September 2007
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NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
NHL Eastern Conference Preview
PBTV: Tunnel Vision: UNC
Halo 3 Launch Video
The launch of Microsoft's Halo 3 video game broke industry records, selling $170 million on its first day of availability. Gamers across the country camped out at storefronts in anticipation of the midnight release. Such was the case locally as we see in this video submitted by Kyle Bailey of VT News. The View From The Roof: Week 5 Last week: 16-4 Chalk up another disappointing four loss week. Joe Paterno and his Nittany Lions were taken to school by Michigan as the Wolverines proved they are back and Penn State proved they might have been just a little overhyped. The best game of the week had to be Georgia/Alabama as John Parker Wilson led the Tide back from a fourth quarter deficit for the second straight week only to see it come crashing down in overtime as Matt Stafford got it done for the Bulldogs. Hansel and Gretel Find Their Way To Roanoke Hansel and Gretel is coming to Opera Roanoke and tickets are free for students. Opera Roanoke has been offering free tickets for students as part of their Sempre Libera program. This “full-ride scholarship” means that every ticket for every performance is free with student ID. The Hunt For Unbeaten September The Hokies took exception to a season-opening 4-0 trouncing at VCU, a loss that capped a four-game losing streak. They must have, as Tech’s torn off a 5-0-1 record and a no. 15 national ranking since. The key to their unbeaten September has been unpredictability. “I’ve never been on a team that’s this diversified,” said coach Oliver Weiss, “It makes us more unpredictable.” Update: Laugh Riot Postponed, Comedian Ill Virginia Tech Union's Laugh Riot featuring Nick Swardson has been postponed. According to VTU, the comedian is ill and under strict doctor's orders to avoid travel. The show, originally scheduled for Sept. 25 at 7p.m. in Burruss Auditorium, will now take place on Nov. 13. A VTU spokesperson said that no refunds would be given, but tickets that had already been purchased will be honored at the door on the replacement date. VT vs. William & Mary Highlights
Neal Turnage takes us through highlights from last Saturday's Hokie football game against William & Mary. Business Fair Draws Huge Crowd The second floor of Squire’s Student Center looked like the entrance to a football game this past Thursday. Students gathered at the Commonwealth Ballroom for the 25th annual Business Horizons Fair, sponsored by the Pamplin School of Business. The fair took place on Thursday, September 20, from 10 a.m.-4p.m. in Squires Student Center. Hokies Take Down Tribe, 44-3 Appalachian State pulled off a stunner in week one against no. 5 Michigan, but Virginia Tech made sure it wouldn’t be the next Top 25 team to fall to the FCS (formerly Div 1-AA). The 19th-ranked Hokies made short work of the William & Mary Tribe, winning 44-3 at Lane Stadium. Tech scored early and often in this contest, putting up 41 points in the first half. After knocking in field goals on the first two possessions, Tech found its rhythm. NFL Week3 Power Rankings
PBTV: Tunnel Vision: William & Mary
Welcome to Tunnel Vision, formerly the Weekly Football Preview Show. Neal, Justin and Dave are back to give you all you need to know about Tech's next opponent, plus we've added game footage to the production. There will be a lot of familiar faces on the field this week when the Hokies take on the Tribe in a battle of in-state schools. Fans of Virginia high school football are in for a treat. Can William & Mary become the new Appalachian State or will the new Hokie offense continue to roll? You're just a click away... Commentary: Students Suspended For Tinker-ing With Dress Code It’s a well-known fact that students and dress codes are about as compatible as a tub of hot water and a plugged-in hair dryer. Young people have been pushing the envelope long before Tinker v. Des Moines determined in 1969 that they could express themselves through dress. The latest development in this age-old struggle comes from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa where 70 students were suspended for protesting a rule telling them to, of all things, tuck in their shirts. Apparently a kid wore a long shirt to school one day and hid a gun underneath; now the students are forced to display some involuntary neatness. The knee-jerk policy is laughable in that it does absolutely nothing to prevent anyone with a firearm and a reason from bringing one to class. But what is even more laughable is that the issue was that important to the students that so many got themselves suspended over it. Hokie Express Gets Makeover
The two Hokie Express buses will receive a face-lift this February. The Blacksburg Transit is holding the first Design Your Ride Contest to show Hokie Pride and help increase the ridership by 25 percent. The average number of weekday riders on the Hokie Express is 924. The goal is to raise that by the end of spring 2008 to approximately 1,155 according to Jennifer Harris, Communications manager for the Office of Transportation for Virginia Tech. “Let’s find a fun way to have people talk about bus routes, and educate where it goes, and how we can help them…we have freshman coming in all the time that aren’t familiar with Blacksburg Transit,” said Harris. Rise Of The Talisman There are two staples on TV in the house I live in, Virginia Tech athletics and soccer. Those fortunate enough to have the Fox Soccer Channel as a part of their cable package know that European announcers have a flair for the dramatic and wield the English language in a truly unique (some would say more correct) way. In the course of one broadcast an announcer, referring to the best player on a particular team called him the “talisman”. What is a talisman you ask? Dictionary.com defines it as “anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions”. Essentially, in the announcing context it’s the best player you have. The cream of the crop, or in two words: Tyrod Taylor. Video: Weekly News Wrap Up
