Nightmare at Arrowhead

Chiefs Linebacker Jovan Belcher
Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Early Saturday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs organization had a disappointing season take a tragic turn for the worse. General manager Scott Pioli and head coach Romeo Crennel were at work early Saturday making final preparations for Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers. The tandem received a phone call telling them to hurry to the parking lot.

The men exited the building to find 25-year-old linebacker Jovan Belcher standing on the other side of the exit doors holding a gun to his head. They engaged in a conversation with Belcher, ending with Belcher thanking them for giving him a chance to play in the NFL. That would be the final words Belcher would say as the four-year player took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The beginning of this tragic morning started just as it ended for Belcher, unfortunately with another person losing their life. Kasandra Perkins, 22, was shot several times in her home Saturday morning. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The unfortunate connection in both deaths was Belcher himself.

Belcher shot Perkins several times in her home after the couple had a dispute. Perkins was Belcher’s girlfriend and mother of his three-month-old daughter. Authorities have yet to release information on a motive for the murder-suicide, only noting the couple had been arguing frequently.

Kansas City mayor Sly James commented to the Kansas City Star regarding the tragedy at Arrowhead. “He’s trying to do his job under probably more adverse circumstances than he’s ever seen in his life,” James said of Pioli. “He knows all the players. He knows that particular player; he’s very emotional.”

James could not imagine of being in Pioli or Crennel’s shoes, adding: “You have absolutely no idea of what it’s like to see somebody kill themselves. If you can take your worst nightmare and put somebody you know and love into that situation, and give them a gun and stand 3 feet from them and watch them kill themselves, that’s what it is like.”

“It’s unfathomable. Think about your worst nightmare and multiply it by five,” James said.

Players and friends of Belcher were stunned by the news, adding that he appeared happy in life and was a model citizen and a happy father.

Belcher’s agent, Joe Linta, told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King on Saturday: “Javon was a happy, proud father, with pictures of his baby on his Facebook page. This is shocking. Something went crazy wrong, and we’ll probably never know what it is.”

“I never take on anyone as a client I wouldn’t be proud to take home and spend time with my wife and kids,” Linta said to King. “Jovan was one of those type of people. There’s no word for this other than shocking. That’s all I can think of.”

While there are numerous victims in this tragedy, no one has been affected more than the three-month-old infant who is now orphaned and will never have the opportunity to know her mother and father.

Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn told the Kansas City Star the team was so stunned, it was hard to digest what had happened.

“It’s hard mostly because I keep thinking about what I could have done to stop this,” Quinn said. “I think everyone is wondering whether we would have done something to prevent this from happening.”

The unfortunate part of this tragedy is so many unknowns that may never be answered. Rather than to provide judgment in this horrific event, the victims should be the main concern moving forward. Pioli and Crennel witnessed something they will never forget and a three-month-old infant is left without her mother and father.

Having children of my own, this story hit close to the heart. I pray that this innocent girl will find happiness in her life and that she will be cared and provided for. Reports were discussed this morning that the Chiefs’ organization plans on playing a substantial role in her care.

No matter how one choses to remember Jovan Belcher, he is and always will be a murderer. However, the true reasoning that lead to this event may never be known.

No one plans for an accident, hence the reasoning of the name. While it is easy to point fingers and cast judgment, the events that occurred cannot be reversed. Only events in the present and future can be changed and learning from mistakes in the past can prevent future reoccurrences.

Depression and suicide are states of mind that may lead one to do something out of the ordinary. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States claiming over 38,000 lives each year as reported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Persons considering suicide or to learn more about the signs and symptoms of suicide call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or online at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org or the National Hopeline Network at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433).

Morehead State's head coach returns from suspension

MSU Head Coach Sean Woods

Passion is an element in life that can cause one to lose control of one’s emotions and react in an unacceptable manner. For first-year Morehead State men’s head basketball coach Sean Woods, his passion for the game of basketball overtook his emotions and allowed him to react to a situation in a manner that Morehead State Athletic Director Brian Hutchinson claimed was “unacceptable.”

