Please God, Thor, Bud Foster…beat UVA
It’s Friday night in San Francisco. My feet hurt, my liver hurts, my belly hurts from all the sourdough sandwiches. My chest really hurts where Tina decided to test her jump kick skills...guess what, they are good. We'll deal with the cracked rib Monday. But none of that compares to the pain of last night's loss to UNC. Instead of criticizing every aspect of our team, here's a great example of why I love being a HOKIE.
After my last drunk blog on here, I asked where to watch the game in San Francisco on Techsideline's message board. Someone replied with "the Bus Stop." Tina and I did not expect much, but to our surprise we met Hans and Jim, who decorated the back room of the bar w/ HOKIE flags and VT memorabilia. There were about 30 HOKIES that showed up, turning the bar into our own version of TOTS. Incredible, it made me very proud of our fans.
Right after the RW fumble, something hit Tina and I like a brick wall. It was an extremely, pungent odor...most likely the flatulence produced by someone after a full night of drinking. Tina immediately blamed me. I denied it, but she claimed it smelled just like one of mine and RAN to the other side of the bar. After she left, I asked Jim if he did something. He immediately confessed and apologized for his error in judgement.
After watching us lose again, I realized that Jim's great big fart is a metaphor for our entire team (and not just because we stink). The familiar stench of Jim's fart is much like the traits we've seen each year for the HOKIES...offensive line problems, poor coaching decisions, offensive struggles, missed tackles, inability to kick the damn field goal, etc. The one difference is that Jim confessed to his debacle, while our coaches babble about being "one block away" from the big play. Beamer, a little advice: be like Jim and take responsibility for your mistakes. The beer farts are getting really old.
I still love our squad as much as I love sandwiches. It’s a shame we are doing so bad with so much talent. Please God, Thor, Bud Foster…beat UVA. That is all.
Thursday: Drop, Drop, Drop some knowledge on you!
It's time we at beershots began using our popularity for good causes. After all, with readership now in the high single digits, we sit in a position to play a major role in the community. So this week, we bring you an educational post. The topic of today's lesson, Thursday Nights.
From Webster's: Thursday (thûrz'dē, -dā'): 1. The fifth day of the week 2. A day for being a badass and tailgating for 8 hours 3. The only night where you are legally required to stand during the entire game
Thursday is the fifth day in the week and, like most other days, its name comes from Norse mythology. Thursday is the day named after Thor. The dude was the bearded god of thunder who lives in a freakin' volcanic mountain and hammers out lightning with his magic hammer. Sound familiar? That's right kids, he's Bud Foster's dad. Bud has all of Thor's powers, plus the ability to make QBs cry and also he can do this. Thor could never do that. Suck it Dad.
Thursday night's in Lane are badass. We all know that. But why are they so badass? Well, I'm glad you asked:
1. Enter Sandman. This entrance should send chills down the spine of visting fans. Especially when those fans come from basketball schools. We like UNC fans, but they are soft when it comes to gameday. They know this and the diehards are trying to fix it, but they've never seen anything like what our stadium should look like for the entrance. To be honest folks, we as fans haven't been as loud as we should lately for the intro. It's still better than any other entrance out there, but the yelling and jumping have gotten a bit soft. So, to remedy that, Frank Beamer has come up with an ingenious plan. We have heard that punter Brent Bowden will be playing Enter Sandman for the crowd. Whether it's live or on the jumbotron, we are not sure. But either way it's awesome. You know your team is tough when your punter is playing heavy metal to intro your team. The only thing that could be better is if on the final note he blows the speakers Back To The Future style so that we finally have to replace that PA system.
2. Mohawks: Tyrod has one. I said I'd get one if we won out, but GT ruined that, so none for my mishapen head. But Tyrod's is awesome. Hopefully it will play like it did in the last 23 minutes of the GT game and the first 23 of the BC game.
3. Speling misstakes: There's plenty here, but this isnt a spelling lesson so have a Bud Foster and relax
4. Bud Fosters: Just to drive home the point, click here. I'll stop when Bud gets an endorsement contract with Anheuser Busch
5. 4 day weekend: We schedule Thurs and Fri off every year when the schedule comes out. Working on the Thursday of a game is sacriledge. The Goateed Son of Thor demands you dedicate this day to him and help rattle opposing quarterbacks. If TJ Yates has any time outs left after the first quarter, then we have failed Thor Child. Thor Child does not tolerate failure. So taking off Thursday is a must, but honestly, if you can work Friday, then you didnt tailgate enough. Which brings us to...