Planet Blacksburg's first Weekly News Wrap Up is online! Each week, the PB crew will be bringing you the week's news in a short condensed format so you're always up-to-date with your current events around Blacksburg. Also, Planet Blacksburg plans to launch a dedicated video section in the coming days so stay tuned! Tyrod Gives Offense New Life, Tech Wins 28-7 After two weeks of the Hokie offense playing like it was in cardiac arrest, the switch from Sean Glennon to Tyrod Taylor at quarterback brought the entire team back to life. Tech racked up 473 yards of total offense en route to a 28 to 7 victory over Ohio. “My first thought is that I don’t think this football team is as good as it’s going to be,” said Tech head coach Frank Beamer after the game. “I think it’s a matter of continuing to work and ironing things out and continue to get better in all areas.” Commentary: Americans Obsessed With Being Skinny America’s obsession with celebrity weight loss and gain is spiraling out of control. We’re living in a time where top stories on Entertainment Tonight are about who’s getting thinner in Hollywood and how they’re doing it. Angelina Jolie and Victoria Beckham grace the covers of celebrity gossip magazines under headlines like “Angie: Scary Skinny” or “Less than 100 lbs?” Hollywood always sets the tone in our modern culture for what we find attractive, but as more and more celebrities drop weight, regular Americans buy into the skinny ideal. Another The View From The Roof 15-6 wasn’t bad for the first week of picks. Michigan and Virginia Tech put together possibly the two worst performances ever and who would have thought Boise State would only score 10 points. Big congratulations need to go out to coach Jim Leavitt and quarterback Matt Grothe as South Florida pulled off the biggest upset of the week with their win at Auburn. My two upset picks last week – Virginia Tech and TCU – both got creamed but that won’t deter me from taking the underdog, especially this week where I see more than a few top-tier teams getting upset. Weekly Hokie Football Preview Show: Ohio
Bayou Benevolence
Those were just some of the statements I heard when mentioning to people I was heading down to Louisiana State for a football game. They weren’t exactly encouraging words for a visiting fan making the trip. However, after spending the weekend surrounded by tens of thousands of Tiger faithful and making hundreds of new friends, I am here to set the facts straight and let everyone know that this portrayal is absurd and totally unfounded. Fashion Statement: Vintage is the New Green With all the buzz about "Going Green" all over the media nowadays, it’s not surprising that the top fashion magazines have joined the Green Movement as well. All sorts of media, fashion-oriented or not, have pledged their allegiance to cleaning up our environment with the newly formed Sprig.com (with many taglines, such as "Sexy People are into Green") from WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive, to multiple page spreads in Vogue and Vanity Fair about ‘Eco Chic’ or sustainable organic clothing companies, you name it and someone’s touting it as green. Tech Soccer Triumphant In Weekend Games
The wins lift Virginia Tech’s record to 3-1-0. Said head coach Oliver Weiss, “We played two very good teams and beat them. It should give us good momentum and confidence.” Weekly Hokie Football Preview Show: LSU
The View From The Roof Introducing The View From The Roof. Each week I will offer my insight, analysis and predictions on all of the key games in college football. Last week I went out on a limb and predicted that Appalachian State would score 27 at Michigan. Maybe I can predict another stunner. Don’t agree with my view? Feel free to share yours. Concert for Virginia Tech Announcements
A Concert for Virginia Tech will be performed tomorrow night in Lane Stadium. Here’s everything you need to know: Tickets can no longer be reserved. For non-local faculty and spring 2007 graduates, tickets are available for pick-up on Thursday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum. For those with reserved tickets, and who are unhappy with their seating section, there will be a ticket Swap Meet tonight on the Drill Field from 6 p.m. through 8 p.m. There will be six exchange points marked off by ropes according to sections. Video: First Game Day Atmosphere
The eyes of the world were on Blacksburg for the Hokies’ first game of the season against the East Carolina Pirates. Neal Turnage takes you into the stadium and onto the field to give you at glimpse of just what it was like at Virginia Tech on Saturday. |
Concert Commentary: The Old Ceremony The Old Ceremony performed at The Lyric in Blacksburg on Friday, as the first of four planned events for the fall’s Live at the Lyric show series. A few minutes after 8 p.m., the band out of Chapel Hill, N.C. took the stage, three out of five members wearing maroon. Hokies Hold Off Heels The Virginia Tech Hokies opened up ACC play Saturday afternoon with a hard fought 17-10 victory over the University of North Carolina Tar Heels at Lane Stadium. Tech coach Frank Beamer thought the win might foreshadow what’s to come in the conference. “That’s the way it’s going to be in the ACC. I don’t believe that for us that any games are going to be easy.” The next seven games might be a roller coaster for Virginia Tech, as evidenced in the first ACC ride of the season. NHL Western Conference Preview
