Ahmad Brooks is no longer on the Virginia football team.

The Virginia football team opened spring practice Wednesday and there was plenty of news to kick things off. First, Al Groh officially announced the dismissals of Ahmad Brooks, Tony Franklin, and Vince Redd. Groh did not give an official reason for the decision.

"It's a privilege, not a right, to wear the Cavalier jersey and to represent our University community. There's certain things that are vital to putting your team together every year and those things become in sharper focus and multiplied when you're in a rebuilding circumstance as we are. Those things are focus, commitment, dependability and so while each one of these players circumstances are distinctly different, in order to put the team together with some consistency and dependability, I've decided that it's best for us to move on from these circumstances and it's best for these players to move on," Groh said.

"Each circumstance is different. They're all in school. They're all pursing their academic circumstances, but I think it is essential that internally, or leadership-wise, that we have the discipline within our organization [to make sure that things are] done the right way and not just to chase talent for talent's sake. That's how you put a team together. So that's what we're doing," he added.

Groh also shed some light on the quarterback position being vacated by Marques Hagans by naming Christian Olsen as the No. 1 QB for the spring. Olsen has one year of eligibility remaining after transferring here from Notre Dame earlier in his career.

"We'll start the spring with Chris Olsen. He'll be the first guy to go into the huddle," Groh said. "Kevin McCabe will follow him in and that's the way it is and that's the way it's going to stay until performance by any of the quarterbacks determines otherwise."

The best way to keep up with everything that's happening with spring football and Virginia athletics is to subscribe to the Sabre Edge. Sabre Edge Info and Sign Up

Staff Report
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Basketball recruiting.

Sabre EDGE subscribers should be sure to check out new video of Johnnie Lett. Lett, a 6-9, 235-pound PF/C prospect who signed with UVa last fall, averaged 15.6 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game this season in leading Ben C. Rain (Mobile, AL) to a 17-8 record.

The video is posted on Lett's Sabre.com recruiting card. Stay tuned for video on UVa's other signees/commitments as well as 2007 class commitment Sam Zeglinski, the talented point guard out of Penn Charter High School in Philadelphia.

Football recruiting.

State of Virginia players fared pretty well at last weekend's Scout.com combine. West Springfield QB Peter Lalich and Hampton QB Tyrod Taylor certainly showed their talents, but Kempsville wide receiver Mordecai "Jay" Smith stole the show and was named offensive MVP.

Smith, a 6-2, 190-pound wide receiver, ran a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and really performed well in one-on-one drills. He had received official offers from Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Maryland, N.C. State, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech before the combine and, as a result of his combine performance, Smith's recruitment heated up even more according to his father.

Smith plans on attending UVa's spring game next month.

The 6-5, 235-pound Lalich recently added scholarship offers from Miami, N.C. State, and UCLA to go along with previous offers from Pittsburgh, Ohio, and Virginia. Arizona State and Oklahoma are in heavy pursuit as well for the talented signal caller, who plans on visiting California, USC, and Virginia (for the spring game) next month.

Lalich still favors UVa and still plans on knowing his collegiate destination by May 30. He is not sure if he will announce on that day, however.

Hampton's 6-1, 180-pound star quarterback Tyrod Taylor didn't participate in testing last weekend but threw well. Taylor has 11 official scholarship offers according to his father, who also stated that he and his son plan to visit Virginia Tech twice - once for spring practice and again for the spring game - and will try to get to Virginia for the spring game as well.

Glenmore Country Club, nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside Charlottesville, is one of the most beautiful places in the Commonwealth. Just ask Al Groh, who lives there. But you don't have to be a resident (or a football coach) to enjoy what Glenmore has to offer.

Become a corporate or non-resident member and enjoy golf on its 18-hole, par-72 championship course designed by architect John LaFoy. Treat your employees or clients to a round they won't forget. Or host a fundraising tournament there.

While you're at it, how about holding your next board meeting in the Pinnacle Room at Glenmore? Enjoy lunch and an afternoon round of golf. Please check out Glenmore's Web site to learn more about all their great services.

Thank you for actively supporting the sponsors of TheSabre.com. Sponsorships are a critical component of our business and sponsors' success will permit us to continually improve our services to you, our community.

NewsLink is Your One-Stop Shop for Cavalier News

TheSabre.com provides an excellent service for the Virginia fan base that you may not know about: Newslink. Sabre NewsLink provides you with links to the daily news on your Hoos. Our staff checks the Internet each morning to locate and link to articles from various online media sources from around the state and beyond. We even throw some interesting ACC news to let you know what the Hoos' opponents are up to. Sabre NewsLink is updated every morning, 365 days a year!

