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HOLIDAY SHOPPING IDEAS FROM TECHLOCKER.COM!
	VT/Hokies Arch Hooded Sweatshirt   $37.99 A hoodie with a bit more class. This Sport-Tek hooded fleece features a maroon body and a white stripe running from the shoulder to the cuff. Great Hokie/VT design on the front.
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	Maroon VT Flex-Fit cap   $17.99 Our TWINS cotton stretch fit cap is designed for comfort and looks. Our maroon cap features the raised VT logo embroidered on the front the Hokie bird on the back. This cap is so good looking and comfortable you will want to wear it everywhere.
	Tech Territory T-Shirt   $15.99 Starting in 2004, our favorite team has a new place to play! We have given the official TechSideline.com stamp of approval to the NEW "Tech Territory". The front features a 2-color, left chest imprint of TSL's "Tech Territory" stamp. The 2-color, full back imprint features a map of Tech's new playground, covered with turkey tracks, and is overlaid with the "Tech Territory" official stamp. Get this unique shirt today!

What is Respond.com?

You've been seeing Respond.com ads on our web site for a few weeks now, and you're probably wondering what they are, and what they do.

Respond.com provides a unique Internet service that connects local businesses to you, the local customer -- home improvement services, travel, computer and networking and more. You request, businesses respond. It's that simple.

Please visit their website (click their logo above) and give them a try. Or, click one of their advertisements being served on the website.

As always, thanks supporting sponsors such as Respond.com. Sponsorships are a critical part of our web site, and their success will permit us to continually improve our services to you, the Hokie fans who visit TSL.

Advertise Your Business On TechSideline.com!

TechSideline.com has come a long way since its conception in 1996. We are the #1 media source and community covering Virginia Tech athletics; producing an average of 110,000 unique viewers and over 6 million page views each month.

We reach a coveted demographic (you know who you are) 24/7, 12 months out of the year. Furthermore, TechSideline.com provides a powerful advertising opportunity, leveraging our unique two-way medium to clearly and precisely communicate our sponsor’s marketing goals to our loyal community. This permission marketing approach has resulted in unprecedented marketing success for all our sponsors, "brick and mortar" and dot-com alike.

Each custom sponsorship varies in investment according to the desired target reach, frequency, geographic territory, category, and/or time your campaign requires. In a nutshell, our custom targeted sponsorships allow you to focus your message and product to the right customers in the right market at the right time.

To learn more, please contact Trey Copeland at (434) 823-9714 or [email protected] . To view a list of our sponsors, please visit our Sponsors Page.

Virginia Tech landed two football commitments this week, and by the time you read this, a third may be in the bag.

First, Hargrave Military Academy wide receiver Justin Harper (6-4, 190, 4.5 forty) committed Wednesday. Harper wants to enroll at VT in January of 2004. He has received qualifying grades and test scores, and VT has his transcripts (according to Harper), so if everything goes as planned, he will join Hargrave teammate and fellow VT commit, QB Cory Holt, at Virginia Tech in January.

Harper is ranked as a three-star player (out of five) by TSL.

Then on Friday, another Hargrave player, CB Brandon Flowers (5-11, 180, 4.5 forty), committed to Virginia Tech. Flowers is Tech's eighth verbal commitment this year (VT currently has ten players in the 2004 recruiting class, including the eight commitments, plus Cory Holt and D.J. Parker from last year, who are currently prepping at Hargrave).

Flowers, rated as a three-star player by TSL, is originally from Atlantic High School in Delray Beach, FL, where he played with current VT wide receiver David Clowney.

Meanwhile, other sources are indicating that Indian River running back Brandon Ore (6-2, 195, 4.4 forty, three stars, ranked #11 in the state by TSL's Chris Horne) is also likely to commit to VT. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Ore had a press conference scheduled for Friday afternoon, and that sources indicated Ore was headed to VT. As of mailing time, the time of the press conference and Ore's decision had not been verified by TechSideline.com.

To see VT's list of verbal commitments for the 2004 recruiting class, click here.

Play New Interactive Games on TechSideline.com!

As if you didn't already spend enough time on TSL, we've got some new, addictive interactive games to play. Choose from Sackman (which will remind you of PAC-Man), TSL Match 'Em, or TSL Shuffle!

