Mason will open 2012-13 with Mercer

The George Mason Hoops Blog is reporting that Mason will open the 2012-13 season against Mercer in the 2012 Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  A win would set up a possible match-up with New Mexico, the best team in the tourney, but we shouldn't overlook Mercer.  Mercer (27-11 in 11-12) won the CIT title last postseason and returns four starters.  Their top returning scorer, Langston Hall, is only going to be a junior, too.  Let's hope we don't overlook them like we did FIU last year in the Preseason NIT (denying us a chance to play Tech and improve our RPI).  Of course, considering our senior losses, I expect Mason will be a much better team in the March than November since we'll need some time for the returning players to work out their roles.  Hewitt has an opportunity to have an incredible couple seasons in a row in the revamped CAA - let's see if he can do it.

GO MASON. 

Sophia's spring school photo

Loyola beats Maryland to claim first-ever lax title

The Loyola men's lacrosse team, unranked entering the 2012 season after an 8-5 season in 2011, concluded one of the most storybook seasons in college lacrosse history with their first national title on Monday afternoon.  The Greyhounds dominated the Maryland Terps - losers in the title game for the 2nd year in a row - 9-3 to finish an 18-1 season.  The guys in green and gray were led by Eric Lusby, above, a senior who spent most of 2011 on the sidelines because of an ACL injury in the 2010 NCAA playoffs.  He didn't disappoint in 2012, finishing with 54 goals, including a RECORD 17 goals in the NCAA men's lax playoffs. 

Despite being known all season for their explosive offense, it was the defense that helped the Greyhounds win this game.  They held Maryland to only 3 goals, a NCAA title game record and didn't allow the Terps to score for over 40 minutes.  

From the Washington Times:

Loyola became just the ninth school to win a title in the tournament’s 42-year history, earning it before 30,816 at Gillette Stadium.

“A lot of people have probably never heard of Loyola,” junior long pole Scott Ratliff said. “They know exactly who we are now.”

Eric Lusby scored four goals for Loyola (18-1) and earned the tournament’s most outstanding player honor. Lusby scored 17 goals in the four-game tournament, breaking the record of 16 shared by Virginia’s Matt Ward (2006) and Dukes Zack Greer (2007).

“It’s pretty hard to explain,” Lusby said. “I just got hot at the right time.”

Lusby’s five-goal days against Denver and Notre Dame brought the Greyhounds to the precipice of a championship. Their defense, though, locked up the title.

Congrats to the boys from Bawlmer, who have enough talent to do it again in 2013.  (They return one of the best players in the country in Mike Sawyer, who scored over 50 goals himself this season.)

Reedville doctor featured in Washington Post

Today's Style section of the Washington Post features an article on a doctor in my native Northern Neck, Dr. Emory Lewis, of Reedville.  It's worth a read, especially if you're not familiar with the land of my roots (and where I spent part of this Memorial Day weekend).  

From the POST:

You might say the doctor is living in the past simply by being here in Reedville, which is about as sleepy as modern America can get. It’s serene and pleasant, but it’s literally a dead-end town, an hour and a half from the nearest interstate highway, and eight decades removed from the last steamer service to Baltimore.

Lewis is one of five doctors, by his count, in Northumberland County. He doesn’t embody the trends in medicine so much as he defies them. He’s a doctor who still makes house calls. His patients are mostly Medicare-eligible, and they supplement the doctor’s reimbursements with gifts of home-canned relish and menhaden roe.

Lewis has no interest in assembly-line medicine. “A lot of times that’s therapeutic, just to talk to people,” he says. He knows his patients and their parents and their parents’ parents, and remembers which families have a history of diabetes.

and...

Lewis is a throwback character in a throwback place. The population of Northumberland County in the 2010 census was 12,330, not much more than the 10,777 of 1910 or the 9,163 in the very first census of 1790. Reedville remains the seat of the menhaden industry (“Menhaden regulators meet” was the big headline the other day in the Northumberland Echo).

Reedville once boasted that it was the richest town per capita in the country. You can see the old wealth in the form of the splendid Victorian homes along Main Street. But downtown has emptied out. Long gone is the movie theater, the hat store, the dress store, the grocery store, the barbershop, the dentist.

The menhaden fleet is a ghost of its former self, and there’s only one fish-protein processing plant left, Omega Protein, in town. Watermen are a vanishing breed, and most young people don’t stay here after they graduate from school. Northumberland is one of the oldest counties in Virginia, with a median age of 50. The old high school in Reedville is now a residential building for retirees. The first thing you see when you reach town, after the “Welcome to Reedville” sign, is the cemetery.

Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend

If you have three days off instead of two this weekend, don't forget why.  Many have fought and died for the flag above.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

Mason vs. Maryland

Mason AD Tom O'Connor was a busy man on Wed.  He announced via Twitter that Mason would be taking on Maryland on Dec. 2 in the BB&T Classic in Washington, DC.  Mason is 0-6 all time vs. the Terps, but if there's any year to play them, it's this year.  They lost a ton of talent to transfer/NBA draft.  Our team, on paper, is a lot better.  Mason could use the non-conference win, too, to boost our resume for March 2013.  

Also, O'Connor sent out an e-mail to Mason supporters about the recent goings-on in the CAA.  The full text is below.  The only tidbit that I didn't know was the basketball practice facility.  I don't understand why the team can't practice in the Patriot Center, but evidently, having your own practice facility is a big deal right now in college athletics.  I am looking forward to our 2012-13 schedule.  From TOC:

Dear Mason Nation,

I would like to take this opportunity to update you on the recent events involving the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and conference realignment.

You may recall that in June 2010 the recent onslaught of conference realignment began with Colorado and Nebraska departing the Big 12. In less than two years, more than 35 schools have announced a change in conference affiliation (with some schools moving more than once in that time span). The vast majority of the shift in conferences is directly due to football; and specifically, television revenue and automatic qualification for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). Just as a reference point, please take note that the average yearly payout for television rights in the six BCS conferences is $16 million per school. For the non-BCS football leagues, both the Mountain West and C-USA are approximately $1 million per school. For conferences without major college football, television revenue is minimal ($1 million for the entire league) or non-existent.  These changes have created ripple effects that ha! ve impacted many other conferences.

Last month, President Merten appointed a special committee to review Mason’s conference affiliation. The committee engaged in a thorough process, which was thoughtful, well reasoned and based on athletics, economics and academics. The committee examined the effects that a change in conference would potentially have on admissions, fundraising, alumni relations, academic reputation, recruiting, NCAA championship access, attendance, RPI and strength of schedule, student-athlete welfare, travel, television, ticket sales, sponsorships, NCAA revenue distribution, and the costs associated with a change in affiliation. These factors were analyzed in relation to our current conference affiliation as well as within the context of a constantly changing conference landscape on the national level.

Given all of the information gathered, the decision was made that the best course of action for Mason was to remain in the CAA and work diligently with our fellow members to continue to strengthen the conference, and in particular to work to ensure that the CAA is one of the best basketball centric leagues in the country.  Part of this effort will be to work in conjunction with conference leaders to secure new member schools that will enhance the quality of basketball in the CAA.

George Mason University places a high priority in its men’s basketball program and fully understands what a successful athletics program can do for the image and reputation of the University. We are committed to funding and supporting our men’s basketball program at the level required to compete nationally.  Our goal is to consistently put us in a position to participate in the NCAA basketball tournament.

We have a strategy in place that is designed to continue the elevation of our athletics program, and in particular our men’s basketball program.  One of our main focuses going forward is the strengthening of our non-conference schedule in men’s basketball. We appreciate and understand the value of creating the right balance of strength and wins during the non-conference portion of the schedule so that we put ourselves in the best possible position for an at-large berth to the tournament. In fact, this coming season we will be playing games against Maryland, Virginia, Richmond, Bucknell, and Northern Iowa, and will participate in the Paradise Jam. This is the type of non-conference schedule Coach Hewitt and I want us to play because this is ultimately what provides non-BCS teams with at-large consideration.

Over the past few years the University has invested nearly $16 million in the Patriot Center, including upgrades to the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms, renovation of the concourse, lobbies, restrooms and concession stands, and the installation of a new center-hung scoreboard, along with LED signage and scorers’ tables, and new end zone scoreboards.

We are in the final stages of the conceptual design for a new basketball practice facility that will be located at the Patriot Center and will also be the new home of our academic resource center for student-athletes.  We anticipate being able to announce the details of the project very soon.

I hope you will continue to support Mason and our athletics program in support of our pursuit of excellence.

Have an enjoyable holiday weekend.

Regards,

Thomas J. O'Connor
Assistant VP/Director of Athletics 

GO MASON.

"The Great Gatsby" trailer

The trailer for the new film version of "The Great Gatsby" was released on Tuesday.  Check it out above.  I've been looking forward to seeing what awaits those of us who love Fitzgerald's classic work.  The movie is scheduled for release at Christmas. 

