The baseball team has a series at Duke this weekend, and looks to improve on its 36-9 record this season. The next home series is a 3-game series against North Carolina starting May 14. Virginia is currently one game behind Georgia Tech in the ACC standings. The ACC Tournament starts May 26 and is being played in Greensboro, N.C.

Courtesy of http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/

I don’t think I’ve had more fun watching our football team lose than I did the past two home games. Wait, that doesn’t sound right. What I mean is that I am disappointed in the losses, but I couldn’t be more proud of our fans on the hill that made lemonade out of lemons and started a mud slide at the Georgia Tech game, and spent their time more wisely by playing human Tetris at the Duke game.

The chaos of students’ completely disobeying authority makes me feel good inside, because it’s good to know that even students at UVa are just as immature as a six year old deep down.

The combination of the rain, the wind and Georgia Tech’s incredibly simple, yet effective, offense was too much for the defense to contain. Yes, there were a few missed calls or bad calls that hurt the team. Yes, Jameel Sewell threw many spot-on passes that were dropped in the second half. And yes, the Duke game was disheartening to watch in the final 3 minutes, but at least there was effort for most of the game.

To the football team’s defense, GT was ranked number twelve in the country heading into that game, and will most likely be in the top ten after beating Wake Forest (barely) today. And the Duke team we faced is on the verge of having a winning season for the first time since MC Hammer was relevant.

And the Miami game…well, there weren’t many positives about this one. The two blocked punts were good, and a solid outing by Rashawn Jackson was inspiring, but besides that UVa was just the slower team on the field. When the offense can’t give the defense a rest, a speedy team like Miami will run laps around anyone.

Next week is the Boston College thriller, a rivalry that spans back to the mid-2000s. Although a win against BC is vital in our chase for a national championship, we also need to keep our eye on the real prize: beating Virginia Tech. I know the game is three weeks away, but it is never too early to start hating Tech. Planning our time between now and kickoff is pivotal to our success as a fan base. Here is a list of things that will help out in the effort to set up a victory for Virginia, but more importantly a loss for Virginia Tech.

1) Do NOT give any tickets to Virginia Tech fans from your high school

2) Do NOT give any tickets to Virginia Tech fans from your family

3) Go to the game, preferably for more than the first half

Every other year it seems that 60,000 Tech fans make their way into Scott Stadium to ruin the day for us 1,500 Wahoos. It isn’t just that they cheer for our rival that makes it awful; it’s all the niceties that go along in dealing with Tech fans.

It’s their set of ATV and tractor keys that they shake in your face every third down.

It’s their primal instinct of throwing drinks all over your coat when you ask them to stop shaking the keys in your face.

It’s the jail-time you serve for punching said Tech fan in the throat after they pour ice-cold Pepsi down your back.

So, although it’s impossible to keep all Virginia Tech fans from entering the stadium (like keeping a woman out of a pair of Uggs during winter), an effort must be made to limit the damage they do to our community by just being in the Charlottesville area. We suffer enough already over breaks with the traffic their second-rate students make on I-64 when passing through to get to Richmond (And by second-rate I mean stupid. Especially the ones from Godwin).

In all honesty, though, I’m worried about this game. When there have been 20,000 seats empty for our last two home games, seats that are traditionally taken by Virginia Tech fans already, I am scared that my hyperbole of 60,000 Tech fans won’t be too far from the truth.

If you know family or friends that aren’t going to the game, make sure they give the tickets to UVa fans, or at the least University of Richmond fans (That way they can get used to the feeling of where their Head Coach will be next year). If they can’t find anyone to give their tickets to, have the tickets destroyed.

So go to the game. If you go it means that one less Virginia Tech fan is in attendance. Plus, there will be a special postgame performance by the marching band for Al Groh (and hopefully Craig Littlepaige), where they will play a rendition of Roy Rogers’ “Happy Trails.”

Be obnoxious. Be reactionary. Fight fire with fire. It’s the only way you will enjoy the game.

Come down and cheer on your fellow classmates as the team plays two rivals in UNC and Georgetown.

Head coach Tony Fischer believes a good, loud crowd helps the team. “It definitely adds to the atmosphere when we get a large student crowd, they seem to be louder and crazier, and our team responds better when the students are there.”

