DC would advise you to seek help soon.
Having said that, I agree that there are more similarities than differences between U of R ("One Regiment! United!", as their pregame video barked, incongruously suggesting that a team predominantly comprised of black student athletes would draw inspiration from their stars and bars uniforms and Confederate Capitol locale) and dear 'ole VU. First, the Itsy Bitsy's were relegated to 1AA as would have been the case with Villanova, had we not dropped football in 1981. Second, the Itsy Bitsy's found new purpose in 1AA's Yankee Conference cum Atlantic 10 cum CAA, having immediate success in the mid-80s. They brought far more students and fans to Piscataway in 1984 for a knock down drag out contest with RU than were present in the home stands yesterday. After a 20 year slump, Richmond won FCS in 2008, and were dethroned by VU in a hair-raising finish in 2009 when Poppy Livers' predecessor snagged an overthrown Whitney pass for a 4th and 20 TD to end the game if you don't count the last minute length of the field drive by UR culminating in a missed chippy FG. Some things never change in 1AA.
The conspicuous absence of fans in U of R's downsized brand spanking new stadium was matched by their failure to present a band. We were treated to renditions of their fight song, if that it be, by the state-of-the-art sound system. They even play the same obscene rap song that VU warms up to during pre-game at our place, proving that Talmudic scholars can go toe to toe with Augustinian philosophers when it comes to inappropriate music at campus events. Its a catchy little pean to MF's generally and Ho's in particular.
Mrs. DC was kind enough to point out the gaggle of gray haired old men and shivering old women sheltering from the wind/rain/cold under the stands during halftime was testament to the fact that alums under 50 have found better things to do on Saturday afternoons in the Old Dominion than support 1AA football. Ironically, on our way home, we unexpectedly drove past CAA Headquarters, which conveniently adjoin a gerontology office in suburban Richmond. No cars were parked in either lot, suggesting the CAA braintrust keeps doctors hours. Thus assuring there is no chance our Commissioner will learn of the latest league departure while in the raiding league's press box, as was the case in the Big East.
Richmond has an impressive leafy campus. A lot like Duke- or VU if you prefer. As a small, small private, they have to raid the endowment to finance D1 football. They are overshadowed by Penn State and the Eagles- er, I mean by UVA and the Redskins, and generate essentially no buzz in the local media. The WaPo ignores their games. They have a more well known and much more broadly supported hoops program (some games televised in the DMV) and over the years have had coaches who reached the Sweet 16 in widely separated intervals. They have several local rivals who lambaste their students as "carpetbaggers" from the wealthy Northeast.
They are doggedly determined to soldier on (One Regiment! United!) in FCS come hell or high water. And why should they not? They are several hours closer to Elon, Wofford, VMI, Citadel and Davidson, their once and future foes, than is VU way up North on I-95. My suspicion is that UR will be fumbling punts, missing PAT's and kicking off out of bounds long after VU football and Andy Talley have gone on to their reward.
This post was edited on 11/2 8:40 PM by DCFRANKLIN