Click here to check out TSL's interactive games (Shockwave Plug-in required)

Golfers Going to the Bowl Game: Camelback Golf Club is hosting the Hokie Strokie Golf Classic

What: The Hokie Strokie Golf Classic, 18 Holes of golf with fellow Hokies! (including Head Professional Craig Forgash, Class of ’93)

Where: Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale, Arizona

When: 12:00 Shotgun Start, Limited to the first 64 players to sign up

Cost: $75.00 pp + tax; Includes greens fee, cart fee, range balls & (2) drink tickets

Optional: $5 Gross Skins Game

Food and Beverage: A $16.95 Brunch Buffet is available starting at 8:00 a.m. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Otherwise, a snack shop and beverage cart are available for miscellaneous items.

Sign-up: Make your own foursome, or we’ll pair you up.

Call 480-596-7050 and say you want to sign up for The Hokie Strokie. A Credit Card # will be required to hold your spot. An e-mail reply can be requested to confirm your spot and receive directions.

Want to play golf, but can’t play in The Hokie Strokie? Call 480-596-7050 anytime during your visit and identify yourself as a Virginia Tech Fan and get a 25% discount off the rack rate anytime you play thru January 4th! Go Tech!!!

What former walk-on led the Hokies in tackles one season during the 1990's?

Check out the choices for this trivia question:

• Steve Tate, 104 tackles, 1997
• George Del Ricco, 130 tackles, 1994
• John Engelberger, 88 tackles, 1998
• Brandon Semones, 88 tackles, 1996

Answer the question in this week's Crown Auto Sweepstakes and enter for your chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Crutchfield, and our grand prize of a two-year lease of your choice of a brand new BMW Z4 or Acura TL 

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Crown Automotive is excited to be a major supporter of the TechSideline.com community for 2003/04. Show your support and look to Crown for if you're in the market for a luxury automobile (new or used), be sure to check out Crown Automotive, in Richmond, Midlothian, and Charlottesville. Good luck!

TSL Suggestion Box

Many thanks for everyone's responses to previous Suggestion Box questions. Here's this week's:

TSL Pass subscribers: What subscription articles do you like the most, and which ones do you ... like the least? Please take your answers from the following list of features:

• Chris Horne's recruiting updates
• Chris Horne's recruiting war rooms
• Will Stewart's game analysis articles
• Will Stewart's columns
• Jim Alderson's columns
• Jeff Cockey's columns
• Basketball-related columns (Rev. Zeke)

Any suggestions for content you'd like to see that we currently don't have?

Send your answers with the subject "Suggestion Box" to [email protected].

Thanks, and we look forward to your suggestions!

Project: Thank You, 2002

Project: Thank You, our annual player and coach appreciation effort that is directed by message board poster Nova Hokie 95, returns!  Now in its sixth year, PTY is a player appreciation effort designed to acknowledge and show appreciation for the hard work of each and every player as they prepare for the bowl game with a simple thank-you note. Click here for the details and how you can sign up to participate.

Pre-Game Social Before Dec. 27 ECU Men's Basketball Game in Norfolk

Vote for Jessica Clem in Athlon's Spirit Contest!

Alas, the last round of Athlon's spirit contest started under our radar, and as a result, VT's Jessica Clem has fallen far behind two other cheerleaders. There's plenty of time for Jessica to make up ground, if Hokies turn out in large numbers to vote for her!

It's simple:  (1) Vote for Jessica; (2) Vote for Jessica once a day; (3) Vote for Jessica some more.

Here's the link -- at the time I write this, she has 21,669 votes, and two other cheerleaders have 38,465 votes (Nebraska) and 38,369 (NC State):

Athlon's spirit contest, final round

Please Delete Any Old Email Addresses from Our System!

Remove old email addresses from out TSLMail system here

A Note About Holiday Shopping and TechLocker.com

And if you're a TechSideline.com fan, please remember that TechLocker.com sales help keep this web site afloat. Many other on-line Hokie outlets, such as universitybookstore.com, techbookstore.com, and hokieshop.com, are just additional revenue generators for the retail entities that run them.

TechLocker.com, on the other hand, is our merchandising bread and butter, and a vital part of our business, not just an online outlet we have slapped up to generate more cash. Please keep that in mind when shopping for Hokie gifts online.

Check out some great new products and gift ideas at the top of this TSLMail.