Today's Virginia articles included updates on men's basketball, baseball, football, and more! Check out Sabre NewsLink today,

License Plate Gallery for Wahoowa Section

Sabre user evankyle21 set off a fun thread on the football board this week with this post asking for a few suggestions:

Subject: OT: Need a good license plate idea to support UVA Football ...
Posted by: evankyle21 on Thu Mar 30 2006 3:46:28 PM
Message: or just to show I'm a UVA fan. I might be moving to Ohio, for work, later this summer and I'm trying to come up with something good to put on an Ohio license plate to show some support for the Hoos! Any help would be great..... I tried CAVMAN, but it's already taken (Obviously because of the Cleveland Cavaliers). You can check out the full thread here.

That got us thinking. We're sure that many Sabre-ites have UVa-related license plates on their vehicles. (Take H8Tech for instance, who obviously is not a VT supporter!) Well, we want to see your plates and we'll make a photo gallery in the Wahoowa section of the site.

All you need to do is snap a picture of your license plate and email it to [email protected] with the header: License Plate Photo. If you have a really cool ride (I don't know, maybe Xzibit pimped it for you) and want to include a photo of you with your car and plates, that's cool too.

We'll let you know about the gallery once it gets started!

Hot Topics

On March 27, The Daily Progress in Charlottesville published a story titled: Survey: Honor code lacks support at UVa. The article reports the findings of an Honor Committee survey, the results of which were released shortly after an open honor trial. The student was found guilty of lying.

The Sabre's message board "The Corner" is the perfect place to discuss such reports and discuss Sabre-ites did. You can check out the full thread here. Here are a couple of sample posts on the topic:

Subject: Between your signature in 1957 and mine in 1971, some things had already changed
Posted by: southdenverhoo on Mon Mar 27 2006 12:08:07 PM
Message: IIRC, it had been determined (how? in an honor trial? I don't know) that presenting a fake ID to obtain liquor was OK, that being less than perfectly honest in "matters of the heart" was OK....and that taking advantage of a malfunctioning soda machine to obtain sodas without paying for them was OK as well. But cheating at cards as well as cheating in any academic setting--were absolutely beyond the pale.

Writing a bad check, it seemed, depended somehow on how fast you made it good...and I remember a girl in a public trial who was booted for a lie she told in the honor investigation itself--not the original charged offense of cheating on a take-home, but rather lying about whether she made a particular statement to her accusers.

Charley Whitebread, a popular law professor, gave the honor lecture in those days and he explained these decisions as determinations reflective of the community's conception of what was "lying", what was "stealing", etc. In other words, again IIRC, the words took definition, spirit, and life--from the community.

I don't know, that it seems to me means that it's going to be fluid through the ages. I once saw someone I knew very slightly, stuffing 7 oz beer bottles (remember those?) into the game pocket of a hunting vest in preparation for a concert, in the aisle of 7Day Jr. He was crouched down in such a fashion that the very busy clerks at the front couldn't see him, but I couldn't know whether that positioning was deliberate or not. Had I stayed I might have verified that he was sneaking out, or I might have merely verified that, once thouroughly equipped and ready to sneak into U-Hall, he actually presented the 12 pack container for payment.

I have to admit that I made the conscious decision not to inform myself further, and rather to just assume he was gonna pay. I DID make the decision though to bring back my own hunting vest the next time I went home (not for theft but for sneaking booze) ...

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Subject: A nice post, SDH, that makes a number of condign points. First among these is
Posted by: Doug on Mon Mar 27 2006 12:33:56 PM
Message: that, while the system holds itself out as pristine, relativism sneaks in through the back door. Rather than punishing all acts of dishonesty equally, we punish some and completely ignore others, never bothering to calibrate the punishment to the magnitude of the offense. This, IMO, is predictable from the very nature of a single sanction.

Second is the musing upon the question of the "fluidity" of the honor system. What does it mean if HOOINRAL is held to one standard in the 1950s, you to another in the '70s, and I to another in the '80s (older student here)? Plainly, it cannot mean that HOOINRAL was dishonest for acts deemed not so in your or my time.

*****************************************************************************************************

Subject: They need more training on what it is and what it means
Posted by: GoHoos99 on Mon Mar 27 2006 11:22:31 AM
Message: I got a 15 minute video before coming to school and, other than writing the pledge, I never heard another thing about how to report people or what to report. There should be mandatory information sessions on what is required of each student, how they go about turning someone in, and what constitutes a violation.