Woods is a legend in the state of Kentucky. He was a member of the 1992 East Regional final team and scored 21 points against Duke in one of the most memorable games in the history of NCAA basketball. He was named SWAC Coach of the Year last season and earned the prestigious Ben Jobe Award, which honors the top minority coach in NCAA Division I men’s college basketball. He led Mississippi Valley State into the NCAA tournament last season after finishing with a record of 21-13 overall, 17-1 in the SWAC. While Woods’ resume speaks for itself, his action last Wednesday night in Lexington, Ky., were deemed out of line.

During the game against his alma-mater, Woods shoved one of his players who had fouled out of the game and was slow to leave the court. After the altercation, Morehead State suspended Woods for one game for his action during the contest.

“My behavior during Wednesday night’s game was inappropriate and unacceptable,” Woods said. “I value the opportunity I have been given as the head men’s basketball coach at Morehead State. I am passionate about the young man on our team and the opportunity we have together. I care for them deeply. I can assure our student-athletes, university community, alumni and fans that anything approaching this type of situation will not happen again.”

The rest, according to Woods, is history and he and the university are ready to move on from the mistake; although, do not expect Woods’ passion to fade away.

Woods style of coaching is labeled as out of control by some and complete passion by others. Woods prefers the later of the two and is quick to explain why he brings passion to the court every day.

“Basketball is a game of expression,” Woods said. “Play with emotion and a reason. If you don’t have any type of expression, you don’t need to be on the court.”

Forced from the sidelines Monday night, Woods had to watch his team endure a battle with Norfork State without him at the controls of the ship. Morehead State overcame 16 lead changes and seven ties in the contest to eventually secure a 73-67 victory. Woods praised his staff and players for sticking together and finding a way to get the win.

“We found a way,” Woods said. “Playing under distress and with emotion brings us as a program closer and makes us more relentless. It shows me that everyone is looking at the big picture.”

People make mistakes every day, some more serious than others, but for Woods, his mistake was one that he has acknowledged and is ready to move on. How a person reacts after admitting a mistake is often how one is remembered. Woods would not comment about the episode during the Kentucky game, but provided his thoughts about his future with Morehead State basketball. “I have to be Sean Woods and do what is best for my team,” Woods said. His new beginning starts tonight inside the Cam-Henderson Center as his Eagles travel to Huntington to battle the Herd for the first time since 2007. While Woods admits he must stay under control, he admits you can never be too passionate about something you love.

“I bring passion to my team,” Woods said. “It’s contagious and that’s how my team plays. When I see my players reflecting my passion, it’s gratifying.”

HERD SWEEPS ITS WAY INTO CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

HUNTINGTON, W.Va—Marshall women’s volleyball played itself into a corner after losing seven straight games and not winning a match in nearly a month. This weekend inside the Cam Henderson Center, Marshall not only got out of the losing corner, but it played itself into the Conference USA tournament. Marshall was 16-12 on the season and 6-8 in conference play before the matchup Friday night against Tulane, needing wins against both Tulane and Sunday opponent UTEP. Marshall wasted little time righting the ship.

In its first home game in three weeks, Marshall swept Tulane in three straight sets, (25-17, 25-21, 25-17), never letting the Green Wave to establish itself in the matchup. Marshall’s fast-paced offense kept Tulane off-balance the entire matchup, providing the Herd opportunities to score early and often.

Marshall’s 13 service aces combined with 37 kills and a .216 hitting percentage proved too much for Tulane to handle.

Marshall head coach Mitch Jacobs said it was Marshall’s service that kept Tulane out of system. “I felt like we put a lot of pressure on Tulane in the service game,” Jacobs said. “We were able to come out and play defense consistently. Better than that, we were on both sides of the ball. We played decent on offense and defense. When mistakes were made, we didn’t harp on them and moved on. We executed in key times.”

Junior Laura Der with the attack.

Marshall was led by outside hitter Laura Der with 15 kills, three service aces and nine digs, while finishing with a .244 hitting percentage. Sophomore Katie Potts collected four kills on a .300 hitting percentage, while dropping in three service aces. Freshman Lauren Legge lead the team in services aces, collecting a career high four.

