Aug. 21, 2009

Maybe we should start this week by remembering a few important numbers.

18 of Florida State's 19 sports earned post-season/playoff/tournament invitations last year.

Only one school in the ACC (Virginia Tech with 10) won more games than Florida State did last year and no team won more than the five league games that FSU won. Had the Seminoles scored in the final seconds against Georgia Tech, we could have played Virginia Tech for the ACC Championship and a shot at Cincinnati in the FedEx Orange Bowl.

How about the numbers 6, 6 and 7 - that's where the three preseason soccer polls have the Seminoles. Juniors Becky Edwards and Amanda DaCosta are both on the Player of the Year watch lists and head coach Mark Krikorian has been very demanding on the squad in preseason drills.

A tall guy who finds himself among few in numbers is basketball center Solomon Alibi. He was named to the prestigious preseason watch list for the John Wooden Award given each year to the nation's top basketball player. He is the first Seminole on the preseason list since Corey Louis in 1997.

25 names appear on the Wade Watch preseason poll by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). FSU senior forward/center Jacinta Monroe is on that short list of players predicted to compete for the trophy that recognizes the nation's top women's basketball player.

A big number is yet to come...news is breaking that the Florida State vs. Miami Labor Day football game will be broadcast on the Armed Forces network expanding the potential viewing audience to 100 million people. It could very well go down as not only the highest number of viewers in college football history, but as one of the highest viewed sporting events of all time.

Looking for another good sign from football practice...Tuesday the players were yelling at the managers to blow the whistle to hurry up and end the mid-practice break. The five minute clock had run out and the whistle hadn't sounded so the player put their gear on and started running out while yelling for the whistle to blow...very good sign!

We got a sneak peak at Sun Sports' preseason special on Florida State football and it is excellent. Paul Kennedy, Keith Jones and Tom Block preview the season. The show is scheduled on Sun Sports on Tuesday (8/25) at 6:00 p.m.; Thursday (8/27) at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday (8/29) at 7:30 p.m.

Speaking of television, Seminole Sports Magazine begins in two weeks. If you've not seen the show, don't miss it. We are able to bring the viewers features on FSU coaches and players and inside looks at all our programs. It will air every Saturday morning at 9:30 on Sun Sports.

The affect of the H1N1 virus on college athletics will be interesting to watch. Ole Miss canceled their fan day scheduled for this Sunday because they wanted to continue to keep the football players isolated from the community that has already had several documented cases. As far as the ACC is concerned, Duke has apparently had some cases already reported. Is it just me or does everything medical happen at Duke first?

Check out the Ask the A.D. section of Seminoles.com for your chance to ask questions of our Director of Athletics Randy Spetman. There are a couple of interesting questions this week including how the shift in bowl partnerships affects the ACC. If you've got a question on your mind, write in.

FSU volleyball coach Chris Poole and Offensive Coordinator Jimbo Fisher have something in common. Fisher is entering his third year and Poole his second, but both are having a hard time hiding the fact that they can see really good things in the future. Poole brought an outstanding resume' with him from Arkansas and has his sights set high. You can tell that once he gets the team tailored to his style, he'll have the Seminoles pushing for ACC titles and NCAA Tournament appearances and perhaps sooner rather than later.

Looking to feel old? Former FSU fullback Zack Crockett was at practice yesterday in his new role as a scout for the Oakland Raiders. Crockett played 14 years in the NFL for those same Raiders...has it been that long?

Fun fact of the week: Before Little John Coliseum at Clemson was dramatically remodeled, the locker rooms for the Tigers and their opponents were just a few yards from each other down a narrow hallway just 30 feet or so from the playing floor. While FSU was tearing up the stoic ACC when it first joined, Clemson's team was well known as one of the most fun loving. During Bob Sura's senior season in 1995, the Seminole's trip to Clemson took on a lighter than normal air. Just prior to game introductions the FSU team came out of the locker room only to find Clemson's team already huddled in the narrow hallway and blocking the path to the court. I saw one of the Tiger stars sneak a glimpse at the FSU team just before they gathered for the traditional huddle break. Now I've heard teams yell "win" or "Tigers" or "pride" or "effort" or "team" or a bunch of other things as they are about to race onto the court. But Clemson's players bounced up and down a number of times then all raised they hands and screamed SURA before hitting the floor!

See you next week.