Tebow Needs To STOP!

Editors Note: I know this blog is strictly about coverage of the Yankees and Hokies but I feel I need to post something on Tim Tebow, regardless if it's irrelevant.

First off let me start off by saying that I have genuinely rooted for Tim Tebow all around in the last few years. He has an amazing story from his faith, family, and of course the fact that he was a homeschooler but played football in public schools. He's built one of the greatest college football resume's of all time by winning 2 national titles and 1 Heisman (he's been nominated twice and could very well be nominated again this year).

That being said I've become very annoyed with Tebow over the last few seasons for one reason.

His crying.

Tebow first showed the world that he sheds a few tears last season during Florida's only loss to SEC opponent Ole Miss. He then delivered what turned out to be one of the greatest motivational speeches ever given. He proclaimed that he would be the hardest working football player out there. UF ended up winning the national title and coach Urban Meyer eventually had Tebow's speech transcribed onto a plaque that now hangs outside the Gator football practice facility.

After the first initial crying stage I thought he was just an emotional guy and felt sympathetic for him because he cared about his team and school so much.

That all changed yesterday following the SEC Championship Game.

Now I'll be the first one to admit that I was rooting for Tebow and the Gators all the way after the way the Crimson Tide destroyed my hokies earlier in the season.

However, the Gators were simply outplayed and the defense knew how to handle Tebow.

As the clock was winding down to the final seconds the camera's focused on Tebow on the bench. Crying. Again.

I understand that he did not complete his promise of winning a third national title but really, that's a hard task to complete by playing in the SEC and having to beat the #2 team in the country.

Seriously Tim, you had the chance to be competitive for the national title all four years of college. Many players never get that.

Be thankful and let's work on something before you get drafted. STOP CRYING.

Because honestly, if you end up on a team like the St. Louis Rams are you really going to cry every week after every loss? I sure hope not.

Cross Country finishes outdoor, ready for indoor

Here's my latest article for the Collegiate Times. The website is www.collegiatetimes.com

The Virginia Tech men’s and women’s cross country teams finished eighth and 15th, respectively, in their final competition on Saturday, Nov. 14 at the NCAA Southeast Regional Invitational in Louisville, Ky.
Prior to their fall season finale, both teams were recently hit hard when many of their runners came down with illnesses.
“We had some great individual efforts, but we never quite got it together as a team,” head coach Ben Thomas said. “It mainly came down to things like illness.
“We had guys getting the flu at the wrong time, on the day of the race,” he said. “Our top five didn’t actually get to race together in the past two important meets, which were the championship meets.”
“I think we have a really good team,” said junior Matt Kroetch. “We’ve had a rough streak at regionals every year. Our team seems to get hit especially hard with illnesses. I don’t know if it’s for any particular reason or if it was just a bunch of bad luck.”
One of the few bright spots for the team was senior Devin Cornwall, who finished 18th and earned all-region honors in the 10,000-meter race. This was the first all-region title for Cornwall after he fell short in each of the last two years.
“I wanted to place high enough to help the team to move on to nationals,” Cornwall said. “About halfway through the race, I realized that this was the last time I had a chance to make all-region.”
Even though Cornwall finished the highest he ever has, it was a bittersweet moment for him as his cross country career is over because the team did not advance to nationals.
“On paper leading into the year, we were a very good team, but I guess it just didn’t work out,” Cornwall said.
Kroetch placed 30th and had a personal best time at the course in Louisville of 31:41. He also saw his cross country season career come to an end.
“I tried to enjoy the meet when I went there,” Kroetch said. “Knowing this was going to be my last meet. I’ve been improving over the last few years, and I’m really glad with the way things turned out.”
For now, the runners will look forward to the start of the indoor track season.
“We have a good young group of guys coming back,” Thomas said. “And our recruiting is going well. We’re looking to get more cross country runners for our women’s side.”
Kroetch agreed.
“We have a really great group of individuals, and I think next year they should come back and put together something special,” he said.

