GREENVILLE — Scottie Montgomery came through the pre-game smoke at the Murphy Center end of East Carolina's Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, with fist pumps, a momentary prayer and the undaunted crossing of his forearms that has become a symbol of the Pirates. The crowd of 44,161 quickly fed off his emotion. … [Read more...]
View from the East: Pirates prepared for wet conditions
Hurricane Hermine is projected to be a potent tropical storm when it passes through the Greenville area before East Carolina kicks off against Western Carolina on Saturday at 6 p.m. Gusts and downpours are expected to build into Saturday before conditions gradually improve in the hours approaching game time as the storm moves into the Atlantic. Still, there is the … [Read more...]
View from the East: Pirates look inland to enhance domain
As Western Carolina prepares to travel East for the season opener at 6 p.m. on Saturday night, East Carolina, in a figurative sense, is heading West. The Pirates are expanding their base beyond the standard concept of their region East of I-95, a move that may enhance their appeal to possible Big 12 Conference expansion. If you think the final football practice at Rocky … [Read more...]
View from the East: Pirates attain ‘game ready’ fitness
Going into his first season as East Carolina's head football coach, Scottie Montgomery has gained some perspective on what the Pirates have accomplished since opening preseason training camp Aug. 4. "We think that we've put together a pretty good football team," Montgomery said. "We know that we've developed and know that we have some playmakers, whether it be on offense or … [Read more...]
View from the East: Big 12 is dream land for ECU
As soap operas go, the Big 12 expansion saga is pretty good stuff. It certainly has national implications and some fortunate schools could see their athletic revenue increase by something like $30 million annually. Not only are high stakes involved, there have been story lines emerging on a regular basis since the spring. The possibility of membership for East Carolina … [Read more...]