6. All day tailgate on a weekday: All your non-Hokie friends are hanging out at their desks, putting covers on TPS reports. But not you. No, you took a day honor all that is right in this world: beers, burgers, TOTS, Sycamore Deli, fall colors, 8 foot Hokies Birds, and vans that look like lunchpails. It feels so wrong it has to be right. It's almost like playing hooky from school, only instead of watching the people play Plinko with Bob Barker you play cornhole with a guy who looks like Bob Barker. Which is way better anyway.
Tailgate hard, yell loud, and don't go to work on Friday. See you in Blacksburg!
Stay Classy San Diego
So I’m in San Diego. I have a new respect for West Coast folk. You have to start drinking at like 7am to start tailgating to watch your archnemesis also get whooped by Georgia Tech. Awesome.
Since we are on a bye this week, Christina and I became Tenessee fans. WOW. I really needed another heartbroken loss. Did you really miss 3 fieldgoals, WTF? Can the Redskins draft Cody already...its really not fair to be that good in college. People in California didnt understand shots for the onside kick recovery, f-ing wierdos. Sorry haven’t seen that shit since Matt Ryan kicked our ass. Dammit, I need a Bud Foster. Maybe 12.
So Miami lost. Wow, thanks guys...helps alot.
The only way for us to win the ACC is for GA Tech to get the H!N!ey Flu and botch it. On the bright side, we could play a decent team in the Gator Bowl NOT from the Big East…BearCats number 4? I just threw up.
I started to tell Tina that we are gonna be awesome next year, with Tyrod, RW, DW, DE, Boyce, Boykin, Coale, etc. We have so much young talent. Wow, I’ve been saying that for 10 years now. Guess what…you have to be CONSISTENT to be a National contender. Thank you coaches.
Hokie’s for life, Top or Bottom, heartbreak and all...LETS GO. UNC is looking to bring us down after that loss, don’t get complacent.
Bring back Extreme Pita to Blacksburg. That is all.
-Poz
GaaaaaaaahTech
That's actaully how you pronounce their name. Or so I'm assuming since everyone outside Blacksburg calls us VaaahhTech. And this weekend, the two phonetically abused universities meet up down in Atlanta.
This one should have you scared, Hokie fans. Georgia Tech is a very good football team. They have a lot of talent, great coaching, and an offensive scheme that can be very problematic for undisciplined defenses. The good news is, Bud Foster is still your defensive coordinator.
GT's triple option offense is a fast paced system designed to keep defenses guessing. The absolute worst thing that can happen is for the defense to get caught going the wrong way and open up huge holes for big yardage. In particular, the LBs need to make the correct reads. If they get caught inside when the play shifts and breaks outside, it can extremely problematic. Our LB play is getting better, but the young guys inside really need to play up a level tomorrow. This will be their biggest test of the season. Unlike in previous games, we can't scheme around inexperience at that spot. Look for Cody Grimm to be everywhere tomorrow. He should have a big day if he can shed the blocks.
A lot is at stake with this game. First and foremost is the ACC Coastal Crown. A win tomorrow will put your Hokies solidly atop the Coastal division with wins over their two biggest competitors at this point. A loss puts them into a tie breaker position and they will no longer have the coveted "control your own destiny" status. Also, a loss here would likely send the Hokies several spots down in the polls, and remove us from any national championship talk. While that scenario is still a long shot, the Hokies do need to win out for it to even have a remote chance of occurring.
I still don't know what to think. Part of my believes we'll win big behind some great defensive play and a big offensive day. Part of me thinks it will be a back and forth game all night with the result coming down to a field goal. And there's a small part of me that is scared that this game for GT is very much like Miami was for us and that they are looking for the same type of win.
In the Mohawk we trust.... Let us know your thoughts
Drinking Bud Fosters with a Dog Named Beamer
First off, any of you who have tailgated with me over the course of the season know I'm on a mission to get people to call the Orange and Maroon fan cans "Bud Fosters". Every time you do, Bud stays another day in Blacksburg. So I'm drinking a few that I had left over from the tailgate, I've got Beamer-dog next to me, and I'm still soaking up that win.
How 'bout those Hokies? They really delivered on Saturday and its nearly impossible to find any issues with that game. We had a well balanced O, a dominant D, and controlled the game from start to finish. These guys keep rolling and getting better every week.
Even the stuff people have been critical of thus far suddenly doesn't look so bad: 1. Alabama is playing like the best team in the country, so the loss to them looks better and better 2. Nebraska's D has been rock solid so the struggles in that game look less problematic in hindshight 3. The juggernaut that is the Duke Blue Devils dominated NC State, and suddenly our less than satisfying win two weeks ago doesn't cause as much angst.
