The Pilot (Hampton Roads) - If You're Going To Vote, Vote Responsibly

[superman7515]

NSU Football: Spartans Get Top 25 Votes, I Have Top 25 Issues (http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/nsu-football-spartans-get-top-25-votes-i-have-top-25-issues)


Norfolk State got 21 votes in this week’s The Sports Network Top 25 football poll. That puts the Spartans in 46th place in the country, third among MEAC teams. South Carolina State is No. 22 and Bethune is also in the also receiving votes category, clocking in at No. 35. Hampton is also receiving votes but behind NSU.

Here is the poll, in case you're curious http://bit.ly/pUyDsY

I haven’t looked at the other teams enough to know if I’d have the Spartans in the Top 25. I understand it would be hard to put a team that is No. 2 to 4 in the MEAC -- a league that hasn't won a postseason game in forever -- in the Top 25. I don’t have major issues with the overall ranking.

But it is really, really easy to pick a handful of teams that Norfolk State is much more deserving than. I didn't check the resumes of every team, but it didn't take long to see that. ...

- Elon beat North Carolina Central by a point at home. North Carolina Central lost last weekend to Savannah State. Savannah State was widely considered the worst team in the MEAC. Elon, somehow, is more highly-ranked than NSU. Huge, huge injustice there.

- Jacksonville got three votes. Jacksonville barely beat Charleston Southern, a team that Norfolk State destroyed 33-3 on the road last Saturday. Jacksonville is behind NSU, but whoever is giving them votes, I hope they have the Spartans ahead.

- Tennessee State has two votes. They’re 1-3, though their competition has been good.

[WileECoyote06]

The same logic can be applied for Coastal Carolina. But, when you compare schedules, there isn't much you can base placing Norfolk State ahead of those teams ahead of them on.

[bluehenbillk]

Oh brother, this writer, in fact this paper may be one of the biggest jokes I've ever read.

This cracker has the cahoneys to write an article about voting responsibly while one of his co-workers, Rich Radford, the ODU beat writer has voted ODU the #9 ranked team in the nation both the week before & the week after the UD game. #9? Ask your buddy Rich, who also votes in the TSN poll to either stop voting as a homer or to stop voting at all.

And people wonder why the newspaper business has died over the last 20 years???

[Spiderbone]

I live on the eastern shore of Virginia (it is our "local" paper) and can honestly tell you that the Virginia Pilot is absolutely one of the WORST newspapers, particularly with their sports coverage, on the planet. If you are an athlete or team from the area, ie. Michael Vick, you can do no wrong.

[WileECoyote06]

I don't see a problem with advocating for your local teams. After all, sometimes it's just as much about influence, as it is about performance. Especially at the FCS level where you don't see these teams play every weekend.

Heck we as posters do it for our conferences/teams on this website. xdontknowx

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

Supporting your team is one thing, writing rubbish is another.

[TheDancinMonarch]

I live on the eastern shore of Virginia (it is our "local" paper) and can honestly tell you that the Virginia Pilot is absolutely one of the WORST newspapers, particularly with their sports coverage, on the planet. If you are an athlete or team from the area, ie. Michael Vick, you can do no wrong.

I live in Norfolk, VA and the Virginian-Pilot is and has been on my daily diet for the past 40 years or so. If it isn't the worst paper then it is certainly in the top 5 worst papers. And from a sports perspective if it's from UVA or VPISU then it is covered, otherwise forget about it.

[superman7515]

Supporting your team is one thing, writing rubbish is another.

How is it rubbish? What he said is correct. It's not like he was making the story up, you can look up what he said. Norfolk State is 3-1 with their only loss at a ranked FBS West Virginia, and Norfolk State led the game at halftime and gave up the exact same yardage to West Virginia as #1 LSU and their vaunted SEC defense that gives Herbstreet wood everytime he gets to mention them on the air.

North Carolina Central is going to be a bottom 3 MEAC team that lost to Savannah State (who is supposed to finish last in the MEAC and got beat by a bad D2 team) and Elon beats them by 1 point, but Elon gets more votes than Norfolk State on here and on TSN. How does that make sense?

[WileECoyote06]

I don't agree that Albany State is a bad D2 team. They are ranked in the AFCA D2 poll, and were in the top ten when they played SSU. That being said, the rest of what he says is pretty spot on. But like I said, it's more a referendum who they've played so far, besides West Virginia.

[superman7515]

But you can't vote on the rest of the schedule because they haven't played the rest of the schedule.

[WileECoyote06]

But you can't vote on the rest of the schedule because they haven't played the rest of the schedule.

I was referring to the teams they've played and beaten so far: Charleston Southern, Virginia State (a bad D2 team), and Howard. If they play well against SCSU, who they host Saturday, they will pick up quite a few votes.

[Side Judge]

Simple to sort out.

Norfolk State hosts SC State Saturday. Win or shut up.

