Not sure how many people follow Bill. He has some good articles an amazing perspective on sports. Here's a link to his latest mailbag.
http://www.rothreportonline.com/blog/nalpcw4hbkyg4n2gmbmdwrsn6yljjp
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One reason I posted this.
"Keep pushing the "Drive for 25." In the last six years, Virginia Tech's scholarship bill for athletics has gone from $9 million to roughly $15.9 million. That's a 75-percent jump since 2011. While it might not jump at that rate over the next six years, costs are going to rise and that's why the Hokie Scholarship Fund Program is so critical. In fact, it might be the most important campaign in the history of Virginia Tech athletics. Ticket sales are important. Sponsorships are important. But that Hokie Scholarship Fund Program is beyond vital. It's not just the "Drive for 25." It's a Drive to Survive."
Let me repeat, "It's not just the "Drive for 25." It's a Drive to Survive."
I just posted this comment on the Tech Tidbits thread.
There is never a more appropriate or critical time to join the Hokie Club that today.
Bill Roth is a very smart guy.
So a few thoughts, how much would it cost TKP to get Bill Roth as our reporter when we reach the TKPC goal? Can Bill Roth be hired as an assistant AD? HIS IDEAS ARE GREAT, he sees the issues with Alumni, venues etc.
I second his thoughts on Cassell. Realistically, you can do some facelifting and cosmetic renovations to enhance it, but you're pretty much confined as far as expanding it for conference space and more of a multi-use venue. This is one thing I think VT desperately needs. This would help attract more events to campus, including concerts (Burruss Hall Auditorium is not an ideal spot for concerts).
In some ways, if the funding were available, I would be in favor of just building a completely new complex and starting over rather than pouring money into a relatively limited potential existing structure. Additionally, something needs to be done with the roof ASAP. I've noticed being down there for games this year that the paint is wearing off badly, and it frankly looks like an eye sore. Something will have to be done here soon, and I'm looking forward to see how administration handles this project.
Whit teased on Twitter earlier this year or late last year that there will be a "MAJOR RENOVATION" of Cassell announced in the near future. I think I read somewhere it was going to be in the $45-50m price range.
Cassell has all the looks and feel of an old-school hockey barn.
Honestly this seems like a no brainer. Ohio State started this in 2015 and they sell a crap ton of it at games. Ban it from the NEZ and it might take care of the overcrowding thing too.
I can see this creating an interesting dynamic over on the west side. You have a mixture of young alumni with season tickets, older alumni/big money donors, and general fans with tons of kids. I can see security walking up the stairs already the first time a younger fan holding a beer says a curse word around someone's kid or doesn't sit down. Still, I think this would be an overall good move.
Old alumni, young alumni, beer, children, and paper airplanes
what could go wrong?
You forgot clear bags.
Honestly, it's really no different than the dynamics at a baseball game, NFL game, or the many college games that serve beer. Statistically, venues that serve beer have lower rates of fan incidents. The main theory as to why this is the case is that less people binge drink in the parking lot before coming in if they know they can get a drink at the game. I know the line coming out of our athletic department is it won't happen, but I don't believe that. Give it a few years (at most) and it will happen.
Oh man, I thought you made that up before I read the article. It's sad a Hokie fan wrote that in.
Are you certain it wasn't a Flo-rid-DUH fan invading to "help" poach coach?
Fuentos: the Freshmaker
God, this pisses me off to no end for two reasons:
Sorry for the rant, but this shit drives me crazy.
Hell, Pierson Prioleau still regularly gets it wrong on the pregame show.
Will can't believe Coach Fuentos has done so well this year after losing Gerald Evans and Bucky Rodgers to the NFL!
Ahhh, to be so young and to know everything must be great. To be so contemptuous of your learned elders, so dismissive of your father and his peers must make you a joy to be around. People have asked me why we didn't have kids...
Damn kids and their avocado toast, making jokes on the google at the expense of the greatest generation.
/s Come on man, he didn't see anything that bad. As if people suddenly lose all of their imperfections as they age.
I won't apologize for responding to a blanket insult in a less than positive way. Believe me, what I wanted to say would've garnered instant reprobation from the community at large. Age often magnifies imperfections, but since my hearing and my vision have deteriorated, I don't notice those imperfections as much. What I do notice, however, is when someone insults me who doesn't know me. Many faults, have I, but pronouncing someone's name incorrectly usually isn't one of them. And if anyone's making avocado toast, please make enough for me. I'm getting hungry sitting out here with my loaded shotgun keeping all you young whippersnappers off of my damn lawn. Well, unless they're offering to rake my leaves for me. Then, I'll be all like "C'mon in and have a beer". Y'know? And as for the "greatest generation", that's my father's bunch. We're their kids, not their peers.
I can't leg this post hard enough. I'm going to piggyback on your comment.
There are three posting habits that irk me to no end. Misspelling names, having bad grammar/capitalization/punctuation, and needlessly capitalizing random words because you think it provides emphasis.
i agRee Fancer. Thees idiOts all, ovur teh interWebz our ruinin it fouR the rest, of uS
if u dont stop posting like that RIGHT NOW im going to downvote every 1 of you're posts
hahaha I'll stop I'll stop. That crap drives me insane too. I died a little on the inside typing it.
