Not surprisingly, each of the eight Ivy League football coaches who spoke during Tuesday's Media Day teleconference spoke positively of their season's outlook. Optimism is always at an all-time high before players actually step on the field for meaningful games in September. Ironically, Penn coach Al Bagnoli might have been the most understated, saying he is "cautiously optimistic" about his team attempting to become the first in Ivy League history to go undefeated in the league for three straight seasons. The Quakers were picked to finish first by 12 of 19 voters in the media poll released today.
Most optimistic among them was Tim Murphy, coach of back-to-back runner-up Harvard, who said there are "so many teams" capable of winning the Ivy championship this season. Murphy's statement was the boldest of a morning filled with talk of the league's "parity," even though Penn has won 15 straight Ivy games and eight of the past 19 titles under Al Bagnoli.
While I agree with Murphy that teams outside of Philadelphia have a shot at the title should the breaks go their way, this is almost certainly a four-team race (at most) between Penn, Harvard, Brown and Yale. The parity they spoke of more reflects the fact that Columbia, Dartmouth and Princeton all appear headed in the right direction. However, that does not mean their rebuilding process is over or that they're ready to contend now.
Some more highlights after the jump:
- Murphy all but put to rest the theory that the reason the Ivies don't participate in the FCS playoffs is because league officials want to ensure that the Harvard-Yale game remains the biggest of the season. While he said the game cannot be topped in terms of competition and atmosphere, he added, "I will go on record as saying if we were to vote for [a playoff], I would vote for it in a heartbeat." He reiterated that a playoff system would be best for the league as a whole.
- Again, Bagnoli said the playoff issue, talk of which has been exhausted at this point, is out of the coaches' control. As we discussed last November, it is a matter controlled solely by the Ivy presidents, who have refused to budge.
- The two biggest question marks for this year's team according to Bagnoli? Offensive line and kicker -- yes, kicker. The O-line graduated four of five starters, but Bagnoli said he was confident that a new wave of linemen would step up. He made the search for a kicker to replace all-time leading scorer Andrew Samson seem much more difficult. Senior Dan Lipschutz, a Germantown Academy graduate, and freshmen Connor Loftus and Michael Rasmussen are the only kickers currently listed on the roster. (Interesting note: Rasmussen's brother, Jason, is a senior linebacker for the Quakers.)
- Seniors Matt Hamscher and Jason Schumaker will start at safety, and juniors Dave Twamley and Justyn Williams will start at cornerback, according to Bagnoli. Hamscher impressed after his transition from running back last season, and Twamley and Williams both showed flashes of greatness during their breakout 2010 seasons.
- Bagnoli had some insightful comments on his approach to chasing his first-ever three-peat: "You’ve got to be careful how you prepare. You don’t want to make it seem like it’s a burden that is just on your back every play. It’s a different cast; we approach it differently. I think we want to make the emphasis of knowing we’re gonna take everybody’s best shot and being prepared to do that and we’ll see what happens. We don’t want to be paralyzed because we won back to back and, 'oh my god, how hard is it to win the third in a row?'"
This will be Bagnoli's third crack at a three-peat. In both 1995 and 2004, Penn finished in second place after back-to-back titles.
- As questionable as Murphy's statement about the league's parity was, a statement from Bagnoli may have taken the cake. When asked which team could challenge the Quakers, he said, "They all scare me." Really, coach, the Princeton and Cornell teams you throttled 52-10 and 31-7 scare you? If this were a video conference, I'd imagine Bagnoli grinning or letting out an evil laugh after that quote.
Runner-up for ridiculous statement of the day (RSOTD): "I think every week is gonna be a toss-up." Yes, he actually said that.
This morning the Ivy League office hosted its annual football Media Day Teleconference this morning, and it began with Ivy Coordinator of Football Officials Jim Maconaghy introducing and explaining some new rules. (And sidenote: the Quakers were picked to 3-peat, receiving 12 of 17 first-place votes.)
Obviously the biggest change here is the decrease in full-contact practices during the week. Since that rule has been hashed out here and in several other media outlets, Scottie Rodgers and Robin Harris (at the League office) didn't spend too much time discussing it.
