News and Notes

I wish I could say that monitoring the NFL Scouting Combine on Monday was exciting, riveting and intriguing. 

It wasn’t. Not to mention spandex is not a good look for defensive linemen.

Watching prospects be put through drill after drill was boring and quite frankly didn’t change my mind about any potential NFL stars and I doubt many scouts learned something they didn’t already know. For example, Marshall’s Vinny Curry ran a 4.9 40-yard dash but showed great quickness in drills such as the three-cone drill. 

So what did we learn?

Curry doesn’t have exceptional straight-line speed but is explosive and quick off the line of scrimmage. We already knew that and I would guess the NFL scouts that get paid know such things were already aware of that as well.

All in all, Curry didn’t do anything at the combine to help his draft status, but didn’t do anything to hurt it either. His next chance to impress scouts will be on March 14^th during Marshall’s Pro Day at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

It appears that a new ballpark in Morgantown will get a mid-summer call up to the legislature in a special session in July. Monongalia County Senator Bob Beach says he’s confident that a bill approving the site for a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) at the University Town Centre in Morgantown will come up for a vote during a special session in July. 

Beach emphasized that the project is being spearheaded by the private developer Mon-View, LLC and while WVU is supporting the construction of a new baseball stadium it would not be a university project. 

He says in all likelihood, WVU would lease a new baseball stadium for the season and the stadium itself would belong to either Mon County or the town of Granville.

I saw this report on Monday that the state Historic Preservation Office is asking Marshall to forego tearing down the old field house to make way for a new soccer complex. 

I love history and places like Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Lambeau Field and Madison Square Garden can send chills down your spine when step into the old areas and think about all the history that has been made, the Veterans Memorial Field House doesn’t fit into that category. While there certainly was history made in that building, the old gym’s job is complete. It’s now time to move ahead and for Marshall University to grow. 

It is important to hold on to the past but it is even more important to not let the past hold you back either. Keeping the old field house instead of building a new complex there would not be a step forward for the Marshall athletic program.

I’ve been a long-suffering Cincinnati Reds fan and each year I keep coming back for more. Spring Training is underway so hope bounds eternal. Even Cubs and Pirates fans think they have a shot at the pennant. 

From the outside looking in, it appears the Reds are going all in this year. General Manager Walt Jockety knows he likely won’t be able to sign first baseman Joey Votto to another contract and the window for the Reds to make some noise in the postseason is very narrow.

The NL Central is wide open this year. Albert Pujols is gone and so is Prince Field and Votto is arguably the biggest bat in the division. This could be the Reds year. 

I hope so at least.