Cool item for kids (and adults, too!)

by Barca Blog - You might be familiar with Fathead, a company that offers decal-like sports posters that stick to bedroom walls without tape or thumb tacks (it just peels off).

Well, Replay Photos is now selling a similar item of the best mascot in the land.

That's right, you can purchase a four-foot tall adhesive cutout of Mr. C for only $69.95 (echo) which also includes a couple of Commodore logos.

I'm jealous because this product wasn't available when I was a kid. It would have been placed right next to my Eric Davis "44 Magnum" poster and Shawn Kemp "Reign Man" poster.

Click here to bring Mr. C into your home.

Price check on ESPN tonight

By Barca Blog - Tampa Bay pitcher David Price made national headlines as a rookie last fall when he recorded the final four outs against Boston in Game 7 of the ALCS to lift the Rays to their first ever World Series appearance. Price will return to the hill tonight to face the Red Sox for the first time since that magical night... and Vanderbilt fans can watch the action live on ESPN at 6 p.m. CT.

"It's kind of where I put myself on the map last year, it was against these guys," Price told MLB.com. "It was fun, it was awesome. I wouldn't change anything that happened for the world."

Price (4-4) is coming off one of his strongest performances of the season, allowing only one run on five hits in seven innings to earn the victory against Kansas City last Friday. In 2009, he's been dominant at Tropicana Field, the site of tonight's game, with a 4-1 record and 2.67 ERA (compared with 0-3 and an 8.20 ERA on the road).

Read more about tonight's matchup here.

Tough guys

By Barca Blog - At the SEC's annual business meetings in May, commissioner Mike Slive challenged league coaches to schedule tougher non-conference opponents after only three teams made it to the NCAA Tournament last season -- its lowest total since 1990.

Slive has to be pleased with Vanderbilt's upcoming slate, which features a variety of opponents including Missouri, Western Kentucky, St. Mary's, Illinois, Mercer and Southern Miss. The Commodores will also take a trip to Hawaii for the 2009 EA Sports Maui Invitational to face Cincinnati in the opener, either Maryland or Chaminade on day two, and a third game to be determined.

"We feel like our non-conference schedule this year will be as strong as any we have had since we have been here," said head coach Kevin Stallings. "We think this will be more than enough to prepare us for the rigors of the SEC schedule. Hopefully, it will show the NCAA Selection Committee that we made a definite effort to play a challenging schedule."

You can view the complete non-conference schedule here. Also, take a look at the entire bracket for the Maui Invitational.

Cole expected to contribute at wideout

By Barca Blog - When Vanderbilt's preseason camp starts Friday, one of the biggest position battles will be at wide receiver.

Several younger Commodore prospects will have the opportunity to make an impact after the squad lost two key receivers to graduation (Sean Walker and George Smith) and one to injury (Justin Wheeler).

One person to keep an eye on is redshirt freshman John Cole, who emerged as one of the possible starters coming out of spring practice.

"He's got some tools," head coach Bobby Johnson told the 104.5 Wake Up Zone. "He's use to catching a lot of footballs and he knows what to do when he gets it."

Last year, Cole showed plenty of promise. Displaying excellent speed and solid hands, Cole earned a role on the field during the season opener at Miami (Ohio) to become one of three true freshmen to play in 2008. Unfortunately, his season was cut short after suffering a knee injury in the third quarter of that game.

Cole enters camp off a tremendous offseason conditioning effort, having spent the entire summer on campus working out with teammates.

"John is looking great right now," the head coach added. "Not only has he rehabbed, but he's gained weight and worked really hard on weightlifting. His body has changed since last year. I expect John to be a big contributor to the wide receiver corps."

Football Notes

by Barca Blog - Two quick things worth mentioning...

Single game tickets are on sale now for the Western Carolina (September 5, $20) and Georgia Tech (October 31, $40) football games. My advice is to splurge on the season ticket package (starting at only $109) so you have your seats locked down for all six home games in Vanderbilt Stadium. You decide!