Der praised the play of both underclassmen. “Potts is a great role player,” Der said. “She may not score a lot of points, but she isn’t going to go out and make a bunch of errors. She added so much in today’s match. Lauren has played four different positions this season as a freshman and is always willing to just step in and do what she can to help the team.”

Tulane offensive attack was smothered by the Herd defense, not collecting a single player with double digit kills while having a .083 hitting percentage.

Before Sunday’s matchup with UTEP, Marshall was in a four way tie in the conference at 7-8, tied with Houston, Memphis, and SMU. Although Marshall had many different ways to play its way in, the goal was simple, just win. A Marshall win and the worst possible outcome could be a number 8 seed in the tournament next week in Tulsa.

Before the contest began, seniors Katy Schad and Andrea Snipes-Booker were honored during “Senior Day” inside the Henderson Center. While it was a special day for the seniors, it would prove to be special day for the entire team.

Junior Dorothy Rahal digs a ball.

Marshall combined a fierce offensive attack with stellar defensive play, seemingly having the UTEP players guessing at where the next ball would be. UTEP was led by junior Jeane Horton with 14 kills, but Marshall’s defense kept the junior off-balance most of the contest, sweeping the Miners in three sets.

Junior Laura Der found a rhythm early in the first set and her team was quick to follow her lead. “I try to lead by example of my play on the court,” Der said. “I may not be the most vocal person on the court, but I try to let my hustle and speak for itself.”

Der produced the most kills by a league player in three sets, earning 22 in the three set sweep. Her performance in the matchup made her the second ranked player in C-USA in kills and points. Horton finished third.

The Herd finished the match with an average side-out percentage of 76.3, including 82 percent in the final stanza. UTEP never broke 60 percent in the contest.

Marshall head coach Mitch Jacobs was pleased with his team’s effort and its ability to play its way into the tournament.  “Our service game came back pretty strong,” Jacobs added. “UTEP just didn’t look like the team we have seen on tape. You can credit our kids for playing really hard with their backs against the wall, knowing it could be win or be out of the tournament today. We played as if it was tournament time.”

The Herd had three players finish with over a .400 hitting percentage in the match providing an answer to every UTEP attack. Der, Byous-McConnell and Potts lead the Marshall attack that totaled 49 total kills and scored its highest hitting percentage of the season.

Although the offense was firing on all cylinders, Marshall’s defense held the UTEP counter-attack in check, allowing Marshall to control the tempo of the game.

Senior Katy Schad on the attack.

While noted for her offensive productions in most of this season’s contest, senior Katy Schad provided 20 digs while posting 10 kills, recording the games only double-double in her final game inside the Henderson Center.

“They didn’t ace us tonight,” Jacobs added. “If you look back at our stats from weeks past when we were really on a roll, we would have five, six, seven or more aces against our opponent. Tonight was more like that serve and pass game. We didn’t get aced and they have a few really good servers.”

After losses by Houston, Memphis and SMU, Marshall vaulted into the No. 6 seed and will face UCF Friday night at 8 p.m. ET in the Donald W. Reynolds Center located in Tulsa, Okla. The winner will move on to face the winner of Rice/Houston Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

“Our goal was to make the conference tournament,” Jacob commented. “And we did that. Now we would like to do something in that tournament positive. It’s a long way to go to Tulsa, so let’s go there and enjoy the tournament and get after it.” 

Marshall split with UCF this season, defeating the Knights 3-2 at home and losing 3-1 in Orlando.

Huntington, W.Va—Marshall women’s basketball concluded its exhibition season Sunday with a 67-50 win over Kentucky State. Marshall defeated both its opponents in exhibition but the win this weekend was more of what is expected from the program.

“That was a little bit better,” Head Coach Matt Daniel said. “Today’s performance was a little more of what we expect.” Marshall scored the first nine points of the contest, but did not record its first field goal until 5:42 into the first half when sophomore Shay Weaver buried a three-point basket giving Marshall an eight point lead.

Marshall’s offensive attack put Kentucky State into early foul trouble, picking up its seventh team foul before the half-way point of the first half. After senior JoAnna Powell and freshman Taylor Sanders were forced to the bench early with two fouls each, Kentucky State Head Coach Serena King-Coleman turned to her bench for a spark.

