December 30, 2005 [LINK]
Jacqueline and I spent yesterday in Blacksburg, visiting old friends from Spain and a special uncle. Overcast, cold, and blustery... It was the first time I had seen the new bleachers section at the east end of Lane Stadium. That section is nearly as tall as the rest of the enormous single-deck grandstand, and is frighteningly steep.
The Virginia Tech Hokies were in contention for one of the Bowl Championship Series slots until they lost to the Florida Seminoles. Now they are preparing for the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville on January 2, and the sometimes-troubled quarterback Marcus Vick is on the hot seat. See hokiesports.com. His older brother Michael's team, the Atlanta Falcons, failed to make the NFL playoffs this year. Meanwhile, the U.Va. Cavaliers, who dropped out of the Top 25 rankings early in the season, play Minnesota in the Music City Bowl in Nashville at noon. For me, the biggest football game this weekend will be the Redskins vs. the Eagles on New Year's Day.
UPDATE: The final score was Cavaliers 34, Golden Gophers 31. U.Va. was behind or tied the entire game until a game-winning field goal in the final minute. WA-HOO-WA!