Tag Archives: Cumberland University

August 7, 2010 · 12:16 am

QUICK TAKES- GRIDIRON STYLE

St Ambrozzzzzzzzze Football Media Dayzzzzzzzz – The St Ambrose University Fighting Bees (Love that name!) announced they will be holding their football media day August 24th at SAU’s Lohman Arena. Head Coach Mike Magistrelli and several Fighting Bees football players will be available for questions.

Cumberlands Football Camp Anything But Bland – The University of the Cumberlands Patriots camp for High School football teams in Kentucky and Tennessee was held recently. Patriots Head Football Coach John Bland commented “The…Camp was a success in 2010. All of the coaches…were pleased with the progress their teams made during camp.”

You Say Cumberlands, I Say Cumberland, Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off – We move now from the University of the Cumberlands Patriots to the Cumberland University Bulldogs. The Bulldogs  football players report this weekend with meetings scheduled all day Saturday and camp beginning next week. CU starts its 2010 campaign at the Austin Peay Governors Sept 2nd.  

“Hello, I must be going!” – The South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology Hardrockers and the Black Hills State University Yellowjackets open camps this weekend for what will be their final football season in the Dakota Athletic Conference. The Yellowjackets went 6-4 last season and defeated the Dickinson State Blue Hawks, the conference champions, in The Dacotah Bowl to end the 2009 season.

Strengthen Your Corps, er, Core – Yes, that was another nod to the Marine Corps origins of the Gyrenes, the nickname of the Ave Maria University sports teams. The Gyrenes begin intercollegiate play in 2011 for football but recently held a football camp for 9 Florida High School teams. This four-day camp, whose theme was “Strengthen Your Core”, was held in partnership with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“I Guess Everyone Loves Cougars” Dept – The Sioux Falls Cougars were picked to win the Great Plains Athletic Conference title yet again by the coaches and SID’s in that league, it was revealed at last week’s GPAC Media Day. The defending national champions in the NAIA were also ranked number one in various national preseason polls as well. Will it be a threepeat for USF football this season? Cougar lovers everywhere will be watching to find out! 

Get Your Grub On With The Rangers – The Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers have been picked to win the Central States Football League title this year by the coaches, SID’s and select media members. They’ve also got their football Media Day coming up August 14th and the First Annual Ranger Kickoff Barbecue set for August 21st.

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August 4, 2010 · 8:13 pm

CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS FOOTBALL MAKES HOME GAMES EVEN MORE SPECIAL

The Cumberland University Bulldogs have got special events centered around 5 of their 6 home games this coming season. Director of Athletics Ron Pavan informed me of these activities recently when we were hang-gliding through the Grand Canyon. I suggested he call the events “Pavan-athon 2010” or maybe “Pavanapalooza” but he declined. 

***The first home game is September 11th against the Campbellsville Tigers. CU Athetics and Sherry’s Run are co-sponsors for the event and participants will get half-off admission price at the gate if they wear the 2010 T-shirt. Wearing the 2009 T-shirt gets you in for free! (I’m kidding!) There will also be an Area-Wide Tailgate Party for this home-opener, with a live band and free food from area vendors available beginning at 11AM.

***Homecoming and Hall of Fame weekend are both scheduled for the game against the Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders October 2nd. In addition to inducting 6 former Bulldog coaches and players into the Hall Of Fame there will be the CU Alumni Department 5K Dawg Dash as well as a “Live On The Lawn Concert” in front of Memorial Hall. This event replaces last year’s “Ron On The Lawn Concert” which featured Ron Pavan and The Pavanes doing their covers of songs by The Red Elvises. The unfortunate guitar/watermelon/samurai sword incident during the song On My Way To Vegas is the reason behind the change.

***On October 9th Cumberland University and the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes will team up for FCA Day (they rejected my idea to call it “CU On FCA Day” as being “too childish”). Anyone wearing an FCA T-shirt will get free admission to that day’s game against the Shorter Hawks. (I know, you’re dying for a Taller Hawks joke but you’re not gonna get it!) 

***On October 30th, Cumberland University will host a canned food drive as the team takes on the Union Bulldogs, unless they’re on strike. All kidding aside, though, I once owned a non-union bulldog and it just wasn’t worth the hassle. (I named the dog “Scab” by the way) All CU fans attending the game will get $2.00 off admission if they donate at least one item of canned food.

***Senior Day will be November 6th when the Bulldogs go up against the Belhaven Blazers. There will also be a Chili Cook-Off sponsored by the Student Government Association so the fans can give a fond, if somewhat gassy, farewell to the seniors.

