|
BAILEY'S
TAKE ON PIRATE SPORTS
-----
|
From the
Anchor Desk
Tuesday,
December 21, 2010
By Brian
Bailey |
 |
So you think
Santa is busy this week...
By
Brian Bailey
©2010 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
 |
|
|
|
BRAIN BAILEY SHOW |
|
 |
|
 |
 Replay
Monday night's Brian Bailey Show with
guest DON EDWARDS of UBE.
Eastern North
Carolina's longest running sports radio
call-in show airs each Monday night at 7
p.m. on Pirate Radio 1250 and 930. |
|
Replay Show |
|
Pirate Radio Home
Page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The East Carolina football
team has to pack its sled and head to our nation’s capital on Christmas
Eve. It's quite an undertaking to take the whole program on the road for
the better part of a week.
Add in the Christmas
holiday, and Santa may have to deploy some elves to help out with the
trip.
The Pirates held their
last practice before the bowl game in Greenville this past Saturday. The
squad was then released for the “holidays.” The squad will return on
December 23rd, and leave for the December 29th bowl on Christmas Eve.
First-year East Carolina
coach Ruffin McNeill says his team is right where he wants it to be
heading into the break.
“Yes they are,” said
McNeill. “Today’s last practice didn’t deal a lot with Maryland. We did
a lot of best on best. It was very competitive.
“I’ve really been pleased
with the entire body of work that this team has put in for the
postseason. The kids were really excited, flying around out there. They
look fresh. Some of the guys who have had the nicks and bruises, like
Dominique (Davis) and Dwayne (Harris), are much better.”
McNeill looks forward to
the bowl game, but says his team goes to D.C. with one goal in mind.
“We’re going to D.C. to
win the bowl game,” McNeill stressed.
The Pirates return to camp
on the 23rd for a weightlifting session before boarding that sleigh to
Washington, DC.
Dodge now a part of NFL
history
Former East Carolina
punter Matt Dodge had a very difficult start to his Christmas week.
Dodge and the New York
Giants completely folded late in falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in
that battle for first in the NFC East.
First, the Giants' defense
gave up a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Then with 12 seconds to
play, the rookie punter was instructed to punt the football out of
bounds, away from the most dangerous return man in the league in DeSean
Jackson.
Instead, Dodge hit a
36-yard line drive right at Jackson, who first bobbled the football,
took a step back, and then blistered the Giants with a 65-yard
game-winning punt return.
Many said it was as
shocking as the first “Miracle in the Meadowlands,” when Herm Edwards
returned that Joe Pisarcik fumble in the original Meadowlands.
One headline called it
“The nightmare before Christmas.” Another called it the “Modern Day
Miracle in the Meadowlands.” Another described the original miracle as
“The Fumble” and yesterday’s debacle as “The Crumble.”
The cameras caught Coach
Tom Coughlin looking for answers from his rookie punter as the Eagles
celebrated their improbable comeback.
Dodge faced the music afterwards, telling reporters that he just didn’t
execute. Everyone was on the same page as far as kicking the football
out of bounds.
“I think everyone on that
sideline did,” said Dodge to reporters when asked if he was told to punt
the football out of bounds. “And I knew it. He didn't have to tell me.
It wasn't rocket science not to kick it to him with 12 seconds left, but
sometimes you don't execute as well as you'd like.”
Jackson’s return was the
first walk-off punt return in the annals of the NFL.
Dodge was a guest speaker
this past summer in Greenville at the Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s
punting and kicking camp. He spoke to the campers that day about
football and faith.
That faith is certainly
being tested. Dodge has had a roller-coaster season in his rookie year,
and now he’s part of football history.
The measure of a man comes
in how he handles adversity.
Several of his teammates
came to his defense on Sunday night. Still, Dodge knows that if he’s
told to punt the football out of bounds, then that’s where it has to go.
Here’s hoping Dodge can
turn things around, be it with the Giants or maybe with a new start.
BB
E-mail Brian Bailey.
Brian Bailey Archives
12/21/2010 05:23 AM |