The Final Four in Boston is set

The NCAA men's lacrosse Final Four became official on Sun. afternoon when Duke destroyed Colgate to secure the 4th and final slot next weekend in Beantown.  Maryland, above, dominated John Hopkins on Saturday to earn its 2nd-straight FF appearance.  The other two teams:  Loyola (MD), who continued a magical season after being unranked entering the season; and Notre Dame, who upset last year's champ, Virginia. 

From the Washington Times:

With Johns Hopkins and Virginia dispatched this weekend and Princeton and Syracuse bounced in the first round, none of bluebloods who so efficiently lorded over the sport for much of the past two decades remains in the tournament field.

The last time there was a final four without Hopkins, Syracuse and Virginia was 1975. Back then, the semifinals and final weren’t even held on the same weekend.

I'll be rooting for a Loyola vs. Maryland final, because they're both due.  The Greyhounds haven't been in a title game since 1998, and Maryland hasn't won a title since 1975. 


I watched a lot of lax this weekend - I hope to catch a lot more this weekend.  The semis are on Saturday, and the final is on Monday, Memorial Day - as always.

What’s more, the four remaining teams account for just three of the previous 41 tournament championships, with Duke’s 2010 crown the only one within the past 36 years. Maryland has the other two — in 1973 and 1975.

Sophia in "Swan Lake" at the HPAC

Sophia performed in the first of two performances of "Swan Lake" at the Hylton Performing Arts Center this weekend last night.  Julie, Tyler, and I went to last night's performance and watched until the end of Act I (it's a 2.5 hour ballet).  I love watching my brave and talented daughter on the big stage.

Sunday morning hoops pic

Anniversary pics

My brother Reggie posted these pics of our folks on his Facebook page last night, so I thought I would share them as well.  The top pic is our parents on their wedding day in 1952; the bottom pic is from yesterday, 60 years later.  (Also:  Thanks to my twin sister Stacey for the wedding pic on her mantel in Burgh. I posted that pic on Thursday.)

"This is 40"

It's appropriate that Judd Apatow's next movie "This is 40" comes out in the year I turn 40.  I was just telling Julie the other night about my "40" list (to be posted later this year).  Whoa...

ODU officially gives the CAA the boot

CAA rival Old Dominion became the latest school (this week) to diss the CAA and move on to a different conference.  As rumored and now official, the Monarchs will move on Conference-USA as of July 1, 2013.  In essence, ODU will play a lame-duck year in the CAA, since their athletic programs will be prohibited from playing for CAA titles.  ODU and Georgia State - also leaving in 2013 - can whine all they want, but a rule is a rule. 

In addition, the CAA men's basketball tourney next March in Richmond will now only have seven schools:  Mason, W&M, Northeastern, Delaware, Hofstra, JMU, and Drexel (remember, UNCW and Towson have academic probations).  Considering VCU and ODU drew a lot of fans to downtown Richmond, I'm not sure if the conference will keep the tourney there much longer.  It's about time.

The focus now turns to the future - who will join the CAA?  Davidson - an Elite Eight team from the last decade - will be a possibility, and provide a natural rival for fellow NC member UNCW.  In addition, the College of Charleston is an attractive possibility, based on reaching into SC for the first time and their well-respected basketball program.  Plus, who in the conference wouldn't want to go to Charleston instead of downtown Richmond and downtown Norfolk?  There's less of a chance of getting hit with a drive-by bullet in Charleston.  Boston University and Stony Brook are possible schools, too - it would allow the conference to extend its reach even further North.  BU would be a natural rival for Northeastern, and Stony Brook would be a natural rival for Hofstra.  

Natural rivalries still exist, too, for the remaining schools:  Mason vs. Madison, Drexel vs. Delaware.  W&M is rumored to be considering a smaller conference (such as the Patriot League, which is where American went when it left the CAA - it's been very successful there).  Of course, that may just be a rumor...we'll see.

The CAA has been through this before.  It will survive.  It lost Richmond, ECU, and Navy at the start of the last century, and only got stronger.  It may be down now, but it will rise again.  

GO CAA.

Happy 60th anniversary to my parents today

Happy 60th wedding anniversary today to my parents, who were married on May 17, 1952, in Richmond County, Virginia.  Through 60 years, they have stuck together in good times and bad, and have always been great martial role models for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  We love you, Mom and Dad.  Don't stop now...70 beckons!!

