Blog News 07/12/09

"Hello" from Baltimore. I do have an internet connection. A quick check shows no significant UMass football news, so I'll try to do a more detailed search tonight or tomorrow.

Should you ever visit Fort McHenry, try to time your visit for Noon. Mrs. Blog and I (plus about forty other people) got to take part in the raising of the BIG flag over the fort. It measures 42 by 30 feet. Two rangers supervised and everyone cheered when the Flag went up.

The small image is a file photo, because I could not take any images while holding the flag. The big image is by me.




Click on the image for a full-rez view. Gotta go. Mrs. Blog is yelling for me to stop playing on the computer. Going to the National Aquarium and other inner harbor stops.

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Mrs. Blog and I are off for a week to the Baltimore-Washington area for some R&R.

The place that we are staying is supposed to have wireless internet. If I have a working internet connection, I will try to update the Blog on a time available basis.

No posting at all means I do not have an internet connection and the Blog will return on 07/19 when we get back.

Sunday News ---- 07/12/09

UMass was the only team to offer Framingham QB Danny Guadagnoli. He's 6-1 200 pds. Guadagnoli threw for 2,600 yards and 25TD's last year. He added 600 yards rushing and 15 TDs on the ground.

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The Maine Black Bears have a long history of sending players to the NFL by means of the free agent route. Maine's Jared Turcott a 6-2 232 pd powerback has that written all over him.

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Boston College has been doing more recruiting in New England this year. Article brought to my attention over on the "Eagle in Atlanta" blog.

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Saturday News--- 07/11/09

Both the Springfield Republican and Matty Vautour have UMass football articles up, both contain nothing I haven't already covered. The Springfield Republican is here and the Hampshire Gazette is here.

The UMass athletic dept has an article about Vladimir Ducasse and Jeromy Miles being picked as pre-seaon All-Americans by Sports Network.

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Matty does have a nice link to a North Jersey article about Marcel Shipp.

Shipp has been a class act everywhere he's gone. Hopefully, he'll be involved in UMass football somehow if he's truly out of professional football.

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The always interesting Draft Daddy Blog has a comment on Kansas State WR Brandon Banks

" We do know, however, that fellow Kansas State wide receiver Brandon Banks ran a blistering 4.27 at his pro day. Banks was given a draftable projection, despite his glaring lack of ideal size -- 5' 7", 151. "

We'll be seeing Mr. Banks shortly.

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Things are getting weird for Delaware WR Mark Duncan.

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Anyone going to the Kansas State game had better get working on their motel reservations, or they will be staying forty miles away in Kansas City.

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Friday News ----- 07/10/09

David Coulson picks the Sports Network's Preseason All-America teams. Vladimir Ducasse and Jeromy Miles both made the second team.

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I'm sorry to say Western Carolina had a player die during a summer voluntary workout.

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The 7/10 issue of Draft Daddy has list of Senior "Small School" Safety NFL prospects. Jeromy Miles is second on the list.


DD.Comment: "At this point, Schillinger and Miles are clearly the top two prospects in the group above. Both are considered latter round type prospects, but have the potential to move into the middle rounds with strong senior years and good post-season workouts. Big East transfer Andrews also has some draft potential, but needs to prove he possesses next level speed."


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If you missed it, ESPN signed a contract to cover BCS football games starting in 2011 ------ for a half a billion dollars.

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Recruiting 2010 ---- D.J. Morrell and Jeremy Dickens

This article from a Norwalk newspaper talks about five Norwalk football players who will play in the Hall-of-Fame classic this Friday.

D.J. Morrell a 6-7 320 pd OL will play for Dean College this fall. He's getting looks from Boston College, Temple, Bryant, Iowa and UMass.

Morrell's Rivals page here . Rated as one of the top ten players in CT. Another article about him here.

Joining him at Dean will be another Norwalk senior Jeremy Dickens a 6-2 210 TE/DE who is drawing interest from Temple, UMass and Central Connecticut.

UMass football news ----- 07/08/09

A Dean College punter chooses Clemson over UMass.

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The Sports Network has started their list of Payton Award Watch list. The first four (of twenty) are here.

They're doing the same thing for the Buchanan Award Watch list. The first four defensive players are here.

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The New Hampshire Football report blogs that Dartmouth has dropped UNH from their schedule after this year.

That will leave only the Rhode Island -- Brown game as the last remnant of the old Yankee Conference- Ivy League series.

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Phil Steele has UMass as #19 in his preseason poll.

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Today's Draft Daddy post has a list of top "Small School" cornerbacks. No UMass players on the list but fans of the Minutemen will see Stony Brook's Chris Williams and James Madison's Scotty McGee at McGuirk.

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Tuesday news --- 07/07/09

David Coulson has the latest edition of his "Around FCS" column up and considers Steve McNair's Paradoxical Life.

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I've blogged before that a number of FCS football conferences are not holding Media days this year because of budgetary woes.

The CAA will still have it's regular Media Day in 2009. From the CAA website:

"2009 CAA FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY
JULY 29 - ESPNZONE - BALTIMORE, MD
CAA Football will kick off the 2009 season at the ES-
PNZone in Baltimore, Md., Wednesday, July 29. All
12 CAA Football head coaches will be present, along
with selected players from each team. Please contact
Scott Meyer at the CAA Football office for more in-
formation."

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Mrs Blog and I have plans to go to the UMass-Richmond game this fall. This year will be the last year the Spiders will play in City Stadium.

They've got some special events planned.

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#ESPN's College football live will cover Kansas State today (Tuesday). The show will be aired at 2:30, 4:30 and 6:00 pm.

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The Orlando Sentinel ranks the College Football Preview Magazines.

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Tampa Bay.com takes a look at life after football for offensive linemen.

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Monday News--- 07/06/09

Draft Daddy's blog has a post on the Top Ten Small School OT NFL prospects for 2009. Quote on Valdimir Ducasse:

"Vladimir Ducasse ~ Massachusetts -- Is 6'5", 330 pounds and very agile. Grew up in Haiti, but moved to Connecticut in high school. Some scouts project him as a future N.F.L. guard."

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Anton McKenzie's BC Lions bio page here. His UMass bio here.

CAN West File photo

Another story about him here.

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UMass legend Steve Schubert's daughter is General Manager of the Manchester Wolves arena football team.

This blog has a number of times about Steve Schubert.

This article was brought to my attention over at the New Hampshire Football Report.

Image by Jodie Andruskevich.






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Kansas State will be running the 4-2-5 defense this year.

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