Unsportsmanlike conduct: In an effort to place player discipline at the top of its priorities list, the NCAA instilled a new rule that, unlike many of this season's rule changes, is not quite in line with that of the NFL. If a player is running into the endzone/about to score a touchdown, and he engages in unsportsmanlike conduct, a 10-yard penalty will be assessed and the score will not be counted. Examples include any type of taunting before the score, and unnecessary dives into the endzone (ie: no defenders are nearby). League referees have been advised that in the case of uncertainty, a dead-ball foul should be called.
Intentional grounding: The previous rule stated that if an eligible receiver was in the area of a pass and had the "opportunity" to make the catch, intentional grounding would not be called. The last part of that rule — "opportunity" to catch — has been deleted. This season, as long as an eligible receiver is in the area of the pass, it is not intentional grounding. Maconaghy said this helps the officials in making clearer calls.
10-second runoff: If a foul is committed with :59 on the clock or less, the offending team has a few options: a) take the 10-second runoff and accept the foul b) accept just the foul c) buy out of the runoff if the team has a timeout remaining. (Previously, a team could accept the runoff without accepting the foul. No longer will that be an option.)
Blocking on FG kicks: If 3 defensive linemen line up in front of a lone offensive blocker on the line of scrimmage then attack during the kick, the defensive team will be penalized on that play. It was brought to the league's attention that this was occurring, and the rule was changed in order to protect players from such occurrences.
Helmets knocked off: The Ivy League will count and record the number of times helmets are knocked off players throughout the season and use that information to address that issue in the future.
Head umpire will not move positions: There was some talk of moving the umpire to the offensive backfield for protection, but as of this season that change will not occur.
Check back later in the day for more updates and explanations of the newest rule changes.
Those who are still on campus might have noticed some changes at the old Marathon Grill location since it closed earlier this spring. The windows are now filled with images from Penn Athletics.
In the old door we have wrestling assistant coach Matt Valenti, back when he was just an undergrad, celebrating alongside this year's Ivy champion women's soccer team (Sidenote: note the woodstain from where Marathon's logo was):
Then along the windows we have a series of shots, the only one of which I can make out from these photos is No. 10, Ali DeLuca, who graduated one of the top players in Penn women's lax history in 2010:
So what is going on here? Is Penn Athletics just taking advantage of some prime window space while Facilities and Real Estate Services look for a new tenant? Or perhaps the space will become a Penn Athletics themed ESPN Zone-type outfit on 40th and Walnut. If so, what effect would this have on University Pinball's (40th and Spruce) local arcade monopoly?
I'll note that some of the windows on the 40th Street side of this corner (near PNC and Smokey Joe's) already have similar window decorations, but with more retro pictures. But man, an arcade right across from the DP office would be sweet.
(h/t to Jen Scuteri and photographer Alexandra Fleischman)
Last week Kevin Esteves dutifully reported on the stellar summer of Maurice Watson, a one-time Penn men's basketball recruit from Philly. Well, to close the book on this one, Watson no longer lists Penn among his options.
Last spring he told the DP that Penn was his top choice. Then he hit the summer AAU circuit and blew up, attracting suitors from all over — 19 in all. Today, according to The Recruit Scoop, Watson listed his top 9, none of which include the letters PENN.
@TheRecruitScoop: Maurice Watson has cut his list to 9: Virginia, Boston, Niagara, Texas Tech, Hofstra, Northeastern, La Salle, Quinnipiac & Long Beach St.
He also said he would narrow it down to five in the coming weeks. Likely a factor in Penn falling out of the running was the fact that coach Jerome Allen snagged a commitment from point guard (Watson's position) Jamal Lewis (for much more on this, see Kevin's insightful Buzz post).
Depending on how his recruiting plays out, Penn fans may get to see Watson with some regularity. Watson told the Inquirer's Keith Pompey that he enjoyed his visit to La Salle.
"I like the way the coach [John Giannini] didn't sugar-coat anything," Watson said. "The honesty was there. They didn't have the best facility. He mentioned that.