“We welcome all UVa hockey fans to come watch us and see what good hockey is played in the south.”

The Hoos are struggling with a 1-5 record this year so far. All the games so far have been non-conference but they want to steal a page from the football team and win against their conference foes. If they pull out a win this weekend, they will be right back in the mix of things.

The team is a UVa club sport team that plays in the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) and is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey League (ACHA).

Games are at 9:40 at the Charlottesville Ice Park on the downtown mall and tickets are free for students with valid ID.

For more information and to follow the hockey team, log on to wahoohockey.com

Courtesy of happehtheory.com

“Groh’s Out, Tuberville’s In.” That was the text I sent to my dad on Wednesday.

For those that don’t know (why would you?), my parents left for Hawaii that day. The American Dental Association was holding seminars all week where only Dentistry and Related Topics were discussed. Here was the itinerary they planned:

10am: Wake up

10:15am: Go to seminars

10:22am: Drink on the beach, eat nachos

2am: Sleep

So when my parents landed in Oahu my dad texted me to let me know they were safe and sound. I was on my way to a meeting when I received his text, and after I texted him the joke, I turned my phone to silent.

After the meeting, I checked my phone to see my dad had attempted to call four times in that span and left two messages. Message one:

“This is INCREDIBLE! Almost half of our flight was UVa alum, and we’re all celebrating! Thanks for the GREAT news!”

Message two (from mom): “Chris, that was so nice of you to think to text dad about this, I’m sure this will make his trip a lot better. The plane was ecstatic when dad told everyone!”

Now, I will say, my father is no plebe when it comes to UVa sports. He’s been a long time season ticket holder, and I figured that of all people I know he would understand I was joking. Apparently not.

The fact that my dad fell for the joke is telling. Like a kid taking candy from a stranger, the fan base is desperate for any good news. Fortunately, UVa won in dramatic Al Groh fashion last weekend: tough defense and an offense that eventually wears down the defense with a heavy ground attack.

It seems no one really has a clue about how many games we will win this season. In fact, the spread on the Indiana game (I am not making this up) an actual question mark. If the defense can play as well as they did last weekend then I don’t see Indiana putting many points on the board.

Then again, if the offense falls back into its ways of giving the ball to the other team, it could be a long day in Charlottesville.

As an armchair genius, I know that there are a few critical things that the team must do in order to achieve success.
Here are the keys of the game:

1) Defensive penetration

2) Limited turnovers

3) The Cavalier NOT falling off the horse

4) People in attendance, watching

If all of these can be fulfilled, I see a Virginia victory on the horizon. Actually, I’ll just be happy if the horse doesn’t buck our mascot off his back.

Although the team this year is probably not one of the more athletic in Groh’s nine year tenure, they have improved as the season has gone on. For example, whereas in the first game we had a conservative portfolio of offensive plays, we attempted two or three downfield passes at the end of the TCU game. Then we come out of nowhere in the Southern Miss game and score double digit points in the first half alone. Then, we play at a previously ranked UNC and humbled their offense, while our offense wore down their defense.

The parallels one can draw between this season and last season are remarkable. Get crushed by a nationally ranked opponent early, play pitifully against a I-AA (FCS, whatever) team, and then go on the road and beat a ranked team. My only hope is that this season doesn’t end in the same fashion as it did a year ago.

Now I know that we all have that part of us that says “If we keep losing, then Al Groh will be fired. Let’s go Indiana!” The question is which sentiment affects us more: our frustration with Al Groh, or our devotion to our football team. There have been many times where a part of me said it was okay to root against the football team.

I know that although it would feel great to have some resolution, it does no good to go through life continuously rooting against things. That is, unless you are an Eagles fan or Pat Robertson. Respectively, they both make good lives out of whining about their team or telling you how wrong it is to have fun.

Therefore, although the team is in limbo in terms of their identity (is this too much Catholicism for a sports column?), hopefully soon they will have a consistent product on the field every Saturday. A win this weekend would be huge.

The best part about this game?

Even if we lose, we are still undefeated in conference play.

BENEDICT ARNOLD: TRAITOR EXTRAORDINAIRE; Courtesy of peoplequiz.com

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of wahoowire.com.