Trailing Marshall by 11 just before halfway in the first half, Coleman turned to senior guard Jasmine Davis for a lift, and she gave more than expected. Davis rolled off back-to-back three pointers to cut the lead to three and finished the half as the game’s leading scorer with 10 points.

Marshall’s defensive pressure created 11 Kentucky State turnovers in the first half but managed only 31 points while shooting 32.3 percent from the field going to the locker room with a nine point lead.

Daniel made adjustments at half forcing his team to refocus on the game plan for the matchup. Junior guard Jasmine Shaw led the way for the Herd on both sides of the court. With 15:10 remaining in the game and Kentucky State trimming the lead to five, Shaw forced a turnover by Davis and converted the steal into a three-point basket.

Shaw contributed her preparation for her early season success. “It’s all about practice, working hard, and adjusting to the system,” Shaw said after the victory.

Shaw puts up a jumper in exhibition play.

Kentucky State would make one final push at the six minute mark trimming the lead to six, but Marshall’s defense created its offense, giving the Herd four fast-breaks resulting in lay-ups and its biggest lead of the game of 15 points. “We took a two possession game to a 10 possession game simply because of our focus,” Daniel added.

Daniel applauded the manner his team conclude the game in his “Full-Tilt” philosophy. “If players want to play one-on-one, they can do that tomorrow,” Daniel added. “Teams will play one on five against Marshall.”

Weaver put the final exclamation point on the win after draining a three-point bucket, running the lead to 20 and giving Marshall its largest lead of the game.

“When you are prepared, things go so much smoother,” Daniel said. “Game day is a celebration of preparation.”

Marshall had 10 players score in the contest as Shaw led the way with a game-high 18 points, nine which came from behind the arc. Weaver added 11 shooting 3-5 from behind the arc. Marshall finished the game shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from behind the arc and 77.8 percent from the foul line.

Marshall’s starts its regular season at home Friday against Radford with a noon tip-off.

Daniel Announces Staff

HUNTINGTON, W. Va.—Marshall Women’s head basketball coach Matt Daniel has a lot of new faces to learn around the locker room in his first season with the Herd; however, there will be two faces he already knows. Daniel selected two of his former assistants from the University of Central Arkansas to join his staff at Marshall.

Tony Kemper was hired as the associate head coach for Daniel’s team, a position he is very familiar with. Kemper worked for Daniel for two years in the same role he will perform at Marshall.

While at Central Arkansas, Kemper shared Daniel’s success, winning 45 games, making two trips to the postseason and winning a (Southland) conference championship. Daniel is excited to have Kemper on the staff.

Prior to Kemper’s time with Daniel, he served as an assistant coach for the Central Arkansas men’s team for four years. Kemper also worked as an assistant coach at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College—a program known for its success at the junior college level.

A face that Daniel will be familiar with is newly hired assistant coach Caronica Randle. Daniel’s familiarity with Randle is largely in part of the time she has served as an assistant in his program. Randle knows Daniel’s expectations for the program well.

“She has been with me since the day I became a head coach, and she is considered a family member to my family,” said Daniel.

Before Randle began coaching she was a standout for Central Arkansas. Randle finished as the school’s No. 3 career scorer (2,089 points) and all-time leader in free throws made and attempts.

Randle played a major impact on the recruiting while at Central Arkansas, bringing in the Southland conference’s Freshman and Player of the Year during her first two seasons.

“I am eager to learn more and expand my knowledge of the game of basketball since I feel that there is always room to grow when you have a passion for something you love,” said Randle.

Daniel’s final addition to his staff was Tamisha Augustin. Prior to joining the Herd, Augustin spent two seasons as an assistant at South Carolina State, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Augustin gained her coaching experience at Bethel High School in Hampton, Va. She spent two years with the school coaching the girls’ varsity team to a 15-11 record. Augustin also coached the Georgia Metro Nike Travel Team from 2006-08.