Vanderbilt's road tilt with Army on October 10 has been set for 11 a.m. CT. The Commodores lead the overall series with the Black Knights, 4-3, with three of those victories coming at West Point.

Vote for Vanderbilt in ESPN Poll

by Barca Blog - In its latest fan poll, ESPN.com asks the sports nation, "Which 40 teams should make up our new Division I-A?" Of course, the college football landscape isn't actually changing, but it's still a fun proposition to debate.

I put my vote in for Vanderbilt... What better program to make the list than the one right here on West End that offers the total package for student-athletes. Make sure you submit your vote for the Commodores, and pass the link on to your friends. Vote Here

Marina Alex tied for 6th after first round of U.S. Women's Amateur

By A. Boggs - Vanderbilt rising sophomore Marina Alex finished her first round of the U.S. Women's Amateur at the Old Warson Golf Club in St. Louis, Mo., with a one-under par 70, which puts her in a tie for sixth place. There are still golfers out on the course, one of which includes incoming freshman Anna Leigh Keith of Moultrie, Ga., who is at three-over par after her first nine holes.

Match play continues through the rest of today and Tuesday, with the best 64 players advancing to the first round of match play on Wednesday. The second and third rounds will take place on Thursday, the quarters Friday, the semifinals Saturday, and the 36-hole final on Sunday.

We'll post a complete recap when Keith finishes her round later this evening. You can follow all results here.

Quote of the Day

by Barca Blog - Vanderbilt University English lecturer Andrea Hearn had this to say about a current Commodore football student-athlete:

“In his contributions to class discussion as well as his formal academic essays, he consistently offered insights into literary works that went beyond the obvious,” Hearn shares. “As well as being a perceptive reader, he is an eloquent writer; I always looked forward to reading what he had to say about the work he had chosen.”

Click here to find out who Hearn was talking about in a must-read feature by Meggie Butzow on VUcommodores.com.

Facebookin'

by Barca Blog - If you haven't become a fan of our official Athletics Facebook page, then what are you waiting for? Sign up for the latest news, videos, photos, etc., and share them with your friends!

I'd also like to plug the Vanderbilt University Facebook site. Here's a message from Amy Wolf of the VUCAST News Network encouraging you to join their page, too.

Back in the saddle

by Barca Blog - Yes, I am back at home base McGugin after spending a beautiful honeymoon with my wife in New England. Some of you may know that I was actually married in February, but as she told me during our week-long getaway, the trip was "better late than never!"

Just like my wife and I make a great team, so do Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett. They continue to turn heads with their play during the first few days of Bears training camp. Here are a few articles on Bennett's emergence:
Bennett could prove to be quite a catch
Bears still believe in Bennett
Improved Bennett could have breakout season

Now it's time to gear up for Vanderbilt's football camp as the Commodores report later this week with the first practice scheduled for Friday evening. Stay with the blog and vucommodores.com for complete coverage during August!

(Photo courtesy of Phil Velasquez/ChicagoTribune.com)

Price picks up fourth win

By Ryan Schulz - Former Commodore lefty David Price earned his fourth win of the season and second of July on Friday as Tampa Bay defeated Kansas City 8-2.

Price tossed seven innings of five-hit baseball, surrendering just one run, while walking two and striking out three. The seven innings pitched matched a career high for Price, who moved to 4-4 on the season.

The strong outing was much needed for Price after two of his previous four starts lasted three innings or less.

Box Score

Johnson takes part in football luncheon

By Ryan Schulz – Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson and Tennessee Head Coach Lane Kiffin took part in the Nashville Sports Council’s annual SEC Football Luncheon on Thursday afternoon at the Wildhorse Saloon.

Approximately 400 people were in attendance at the event to watch Johnson and Kiffin discuss the upcoming 2009 season. Kevin Ingram from 104.5 The Zone emceed the luncheon, which began with Ingram taking turns asking each coach questions before opening the floor for questions from the audience.

Included among the questions directed at Coach Johnson were ones about replacing D.J. Moore and Reshard Langford in the secondary, the status of the running back situation, the implementation of a no-huddle offense, etc.

