New Message Board for Hokie Central

Folks, here's something I'm incredibly excited about.

I've always thought one of the weaknesses of Hokie Central is that the site didn't have a message board or chat room. Well, now it does! ... sort of.

"hokie.com", the best independent, all-purpose Tech web site going, has been kind enough to allow me to put a direct link to their message board, "Hokie Talk," on my front page! Now, not only can Hokie Central fans converse with me, but they can converse with each other, as well! This adds a whole new dimension to Hokie Central and puts this site in the upper echelon of college sports web sites! Of course, I'm kind of biased....

To say that I'm grateful to the folks at "hokie.com" is understating it severely. If you've never visited "hokie.com", then you should, if just to say thanks for allowing me to link to their message board. "hokie.com" also has some other neat features, like a daily newsletter, a directory of Hokies called "Hokie Connection," and "Hokie Gifts," which is licensed Tech merchandise. Stop by hokie.com today, because I owe those folks big-time!

I've also added a Hokie VIP Email Addresses link to my front page. It's a small link that contains the email addresses you can use to reach Dave Braine, Frank Beamer, Bill Foster, Bill Roth, and The Hokie Huddler. Email is a great way to have your voice heard ... like when you want to express your opinion on that football schedule (and believe me, you want to, if the emails I received are any indication).

Lastly, I hope you like the new basketball and football info posted in the right-hand column of the main page. Thanks to reader Chris Martz for suggesting that I do something other than just post pretty pictures in that area.

And that's only the start - in the coming days and weeks, you'll see improvements to Hokie Central that will improve navigation and readability, and if I get my way, I'll be able to make even more information available to you. As always, reader suggestions are encouraged, and I'll accommodate any good suggestions that I've got time for. Stay tuned, because you're gonna like what you see!

What's Next - Recruiting Kids out of Middle School?

When Tech received a verbal commitment from rising senior David Pugh out of Amherst last spring, I made some crack about the Hokies recruiting infants. Well, that's been topped. Junior QB Grant Noel of Frankfort High in West Virginia has already given a verbal commitment to Tech.

That's right - Noel has already committed, even though he has another year-and-a-half of high school. He'll be enrolling at Tech in the fall of 1998.

This kid sounds like a died in the wool Hokie. Read The Roanoke Times's report, QB at Home With Hokies.

Some Nebraska Fans Had a Good Reason

Hokie Central reader Jennifer Spaine emailed me the following nugget that helps explain one reason why there were so few Nebraska fans at the Orange Bowl:

"You mentioned in your Orange Bowl game analysis about no Nebraska fans coming to the game. Well I traveled to the game with a student from Nebraska (don't worry - she was wearing Tech garb and cheering for Tech at the game due to her grandfather (Class of '31), father (Class of '61) and sister (Class of '91)) - but she mentioned that she knew quite a few people who had put down money for Sugar Bowl packages before the game against Texas and lost their deposits - therefore could not afford the trip to Florida. Now that doesn't say much for their intelligence or their arrogance - but it does explain a few things..."

Indeed. Never assume anything. Thanks for the input, Jennifer.

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