Alabama's new locker room features an ARCADE???
I will always love our work ethic when it comes to football. All this relaxation for Bama should be enough for us to #BEATBAMA!
Here is an instagram video of Bama offensive tackle Brandon Hill.
Oh and here's that new waterfall they installed that Cornwell talked about:
DISCLAIMER: Blog posts may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
Comments
In regards to the arcade: Way to go, isolate and place your football players on even more of a pedestal than the rest of the student body. Give me an effing break...
In regards to the waterfall: Neat. Bama made their training room resemble a luxury hotel.
This is ridiculous and over-the-top.
That is what big time donations do to your facilities. But interesting point is neither feature is really a necessary tool for player development; so beyond the initial wow factor for recruits, not much value.
VT has a game room full of Xboxes and what not. May not be an arcade, but IMO better. Don't have to get bored of the same games.
Waterfall is cool (especially for me being a designer), Not sure i would want a "grotto" type of environment with a bunch of football dudes though.
Come on guys what's better than playing a little "Area 51" with some of your football bros? After you've sufficiently pwnd the aliens why not stroll down to waterfall for a nice game of splash? Or maybe chicken? Sounds like a lovely little afternoon.
Come to think of it, this sounds like the UVA locker room.
Guys are going to these schools because they assume they will be the next big star of an SEC national championship team. Waterfall thingy is just an awkward bonus. #BEATBAMA #peeintheirpool
But Oregon had a waterfall back in 2007
Side note on Dennis Dixon. My dad sees the Steelers team doctor at a lot of meetings and was talking to him about DD the year he played against Baltimore. Apparently the guy was so dumb that they couldn't teach him the playbook and had to limit it to about 5 or 6 passing plays. As a Steelers fan I find it hilarious that we almost beat them with a guy who didn't know 90% of the playbook.
I can see it now. AJ McCarron, Nick Saban, and Katherine Web probably all enjoy a dip together.
uh... that's not a waterfall. that's hydrotherapy pool designed for you to hunch forward and let the water massage your neck and shoulder muscles.
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/tonobalaguer/tonobalaguer1010/tonobala...
Low Brau, as a fellow designer you should know this bro. Agree on the no go grotto comment though. And on the room full of xbox, which is also in a room with a craft services table and adjoining the balcony with top-of-line grillmaster. I would definitely take that over an arcade if there was a choice, but I'm willing to bet there are some xbox and ps3's around that arcade room too.
Yeah, I knew that was its intention. Also knew that many players don't think of it that way, haha.
No worries dude. you from Arch program? what year did you graduate?
I was 2003. Started as Mechanical Engineer in 97 and changed over to Interiors. Big difference in the student body after that change...
I transferred from engineering to interior design in 1981....I can attest to this! The first design class I attended, I was the only male in a room with some 60 lovely young ladies....at the time, most engineering classes were lucky to have one or two (usually aesthetically-challenged) young ladies. One of my hall mates (a ME) walked by one of my classes, and he couldn't believe it...he turned around and walked by the door...a couple of times. It was hilarious, especially the expression on his face.
Your description is exactly how I explain it to everyone else. Same with my day to day now at work too. I'm one guy in a firm of 6, which has pretty much been the ratio everywhere I have worked.
I ended up marrying one of the girls in the program, so as you can see, it was a critical change in my life.
So are you still designing? If so, where at? I'm in DC.
ah, interiors was definitely the best of them all. You guys were lucky. Personally I switched from Arch to Urban Design, which was in the Urban Affairs program that unfortunately changed to PUA degree while I was at Tech. Way too much theory and policy work in the degree after the switch. But I would say the ratio in PUA, while not interiors, was quite good. I am also still in design business. For me I am in Shanghai. If you guys weren't married I would tell you to come over. No place like it for our industry.
I had a friend in ME back in the late 90's. The way he described the ratio was that there were 2 women in his class. If one got up during class and took off all her clothes, he *might* pay attention. If the other did the same, he said he wouldn't even bother looking up and would "just keep taking notes."
(started in ARCH, but ended up in MGMT)
The EF classes I was in didn't have "clusters". Which was VTs way making sure many girls weren't alone.
Haven't worked in design in over 20 years. There just wasn't any money in it in Charlottesville at the time, and I couldn't really look elsewhere at the time either, but it worked out. I worked in property management now. Never dated anyone in the program at school...but I did coach the ASID ladies softball team! Fun gig!
I visited Brandon Hill's instagram and he has another video showing the locker room. In addition, he said he will be posting another video about it soon.
RE: the fountain/pool...it looks like a lap pool for endurance training or a whirlpool used for PT...the fountain is probably just part of the recirculation system...granted a flashy, beautiful recirculation system.