There were a few laughs among the crowd during the luncheon, but maybe the largest laugh came when someone in the crowd asked each coach to pick their sleeper team in 2009. “Vanderbilt,” answered Kiffin. “Tennessee,” replied Johnson.

Johnson was also asked about being one of the oldest coaches in the SEC and how he plans on teaching lessons to youthful coaches in the league. The question and Johnson’s initial response drew a large laugh from the crowd.

“The thing about being an old hat in this league is my premature gray is no longer premature, it matches my age now,” cracked Johnson.

Below are a few more quotes from the luncheon.

On the running back situation:
“We feel like we will be much better at running back because our offensive line is back intact, but also because we have more talent at the position than we have had.”

On the no-huddle offense:
“The no-huddle offense gives us an opportunity to do a lot of things, but the main thing you want to do is dictate tempo. Also a lot of times the defense may tip off what they are going to do. We had a down year on offense and we want to improve on that this year.”

On the stadium renovations:
“We are excited about the renovations. They will be a great improvement to our stadium and it is a big commitment by our administration.”

On what to expect over the next few weeks:
“Football today is a whole lot different because the players all used to go home and you didn’t know if they were working hard and getting ready. Now, we’ve been with them all summer. They come through the office and tell us how they are doing. The strength staff tells us how they are doing. There are no surprises. We are just ready to get to work. A lot of these guys played big roles for us last year, so we expect them to step up and play big roles for us this year.”

Former 'Dores begin NFL training camp

By Ryan Schulz - The Commodores are just over a week from beginning fall football practice, but many former Commodores have already begun or will be starting NFL training camp by the end of the week.

Below are the start dates for former Commodores at training camp.

Buffalo: July 25 (Marcus Buggs)
Carolina: Aug. 3 (Justin Geisinger)
Chicago: July 31 (Earl Bennett, Jay Cutler, Hunter Hillenmeyer, D.J. Moore and Chris Williams)
Detroit: July 31 (Curtis Gatewood)
Dallas: July 29 (Matt Stewart)
New York Giants: Aug. 3 (Jonathan Goff)
Philadelphia: July 26 (Reshard Langford)
St. Louis: July 31 (Sean Walker)
Tennessee: July 31 (Jovan Haye)
Washington: July 30 (Todd Yoder)

Snedeker earns another top-five finish

By Ryan Schulz - Former Commodore Brandt Snedeker continued his hot play on the PGA Tour on Monday when he tied for fifth at the RBC Canadian Open with a 72-hole score of 13-under par 275.

After carding an opening round score of 1-over 73, Snedeker posted rounds of 67, 67 and 68 to finish five shots back of Nathan Green, who won the tournament at 18-under par.

Snedeker's top-five finish was his third in his last four tournaments and came on the heels of last week's announcement that he was one of nine people selected to Vanderbilt's Hall of Fame.

Before Monday's finish, Snedeker had tied for fifth at the John Deere Clasic on July 12 and tied for second at the AT&T National on July 5.

Click here to view the final leaderboard.

Workin' for the summer

By Weinman - For rising seniors studying Human and Organizational Development (HOD) at Vanderbilt's Peabody College, the summer is normally spent receiving some real-world training through a number of internship programs.

One such senior on the women's basketball team is Lauren Lueders (pictured above with VU great Charles Davis and the arm of News Channel 5 producer Brian McKeegan). Lauren has spent the summer as an intern with the News Channel 5 Sports staff, working alongside the same members of the media who previously have interviewed her for stories on the Commodores.

Fellow rising seniors Jessica Mooney and Ashlee Bridge have also spent the summer as interns in Nashville, all while balancing school work with basketball workouts.

2009 baseball intro songs

by Barca Blog - I received a couple of emails asking for the names of the intro songs that Commodore baseball players used last season, whether it was at the plate or on the mound. Graham from the baseball offices was kind enough to forward me the following list.

It should be noted that the songs were compiled at the start of the year and some of the guys eventually changed to a different tune.

Which one was your favorite?

