Lehigh Football Nation

The time for waiting is through. Oh, you thought I meant that I was announcing that Lehigh preseason practice has finally, finally started ? I meant that I'm finally, finally back from my tradeshow trip to Las Vegas for my day job. A long trip punctuated by a terrorist threat and (more importantly) a 3-hour blog posting getting eaten by the blogging gods, I never felt more homesick than when I read that spring practice had started and I was clear across the country. Whole articles had appeared, I-AA Radio shows went on the air, and I-AA and Lehigh fans were buzzing, and I was nowhere to be found. It was upsetting in a way that may not be evident to someone who hasn't blogged on a certain subject before. You feel like it's you're responsibility to break the stories, and instead you're attending technical conferences, or playing blackjack somewhere. You nfeel like you're shirking your responsibilities. Even so, I did spend a lot of time on a posting about Hunter T...

It's hard to know where to begin when it comes to talking about Patriot League Media Day. How to sum up the whirlwind of activity, addresses, and interviews? And, to top it off, a round of golf in egg-frying temperatures? Maybe this mash-up will give a different perspective on the event for Lehigh fans. I got my invite for Media Day by agreeing to interview as many coaches and players that I could for I-AA Waves, the only internet radio show devoted exclusively to national I-AA coverage. As I came into the reception area, I also recorded the opening comments from Patriot League Commissioner Carolyn Femovich for yesterday's I-AA Waves broadcast. The big news for Lehigh was that the Mountain hawks were picked to finish third in the Patriot League preseason poll, finishing behind Lafayette and Colgate. Once the press was allowed to ask questions, a rush of reporters flocked to the Lehigh table. With several TV crews there as well, it was a challenge to talk to coach Coen, junior Q...

Ever wanted to ask Lehigh's starting QB a question? Now you can. All you need to do is get your digital butt to a computer from 12:45PM to 1:05PM, where Sedale will be answering questions live at Patriot League Media Day. I'll be sitting down with Sedale during Media Day as well, where I'll be covering the event for I-AA.org and asking him burning questions that Lehigh Nation is dying to know, like: Which Dixie Chick is his favorite; or What does he think of Jay-Z coming out of retirement? Along the way I might ask him a few questions about football and his Lehigh experience as well. Write your own questions to Sedale, and he'll answer them Tuesday. Expect a special blog posting after Tuesday's Media Day as well detailing my experience.

I'm continuously amazed about the amazing free-flow of information these days. The speed of news everywhere is moving at a record pace. Images from Iraq and Lebanon are broadcast to us mere hours after they happen. The sexuality of N' Sync's bassist is beamed to us moments after their publicist announces it. And, at a I-AA football level, speeches from league commissioners uttered at league "media days"can become, in effect, "shots heard around the world". Proposals can have the effect of being invitations for a swordfight. We're less than a week from the Patriot League's media day, but thoughts of summer practice and Lehigh's new 3-4 defense maybe should be taking a back seat to a legislative proposal coming out of the OVC and Big Sky media days. Thanks to I-AA Waves, the only national radio show devoted solely to I-AA football, a proposal mentioned by the Big Sky and OVC commissioners has come to national light. It's a proposal to have ...

No new content here, just get your digital butt over to LehighSports.com to read coach Coen's extensive interview . I think this comment may just sum up coach Coen's style: What can we expect to see from the players on an Andy Coen coached team? I want the young men who play for Andy Coen to be excited about playing the greatest game on Earth. They will be well-schooled in the fundamentals of the game and they will learn how to play the game the right way. Football is a very physical game, and regardless of the position, our players will understand that. I also expect them to be emotional and intense. Looking forward to summer workouts.

It's less and less of a surprise every year that EA Sports chooses not to include Patriot League schools in the only NCAA Football video game title on the market. But I always check: and this year, yet again Patriot League fans are skunked. Maybe it's been the hopes of too many summers unrealized, but the gleam in my eye when EA Sports used to release a new version of their college football game has been replaced with cold cynicism. In years past I used to race out to the store to try to play-test the game. Finding out the changes in gameplay and possibilities about dynasty mode were something that interested me. I never got what I really wanted, but usually there was something interesting to take the edge off. Maybe dynasty mode was expanded, or more I-AA teams, or a Heisman mode. I'd look at some of the versions and say, "Maybe I could work with this". As '07 hit store shelves this year, the neglect to I-AA teams in general was pretty apparent. No I-AA playo...

With my "contest" of renaming Lehigh/Lafayette extending into early next week, and the release of EA Sports' NCAA '07 to rail about next week as well, here's my annual feature which is sure to whet your appetite for Patriot League football this year. That's right - it's my annual recap of the offseason for every Patriot League team! Each offseason brings a lot of upheaval in college football - it's inevitable. New classes come in, coaches leave, and stars graduate. It's a lot to keep track of. As a service to you, the Patriot League fan, I've netted it out and compiled the important information from every offseason and compiled it here. Here's your guide to what's been happening up to this point. BUCKNELL Coaching Changes: A new offensive coordinator in Ashley Ingram cements the "spread option" offensive philosiphy in Lewisburg, while a new defensive line coach in Pat Kingman takes over as well. They take over for two coaches...