The Grounds

Did you play soccer for Maryland? If so when?

No I didn't play soccer for Maryland. I just took 70% of my football passion and moved it to other sports like soccer, baseball.

I seriously doubt that we offered the 3-star guys to try and help land the 4-star guys at Good Counsel. We don't have enough scholies to play games like that this year. We only offered guys we really wanted. Still, you're right that making in-roads with the MD/DC private schools is good business for UVA.

Sitting in the stands in Byrd last October I actually felt really, really sorry for y'all. I've been to four UVA/UMD games in Byrd, and the 2011 game was soooooooooooo different from the 2001, 2003, and 2005 editions. It felt like somebody kicked the collective Terps fanbase in the nuts and left it gasping for air on the floor. (That somebody would be your crappy AD, I suppose.)

Not that Terps didn't deserve it. Karma's a b.

So, you're the antithesis of a Hokie then?

If I recall correctly, Cook got hurt against FSU in Tallahassee.

Nope, it was in Boston against BC. Of this I'm 100% sure, because I was in the end zone, front row, and Cook rode right past me on the cart. Gave him a cheer and some encouragement and got a wave in return.

M&B is correct. I was probably sitting right next to him and didn't even know it at the time. Best seats I've ever had for an away game ... of course Duke doesn't count because you can sit anywhere.

Please explain the incident!!!! I was still in HS and dont know about all this extra stuff before 07.

It was a game with a big-time matchup between D'Brick and Kiwanuka, who were both expected to be Top 10 picks the next year. D'Brick was hurt, so Butler moved over to LT. The game was very, very chippy, and at times downright dirty. The play that sparked all of the controversy was the one in the attached video. There was a lot of uproar about this (rightfully so), but very little was said about the way the BC players were acting. Because of this, I went back and watched the tape of the game. I counted at least 13 different instances where the BC players went after our guys after the whistle, 10 - 20 yards away from the play, and even out of bounds. and that was BEFORE this attached video even took place.

It was a poor decision on Butler's part, and he apologized for it after the game. Now, at the time the ACC allowed the stadium crew to show replays, but only one time. The BC folks showed the video repeatedly, probably 8 to 10 times. This started inciting the crowd, and that fed the players which helped them come back and beat us, if I remember right. Either way, the BC team and even their coach, Tom O'Brien seemed like genuine dicks that entire day. Our guy made a mistake, and he paid for it, but they never admitted to going after our best players either.

The BC and VT fans were a bunch of @ssholes after this game, and none would acknowledge the dirty plays by BC, and their OL throughout the game. And, actually the BC DL was a bit dirty as well if I recall. But, the VT fans took us to task, calling us out and especially calling Brad Butler (actually a genuinely nice, and decent person) horrible names. The kid made one bad decision, but he did it very publically. Our coach, Mr Al Groh suspended Butler for one game. This just happened to be against the #4 ranked Semenholes from Tallahassee. He was our best Tackle, and actually our only really healthy tackle, but Groh made him sit regardless, in the biggest game of the year. I find the Hokies calling Butler out ironic, to say the least. I say that because he made ONE bad mistake, and he actually was suspended. At the same time, guess who the QB was for VT. Go ahead and guess....if you said Marcus Vick, you'd be correct. This is the same guy that had MULTIPLE run-ins with the law in 2004, one of which was statutory raping a 15 year old girl, and another was reckless driving with weed in the car. Making it more ironic was the fact that Butler's incident happened on 10/8 of that year. A week before that, on 10/1 Vick gave the middle finger to the whole WVU stadium. I'm not sure if this is the same game that he elbowed a WVU coach in the back of the head coming back in bounds, but it wouldn't surprise me. Bottom line is, we sat out one of the best OL we had due to one bad play. Vick $hit all over the Hokies "Respect" campaign, and was never suspended.

Yeah, the weather was something else that day. Mad props to my non-UVA-fan friend who stuck out all four quarters with me. The crowd was pretty sparse and got sparser quick when the rain started. My tickets were actually about four, five rows from the front but we figured, might as well upgrade. I'm sure I can't talk about the Butler thing in as much detail as VBHoo already did, I just remember a few plays earlier some post-play shoving by the BC guys which I (quietly) thought should've earned a penalty, and then looking up and seeing Butler take his dive. You don't get a great view of it from the seats we had, though. Some of the BC fans around me must've seen all the same stuff I saw because they said something about a cheap shot and I said something about how it goes both ways and that was the end of it. Honestly, I tend to like BC fans, what little of them there are when I would go to a game there.

To add on to VB24's recap, Butler swore after the game that he hadn't heard a whistle and was simply throwing a downfield block, albeit a cut block. He apologized regardless and called Kiwi personally after the incident. Given Butler's otherwise-spotless career, not to mention what little I've seen of him on a personal level, I'm inclined to believe him.

I think it took me 3 days to dry off after that game. And the rain made their entire campus look like a goth's wet dream. (Pun intended.)

Actually, the whistle hadn't happened yet. It was a dirty play, but ironically wasnt illegal.