For the rest of the day, I’ll be observing the day of silence in honor of the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy and their families. While many of us have returned to our normal lives, certainly many lives remain shattered and many more continue the difficult process of healing and rebuilding. This pause from normal blogging to reflect is for them.

I’ll return tomorrow to regular blogging. If you have a moment to reflect today, please do. If you are able to give, you can do so through the UVa Alumni Association’s Virginia Tech Support Fund.

As those of you following the draft already know, two Wahoos got drafted late in the second day – Marcus Hamilton to the Bucs and Jason Snelling to the Falcons. Congrats to both.

I’m hopefull that Marcus will find a mentor in fellow Hoo Ronde Barber in Tampa Bay, and JHoo notes on the Edge* that the Cover 2 is a good fit for Hamilton. As for Snelling, I’ll let Illput explain why this may not be the best place for him*:

Falcons just signed Ovie Mughelli from the Ravens for a record amount for a FB. Hopefully, JS can make it, but it doesnt look good from a roster standpoint.

Well, I’ll be rooting for him. Maybe he can make some noise on the special teams for a few years while he develops.

Also, the camp invites are already rolling out. Keenan Carter just signed with the Skins.

*message board link that will expire

Congrats to the women’s lacrosse team for winning its second ACC championship in a row today!

The Virginia women’s lacrosse team won its second consecutive ACC Championship with a 12-6 decision over No. 5 UNC in Chapel Hill behind a 12-save performance from Tournament MVP Kendall McBrearty. The No. 6 Cavaliers (16-3) shut down the Tar Heel offense, allowing only one goal in the final 30 minutes of play, and that came six minutes into the period. Virginia won 14 of the 20 draws in the game, led by All-Tournament selection Kate Breslin, who had a game-high five. All-Tournament selection Ashley McCulloch led all players with six points on two goals and four assists; her four assists was a record for any game in tournament history and it also gave her the record for assists in a tournament with seven. Brittany Kalkstein not only notched a hat trick but also controlled three draws.

Some bad news: men’s lacrosse lost in the ACC final to Duke today.

Please! Put down the pitchforks and let the man explain!

A beatiful spring day picnic with some fine turtle soup:

• The men’s lacrosse team rallied from an early deficit and held off a late Maryland charge to advance to the final of the ACC tourney. They’ll face Duke tomorrow in Durham.
• On the lady’s side, the Hoos beat the #1 seed Terps by scoring the last six shots of the game to stage an impressive underdog comeback. They too advance to the final, earning a date with the Heels tomorrow.
• And the baseball team hammered the Terps, 14-nothing. With no mercy rule to save them, the turtles got jacked for 17 hits.

In non-Terp-beating news, women’s crew kept on rolling by taking four of five races at Princeton’s Lake Carnegie regatta. Pretty solid day for the Hoos – and tomorrow could really make this a special spring for Virginia with one or two more wins.

FanHouse catches some Orwellian NFL trade analysis.

“I think Miami screwed up and wrote Ginn instead of Quinn. Just a typo.” – HootiesJohnson*, regarding the Dolphins controversial first round pick in the NFL draft.

*message board post that may expire.

The sports universe is littered with ways to figure out where our predilections lie. What’s one man’s passing whatever is another man’s obsession. We all have our favorite teams, but how favorite are those teams? What are each of us willing to go through to follow our teams, players, sports, cheerleaders, stadiums, logos, mascots, and other athletic favorites? Sure, we’re all willing to go to the big game. But what about sitting through the bad season? Or sitting in the rain for nose bleed tickets?

Or, worse yet, watching two days of self-important blowhards talk semi-intelligently about three-quarter-aged men reading the names of twenty-year-olds off of little cards on television? Are you willing to do that for your favorite football team?

Well, the NFL draft seems to be a pretty impressive test of will power. A barometer of fanaticism for pro football fans. So, how far are you willing to go?