Augustin spent her college career at Alabama A&M University and was a two-time All-SWAC selection. Her skills provided an opportunity to play for the professional club KSC-Szekszard (Hungary) during the 2008-09 seasons. Her career with the club was interrupted by an injury.

“Coach Daniel has built a staff with a lot of charisma and great character; I believe this will lead to a championship,” Augustin said.

Marshall Looks to Build in Rivalry Games

 

HUNTINGTON, W.VA.—Marshall Women’s basketball team attempts to avenge disappointing losses last season to rival opponents Ohio and West Virginia. Marshall travels to Charleston Dec. 4 to battle WVU after a devastating loss in January, 69-57 in the Capital City Classic. Ohio will visit Marshall in the Cam Henderson Center in December.

Marshall’s success will rely on juniors Jasmine Shaw and Erica Woods to defeat these rivals and contend for the postseason. Shaw averaged six points a game last season and Woods led the team with 6.7 points and 6.2 rebounds a game. Marshall has not beaten WVU since 2005.

WVU returns its top performers of last season’s game, something that does not bode well for the Herd’s chances for a win in Charleston. Junior Taylor Palmer led all scorers with 17 points. Juniors Brooke Hampton added 14 points and Christal Caldwell nearly missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Marshall’s top performers from last year’s game graduated in May, leaving some questions about how the team will fare against the veteran WVU team. West Virginia leads the series 34-16.

Marshall clashes with the Ohio Bobcats on Dec. 15 as the Herd returns home for the first time in more than a month. Marshall trails Ohio 24-17 in this series and its last win against the Bobcats was 78-74 during the 2007 season in Athens. Likewise, Marshall has not defeated Ohio at the Henderson center in nearly a decade, an 86-63 victory in 2004.

Last season in Athens, seniors Porsha Harris and Tenishia Benson torched the Herd for 14 and 11 points each, respectively, and both grabbed 13 rebounds in a 68-56 win. This season, the Bobcats will rely on senior guard Shavon Robinson, who added 12 points in last season’s victory.

Coach Matt Daniel returns three juniors from last season bidding to turn this series around. Guards Jasmine Shaw, Erica Woods and forward Suporia Dickens led Marshall’s charge in last season’s game, ultimately falling short.

In his first season at Marshall, Daniel has inherited a team loaded with juniors and seniors. He hopes to benefit from the maturity of the team and return the program to a winning tradition.

Daniel wants to attract a great deal of attention to his program during his inaugural season. Collecting victories over WVU and Ohio would not only attract attention to the program, but provide a springboard for the program to launch into conference play.

These two games will provide a measuring stick for Daniel and his program. A win would have the program moving in the right direction; however, another loss would leave the program stuck in neutral and Daniel searching for a way to drive forward.

 

 

 

Matt Daniel takes control of Marshall Women's Basketball

HUNTINGTON, W.Va – Marshall Women’s basketball program has a new head coach. Matt Daniel was named the new coach of the team and has already left his mark. Daniel has been seen in the halls of the Henderson Center wearing bright green shoes while in plaid Bermuda shorts the following day. The 35-year-old Daniel is not trying to win a contest, but rather he wants his program to stand out. Daniel admits his program will stand out as loud as it can while he tries to build it stronger.

Daniel’s move from Central Arkansas to Marshall brings a new conference and unique problems to overcome. Daniel’s philosophy has been labeled as “Home of Higher Hoops,” although many just think it is nothing more than hot air. Daniel debates this is nothing but a belief system and anything is possible that you believe in.

With a program that seems stuck in neutral at 581-581, any positive would be a win for Daniel. Daniel has been around programs all around the country and is a second generation coach. In Coach Daniel’s first press conference he laid the foundation of how his program would operate, “There are two things we won’t do. We won’t do anything illegal, and we won’t do anything immoral. That’s our intention. Now, we’ll make mistakes I’m sure, as everybody does, but our heart will always be in the right place with the big picture of Marshall in mind.”

 

 

Marshall Women's Basketball Team Announces Schedule

HUNTINGTON, W. Va. -- Marshall Women’s basketball begins the 2012-13 season under the helm of newly hired Head Coach Matt Daniel looking to build from its 16-14 record last season. Marshall also looks to improve within its conference after a disappointing record of 7-9. Daniel will attempt to lead Marshall back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1997.