Can we complain? The way we lost to Southern Miss was painful the way it ended, but no Wahoo out there can be disappointed with the success of the offense.

For Al Groh to create a hybrid offense of new and old schemes in just 3 days of practice is remarkable, and he deserves praise for these efforts. Sure, we lost, but as long as there is a sign of life in our football executions we should be happy.

Since we have a bye this weekend, I will take a break from my usual routine of making snarky comments about Al Groh, because he proved me wrong by making effective adjustments and putting up a good fight against a tough team on the road. Cheers to Coach Groh.

I look forward to playing UNC next week. Being the optimist that I am, I think we’re going to win. UVa is 9-2 after a bye week with Coach Groh, so the odds are stacked in our favor for next weekend.

Fortunately, there has been another issue that has arisen in the last week that should make any honest Virginia football fan cringe.

Recently, a Cavalier Daily’s diehard, all-the-way, Wahoo-wah, orange-and-blue bleeding featured writer had an article that summarized the feelings of any Virginia fan. That is, if by Virginia fan you mean VaTech enthusiast.

The article goes on and on about how the VaTech fans are the most hospitable people at tailgates. How their team’s entrance is orgasmic. How their fans are supportive the whole way through the game and loud with their Incredibly Clever “key-play” gimmick. How easy it is to be caught in the spirit of Tech fans and rush on to the field.

…I’m sorry, I just threw up on my laptop. I have never read anything more blasphemously anti-Virginia.

Or more wrong, in many ways.

For one, there were many fans that left the game early, so there goes his assertion that they cheered extensively throughout the game.

In addition, he also claims that there were over 80,000 roaring fans. Try 66,000.

The lesson here, children, is to check your facts before you publish an article that fondles a rivals schools enthusiasm, because you don’t want to come across as a traitor AND a liar.

What this CavDaily columnist did was basically justify cheating on a spouse.

Imagine if a father approached his family the way that this columnist approaches VaTech:

Home life has been difficult the past year or so. The wife is complaining, the children are constantly crying and screaming, and there seems to be no way out. So you decide to go on a date with the young and attractive secretary. After dinner you end up having the wildest sexual experience of your life, with no desire to go back to your wife and kids.

This is what a coward does.

Just as a coward decides to drop his loyalty to his school’s football team, in the most egregious form, by rushing the field after our biggest rival’s victory. Someone who does this has no dignity; especially if he feels so proud about it he inscribes the account in his school’s newspaper. The fact that the only support that this columnist got was from Virginia Tech fans makes one suspect for whom this article was actually written.

A real fan, similar to a real father, ignores the temptation to enjoy the short-term relief of another teams’ success, and works to make his experience with his own team’s team more amicable.

A real fan realizes that he will appreciate the winning seasons in the future much more, knowing how bad things have been in the past while having still supported the team.

A real fan doesn’t go to Virginia Tech and celebrate their traditions and victory and then write an article about it to torture and anger his fellow Wahoo fans.

I realize that there are many disgruntled and discouraged Wahoos out there. It is tough to watch our in-state rival get consistently better over the years and watch our program slowly dwindle into mediocrity.
No one denies this.

Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean it is okay to partially jump ship to the winning team. That’s what Benedict Arnold did, and look how that turned out.

This columnist, by acknowledging his ability to be persuaded by the spirit of the enemy, has shown his true colors. No real Wahoo would rush the field at Virginia Tech, no matter how enthusiastic their sports section is.

To sum up, here’s a quote from the responses to the column, from Troy: “Great article! You’re always welcome in BLACKSBURG.”

I agree. Go back to Blacksburg.

Courtesy of bleacherreport.com

“Mediocrity…It Groh’s on you.” That was the poster that stood out in the 500 person student section in the final seconds of the game on Saturday. Amid the pink slips with Groh’s name scattered along empty bleachers included many an airport bottle of bourbon and rum.

This, I believe, shows the steadfastness of Virginia students to make the best of any situation. Like the old adage, “If life gives you a miserably performing football team, make a bourbon and coke…or twelve.”