Not a lap pool, still just a hydrotherapy pool. Fountains recirculate but are not the source of water which comes from a flood channel on the inside of the pool wall in the foreground. They can be turned off and on as needed.
One of the challenges VT faces is a resource strain. The fanbase/alumni base is just about at the max point for it's ability to donate to the program. Short of former players, the big money donors are car dealers, contractors, etc. There isn't the influx of cash to have interior waterfalls etc.
At the same time, there has to be a better salesman on the staff somewhere. UVA doesn't have waterfalls either, yet we are looking at them rolling out two top 10 overall Rivals recruits as the two starting defensive tackles in 2016. And, to the best of my knowledge, the Godfather doesn't hang out in Manassas.
This is why Billy Hite was moved to alumni detail yes? Because he's gonna bring home the money for a new arcade and the (not really a) waterfall.
I would say land to build on as well as a major challenge. This summer has seen the majority of Cassell/Merryman/Jamerson being renovated and re-purposed. The whole area where football is housed now is fairly new and doesn't really have room to expand or re-purpose. Even if there was a new influx of cash, I don't think they'd know what to do with it until they have the land secured for the indoor practice facility which might free up some space.
Honestly, it's just not being thought of properly. Not saying this is the best solution but they could easily combine the indoor practice field with a parking garage and use the Washington Street or Spring Road parking lots as an adjacent location, which would be much better than any of the proposed sites they have now. So long as you maintain the end number of parking spots, which is certainly achievable, then it's simply a money issue. It's a designer's problem which they should hire an appropriate company for. Hell, in today's design consultancy market they could attract globally famous firms if they opened a paid competition for it. Problem is they are looking at it simply from a university politics perspective on why this location is better than that one. In the design world, every time someone says there are no good options is when some designer finds the best option no one thought about. But that's never gonna happen.
I say we install a fully functioning Check E Cheese in our locker room. Beat that Bama.
Chuck E Cheese might be the most vile place on earth. As a kid I thought it was awesome, as a parent, I wish the rat would burn.
Dave and Busters it is! Chuck E Cheese for grownups. Come to think of it, this could be Bama's new revolutionary way to pay players. Install one of those claw machines, put nice watches, jewelry, and stacks of cash in there as prizes, and you're good to go.
My vote would be for an Open on Sundays Chic-Fil-A
David Wilson approves.
I hate to be a buzzkill. But that hydrotherapyfall is pretty sweet.
Horse in a pool?
... On a treadmill.
I believe our hydrotherapy includes individualized therapy baths for cold/hot temp and jet massage. I could be wrong but we may have a lateral movement pool for things like Exum's knee injury as well. Actually this type of waterfall pool has a very low added value to therapy from what I'm told, but it does have impact value i guess. Especially from recruits it would seem. Dunno, IMO I would rather have the arcade than this.
back to your treadmill!
Fine. I'll just take my treadmill into the lake.
Screw all this crap. Brotherhood and camaraderie are built through pain and suffering. 2-a-days in the summer heat covered blood, sweat, and dirt. No tears while floating in the therapy waterfall listening to each others feelings before you go play video games and watch tv.
#Dontgochasinwaterfalls
I think these kids are hanging out with each other at all these events and they are hearing "let's join up and win a championship at an elite school. I think these kids need to hear be a leader and not a follower. They need to hear have some pride for your hometown and home state. It should be a privilege to represent your home school. I still don't think we are ever a top 10 school at recruiting every year but we should be there every few years and never outside the top 20 with the amount of talent in the state of Virginia every year. It doesn't hurt me to lose a recruit to UVA as bad as it does to lose one to Alabama or Michigan. I hate watching talent leave the state every single year.
Why should these kids do what you think, and not what they want to do?
next you'll be telling us that Mike London was a cop... sheesh
I'm not going to blame 17/18 year old kids for choosing to go to any school, in state or out. It sucks losing them but it's their future and they can choose where they want to go and for what reason they want to go to that school on their own. Recruiting kids these days is to appeal to both their youth and their future. Arcades, player lounges, etc are part of that and if you don't have those when your peers do then you're programs going to regress. Plain and simple.
In Woolwine's defense, he never said that these kids should do what he thinks. He said they "need to hear be a leader" and "they need to hear have some pride in home state." I gather that he's more upset at the current culture among top VA prospects, not that he's necessarily mad at the recruits. He didn't even say he wishes they would pick us - he said he wouldn't even be mad to lose recruits to uva, just as long as they stay in state. I don't know, I don't see what's so bad about his comment.
Hell, French rants about Teller to LT up here often. That's what he thinks should be done but obviously not what Teller or the coaches want. Why is that acceptable but it's not acceptable for a key player to say recruits should have pride in VA? Just an unbiased thought after reading the negative responses to Woolwine.