Marshall will play a schedule that includes teams from 10 different conferences. Marquette and Presbyterian College will be first-time opponents for The Herd while preserving long-term rivalries against Ohio (15 years) in the Cam Henderson Center at home and traveling to Charleston to play West Virginia (40 years)  in the Capital City Classic.

Preseason action for The Herd includes Concord on Nov. 1 and Kentucky State on Nov. 4 as both teams visit Huntington. Regular season action begins on Nov. 9 with 2011-12 Big South semifinalists Radford visiting Huntington. Marshall travels to Terre Haute, Ind. to face Indiana State, a team Marshall has not faced since 1980. The Herd returns home on Nov. 17 to face Ball State.

Marshall will spend its Thanksgiving holiday in Texas playing in the Texas A&M Tournament facing Southern on Nov. 23 and Marquette on Nov. 25. Marshall heads to Richmond, Ky. as a participant of EKU’s tournament Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

Non-conference play continues for Marshall during December as it faces some of its toughest opponents of the season. Marshall plays West Virginia on Dec. 4 in the Capital City Classic and returns home for the first time in more than a month on Dec. 15, clashing with Ohio followed by games with Furman on Dec. 20 and Tennessee Tech on Dec. 22.

Non-conference play will close out with a trip to Annapolis to battle with 2011-12 Patriot League Champions, Navy on Dec. 30.

Marshall begins Conference USA play on Jan. 10 after an 11-day break with a road trip to Hattiesburg, Miss. to face Southern Miss. Marshall returns home on Jan. 13 to play Tulane, then heads to Tulsa on Jan. 17.

February will be Marshall’s toughest part of the schedule as it opens with Memphis on Feb. 3 at home before heading to Orlando to face UCF on Feb. 7 and to Dallas on Feb. 10 to battle with SMU. Marshall clashes with reigning C-USA champions UTEP on Feb. 14 before heading to Birmingham for a second meeting with UAB.  Marshall closes the month out hosting East Carolina on the 21st, traveling to Houston to face Rice on the 24^th and Southern Miss on the 28^th.

The Herd closes Conference USA play against UCF in its final home game of the season on March 3. Marshall closes the regular season at Memphis on March 7.

The Herd begins postseason play in Tulsa beginning March 13 in the Conference USA Championships. The tournament runs March 13-16 with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

 

Blog, Blog, Blog, ESPN Boston?

Trying to have an inside track on your favorite team can be a seemingly difficult task. With the vast amount of information available to the media, one must decide what is relevant and what can wait. Blogs provide a route for journalists and fans to follow teams and receive information.

Finding a good blog can be difficult as not all blogs are created and operated equally. I look for a blog that I know is going to report factual news. My favorite blogs are operated by ESPN, giving me a plethora of information.

As a fan of teams located in the Boston area, I choose to follow the ESPN Boston blogs. One section of this blog is the New England Patriots, http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots. By providing current information about the team, individual players, and upcoming match-ups, I can gain as much information as possible in a short time. I enjoy Mike Reiss's insight about the team and how he breaks down the numbers is a major reason I follow this blog. While Reiss is not the only contributor to the blog, I prefer to follow his posts because of his in depth coverage of players during the season. Reiss provides injury and team news, insight about the season, and analysis of matchups for the upcoming games.

Another section is the Boston Red Sox, http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/. With the season consuming seven months of the year, keeping up with all the changes of the club can be overwhelming. ESPN Boston provides breaking news and in depth coverage of the Red Sox, allowing me to know what is going on with the organization. This season has been one to forget for the Red Sox; however ESPN Boston continues to provide information regarding players, staff, and the team in general.

The best part of this blog is the vast amount of information that is available. Being an avid Boston fan, this keeps me up to date with everything happening with Boston sports, allowing me to provide instant reaction to breaking news and updates. With a click of a button, I had insider information about Gronkowski's and Hernandez's new contracts, Wes Welker's reaction and contract negotiations, Patriots injury reports, and every roster move made by the organization.