Opinion: "The Juice" Is On The Loose, At Least For Another Month America’s greatest reality television show is back for a second season. Some of the supporting cast is different, but the main star has returned. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen; O.J. Simpson is back in court. Almost 12 years after being acquitted of murder charges, Simpson has been charged with 11 crimes, including kidnapping. The first Simpson trial fascinated the country. It was broadcast every day on Court TV, and most Americans can tell where they were when the verdict was handed down. Video: New Home Means New Life For Blacksburg Man
Blacksburg resident Russell Cupp spent 70 years in a house that had no heat or running water. Now the town is working to provide Cupp with a more suitable living space. Brian Damewood of VT News has all the details in this video. Lyric To Host The Old Ceremony
The band has been together for three years and is now touring the Southeast and East Coast to promote their latest album release, entitled Our One Mistake. They consist of songwriter/raconteur Django Haskins, bassist Matt Brandau, drummer Dan Hall, vibes/organist Mark Simonsen, violinist Gabriele Pelli and cellist Josh Starmer. The following is a brief excerpt from a Q&A with Haskins. Dressing Through the Changing Weather The first few days of rain have begun, and we’re now remembering what Blacksburg weather is really like: rain, then sun, followed by some wind, and maybe some more rain or gray skies. So, with the weather changing faster then the latest YouTube phenomenon, you’ve got to be prepared.
Movie Review: Good Luck Chuck If you are a true Dane fan, you can easily recognize his style of humor in his role, and it makes you ponder how much of his acting was improv and not scripted. Granted, the film has some crude humor, on the same level as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but with the today’s youth that seems to be the popular form of entertainment. The movie had the audience rolling, myself included. If you enjoyed Knocked Up, Wedding Crashers, or Superbad, this is a flick you don’t want to miss. Grade: A- Freshman Drager Partially Tears ACL, Out For Season Virginia Tech true freshman Chris Drager will miss the remainder of the season, as announced Sunday by director of athletic training Mike Goforth. Drager, a tight end from Jefferson Hills, Pa., underwent an MRI on Sunday morning, revealing a sprained MCL and a partially torn ACL of his right knee. He suffered the injury midway through the third quarter of Tech's win over William & Mary Saturday. "We'll go in and scope his knee in about two weeks to see how he is doing," Goforth said. "We'll probably go ahead and repair the ACL at that time. Chris will be out for the rest of the year." Goforth said they will apply for a medical hardship waiver for Drager, but won't know the result of the appeal until after the season is over. Drager has played in all four of Tech's games thus far, catching two passes for 23 yards. He has played 19 snaps on offense and 36 on special teams. Commentary: What Has Happened to the GOP's Family Values? Promoting family values has been a major plank in the Republican Party platform. Sticking to those values has proven to be problematic, however, landing certain members of the GOP in national headlines. Most recently being swept under the rug is Senator Larry Craig’s recent indiscretion. On his official Senate website Sen. Craig’s profile lists him as married with three children and nine grandchildren. Stated in his mission and goals, goal number three reads: “defend and strengthen the traditional values of the American family.” But how does a protector of the American family end up pleading guilty to attempted gay bathroom sex? Video: Weekly News Wrap Up
Kevin Cupp and Ryan Call fill in for Tricia and Suzanne to wrap up the news from this week. Topics include the Morva trial, the mumps case, new developments to a story about a student who was run over by a car two years ago, and much more. VTCC Spend A Night The Spend a Night program has hosted students for more than ten years now and currently hosts about 300 students throughout the year. Commentary: New Fees Anger Virginia Motorists The new Virginia driving laws are causing quite an uproar due to the outrageous fees that are associated with them. Offenses such as DUI and reckless driving should definitely not be tolerated, but the idea of paying thousands of dollars in fees is creating more problems instead of fixing the old ones. On July 1, new driving laws went into effect, some of which require up to $1,000 per infraction. Gov. Tim Kaine supported these fees in order to raise money for roads and transit projects instead of issuing a tax increase. As reported by The Washington Post, the fines associated could raise around $65 million annually. A person charged with obstructing the view of traffic will have to pay $350 a year for three years. Someone charged with driving too fast for the road conditions will owe $300 a year for three years on top of the regular fine. This is just to name a couple of examples. Video: The Tyrod Era
Neal Turnage interviews fans and players to see just what the excitement is all about. NFL Week 2 Power Rankings
Weaver Says Cut It Out to "Stick It In" When Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver banned the Marching Virginians from leading Lane Stadium in the red-zone chant of “Stick it in,” an outcry of opposition arose from fans within the student body and elsewhere.