Alex McClure- Seven Nation Army by White Stripes
Sonny Gray- Ladies and Gentleman by Saliva
Matt Marquis- Riot by Three Days Grace
Andrew Giobbi- We Global by DJ Khaled
Brian Harris- In the Air Tonight by Nonpoint
Riley Reynolds- Put You In the Game by The Game
Curt Casali- Can't Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Navery Moore- Throw It Up by Lil John
Sean Bierman- Never Forget Me by Bone Thugs and Akon
Jack Armstrong- Higher by Creed
Jason Esposito- Can't Be Touched by Roy Jones Jr.
Steven Liddle- Until the End by Breaking Benjamin
Caleb Cotham- See You In My Nightmares by Kanye West
Grayson Garvin- Lose Yourself by Eminem
Russell Brewer- Boondocks by Little Big Town
Drew Hayes- I Put On by Young Jeezy
Taylor Hill- Fever Dream by 300 Soundtrack
Aaron Westlake- Papercut by Linkin Park
Jonathan White- Encore by Jay Z
Mark Lamm- Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi
Drew Fann- Amazing by Kanye West
Alex Hilliard- Dey Know by Shawty Lo
Joey Manning- Cant Tell Me Nothing by Kanye West
Joe Loftus- So Fresh, So Clean by Outkast

... Like A Champion

by Barca Blog - After all the media day hype yesterday, I thought this video from last season would get you revved up even more for the start of college football.

Believe it or not, we're only 44 days from the Music City Bowl champions' home opener against Western Carolina. The sights and sounds of gameday will be here before you know it. Have you reserved your seats? If not, watch this clip, then buy your tickets. (And see if you can name all the Commodores that appear in the video)

Stewart plays 64 minutes against USA

by SID - Chelsea Stewart picked up her sixth cap with the Canadian National Soccer team in Wednesday night's 1-0 loss to Team USA in Charleston, S.C.

She played 64 minutes in the final match of a three-game friendly against the US.

Batting Techniques with Ryan Flaherty

by Barca Blog - All you youngsters looking for some baseball advice, I suggest you pay attention in a flash as former Vanderbilt star Ryan Flaherty offers some hitting tips to help you improve your game. The four-part instructional series was filmed back in January, prior to Flaherty's season with Single-A Peoria.

Watch the clips below, and make sure you check out VUcommodores' official YouTube page.

SEC Media Days Wrap (links galore!)

by Barca Blog - I just compiled a collection of links so you feel like you were in attendance for 2009 SEC Football Media Days on Wednesday. The Commodores were represented by head coach Bobby Johnson, cornerback Myron Lewis, and center Bradley Vierling.

Schulz's Feature: Vierling showcases his personality

Photo Gallery: View pictures from the event

Twitter: Look back at BarcaBlog's tweets during the trip

Quotes: Full transcript covering the Commodores.

Press:
Al.com's complete coverage of media days

Johnson in a rush to see improved running game
Vandy looks to prosper
Vandy sounding more confident
Vandy eyes bigger prize

Johnson sees brighter days to come

Success rings loud for Vandy

Vierling foresees improved offense

Commodores riding wave of momentum

Vanderbilt poised to take next step

Commodores still waiting on Jeffers-Harris

Vanderbilt not satisfied

Vandy has used springboard

Vandy addresses the masses

Q&A: Vanderbilt's Bradley Vierling

Just being competitive isn't enough

SEC sure hit the jackpot

Videos:

Coach Johnson speaks to the press


Myron Lewis and Bradley Vierling field questions

Football times set for three games

by Barca Blog - Big news from SEC Media Days... Vanderbilt football will open the 2009 season with three straight night games, so mark your calendars with the following start times:

Sept. 5 vs. Western Carolina - 6:30 p.m. CT on CSS
Sept. 12 at LSU - 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU
Sept. 19 vs. Mississippi State - 6 p.m. CT on FSN

Follow more SEC news throughout the day (plus updates from the road) on my twitter account - click here.