I agree with that and with that part of Woolwine's comment. My reply was not meant to be negative. the mike london jab was in jest. I was commenting more on the argument between "telling kids what they want to hear" and "what they should hear". Woolwine's comment was that we are telling them the wrong things. That we should be telling them about how we will turn them into leaders not followers, not that we should pander to their egos. While I agree with that I was pointing out that you can no longer just do that in today's recruiting world, as playing up the youth card is increasingly more important, and frankly a big reason why all of our new coaches are relatively young.
I absolutely think these kids should do what they want to and dream to do their whole youth. I just think that if the more of the kids that leave state the more it becomes the thing to do. I just think as a program there is more we can do to make VT a popular destination for the top players in the state. Just to let everyone know nothing makes me more proud than seeing a kid from VA on television playing big time college football. I just like seeing them in orange and maroon a little more. Going 7-6 doesn't really help or cause but I don't think we go 7-6 again for a while. We need to get College Gameday back on campus again. The campus is buzzing like nothing else on those Saturday mornings. If we can get the hype back around the program like that again recruits will certainly take notice a little more. To beat a dead horse a little more, some out of conference wins would certainly not hurt or cause either.
Unlike above, I agree with the jist of this. At the end of the day, Virginia Tech football needs to do more to be an attractive destination for elite talent. That's on the program, Frank Beamer, the coaches, the players, and even the fans/donors. Recruits shouldn't just automatically go to Virginia Tech because of what was accomplished in the past, or because they could help lead the program, or because there's some unwritten terms of state loyalty.
Yep. And as for Teller, I am hear to offer my opinion on what his best position is. It is an opinion about his upside. I in no way harbor any ill will that he wants to play defensive line. I am thrilled he decided to go to VT. I am hopeful our staff can do a better job of selling kids on why Blacksburg is the best destination for them WITHOUT using some of the "unethical" tactics rumored to be occuring with UVA's recruiting success.
"I think these kids need to hear be a leader and not a follower."
If they want to be a follower, they want to be a follower, it's their choice. If they don't want to have state pride, they don't want to have state pride. Again, it's their choice.
So message boards aren't for us to say what we think? Guess I've been doing this wrong for a while.
My thing is that I've seen worse comments on this site directed at lost recruits and that Woolwine's comment wasn't even that overboard. He even said he wouldn't mind losing recruits to uva. Any Hokie that says that is clearly coming at the subject with a level head. Just not sure why the backlash was warranted for someone expressing their opinion on a message board - and it wasn't even a hateful, ignorant, or immature opinion at that. Nonetheless, yes they can choose to be followers or leaders in the state or out of the state, you're right; their choice. Happy Friday!
Did I miss the part where I did something more than ask him a simple question?
I agree with that. That is a choice for them and their parents to make. If a player dreams of playing for Delaware his whole life that's where he should go play. If a kid wants to be a follower that is his choice. I just personally would rather have a team full of leaders with the attitude that VA kids can play with anyone in the country. I believe that's what made this program what it is today. The kids with the chip on their shoulder that are always up when the bright lights come on, trying to prove they belong on the same field with the big boys. All these are my personal opinions. I am not hating or blaming or being condescending towards any athlete or their family for choosing otherwise. They are all blessed to be in the positions they are in regardless of where they choose to play. In no way should a kid feel wrong for playing where he dreamed of playing. I do feel personally that everyone is a little territorial. (IE.) If a man disrespects you in the mall or if he disrespects you in your living room. A little different in my opinion. That is where I believe their is a little natural loyalty to home in everyone but I am sure everyone on this site has a different opinion that they are entitled to as well. Those are just some things I believe the program could do to improve on recruiting. I don't think any of them are politically or morally incorrect. I was just stating my opinion and contributing to the dialog.
I'm not saying I disagree, but I think recruits aren't even thinking about state lines. In the BCS, upper-tier college football landscape, recruits look for the school that best fits their needs. In interviews with recruits, I don't think I've ever heard one say, "I chose school X because it was the best school in my home state." They do, however, often choose schools that are relatively close to home, which typically is an in-state school, but not always.
Being close to home is why UK is raking in the recruits from Ohio, who get a chance to play in the SEC with an elite coach (at least by pedigree). Are these kids disrespecting OSU? No, and I doubt OSU would say they are. OSU is doing quite alright recruiting wise, often taking the best players from OTHER states.
In today's world, with the flux of people moving from city to city, state pride is virtually dead.
I agree with almost everything you just said Chazz. The only counterpoint I have would be that 95% of the high schools these kids go to everyday have a flag pole out front for everyone to see with 2 flags the American flag and the state flag. I feel like their is at least some state pride maybe not as much as the older generation but I don't think it's dead. How about what Kentucky is doing after what Ole Miss done last year, it's unreal.
UVA locker room
i think this is sort of the same services they can get at club 216