Girardi Helping the Jets

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan called up the yankees asking them for a favor. Star QB needed to learn the proper way to slide, to avoid injury after making a running play. Ryan asked the Yankees for Joe Girardi to come out and teach Sanchez how to slide. It was a natural job for Girardi, as he was a former catcher and his Yankees just won the world series. Sanchez took 10-15 practice slides on a mat before showing Ryan. Girardi then spoke to the entire team following practice telling them to keep motivated and explained the Yankees situation prior to Alex Rodriguez's return.

Here's the AP's story: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/10458524/Jets-bring-in-Girardi-to-teach-Sanchez-to-slide

Sportsman of the Year

Derek Jeter was named SI's Sportsman of the Year. This is the first time Jeter has earned the honor. He's actually the first Yankee to ever be named the sportsman of the year. Jeter had another phenomonal year, finishing third in MVP voting, winning the gold glove, silver slugger and of course the biggest accomplishment of all, winning the 2009 World Series. Jeter of course would put aside the personal accolades for earning his fifth ring. It was refreshing not to hear him say the season was a failure for not winning the world series.

Jeter himself was thrilled to be the winner of the award. He most likely beat out the likes of Florida QB Tim Tebow and the Los Angeles Laker's Kobe Bryant.

Remember 2009 was the year of Jeter in the world of baseball.

Hokies Defeat Hoos

The Virginia Tech Hokies defeated the University of Virginia Cavilers 42-13.

The game was much closer then the score dictated. At halftime, the Hokies were only leading by one point, with a score of 14-13. The team did not really gain momentum until a fumble by the Cavs in the middle of the third quarter.

The Hokies were led by freshman running back Ryan Williams who scored 4 touchdowns and rushed for over 100 yards for the ninth time this season. The Hokies will wait for to see which Bowl Game they will be attending in the upcoming weeks. It will most likely be the Chik-Fil-A Bowl or the Gator Bowl.

The University of Virginia is expected to part ways with Head Coach Al Groh, who has been at the school for the past 9 seasons. Groh, a native son of the university, has suffered losing seasons in 4 of the past 5 years. It will be interesting to see how the university handles the whole situation and who will be Groh's replacement.

UPDATE: Groh was fired by the University, Monday following their 3-9 season.

Freshman Class Brings Talent, Size to Replace Seniors

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team will rely on significant contributions from a new crop of talented freshmen this season.

Tech has four true freshmen in Manny Atkins, Ben Boggs, Erick Green and Cadarian Raines, who are looking to make an impact on the team coming off the bench.

Head coach Seth Greenberg believes several of the freshmen will receive playing time early and often this season.

“I think the biggest challenge for freshmen is to play at the pace you need to play at to be successful at this level,” Greenberg said.

Atkins, who will split time at guard and forward, hails from Stone Mountain, Ga. Like many freshman players, he’s having a difficult time making the transition to college ball in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Right now, Manny is competing for playing time, but he’s got a great work ethic and great attitude and does have the ability to take shots,” Greenberg said.

Boggs, a 6-foot-4-inch graduate of Hidden Valley High School in Roanoke will receive significant playing time. After missing the majority of his senior year with a broken leg, Boggs has impressed Greenberg and his teammates in practices.

“He’s a really smart basketball player that understands the game,” Greenberg said. “He’s got toughness about him. He’s got a great work ethic, and he’s actually a solid defender.

“He’s definitely hitting shots, he’s tough on defense, he’s going to help us out a lot,” said junior guard Malcolm Delaney.

Green, a 6-foot-4-inch guard from Winchester, may receive the most playing time out of the entire freshman class. Green will be a key player both on and off the floor for the team.
“Erick Green has the potential to be a great leader,” said junior forward Terrell Bell.

“He’s very unselfish, and he looks for other players,” said Tech small forward J.T. Thompson.

Green’s primary role will be as a backup at point guard.

“He’s got a really good feel for the game,” Greenberg said. “He sees the game and the floor really well. He should be an outstanding defender.”

