EveryJoe » Boston College

Notre Dame’s Clause Called Phony

Allison Boyer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:11:41 +0000

I haven’t been exactly nice when talking about Jimmy Clausen in the past. I don’t think he’s a horrible player, but I do think that he’s arrogant for no reason. Jimmy Clausen’s biggest fan is Jimmy Clausen.

I’m not the only one who recognizes the douche-baggery going on with Notre Dame’s quarterback. Apparently, before teh Boston College game, he was talking trash and even pushed another player. Now this is all according to BC player Rich Gunnell, so you have to take the report for what it is.

Did Clausen take trash-talking too far? Image: Newscom

After the incident and the game, though, Gunnell says that Clausen put on another face and came over to thank the Eagles for a good game.

“Afterwards, he was trying to be all friendly. It just rubbed me the wrong way. It seemed real fake. He tried to push one of my teammates. He tried to say good game. I thought it was phony.’’

Boston College lost to Notre Dame 20 – 16 in a hard-fought game. Whether or not Clausen is “phony” doesn’t change the fact that this was a much-needed win for the Fighting Irish. This year has been extremely lackluster, and personally, I think coach Charlie Weis should start packing his bags.

Post from: EveryJoe

Notre Dame’s Clause Called Phony

An Update on Mark Herzlich

Allison Boyer — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:57:14 +0000

2008 was a great year for Mark Herzlich of Boston College. He chose to stay in school rather than enter the NFL, hoping to come back for a great final year. Then his world crumbled around him – he was diagnosed with cancer in May. This particular form of cancer attacks the bone tissue and manifested in Herzlich’s leg.

Herzlich has been an inspiration since his diagnosis; he seems to have an unending supply of optimism. This week, he announced that his prognosis is very bright. His doctor is “99% sure” that his cancer is completely gone. Yes, it can come back…but this is a huge win. He sat out this year, but insists that he’ll be back in 2010 for a great season of football with the Eagles.

Check out the video:

Post from: EveryJoe

An Update on Mark Herzlich

Baseball Player Goes Back to Football at BC

Allison Boyer — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:50:09 +0000

When Dave Shinskie was in high school, the quarterback led his team to break various records. Few colleges showed interest in the small-town player, however, and ultimately he decided to enter the 2003 baseball draft. After playing in the minor leagues as a pitcher for the last six years, Shinski decided to reevaluate his sports decisions…and he’s coming back to football.

Image: Newscom

Shinskie has committed to Boston College and is eligiable for four years. The Eagles don’t have many experienced players, so he’ll fit right in. The decision is smart, too, seeing as Boston College’s Dominique Davis just announced he was transferring.

Normally, I wouldn’t report on should a story, but Shinski happens to be from Mount Carmel, a school that neighbors the high school where I graduated. I happened to graduate in 2003 as well, as I remember this guy well. We’re an extremely rural area, so we don’t get a lot of sports stars who actually make it anywhere in college.

So my eyes will be on Shinski over the next few years. His major QB competition will be Codi Boek and Justin Tuggle, and there’s no guarentee that he’ll get to play, but I hope to see him find success at Boston College. He’s not the first baseball player to switch to football after a few years, and others have certainly been successful, so I wouldn’t count him out of the game.

Post from: EveryJoe

Baseball Player Goes Back to Football at BC

BC Standout Herzlich Diagnosed with Cancer

Allison Boyer — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:10:14 +0000

Mark Herzlich may not be a household name, but he’s a rising star at Boston College and was named 2008’s defensive play of the year for the ACC. That’s really saying something when six ACC defensive players were drafted in the first two rounds this year. Teammate B.J. Raji was actually a top-ten draftee. Herzlich decided to come back for a senior year at Boston College, though.

If anyone can kick cancer's ass, it's this guy. Image: Newscom

Today, Herzlich announed that he’s been diagnosed with cancer. Called Ewing’s Sarcoma, the condition causes malignant tumors, usually found in the bones or soft tissues. Says Herzlich,

“Obviously, I was shocked. I had been extremely focused on preparing for my senior season at Boston College and for life beyond that. Now, I must channel all that energy into facing my toughest opponent yet, and that is exactly what I will do.
At this point, I do not know what this means for my football future, but I am determined to rid my body of this disease so that I can put that uniform back on. Thank you in advance for your prayers and concern. Together, we will fight this and win.”