Fantasy sports are a favorite hobby of mine and making sure every player on my team is healthy and more importantly, will be in the starting line-up, is a must. ESPN Boston uses a combination of creditable journalists to provide the most current information so the fans are well informed as the action happens. I check these blogs each day before I set my lineups, checking for injury updates and any recent player news. There is no worse feeling than starting a player that is out with an injury.

Although I do not report for any media outlets in Boston, I like to report to the Boston fans in my area and report current information as quickly as possible. ESPN Boston blogs allow this to happen by gathering a plethora of information and combining this to one site. Ease of access and ability to find a wealth of information are the biggest reason I frequent this blog. If you are a fan of Boston sports or just a fan of a player in Boston, ESPN Boston is a great blog to follow.

Marshall vs Western Carolina Preview

Marshall welcomes Western Carolina to Huntington Saturday looking to continue where it left off after departing the Southern Conference in 1996, beating the Catamounts. The teams have met 20 times and share a record of 9-9-2, however, the Catamounts who dominated in the beginning of this series. Western Carolina began the series 8-0-2 against the Herd but has only found one victory since then. Marshall should continue its winning ways Saturday against the Catamounts.

Coming off a 69-34 beat down by the Mountaineers Saturday in the last meeting of the Friends of Coal Bowl, Marshall looks to rebound in its home opener. Marshall will be led by Rakeem Cato as he tries to guide the Herd to a win. Western Carolina opened its 2012 season with a win over Mars Hill 42-14 as its head to Huntington.

Western Carolina will have a tough task containing Cato during. Cato was 38 of 54 for 413 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Marshall's offensive line did a stellar job against the Mountaineers by only allowing Cato to be sacked one time. Marshall also showed its depth on the offensive line as they lost both right and left tackles to injuries during this game, and was able to contain the WVU defense.

Defense is what the Herd will want to improve from Saturday’s loss at WVU. The Herd gave up 655 total yards while only forcing the Mountaineers to punt twice. WVU scored in five of its first six possessions, not having to punt until late in the third quarter. Marshall needs a much better push from the defensive line against Western Carolina if they look to get a win this Saturday in Huntington.
The Catamounts ran the ball well against South Atlantic member Mars Hill, a division two school in North Carolina north of Asheville, piling up 344 yards on 63 carries. This is something the Herd must be concerned about as it gave up 331 yards rushing on only 35 carries. The Catamounts must equally be concerned about Cato and finding ways to containing him.

Football games often are decided more by Jimmys and Joes not X's and O's, as was the case in Morgantown Saturday. WVU was faster, bigger, and stronger. This should be the case this week in Huntington as Marshall should be the better of the two teams and secure its first win of the season. Cato threw for over 400 yards on the #11 team in the nation. Western Carolina's defense does not come close to the quality practiced in Morgantown.

Cato should have another huge game and the defense will work to shore up the line and have a better performance. Marshall wins big in the home opener and takes the outright lead in the series against Western Carolina with a 42-10 win.

Sports Broadcasting Is Easy Right?

How many of you have been watching or listening to your favorite team and think, I could do play by play better than this guy? Honestly, every sports fan has dreamed of being the voice of their favorite sports team and having to chance to make the call on the big play that gives the team the win. I would be lying if I said that I had not thought the same thing. After all, I am very sports savvy, playing sports all my life, as well as coaching and working as an official. I can talk about sports in my sleep, how hard could it be to do it on radio, live? Remember the first time someone punched you in the stomach as a kid, that was the exact feeling I had Friday night when I went behind the headset to cover my first high school football game.

Leading up to the game I was convinced if my good friend Mr. Tim Carper was to turn the call over to me and let me take the play by play, it would be so seamless that the listeners would not even be able to tell. Note to self, keep dreaming! It took me about 2 plays in the first quarter to figure out I was no where ready to call this game. So I did what anyone should do in this very situation, took a nice big bite of humble pie and tried to learn from my mistakes. Trust me there was alot to learn!