Raines, a forward from Petersburg, will look to help the team out only after he gets healthy. He broke his fifth metatarsal in his left foot, more commonly known as a Jones fracture, early in preseason practice.

“Hopefully when he gets healthy he can come back and get up to speed,” Greenberg said. “He’s missed four weeks now and will miss at least an additional four weeks or more.”

Raines is still in the process of rehabilitating his foot, but upon his return, he will be a tremendous force for the Hokies lineup at 6 feet, 9 inches.

“He’s a big physical guy that can block shots and rebound the ball,” Greenberg said.

“Cadarian, right now you know he had the foot surgery, but he’s a big body in the post, physical under the basket,” Bell said.

For now, Atkins, Boggs, Green and Raines are still making the adjustments necessary to be successful in the ACC.

“They’re talented, but they still don’t know what’s going on sometimes,” Thompson said. “Like, defensive mess-ups — like we switch all the time and they don’t know when to switch, when not to.

“So, just being at practice and letting them know when’s a good time to do it, when’s a good time to go to trap. ... You’ve got to be here to see that and see what’s going on, so just little stuff like that.”
Although the freshmen will experience growing pains, the team hopes the incoming freshmen will pay off with a bright future.

- from my article published to day in The Collegiate Times ( www.collegiatetimes.com )

Young Recruits Shine Early For Women's Soccer

Here's my latest story for The Collegiate Times.

The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team is having one of its most successful years in the program’s history.

Much of its success can be attributed to contributions from the team’s freshman class and, in particular, midfielder Kelly Conheeney and forward Kelsey Mitchell.

Conheeney and Mitchell are both receiving significant playing time, as they have each started 20 of 21 games of the season.

Overall, the team has eight freshmen, and head coach Kelly Cagle said each has significantly impacted the team on and off the field.

“They’re ready to buy in and be contributors and also be supportive of the stuff that was built prior to coming,” Cagle said. “That’s always a hard transition to make, so I have a lot of respect for both their on and off the field contributions for us.”

Both Conheeney and Mitchell are from outside the state of Virginia and were heavily recruited out of high school. After visiting Tech, both girls liked the family atmosphere that the team had as well as the resources the school offered.

“Once I met the coaching staff and the girls, I knew I wanted to come here,” Mitchell said.

“I just got the feeling that when I was here that this was it and this is where I wanted to be,” Conheeney said.

Adjusting to a sport at the collegiate level can be difficult for any athlete, especially as a freshman, but the transition for the girls has been relatively smooth.

“They’re all really good soccer players, so it’s been easy for them to adjust,” said senior forward Robin Chidester.

“They’ve been really welcoming and open to the leadership they have come into, and I think that’s a really big part of the process,” Cagle said. “They’re respectful but also go-getters.”

The highlight so far this season was when the team defeated the then No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels.

“We were really prepared and focused and put everything into it,” Conheeney said. “When we came out with the win, it was the best feeling I’ve ever felt in my life.”

Defender Julia Goldsworthy and forward Sloane Levin have also had significant playing time along with Conheeney and Mitchell. With the girls getting plenty of early action as freshmen, they’re gaining experience that will be beneficial for future teams.

“The earlier you get in the games, especially with the season we’re having now, having got to the 12 wins, having the amount of wins we have in the conference, the most we’ve had,” Cagle said. “Their experience is even different than three or four years ago, had they been freshmen then. We’re going to rely on some of that (experience) and rely on the expectation to have seasons like this year in and year out.”

With several seniors graduating, these key freshmen will be tasked with continuing to build a Tech program that is fast on the rise.

“Losing the seniors will be kind of a bummer,” Mitchell said, “but we’re all just going to grow and hopefully improve on everything we need to improve on individually and as a team.”

For now, the goal of the entire team is to finish out the season playing just as well as it did in the UNC game.

The Hokies finished fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season standings and defeated No. 10 Wake Forest last weekend in the conference tournament before losing to No. 6 Florida State in the semifinals.

The team received a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will play the first round in the UCLA bracket against Murray State.