Our prayers are with Herzlich and his family. Even though the five-year survival rate is pretty high when this type of cancer is detected early, it is still going to be a long battle.

Post from: EveryJoe

BC Standout Herzlich Diagnosed with Cancer

Drugs are Bad: Just Ask B.J. Raji

Allison Boyer — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:20:29 +0000

B.J. Raji, a former Boston College lineman, reportedly failed the NFL combine’s drug test. Previously, he’s been appearing on draft projection lists as a top ten player, top for his position. Will this jeopardize his draft position?

B.J. Raji, Image: Newscom

Maybe.

The report by SI.com (read about it here on ESPN.com) doesn’t identify the drug that came up as positive on the test, but at Boston College, he tested positive for marijuana. While many people, myself included, don’t think weed is as bad as other street drugs, this could affect his standings for a number of reasons:

If he can’t participate in the combine, another player may stand out in that position.
Teams may not be willing to take a chance on Raji, since it may mean that he’ll have drug possession problems in the future.
Drugs aren’t good for your body. Overall, teams could see this as a bad thing for his future – he might be ok today, but what will 10 years of smoking do to his performance?

With so many great players every year, teams want to make sure that their money goes to awesome players. The may not want someone who even hints at having a drug problem – even if that’s not the case.

Post from: EveryJoe

Drugs are Bad: Just Ask B.J. Raji

Today’s Important Games

Allison Boyer — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:58:23 +0000

College football season is winding down, but this weekend is extremely important for a number of teams. The Army/Navy game is on right now, but beyond that, there are four games that really matter:

USC vs. UCLA

Today at 4:30, UCS and UCLA meet at Rose Bowl. The Bruins are 4-7 this season, so to them, this game is all about pride. Even if they win it, they won’t be bowl eligible.

For USC, today is a nail-biter. If they lose to UCLA – which isn’t likely, but is possible – they’ll be completely out of the running for the Rose Bowl. They’ll be in a three-way tie for the Pac-10 title, and due to past games, Oregon State would win that tie and go to the Rose Bowl against Penn State.

If USC wins, though, they aren’t even automatically going to the Rose Bowl. Why not? Well, depending on how other games do this weekend, they could actually go to the National Championship Game. That isn’t likely…but is possible, and you better believe that Petey and his boys would be pushing hard for that vote.

I’m routing for UCS in the Rose Bowl. Penn State already beat Oregon State, and while that isn’t a guarantee again, they have something to prove. I think UCS-PSU will be a much better game.

Alabama vs. Florida

Another important game this afternoon is Alabama vs. Florida at 4 pm. This is the first time that the 1 and 2 teams have played for a conference title. The result here is simple – the winner will go to the National Championship Game and the loser will, in all likelihood, play in one of the other BCS bowls.

Do I care who wins? Actually, yes. I 100% believe that Alabama deserves it more. Whatever happens today, Alabama has been a much more solid team all season, and if this was a conference that didn’t have a title game, they’d already be going to the BCS title game.

Oklahoma vs. Missouri

The Big 12 title game starts tonight at 8 pm. We’ll see the one-loss Sooners play Missouri, which is a good team, but just ranked #19. In other words, they aren’t playing for the title, or, in all likelihood, a BCS Bowl. If Oklahoma wins, they’ll play either Alabama or Florida.

If they don’t win…eek. That opens a can of worms, because tons of teams will try to claim the top spot. Hell, the SEC champ loser will likely even make a bid for a rematch! Should they lose, my hope is that Texas will play for the title, but at this point in the season, I think that Oklahoma deserves it more.

One more?

Yes, there is one more game that matters. Right now, #17 Boston College is playing #25 Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game, and the winning team gets an automatic berth in the Fiesta Bowl. That’s bullshit. With so many other good teams, having a team that isn’t even ranked in the top 15 play is a fucking insult to my intelligence. That’s how it is, though…so I guess this game does matter.

Post from: EveryJoe

Today’s Important Games

2008 Week 11: Blogging about the ACC

Allison Boyer — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:53:52 +0000

I can’t watch every game, and there are tons not on TV every week. So, instead of blogging about every game, I’ll link you to the people who are talking about it (by conference). If I missed your link, leave a comment!

Virginia Tech 23, #23 Maryland 13