The Daily Roundup Tuesday: A Local Send Off for Skip Prosser

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:
John Feinstein of the Washington Post: Skipp Prosser, A Man Who Really Got It. Hat tip to Basketblogger and Wake Insider, Ben, for the link.

Prosser's viewing draws colleagues : "A steady stream of mourners for Wake Forest basketball coach Skip Prosser includes Florida's Billy Donovan and other coaches."

Unbearable Loss: Prosser, Muse both spent many years coaching in high school before moving up to college ranks: " Mike Muse didn't want his picture taken. He didn't want anyone to see him breaking down over the loss of a coach and a friend.But if a picture is worth a thousand words, it can also be worth at least as many tears. And the photograph of a stunned Muse sitting on the steps of Wake Forest's Wait Chapel Friday morning personified for many the unfathomable loss suffered the day before when basketball coach Skip Prosser of the Deacons apparently died of a massive heart attack."

Dascenzo of the Durham Herald Sun: Prosser will be missed for many reasons: "They will remember George Edward Prosser as Skip, and many will share stories of him today when they bid goodbye to Wake Forest's basketball coach. Prosser's funneral is set for 6 p.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church in Clemmons."

WFU assistants coach through grief at Prosser's youth camp : "The basketball camp that bears Skip Prosser's name at Wake Forest went on as scheduled Monday, with nearly 200 young players shooting hoops and learning fundamentals."

Andrew Jones of the ACC Insider: What's Been Written About Prosser: "Skip Prosser touched a lot of people, including sportswriters from North Carolina, Cincinnati and around the country. Here's how some of them remembered Prosser, who died suddenly on Thursday at the age of 56."

Prosser's Legacy Well Earned: "Skip Prosser's six years as Wake Forest's basketball coach was a lot about winning at a level the school hasn't frequently experienced, but it was about much, much more than that. It reflected the way a college basketball program should be run."

From the San Francisco Chronicle: Bill Walsh — 1931-2007 and Bill Walsh, The Legend: "He defined era of football thought, characters and results."

Police: Robbers may be targeting players: "Two hulking NBA stars were bound with duct tape and robbed of cash and jewelry by masked gunmen in separate holdups that have Chicago-area detectives wondering whether someone is targeting professional athletes." That's serious business.....

The big one: "Kevin Garnett should soon become the newest member of the Celtics, according to multiple sources who said it was only a matter of time before Boston and Minnesota finalized a blockbuster."
Mr. College Football: Rating the Heisman hopefuls


The conference headlines:

NC State
Wolfpack changes plan on facilities : "Carter-Finley Stadium would have 66,000 seats, with the home and visiting football locker rooms in a new basketball arena. Nearby would be a soccer complex and baseball stadium...." Other elements of NC State's master plan

Maryland
Series candidly captures Terps

Tracking the Terps blog: Dill, Boykins orally commit

Miami
From the Miami Hurricanes Blog:
Save The Orange Bowl?:"Talked with longtime Hurricanes fan Mike Mangini today. He is organizing a rally..."
Return of Luther Campbell:"Sorry for the break. I took two days off for my birthday this weekend, but..."
`Canes Land Forston: "Early in the afternoon, I began hearing that Miami Northwestern defensive tackle..."
Get over there!!!

R&R: Tatum transfer, Haith and Wake

Florida State
FSU's Griffin nearly free of probation

Running back commits to FSU

Evaluating the defensive line

Bowden, Wardenter together

Bowden heads prestigious group to be enshrined

'Noles trying to get their groove back


Virginia Tech

Hokie Football Outlook, Part VI : "Linebackers"

Clemson
Tigers lose two signees: "Broome’s Jones and Byrnes’ Hunter shift focus to other options.
One football signee will not suit up at Clemson for at least two years, and another signee’s status for the coming season is in jeopardy."

Georgia Tech

Jackets get Florida receiver: "A.J. Jenkins of Jacksonville is third Sunshine State verbal; Tech's 2008 signing class grows to nine."

The Daily Roundup: Monday

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:
Mr. College Football of the AJC: Five things to expect in the ACC

Andrew Jones of the ACC Insider: Prosser - an untainted coach who did things the right way: "For some reason, over the last 30 hours I've thought a lot about how Skip Prosser always seemed to smell like after-shave."

Tom Verducci: Hitting No. 756 outside S.F. will be disaster

Terence Moore of the AJC: Falcons are Vick's team, good or bad

Aaron McFarling of the Roanoke News: Vick's supporters might be missing the point

Showing support for Vick: "200 rally to back QB, NAACP plans press conference to ask public to not rush to judgment."

Vick co-defendant to plead guilty: "Development seen as troubling for Falcons QB." That spells big trouble for you, Mr. Vick.

A head nod to the home team: Rams like look of schedule that has actual home games: "WSSU will be playing at either Joel Coliseum or the Annex."


The conference headlines:
Virginia
Relief: Cavs get help for Singletary


North Carolina
Came Up Empty: Tar Heels missed on their No. 1 recruit

Davis brings new attitude to Tar Heels:"When he was hired as North Carolina football coach in November, Butch Davis said he wasn't going to look back at what the Tar Heels didn't accomplish under the previous regime, he'd just look ahead to the future."


Duke
Big Three: Blue Devils welcome Singler, King, Smith to ACC battles

Redick spends summer preparing for 2nd season:" Former Duke basketball star J.J. Redick's summer has been so hectic that he considers the last few days he's spent helping out at the K Academy as somewhat of a respite. "


NC State
Pack No. 2: Lowe's second class one of the best in the nation


Wake Forest
High on Character: Coach Jim Grobe looks for more than height, weight and speed when on the recruiting trail

Miami
Job Well Done: Hurricanes got big men they were looking for

Forget the ACC, we're after national title, first-year UM coach says

UM's Shannon favors earlier signing period: "With more high school football stars orally committing to college programs before even playing a down in their senior season, University of Miami coach Randy Shannon said Saturday he would favor the advent of an early signing period."

From the Eye on the U Blog:
FAU-UM? Canes owe it to Schnellenberger
Shannon speaks in Tampa
Catching up with Jacory Harris
Better Bull-eavit: Canes nab Forston
Get over there!!!!


