E&H Football Hits Radio Dead Air

Emory & Henry College football fans in Southwest Virginia who hope to listen to the team's games on the radio this season will be out of luck. WOLD radio in Marion, which has carried the games for a few years, has decided not to broadcasts Wasps games in 2006. Bummer. I don’t know for sure, but maybe the lack of advertising dollars played a role in the station's decision. The games can be heard on campus station, WEHC 90.7, if you are within yelling distance of the E&H campus. Also, if you have time to stay glued to your computer on Saturday afternoons, you can listen via the Internet.

The Wasps began the 2006 campaign Saturday at Fullerton Field with a 1 p.m. kickoff against non-conference foe Marietta (Ohio) College. The Pioneers won last year's contest played at Marietta, 25-7. I'm predicting an upset win for the Wasps this year.

E&H 17 Marietta 14

Speaking of Marietta, it's been two years now since the team's Don Drumm Stadium, and the town of Marietta, was flooded with water up to eight-feet high. Here's a link to a Web site with a few photos of the Sept. 2004 flood. According to the Web site, the flood came shortly after new turf was installed on the field.

I just turned down two tickets to Saturday's University of Tennessee football game against No. 8 California in Knoxville. What was I thinking? (I said "thinking," not "drinking.") I've never been to a game in Knoxville, and I have a feeling I don’t want to be there when they begin their season with a loss. My good friend Beano Cook said today that Tennessee will win. What's he putting in his soup?

Getting back to local small college teams, UVa-Wise kicks off its home season Saturday night against North Greenville College Crusaders out of Tigerville, S.C. (Do you suppose there's a team somewhere called the Tigers that is from a town called Crusaderville?) Under the lights at Carl Smith Stadium is a great place to watch a football game, and the UVa-Wise co-eds. I was there for the team's first night game a couple of years back. The place was packed and it was a great game atmosphere. I still hate artificial turf, though. It stinks.

I thought I read something yesterday on the Coalfield Progress Web site about Saturday night being fan appreciation night at Smith Stadium. Don’t hold me to that. I went back to today to check, but when I click on story links on the Coalfield site, a message pops up telling me the stories are only available to paid subscribers. Phbbbt! Well, that ends my reading of that newspaper. Isn't providing news to people living outside the coverage area part of the purpose of a newspaper's Web site?

Virginia Tech opens its season Saturday at Lane Stadium against Northeastern. Are you kidding me? Northeastern? Isn’t it a Division 1-AA school? Couldn't the Hokies at least play Northwestern, a Big Ten school? This game Saturday is going to be ugly. The Tech athletics department should charge about a buck and a half for tickets to this game – a give away free hotdogs. Jeez.

The NFL regular season begins next Thursday in Pittsburgh with the Steelers taking on the over-hyped Dolphins. Many experts have the 'Phins pegged to have a great season and some are predicting a Super Bowl appearance for the team with the ugliest uniform color combination in professional sports. That's nuts! The Patriots will win the AFC East again, and Dolphins will finish 9-7 at best. These lofty picks are a result of the team's long winning streak at the end of last season. It was six games, I think, against some pretty crummy teams. Plus, that streak began after the Dolphins lost 22-zip to the Browns. Ha! Here's a prediction for ya: the Dolphins will lose at least one game to my J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.

Speaking of the J-E-T-S, am I the only Jets fan in Virginia? For Virginians' sake, I hope so. Cheering for the Gang Green is a miserable existence.

All right, that's enough for today. I'm going to get a six pack of root beer and watch the Jets play the Eagles tonight.