“I know we’re capable of anything after beating the number one team in the country,” Conheeney said. “If we play at our best, we’re the best team out there. We need to not think about the other opponent but think about what we need to do and we’ll be in good shape.

#27 - Here at last

It finally happened. Nine years after their last championship, The New York Yankees are kings of the baseball universe once again. The Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 in six games last night.

Andy Pettitte pitched like he always does in big game situations: Phenomenally. In fact, Pettitte won every clinching game in each of the three rounds of the playoffs this season. Even though he did not have his best stuff, Pettitte pitched 5 2/3 effective innings, giving up only 3 earned runs that came off of Ryan Howard's first home run of the season. Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte and of course Mariano Rivera finished the game up for Pettitte. Rivera needed to get 5 outs for the non-save situation.

World Series MVP, Hideki Matsui, had a monster game. Matsui had 6 rbi's after hitting a 2 run home run and a double to drive in the runs. Matsui may have played his last game as a yankee but it surely was one of his best ones. He was the first full-time DH to win the MVP award, after starting only three of the games, and pinch hitting in game 3.

The core four returned to their glory by winning the ring for their thumb's. Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, and Posada all looked truly elated to be back holding the championship trophy. Posada said this title was for the boss, George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was absent from last night's victory, after attending the festivities of game one.

The Yankees had many veteran players who earned their first rings after numerous seasons in the big leagues. Players like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Nick Swisher.

Finally, none of this would have been possible without second-year manager Joe Girardi. Girardi loosened up significantly this season with the club, and the media. He even cancelled practice one day during spring training to take the players to a pool tournament. Girardi trusted his players and coaches more this year and it was visible with his eased up style this season. Of course, he had the help of players like Swisher, Sabathia and Burnett to loosen up the atmosphere of the clubhouse.

Tomorrow the team will have one more time to celebrate the series win with the Victory Parade down the Canyon of Heros parade, in downtown New York City. Check back for pictures.

Game 5 ALCS

Lineup courtesy of yankees.lhblogs.com

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Jose Molina C

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 2.19 ERA in postseason)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Maicer Izturis 2B
Juan Rivera LF
Jeff Mathis C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: RHP John Lackey (1-1, 1.38 ERA in postseason)

AJ Burnett was absolutely awful the first inning. He gave up 4 runs before even getting an out in the inning. He has since settled down but the Yankees have not been able to get anything off of John Lackey, the Angels starter. Unless the Yanks get on a hot streak and tear through the bullpen, it looks like we'll be playing game 6 in the Bronx on Saturday.

My First published Collegiate Article!

As a student here at Virginia Tech, I'm a staff writer for the sports section. Yesterday my article ran on our newest track and field coach, Charles Foster. Foster competed in the 1976 Olympic games in which he finished fourth. Here's the link to my article. I could only find the PDF file but it's on the last page.

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/cms/resource/frontpagepdfs/20091021.pdf

Check back later for a pregame post about the Yankees game 5 in the ALCS.

Yanks lone bright spot for Sports Weekend.

The New York Yankees were the only team that came out victorious this weekend. This entire weekend has served the bombers well. They took a 2-0 ALCS lead following a 13 inning 4-3 lead over the Angels that ended early this morning. The game took over 5 hours to play. The two teams now switch coasts to L.A. where Game 3 will resume tomorrow afternoon.

The Virginia Tech Hokies were manhandled by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Saturday night. The offense ran all over, the once 4th ranked Hokies. Bud Foster will definitely have a sour taste in his mouth going into the bi-week before the Hokies take on UNC, a nationally broadcasted game on ESPN on the 29th. The Hokies loss did not come without consequences. Going into the game, they were ranked #4 in the AP Poll and had a legitimate shot at having a good ranking in the BCS. After today's rankings were released, the Hokies are now #15 in the AP Poll and #14 in the BCS, thus ending any slim chance for the national title.