"But it's not about the place sometimes. It's about the people around it."
They may have broken America's hearts in the Gold Cup this summer, but Penn soccer is ready to forgive and forget as US Men's National Team is hanging out at Rhodes Field this week. The Americans, as well as new coach Jürgen Klinsmann, are practicing at Rhodes before Wednesday's friendly with Mexico at Lincoln Financial Field.
“I think Rhodes Field is one of the premier playing surfaces on the East Coast right now. It has a reputation now, so when teams come to Philadelphia, unless they have a specific reason why they want to get to PPL Park, many of them contact us to train here.”
Here's a slideshow of some shots from this morning:
Penn men's soccer is one of five teams kicking off the fall season on Sept. 2, and with a little under a month to go, the team is getting some good press.
The Quakers were ranked No. 23 in Goal.com's preseason rankings, the only Ivy to appear in the 25-team list. The site's blurb notes that Penn returns four first- or second-team All-Ivy players, as well as top scorer, sophomore Stephen Baker.
Two players from coach Rudy Fuller's side were listed in topdrawersoccer.com's top 100 professional prospects. Back Jake Levin was ranked No. 24, after he anchored a defense that was second in conference in goals allowed, goals against avg. and shutouts. Penn also tied for 17th nationally in shutout percentage. Dynamic midfielder Christian Barreiro cracked the top 50 at No. 49. Barreiro had five goals and a team-high seven assists last year. Three other Ivy Leaguers made the list, though Penn was the only team to have two players picked.
Penn will play La Salle in their opener, looking to follow-up on last year's success, when the Quakers took advantage of an at-large NCAA tournament bid, beating Bucknell at Rhodes Field before losing to ACC powerhouse Maryland in the second round.
Update: It was also announced Monday that the defending Ivy League champion Penn women's soccer team will be playing a game at PPL park this season. The stadium in Chester, home of MLS' Philadelphia Union, will play host to Penn and Villanova on Sept. 9.
"This is a great opportunity for both programs to showcase ourselves to the local soccer communities," said Penn head coach Darren Ambrose in a statement. "We appreciate being given this chance with Villanova, and are grateful to the Philadelphia Union and PPL Park for making this happen. We are really looking forward to the game."
Penn is 1-11-1 against 'Nova, but the one win was last season, a 3-0 shutout by the Quakers.
I got a chance to speak with Boys' Latin Class of 2012 point guard Maurice Watson and his father yesterday about Maurice's big-time summer. You can read the article here, but a few main points:
Watson is a 5'10 guard that can score in bunches — he was the Pub League Division B's top scorer last year — but according to his father, Watson really blossomed as a leader on the court this summer for Team Philly (AAU), dictating the offense and defense.
Watson had Penn at the top of his list as late as last March when Brian Kotloff talked to Maurice Sr., but after a summer in which the point guard picked up an incredible 18 offers, that list understandably changed. According to Watson, Penn is not completely out of consideration, but it's much more likely than not that he will be signing somewhere else.
The Philly native has a close relationship with Penn coach Jerome Allen dating back to when Maurice was about 8 years old, playing for Allen's Hood Enriched program. Watson says he spoke to coach Allen after the verbal commitment of fellow point guard Jamal Lewis, with Watson coming away with the understanding that if he did play for Penn, he would likely share minutes in the backcourt with Lewis.
The two also spoke about the recently increased academic standards that Maurice would have to meet in order to gain admission to Penn. As late as last March, Watson was reportedly told he needed a 100-point boost from his PSAT score on the SAT to be within range. According to Maurice Sr., that number has increased a few hundred to a total of 1820. That last bit is worth noting because it will likely narrow the list of potential Penn recruits even further.
Xavier Harris — a burly, 6'5 forward who committed to Penn last year — will not be on campus this fall. At the time of his commitment, he was reportedly still 30 points shy on his SATs. Harris has since de-committed, but he will be attending prep school next year (instead of accepting offers to either BU, Vermont, RMU, or Monmouth) with the hopes of raising his scores and getting into Penn as a member of the Class of 2016 (Just putting 2 and 2 together, this must mean Harris will now have to meet the increased standards as well). Harris would be the first Philly Public school league grad since 1984 to play for Penn.