To buy a copy of Ron Pavan’s bestselling book titled You Mean This Guy Thinks He’s Funny? The Story Of Balladeer’s Blog click here: http://www.cumberland.edu/athletics 

As always football helmets courtesy of The Helmet Project at http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or any member institutions. 
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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July 21, 2010 · 11:32 pm

ON THE HUNT FOR THIS YEAR’S RAWLINGS-NAIA COACH OF THE YEAR? LOOK NO FURTHER!

Woody Hunt, coach of the Cumberland University Bulldogs baseball team (the reigning NAIA national champs by the way), has been named the Rawlings-NAIA Coach of the Year. This is the second time Coach Hunt has won the award. (I know, you’re dying for a Woody Woodpecker reference but I’ve got way too much class for that.)

Hunt is one of only six coaches in history to register 1,000 career victories in the NAIA and owns a career record of 1,284-523-3. The Bulldogs have appeared in 11 NAIA World Series, including five in the last seven seasons, claiming national championships in 2004 and 2010 as well as runner-up finishes in 1995 and 2006. 

“This is a very prestigious honor, but it’s really a team accomplishment,” said Hunt. “Everything we get as coaches reflects on our team. We were such a singular unit as a team this season and I’m more proud of our team than any individual accomplishments.” 

When I called Coach Hunt to congratulate him I asked him the one question all the rest of the gutless sports media was too timid to ask: How did he feel now about his role in the Watergate break-in? Coach Hunt patiently explained that I was confusing him with E. Howard Hunt, but I can’t find any evidence that E. Howard Hunt ever coached a collegiate baseball team, NAIA or otherwise.

The award will be presented at the 2011 Rawlings-NAIA Awards Luncheon in Nashville, Tenn., on January 7th.   

To read the late Mike Kuchwara’s rave review of my One-Man Show in which I played Woody Hunt, Woody Hayes and Woody Paige, click here: http://www.cumberland.edu/athletics 

So I lied. Big deal.

 

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or any member institutions. 
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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July 14, 2010 · 12:50 am

FROM THE BLUE HOSE TO THE BULLDOGS

Cumberland (TN) Bulldogs football coach Dewayne “Hey HEY Hey” Alexander announced the hiring of former Presbyterian College Blue Hose linebacker Ryan Anderson this week. Anderson will coach linebackers and serve as the football program’s recruiting coordinator.

Anderson graduated from Presbyterian College in August 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with minors in Physical Education and Athletic Coaching. He served as an intern with the Big South Conference during his senior year at Presbyterian. 

Anderson joins Matthew Hickmann as part of the “July Gang” of hires for the Cumberland University Bulldogs.

Earlier this week the Bulldog staff denied rumors that they were hiring not Ryan Anderson but Hans Christian Anderson, the Danish author who passed away in 1875 but whose line-backing skills were legendary.

To let the world know you don’t think I’m the least bit funny click here: http://www.cumberland.edu/athletics

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or any member institutions.

© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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July 8, 2010 · 10:16 pm

FORMER CUMBERLAND UNIVERSITY BULLDOG RETURNS TO C.U. AFTER TIME WITH SEC’S COMMODORES

Cumberland Athletic Director Ron Pavan announced the hiring this week of former Bulldog football player Matthew Hickmann as the department’s Strength and Conditioning Coach, effective July 19.

Hickmann replaces another former Bulldog football player in the Strength and Conditioning position – Jared Fugate, who will become a graduate assistant in the same department at LSU this year. 

Hickmann graduated from Cumberland in December 2008 with a bachelor’s in Fitness and Wellness.

In his three years as a Bulldog Hickmann garnered First Team All-Mid-South Conference Accolades and two MSC Player of the Week honors as a defensive back. He played in 30 total games for the Bulldogs.

Hickmann interned under Fugate at CU and also under trainer Lee Allison at the Jimmy Floyd Center in Lebanon, TN. Since January he has served as a volunteer in the Strength and Conditioning department at Vanderbilt, (a “volunteer” at Vandy? Wouldn’t the Commodore faithful consider that blasphemy?) helping with the football and baseball teams for the Commodores.

There will be much more football coverage to come over the course of the summer. Sorry there wasn’t more funny stuff in this article but Hickmann could probably pound anybody who ticked him off by saying the wrong thing.

Single ladies who want to check out a picture of Matthew Hickmann and inquire about his availability click here: http://www.cumberland.edu/athletics

Football helmets courtesy of The Helmet Project at http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or any member institutions.

© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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