Chelsea Stewart Playing For Canadian National Team

by SID - Chelsea Stewart played 45 minutes for the Canadian Women's National Team in Sunday's 1-0 loss to Team USA in Rochester, N.Y.

She picked up her fifth cap playing for the National Team and now has 17 matches of international experience including her U-20 time.

Canada and the US will close out a three-game friendly series tonight at 7 p.m. CT in Charleston, S.C.

"It's been exciting getting to play against and with some of the best players in the world, players I grew up watching and admiring," said Stewart prior to Wednesday night's contest against the US.

She has used the experience against the US team to better herself as a player. "Being on the pitch with them is an opportunity to improve your game drastically," added Stewart who has always followed the team. "I saw the US beat Brazil in the 1999 World Cup semis at Stanford when I was nine years old, so the opportunity to play against them was great."

The incoming freshman thought her team played tough in Monday's loss. "I thought Canada did well against the US, holding them at 0-0 for nearly 80 minutes and I am proud of my team," Stewart said.

Stewart, along with the rest of the Commodore soccer team, will officially report to campus on Aug. 5. The team will play an exhibition match at Western Kentucky on Aug. 15 at 6 p.m., before opening the regular season on Aug. 22 against Saint Louis at 7 p.m. at the VU Soccer Complex.

Follow Media Madness Wednesday

by Barca Blog - I'll be making my fourth consecutive trip to SEC Football Media Days in Hoover, Ala., early Wednesday morning with our Athletics Communications staff.

In case you're not familiar with Media Days, I'd describe it as one of the craziest -- and most entertaining -- days of the year with throngs of media and fans gathered in one hotel with the sole intention of jumpstarting another college football season.

Vanderbilt and Arkansas will kick-off the three-day event from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. CT Wednesday at the Wynfrey Hotel. The Commodores will be represented by head coach Bobby Johnson, senior center Bradley Vierling and senior cornerback Myron Lewis.

I'll be giving live updates throughout the day on my Twitter account (as I try to fight through the madness). Fans can also follow the latest news on SECsports.com and AL.com.

(Archived link: At 2008 Media Days, Ryan Schulz followed every footstep of wide receiver George Smith - read)

More photos of HOF announcement

by Barca Blog - Check out more of Steve Green's photos of the Hall of Fame press conference inside the McGugin Center on Tuesday. Click Here

Reaction from HOF Inductees

by Barca Blog - Steve Green sent me this photo of the 2009 Vanderbilt Hall of Fame inductees that were in attendance or represented at today's press conference.

Left to Right: Leigh Ann Hawkins (wife of the late Charles Hawkins), Vice Chancellor David Williams, Jim Arnold, Charles Davis, Roy Skinner and John Rich (son of the late Herb Rich).

Ryan Schulz was able to catch up with Arnold, Davis and Skinner after the official announcement. Find out how the former Commodores' reacted to the honor - click here.

In total, nine inductees will be recognized at a banquet on Friday, September 4 and introduced during half time of the Western Carolina football opener on Saturday, September 5.

Know these guys?

by Barca Blog - Here's a sneak preview of the 2009 Vanderbilt football media guide cover featuring Ryan Hamilton, Bradley Vierling, Myron Lewis and Patrick Benoist. The 208-page book will be on sale for $15 next week in the McGugin Center ticket office.

ESPN Regional Television and Southeastern Conference introduce ‘SEC Network,’ announce syndication package

By A. Boggs - In a release today, the SEC and ESPN Regional Television has announced their over-the-air broadcast affiliates for their "SEC Network", which will kick off this fall for football season. The breadth of the network is impressive, stretching from Florida in the south to Michigan in the north to Arizona in the west. Other states with affiliates include Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, to go along with states that have SEC members.

Here's the official release from the SEC and ESPN Regional...

ESPN Regional Television, the new over-the-air syndication home for Southeastern Conference programming, and the SEC announced today a regionally syndicated college sports package that will air in more than 73 television markets, along with the branding of the syndication package as the SEC Network – all part of the groundbreaking 15-year agreement between ESPN, Inc., and the SEC.
Within the nine-state SEC footprint, the SEC Network will be delivered in markets by the local over-the-air carrier of SEC events. In markets outside the SEC footprint, the syndicated programming will air on either local, over-the-air television stations or regional sports cable networks.

