Great interview. The man hits many nails on the head. I can comment a lot about the interview but will do so about this one: Pry's statement about this year's increased QB competition.
Human nature unchecked typically sinks. But, when something like a high degree of competition is introduced, it typically lends itself to provide the "best version" of the ones involved. If Grant is the starter, then possibly, the biggest factor may well be Drones presence. If so, getting the best version of Wells may land us bowling this year and possibly a winning record. IMO, both aren't totally unrealistic.
Okay, I lied. The brief discussion about what is a QB to do when an offense can't run, protect or get open. In those few words, Pry provides a solid "defense" (lack of a better word) for Grant. This year we have a legit RB duo and a trove of WR's. In theory, should allow for a better offense vs last season and a better environment for Grant to perform.
Lastly, I love Lurch's shout out to Sharkey's. I was one of the original bartenders hired there when it was at the old Crickets location next door to what was Arnold's. Worked there throughout my remaining college career that spanned nearly 7 years.
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The old Sharkey's was my crews go to spot late 90's. The all you can eat wing buffet on Sunday and Wednesday nights, and then I also recall that the Friday happy hour drink special was a $3.75 22oz Long Island Iced Tea and that was very dangerous. Also remember the cheap super mugs of beer. Loved that place.
IIRC one of our favorite bartenders there (I think his name was Kirk) was killed in a car accident during that time frame.
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We had to have crossed paths. The old Sharkey's was my group's spot in the late 90's as well. Most of my fond memories of hanging out downtown were in the old Sharkey's. The supermug specials were dangerous across the board. I still feel bad about breaking one on a ceiling fan upstairs.
One of the barbacks was a fellow bud from the Corps and he was roomates with Bunny one of the bouncers.
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All those things made Sharkey's pretty darn sweet. The overall food was good too. The owner was a shrewd business woman and knew her stuff. She promoted me to a manager. Got a ton of great experience working for her. I finally graduated in 95 so I just missed your and your crew. Didn't know Kirk. Sorry to here about his unfortunate event.
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DAMN!!!!! That voiceover gave me the absolute chills and goosebumps. That man's voice alone delivers a definitive tone, gut check and a "you all better get on the Pry Train because it's a steaming on down the line".
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You have to hate losing more than you love winning. I think that is the foundation and the spark that drives ultra-competitive athletes and coaches. Nick Saban's at the top of that list.
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I know a lot of us have said it on here before, but man, I really hope this works. You have to love everything Pry is doing off the field. Now, he just needs to turn it around on the field. 6 guys on staff who played for Beamer. "How do you not ask (Beamer) about certain things?" If this thing goes south, it will be a painful breakup. I'm certainly hoping the team improves and Pry gets us back to winning football games!
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I know a lot of us have said it on here before, but man, I really hope this works.
I've thought about this a whole lot. What exactly does "work (work out)" mean? Are we satisfied with a Kirk Ferentz/Iowa situation? Are we OK with a mid 2000's Beamer situation? Are we satisfied with the NCSU situation (good, but never good enough)? Or do we need to be Clemson?
I don't know the expectations of the fanbase in general, but mine are this - I'd love for us to be the to the ACC what Washington was to the Pac12 under Chris Peterson. Very good team, winning the conference on occasion (challenging for it regularly) and getting into the playoff from time to time.
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mine are this - I'd love for us to be the to the ACC what Washington was to the Pac12 under Chris Peterson. Very good team, winning the conference on occasion (challenging for it regularly) and getting into the playoff from time to time.
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My frustration is that the Peterson model is not out of reach here. Unless of course you are not focused and prepared and lose to bad Boston College, Duke, Cuse teams every year. That won't get you to charlotte. Clemson doesn't lose to 3-8 teams typically. That's my biggest frustration with VT football AND hoops. Way too many losses to bad teams. Focus, prepare. Don't let a shit syracuse team come to lane and beat you when you have a lead with 2 mins left. Peterson would not have lost those games.
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I'm trying to understand how your incessant negativity allows you to be a fan quite honestly. We've all lived through those painful years of losing to the bottom of the ACC, however we are in a new era. And I, for one, am going to embrace the hope and optimism that seems to be sprouting all around the program.
Side note: As far as hoops goes, I'm not the CMY fan everyone else is. I like him as a human being. I think he fits VT culture. But, like you, I do not think he finds success here. He's a career .500 coach who finds lighting in a bottle occasionally. To add, and I'm not saying it's entirely his fault, he can't seem to keep a roster together long enough to have good chemistry. I do think his time here is short lived. JMO.