"Swan Lake" - the final few days

Sophia began the final few practices last night leading up to this weekend's two performances of "Swan Lake" at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas.  She'll have late nights tonight and Friday night.  The first performance on Sat. is at 7:30 pm and Sunday's performance is at 3 pm. 

VCU makes it official: They're leaving the CAA for the A-10

VCU President Michael Rao (what a great mobster look, dude...kudos) made it official on Tues. afternoon:  The Rams (one of soon-to-be three Rams in the A-10) are bolting the CAA for "greener pastures" in the A-10.  The positive:  They are definitely leaving for a conference that gives them more opportunities for at-large bids to the NCAA tournament.  But, they're leaving the CAA for a league that already has a handful of programs who are just as good or better than them - Butler (in 2013), Xavier, Dayton, St. Louis,  and UMASS (after their great NIT run) to name a few.  I'm sure UR won't allow their program to fall behind fellow in-city rival VCU.  It's going to be harder to be "that team" in the A-10 conference. 


In addition, the Rams gave up 5 MILLION in NCAA money (thanks, Rams - the CAA will love the $$s), $250K for an exit fee, and $700K to JOIN the A-10.  Did I forget to mention the additional 150K in travel costs per year?  (or more)  Wow, maybe the Rams do belong in the A-10...they're starting to look like a private school with money to burn instead of a Virginia public university.


Sure, the doom-and-gloom for the CAA will spring up now.  For example:

And in this case, unfortunately, the usually charming, feel-good, do-good mid-majors are walking the same path that their greedy, mercenary big brothers have paved.

Don't get me wrong. I get it. VCU and Butler are moving to the Atlantic 10 for reasons that are both fiscally sound and athletically prudent. I don't really blame them. In fact, as a basketball fan, I froth at the idea of such a solid, basketball-centric conference amid the world of football-centric arranged marriages.

With Old Dominion still dithering over a move to Conference USA, the Rams were in danger of playing fiddle on the Titanic, and with the Big East still trying to figure out its membership, the A-10 could be steering the rig into the iceberg if it didn't take care of itself.

As Xavier president Father Michael Graham, who chairs the Atlantic 10 council of presidents, said succinctly and candidly, "We're not interested in not being in the driver's seat in terms of our conference's future." 

Titanic?  Nothing like a little hyperbole on a Wed. morning! Sure, it will be hard for the conference to replace a Final Four team.  Kudos to the A-10 for striking while the iron was hot; VCU is the flava of the month in college hoops.  The CAA will do the same to a smaller or comparable conference what the A-10 did to us:  Steal away a program.  Then, that conference will steal away a program from another.   You get the idea.  What started a year ago with the larger BCS schools has moved down to the mid-major level.  It's damn sad.

One positive:  At least we won't lose to the Rams in the CAA tournament anymore.  Think the league is dead?  Wait til 2012-2013.  The CAA is excellent at proving doubters wrong, and we'll do it once again. 

GO MASON.

GO CAA.

The Caps have one off-season answer: Hunter is gone

Washington Capitals' head coach Dale Hunter answered one off-season question on Monday:  He's not coming back for another season as Caps' coach.  Hunter, who cited family reasons, will force the Caps to find another person to lead this resurgent hockey team.  Who's next?  John Feinstein in the POST has some thoughts:

McPhee has looked to the minor leagues for his last two coaches. He might be well-advised to do so so again, but if he wants someone with NHL experience, plenty of solid coaches are waiting for another chance.

In hockey, retread coaches often have great success: Peter Laviolette was fired on Long Island, then won a Stanley Cup in Carolina. John Tortorella won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay, got fired and might win another one in New York. Peter Deboer was fired by Florida a year ago, was hired in New Jersey, beat the Panthers in the playoffs this year and is still coaching as hockey’s final four begins.

Needless to say, it's a big blow to a team already pondering its future after Sat. night's loss to the Rangers.  

Stay tuned.  The off-season is sure to provide more drama before it's done.

GO CAPS.

CAA rumor: VCU is gone

News broke today that VCU will announce its move to the A-10 tomorrow.  If so, one of the CAA's strongest programs is moving on.  Unlike many Mason fans on Twitter (where I get the best rumors), this isn't all doom-and-gloom.  In fact, it's good news for Mason, who no longer has to play the Rams in the CAA tourney right down the street from their home arena (I expect the CAA will ban the Rams from the CAA tourney next March for deciding to move on).  More than likely, ODU may move on as well as expected to the C-USA:  To me, that's just as great a loss as the over-hyped Rams.  But, they're leaving because they have big-time football on the brain.  Their basketball program will suffer in the C-USA.

