BAILEY'S TAKE
ON PIRATE SPORTS
-----
From the Anchor Desk
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
By Brian Bailey |
|
Press shindigs signal
kickoff is near
By
Brian Bailey
©2008 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
When the various leagues
hold their annual
football media events,
you know the season
can’t be that far
behind.
Conference USA was in
Memphis this past
weekend. East Carolina
coach Skip Holtz was
joined by quarterback
Patrick Pinkney and
defensive lineman Zack
Slate in the City of
Elvis.
Each team had about ten
minutes of action on the
telecast by CBS College
Sports (the former CSTV).
Pinkney had the best
line when he was asked
which game meant more to
him, the win over North
Carolina or the bowl
victory over Boise
State.
“Why not both,” Pinkney
fired back without
blinking an eye. He went
to talk about how both
games were big. Give him
credit for thinking so
quickly on his feet with
the lights on and the
cameras rolling.
You can really tell that
Coach Holtz is very
comfortable with his
team. It shows with
every comment that he
makes.
“This is the story about
a group of guys who said
we’re tired of losing,”
said Holtz during the
telecast. “They’ve
bought in. They’ve
jumped in with both
feet. They’ve made an
unbelievable commitment
and the thing I’ll say
about this team is that
they’ve never given up.”
Holtz was also asked
about what his team
would do without Chris
Johnson in the backfield
this year.
“I think it will be
difficult because he was
such a special player
for us. He could take
that 8-yard gain and
make it an 80-yard
gain,” said Holtz. "I
think some are going to
have to pick up the flag
and run with it. It
isn’t going to be done
by one person. It’ll be
done by committee.”
East Carolina’s first
opponent this year is
the pick to win the
Atlantic Coast
Conference's Coastal
Division. At the ACC's
media kickoff event in
Greensboro, GA, Virginia
Tech Coach Frank Beamer
was quick to point out
that his club has some
big holes to fill.
Beamer said that the
schedule will make
things difficult. He
mentioned playing at
North Carolina, at
Boston College, at
Nebraska and at Miami.
Beamer added in the fact
that his Hokies also
have to play East
Carolina in Charlotte.
East Carolina will also
face Virginia, picked
fifth in the Coastal,
and North Carolina
State, selected sixth.
The Pirates will report
to camp in just over a
week. We’re just over
five weeks away from the
start of the season.
Won’t it be great to
talk football each and
every week!
BB
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07/22/2008 01:25:05 AM |