How To Deal With Success And The Big Finish

Jeff: BC offers students a great education that seems to be getting better and better year after year. Most classes teach you how to be successful in one way or another, but I don't remember many professors or classes talking about how to handle your success should you ever achieve it. From the actions in the Athletic Department in the last few weeks, it's clear that the football and basketball program would be a perfect case study on how NOT to handle success. First, new Head Coach Jeff Jagodzinski leads BC to back-to-back ACC Championship Games, he gets a big head, takes an interview with the NY Jets to be their head coach after having only been a college HC for just two years. As a result, he gets fired, and Frank Spaziani, runner up for the HC job two years ago, gets promoted. Next, the BC men's basketball team coached by Al Skinner pulls off one of the greatest upset in BC basketball history by going to Chapel Hill and defeated the unanimously #1 ranked Tar Heels. After that they lose three straight games, all at home, and two of the three BC never had a chance to win. Brian, have we learned any life lessons from the BC Athletic department in the last two weeks or should we just learn to accept the good with the bad?

Brian: Yes, we can learn a thing or two from the Athletic department. First, with the Gene coaching thing. Perhaps Jags was a problem and wanted out. Even if that was the case, and as I've stated before, I feel this whole coaching search was very mismanaged. We have built a successful program over the past 10 years. A very successful football program. And yet, with Gene's actions, we may have scared off any good external coaching candidates for the foreseeable future. Who is going to want to work for an employer who wants to prohibit any upward mobility? I hope GDF knows what he is doing, because it seems like BC will have to develop internal coaching candidates for the next 5-10 years.

With the basketball team, we seem to need an attitude adjustment. I am not seeing the leadership from Tyrese Rice or Al Skinner this year. Defeating North Carolina might have been both a blessing and a curse. This team rarely puts together a complete 40 minute game. If they ever do again, they can run with anyone in the ACC. They have the skill to be competitive, just not the right attitude. I would say this Saturday's game against Virginia Tech is somewhat of a must-win situation. If they drop to the Hokies, I see this season's ACC schedule quickly sliding away, much like how the Eagles finished last season. Would you agree?

Jeff: I disagree that the Eagles are headed towards a 8+ game streak of playing poorly as they did last year. The Eagles have played 3 ACC games against 3 teams that will most likely make the tournament, not to mention that Wake and North Carolina will (likely) be top 3 seeds in the Big Dance. If you had said we'd be 1-2 after our first 3 games, no one would've been dissapointed. The Eagles will bounce back with the schedule softening starting with these next two games against Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.

Brian: I agree. The Eagles have a VERY winnable stretch of 6 games (RPI in parenthesis) ...

at Virginia Tech (55)
at Georgia Tech (166)
N.C. State (134)
at Maryland (79)
Virginia Tech (55)
at Virginia (85)

... before the schedule gets fairly brutal ...

at Wake Forest (14)
Clemson (3)
Duke (1)
at Miami Fla. (34)
Florida State (25)

If the Eagles are going to turn the corner, the time is now.


Big Finish

Brian: Boston College senior fullback Paul Gerstenberger was selected in the second round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew. Jeff, quick. Who won the championship this year in MLS?

Jeff: I had to look it up, but it was the previously mentioned Columbus Crew. Hence the trivia question.


Jeff: Two big Hockey East games this weekend. UMass-Lowell comes to campus tonight and Saturday night the Eagles pay the $1.25 or whatever it costs now to take the B line to Boston University. Who ya got?

Brian: The Eagles are in desperate need of a 4 point weekend as they continue to middle about the Hockey East standings. Hopefully they can turn the corner and pick up a W against struggling Lowell, and then get (at least) 1 point against the Terriers.


Brian: The Big Lead leaked that ESPN considers its college football blog network a "complete disaster." Brendan from From Old Virginia also chimes in on the issue. I know we've had our disagreements with HD in the past, but is that fair?

Jeff: This is totally fair. ESPN has a history of excellence and they need to step up the quality of their bloggers if they are going to attach their brand to them. Heather Dinich was not good this year covering the ACC. She was possibly even very bad.


Jeff: Orlando wants to host a THIRD bowl game. The Bowl for the Cure would be played at UCF's new stadium (Bright House Networks Stadium) and would likely match a Conference USA team with a Sun Belt team. Having been to Orlando for a bowl game, good idea?

Brian: No! There are TOO many bowl games to begin with. Move the lesser of the two bowls - the Champs Sports Bowl - to Bright House Networks Stadium if UCF really wants to host a bowl, but a third bowl game in the same city would be absurd.


Brian: Brian St. Pierre. Super Bowl clipboard holder? True or false?

Jeff: True! I like the Cardinals' chances of winning this weekend. I certainly understand the Eagles being favored but I'll take Arizona.


Jeff: Last one, HD takes a look at Boston College football's recruiting needs. Not much we didn't know, but what is your top priority for recruiting in the week or two that BC has left?

Brian: Well, here are two early looks at the BC depth ($) chart. I would say the most pressing need is to sure up the defensive line, and hope none of these guys walk.