According to this tweet from recruiting analyst Josh Gershon of Scout.com, Penn has made an offer to Class of 2013 guard Jaron Hopkins.
2013 Chandler (Ariz.) Basha guard Jaron Hopkins has added an offer from Pennsylvania
Hopkins is a prized recruit out of Basha High School in Chandler, Ariz., rated as an 89 on ESPN.com, meaning he is a high-major prospect. His perceived strengths are his size (6-3, 175), athleticism, driving ability and defense, while his jump shot is still developing. As a sophomore, Hopkins averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, according to MaxPreps.com.
Based on reports from ESPN.com, Scout.com and Rivals.com, it appears his list of interested schools (besides Penn) includes Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, Colorado, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Oregon State, Stanford and UTEP. In other words, don't count on Hopkins becoming a Quaker. He should be considered a longshot to choose Penn and likely fits the bill of a kid who would only attend an Ivy if he is looking for the best education available. Of course, his decision is still two years away so a lot can change in his recruitment between now and then.
The main takeaways from Penn's interest are: 1) Jerome Allen and Co. are thinking big, trying to get involved with some elite prospects. The more darts they throw at the board, the more likely it is that one will stick... 2) It's interesting that the coaches made an offer to a sophomore. Maybe the early offer is an attempt to get a leg up on the competing schools. 3) Keep Hopkins on your radar, because who knows what will happen between now and 2013, when he will make his decision? Not only can his stock change dramatically (see: rising prospect Maurice Watson), but injuries can happen that affect his college options (see: Henry Brooks).
File this under things you should mildly care about: Cornell announced its 2011-12 men's basketball schedule.
From it, we can discern Penn's Ivy slate for the upcoming season, as well as get a look at what kind of preparation the Big Red will be doing before the 14-game tournament kicks off in mid-January.
First, the latter: the highlights on Cornell's non-conference schedule include early season matchups with America East champ Boston University and American University. They'll then take a tough December road trip with stops at Illinois, Penn State, Patriot League champ Bucknell and concluding with ACC powerhouse Maryland.
Sidenote, per the Washington Times: Maryland has faced the Big Red once before, a 92-41 dismantling (if that is even a strong enough word), in 1993. The last time The Terps played an Ivy was Princeton in 2001 (Princeton lost that one, too).
And from Cornell's schedule (and Yale's) we can triangulate Penn's conference slate:
Jan 27: At Columbia
Jan 28: At Cornell
Feb 3: At Yale
Feb 4: At Brown
Feb 7(?): Princeton
Feb 10: Harvard/Dartmouth
Feb 11: Dartmouth/Harvard
Feb 17: Cornell
Feb 18: Columbia
Feb 24: at Harvard/Dartmouth
Feb 25: at Dartmouth/Harvard
March 2: Brown
March 3: Yale
March 6(?): at Princeton
Throw in a home game against Princeton early on and an away game during spring break (I'm guessing Tuesday Feb. 7 and March 6 based on last year) and voila.
Last year Penn started the Ivy season 3-0 with wins over Yale, Brown and Dartmouth before a monster, 2OT matchup with Harvard. The buzz on campus after that 3-0 start helped bring out students to create a raucous atmosphere for Harvard (almost no-one showed the night before to see Tyler Bernardini drop 21 and hit 4-for-4 from 3, all with the flu)
For the Quakers to return home 4-0 in Ivy play (possibly facing Princeton on a quick turnaround), they'll have to solve some road-woes from the New York trip: Penn hasn't won at Columbia's subterranean gym since 2009. Penn has been cold in Ithaca since January 2007.
For more on Penn's non-conference schedule, see this post.
Class of 2012 point guard Maurice Watson — who had Penn at the top of his list before the summer, according to his father — has been increasing his stock thanks to stellar play on the AAU circuit.