There's a lot of good recaps and analysis out there from the weekend, check out Techsideline and Kyle Tucker's blog for some great analysis. As for me, I'll offer you Beamer Dog's Top 5 Hokie Moments from this weekend:
5. Post Game tailgating: Rainy weather and a noon game didn't slow down many people, especially after the game. The lots were full, grills were fired up, and the cornhole bags were flying. Post game victory burgers taste delicious, especially when they are seasoned with 48 points.
4. David Wilson's touchdown. The kid is going to be good, he just needs to work out the kinks and learn to not overthink his options when he gets to the hole. But he stuck in there and Billy Hite stuck with him. VT rewarded him by going for it on 4th and goal. Getting DW to punch it in had to be good for his overall confidence level and the fans enjoyed it. He's a classy, hardworking kid, and he's going to be a fan favorite over time.
3. As in yards of offense: That's exactly what BC had going into halftime. 3 yards. The D all but forced Shinskie into a fetal position and it got so bad that at one point, Coach Spaz pulled all his starters on O to send a message. Bud Foster intercepted that message on it's way to the BC team and instead sent them an orange and maroon can of whoop-ass. He then went over to Gary Tranquill and twisted his nipples so hard that Tranq hit his knees and Bud didn't let up until he promised to call that orange and maroon can a "Bud Foster." (I told you it would catch on)
2. Mark Herzlich. That was a classic Lane Stadium moment. Watching 65K+ people cheer on an opposing player who is battling (and beating) cancer is good for the soul. Winning is fun, but when you can show that kind of class and take a moment to remember that there's quality people on both sides of the ball who live real lives, it puts things in perspective. We wish Mark well and hope he makes a full recovery soon so he can start tormenting running backs again.
1. Tyrod. Everything about him. Especially his Mohawk. That thing is badass and makes him look like some sort of Thunderdome warrior. And the guy is playing lights out right now. He's poised, making good decisions, and (most importantly) he is the leader he needs to be. This is his team and people are following him. This picture has been floating around and it's gaining popularity on the message boards. There's no doubt from looking at this that when Tyrod (and his Mohawk) talk, people listen. It has yet to be confirmed, but we heard that the deep bomb TD pass to Boykin was actually an audible called at the line by his Mohawk when it read the coverage and realized there was a hole on the boundary side.
So those are Beamer Dog's top 5 moments. Post it up and let's hear yours...
I’ll have the revenge please…
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. Well, it won't be freezing in Blacksburg this weekend, but hopefully 54 degrees and rainy is chilly enough to serve up some revenge, preferably with a side of embarassment.
How bad do you want to beat BC? Those of you who stood with me for the "Pain in the Rain" in 2007 are probably jumping out of your Aeron chairs right now, tearing at your hair, and screaming obscenities about Matt Ryan. Well stop sitting in an Aeron chair you pansy, grab a Bud Foster, get you're 3rd down vocal chords ready, and let's go get some revenge. We're talking like Monte Cristo or Cartman type revenge.
When it comes to the regular season, BC has owned us as of late. The 2007 comeback by Matt Ryan (which killed our most realistic shot at title game bid since 1999) is only one painful memory. In 2006 they beat us soundly in their stadium, while our players melted down on the sideline and swayed to Neil Diamond. Last year, they simply outplayed us and put our ACC title hopes in jeopardy. The good news is, we're undefeated against them in ACC title games, so we win when it counts the most. But tomorrow, it counts the most it has in a long time.
Our VT Hokies are 4-1, ranked #5 in the nation, and have a chance at a really special season. How special? Well, we won't get ahead of ourselves, but lets just say that if we do our part and some things fall our way, the Pasadena sky is the limit. Granted, right now, that's a long shot. A lot of things outside our control would need to occur for us to get there (Texas losing, SEC teams falling below us when they lose, ESPN putting its weight behind our bid, etc) but if they happen, VT stands a chance of getting in and having a chance to fill that empty trophy case.
But don't start booking plane tickets yet. As I said, this scenario is a long shot, we're not even halfway through the season, and a lot can happen. We need to win out and its a one game at a time thing. Winning every game is going to be tough to do, and fans don't need to get ahead of themselves. But at this point, we have the potential to beat every team we play (and conversely, each game poses its own pitfalls). Next up are the BC Eagles, who are suprisingly good this year. How good remains to be seen.
BC is starting the only QB older than Brett Favre. Mark Shinskie is like 40 years old and learned the game of football by playing on one of those electric football tables your dad used to have where all the pieces would just move around. Shinskie has come on strong after earning the starting spot. In the last two games he's passed for 439 yards, 5 TDs, and 1 INT. Not bad for your dad.