Florida State
Getting Big: Seminoles add 7-1 Alabi, 6-10 Vaughn to roster

Bowden says health the key for Seminoles: "Bobby Bowden enters the preseason with a new offense and an old wish for his team to stay healthy. He'd also like to see a playmaker emerge and quarterbacks Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee play up to their redshirt junior status."

Bryant is answering Seminoles' challenge »

FSU football preseason depth chart »

'Noles don't pull any punches »


Georgia Tech
Staying Home: Jackets are high on Georgia product Lawal

Despite several changes, Jackets are still confident: "Georgia Tech head football coach Chan Gailey can sense his players' angst over their 2006 finish."

DRIPPING WITH TALENT : "Tech freshman safety Morgan Burnett of College Park has impressed his new teammates with his toughness and work ethic."

Ball signs with Lions: "Ex-Tech QB began training camp Thursday after inking one-year contract with Detroit."


Virginia Tech
From the Press Box Blog: Tech puts 5 on all-ACC preseason team

Positive Energy: Hokies able to recruit a complete class

Hokie Football Outlook, Part V : "Defensive Line"


Clemson
A Good Start: Tigers say program's foundation is in place

Recruiting Tigers hoping to land N.C. linebacker

Clemson’s Hamlin on watch list


Maryland
Luck: Terps catch a nice break

Tracking the Terps blog: Dill, Boykins orally commit


Boston College
New Faces: Eagles restocked

BC's Toal is likely to miss 2007 season: "If you are a Boston College football fan, don't count on linebacker Brian Toal playing this season."

Extended Sat Coverage - Mourning the passing of Skip Prosser

PHOTO:Rolling for Skip!!!

'He Was Amazing:' Campus life goes on as fans mourn loss : "Students and alumni covered the trees of the quad at Wake Forest University with toilet paper early yesterday in memory of Coach Skip Prosser, who died Thursday.(Journal Photo by Lauren Carroll)
Judging by the hordes of joyous kids scurrying to summer camps yesterday, Wake Forest Athletics Director Ron Wellman was right. Life indeed would proceed despite the death of Skip Prosser, the school's beloved head basketball coach."Because of his strength, we'll be able to go on, and we'll be just fine eventually," Wellman said at a news conference Thursday night. "We're not right now. We're all suffering right now.""

More than a Coach: Prossers helped at local animal adoption center:" Through his job at the Forsyth Humane Society, Rex Welton got to know Skip and Nancy Prosser very well. So well, in fact, that he got to see a side of Prosser that few people see. "

Deacons try to cope : "Members of the Wake family begin to express what the basketball coach meant to them."

It's a perfect way to remember Prosser

In Memory of Skip

INCLUSIVE: Prosser was always there for you

Stress part of high-pressure job: "Deacons coach died Thursday of an apparent heart attack
While working out in Indianapolis two months ago, Skip Prosser and Charlotte 49ers coach Bobby Lutz talked about relieving stress. "

The Daily Roundup Friday: Skip!

Today, we honor the coach who brought Wake Forest their first #1 ranking, George Edward "Skip" Prosser. We'll bring you updates all weekend. The Basketblog.

PHOTO: The sun sets on a great man.

Leave a tribute to Skip Prosser and his family

The Skip Prosser File

Skip Prosser Timeline

The Prosser era: "Wake Forest announces Prosser will leave Xavier to coach the Deacons. Prosser coached Xavier to four NCAA Tournament appearances and a 148-65 record in seven seasons."

Friend, Teacher, Coach: His heart-attack death hits university, city hard : "Skip Prosser came to coach basketball at Wake Forest because it was in a conference, and an area of the country, with a deep passion for the game."As a coach, you want to be someplace where they care," Prosser said in 2001.In his six years at Wake Forest, people from the school and the area also came to care about Prosser."

'One of the Good Guys:' ACC coaches are stunned, saddened by death of Prosser :"The people who came to know Skip Prosser in the last six years valued him as much for his friendship and company as they did for his ability to build a basketball team.Rival ACC coaches, former Wake Forest players and area high-school coaches were deeply shocked and saddened by Prosser's death yesterday, after he collapsed in his on-campus office. Prosser was 56."

SHOCKED: Prosser's ex-players take news hard

WFU community 'rolls the Quad' in honor of Prosser

Gamecocks' Odom mourns Wake's Prosser a day after dining together : "Dave Odom had been watching prospects since early morning in Florida on Wednesday and wanted something to eat. Who followed South Carolina's coach into the lunch room? Odom's successor at Wake Forest, Skip Prosser."

Lennox Rawlings of the Winston-Salem Journal: News of Prosser's death stirs memories of his life

Caulton Tudor of the Raleigh News and Observer: Prosser belongs at head of class: "Skip Prosser could handle criticism as well as anybody, but he was looking forward to rewriting recent history."

Mike Decourcy of The Sporting News - No one finer: "There's no room for objectivity when talking about the passing of Skip Prosser, who was a wonderful individual on and off the court."

Andrew Jones of the Wilmington Star: Prosser death stuns Wake

Andy Katz of ESPN: Coaching fraternity reeling with Prosser's death

Dick Vital of ESPN: Prosser Will Be Missed

Dan Wetxal of Yahoo Sports: The game's loss

Future still looks good for Deacons; "In what will be a somber setting, Wake Forest men's basketball players will resume offseason workouts when school starts next month. "

Comments on the death of Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser : "Comments on the death of Wake Forest men's basketball coach Skip Prosser: "I told our players that I don't know that I've ever known a stronger man, a man who believed in what he believed and lived what he believed. There were so many times after a devastating loss that I would go immediately after the game and talk with Skip. And there wasn't one time when I left that conversation when I wasn't thinking, 'We're going to be OK ... because Skip Prosser is our coach.' -- Wake Forest athletics director Ron Wellman."

Coach dies after a jog : "Prosser led Wake, Loyola to heights; locals mourn loss of friend."

Wake Coach Skip Prosser, dead at 56

Unbelievable.