The good news, of course, is that the Boys' Latin (Philadelphia) point guard is showing great promise and could be a great "get" for Penn alongside Jamal Lewis. The bad news? Other schools are paying attention as well.
According to this Zagsblog post by the reputable Alex Kline, Watson has amassed quite the list of offers, including ones from Vermont, Rice, BU, Niagara, Morehead St., La Salle, Hofstra, Tennessee Tech, Quinnipiac, Iona, UMBC, Northeastern, Towson, Long Beach State, and last — but absolutely, definitely not least — Texas Tech.
Watson certainly is hoping for big things, as evidenced by his tweet (@ReeceWatson10):
At 12:01am the Live Period is officially over. College coaches can begin to call. Hopefully, my phone is a hotline.
As you can tell, the recruitment of Watson has suddenly undergone a vast change. Back in March, our Brian Kotloff had his own recruit scoop on Watson, and it looked like the quick PG was all but a lock for Penn, given his ties to coach Jerome Allen and his prioritization of academics. After a great summer, however, Watson will have a wealth of opportunities before him.
According to this other Alex Kline post, Watson won't make his decision until November 3 (his grandmother's birthday), so nothing is imminent. One last interesting thing to note is that Kotloff's post included a tidbit about Watson perhaps hoping to join longtime friend Xavier Harris at Penn. Well, Harris has since de-comitted, so that could play a role in Watson's forthcoming decision.
Since I took over from the illustrious Michael Gold as senior sports editor at the DP, I've seen a massive increase in the amount PR email I receive. At first I thought it was some bad practical joke Mr. Gold had set me up for before his departure, but he denies any wrongdoing.
Anyway, the most consistent set of press releases (PR agents, I'm not issuing a challenge) I've received have been from "Locked in the Cage," a mixed martial arts series hosted in Philadelphia. To be honest, these emails generally go straight to the delete box along with most of the other junk I get. Aside from knowing very little about MMA, my work on concussions in athletics has left me questioning sports like boxing and MMA. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I just don't see the Penn community overlapping much with the MMA world.
But this week the release was suddenly very relevant to Penn. As it turns out, Penn wrestling assistant coach Kyle Cerminara will be participating in the upcoming Locked in the Cage Thursday Night Fights, a 14 fight card, in which Cerminara will face "journeyman" brawler John 'Iron Bull' Doyle.
Cerminara is a perfect 1-0 in MMA after winning an April bout against Ariel Sepulveda, getting the unanimous decision after the third round. He'll look to keep that perfect record on August 4th when he fights Doyle, who has a 9-17 record. The bout will take place at South Philly Arena at Swanson and Ritner streets.
The assistant coach joined Penn's staff last summer. He was an All-American at Buffalo and since graduating in 2006 has competed in freestyle wrestling while holding coaching gigs. He's been a runner-up at both the Pan American games and the U.S. Open. His credentials — and a bold prediction for his future in MMA — as described in the release from Locked in the Cage:
"Cerminara enters the sport with pristine wrestling credentials that include US Olympic Team Alternate and current University of Pennsylvania assistant wrestling coach. Not to mention that in mid-July the 28 year old MMA greenhorn won Bellator's open try-outs at Daddis Fight Camps' Cherry Hill gym. It will not be long before this world class wrestler is fighting under the big lights."
Cerminara looks like a nice guy, but personally, I would not like to be locked in anywhere with him. Also, he needs a nickname. Feel free to comment below if you've got any good ideas. Kyle "Raging Quaker" Cerminara.
Incoming men's basketball freshman Simeon Esprit has been the hottest part of a not-so-hot U-18 England team at the European Championship in Bulgaria.
England missed the cut for the quarterfinals after losing in group play to Belgium, Denmark and Portugal. They'll now battle it out in the 9th-19th place bracket behind Esprit, who has been a bright spot for the team.
The Quakers have welcomed Texas Tech transfer Wide Receiver Ty Taylor. Penn Athletics confirmed the transfer today, though the roster will not reflect as such until September (at which time all other transfers and walkons, including Tommy Eggleston, will be added).