[alvinkayak6]

Simple to sort out.

Norfolk State hosts SC State Saturday. Win or shut up.

Or at least drive the field and score a game-winning TD with no time left but drop the ball in the endzone. We all know we can trust replay officials! xthumbsupx

[superman7515]

Or at least drive the field and score a game-winning TD with no time left but drop the ball in the endzone. We all know we can trust replay officials! xthumbsupx

The correct call was made by the replay official. It was then independently reviewed by Rogers Redding, the National Coordinator of Football Officials and NCAA Football Rules Committee Secretary-Rules Editor; ACC coordinator of officials Doug Rhoads; and Conference USA coordinator of officials Gerald Austin who unanimously concluded that the correct call was made and there was no catch. http://www.abestweb.com/smilies/yawning.gif

[aceinthehole]

Oh brother, this writer, in fact this paper may be one of the biggest jokes I've ever read.

This cracker has the cahoneys to write an article about voting responsibly while one of his co-workers, Rich Radford, the ODU beat writer has voted ODU the #9 ranked team in the nation both the week before & the week after the UD game. #9? Ask your buddy Rich, who also votes in the TSN poll to either stop voting as a homer or to stop voting at all.

And people wonder why the newspaper business has died over the last 20 years???

Exactly!

[DJKyR0]

Or at least drive the field and score a game-winning TD with no time left but drop the ball in the endzone. We all know we can trust replay officials! xthumbsupx

Or just have chattownmocs pick the better team before the game. The result doesn't mean jack at that point.xnottalkingx

[woffordgrad94]

Oh brother, this writer, in fact this paper may be one of the biggest jokes I've ever read.

This cracker has the cahoneys to write an article about voting responsibly while one of his co-workers, Rich Radford, the ODU beat writer has voted ODU the #9 ranked team in the nation both the week before & the week after the UD game. #9? Ask your buddy Rich, who also votes in the TSN poll to either stop voting as a homer or to stop voting at all.

And people wonder why the newspaper business has died over the last 20 years???



You sir, are a racist, whch makes you an even bigger joke than these people you referred to. I am deeply offended.

[alvinkayak6]

The correct call was made by the replay official. It was then independently reviewed by Rogers Redding, the National Coordinator of Football Officials and NCAA Football Rules Committee Secretary-Rules Editor; ACC coordinator of officials Doug Rhoads; and Conference USA coordinator of officials Gerald Austin who unanimously concluded that the correct call was made and there was no catch.

They made the proper call, because the rule itself is BS. The guy caught the ball, took two steps into the endzone and gets shoved to the ground. He is almost 9 yards down from when he was really originally making contact with the ball and his hands. Then he rolls over and during that process the ball comes out. Reminds me of a playoff game between the Colts and Steelers when POlamalu intercepted and a pass then there was a similar replay ruling.

[alvinkayak6]

And people wonder why the newspaper business has died over the last 20 years???

I think people pretty much uniformly understand that the entire business/industry has collapsed because of the demand for information immediately. The news cycle is now 5 seconds not 24 hours. I don't tihnk it has anything to do with quality reporting.

[superman7515]

If the correct call was made and you don't even follow a FCS team, let alone a MEAC team or Hampton, what is your problem with the call?

[alvinkayak6]

Who says I do't follow a team? My problem isn't the CALL.

it's the rule altogether. if you catch the ball and move 9 yards with the ball only to drop it while ROLLING on the ground. it should be a catch.

of course that's not the rule

[superman7515]

Like I said.... Norfolk State is a Top 25 team.

[danefan]

Like I said.... Norfolk State is a Top 25 team.

Why is barely beating a 2-2 team from the MEAC a Top 25 performance?

[superman7515]

Why is barely beating a 2-2 team from the MEAC a Top 25 performance?

South Carolina State had two losses to FBS teams. Delaware beat Delaware State 45-0 and the very next week South Carolina State beat them 69-0.

Norfolk State is 4-1 with a win over a Top 25 team and their only loss against FBS West Virginia where Norfolk State led at halftime and gave up the same total yardage as #1 LSU.

[danefan]

South Carolina State had two losses to FBS teams. Delaware beat Delaware State 45-0 and the very next week South Carolina State beat them 69-0.

Norfolk State is 4-1 with a win over a Top 25 team and their only loss against FBS West Virginia where Norfolk State led at halftime and gave up the same total yardage as #1 LSU.

The score comparisons don't work for me. Delaware very likely took their foot off the gas.

The WV loss is the best thing Norfolk St has going for them. It's a very good loss, but in order to vote them top 25, you have to get over the fact that it was still a loss. Some voters won't be able to do that.

[superman7515]

South Carolina State had the third string in after halftime.

[DSUrocks07]

Norfolk State does have justifiable claim to a potential Top 25 ranking. All of this "Dey play in the MEAC so dey suck, hurr hurr hurr", is really old.

[WileECoyote06]

Got my vote.