Wake coach Skip Prosser collapses while jogging : "Skip Prosser, 56, came to Wake Forest in 2001. (Wake Forest University photo)BREAKING NEWS
Wake Forest Basketball Coach Skip Prosser collapsed while jogging at the university today and was taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, an athletic department official said.His condition wasn't available from the hospital, and Wake Forest officials also would not comment on what happened."

More in the am.

The Daily Roundup: Thursday

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!
PHOTO: The Wreck, almost back in working order!

Getting you mind right:
2007 ACC Pre-Season Football Team Announced; BC's Ryan Voted Pre-Season Player of the Year

Fiesta Bowl star gets racial threats: "The Boise State running back who scored the winning points in the Fiesta Bowl, then proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend on national television, says he has hired security for their wedding because of racial threats." Surprise, surprise....who couldn't see that one coming?

Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman: Intolerance knows no state line

Vick's neighborhood comes to his defense: "To prosecutors, Michael Vick is a ruthless participant in a dogfighting operation."

Vick's now on defense

Spurrier always runs up the score with media: "USC head football Steve Spurrier speaks during the SEC Football Media Days on Wednesday. For a quote-starved media, Steve Spurrier is the gift you only fully appreciate when he is gone."


The conference headlines:
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech places five on Preseason All-ACC Team

Flowers, Harris named to Thorpe Award Watch List

Griese: Hokies are among best

The 2007 Season OutlookThe first in an eight-part series previewing Tech's 2007 season

Hokie Football Outlook, Part IIOffensive Line

Hokie Football Outlook, Part IIIWide Receivers/Tight Ends

Hokie Football Outlook, Part IVTailbacks/Fullbacks/Quarterbacks


North Carolina State
Wolfpack loses Hill to injury : "Tight end Anthony Hill, a second-team All-ACC selection last year, underwent surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament on Wednesday. With the senior sidelined, former quarterback Marcus Stone might be the starter for new coach Tom O'Brien."

Evans intends to be Pack's No. 1 QB: "He's preparing 'like I'm the guy.'"


Clemson
Rainey schedules some rest


Georgia Tech
REPAIRS BEHIND SCHEDULE : "The crew assigned to repairing Georgia Tech's iconic Ramblin' Wreck is scrambling to fix its damaged parts in time for the Yellow Jackets' home football opener on Sept. 8. So far, the work's been going discouragingly slow."

Tech duo named All-ACC: "RB Choice, LB Wheeler included on league's official preseason team; BC QB Ryan voted player of year."

Marist's Taylor likes Tech: "Safety is the son of a former Jackets QB; Chamblee lineman Uzzi visits Dogs."


Florida State
Sims, Holloway ready for new roles on offense: "Marcus Sims and Seddrick Holloway aren't lacking for motivation as the Tallahassee natives prepare for their second seasons at Florida State."


Miami
Preseason All-ACC Team : "Three `Canes make the team: safety Kenny Phillips, guard Derrick Morse and..."

First Impressions Of Randy Shannon: "Randy Shannon granted one-on-one interviews with the three local papers before..."

From the Eye on the U Blog: The Stew: PJ, All-ACC, the Cape and recruiting. Get over there!!!


Maryland
Tracking the Terps: Friedgen on 'Terrapins Rising'


Virginia
Chris Long, Tom Santi Named to ACC Preseason Football Team


Duke
Duke fantasy is reality: "Adult campers live basketball dream."

The Daily Roundup: Wednesday's ACC Football Kickoff Part III

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:
Harding named ACC female athlete of year : "Lindsey Harding, who sparked the Duke women's basketball team to the first undefeated regular season in ACC history, and Florida State sprinter Walter Dix, who led the Seminoles to a second consecutive national outdoor track-and-field championship, were named the ACC athletes of the year Tuesday. "

Why the ACC's on the rise: "Don't laugh so fast. Tony Barnhart offers 10 reasons for the league's comeback this season."

ACC guarding against gambling scandal: "With a scandal rocking the NBA, the issue of gambling and sports was a prime topic as the Atlantic Coast Conference football meetings ended yesterday."

ACC seeks bids for 3 title games

ACC title game site undecided: "A decision on the location of subsequent ACC football title games will be made in December. The game will conclude a three-year stint in Jacksonville, Fla., this season, and the ACC is exploring its options for the next three years — the remaining time on its television contract."

Cailton Tudor of the Raleigh News and Observer: ACC likes revisions to rules shortening games
"The pendulum on college football's game clock will be adjusted yet again when the 2007 season starts in just more than a month."

John Delong of the Winston-Salem Journal- Good People: ACC football coaches couldn't stop talking about how important it is to have players with character

Andrew Jones of the ACC Insider - UNC must fill Kenan, then expand: "Butch Davis doesn't beat around the bush much." No, UNC must do what UNC has the money and will to do. Bottom line is that the team must win. If they make they stadium 75,000 and win big, they'll fill it. If they keep it 58,674 and lose, they'll have 10,000 empty seats just like they've had for the last 4 years. Just win, baby...just win.

Aaron McFarling of the Roanoke News: Bad week to be the big cheese

Terence Moore of the AJC: No way Vick plays for Falcons again

NFL to Investigate Vick: "NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appoints a former U.S. deputy attorney general to oversee the league's review of Michael Vick."

DEI adding Mark Martinto its driver roster: "Absorbing Ginn Racing will mean end of road for Nos. 13, 14 entries. Dale Earnhardt Inc. is adding Mark Martin to its driver roster and growing immediately to four Nextel Cup teams in a merger with Ginn Racing that will be officially announced today, the Observer has learned." That's strong.....

How about a little love for the two time defending Div I National Champs that just happens to reside in ACC land: No surprise: Appalachian State team to beat

Big Expectations: Richardson says Appalachian State's coaches won't allow the players to become complacent :"It isn't Kevin Richardson's nature to brag. That's why he can't help but be amused with himself when he recalls his only meeting with John Settle.Settle is a former Appalachian State running back who went on to make a mark in the NFL and is now the running backs coach at Wisconsin. He was visiting Boone in the spring of 2005. Richardson was coming off his freshman season as an unheralded walk-on.Jerry Moore, Appalachian's coach, jokingly told Richardson to deliver a message to Settle."