Taylor redshirted his freshman year at Tech, and high school information on him is tough to find. But according to the Dallas Morning News, he was Honorable Mention on both the 2008 and 2009 Texas Class 3A All-State Team (his junior and senior years) playing for Glen Rose High, about an hour southwest of Fort Worth.
He racked up some serious receiving yardage in his final two high-school seasons, so based on the stats I'd expect to see him really add some spark to Penn's passing game. It will be interesting to see how this young offensive line affects the balance between Penn's running game and its passing game. Current players players have said he could be the top receiver this season, which could prove integral depending on how the o-line shapes up. If anything, Taylor will be another serious weapon within a pretty explosive offense.
Depending on coach Al Bagnoli and offensive coordinator Jon McLaughlin's gameplan for the use of their two quarterbacks, Ryan Becker may pair nicely with Taylor. And let's not forget, the two share a similar story — both skill players transferred from southern Division 1-A schools to Penn after redshirting their freshman seasons.
Likely the main question for Penn basketball going into the 2011-12 season is what kind of depth there will be in the frontcourt. This hinges largely on the recovery of highly-touted recruit Henry Brooks.
The Atlanta native tore his ACL during the state playoffs in March. The injury may have been a blessing in disguise for Penn — Brooks was drawing interest from the likes of Tennessee, Minnesota, Mississippi State and Connecticut before the injury. Most of those backed off after the ACL tear, but Penn stuck with the forward and Brooks chose the Quakers.
Today the incoming freshman tweeted that he ran in physical therapy for the first time since the March 5th injury, a promising sign that he may be ready by the time tip-off rolls around.
When Cal wrote about Jamal Lewis' verbal commitment to Penn, we learned that, by many accounts, the 6-foot point guard and 2012 recruit was a great get for Penn. We're still a year away from finding out whether that evaluation will prove true, but check out Lewis' fast-break creativity in yesterday's Five-Star Basketball Play of the Day.
Lewis plays AAU for D.C. Assault, one of the better 17U teams in the nation, and is seen here competing against the Eric Gordon All-Stars at the Adidas Invitational (which ran from July 6-9). For Penn fans, it's good to see him playing end-to-end on this sequence — especially in AAU, where defense is not exactly a staple feature.
At the Buzz, we love to see Penn alumni succeed. Former Quaker Doug Glanville has done just that. After four years as an engineer/baseball player at Penn, Glanville went on to be a career .277 hitting outfielder in the major leagues, spending most of his time in the pros with the Chicago Cubs and hometown Phillies. Since his retirement he's gone into writing, penning a book and writing for the New York Times and ESPN.
Not bad.
This, however, is bad. Glanville was invited to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game this week. Politicians, actors, young children, Miss America contestants, athletes who play sports other than baseball — we don't ever expect much out of them when they toss the ceremonial pitch. But when former ballplayers return to stadiums at which they spent several years of their careers — whether position players or pitchers themselves — we expect, if not a strike, a quality toss. Glanville delivered no such thing.
As you can see, the man who once recorded double-digit outfield assists in three separate seasons definitely missed the cutoff on this throw:
Nonetheless, we still love Doug Glanville (Sidenote: he has always been more than gracious in doing interviews for the DP, and we are very appreciative).
UPDATE: Penn Athletics media maven Chas Dorman has informed me that Glanville, in fact, toed the rubber back when he wore the Red and Blue. His line from a game, March 12, 1990: 1 IP, 4 AB, 1R, 1ER, 1H, 1 SO, 1 BB, 2 LOB. Penn beat Husson College 15-6, and Glanville struck out the first batter he faced, induced a ground ball and a flyout. So his ERA would have been 9.00.
Endnote: While we're on the subject of ceremonial first pitches:
Coach Gwen Harris' latest coup is Anne Holland from Pennridge High School in Perkasie, PA was one of the top jumpers in the nation last year.
This past spring, Holland leaped to a second straight gold medal in the Class AAA High School Championships finishing off a stellar career. She finished seventh at this year's Penn Relays and even competed at New Balance indoor nationals. Throughout the season Holland has has consistently hit 5'7" and 5'8".
