those worried about Virginia's receiving corps, there were encouraging signs throughout the team's first open practice of training camp. There was Michael McGrew, looking sharp, fast and (most importantly) open. There was Deyon Williams, snagging long balls and running crisp routes. There was Emmanuel Byers, scooting out of the slot for several touchdown catches. Even Imhotep Durham, a walk-on, was a star Friday with a pair of sensational grabs. Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week Our resident recruiting expert, Chris Horne, provides updates for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please see the sign-up promotion below. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.
|
||||||
Sabre Edge | ||||||
Get your Wahoo fix. Subscribe to Sabre Edge!
Still not convinced? Well, we've made it even easier for you to subscribe. We offer three subscription options, including a yearly rate of $34.95, a quarterly rate of $10.95 and a 'what the heck is this thing all about' monthly rate of $4.95. So, if you're unsure, check us out for a month and see what we are offering. If you're a true Wahoo, then the Sabre Edge is right for you. Check it out!
|
SabreMail is a trademark of TheSabre.com - Copyright © 2001 - 2004 - All Rights Reserved |