So, let's look at the reason we should be optimistic and the reasons we should be afraid of the Fightin' Flutie Flakes.
Reasons for hope:
- Our Offense. No seriously. I'm sure half of the people reading this just spit their coffee on their monitors. Well, two things: 1. It's impossible to have 3.5 people 2. Our offense has really improved. How long will it last? Who knows. Perhaps we've finally gotten all the pieces together and are no longer just "one block away." Or perhaps we're just waiting to crash. But in the last 3 games, Stiney has really done a great job and you need to give him credit (I say last 3 because I actually think he called a good game vs Neb. and the struggles were more execution related). Against Miami we put up 370 yards of offense, 270 of it on the ground. When Duke decided to crowd the box and put 8 men up near the line of scrimmage, we went to the air and won with 327 yards in passing from Tyrod. This isn't the nation's best offense but its has been a very good one and one that hasn't made many mistakes. If we can keep that up, get some help from special teams, and Bud Foster can whip his D into shape, we're going to keep winning games.
- Our Defense While there is some concern here (see below) it's still a Bud Foster led D. He and his coaching staff are some of the best in the business at their respective jobs. If they can fix the big play issues, they'll be right back there as a top D nationally.
- Lane Stadium Folks, here is where you do your part. Shinskie may be a good QB, but he's never played in front of 65K screaming fans who want to see him fail. He's only really played at home. So if you grew up listening to Sweet Caroline and then all of the sudden someone started blaring Enter Sandman in your ear, think of the effect that would have. This is what we must to to Shinskie. It's a noon game, and tough to get up for, but if you like being in the top 10, do your part to keep us there
Reasons to worry:
- It's BC Like it or not, they've got our number in regular season games. Some interesting thoughts have popped on message boards as to why, and I kind of believe the theory that we are to them as Miami was to us in the late 90s/early 2000s. There may be better teams on their schedule or games their fans like more (ND) but this is the best in conference game they have and their only thing close to a rival in the ACC. Perhaps that's a bit audacious to compare us to those Miami teams, but the point is this is a game BC gets up for. Whatever the case, I hate playing BC and will never feel good about our chances until proven otherwise.
- Our D Well, not really our entire D. Just it's tendencies to give up big plays. BC has a very serviceable QB (if not a flat out good one) and a good RB named Montel Harris. When he's not hosting afternoon talk shows, he's piling up yards and is second in rushing only to our own Ryan Williams. I'm not going to speculate on why we've given up so many big plays. I'm not that smart (but Raleigh Hokie is and you should read his post Duke analysis here). But if we don't stop them, BC is not going to be the kind of team we want to get behind on. We need to lead early and our D needs to keep them from getting too close.
So, all in all, it should be a good game. There are lots of reasons to be optimistic about our team and where we are going. But at the same time there are some very big realities staring us in the face. If we don't fix some of the issues this week, we'll be crying about BC yet again. But if Frank & Co. do what they do best, which is execute on the little things and improve game to game, then we can keep on winning.
See you at Lane Stadium. Be Loud.
Editor's Note: We firmly believe that talking about championships (Natty or ACC) is is a full on jinx, especially when BC is coming to town. Thus, we officially go on record as saying we do not believe we will win another game and that our bowl streak will be ended and all of our players will turn into Wahoos at midnight and go win enough games to keep Al Groh in Charlottesville.
Hokies Slip one past Duke
It wasn't a pretty win, but as the say, a W is a W. (Don't ask us who they are, they just say it, ok?)
You kind of had to feel that one coming. We opened the season with two top 10 teams in our first four games, and another top 25 team. If you've watched enough VT football over the years, it was hard to imagine that not being a bit of a let down game, especially at noon on the road. But we got the win, moved up to #5 and now its on to BC.
And let's give some credit where due. Thad Lewis is a darn good QB and he played a great game. Cutcliffe is a darn good coach and he executed well on his game plan. In the end, our talent and our team's never say die attitude prevailed, but tip your hat to a Blue Devil if you see them. I, for one, am hoping they win a few games.
For a full recap of the game, check out this article at Techsideline.com
Virginia Tech / Alabama – Tailgate Slamma 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009. Atlanta, GA. From the folks that brought you Virginia Tech / Georgia - Tailgate to End All Tailgates back in 2006 (still not sure how we blew that lead), we are pleased to invite all Hokies, Crimson Tides, and Atlanta general public to the much anticipated Labor Day weekend college game opener event of the season.
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