The Giants simply did not show up today to play. The defense got their behind kicked against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Brees continued his offensive domination and did not make the Giants look like the former undefeated team that they were coming into the game. The Giants will certainly have to make improvements on the defense before their next game. They will also need to keep an eye out for the Saints, as this could be another potential match up in the NFC championship game.

The Yanks are Rolling

Game one of the ALCS took place last night in the Bronx, with the Yankees beating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4-1. CC Sabathia pitched 8 strong innings, allowing only one run. Mariano Rivera earned his second save of the postseason.

The Yanks will look to continue their winning streak tonight, weather permitting, AJ Burnett will pitch, once again have Jose Molina as his catcher.

Check back later for more information.

Here's the Yankees lineup courtesy of yankees.lhblogs.com

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Jose Molina C

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 1.50 ERA)

YANKEES SWEEP THE TWINS

The New York Yankees completed a sweep against the Minnesota Twins Sunday night. Former Yankee, Carl Pavano took the loss after giving up consecutive home runs to Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada. The Yankees scored two more runs in the ninth following yet another baserunning blunder from the Twins.

The Yankees can thank a resurgent Rodriguez for winning the series. Arod provided a majority of the RBI's needed to surpass the Twins.

Now the Yankees are going to see an even more talented club in the Los Angeles Angels when the ALCS begins on Friday.

Virginia Tech Victorious Again!

The Virginia Tech Hokies dismantled the Boston College Eagles Saturday to win, 48-14. The hokies were led by the outstanding play of Quarterback Tyrod Taylor and runningback Ryank Williams. Bud Foster's defense did an impeccable job of making the Eagles look silly. The Eagles did not record their first first down until the second half.

For the hokies amazing win, they were rewarded from the AP writers by moving up one spot to the number four ranking. We'll just have to wait and see what the BCS computers will say.

Can you stop this man?

Boston College certainly can't. Hokies lead at halftime, 34-0!

Hokies Take on Boston College

The #5 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies will take on the Boston College Eagles, at noon, at Lane Stadium. BC has caused the Hokies numerous problems in the past, even beating them in dramatic fashion, two years ago at Lane Stadium following an outstanding game from Sean Glennon. The Hokies then went up to Boston last year and lost to Eagles in the regular season before eventually beating them in the ACC Championship game last December.

Which Hokies team will show up today? The Hokies just need to remember not to underestimate the Eagles and play like they did against Miami and not Duke.

BALL GAME OVER!!! YANKEES WIN...THEEE YANKEES WIN!!!

The Yankees beat the Twins in the 11th inning after Mark Teixiera hit a tie-breaking home run with no outs in the the bottom of the inning. More to come with Teixiera's reaction.

Oh and the yanks could not have won without Arod's home run in the 9th to tie it up!

ALDS Game 2

Here's the lineup for ALDS Game 2 courtesy of yankees.lhblogs.com

First Pitch is scheduled for 6:07

YANKEES
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Molina C

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (13-9, 4.04 ERA regular season)

TWINS
Span RF
Cabrera SS
Mauer C
Kubel DH
Cuddyer 1B
Young LF
Gomez CF
Tolbert 3B
Punto 2B

Pitching: RHP Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.03 ERA regular season)

ALDS Game 1

Here's the lineup's and pitching match-ups of both teams thanks to the guys over at yankees.lhblogs.com

Game 1 ALDS, Yankee Stadium; Bronx, NY

First Pitch: 6:07 p.m

Yankees

Jeter, SS

Damon, LF

Teixeira, 1B

Rodriguez, 3B

Matsui, DH

Posada, C

Cano, 2B

Swisher, RF

Cabrera, CF

Starting Pitcher: LHP CC Sabathia; 19-8 3.37 ERA in regular season

Twins:

Span, CF
Cabrera SS
Mauer C
Cuddyer 1B
Kubel RF
Young LF
Harris DH
Tolbert 3B
Punto 2B

Starting Pitcher: LHP Brian Duensing 5-2, 3.64 ERA regular season

Yankees win Game one 7-2. Sabathia earned the win after allowing only one earned run. 1 win down - 10 to go!