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DC is a realist and sometimes Negative Nancy. But that is his choice and I respect it. He is very rarely outside of community rules and often plays devil's advocate.
Everybody is a fan in their own way and being a pessimist might allow him to be pleasantly surprised when we win. Also unfortunately, our Athletic Department has a long enough history of cocking things up that being negative isn't actually wrong.
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Well perhaps my 20 plus year contributions to the hokie club, donations, season tickets (now from 3k miles away) sending my son to VT, etc. cancels out my "negativity" and allows me to be a VT fan? Is that approved?
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It's really not a question of if you're allowed to or not. Can and should are not the same thing. You CAN be a debbie downer (whether or not you've been donating for 2 decades), but SHOULD you? It's a question of why. Why would you choose to crap on everything and bring everyone else down? Does it make TKP a better place? Could you have the same valuable input without the shitty attitude if you gave it half a second's effort instead of just brain vomiting your bitterness?
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DC definitely rubbed me the wrong way at first. I've gotten used to him though. He doesn't really violate the CGs but he often pushes it to the limit (particularly politically) which annoys me still but if you ignore that and just pay attention to his football takes he's a pretty valuable contributor (even if we don't really like the message).
That said, something that I've noticed with myself is this: I'm generally a pretty positive and upbeat person in life. But for some reason, TKP seems to be my outlet for pessimism. I'm waaay more negative on TKP than I am anywhere else in life. Psychologically, I'm not sure why - maybe it's just a place I feel comfortable getting it out of my system? Maybe it's because in the grand scheme of things sports don't really matter at all? Maybe it's because I have always kinda taken a silly "reverse psychology" approach to sports Fandom?
I don't really know. All I know is that I'm a completely different persona on TKP than I am IRL. In fact, if you met me in person I doubt very much you'd ever guess my TKP username.
I say all that to say this: maybe DC is similar. Yeah, on TKP he comes across as an abrasive curmudgeonly twat a lot of the times but maybe this his outlet for that and in person he's really just a sweet, stand-up guy.
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My frustration is that the Peterson model is not out of reach here.
The Peterson model really depends on finding a coach who willing to stay in one place for an extended period of time. Peterson turned down an offer from a blueblood. That doesn't happen often.
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Let's revisit- the best players in Va mostly, speed all over the defense.... under the radar recruit ballers like Grim and Kam, a nasty streak, A 5 star QB under center. Fuck yes please. more consistent OL roster management and recruiting and a slightly less predictable offense, we would have won a national title. No doubt in my mind.
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I'd love for us to be the to the ACC what Washington was to the Pac12 under Chris Peterson. Very good team, winning the conference on occasion (challenging for it regularly) and getting into the playoff from time to time.
Totally agree and love that comparison. However, I remind myself that we are currently in the ACC. This is not a powerhouse football conference, and VT more or less owned it for the bulk of the 2000s. Everyone points to Miami and FSU as these traditional powerhouses that we will never match up to, but let's face it - Miami has done squat nearly the last 20 years and I think is a shell of its former self, and FSU (though hyped this year) has been a lot of bark and little bite, struggling to find its footing post Bowden and Fisher.
Honestly, why can't we challenge Clemson and be what they are currently to this conference? We are historically very similar programs (they did get a natty in the early 80s and have really separated themselves the last eight years, but culturally and all-time winning percentage very similar). I really think VT is positioned to be the premier football program of the mid-Atlantic between PSU and Clemson. If we can regain a foothold in our recruiting footprint and get the kind of talent we used to see come through Blacksburg in Beamer's heyday, I think we can challenge Clemson. That is my ultimate aspiration for this program - regain top dog status in the ACC (not an impossible feat) and be in the mix for NY6 bowls and playoff appearances more often than not.
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Iowa is a hard yes (minus the nepotism and the constant I'm gonna leave you shit). Since 2001 (Frentz's 3rd year) they have had 2 losing seasons, one was in a bowl game, 7 10+ wins seasons, and 7 8-9 win seasons. Also they were 6-2 in 2020. They were undefeated in the conference twice.
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Comments
Brenty?? LOL
Great interview. The man hits many nails on the head. I can comment a lot about the interview but will do so about this one: Pry's statement about this year's increased QB competition.
Human nature unchecked typically sinks. But, when something like a high degree of competition is introduced, it typically lends itself to provide the "best version" of the ones involved. If Grant is the starter, then possibly, the biggest factor may well be Drones presence. If so, getting the best version of Wells may land us bowling this year and possibly a winning record. IMO, both aren't totally unrealistic.