The CAA will be just fine - this little bump in the road doesn't spell the end; it simply means the conference needs to refocus and find fresh meat to replace one or two or three departing schools.  Easier said than done?  Maybe.  But, this conference wasn't expected to have a Final Four team in 2006 either.  Anything can happen, and my Patriots will be leading the charge.

VCU:  Good riddance.  Enjoy your new, long commutes.  Like UR did over a decade ago, you'll realize it's not all wine and roses when you "move up" to a "better conference."  They were quite average or below average in the A-10 until that Sweet 16 run in 2011, but they were back to .500 or below last season.  Expect the Rams to eventually return to normalcy once their beloved Shaka Smart finally takes a BCS job.  IT WILL HAPPEN.  (But, it's kinda cute that the Rams fans think it won't...I thought the same about Larranaga - I urge them to not be fools, too.)

GO MASON.

Avett Brothers in Fairfax videos from YouTube

Thanks to YouTube, I'm able to re-live some of the great moments from Friday night's Avett Brothers concert in Fairfax.  Thanks, fellow Avett Brothers fans!

Sunday

Caps season comes to a close

The Washington Capitals' season came to an end on Sat. night vs. a very tough New York Rangers team at MSG in a nail-biting 2-1 defeat.  Once again, a Caps game this postseason was determined by one goal.  After giving up a goal way too quickly (within the first two minutes), the Caps gave up another with about 10 to go in the 3rd.  But, they scored less than a minute later, to give their fans some hopes in the last 8-9 minutes.  It wasn't enough.  King Henrik and the Rangers' D were too tough.  Kudos to them:  I'll be rooting for the Rangers to get their first Cup since the historic one in 1994.  For the Capitals, the off-season begins.

And what does that off-season hold?  That's the topic of much decision in today's local paper.  

From the POST:

Regardless of whether Hunter can be talked into staying, significant changes are anticipated in the coming months. Can you envision a roster without Alexander Semin or Dennis Wideman? How about a second line without a veteran playmaking center? It’s all possible.

But the team’s offseason must begin with sorting out its coaching conundrum.

Hunter, it seems, has as many reasons to stay as he’s got to leave. But, as it has been all along, the decision appears to be Hunter’s to make, not the other way around.

In six months, he accomplished something his predecessor could not: transform the Capitals into an accountable, resilient, defensively conscious team that, in theory, plays the perfect brand of hockey to succeed in the tight-checking playoffs, even if the low-scoring style is nerve-racking and unfulfilling to some.

After some initial resistance, the majority of the players bought into Hunter’s philosophy and, in recent weeks, the dressing room and the coach seemed to be pulling in the same direction. On Thursday, locker room leader Brooks Laich responded, “Absolutely,” when asked if he wanted Hunter to return. “He’s been great,” Laich added.

But, like Bruce Boudreau before him, Hunter couldn’t spur Alex Ovechkin, and the considerable talent that surrounds him, beyond the second round. Hunter’s overall record, meantime, says he lost as many games as he won — 37 — when overtime and shootout losses are calculated. There’s also the matter of the relationship between the coach and star captain.

Hunter...Semin...Ovechkin...those are just two of the big questions looming for the locals from now until October.   Caps haters love the fact that the Great Eight isn't so great anymore, and appears to be headed towards a Cup-less existence.  It's happened for star athletes with big personas in other sports (Dan Marino comes to mind).  Do the Caps resign Semin, who had a down year?  Plus, there's always questions about his motivation on the ice.  What about Hunter?  His coaching wasn't working for the majority of his time in DC, but the team bought into his defensive-philosophy by year's end and showed a lot in two rounds of the playoffs.  But, does he want to return for a full season?

It's going to be intriguing few months.  Once again, a season ends too soon for the Capitals.  But, maybe next year the preseason hype won't be as bold and this team will get beyond the first couple rounds in the Stanley Cup playoffs.  Maybe not.  Stay tuned.

GO CAPS.

Avett Brothers concert at Patriot Center

Tonight, I attended the Avett Brothers concert at George Mason with my seven-year old daughter Sophia.  As I expected, these guys were incredible live.  Sophia tired on me early (as expected), but perked up near the end when we put our heads in the portals closer to the stage.  Our seats were close, but the angle was difficult (looking to our left, and everyone wanted to stand).  So, Sophia and I eventually abandoned our closer seats and went higher for a direct view of the stage.  I was happy to spend an evening out again with my little girl.  The best moment:  When Scott Avett came out to sing "Murder in the City" during the encore (last pic above), and closed the song as he does so often during concerts:  "Make sure my daughter knows I love her, make sure my son knows the same."  I made sure I gave Sophia a hug just as that lyric was being sung, since I knew it was coming.  She's an awesome child.