Believe it or not, there is an upswing to the football team’s current state. With people everywhere concerned with the state of the economy, we at least know that (even though we get into games free) students are pumping money into the economy through their desire to be drunk at all times.

So although last Saturday was the lowest attendance at a football game in a decade, the amount of money spent on booze without a doubt surpasses the revenue of ticket sales. So on the aggregate the economy is doing great (props Lee Coppock).

It was also inspiring to see that our fans have a sense of humor. After Sewell threw an incomplete downfield pass with 4 minutes left, all 2,000 fans still in attendance gave Groh a standing ovation in this valiant attempt to win a game (something he has resisted in recent years).

For those that weren’t aware, Beta Bridge had the words “Groh Must Go” painted on it…but only for a short time. The next day the entire side of the bridge was painted in black, which leads me to wonder if it was an inside job.

I can’t imagine Craig Littlepaige making the effort to paint the bridge, but then again, he did put in a lot of thought into the 10 year contracts he prepared for Groh and Gillen (to Gillen’s defense, whether you thought he was a good coach or not, at least he was a happy person. I’d take his personality mixed with losing any day over Groh’s approach of just losing).

Although the football team’s performance is depressing, the rest of our sports teams are on the rise. For example, basketball looks to be uplifting. Many predicted we would have trouble getting star players to come to UVa since Bennett is known for scoring in the 70s consistently. Apparently that is not the case, because over the weekend Bennett received a commitment from yet another top 150 recruit, and Virginia now has the 11th best recruiting class in the country for 2010. Bright things are on the horizon.

Not only is basketball doing exponentially better than our football team, but our soccer team is starting out the year pretty well. Right now ranked number 20 in the nation, they look poised to take a spot at the top of the ACC. They’ve got tough competition at Wake Forest this weekend, but it seems like the team will do well this year and compete for a spot in the NCAA Tourney.

In addition, the baseball team is in the midst of fall training. The entire team is back essentially, with some talented additions to the team as well. Coming off a College World Series trip, hopes are high that we can make it back to Omaha and advance even further.

It seems the rest of our sports teams can get it together, so why hasn’t football been able to right the ship? Many people say that UVa expects too much, that our program can’t handle consistent winning at a top level. If you listen to Tech fans or Colin Cowherd, at least, that’s what they’ll tell you.

Fortunately, these intellects are uninformed, not to mention miserable and pathetic. Point in being, George Welsh only had two losing seasons in nineteen years, and he adopted a program that had a losing season almost every year for the previous 30 years.

There is no excuse for the team to be playing as pitifully as it is currently; with the vast amount of facilities and accommodations made for athletes that didn’t even exist ten years ago, it blows my mind how backwards the program seems to have gone.

There is nothing funny about what happened this past weekend. Cheap jokes about alcohol consumption do not alleviate the miserable state of our football team. It’s tough to laugh when Coach Groh doesn’t seem to care anymore.

For some reason I have a real problem when the coach of the school refers to the students in attendance as “outsiders.” I realize that none of us are in the huddle, but let’s be real; when’s the last time you saw a team with a spread offense win a game without throwing a ball downfield?

And I realize that he needs to keep his team motivated, but if Groh has issues getting his team ready and motivated for the FIRST game of the season, can he really blame the fan base for questioning his influence on the team, or lack thereof?

The saddest part of this whole story is that Groh, up to a few years ago, was a much revered and respected alum of The University. Not only that, but his son Mike Groh was a hero in UVa folk lore in his defeat of Florida State in 1995.

Now both are a mockery in Charlottesville, and not without reason. If Al didn’t want to deal with the niceties of keeping up with donors and alumni support, talking to reporters after losing efforts, or involving the students in the game day atmosphere, he should have never left the pro ranks.

Watching this season has been like watching a close friend’s parents on the verge of a divorce. Even though you have a sliver of hope that the two will stay together and succeed, it’s most likely too late for any recourse.

Nevertheless, I refuse to give up on the team. Just as we stay devoted to a close friend, it is our duty to hang tough during this difficult stretch with our football team.

Courtesy of voices.washingtonpost.com

I hate Sundays. Especially those ones where your team loses to a I-AA opponent in the opening game of the season. I’m sure everyone can relate to this feeling.