Okay, I lied. The brief discussion about what is a QB to do when an offense can't run, protect or get open. In those few words, Pry provides a solid "defense" (lack of a better word) for Grant. This year we have a legit RB duo and a trove of WR's. In theory, should allow for a better offense vs last season and a better environment for Grant to perform.
Lastly, I love Lurch's shout out to Sharkey's. I was one of the original bartenders hired there when it was at the old Crickets location next door to what was Arnold's. Worked there throughout my remaining college career that spanned nearly 7 years.
The old Sharkey's was my crews go to spot late 90's. The all you can eat wing buffet on Sunday and Wednesday nights, and then I also recall that the Friday happy hour drink special was a $3.75 22oz Long Island Iced Tea and that was very dangerous. Also remember the cheap super mugs of beer. Loved that place.
IIRC one of our favorite bartenders there (I think his name was Kirk) was killed in a car accident during that time frame.
We had to have crossed paths. The old Sharkey's was my group's spot in the late 90's as well. Most of my fond memories of hanging out downtown were in the old Sharkey's. The supermug specials were dangerous across the board. I still feel bad about breaking one on a ceiling fan upstairs.
One of the barbacks was a fellow bud from the Corps and he was roomates with Bunny one of the bouncers.
Same here. Upstairs at late 90s Sharkey's was the spot.
All those things made Sharkey's pretty darn sweet. The overall food was good too. The owner was a shrewd business woman and knew her stuff. She promoted me to a manager. Got a ton of great experience working for her. I finally graduated in 95 so I just missed your and your crew. Didn't know Kirk. Sorry to here about his unfortunate event.
Pry is clearly not happy that players became comfortable losing and a competitive edge was lost.
The voiceover from this recent twitter post says it all:
https://twitter.com/HokiesFB/status/1696247726193639790?s=20
It is very very hard to have competitive practices when 3/4 of the second string are small g5 type players. That is the roster pry inherited.
said it before, say it again: the difference in size between this team and the mid 00s teams is dramatic
DAMN!!!!! That voiceover gave me the absolute chills and goosebumps. That man's voice alone delivers a definitive tone, gut check and a "you all better get on the Pry Train because it's a steaming on down the line".
Reminds me of Shoresy - you can't just love to win, you have to hate to lose. We need way more guys like Shoresy in Orange & Maroon.
NSFW because of f-bombs
You have to hate losing more than you love winning. I think that is the foundation and the spark that drives ultra-competitive athletes and coaches. Nick Saban's at the top of that list.
I know a lot of us have said it on here before, but man, I really hope this works. You have to love everything Pry is doing off the field. Now, he just needs to turn it around on the field. 6 guys on staff who played for Beamer. "How do you not ask (Beamer) about certain things?" If this thing goes south, it will be a painful breakup. I'm certainly hoping the team improves and Pry gets us back to winning football games!
I've thought about this a whole lot. What exactly does "work (work out)" mean? Are we satisfied with a Kirk Ferentz/Iowa situation? Are we OK with a mid 2000's Beamer situation? Are we satisfied with the NCSU situation (good, but never good enough)? Or do we need to be Clemson?
I don't know the expectations of the fanbase in general, but mine are this - I'd love for us to be the to the ACC what Washington was to the Pac12 under Chris Peterson. Very good team, winning the conference on occasion (challenging for it regularly) and getting into the playoff from time to time.
My frustration is that the Peterson model is not out of reach here. Unless of course you are not focused and prepared and lose to bad Boston College, Duke, Cuse teams every year. That won't get you to charlotte. Clemson doesn't lose to 3-8 teams typically. That's my biggest frustration with VT football AND hoops. Way too many losses to bad teams. Focus, prepare. Don't let a shit syracuse team come to lane and beat you when you have a lead with 2 mins left. Peterson would not have lost those games.
I'm trying to understand how your incessant negativity allows you to be a fan quite honestly. We've all lived through those painful years of losing to the bottom of the ACC, however we are in a new era. And I, for one, am going to embrace the hope and optimism that seems to be sprouting all around the program.
Side note: As far as hoops goes, I'm not the CMY fan everyone else is. I like him as a human being. I think he fits VT culture. But, like you, I do not think he finds success here. He's a career .500 coach who finds lighting in a bottle occasionally. To add, and I'm not saying it's entirely his fault, he can't seem to keep a roster together long enough to have good chemistry. I do think his time here is short lived. JMO.
DC is a realist and sometimes Negative Nancy. But that is his choice and I respect it. He is very rarely outside of community rules and often plays devil's advocate.