The conference headlines:

Virginia Tech

Beamer stands by fallen star: Sighhhh.........

Miami

Shannon to shield QBs from media spotlight

Miami Northwestern receiver verbally commits to UM

Georgia Tech

A NOSE FOR THE BALL : "Mr. College Football, Tony Barnhart, has compiled his list of the top defensive players in the ACC. Tech fans might be surprised where Yellow Jackets linebacker Philip Wheeler lands on that list."

Despite several changes, Jackets are still confident: "Georgia Tech head football coach Chan Gailey can sense his players' angst over their 2006 finish."

Gailey tempted to resume play-calling

From the AJC Tech Blog: Choice has Emmitt-likeness . Get over there!

From the Ramblin' On Blog: How best to use Bennett? Get over there!

An open ear for Tech, UGA?: "Northview star Hagans not offered by Jackets, Dogs; maintains he's 'pretty locked in' to LSU."

North Carolina

Butch Davis brings new life to North Carolina football : "Things are fine now in his world. Butch Davis is Coach Davis again, back in college football at North Carolina. He'd been out of the game almost two years, and he did some TV — "stealing money," he called it — but he never could quite get the smell of the locker room out of his nose."

Ready to go, Joe: "UNC's Joe Dailey was an option quarterback at Nebraska when his college career began, but as he heads into his final college season at UNC, Dailey is happy to be playing wide receiver. It's been a journey that he hopes will serve him well during his next career as a football coach. Joe Dailey was dragging after practices back in the spring, his legs tired from running sprint after sprint on snap after snap."

Maryland

Friedgen bogs down :"For Ralph Friedgen's birthday this summer, his two brothers-in-law and cousin paid for a deep-sea fishing trip. It was canceled because of the weather, but they decided to go out anyway."

Friedgen wishes Gaither well

The Daily Roundup: Tuesday's ACC Football Kickoff Part II

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!

PHOTO: Despite what the media thinks, we believe Wake may surprise the field, again.

Getting your mind right:

ACC preseason poll

Fresh faces in the ACC: "4 teams will break in head coaches in '07 season
Introductions were necessary Monday as football coaches met with reporters at the ACC's media kickoff at the Pinehurst Resort."

Andrew Jones of the ACC Insider - High Expectations: Miami, FSU looking to raise the bar in ACC football: "Lean times along the college football landscape are defined quite differently at places like Miami and Florida State than at most schools."

Neil Amato of the Wilmington Star - Hokies hope football will help their school heal: "It's hard for any of us to get past Page 2, even three months later."

Caulton Tudor of the Raleigh News and Observer: "NBA referee scandal a red flag for the ACC : There are 102 people on the ACC's football officiating roster and about 70 on the league's list of basketball refs. "

Media picks Seminoles to top ACC: "After last season, Bobby Bowden finally has a valid reason not to put much stock in the annual media poll that predicts which teams will be favored to win the Atlantic Coast Conference... " Ehhh....we'll see. And on the other side of the conference....

ACC Notebook: Hokies draw top spot in media poll: "Virginia Tech is more than the sentimental favorite to win the ACC title this season."

Beamer Sends Positive Message

Vick Will Not Report: "The NFL announces Monday that it will prohibit quarterback Michael Vick from reporting to training camp with the Falcons this week."

At Virginia Tech, Vick's status as school's hero takes big hit

More Than a Crash Course: "The Urban Youth Racing School, located at the IDEA Public Charter School in the District, tries to address the lack of racing opportunities for young African Americans."

The conference headlines:

Wake Forest

Deacs picked for 4th

Deacs upset ACC's balance

: "League's reputation questioned as former dynasties become mediocre. Defending ACC champion Wake Forest is picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Division. "

Demon Deacons coach emphasizing focus »

Wake-up call: "With apologies to Mike Myers, Linda Richman and "Coffee Talk" . . . I'll give you a topic: Wake Forest winning the ACC's football championship last year was either good for the league or bad for the league. Discuss." Good for Wake Forest, and that's about all that matters.

Miami

Canes to remain nameless: "Here's a stunner for Canes fans who like their stars flaunted: First-year coach Randy Shannon has stripped the names from the back of this season's uniforms in an effort to continue his "team-first'' theme. Hurricanes individuals? Hurricanes preening? Not a chance."

Discipline, accountability strong parts of new UM coach's doctrine : "The days of running laps as punishment are gone."

From the Eye on the U Blog:

The No-Name Canes

A Call From The Hall

The Hot Stove: Billy Rolle, a chat with Haith and NCAA '08

Get over there!!!

Florida State

Bowden surprised by poll: "After last season, Bobby Bowden finally has a valid reason not to put much stock in the annual media poll that predicts which teams will be favored to win the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship."

Florida State's Bowden back in the spotlight: "The sense of humor is still evident, the wisdom of 41 years of being a head coach evident in remarks that can disarm the most critical of crowds."

Bowden expects more from QBs: "Memo to Florida State quarterbacks Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee: Youthful mistakes no longer cut you any slack. Coach Bobby Bowden raised the bar Monday, saying the redshirt juniors have been in the program long enough to be more efficient."

Rebuilding the Seminoles' 'mystique': "Andre Fluellen understood just how serious things had turned when he couldn't get off Duke's field. Playing out the clock with a four-touchdown lead, Florida State's defensive plug kept lining up across from center and kept pounding into the middle of the Blue Devils' blocking scheme. "

Has the mystique left Tallahassee? : "The Florida State swagger might be gone, as was a trip a season ago to a coveted bowl game and a familiar spot within the Top 25, but the Seminoles' rivals speak of FSU these days as if it's an old bully they're afraid to anger."

Bowden, Smith enshrined in College Hall: "Florida State coach Bobby Bowden doesn't believe college football players have changed a lot since his first head coaching job in 1959. The parents have, though."

Seminoles' small-town coach lives in the big-time: "The curiosity, it seems, borders on unanimous. Ask those who have played under or spent time alongside Bobby Bowden during his half-century in coaching, and the burning question they get from fans is almost always the same."

