Unfortunately, having written one of the articles (Hunt) and read the other two, I don't feel any closer to answering the question of which one of these three kids will be able to contribute, either short term or long term. Short term, I don't think any one of them will shock the college football world this fall, but that's not an indictment of their abilities -- it's just very difficult for true freshmen to contribute on the football field, and quarterback is the hardest position of all.

I feel that I know a lot more about the three QB recruits now. I know the most about Hunt, having seen plenty of tape on him and his team, and I have some idea of what types of players Randall and Clifton are. But none of that tells us anything about how these kids are going to perform when they arrive on campus in early July (to my knowledge, all three are enrolling in second summer session) and start participating in freshman practices in early August. Any one of the three could either captivate the coaches or bolt school and go back home after one week. Or, God forbid, trash a knee in the first day of practice, as linebacker Camm Jackson did a few years back.

One thing's for sure: if you're like me, you've had enough talk, and you want for things to start happening. But watching the kids develop is one of the joys of college football, and it's hard not to rush it.

On another front, the third installment of "The Money-Makers" brings the revenue, expense, and income figures for men's basketball. We've all heard that in college sports, football is the king of revenue, football is the driver, football is the future, etc., etc. That's true (the numbers bear this out), but once you get a look at the revenue figures for basketball and compare them to football, you'll know exactly what the story is.

You'll also find out just where the conferences and the teams stand in relation to each other when it comes to basketball revenue. There are a few mild surprises there, and in general, it's interesting stuff.

As always, please encourage your friends to subscribe to the TSL Extra (tell them to check out the free sampler available on TechSideline.com), and please, please, do not share your username and password with anyone else. Revenue from the TSL Extra is one of our lifelines, and subscription revenue is vitally important to our survival. If you share your access information with five friends, then we make one-fifth as much money, and no business can survive doing that. Your favorite Ford dealership doesn�t give away four cars for every one it sells, so please don't "give away" TSL Extra subscriptions by sharing your info.

On a more positive note, the start of the football season is now only two and a half months away. The long wait is almost over, and a chance to see the 2001 Hokies in action is almost here.

Enjoy issue #8.

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