OHtheñYÖÜ'REgòîńgTØhätēTHEcamÑÉWTÖNtēxtGĒŃERATOR
My b, Fencer. Never happen again. I go with ALL CAPS for emphasis on these forums but will cease from henceforth.
Somebody needs to pick up CoachFuentos as their TKP name
For what it's worth, my autocorrect always changes his name to Fuentes, and never lets me leave it at Fuente. I had to add his name as a keyboard shortcut. Hopefully this guy just had an autocorrect issue.
This makes me think we need to get Bill on here to do a periodic AMA.
Ok done.
I love that he's so responsive and agreeable. Good dude.
So hey Fireman - could you also get him back as our Voice of the Hokies?
But I like Laaser....
Can't tell.... /s or no?
No I really do. I wouldn't want them to push him out. It was Bill's choice to go to UCLA, despite how much he hated it. IMG was not happy when he left, either. I like both guys but I am completely happy with Laaser. Maybe Bill can move up in the ESPN booth.
Laaser does just fine - his play by play is pretty good, and I still mute the TV and sync up the VT radio call when listening at home. Bill is just a classic Hokie sports announcer (and let's not forget he's in the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame) - there is still just some passion that is missing from Laaser that is a little noticeable when we score. Almost like he tries too hard to make the call perfect rather than calling with emotion. Either way, I've adjusted and think Laaser is about the best there is for Virginia Tech right now.
Bill should sit in a few times a year
You didn't tell him which site hope that's not a dealbreaker for him. Our reputation precedes us.
There are other sites??!?
lol could you imaging an AMA on TSL's systems? What a clusterfuck that would be
You never tell someone what they are agreeing to if they don't ask. I mean why else would my wife marry me?
something something firehose
AMA on TKP is always short and sweet:
Cake or Pie
Is TOP important
Does Chipotle make you shit yourself
Fireman, I give you due credit for all this!
shit.... do I think of a witty question or a smart question?!
Just stick to the basics
Cake or Pie?
Would you rather get Diarrhea from Chipotle or Moes?
That sort of thing
I went to the Clemson game with a buddy who is a Clemson fan and I brought up the difference in the schools athletic donors with Clemson doing very well. He said that when students graduate, they are automatically enrolled in their equivalent of the Hokie Club and then its free for the first year (they don't have to donate). I thought that was a great idea that makes sure every graduate knows what the fund is and has an easy path to donate if they want. Is that not something we can do here at Tech?
According to IPTAY it's free but it's not automatic. The Hokie Club is free for currently enrolled students and half off for new grads.
The automatically enrolled part is the key. How many people have we had on here know about the Hokie Club (some didn't even know about the HC) but didn't know how to donate? This takes care of that for new alumni.
I think the Hokiematic needs to be a little more easy to setup. If it were doable online I think it would help a lot. I had to fill out a form and mail it in which I willingly did, but ya know, recent grads and their online/technology affinity. If I can set up monthly draws to various other accounts, why not for HokieClub.
You can do it online now.
I'm still unable to fill anything out online for it. Maybe I'm dumb or just not in the right spot.
Yes, you can set up online payments now but the website/tool they have chosen is terrible from a user experience/usability perspective. It IS NOT user friendly, striaght forward, and obvious when using donornet. It has gotten better but the 3rd party app they are using leaves a lot to be desired. I click & hope everytime I've tried to manage my donations when using donornet.
I don't think you can automatic enroll someone in something like that. It's a scholarship fund not part of the school.
Of course you can. When you enroll at the university, put a clause that you will be automatically enrolled in the athletic scholarship fund once you graduate and you can opt out at any time after that. Like I said, Clemson already does it so there has to be a way.
According to IPTAY they don't auto enroll people.
According to several Clemson grads I know, they do. After the first year you have to donate to stay in it.
Jordan at the IPTAY office just now said:
Why not? Wells Fargo does it all the time.
ziiiiiing
On Fuente's name getting thrown into coaching searches:
After listening to the Duke post game the other day my family and I decided that there was no reason not to bring Bill Roth back and get rid of Laser. They said that it would look bad if we did that but ultimately I said people probably wouldn't care and would probably actually enjoy the flip back once the controversy died down. Laser is just a bit too robotic and I never really feel the genuine love for the program and the school that you used to get from Roth. And it's not like you have to convince Roth to move back across the country anymore. He's here. Why not use him if he wants to do it.
I do wonder, with the advent of the ACCN coming up and with it supposedly being primarily streaming, if there might be something in the works with each of the home teams getting their own online stream that uses the main ESPN television feeds? If so, I wonder if VT might be holding Roth out for those purposes so he can be our permanent TV guy for home team feeds in the future?
I couldn't fork out my cash fast enough for a Bill Roth commented ESPN game feed.
I'm with you on that
I like Laze, and but think hes better at basketball tbh
I've started to hang out with Bill as he's helping sponsor our new sports journalism club here on campus.
1. He's an awesome guy to just sit around and chat sports with.
2. He's really pushing hard to expand our journalism department here at Tech, especially sports journalism. His goal is to help get us on pace with Syracuse and Northwestern.