Virginia Tech

Media pick VT as champs: "If the media members who cover ACC football are correct, Virginia Tech will win the ACC title this season. The bad news for the Hokies: History shows that the media are notoriously poor prognosticators."

Chins Up: Hokies sad, but ready to play :"Virginia Tech won the expansion sweepstakes against long odds three years ago, and now Virginia Tech represents the face of ACC football.The face has a tear in one eye, still grieving for the 32 innocent victims of a student murderer's April shooting spree. The other eye focuses on the future, on the prospects for communal healing and the perpetual common goal of football glory.An occasional smile reflects optimism and renewal, the Hokie spirit."

Hokies anointed by media

Tech reels in two more recruits

Clemson

Football Poll accuracy worries Tigers: "ACC voters predict Clemson to finish third with Bowden’s future in jeopardy. On one hand, coach Tommy Bowden found solace in the fact Wake Forest won the ACC title last year after being predicted to finish last in its division."

Bowden banks on new changes to fix offense: "CLEMSON’S DREAMS OF football grandeur disappeared in a finish to forget last season, and fans grumbled. They grumbled loudly. They waited in ambush at IPTAY club meetings for coach Tommy Bowden and lobbed poisonous questions his way."

Tigers pick up two more commitments: "Wide receiver Brandon Ford (6-foot-4, 207 pounds) of Hanahan committed Monday afternoon to Clemson. “I want to be an engineer and I fit right in to their school football wise and academic wise,” Ford said. “They are usually loaded with running backs, but they don’t really have a lot of receivers like South Carolina.”"

Georgia Tech
THE TOP CHOICE : "Tashard Choice is as talkative as Calvin Johnson was quiet. Mr. College Football thinks the former will succeed the latter as the best offensive player in the ACC. "

Tech picked 2nd in ACC Coastal behind Hokies

Maryland

Tracking the Terps: ACC Football Kickoff

Quickie Terps football news [Tracking the Terps]

Ralph goes overboard [Tracking the Terps]

Ralph's painful swing [Tracking the Terps]

Classic Ralph/Dinich [Tracking the Terps]

Get over there!!!

North Carolina State

Same ACC Event, New Table for O'Brien

O'Brien says Pack could surprise: "Last summer, while he was still football coach at Boston College, Tom O'Brien picked Wake Forest as the league's sleeper. He was proven right when the Demon Deacons won the ACC Championship Game."

O'Brien's glad Wolfpack faces Eagles early: "At a hospitality event at the ACC's Football Kickoff on Sunday night, N.C. State football coach Tom O'Brien snacked on appetizers while he mingled with the masses. "

Whitley picks Hokies over Wolfpack: "E.J. Whitley, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound defensive back at Matthews Butler, announced Monday that he would accept a football scholarship to attend Virginia Tech."

Virginia
UVa faces a season with significance

North Carolina

New coaches must aim high: "Asked how he decides which gold ring to showcase daily, North Carolina’s Butch Davis quickly slid his left hand to cover the bulky Super Bowl gem on his right one."

North Carolina is planning football-stadium upgrades : "Davis says the $100 million project could begin in 18 months."

Plan to expand Kenan excites UNC's Davis: "North Carolina football coach Butch Davis said Monday the school is hoping to begin a $100 million renovation of Kenan Stadium within the next 18 months."

Davis: Kenan Stadium ready for renovations : "Butch Davis and North Carolina athletics director Dick Baddour discussed possible facility upgrades before Davis was hired as UNC's head football coach in November. "

Dailey finds bright side in move to WR

The Daily Roundup: Monday's ACC Football Kickoff (with a touch of Vick)

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:
Lennox Rawlings of the Winston-Salem Journal: Season to Remember: But Deacs looking ahead

Some serious scheduling: "Mr. College Football: Tony Barnhart takes a look at the ACC's best non-conference matchups."

Vick will need a replay of Lewis' major image rehab: Ookey has a long, long way to go.

David Steele of the Baltimore Sun: Guilty or not, Vick deserves everything coming his way

ACC teams gather to discuss new season: "It's the time of the year when the impossible seems possible, when any team can beat any other team on any given Saturday."

ACC Kickoff Ken Tysiac

ACC football hasn't made the big time:"Come we now to the annual midsummer soiree of 5-irons and idle chatter otherwise billed as the ACC Football Kickoff."

ACC Insider Blog, Andrew Jones from Pinehurst:
Live from Pinehurst: ACC Football Kickoff
First round of notes from Pinehurst, where the ACC Insider blog gets two guest bloggers, sports editor Neil Amato and assistant sports editor Dan Spears.

Live from Pinehurst, Part 2
More notes from Pinehurst, including one on Wilmington's Connor Barth

Live from Pinehurst, Round 3
More tidbits from ACC players
Get over there!!!


The conference headlines:
Wake Forest
Wake Forest Ignored: Prognosticators Not Quite Ready To Embrace 'Little Old Wake Forest'

Deacs eyeing a tough repeat: "As it unfolded last season, college football fans and experts were unanimous on Wake Forest's run to the ACC football championship: improbable, impossible, impressive."


Georgia Tech
A star is made: "Jackets' running back Tashard Choice learns how to be a football star from Calvin Johnson. "

Choice ready to step into leadership role: "Georgia Tech's Tashard Choice considers himself among the nation's top running backs, right there with Arkansas' Darren McFadden, West Virginia's Steve Slaton, Rutgers' Ray Rice and Michigan's Mike Hart."

SAFETY TRIES TO MAKE SAINTS


Virginia Tech
Hokies ready for Saint-like season: "Several of standout tackle Duane Brown’s friends in his hometown of Richmond, Va., had paid no attention to where he played college football."

Media Follows the Hokies

Hokies discuss shootings

Fans, Tech supporters react to Vick's troubles

Fans say Vick's scandals shouldn't reflect poorly on Virginia Tech or the Hokies program

Smith proud of Tech


Clemson
Tigers not expecting same ole ’Noles: "Hiring the tag team of a proven offensive coordinator and hard-nosed offensive line coach did more than display that Florida State’s administration would open its wallet for Bobby Bowden’s staffers."