Also, I was in the e-school where "collaboration" was basically the rule rather than the exception. I got hurt by it to a large extent because I was friends with more people outside the e-school than in. But what was I going to do, turn the entire e-school in? It wasn't practical. Now, if I saw someone blatantly cheating, I would've found out how to turn them in, but there is a lot of gray area and 99% of people I saw in the eschool lived in that gray area.

UVA Bookstores' You Pick Em Contest

Lacrosse fans, don't miss a chance to participate in UVA Bookstores' You Pick Em Contest. The game is simple: The first contestant who picks the winner and comes closest to predicting the final score of the next men's lacrosse game wins. In case of ties, the earliest entry will be awarded the prize.

Get the complete rules and enter this week's contest at UVabookstores.com.

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• UVa Baseball Heads to N.C. State for Key ACC Series: No. 14 Virginia takes to the road looking to continue its good start in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers travel to No. 21 N.C. State for a three-game conference series. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m., on Sunday.
• Cavalier Women's Golfers Head to Bryan National Collegiate: The 17th-ranked Virginia women's golf team will play in the ninth annual Bryan National Collegiate this weekend, March 31 through April 2, just outside of Greensboro. The 54-hole event will be contested at Bryan Park's par-72. 6,210-yard Champions Course. The tournament is hosted by Wake Forest and UNC Greensboro.
• Cavaliers Defeat James Madison:The Virginia women's lacrosse team played in the 500th varsity contest in school history Wednesday and defeated in-state rival James Madison, 17-6. The Cavaliers (9-2) were led by Ginger Miles' 10 saves in the cage and a record-tying performance from Blair Weymouth, who had five assists.

Fore more information on Virignia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

UVa Helmet Cap The UVA helmet cap, by Twins Enterprises, comes in navy or orange. It is a low profile cap with an adjustable strap back. The UVA football helmet is prominently embroidered on the front of the cap and "Virginia" runs along the left side of the bill. Regular Price: $15.99 Sale Price: $9.88

Hurry, our Clearance Sale is entering its last few weeks!
Enter Clearance Sale Area

Sabre articles from the past week

NATM: Saliba and Staff Play Important Role
Most every college athlete has been through an injury, be it a mild-sprained ankle or a torn ligament. And, if they've been through it while at Virginia, they've seen Dr. Ethan Saliba and his Athletic Training Clinical staff housed in the McCue Center. March, which is National Athletic Training Month, celebrates the contributions of athletic trainers and raises awareness about the profession.

Olsen's Time Is Now At UVa
Christian Olsen hasn't been named the starting quarterback for Cavaliers season opener against Pittsburgh, but the Virginia senior took a pretty big step forward Tuesday when coach Al Groh essentially named him the front runner to replace Marques Hagans. Olsen's steady personality may be exactly the "Cool Hand Luke" attitude these Cavaliers need.

Players Start Spring 'Interview' Process
Spring football opened at Virginia on Wednesday with a lot of question marks surrounding a variety of positions. Who is going to handle the kicking duties? Who are the players at middle linebacker? What about center? All those questions should lead to an interesting spring as players battle for positions. Of course, all they have to do is impress the coaches.

Spring Practice Set to Start
The Virginia football team opens practice Wednesday as the Cavaliers prepare for the April 22 Spring Game and the 2006 season. UVa coach Al Groh addressed the media Tuesday as a kickoff for the spring practice period and several items of interest were discussed, including the dismissals of linebacker Ahmad Brooks, safety Tony Franklin, and defensive end Vince Redd. Also, Groh noted that Christian Olsen would be the No. 1 quarterback entering the spring practice period.

Sabre Roundtable: Supersized Spring, Part 2
In Part 1 of the Sabre's Supersized Spring Roundtable, we tackled the offense. This time around, we're taking a look at the defense where Chris Long and Marcus Hamilton are the likely stars this coming season. And what about the special teams? Who will replace Connor Hughes and Kurt Smith? See what the panel of the Sabre's Kris Wright, Chris Horne, Mike Ingalls, Greg Waters, Nick Sauer, and WINA's Jed Williams have to say in this set of questions. (Editor's note: The answers to these questions were provided prior to Tuesday's press conference with Al Groh so the status of some players were not known at that time.)

Sabre Roundtable: Supersized Spring, Part 1
Spring football practice starts Wednesday for Virginia, which means there are plenty of things to talk about. For instance, who in the world will replace Marques Hagans? Who is ready to step on the offensive line? Who is going to score all those goal line touchdowns since Wali Lundy is gone? Well, we've assembled a supersized Sabre Roundtable - Kris Wright, Mike Ingalls, Chris Horne, Greg Waters, Nick Sauer, and Jed Williams are all weighing in to answer all those questions and more. So, here's the first helping of the Spring Football Sabre Roundtable and don't forget to come back for seconds tomorrow morning!