TechLocker.com, Hokie Gift Heaven

TechSideline Pass - $34.95 a Year
(Monthly and Quarterly options also available)

• Feature Articles
• Interviews with recruits
• Editorials
• Flash recruiting updates from Chris Horne, our in-house specialist
• Recruiting prospect and class evaluations
• A subscribers-only Recruiting message board (only accessible to subscribers)
• A subscribers-only message board for general discussion

As an additional bonus, all subscribers will receive a 10% discount on all purchases made at Techlocker.com, our online store providing Hokie-related apparel and gift items. If that's not enough, you should know that your subscription will help support your favorite website, TechSideline.com.

For more info on TechSideline Pass, and to subscribe, click here. To give TSL Pass as a gift (one-year subscriptions only), click here.

-- Will Stewart

VT Recruiting War Room #9: Offense
by Chris Horne, 12/12/03, 10:30 am
Tech fans received great news this week, when talented Hargrave wide receiver Justin Harper committed to Virginia Tech. Harper is a big receiver with great athletic ability, in the mold of current senior wideout Ernest Wilford. Harper is a great addition to the wide receiver corps, and remaining targets at the position now include Eddie Royal, Derrick McPhearson, and Armand Cauthen. If they land two of the remaining targets, the wide receiving corps would be significantly upgraded, in my opinion.
in TSL Pass

The State of the Program, Part 2: The Offense
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 12/11/03, 2:10 pm
In this article, the second in our "State of the Program" series, we'll examine the offense, and we'll participate in every fan's favorite past time: second-guessing the play-callers in the booth. First, though, we'll take a look at some hair-raising statistics that explain a lot about Tech's struggles against the other powers in the Big East in the last three years.
in TSL Pass

Hokies Destroy VMI, 80-56
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 12/11/03, 12:40 am
Blacksburg, VA -- The Hokies ended the first half with a 25-4 run, breaking open a tie game into a rout, and Virginia Tech cruised to victory over VMI, 80-56. The Hokies were led once again by Bryant Matthews, who had 26 points and 8 rebounds, and Zabian Dowdell had his second 18-point game in a row, adding five assists.
in Men's Hoops

Hokie Hotline Notes for December 8, 2003
by Wayne Clevenger, 12/10/03, 10:40 am
Bill Roth opened the broadcast with the usual "news of the day" announcements. Former VT men’s basketball coach Chuck Noe passed away. He was a coach at VT from 1955 to 1962 and was instrumental in the initiative to construct Cassell Coliseum. VT men’s basketball player Bryant Matthews was named co-Big East player of the week. George O’Leary was recently named the new head football coach at UCF. The VT men’s basketball team will battle VMI on 12/10 at 7 p.m. in Cassell and then play Radford on 12/13 at 7 p.m. in Cassell.
in Hokie Hotline Notes

Two Takes from Two Fans
by Phillip Wade and Random Hokie, 12/9/03, 10:40 am
The start of our "State of the Program" series last Friday has spurred a couple of readers to submit Voice of the Fan articles, one via email and one via the subscriber's message board. Here are two takes from two fans of the VT football program.
in Voice of the Fan

Ah, That Zany BCS
by Jim Alderson, 12/8/03, 2:10 pm
The final college football Saturday of the regular season certainly produced some memorable results. Not on the field, mind you, as viewers were offered the scintillating fare of one RUTS after another, beginning with the amusing demonstration of exactly why Notre Dame is now testing the conference waters as Walter Reyes found the going much easier against a lousy Irish defense than he did against Tech’s.
in TSL Pass

Tech Women Run Away From Alabama, 68-51
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 12/803, 12:35 am
Tuscaloosa, AL -- Virginia Tech women's basketball team broke Alabama's 53-game home non-conference winning streak with fierce second half defense and superior free throw shooting, winning 68-51.
in Women's Hoops

Buckeyes Hold Off Hokies, 62-57
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 12/6/03, 4:40 pm
Columbus, OH -- Ohio State built an 18-point first-half lead and then held off two second-half Virginia Tech rallies to down the Hokies 62-57 before 14,248 fans. Virginia Tech was paced by freshman guard Zabian Dowdell with 18 points, while senior forward Bryant Matthews added 15 before fouling out.
in Men's Hoops

VT Recruiting War Room #8: Defense
by Chris Horne, 12/5/03, 4:55 pm
Virginia Tech has its first big weekend official visits-wise, with a number of talented Hargrave players as well as West Charlotte CB Rod Council making their official visits.
in TSL Pass