Freshmen prepare to work hard

This season, Bowden hopes to ‘finish the job’


Florida State
Athletics are Wetherell's business: "T.K. Wetherell's fingerprints can be found all over the changes coming at the top level of the Florida State athletic department."

Floyd likes FSU's changes: "Master of ceremonies Terry Bowden likely knew the answer to his question for new College Football Hall of Fame member Bennie Blades during Saturday night's enshrinement ceremony."

FSU recruitment camp draws past, future 'Noles

Smith's time at FSU has arrived »

FSU's Fluellen draws notice »

Footballin' with the stars »

Carr, Overton resign at FSU »

All 'Noles fall out »


Miami
UM loses recruit: "Tyreese Breshers, a 6-6 power forward from Los Angeles who committed to the University of Miami two weeks ago, reportedly changed his mind and decided to stay closer to home and attend Washington."

University of Miami finds itself in unfamiliar role heading into '07 : "It is something that was unexpected when Miami joined the Atlantic Coast Conference three years ago."

Sour taste lingers: "Players, coaches, alumni and fans are still 'embarrassed' by last year's 7-6 record. The team wants to use that as motivation to excel. The season from hell seems surreal to University of Miami senior guard/center Derrick Morse, who once earned the nickname ''D-Nasty'' and whose on-field demeanor has been compared to, among other charming characters, the Tazmanian Devil."

Incoming UM quarterback Robert Marve may miss 2007 season after accident

Incoming Hurricanes QB Marve, 2 teammates hurt in crash


Maryland
ACC football pseudo-report [Tracking the Terps] : "Here are some odds 'n' ends from the posh Pinehurst…"


Virginia
Cavaliers support their coach: "Virginia's co-captains defend Al Groh against the jabs of outside critics."

Glass is half full for Cavs


North Carolina
Building Trust: "The Tar Heel players are developing chemistry with the coaching staff."

Dailey pokes fun at completion rate: "North Carolina senior Joe Dailey is keeping his arm in shape, but now that he's switched from quarterback to wideout, he's not sure if he'll toss any touchdowns as a receiver this season."

Tar Heels' Dailey adjusting to role: "Former QB on receiving end this fall.

ACC Kickoff: Playmakers :"New UNC head coach Butch Davis wants game-changing athletes at the skill positions. Enter wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate."

Heels' Taylor seeks reversal of fortunes

Notebook: Heels open up in locker room : "Butch Davis has said he wants to instill a greater sense of openness and togetherness in his first season as North Carolina's football coach. With training camp fast approaching, one of Davis' first steps in that direction is complete."


NC State
Blackman gives preview of Pack's offense ... sort of: "One second Darrell Blackman was talking about how he expected Daniel Evans to start at quarterback for N.C. State this season."

Pack's focus on in-state recruits, but is it a change of pace? : "Tom O'Brien knows the way to David Howle's heart. N.C. State's new football coach has opened the Wendell Murphy Football Center doors to the Bunn High School football coach, allowing Howle to come over, watch film and ask questions of him or his assistant coaches about offensive and defensive schemes."


Boston College
Ryan resembles former coach : "For the last three years, Matt Ryan was O'Brien's kind of quarterback, an O'Brien creation of sorts: cool, accurate, efficient. Ryan was the ACC's total offense leader in 2006."

Bicknell leads BC Hall of Fame class: "Former Boston College football coach Jack Bicknell and seven former athletes will be inducted into the school's Varsity Club Hall of Fame this fall."

On vacation......

in our nation's capital for the week. Birkel will be around with some interesting stories, I'm sure.

The Daily Roundup: FreeThrowFriday

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:

The Weekend Smoke from the StogieGuys.com: Stogie Reviews: La Carolina Capitan. Get over there!

Attorney gets 2 1/2 years in prison for leaking BALCO case testimony: Good!!! Exactly what he deserved.

MIAMI NORTHWESTERN - Bulls 'sticking together': "Despite being somber after seeing their coaches fired Wednesday, players vowed to persevere through the tough time."

More problems than answers in NFL supplemental draft : "There are 10 prospects in today's NFL supplemental draft. Only three — Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver, Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither and Nebraska offensive lineman Chris Patrick — are generally considered worthy of selection."

Bad Boy Settles Down: "Bill Laimbeer, once the most reviled player in the NBA, has been the guiding force behind the WNBA's Detroit Shock for 4 1/2 seasons."

Chase Gets His Shot: "Brain Chase has survived his share of trials, which is why he is relishing his situation as a 5-foot-9 point guard for the Wizards' summer league squad."

The conference headlines:
Clemson
Tommy’s nine lives: "Clemson’s hope for a successful 2007 season might hinge on quarterback play. After surviving another tumultuous season as coach of the Clemson Tigers, Tommy Bowden is proof that some cats do have nine lives." Hey, when you're called out by Sports Illustrated as one of the five worst coaches in the country, you've got nowhere to go but up. Get to it, Tommy.


Wake Forest
Deacs bolster class by two :" Wake Forest lands sought-after forward, center from Georgia." Wake Forest just got very good, very fast. Nice job, Deacs!!!

Paul's 'Vacation:' Former Wake Forest standout back in town for annual camp : "This is supposed to be the off-season for Chris Paul, but the only thing that was "off" yesterday was his body clock.Paul was back in Winston-Salem for his youth basketball camp at Forsyth Country Day School, after taking a redeye flight from Los Angeles the night before. It was straight from the airport to home to freshen up, then on to camp where he is the role model and star attraction for almost 200 campers."


Virginia Tech
Summer no time for resting as excitement over Tech athletics continues to build


Florida State
From the new Emily Badger 'Noles Blog:
Complete list of new roster numbers

Latest Wetherell statement

Hart and Wetherell meeting this morning

FSU to play at renovated Citrus Bowl -- if it gets renovated

Wetherell's letter to Hart released
Get over there!!!!!

New ADs are costly now: "Now that Florida State president T.K. Wetherell has made it clear he will hire a new director of... "


Miami
From the Eye on the U Blog - The Hot Stove: Bulls, Breshers, Commits - "My attempts to stay away from work during my vacation are failing miserably. It's partly my fault" Get over there!