Grabbing a pencil and paper, I realized I had no chance of speaking on the air until I figured out who I was talking about. Sure anyone could simply say, #28 hands off to #8 for a gain of 2 yds, tackled by #9 at the 27 brings up 2nd & 8, but can you really make any sense of that. It would take me about 2 plays before I would just turn the radio off. When you are the voice behind the radio, the listener wants to see what you are calling. Details allows this visual to be painted in their mind as your voice flows over the airways. If a relative of #8 is listening, they want to hear that kids name, not just a number. Lesson learned: Familiarize yourself with the rosters of the teams you are going to be covering. Also it is very handy to find out who will be the primary ball carrier or receiver and who is the big players on defense. Another lesson learned: do your research before you get to the game. The pace of the game moves very quickly and leaves very little time to learn 22 names on the fly.

It was extremely helpful to get to call a game in the booth with someone that has been doing this for quite some time. This allowed me to see what really happens as what is compared to what I thought was happening. While I never tried my hand during the game at play by play, I did settle in late in the first quarter as the color commentator and by half time was feeling much more relaxed behind the microphone. Hopefully I didn't completely crash and burn on my first broadcast.

Heading into my next broadcast I now know that I have much homework to do. The game is not until Friday but I have already began looking at both teams rosters, schedules, and past games trying to learn something valuable about both clubs. I am looking forward to doing play by play in the future and can not express how valuable sitting in the booth with the crew on Friday night and seeing the action live.

I'm sure there is a ton more for me to learn to be a successful broadcaster, but as long as I can remember how to squeeze down a nice piece of humble pie when it's served up, I think I will be just fine. My sincere thanks to Tim and Tom for allowing a young broadcaster in training to tag along and pick their brains for as much information that I could get. It was a privilege being part of the team.

Little League Mother Quits Job

If you have not heard about the latest story running wild over the internet click on the link to read and then post your comments below.

http://larrybrownsports.com/everything-else/mom-lost-job-little-league-world-series/151861

I understand that in today's society that an job is a good job if you wish to be successful, however, is there a time when you have to make a decision to support your child or give up your job a decision that should have to be made? Billie Ann Tomei had to make this decision and I think she made the same decision that many parents would make everyday, to go support her child.

Tomei asked for extended time off so she could watch her son play in the West Regional tournament for a chance to advance to the LLWS but was denied by her boss. His response was "If you go, write yourself your last check", and that is exactly what she did. Tomei quit her job and watched her son not only play into the LLWS, but actually advanced to the US Championship game in which his team lost to Tennessee.

As a coach, dad, and worker I understand there are so many decisions that we are forced as parents to make everyday and try to remain in harmony with society. I applaud Tomei for going and supporting her son as I would have done the same thing. The LLWS is not just another baseball game, this is the World Series for kids. Her son as well as so many young boys have dedicated so much time and effort to their team to have the chance to go to Williamsport, PA and play at LaMade Stadium in what is the biggest game these youngsters may ever play in in their entire career. Why should any parent have to miss the chance to see their child experience arguably one of the biggest moments of their young lives.

Business and the workplace is extremely important in society and the livelihood of our nation, but what about family values? What would this man have said if she needed to take off time to go care for a family member who was sick? Family values are something that so many have forgotten about in our country and is exactly why the nation is in the state it is in. Your family will always be there when nothing else will, money can by you a family.

I hope that someone out there sees what this mother has done and gives her a chance to join their workforce soon. One thing I thing that you would get from this courageous women, someone that still believes in values and morality in their life. Kudos Billie Ann!

Collier Sports Zone Live

Tonights show will take a look at the blockbuster deal between Boston and LA. Was there a winner in this trade and what will this mean for the future of both teams.
MLB playoff races are really heating up, what team will sneak in the back door and what team will not be in the playoffs that would be in if the season ended today. NFL preseason is coming to an end as teams have made their first roster cuts. Which players no longer have a team and what team is the only team yet to get into the endzone this preseason.

Feel free to post your comments here!

Here is the link to the show: www.blogtalkradio.com/colliersportszonelive

Favorite Blogs

Here is a list of my favorite blogs to follow.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots

http://blogs.nfl.com/

http://mlb.mlb.com/blogs/