Posing 5 Questions for the Spring
Every year there are questions entering spring camp. For many, they may be obvious. The Sabre decided to take a look at five of the biggest issues facing the Virginia Cavaliers as they enter 2006 spring camp. Keep in mind, our goal is not to answer the questions; just to share what we feel is at the top of the priority list. The fact is, most of these questions will likely not be answered until three or four games into the 2006 season.

Cavaliers Dismantle Blue Jays
Virginia had the school record 8-0 start and consensus No. 1 national ranking, but Johns Hopkins had both the championship trophy and the bragging rights. The Cavaliers took back the latter and showed that they are a strong candidate to recover the former as well, beating the Blue Jays 12-6 in front of a record Klöckner Stadium crowd of 7,440 on Saturday afternoon.

Offensive Ward: No. 1 Cavs Feature High Octane Offense
Virginia lacrosse player Matt Ward has racked up 112 goals and 57 assists in his career. Ward has scored in 47 of the 53 games that he's played in at UVa. That's led to 169 points to date. Now, if Ward could just become as accurate at shooting as Jack Bauer. OK, you've got me there - even Ward would agree that no one can be as accurate as Jack Bauer. But one suspects that Ward would appreciate the humor in that statement. After all, he is an avid TV and 24 fan. He's also a bit of a movie buff.

Last Ball in U-Hall: Staley Stars at Every Stop
With the Virginia women's basketball team set for a WNIT game at Pittsburgh tonight, the Sabre's Last Ball in U-Hall series (which will continue through the official opening of the new John Paul Jones Arena) takes a look at one of the Cavaliers' all-time greats: Dawn Staley. The Philadelphia guard helped UVa to a 110-21 record in her four years before moving on to a successful professional career where she became the first U.S. professional to record 1,000 assists

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Q&A Session: UVa Signee Jamil Tucker
In his senior season, 6-9, 220-pound Jamil Tucker averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and three assists for West Side High School in Gary, Indiana. Rated the #77 overall prospect in the country by Scout.com and a first-team all-area performer in his senior season, Tucker, who is by all accounts a gifted outside shooter, should add some offense to UVa's 2006-2007 squad. But he hopes to add a lot more to UVa's squad and looks forward to the opportunity of playing under head coach Dave Leitao.

Crouse Expecting Big Senior Season
At only 5-8, 210 pounds, Pulaski (VA) running back Kevin Crouse plays with big heart. He has been a starter since his freshman year and, this past season, led the team in rushing with over 1,600 yards and 19 touchdowns. He's eyeing bigger and better things for his senior season and hopes he can earn a few scholarship offers along the way.

Jamestown Brothers Make Clear Impression
With their father being in the Military, Brandon and Byron Clear are used to moving. Last July they made their latest move, which was to Williamsburg, Virginia, and to Jamestown High School. The move may be a key reason why the brothers haven't had as much recruiting attention as some others at this point but, with impressive performances at the San Antonio National Junior combine as well as this past weekend's Scout.com combine in Durham, their recruitments could start to pick-up.

Around the State: Players Show Well in Durham
OL William Alvarez, Jamestown standouts Brandon and Byron Clear, QB Peter Lalich, OL Khalil Latif, WR Jay Smith, OLB/DE Aaron Taliaferro and QB Tyrod Taylor were among the participants in last weekend's Scout.com combine held in Durham, North Carolina. It was a good turnout and a good showing from the in-state prospects.

Bradley Starks Garnering Heavy Attention
After an outstanding junior season, Orange High School (Orange, VA) quarterback prospect Bradley Starks received two official Division 1A scholarship offers and is drawing serious attention from a number of other programs. The 6-3 ½, 180-pound standout, who also plays cornerback on defense, is a dual-threat signal caller who earned first-team all-state and first-team all-region honors for his performance in 2005.

Every week, Sabre Edge provides you with exclusive articles, columns, special features, interviews and recruiting news, including daily recruiting updates. There's even a special message board just for subscribers. And to top it off, you get 10 percent off all of your UVa Bookstores purchases during your subscription.

All of the great Sabre Edge content can be yours for the price of $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. Try it for a month and cancel if you like. But we think you'll get hooked on the Edge and find out for yourself why the most knowledgeable Cavalier fans are Edge subscribers.

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