From the Omar Kelly Hurricanes Blog - Backcourt's Ballin:"It was the match-up I had impatiently waited a week to see. Eddie Rios verses..." Get over there!


Georgia Tech
CALL HIM CRAZY, BUT... : " Mr. College Football says Tech's offense will be better WITHOUT Calvin Johnson, thanks to Tashard Choice." He's crazy.....

Staff changes led to transfer: "Michigan-bound QB Threet says he left Jackets because of coaches going to other schools. "

Pledges pour in for Wreck


Virginia
Just 15, Pitts chooses U.Va.: "Jazmin Pitts knows what you're thinking. She's 15. And the Cosby High School basketball standout is making a college commitment?"

The Daily Roundup: Thursday

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!

PHOTO: Yow....one of the Best!

Getting your mind right:
Pack's Yow first to win new ESPY : "N.C. State women's basketball coach Kay Yow won the inaugural Jimmy V ESPY for Perseverance on Wednesday night during the ESPY Awards show." That's eery to us.......two NCSU basketball coaches, who are/were fighting/fought cancer who will be/are the faces for finding a cure for the disease in all of sport. Congrats to Coach Yow.

Sea change in ACC Atlantic

Dascenzo: Rivers has tough act to follow in second season as starter: "Here's what happens when -- in your third season, your first as an NFL starter -- you complete 61.7 per- cent of your passes, throw for 22 touchdowns, just nine interceptions and lead the San Diego Chargers to a 14-2 record: Somebody rates you the sixth-best quarterback in the league and somebody else starts mentioning your name with John Hadl and Dan Fouts."

Andrew Jones of the ACC Insider Blog:

Duke's Zoubek Fractures Foot

Q&A With N.C. State Assistant Pete Strickland

Examining Non-ACC Football Slates: Virginia: "Coach Al Groh enters a pivotal year with a workable nonconference schedule that could backfire if the Cavaliers slip up. The Wahoos should excel with this slate, but their recent inconsistency means anything can happen."

Get over there!!!

Getting Over the Hump: Hill, Suns may be match made in heaven in their mutual quest for a championship

Lennox Rawlings of the Winston-Salem journal - Jibber Jabber: Sports media sink to new depths of silliness in attempts to find something to talk about

Coaches adjusting to new teams: "Tubby Smith hit the road shortly after taking the job at Minnesota, sharing his vision of what the Gophers will be about and hoping that everyone liked his pitch. "

Earnhardt sells well: "Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a freshman in high school when he figured out that image is everything and for him to be considered cool, he had to have a pair of old-school adidas Samba Classic sneakers."

Probe of plane crash begins: "Federal investigators in Sanford, Fla., launched an investigation that probably will take months into what caused Tuesday's crash of a small plane that killed five people, including the husband of a NASCAR official."

MIAMI NORTHWESTERN - Avoiding a repeat: "Miami Northwestern High School will keep its vaunted football program but lose its football coaching staff following a grand jury report on the coverup of a sex scandal at the school."

The conference headlines:

Duke
Zoubek takes step back: "Duke center suffers foot injury."

Finnerty to transfer to Loyola, Md.: "Former Duke lacrosse player Collin Finnerty, cleared of false rape charges after being sidelined from the sport for more than a year, will transfer to Loyola of Maryland and play for the Greyhounds next season."

North Carolina

Four Star QB, Braden Hanson, commits to Davis and Tar Heels. More on Hanson from the Charlotte Observer. More from the Winston Salem Journal.

Of interest to Tar Heel Fans - USC’s dream season or total nightmare?: "After making gradual progress in his first two seasons at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier is thinking big for Year Three."

Florida State
FSU's decision to jettison Hart lacks substance: " We may have found somebody in Tallahassee who's more confused than Dave Hart. It's the guy who writes going-away checks for Seminole Boosters Inc."

Wetherell wants Hart to leave : "Florida State University President T.K. Wetherell left little ambiguity when he wrote Athletic Director Dave Hart, in a two-paragraph letter dated May 29, that his tenure at the school is approaching its end."

FSU 'agrees' to game here : "Should the planned renovation of the Citrus Bowl get off the ground, Florida State has agreed to play a neutral-site regular-season football game in Orlando in either 2012 or 2013. The opponent, which will be selected by FSU, hasn't yet been determined, but Florida Citrus Sports Executive Director Steve Hogan said the group is hoping to host a marquee matchup similar to the one FSU is participating in against Alabama in Jacksonville this fall."

FSU freshman out to make the grade »

Maryland

Baxter in More Trouble

Georgia Tech

Hate to see a QB go

BRING ON THE JACKETS

Miami

Michael Irvin to donate $100,000 to school that 'made him into the man he is today': " Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin will donate $100,000 to his alma mater, St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, next week." We're not quite sure how we should respond to that one.....

Virginia

Virginia Recruit Nabs Junior Olympic Championship

Virginia Tech

Memorial patch to be worn on all athletic jerseys: Shouldn't the whole of the ACC do that?

The Daily Roundup: Wednesday

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!
PHOTO: And now, a public service announcement from Michael Vick to the feds.

Getting your mind right:
Charge Vick or call off the hounds: "If I'm Michael Vick, I'm kind of wondering about this whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing right about now."

Another blow for NASCAR family : "The husband of a NASCAR official and a pilot for the auto racing organization are among five people killed when a small plane crashes into an Orlando-area neighborhood."

Caulton Tudor of the Raleigh News and Observer:Seminoles may not get even with Deacs - "Old habits die slowly in the world of college football preseason rankings. Exhibit A, this year, is the ACC." Or, perhaps Wake will put 30 on them again and end Pappa Bowden's career.

Jamison looks back, forward

GREG COTE - Punish NW more? That's bull: "Northwestern High School's football players -- these kids at the heart of the Liberty City community -- had nothing to do with the crime or ensuing scandal for which they face the guillotine today, columnist Greg Cote says."

AL Gains an Inside Edge: "Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki hits the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star game history to earn MVP honors as the AL beats the NL, 5-4."