My favorite song of the evening was the one below:  "Just a Closer Walk with Thee."  The song is one I remember singing growing up in the Southern Baptist church, so it's a fond memory of my youth.  Plus, there was nothing better than hearing this song live tonight...these brothers...the harmony is amazing.  It was mesmerizing.  Plus, kudos to the Patriot Center - I had no idea the venue had such great acoustics.  It's a great place to see a concert, so I hope they keep acting more acts like the Avett Brothers.

This was my first time seeing the brothers...I do plan to go back for more.  A lot more.

MASON WILL STAY IN THE CAA

It became official today:  Mason will stay in the CAA.  

From the AP:

RICHMOND, Va. -- George Mason is staying in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The school in Fairfax, one of three league basketball powers that acknowledged considering a change in conference affiliation, announced Friday that staying put is in its best interests.

A committee of administrators looked at what the goals are for the school's athletic programs along with the university's priorities and decided to remain a part of the CAA, athletic director Tom O'Connor said. He said George Mason's status as a founding member of the CAA, the league's geographic and competitive stability and an "exciting" future were factors in the decision.

Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion also have acknowledged that they are studying their conference affiliations. 

VCU, like George Mason, has expressed interest in the Atlantic 10, which boasts a more powerful basketball league, while Old Dominion -- the only one of the three with a football team -- is intrigued by a jump up to the Bowl Subdivision in Conference USA.

VCU (5) and George Mason and Old Dominion (4 each) account for 13 of the league's last 16 NCAA tournament berths, so the decision was welcome news at CAA headquarters.

"We respected the process George Mason University went through and are pleased it decided that continued membership in the CAA is in the best interest of the university and its athletic programs," league commissioner Tom Yeager said in a statement released by the league office.

O'Connor said he kept the conference and other league athletic directors, especially those in Virginia, informed through the process, but their intentions did not affect Mason's decision.

"In our discussions, in our room, it was our goal, our choice, and so there was really nothing that anybody on the outside, whether it be rumor, innuendo, chat room, message board, that had an effect on it," O'Connor said in a telephone interview.

That doesn't mean he's not rooting for the other schools to stay, too.

The CAA is facing the possibility of having UNC Wilmington and Towson declared ineligible for postseason play next season by the NCAA later this summer because of Academic Progress Rate deficiencies. With the departure of Georgia State to the Sun Belt Conference, those two bans would reduce the CAA tournament to nine teams, and any additional losses would be damaging.

"We'd love to have everybody together and stay in the family," O'Connor said of VCU and Old Dominion, "but those are decisions the other institutions have to make."

VCU's Board of Visitors met Friday and the topic of conference affiliation was never discussed in the public portion of the meeting where athletics was to be a topic. Old Dominion officials have said they won't comment until a decision is made.

More to come this weekend on the big news.  VCU and ODU:  Time to make a decision.

GO MASON.  GO CAA.

Tonight's the night

Sophia & I are attending the Avett Brothers concert tonight in Fairfax at my beloved Patriot Center.  I'm looking forward to seeing one of my favorite bands for the first time, and doing something solo with my little girl.  I hope she's not too tired tomorrow...we have a packed weekend!  I'll post some pics from the show sometime this busy weekend. 

Yanks get the series win over the first-place Rays

Thank you, CC...the Yankees pitching stud improved to 5-0 on the season with a 5-3 win over the first-place Tampa Rays last night in the Bronx.  With the win, the Yanks improve to 17-14 overall (2.5 games out of 1st place, behind Tampa, Baltimore, and Toronto - how about this tough division?).  A night after a new closer David Robertson blew a win in the 9th, the Yanks needed this win.  

From the Times:

“I thought he was brilliant,” Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said of Sabathia. “I just thought his sinker was very good, his changeup was good, his slider. He had everything working tonight. 

“It was his best performance of the year, I thought.” 

Allowing two unearned runs and striking out 10 in eight innings, Sabathia (5-0) overcame two costly errors by Eduardo Nunez. The Yankees’ hitters supported him with a three-run fifth inning that was highlighted by a two-run homer by the awakening Robinson Cano. 