A number of students wanting to voice their opinions on the topic sent submissions to Planet Blacksburg. The following links showcase the more well-written and tasteful arguments we’ve received thus far. Commentary: School Violence Raises Unfair Trial Dispute The court response to the school violence in Jena, La., is being questioned as 17-year-old Mychal Bell awaits his Sept. 20 sentencing hearing. This case suggests unfairness in our court system as Bell was tried as an adult and faces up to 22 years in prison for aggravated battery. This school dispute started in 2006 when a group of black students found nooses hanging from a tree under which they had sat the day before. The white students involved were suspended and the situation was referred to as a prank. Racial tension continued to grow until a black group of friends, known as the Jena 6, beat up Justin Barker, a white student. The black teens were originally charged with attempted murder, but most charges were lowered to second-degree aggravated battery. Bell is now the only one still in jail due to a $90,000 bond and four previous juvenile offenses. Hokie Cross Country Wins VT College Invite To many students “The Cage”, which primarily serves as one of the largest, most endless, and frustrating parking facilities on campus, also serves as an “end of the road” marker in which there is no possible reason to continue past the confines of the wired fence. However, if one pushes past the reaches of the far outer fence, he will find the home stomping ground of one of the least publicized teams on campus--the men and women of the Virginia Tech cross country teams. This past Saturday the Hokie harriers defended their home turf with team wins by both the men and the women at the 2007 VT College Invite. Tyrod Burns Redshirt, Tigers Burn Hokies Tyrod Taylor’s play Saturday night will earn him the starting job in Saturday’s home match up with Ohio. Frank Beamer announced the decision in his Monday teleconference. “This is not a reflection on Sean [Glennon],” Beamer said. “He’s put so much into his preparation, and he’s such a competitor. We just feel like with this football team and our offense, Tyrod fits our personnel better right now.” Movie Review: 'Death Sentence' Cited for Contempt
Coincidence makes endless wrong turns, swerves from lane to lane, and ultimately runs the movie off the road at light speed into a ditch, where the film explodes into thousands of pieces, all which roar to the ground in an excruciating heap confusion and disbelief right before the audience’s eyes. “Death Sentence” teeters on the edge of relying too much on coincidence. It may even be true to say that the movie couldn’t survive without it. Without revealing too much plot, a car with low gas, a girl chilling outside her apartment, a completely broken windshield are just some of the plot points that conspire to keep the movie trucking. Grade: C+ Concert Commentary: 'A Concert for Virginia Tech'
"A Concert For Virginia Tech" was crowd-pleasing and entertaining, if extraordinarily long. Phil Vassar opened the show and put forth a solid effort to pump up the crowd. Whether everyone was distracted in their attempts to find seats with friends or if Vassar was just boring, it took Frank Beamer coming onto stage and the words “I feel sorry for LSU” to get a real reaction out of the stands. NFL Power Rankings: The Preseason Edition Planet Blacksburg's NFL Power Rankings are back! Thomas Emerick puts every team in its place to show who's hot in pro football right now. Updated weekly.
Movie Review: Not Many Treats from this 'Nanny'
Based on a book by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, “The Nanny Diaries” stars Scarlett Johansson as Annie Braddock, better known as “Nanny.” As Annie begins to start her life post-college, she panics when asked, “Who is Annie Braddock?” and runs away to the park. Fate intervenes and she rescues a little boy, Grayer (Nicholas Art), from being run over by an inattentive driver. Thus sparks her nanny position to the child, postponing her career life. Grade: C Hokies Win Emotionally Charged Opener
In one of the most anticipated games of college football’s first week, the Virginia Tech Hokies managed to hold off the East Carolina Pirates, 17-7. This was the first major athletic contest played on Tech’s campus since the shootings of April 16. “We haven’t had a joyous, mass-social event like this in a long time,” said Tech quarterback Sean Glennon after the game. “Although the players were just playing a football game, the reason it brought everybody together was much more than that.” |
“They’re awful down there…They curse you out…They threaten you…They throw full cans of beer and bottles at your head.”
The preview continues with the Western Conference. I still think this conference is better than the East and it is always competitive. Once again, the teams are ranked on how I think they will finish in the division.