Twins vs. Yankees

After an epic game that lasted 12 innings between the Tigers and Twins, it was determined the Yankees will play the Minnesota Twins tomorrow in the Bronx. Since the Yankees chose playoff scenario A, the teams will have a day off between Games 1 & 2. First pitch is scheduled for 6:07 tomorrow evening, as the Yanks-Twins game is the sandwiched of three games on TBS tomorrow.

The Yankees were 7-0 against the Twins in the regular season. The Yankees will also have the advantage of the Twins arriving in New York late as it's almost 10 pm and the game just completed. Expect the Twins to arrive early tomorrow morning, although the team may have enough adrenaline to make it through the one game. But they do have to face the 6'7 CC Sabathia tomorrow to welcome them to the lovely city of New York. I just hope Carl Pavano can get into the series so his former teammates can "thank" him for all his hard work that he did in New York. Oh wait they might catch Pavano syndrome and have a mysterious injury.

Key Players for the series:

1. Joe Mauer - the leading AL MVP candidate is not only an offensive threat but an outstanding defensive catcher.

2. Alex Rodriguez - Has he proven he's over his October woes or will it continue to haunt him?

3. A.J. Burnett - Will the good or evil A.J. show up?

4. Robinson Cano - Hopefully he remembers how to hit with runners in scoring position.

5. Andy Pettitte- Will his fatigued shoulder be able to hold up for potentially three weeks?

This should be an entertaining series.

Prediction: Yankees in 4

Postseason time in the Bronx...

It's so nice to see the playoffs logo back in the Bronx following last year's hiatus from meaningful October baseball!

Great Day for the Yanks & GMen

The New York Yankees finished off the regular season with a win against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees scored 10 runs in the sixth inning. Alex Rodriguez, had 7 of those RBI's thanks to two homers, one of them a grand slam. Arod became the first player in American League History to have 7 RBI's in one inning. Is Arod preparing for an October where he will finally produce?? One can only hope. AJ Burnett backed up his past few performances with a strong start to conclude the regular season.. Burnett allowed 2 runs ( 1 earned) over five innings. But what may have overshadowed Burnett's start was Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain had one perfect inning, and his fastball was clocked at 95. When will Joba's postseason fate be determined? Will he be left off the roster or used as a reliever in the ALDS and a possible starter in the LCS if the team makes it that far?? Can he be trusted as a reliever? We'll only know probably as soon as the Yankees know which team they will be playing in the LDS. The Tiger and Twins will play a one game playoff on Tuesday. It is then that the Yankees will determine which playoff scenario they will chose. All signs point to that they will indeed pick Option A, with more day offs scheduled. Look for an updated postseason post on Tuesday.

The Giants continued their perfect start to the season with a commanding 27-16 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Eli Manning threw for 292 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interception. His favorite receiver of the game was Steve Smith. Smith caught 11 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. The only concern the Giants have is Manning's health. Manning hurt his heal and had to come out of the game. Manning was seen on the bench with a trainer, getting his heal taped up. David Carr replaced Manning. Manning does expect to play next week, however.

Hokies continue win streak!

Hi everyone!

The Hokies are in yet another exciting season of football!!!

The Hokies beat the Duke Blue Devils 36-24. Frank Beamer and the boys will most likely see a dramatic drop in the rankings, following today's rather unimpressive showing. As in last week's impressive win over Miami, Tyrod Taylor proved he has stepped up his game significantly since the rather dismal performances in the Alabama and Nebraska games. The Defense seemed to take a little nap this afternoon after holding Miami to just 7 points last week. Bud Foster will be sure to get on top of the guys before next week's game at Boston College.

The Hokies will take on the Boston College Eagles, next Saturday, October 10th. Before the game, Hokies United, will present BC linebacker Mark Herzlich with a check to help with him with his treatment for cancer in his leg. This morning on ESPN's College Gameday, Herzlich declared himself 99% cancer free. Thank God for that.

That's all for now. Look out for a Yankees post after their divisional opponent is determined!