Coverage will feature extensive football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball telecasts, produced by ESPN Regional Television.

“As ESPN moves forward in this landmark agreement with the SEC, ESPN Regional Television is thrilled to provide our viewers with a consistent window for Southeastern Conference football and basketball,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president & general manager, ESPN Regional Television. “With ESPN’s multimedia platforms, we anticipate SEC sports will touch an unprecedented base of college fans nationwide.”

The SEC Network will feature an SEC football Game of the Week regionally for 13 consecutive Saturdays, beginning Sept. 5. Those telecasts will kick off at noon ET/11 a.m. CT with the live SEC Studio show, followed by the matchup, generally determined 12 to six days in advance. The new kickoff time for the Game of the Week will be 12:21 p.m. ET.

Longtime SEC announcer Dave Neal will call the weekly SEC Network game on Saturdays, along with analyst Andre Ware and reporter Cara Capuano.

The SEC Studio show is produced by ESPN Regional Television at their headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., also the home of ESPNU. The SEC show will kick off Saturday coverage with host Rob Stone and analyst Matt Stinchcomb in the studio.

The regular-season SEC men’s basketball package on the SEC Network beginning in January will consist of Wednesday and Saturday games, including doubleheaders. The SEC Network will also offer regional coverage of multiple rounds from the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament as well as SEC women’s basketball games on Sundays, also beginning in January.

“The SEC Network, through the efforts of ESPN, will be the largest college sports syndication television package in the country,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. “The comprehensive market coverage in the nine-state SEC area combined with the out-of-market reach gives us significant additional exposure for our programs.”

The markets that will air the package represent more than 54 million television households, or 47 percent of the U.S. Before the first football game this season, as clearance work continues, the coverage area will be larger still. The 15-year agreement between ESPN and the SEC begins with the 2009-10 season and continues through 2023-24.

Find the complete list of affiliates on the SEC's official website, secsports.com.

Video: 2009 Football Commercial

by Barca Blog - In the words of Joe Fisher... "You better believe they belong!"

Commodore fans can see the Music City Bowl champions in action six times this fall at Vanderbilt Stadium. The home slate includes Western Carolina, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Kentucky. Season ticket packages start at only $109, so reserve your seats today! Click here

Oh, and you can remember the elation and recapture the feeling by watching this commercial below.

MBB Season Tickets On Sale July 21

Vanderbilt men's basketball season tickets will be in short supply again for the upcoming 2009-10 season as Kevin Stallings returns all five starters and 14 letterwinners from a year ago. Memorial Gym will once again be in for a special season with a great non-conference schedule and the always-tough SEC slate. Just like in the last two years, this year's season ticket will be a hot item, with a sell-out of Memorial Gymnasium season tickets all but certain for the 2009-10 campaign.

The ticket office will be open to take your orders beginning at 8:30 am on Tuesday, July 21. For best results and no waiting, order your tickets online at vucommodores.com at midnight before the ticket office opens. As always, 615-322-GOLD (4653) will be an option starting at 8:30 a.m. on July 21.

Click Here for Pricing Information

The Right Price

By Barca Blog - Whit Watson (of Sun Sports TV) blogged about a recent trip to Nashville to meet the family and friends of Tampa Bay's David Price. Watson opens with the following text:

The purpose of the trip was to shoot interviews for an upcoming episode of "Inside The Rays" featuring Price; the outcome was a renewed faith in people. Specifically, the people who surrounded Price on his way to the majors.

If this kid doesn't make it, I don't know who will. And though it's been driven into my head for twenty years that "there's no cheering in the press box," I have become a very big fan of David Price.

Watson then goes into detail about every stop he made, including his visit with Vanderbilt baseball head coach Tim Corbin (look for the story about the marshmallow, jelly bean, and rock).

This is a must read. Click Here