The conference headlines:
Wake Forest
Generations of Deacons learned lessons from 'Sarge'


Miami
Goring the Bull: "As a Carol City alum I'm a proud Chief till the day I die, therefore I've got..."


Georgia Tech
ONE THING'S FOR SURE . . . " Furman Bisher doesn't know if Tech will beat Georgia this season, but he's confident in writing that with the departure of Reggie Ball "goes a mystery for which none of us has an answer.""


Virginia
Erin Batth Named Director of Operations for Women's Basketball


Clemson
Backup catchers ask for release from Clemson

The Daily Roundup: Tuesday

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:

Andrew Jones of the ACC Insider - Examining Non-ACC Football Slates: Virginia: "Coach Al Groh enters a pivotal year with a workable nonconference schedule that could backfire if the Cavaliers slip up. The Wahoos should excel with this slate, but their recent inconsistency means anything can happen. "

MIAMI NORTHWESTERN - Scandal may cost Bulls: "From the streets of Liberty City to the halls of the Miami-Dade School Board building, the word is out: Superintendent Rudy Crew may suspend Northwestern's state champion football program for the 2007 season."

Football Academic cuts trim class size: "Three academic casualties leave team two over yearly limit, six above team cap. As he welcomed most of the freshmen to campus for summer school, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was impressed by the size of several of the players."

Weis still pursuing lawsuit: "Coach says doctors botched surgery."

An 'Ecstatic' Response: "Tiger Woods left the AT&T National thrilled with the response to his tournament, but finding a long- term host for the event is pivotal."

Star Power by the Bay: "On Tuesday night, Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds will jog out to their positions in the outfield with a combined 1,337 career homers and an ephemeral link to each other."

The conference headlines:

Miami

NFL players come home to UM for Hurricane-style workouts: "South Beach can be a humbling experience for any football star with an ego."

From the great Omar Kelly Hurricanes Blog: Say What!: "I couldn't believe some of the stuff I saw surfing the Internet Monday and..." Get over there!

North Carolina
Williams optimistic about Heels: "North Carolina coach upbeat despite no Class of '07 signeesRoy Williams can't understand the fuss over North Carolina's recent recruiting misses."

An article of interest for you Tar Heels - A Contender: Gamecocks improving

Florida State

Hart talks may go a while: "Don't expect Dave Hart and T.K. Wetherell to reach a common ground when they meet on Wednesday to..."

Hart wants to finish 10-year contract:" Florida State Athletic Director Dave Hart has helped elevate the school's women's athletics programs, overhauled most of the sports facilities and steered the school into a power-brokering role in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But now his tenure at FSU -- successful by most accounts -- is in question."

Georgia Tech

Diaw likely to transfer: "Hewitt may have an extra hoops scholarship if reserve swing player heads to U. of San Diego."

SYLVESTER: THE CATCH : "Monday's AJC Sports Recruiting Blog focuses on Union Grove linebacker Steven Sylvester who, by all indications, is ready to commit to the Yellow Jackets."

Virginia

Sean Singletary Added to USA Pan American Team Trials Roster

Four Cavaliers Named to 2007 ACC All-Academic Baseball Team

Virginia Tech

Four transfers announced for Hokie softball

North Carolina State
Wolfpack's course gets Palmer touch : "Arnold Palmer's ceremonial shot launches the building of a rolling, 7,025-yard, par-71 layout, a public facility and future home of the Wolfpack golf teams."

The Daily Roundup: Monday

The BEST ACC Sports Coverage!!!
PHOTO: Wake Forest, getting ready to defend their title!

Getting your mind right:
Andrew Jones of the Wilmington Star - Q&A With Wake Assistant Dino Gaudio: "Wake Forest assistant basketball coach Dino Gaudio enjoys coaching in the ACC and working for a good friend. He's mostly content, and having already run two programs himself, Gaudio has one more dream to fulfill."


Caulton Tudor of the Raleigh News and Observer - Miles may regret criticizing Trojans

Wilbon: Inaugural Success Is Tiger's

David Steele of the Baltimore Sun: Imagine Woods taking his tournament here

An Old Nemesis: Track owner Bruton Smith often clashed with ISC's Bill France Jr.: " Out here in the dry-brown rolling hills just north of San Francisco, in the heart of California wine country, Bruton Smith holds sway at Infineon Raceway, the NASCAR outpost farthest from stock-car racing's Daytona headquarters, nearly 3,000 miles distant."


The conference headlines:
Miami
UM gets top commitment: "Coach Frank Haith landed one of the highest-rated recruits of his tenure at the University of Miami on Thursday when Los Angeles-based power forward Tyreese Breshers orally committed to the Hurricanes for the 2008 class."

From the Eye on the U Blog - Keeping Score (Recruiting, Part II) . Get over there!

From the great Omar Kelly Hurricanes Blog:
Mining For Diamonds: "Been dying to see Eddie Rios in action for nearly three years now, ever since..."
Here's a Hit:"For those of U in need of a football fix during the slow summer months..."
Get over there!!


Georgia Tech
COUNT ON CLARK : "If the football season began today, Tech's Pat Clark would play corner in the nickel defense. But he wants more. Clark intends to win back his starting job."

Jackets won't outclass Dogs: "The AJC's Mark Bradley lists 20 reasons why Tech won't be better than Georgia this fall."

Tech Vent: "I hope the football pundits rate the Techmites in the top 5 this preseason. It will be such a pleasure to watch the Tumblebugs fall to their rightful place, number 35."


Clemson
Clemson's Mollica wins North South Amateur

Tigers announce Bunn as pitching coach

Clemson rowing places five on ACC academic team

Four Clemson swimmers named ACC all-academic


Florida State
Sims keeps giving to area: "Former Florida State standout and current Detroit Lions linebacker Ernie Sims III grew up in..."


Duke
Room at the inn for football and friends : "Blue Devils take time to be good Samaritans at Durham Rescue Mission event." Yes, but who will rescue the Devils?


Virginia Tech
Harrison continues winning ways at Pan Am Juniors

Hokies capture gold and silver at Pan-Am meet


Virginia
Ten Cavaliers Named to All-ACC Academic Team

ECU Golfer Lene Krog Transfers to Virginia