“Super Bowl” – The top two picks. This is like watching your team in the championship game. You’re not winning any fan sacrifice awards here. But congratulations for knowing that the draft was on today.

“4-game ALCS” – The remaining top ten picks. You’re not just a casual fan, you know that your team has a chance to take a franchise changing player (unless that team is GM’ed by Matt Millen), so this is an exciting stretch of time for your fan base. But you’ll have to listen to Mel Kiper and Tony K banter for about an hour or so, so it’ll feel about as long as a 4-game series. Have it in you?

(more…)

While we’ve got very little claim to the first round or even day of the NFL Draft this year (much unlike past years), there is one microscopic connection. Highlights of our team getting scorched by Calvin Johnson will probably be shown to the world today. After watching him break ankles against the Hoos several months ago, I made this prediction in a running diary ():

10:15: As Sewell gets taken down on a strange looking scramble, it dawns on me that we’ll be seeing these touchdown plays by Calvin Johnson broken down by Mel Kiper in a few months ad nauseam. Well, that’s something to look forward to.

Last night at Lindy’s Red Lion in Foggy Bottom (solid burgers), there was ol’ slickback on the hovering flatscreens, breaking down video of CJ shredding Wahoos left and right in Atlanta. I have a feeling that wasn’t the last time we saw video of that game this weekend either.

And, to weigh in on the Raiders’ so-called dilemma, it’s a no-brainer. Take this guy. Calvin Johnson is a can’t-miss wide receiver prospect. I know the Silver & Black need a QB. They did screw up last year in not taking Leinart or Cutler. But don’t compound the mistake by not taking what could be the best WR draft pick in a long time. Sure, you have some wide receivers already: an aging malcontent diva and a guy who used to be effective. I think Johnson would probably set things up after the (failed) Randy Moss era, no? And then you take the top QB with your second pick (probably Drew Stanton).

That’s what I’d do. Of course, I’m just some random guy with a laptop. Not one of these brilliant owners or GMs expertly running a team without making mistakes that “set the … franchise back for years.”

I don’t normally (ever?) watch random first round NBA playoff games – let alone write about them – but I stumbled across a game in which I’ve never seen a #1 seed look as confused in a first round in any sport as the Mavs do right now against the Warriors. Go-State just poured in 60+ points to go up double digits as they are closing in on the half. Avery looks confused and keeps glancing over at his old mentor Nellie while his players are just jacking up bricks and standing around on D watching the #8 seeders rain threes. If you like rooting for underdogs, this is your game.

A side note: ESPN’s sideline guy Jim Gray went a little over in interviewing Stern with some surprisingly tough questions during a break in the action (about teams tanking games for the lottery), so when the game started up again an agitated Stern snapped with a fake grin “Why don’t you get back to the action for your fans!” Heh. We haven’t seen or heard from Gray since. And after that, Bill Walton and his gang of announcers (what are there, eight of them?) have been sniping at each other about fouls and 3-second calls and who owes who for hooker money. Okay, I’m lying about the last one, but it’s getting chippy. Something has rattled them – hope their sideline colleague isn’t bound and gagged in front of them.

Anyway, I doubt I’ll make it through the whole game here three time zones away, so by the time I wake up maybe the Mavs will have figured things out. Or Bill Walton will have beaten one of his co-hosts. Or Gray’s ransom will have been paid. Or the Warriors will keep this up and turn this series into something worth paying attention to beyond an accidental stumble.

(UPDATE: Gray just interviewed Baron Davis at halftime. Thank goodness. A money quote – Grey asked Davis how he has been able to play so well and with composure after being ejected in Game 2, and Davis responded that “my grandmother said she was gonna whup me if I got kick out again” and immediately walked off the court with a half-grin. I think I might stay up for this game afterall.)

(UPDATE: I ended up watching this thing. G-state is a damn fun team to watch when their on. Sports Guy doesn’t call Davis “Teen Wolf” for nuthin.)