(To put it in perspective, this year's Outdoor Heptagonal Champion Columbia's Monique Roberts jumped 1.76 meters or 5'9.29")
But what should really get Penn Track fans excited was her 5'10" jump at the Pennsylvania Indoor State Championships this winter, which was tied for the third best jump in the nation this indoor season making her one of the nation's best recruits.
With Reynolds only a sophomore this coming year, this pair has the talent dominate the Ivy high jump pit for years to come.
The Ivy League will be represented at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Alex Meyer, a 2010 graduate of Harvard University, guaranteed himself a spot in next summer’s Olympics after competing in the men’s 10-kilometer open water race at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai. Meyer’s top 10 finish — he had the fourth best time — made him the only American to qualify for the event.
The 10-kilometer race — an event that has earned a reputation as being a dangerous open water event — will take place in Serpentine Lake in London’s Hyde Park. Only 25 men and 25 women will eventually be selected to swim in the race.
According to ESPN, Meyer's friend and traveling roommate Fran Crippen drowned last October at the World Cup final in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Meyer has continued to swim in his friend's memory.
Meyer, the men's national champion (runner-up Sean Ryan will be the other U.S. men's representative at worlds), said it still feels strange to go on trips without Crippen. He carries a photo of his friend everywhere he competes, and sometimes visualizes racing with Crippen during his pool training. "Just this morning, I was doing sprint sets across the diving well, and I imagined he was there, just a little bit ahead of me," Meyer said in a recent interview. "I guess he always was."
Meyer is a former Crimson swimming co-captain and All-American who holds the second-fastest time in school history in the 1,650 freestyle. Upon graduating, he began training for the open water competition and was able to earn gold at the open water world championships in Roberval, Quebec just two months later.
As part of its rule-change announced today that would limit the number of full-contact practices — in an effort to curb the chances of concussions in football — the Ivy League also released a 21 page Concussion Report based on the findings of an ad-hoc committee.
"Because of the seriousness of the potential consequences, the presidents determined the League needed to take proactive steps in protecting the welfare of our student-athletes," Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris said in a statement.
The group, headed by Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim and Cornell President David J. Skorton, included Penn football coach Al Bagnoli and Head Athletic Trainer Eric Laudano, as well as Steven Galetta and Laura Balcer, neuro-opthamologists from Penn Medicine who have experience with research in athletic concussions.
The limitations they set on practices are as follows:
In-Season — limit of two full-contact days per week (a 60% reduction from the NCAA limit).
Spring Practice — reduction by one in the number of allowable full-contact practices in the spring (a 12% reduction from the current Ivy limit and 42% reduction from the NCAA limit).
Preseason — new rule limiting to one the number of days that pads can be worn during both sessions of two-a-days during preseason.
Greater time and attention devoted to the teaching of and emphasis on proper techniques for avoiding helmet hits.
Continued adjustment to practice plans when depth at a given position is low to reduce the number of hits experience by a particular player.
Adherence to recommended guidelines for in-season full-pad, contact practice sessions.
Game recommendations:
Officials will be directed to continue erring on the side of caution by calling penalties if a helmet or head hit might have occurred, which will in turn allow the Ivy League office to assess and determine any appropriate postgame ramifications.
Educational recommendations:
Continue providing educational information to student-athletes summarizing the signs and symptoms of a concussion, and emphasizing the potential long-term risks of repetitive brain trauma and the need to report and not play with any symptoms of a concussion.
Practices will continue to include and will emphasize and enahance the teaching of proper football fundamentals and technique to avoid leading with the head, including de-emphasis of hits on defenseless players.
The recommendations are extensive — if you're interested in reading more, you can download the full report here.
The full text of the Ivy League's news release is below:
PRINCETON, N.J. -- The Ivy League presidents have accepted a series of recommendations made by a special ad hoc committee with the goal of lowering the incidence of concussion and subconcussive hits in football.
Formed in December 2010 to determine how the Ivy League could take a leadership role in trying to limit concussive hits in football, the committee was co-chaired by Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim and Cornell President David J. Skorton, both medical doctors. The committee also included various Ivy League head football coaches, administrators, expert consultants, team physicians, and athletic trainers.