Everybody is a fan in their own way and being a pessimist might allow him to be pleasantly surprised when we win. Also unfortunately, our Athletic Department has a long enough history of cocking things up that being negative isn't actually wrong.
Well perhaps my 20 plus year contributions to the hokie club, donations, season tickets (now from 3k miles away) sending my son to VT, etc. cancels out my "negativity" and allows me to be a VT fan? Is that approved?
Definitely. Everybody is allowed to be their own fan.
Always. If you don't like the post, people should just scroll on by. You do you, you pay your dues
It's really not a question of if you're allowed to or not. Can and should are not the same thing. You CAN be a debbie downer (whether or not you've been donating for 2 decades), but SHOULD you? It's a question of why. Why would you choose to crap on everything and bring everyone else down? Does it make TKP a better place? Could you have the same valuable input without the shitty attitude if you gave it half a second's effort instead of just brain vomiting your bitterness?
A filter between one's brain and their mouth? Good idea.
Dude, just ignore DC if he bothers you. Some of us enjoy his hot takes as the yin to the positive people yang.
DC definitely rubbed me the wrong way at first. I've gotten used to him though. He doesn't really violate the CGs but he often pushes it to the limit (particularly politically) which annoys me still but if you ignore that and just pay attention to his football takes he's a pretty valuable contributor (even if we don't really like the message).
That said, something that I've noticed with myself is this: I'm generally a pretty positive and upbeat person in life. But for some reason, TKP seems to be my outlet for pessimism. I'm waaay more negative on TKP than I am anywhere else in life. Psychologically, I'm not sure why - maybe it's just a place I feel comfortable getting it out of my system? Maybe it's because in the grand scheme of things sports don't really matter at all? Maybe it's because I have always kinda taken a silly "reverse psychology" approach to sports Fandom?
I don't really know. All I know is that I'm a completely different persona on TKP than I am IRL. In fact, if you met me in person I doubt very much you'd ever guess my TKP username.
I say all that to say this: maybe DC is similar. Yeah, on TKP he comes across as an abrasive curmudgeonly twat a lot of the times but maybe this his outlet for that and in person he's really just a sweet, stand-up guy.
The Peterson model really depends on finding a coach who willing to stay in one place for an extended period of time. Peterson turned down an offer from a blueblood. That doesn't happen often.
I would be ecstatic if we could get back to a mid-2000s Beamer level. Especially with the expanded playoff.
Uhhhhhh abso-fucking-lutely... You're fringe playoff birth in today's age
Let's revisit- the best players in Va mostly, speed all over the defense.... under the radar recruit ballers like Grim and Kam, a nasty streak, A 5 star QB under center. Fuck yes please. more consistent OL roster management and recruiting and a slightly less predictable offense, we would have won a national title. No doubt in my mind.
I dream of those defenses... just nasty, big, tough, & fast players all over the field.
Fringe my ass. We're IN the playoffs.
Damn right, in 2007 we finished 3rd in the BCS. Also, Fuck Matt Ryan.
Totally agree and love that comparison. However, I remind myself that we are currently in the ACC. This is not a powerhouse football conference, and VT more or less owned it for the bulk of the 2000s. Everyone points to Miami and FSU as these traditional powerhouses that we will never match up to, but let's face it - Miami has done squat nearly the last 20 years and I think is a shell of its former self, and FSU (though hyped this year) has been a lot of bark and little bite, struggling to find its footing post Bowden and Fisher.
Honestly, why can't we challenge Clemson and be what they are currently to this conference? We are historically very similar programs (they did get a natty in the early 80s and have really separated themselves the last eight years, but culturally and all-time winning percentage very similar). I really think VT is positioned to be the premier football program of the mid-Atlantic between PSU and Clemson. If we can regain a foothold in our recruiting footprint and get the kind of talent we used to see come through Blacksburg in Beamer's heyday, I think we can challenge Clemson. That is my ultimate aspiration for this program - regain top dog status in the ACC (not an impossible feat) and be in the mix for NY6 bowls and playoff appearances more often than not.
Minus the nepotism and scandals - YES
Yes, especially with the 12 team playoff
Hard no - that program has 1(?) 10-win season EVER
In 2002 they won 11 games which is their only double digit winning season
Iowa is a hard yes (minus the nepotism and the constant I'm gonna leave you shit). Since 2001 (Frentz's 3rd year) they have had 2 losing seasons, one was in a bowl game, 7 10+ wins seasons, and 7 8-9 win seasons. Also they were 6-2 in 2020. They were undefeated in the conference twice.