On a recent July evening, we brought together three experts to talk football - Bill Millsaps, former sports editor and executive editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch; Jim Ducibella, former Washington Redskins beat writer for Norfolk's Virginian-Pilot for 20 years, and 'Big Al' Coleman, host of SportsPhone With Big Al on ESPN Radio - 950 AM in Richmond.
Then we invited a restaurant full of fans to Big Al's Sports Bar and Grill, recorded it both on audio and video - and voila! - the 1st Annual Boomer Life Football Roundtable was born. Boomer Life editor, Ray McAllister was moderator.
- - - Listen in on all of the excitement! - - -
Part 1: The College Game
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Part 2: The Pro Game
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College Football
RAY [following introductions]: We’re going to begin by talking about college football. Let’s start it off if we can by talking about the national champion we have in town here. We have a defending national champion. And the Colonial – the Colonial Athletic Association, in which [the University of] Richmond plays – tell us a little something about it. DUCIBELLA: Well, to me the Colonial is so head and shoulders above any other 1AA [Football Championship Subdivision] league that they ought to be in a conference all to themselves, or a league all to themselves. Old Dominion’s going to begin play in 2009, although not as a member of the conference.
RAY: Let’s talk about Old Dominion for just a minute. Starting up a football program – there can’t be a more daunting task than that. How’s Old Dominion going to fare?
DUCIBELLA: Well, the story isn’t so much about what happens on the field at Old Dominion, particularly in 2009. The story is the surrounding community. They’ve got all of this incredible interest in the Hampton Roads community. They will sell out every game. They sold 15,000 season tickets. So the program is going to be “the” social event, is my point as much as anything. It’s a remarkable story for a town that’s traditionally been apathetic.
MILLSAPS: The question I’ve got is that if football is as successful at Old Dominion as they hope, how long can VCU go without doing a football program, too?
BIG AL: Recently the [Virginia Commonwealth University] president stepped down – [Eugene] Trani – and he always said, “Not on my watch will we have football.”
MILLSAPS / BIG AL [together]: And his watch is officially over.
BIG AL:Also, when you talk about the way [Old Dominion] is drawing from that talent-rich area that is Tidewater football – that’s going to hurt every other team on the 1-AA level in Virginia.
RAY: Let’s switch to the ACC, the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is “the” conference around here – particularly Virginia Tech and UVa. What are the prospects for UVa? What are the prospects for Virginia Tech this year? DUCIBELLA: I’m just amazed that people are looking at [the University of] Virginia in such a positive light. Five new assistant coaches, so there’s no continuity on the staff. They’re still struggling to play.
BIG AL: Is this make-or-break for Al Groh?
DUCIBELLA: I don’t see any inclination amongst the Virginia alums to replace him.
BIG AL: Supposin’ Groh goes 5-and-7 or 6-and-6 and they get rid of him – do they look east to Richmond to talk to Mike London as a possible head coach?
RAY: Well, he’s going to be on a lot of radar screens… In addition to UVa and Virginia Tech, what’s the ACC look like this year?
MILLSAPS: I think Georgia Tech’s going to be very good. Florida State’ll be very good.
BIG AL: I think N.C. State’ll be good.
MILLSAPS: And look out for North Carolina. Butch Davis has done a terrific job of recruiting the state of North Carolina and that’s what you have to do. They will be strong.
DUCIBELLA: And they’re starting to dip back into Tidewater a little bit and get a player here, a player there – like back in the old days.
MILLSAPS: But it’s kind of tough to do that now with Virginia Tech as well-established as they are. DUCIBELLA: And that’s another whole aspect of the UVa conundrum is they just don’t do very well within the recruiting hotbeds of Virginia. RAY [to Millsaps]: You know [Virginia Tech coach] Frank Beamer well. How has he done it so long?
MILLSAPS: Well, I admit my prejudice. I’ve known Frank since he was a player at Virginia Tech in 1968-69 era. He’s a Hokie, through and through. As a matter of fact, I read in Boomer Life magazine last year that [LAUGHTER] the only coaches who have been at their schools longer than Frank Beamer are Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno.
RAY: Now the reason he read that is that he wrote that. [LAUGHTER] Fellas, let’s talk about the ACC. Let’s talk about both teams in the BCS [national championship game, played by the largest-school teams, who compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision]. Who are we going to see come January?