The feeling is similar to losing to your younger brother in ping-pong. You KNOW you are better. You know he’s not even CLOSE to your level of competition. But the damn kid keeps putting crazy spin on the ball and lobbing it over the net…waiting for you to make the mistake. And then he wins, and you hear about it 24/7 until 1) you play him again and beat him or 2) punch him in the face.

I don’t know about you all, but if you have friends similar to mine, your phone and Facebook profiles were fluttered with messages like “Hoo just lost to the Tribe?” and “Looks like you guys should be in the CAA” and “Can you go and buy some coffee filters, we’re out.”

The sad thing (third one included) is that I agree with these people. I mean, after all, no evidence was shown on Saturday that we are equipped to consistently take on competition from the ACC.

RJ Archer, Charlottesville hometown hero, torched the defense with his play. There was no sense of intimidation shown by him or his teammates, and he showed what Groh was missing by not offering him a scholarship (he was snubbed while at Albemarle). Not only that, but the defensive line of William and Mary broke through our line like a townie getting into a frat party.

The coaching decisions were questionable and difficult to understand. For example, only 6 handoffs were given to starting running back Mikell Simpson. Even in a spread offense, shouldn’t he get more touches?

Also, where was the great secondary play? The Tribe had ample opportunity to advance and score.

Not to mention the quarterback controversy. Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell found zero consistency or rhythm in the first half after two early touchdowns. Sewell throws two interceptions (with one waiting to come). Then, in the middle of the third quarter, they put Marc Verica in. He goes 7 for 11, playing pretty consistently, and then the ball slips out of his hand accidentally and he commits a turnover. Then he goes to the sideline, never to see the field again.

So explain this logic to me, Coach: Sewell throws 2 interceptions and continues play, yet Verica pulls a Charlie Brown and never sees the field again?

Something’s not right here (Good thing the Cavalier Daily’s Andrew Seidman had no problem trashing Verica’s ability. Referring to the quarterback who took over mid-way last season to win more games than UVa was expected to, Seidman compared the use of Verica to “your darkest hour of desperation,” and added, “In Groh’s defense, his back was against the wall.” Nice work.).

But that’s the mistake a lot of people make; they try to use logic in interpreting Groh’s decision making.

And Groh certainly has a lot of ‘splainin to do. We go up against TCU tomorrow; a team that is ranked number 16 in the country for a reason. Not only that, but they have the most confusing mascot in the country (the horned…frogs? Really? How many hits of acid did their Athletic Department take before picking that mascot?).

Regardless, it should make for a humorous “Adventures of Cav Man.” (Don’t you wish, just once, that instead of the other mascot just disappearing in a cloud of dust, that there would be an extended scene where the Cav Man tore apart the visiting mascot, and then proceeded to throw the remains to cheering UVa fans on the street as he rides by on his horse towards the stadium? I can’t imagine a better way to get a crowd fired up.)

Which brings up another question. When did our mascot become “Cav Man”? Last I checked, it was the Virginia Cavaliers, and the mascot looked, as the name describes it, like a cavalier (from dictionary.com: “an adherent of Charles I of England in his contest with Parliament”). Instead, now he looks like a Spanish version of a character in Disney’s Incredibles.

Anyway, as I was saying about Virginia football…

As part of my grieving process on Sunday, I spent most of the day trying to catch up on work, but instead found myself looking at old videos of UVa football games on Youtube. Scrolling through games from the mid-90s, I found some gems, such as the 1995 game against Florida State when Adrian Burnam punched the ball back before FSU running back Warrick Dunn crossed the goal line as the clock expired (Which was FSU’s first loss in the ACC since joining in 1992).

Or in 1998, when we went down to Blacksburg, down 29-7 at halftime, and came storming back with a climactic pass by Aaron Brooks to Ahmad Hawkins to win 36-32.

Then, more recently, the famous “hook and ladder” against Georgia Tech in Groh’s first season in 2001.

As you can see, winning football games consistently at UVa isn’t a long ago phenomenon, people just have a short memory span.

Nevertheless, things need to improve. First, and most important, we need more violent “Adventures with Cav Man.” Second, we need to change the Cav Man back to the Cavalier. And third (this is optional), find a coach who can win consistently. That way we can get back to the old days of the 1990s when we spent all our time trashing Tech’s team, school, and culture.

