In case you haven't noticed, hokiesports.com recently unveiled the Orange Bowl Blog, a daily, behind-the-scenes look at the football team's experience in South Florida. It can be accessed in the banner at the top of hokiesports.com, or via this link. Check back often and enjoy!

Here is the final group of the 2007 Lane Stadium game program feature articles. Please note the “originally published” date, as the stories may contain statistics and/or other information that is not currently up-to-date:
Macho Harris, Former Hokies working at Tech, Brandon Flowers, Scott King, Justin Harper

Here's another look at some player features from the 2007 Lane Stadium game programs - a little light reading before the Hokies get down to Miami. Please note the “originally published” date, as the stories may contain statistics and/or other information that is not currently up-to-date:
Duane Brown, Corey Gordon, Jared Develli/Jud Dunlevy

Looking for something to watch on Christmas? Check out Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer in the Chick-fil-A Alma Mater charity golf tournament on CBS at 2 p.m. EST on Dec. 25. The made-for-tv event, which took place back in May at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga., features pairs of football coaches who have coached in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and celebrity/athlete alumni competing for scholarships to benefit their schools. Beamer was paired with former Hokie basketball great Dell Curry. Here are the other teams in the tournament:

Matt Doherty and Eric Dickerson, SMU
Ralph Friedgen and Scott Van Pelt, Maryland
Chan Gailey and Jon Barry, Georgia Tech
Jim Grobe and Billy Packer, Wake Forest
Chuck Long and Marshall Faulk, San Diego State
Tom Penders and Clyde Drexler, Houston
Nick Saban and Cornelius Bennett, Alabama
Steve Spurrier and Darius Rucker, South Carolina
Ted Tollner and Marcus Allen, USC
Tommy Tuberville and Pat Sullivan, Auburn

Former Virginia Tech offensive lineman and current Houston Texan Brandon Frye recently took a group of elementary school children out on a holiday shopping spree in his hometown of Myrtle Beach, S.C., as a way of giving back now that he has made the NFL. Here is the link to the article from the Myrtle Beach Sun News.

Also, here is another article in our look back at the football game programs from the 2007 season, a feature on defensive lineman Barry Booker.

We have two more features available in our look back at the 2007 football season. These two, one on defensive end Chris Ellis and one on fullback Carlton Weatherford, appeared in the Lane Stadium program from the Ohio game. Please note the “originally published” date, as the stories may contain statistics and/or other information that is not currently up-to-date. 

Next up in our look back at this season's game program feature stories is a piece on free safety D.J. Parker. Click here to check it out, and please note the “originally published” date, as the stories may contain statistics and/or other information that is not currently up-to-date. Enjoy!

As a way of boosting material on 'hokiesports the notebook' during the sparse athletics calendar in late December, we thought we'd revisit some of the football player feature stories that originally ran in the Lane Stadium game day programs during the 2007 season. Please note the “originally published” date, as the stories may contain statistics and/or other information that is not currently up-to-date. Enjoy!

Click here to read a feature on Sean Glennon from the ECU game program on Sept. 1, 2007.

The College Baseball Foundation recently announced its preseason watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, and a pair of Hokies – relief pitcher Rhett Ballard and first baseman Sean O’Brien –find their names on the initial list.

Ballard is a redshirt junior from High Point, N.C., and went 6-2 last season after pitching 64.1 innings in 34 relief appearances. The 6-foot-5 right-hander struck out 74 batters while ranking first in the ACC in fewest hits allowed (55), third in opposing batting average (.220) and 26th in ERA (4.48).

O’Brien, a redshirt senior from Chappaqua, N.Y., is a three-year starter at first base with a career batting average of .337. Last year, he ranked fourth in the ACC with 20 doubles and 29th with a .327 batting average. He started all 54 games for Virginia Tech, including 49 at first base with a .979 fielding percentage.

The Brooks Wallace Award, which is given annually to the national player of the year, is dedicated to the memory of the former Texas Tech shortstop and assistant coach. Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977 to 1980. A 4-year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District Six his senior year when he lead the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament.

After playing two years in the Texas Rangers organization, he returned to Texas Tech and served as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach. In the summer of 1984 he was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease courageously until his death on March 24, 1985, at age 27.

The watch list, which can be viewed in entirety here, is narrowed down as the season progresses and is voted on by a national panel of sports information directors, beat writers and college baseball coaches. Past winners include Vanderbilt’s David Price (2007), Houston’s Brad Lincoln (2006), Nebraska’s Alex Gordon (2005) and Cal State Fullerton’s Kurt Suzuki (2004).

A couple of quick notes for this weekend’s Hokie action:

You can listen to a live play-by-play of the men’s soccer team’s NCAA quarterfinal matchup with UConn here at hokiesports.com, or on WWBU SuperTalk 101.7 FM if you live in the New River Valley. Game time is set for 1 p.m. from Storrs, Conn., and Jerry Massey will have the call as the Hokies try to advance to the national semifinals.

On Sunday, the men’s basketball team takes on George Washington at Cassell Coliseum in front of a national audience on Fox SportsNet. The first 1,200 fans in attendance will receive a free VT mini basketball commemorating last season’s NCAA Tournament run. In addition, all students in attendance will receive a free Famous Anthony’s coupon. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

Students, be one of the first 500 to arrive at Tuesday’s men’s basketball game against UNC Greensboro to receive a free pair of VT Crocs. Sizes are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, the first 500 fans in attendance at Wednesday’s women’s basketball game vs. North Carolina A&T will receive a free VT hat. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and this is the last time to see the women in the Cassell until the Virginia Tech Classic on Dec. 29 and 30.

At both games, be sure to Catch Steve Max's hilarous "Simon Sez Halftime Challenge" as 40-50 lucky fans will have the opportunity to participate in a funny and fast-paced game of Simon Sez.