The recommendations, to take effect this coming season, include limits to the number of full-pad/contact practices that can take place throughout the football year. Also, there will be further emphasis on educating student-athletes on proper tackling technique, the signs and symptoms of concussion, and the potential short- and long-term ramifications of repetitive brain trauma. In addition, there will be a more stringent post-game League review of helmet-to-helmet and targeted hits.
"The presidents formed the committee because they were deeply concerned that concussions are a significant injury in football and wanted the Ivy League to take an active leadership role in developing steps and measures to limit concussions, first in football and then in other sports as appropriate," said Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris.
The committee reviewed and discussed data and research regarding concussions and head hits in football, and also looked at current NCAA and Ivy League rules and practices.
The available research suggests that concussions not only have acute consequences but also more long-term sequelae. The multiple hits sustained in football, as distinct from those causing concussion, may have a role in the development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in some individuals.
"Because of the seriousness of the potential consequences, the presidents determined the League needed to take proactive steps in protecting the welfare of our student-athletes," continued Harris.
Based on its findings, the committee presented a series of recommendations to the Ivy League presidents that have been adopted and, where necessary, drafted into League legislation for the coming year.
The new in-season practice limitations permit no more than two full-contact days per week, a 60-percent reduction from the NCAA maximum. Spring practice will see the number of allowable full-contact practices cut by one, a 12-percent reduction from current Ivy League limits and a 42-percent reduction from the NCAA maximum. Additionally, the number of days that pads can be worn during both sessions of preseason two-a-days has been limited to one.
"Given the lack of data regarding the number or type of hits that may cause long-term consequences in certain individuals, the committee concluded that it is important to minimize the likelihood and severity of hits to the head," said President Kim. "Based on current and available data, we have taken appropriate steps to help ensure the safety of our football players, but as this remains an evolving area of study, future research must be monitored, and our recommendations could then be revisited and revised."
Education will also play an important role. Among other measures, schools will continue to provide information to student-athletes summarizing signs and symptoms of concussion, emphasizing the potential long-term risks of repetitive brain trauma, and stressing the need to report any symptoms of a concussion. A key component of this educational process will be changing the mentality of some student-athletes regarding the seriousness of concussive injuries.
"It is important for our student-athletes to not only recognize symptoms of concussion in themselves and their teammates but to also understand the severity of such injuries and the need to relay that information to medical personnel," said President Skorton. "Our goal is to emphasize that a concussion is a serious injury that requires immediate and proper treatment, including physical and cognitive rest, to promote healing."
On the field, education will also be at the forefront as practices will continue to include the teaching of proper football fundamentals and technique to avoid leading with the head, as well as an emphasis on avoiding hits against defenseless players.
As directed by the presidents, beginning with the 2011 season, the Ivy League Executive Director will expand the video review of helmet-to-helmet and targeted hits that has been in effect for the last two seasons with the goal of taking appropriate but firm action in response to such hits, including suspensions for helmet-to-helmet hits deemed intentional.
While the committee's recommendations focus solely on football, the Ivy League will next conduct similar reviews of men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, and men's and women's soccer.
The new rules come in the midst of a sea-change in football's treating of concussions -- from the professional down to the peewee level -- alongside a growing body of evidence showing the dangers of head trauma.
“Because of the seriousness of the potential consequences, the presidents determined the league needed to take proactive steps in protecting the welfare of our student-athletes,” said Robin Harris, the executive director of the Ivy League.
The Times makes no direct reference to Thomas. According to Harvard coach Tim Murphy, though, the new rule change may not have a major impact.
“I’m not sure there will be any dramatic changes, because the changes over the last few years for dealing with head hits have changed dramatically,” said Tim Murphy, the football coach at Harvard. “If we want young people to continue to fall in love with this great sport, we have to protect the athletes.”
Scottie Rogers of the Ivy League office said a news release will be available tomorrow so check back to the Buzz for more on this story.
An RSS feed of The Buzz is available 