As Thomas Paine once wrote, “Get off your pity pot Nancy and go to the football game. And stay the whole time no matter what the score is.”

Keep your heads up, Wahoo fans. Better days are ahead.

Courtesy of nostate.com

A new semester has started. A semester of change, confusion, and hope. People know the change that I speak of: the switch to the new SIS system. For first-years who did not know the ways of the old system, it was a magically designed platform with no faults. And the administration knows how wonderful the old system worked, and how everyone knew where to go and what to do.

President Obama even acknowledged this on the campaign trail. Said Obama last October in the final debate, “I will make Washington as efficient and useful as the current ISIS system at Virginia.” This has left many bright minds to ponder, “who proposed this change, and why?”

Many theories have gone around, with some of the more ridiculous including, “the I.T. people probably,” and, “it makes all the systems more uniform.” Rubbish.

You want to know who made this decision? It was Al Groh (those who don’t know who this is should be kicked out for an honor violation), and it makes sense when you think about it.

Here’s my logic: he’s on the hot seat this year, and by creating a distraction that is more detrimental to the students’ livelihoods than the football team having a losing season, then maybe he won’t lose his job. Does this make sense? Of course it does. I said it, so it must make sense. Just as much sense as hiring your son as Offensive Coordinator.

And speaking of confusion, Mike Groh apparently is now an assistant coach at the University of Alabama. Technically, he’s a graduate assistant and enrolled in classes to receive his masters in Footballology in the spring (This graduate program is offered at many SEC and Big 12 South schools). If you were worried about his low pay at such a position, no need. Fortunately, we’re still paying him though this year.

When asked about the hire, Nick Saban (Alabama’s head coach) explained, “Our first game of the season is against Virginia Tech, and if we have someone on our staff like Mike who has coached against them and lost to them before, many many times, then we’ll know exactly what not to do.”

He makes a good point, as Groh has an impeccable record as Offensive Coordinator against VaTech, a whopping 0-3 record (not to mention a 1-7 record in all his years on staff). Saban added, “With his help, we should roll over the Hokies [who are terribly overrated and always underachieve when ranked in the preseason top 10.]”

To Mike Groh’s credit though, he did introduce Vic Hall to the quarterback position in last year’s finale in Blacksburg, which proved quite effective throughout the game. There might be some out there who are wondering, “Why didn’t we use Hall earlier in his career? After all, he rewrote the quarterback record books for Virginia high schools without even playing the second half in most games his senior year.”

To answer these simple-minded individuals, the reason is that Mike and Al had planned on saving him until the last game of his 3rd year. By switching Hall to a completely different position on the opposite side of the ball, and then giving him a few years to forget all of his immediate knowledge about playing quarterback, they knew that it would catch Virginia Tech completely off guard when they switched him back to quarterback in his 3rd year after only a week of practice. Talk about forward thinking! Of course, the typical armchair genius wouldn’t understand this concept.

Fans that are unhappy with that answer can at least be hopeful this season, since Virginia will have more options on the table for quarterback. Vic Hall will be in use, along with Jameel Sewell and possibly Marc Verica. Although many were disgruntled with our season last year with Verica at the helm, the fact that he came in mid-season, amid a smoky situation with the previous quarterback, and won 4 games against quality opponents (at Georgia Tech, North Carolina in OT) is pretty good.

The new offensive system, installed by a guy who coached with Urban Meyer, will give a boost to our production. Sure, Brandon was just relieved of his duties as head coach at Bowling Green, but sometimes great coordinators are mediocre head coaches (sound like anyone?). And with Ron Prince coming back (in similar fashion as Brandon), our special teams will be more than prepared and reportedly more aggressive as well (a term other than beamerball needs to be implemented…ImtheJuggernautb*#$%ball, perhaps?).

Plus, we’ve got a new ‘Hoo Vision that should make games more enjoyable to watch…or more painful depending on how the season goes. But I’m an optimist, so I’m going to say we’ll win seven games this year. And we’ll beat Virginia Tech in the finale.

Think I’m crazy?

You’re damn right. Go Wahoos.