Since 2009, when Sabathia joined the Yankees, he has faced Price six times. Sabathia has faced only Boston’s Josh Beckett and Jeremy Guthrie, formerly of Baltimore, as many times over that period, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. 

The Yanks remain home this weekend with a series against the Seattle Mariners.  They'll face former top prospect Jesus Montero, who's off to a good start in his first full season of regular play (.268, 4 HRs, 16 RBI).  You know he'll be itching to prove the Yanks wrong for trading him.

GO YANKEES.

Yahoo piece on possible A-10 move

The rumor of Mason and CAA rival VCU moving to the Atlantic-10 won't go away.  A Mason spokesperson did admit on Thursday that the school is considering  its options right now.  Another thing to consider:  Mason is in the middle of changing university presidents; Alan Merten departs on June 30, and new President Angel Cabrera takes over on July 1.  I don't see the school making a dramatic change in athletic affiliation without the input of the next person in charge.

On Thursday, Yahoo Sports writer Jeff Eisenberg wrote a piece about the possible move for the two schools.  He focused on the potential negatives if both schools leave the CAA for the A-10.  

From Yahoo:

Will the Atlantic 10 stay intact? Although the strength at the top of the Atlantic 10 makes it an upgrade over the CAA, the concern for George Mason and VCU is the league could be vulnerable to being raided as a result of the instability in the Big East. If the basketball schools in the Big East ever broke off and formed their own league, Xavier, Dayton and perhaps other Atlantic 10 schools would be obvious candidates to receive invitations from that league. Skim the cream off the top of the Atlantic 10, and the league suddenly doesn't look that much more appealing than the CAA.

 

• Is the increased competition a pro or con? The obvious advantage to Atlantic 10 over the CAA is the likelihood it annually earns three or four NCAA tournament bids. The CAA has generated momentum as a result of increased league-wide commitment to basketball in the wake of George Mason's 2006 Final Four run, yet it still has only produced four at-large bids since 2000, three of which came from Mason or VCU. League champ Drexel went 16-2 in the CAA yet was left out of the field of 68, whereas the Atlantic 10 produced four NCAA tournament teams last season alone. The only caveat is a top-three finish in the Atlantic 10 will not be easy. Say the upper-echelon of a new-look Atlantic 10 becomes Xavier, Dayton, Butler, Saint Louis, Richmond, George Mason and VCU. Even if the league annually produces four NCAA tournament teams, that means three from that group won't make it.

• Are the rivalries gained better than the ones lost? A move to the Atlantic 10 for George Mason and VCU would likely mark the end of both their longstanding rivalries with in-state foes James Madison and Old Dominion. Perhaps those games could still exist annually in non-league play, but hurt feelings from conference realignment have scuttled other rivalries in the past. On the other hand, both VCU and George Mason would gain natural geographic rivals in the Atlantic 10 in addition to one-another. VCU and city rival Richmond could potentially play twice a year instead of just once if the Atlantic 10 were to go to a two-division format. And Orange-line rival George Washington would be a natural annual opponent for George Mason.

• Which TV deal is more appealing? It would be easier to compare the pros and cons here if we knew the breakdown of how much each CAA and Atlantic 10 school was getting, but the revenue isn't the only factor here. The Atlantic 10 re-upped with ESPN last year, signing a two-year deal guaranteeing teams from the league will make at least 32 appearances on ESPN's family of networks each season. The CAA, on the other hand, broke away from ESPN in favor of the NBC Sports Network, gambling that being the top dog on a fledgling network would be more beneficial than being one of the numerous leagues on the World Wide Leader's airways. Again the money — and specifically the potential earnings from a new A-10 TV deal — is the most important factor here, but the difference in exposure from ESPN or NBC Sports Network is a factor too.

• What will Old Dominion do? Old Dominion's football-driven dalliance with Conference USA increases the pressure on George Mason and VCU to bolt because there's no question losing the Monarchs would significantly weaken the CAA. Without Old Dominion, it becomes all the more difficult for CAA teams to earn an at-large bid because the conference would lose one of its traditional powers. If Old Dominion is open to delaying its football sub-division dreams and VCU and George Mason were to stay, the potential for growth in the CAA remains intriguing. Maybe the league replaces Georgia State with Davidson and/or College of Charleston and continues to benefit from the increased spending of its upper and middle tier. Would that league be as strong as the current Atlantic 10 in five years? Probably not, but the gap would be closing.

Game 7? Why not.

