It's official: Phil Galiano is the new TEs coach, and Randy Melvin is back with the DLine, with no additional forthcoming changes announced. Briefly reiterating: anyone can probably be a half-decent TE coach, and Galiano is supposedly good in South Jersey. The catch is that he doesn't have a good track record as an assistant.
Fred Hill looked cooked only two weeks ago, and any talk about turning the corner seemed hopeless. The men's team struggled against Caldwell, and yet now they just upset top 10 Georgetown, and the remaining Big East schedule looks more than winnable. If the season has shown anything, it's that team fortunes can change in an instant. It's important not to engage in wishful thinking here. Give the team credit though for keeping it together when things were looking bleak.
Last week rumors started floating around about DT Antwan Lowery shifting to the OL. A few days back, Keith Sargeant confirmed that there's something to that talk, and explained what's up in terms of depth chart concerns. RU is deeper on the DL than on the OL. On last year's signing day, and Schiano was unclear about what position Lowery would end up playing. Some fans are upset about this, but as highly-touted as Lowery was, he was very much a project coming out of high school. Other programs wanted him at guard, and this kind of change is fairly common. If it even lasts beyond spring practice.
Another story making the rounds was about the Big Ten reportedly contacting Texas as a potential expansion candidate. B10 commissioner Jim Delany subsequently issued a "non-denial" denial, denying contact with any athletic program. That's technically true, but you can bet all parties involved are putting out feelers. On this subject, Teddy Greenstein clarifies the only factor in B10 decision making.
A source from another conference said the Big Ten, which could expand to 12 or 14 teams or bond with another league to form a super-conference, will make its decision strictly on finances.
"It will be purely an economic decision," the source said.
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If it’s determined that adding Rutgers can get the Big Ten Network on expanded basic cable in New York City, then the Scarlet Knights get a huge checkmark in their favor.Rutgers, with its substandard Big East TV deal ($5 million-$6 million per year vs. $20 million per year per Big Ten school), would be crazy not to pursue an invitation from the Big Ten.
Rutgers brings Comcast (who already have the BTN on a pay tier), Cablevision,Time Warner, and Verizon systems in New Jersey. They have a relationship with Verizon to deliver video on demand programming, and are in bed with Comcast through SNY (who it must be said, also are also in tight with the Big East). New York City and surrounding areas are primarily split between Time Warner and Cablevision systems.
Essentially, Time Warner and Cablevision hold the key to what could be up to a $14 million dollar yearly windfall for the athletic department. That's what matters, not some argument about whether or not NYC cares about college sports, and what team would garner the most support. It's one big reason it helps to have a former ABC and CBS Sports executive who knows everyone in the business in charge. For what it's worth, Greenstein has been very on the ball with the whole Big Ten expansion story from beginning and seems to know what he's talking about. This is why I've been doing a lot of reading on the whole media business and concepts like ala carte pricing lately.
Former UConn Husky/current NESN blogger Rob Lunn accuses Ray Rice and the 2007 Rutgers OL of talking trash.
Thanks to nik12 from State of Rutgers for sharing this link about James Kim possibly walking on to the football team and to RUrugger98 too for finding this Brandon Coleman video from signing day.
Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com says that P.J. Fleck is one of the fastest rising young assistants in the country. That's true, even though he doesn't have any ties to New Jersey. Better enjoy him while we still have him.
There's been a string of setbacks lately with women's basketball, so can they be turning the corner for real this time? Please?
Now wrestling, woo, finally a reason to hop on a bandwagon. Goodale and co. smoked Liberty and American over the weekend. This is a team that's seemingly getting better by the match. Next up is Drexel Thursday for Senior Day, followed by the showdown with a powerhouse #7 Lehigh squad on the 20th. To reschedule that, RU canceled its match with Bloomsburg.
Jack Corcoran's blog returns, with entry #3. Devin McCourty has been working against Mardy Gilyard down in Florida. The Colts signed Brandon Renkart to a futures contract.
There's value in making good long term choices. It cost ten million dollars (about half was covered by a grant) for Rutgers-NB to install a solar farm on Livingston last July, and that project has already saved $200,000. This project has made Rutgers a genuine innovator, which is valuable considering all of the local high tech industry. It's also helping to spur momentum for similar projects in local communities.
The New York Times made a profit in 2009, on the heels of their big losses in 2008.