Win or lose on Sat. night, this gritty and determined Caps team has already proven that it's not the Caps of old.  The Caps won 2-1 on Wed. night to force a decisive Game 7 on Sat. night at MSG.  For both teams, it will be their second consecutive series that goes seven.  The Caps were led last night by goals from Ovechkin and Jason Chimera; the Rangers' goal went in with under a minute to play, which is still long enough to throw fear into the hearts of Caps fans.  Holtby was stellar again, finishing the night saving 30 of 31 saves.  

From the POST:

“These are the games that you live to play,” Capitals center Matt Hendricks said. “Back against the wall, pressure situations and when you achieve it, it’s a great feeling. We’ve still got one big game to win.”

and...

“It’s not about me; it’s all about everybody,” Ovechkin said when asked about his fast start. “We wanna play good in playoff game. Of course I’m gonna do my best and everybody gonna do their best. You can see how we start hockey game where we put puck deep and finish our checks and move our legs, get penalty and score goal.”

and...

“That was the game plan, like we’ve been playing this whole playoffs,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “We’re resilient; we have that thick skin. We know when to battle back when we need to and have to. It was a great start for us, huge to get that first goal and get the building going. It was a really, really nice effort from us.”

The Caps and Rangers will play on Sat. night at 7:30 pm.  Be there.  

GO CAPS.

Pettitte returns to the majors on Sunday

Andy Pettitte's return to the majors became official on Tues. afternoon when it was announced that he was being brought up to the major league roster to start on Sunday.  Pettitte, who has been getting warmed up for his return at the minor league level, will pitch against Seattle at Yankee Stadium.  You know he'll have a full house rooting for him.

From the Times:

For his Yankee teammates, Pettitte’s return was met with overwhelming approval. Robinson Cano said that Pettitte would help not only on the mound, but in his interactions with the other players, as well.

“It’s going to be so good to see him back on the mound,” Cano said. “He brings a lot of positive energy on the mound and also to the clubhouse. It’s going to be very good for us.”

With the season-ending loss of Mo, it's crucial to have a respected leader like Andy in the clubhouse.  Plus,  he can hopefully add some calm to a starting rotation that hasn't lived up to preseason expectations...again.  Other than CC and Nova, there isn't much to brag about so far in the Big Apple.

GO YANKEES.

PS:  The Yanks defeated the first-place Rays on Tues. night in the first game of a three-game series.  NY is 2.5 games behind Baltimore and Tampa in the A.L. East.

WSHS's CFPA celebrates a decade

 One of my former places of employment, Woodbridge Sr. High's Center for Fine & Performing Arts (CFPA), will celebrate its first decade in grand style this week with an evening at the nearby Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas on George Mason's Prince William Campus.  (Sophia will be performing in "Swan Lake" there in just a couple weeks.)  If you have a couple hours to spare, please consider supporting this event - I loved teaching in the CPFA and still keep in touch with many of my former students from the program (including some who are now teachers).  By the way, if you have't been to this incredible venue yet...what's WRONG WITH YOU?  Plus, you're related to Sophia...you need to be there on May 19 and May 20.  No pressure. 

From the HPAC website:

Season Event

Woodbridge Senior High School Center for Fine and Performing Arts 10th Anniversary Gala

• May 10, 2012 at 7:30 pm

Merchant Hall

Woodbridge Senior High School’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts (CFPA) presents a collaborative GALA performance in celebration of their 10th anniversary.  The evening will feature CFPA students displaying and performing their original work.  All arts concentrations - visual arts, music, theater, dance and creative writing - will be showcased.  The highlight of the evening will be a performance of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” by the music and dance departments, with well over 200 student performers onstage!  This evening’s performance is a true celebration of young artists.

Tickets:
$20.00 - Orchestra, Parterre, & 1st Balcony
$15.00 - 2nd Balcony

Two shows worth seeing this summer

We already have plans to go to Wolf Trap once this summer for a Josh Ritter/Brandi Carlile/Lumineers show, but I'm tempted to go back a couple other times for the musicians above.  Wolf Trap's Children's Theatre in the Woods will feature two of my favorite kids' music performers this summer:  Elizabeth Mitchell and Justin Roberts.  We've seen Roberts a lot lately (last March, last Sept., this March), but I would love to see him and his band again.  Mitchell's music is more Americana and folky than Roberts, but you know that's fine with me.  Her "You Are My Sunshine" was one of my favorite songs to listen to and play for Sophia when she was a newborn.  Mitchell will be at Wolf Trap July 5 - July 7; Roberts will be at Wolf Trap August 10-11.