The Shotgun/Throwdown: Pre-4th Of July Holiday Weekend (7/1/11) Edition

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's nationally recognized best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and a few daily distractions.  We're being brought to you today by the Red, White and Blue beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon in honor of the USA's 235th birthday.

Bruce Irvin, Geno Smith and Tyler Urban continue to be media favorites this week.  In one article from MSNsportsNet, Jed Drenning looks at some very interesting statistics regarding this new offense that Head Coach Dana Holgorsen has brought to the Mountaineers.  Basketball is competing with football for news coverage as the men are participating in a Pittsburgh summer league for the first time since 2008 and the newcomers are getting a bit of a schooling so far.  Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!!!

Happy Birthday USA!!!!

What You May Have Missed:

The Deal Maker - Southern Pigskin
WVU athletic director Oliver Luck is a deal maker.  A powerful sports personality, can he wheel and deal the Mountaineers into the ACC?

Bob Huggins Announces WVU Basketball Staff Reorganization - WVillustrated.com
Billy Hahn is moving to Assistant to the Head Coach while Jerrod Calhoun is taking his place as a full time assistant coach

Summer Time In Pittsburgh - West Virginia University Sports News, Scores and Coverage from WVMETRONEWS.COM
WVU is participating in the 2011 Pittsburgh Basketball Club Pro Am Summer League again this year and basically all of the newcomers are on one team.  Article includes gallery.

WVU Newcomers Try to Mesh in Pittsburgh Summer League - WVillustrated.com
They're taking their lumps so far, but the experience should pay off

WVU basketball: Noreen is team's summer leader - Charleston Daily Mail
The one year veteran is playing with the seven newcomers to WVU basketball in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club's summer league

WVU's Staten Uses Experience to Teach Freshman Teammates - WVillustrated.com
The transfer is taking full advantage of this opportunity for playing time with his new teammates and against top quality competition

McCune Impressed By The Fans - WVMETRONEWS.COM
"They’re just so supportive," continued McCune. "I’ve never encountered anything like this before with how supportive people are because back home people aren’t like this. It feels good to know you have people that are really going to follow you and are really going to support you." - Article and video

Pro Am Player Interviews - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Videos of Noreen, Aaron Brown, Pat Forsythe, Tommie McCune and Keaton Miles

VIDEO: WVU Basketball Newcomers Interviews - WVillustrated.com
Staten, Miles and Browne.....noticeably missing is Jabarie Hinds, who is expected to report in August, based on a tweet I saw

Point Guard Truck Bryant - Mountaineer TV
Senior point guard Truck Bryant updates us on what he's been up to so far this summer.

NACMA Recognizes WVU Sports Marketing - MSNsportsNET.Com
The Coliseum fan favorite “Teach Me How To Dougie” video, produced by MSN’s Chris Ostien, earned the bronze in the Best Videoboard Segment category at the 2010-11 NACMA “Best of” awards ceremony.

News of Note:

Box Scores Beckon - MSNsportsNET.Com
MSN's Jed Drenning did some statistical digging and came up with some interesting bits regarding HCDH's offense

Predictions come early for WVU - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Butta looks at the high expectations already being leveled on both the BB and FB teams

The Ten Games That Will Determine the Big East in 2011: #2 West Virginia at South Florida - Big East Coast Bias
Just like Charley said earlier in the week, and this should also leave the Brawl at #1

Workouts turned up a notch at WVU - Inter-Mountain
The intensity level of this summer's workouts has been cranked up a notch or two, as the West Virginia University football team readies itself for another grueling August camp.

WVU QB readies for his breakout season - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Since 2005, when he became Texas Tech's offensive coordinator, Holgorsen has never coached an offense with a quarterback who finished the season with less than 4,000 yards. West Virginia has never had a quarterback do that.

WVU's Irvin continues to climb mountain - Rivals.com
Irvin has overcome his share of troubles (chronicled here) to become one of the most feared pass rushers in the nation heading into this season. Now, he's working on being a productive every down player and toward a possible future in the NFL.

HERTZEL COLUMN: Irvin looks to quiet doubters - Times West Virginian
When asked about Phil Steele ranking him as on the #38 DE, “Oh, man, I don’t understand. I don’t understand Phil Steele, man. I don’t know. What, 38? Where those other 37 at? I don’t understand,” he said, shaking his head, the dreads swishing from one side to the other. “I mean, nothing against Phil Steele. That’s his opinion.”  And an opinion Bruce wants to change.

Lindamood works for starting spot - Martinsburg Journal
Matt Lindamood will be the starting fullback going into West Virginia University football training camp Aug. 4. - Mickey's Column

Big East position rankings: Running back - Big East Blog - ESPN
Adelson ranks WVU at #3 for the talented depth available, but no clear cut #1 option at the moment

Big East position rankings: Receiver - Big East Blog - ESPN
The new offense and the opportunities for some of the previously lesser productive guys to capitalize is clearly the reason for this ranking at #2

Q&A: WVU receiver Tyler Urban - Big East Blog - ESPN

VIDEO: WVU Football Players Interviews - WVillustrated.com
Geno, BRUUUUUCE, Lageman, Barclay, Julian and JD Woods

Safety Terence Garvin - Mountaineer TV
Safety Terence Garvin visits with media at Milan Puskar Stadium Wednesday afternoon.

Offensive Lineman Tyler Rader - Mountaineer TV
Offensive lineman Tyler Rader talks about earning a scholarship and heading into fall camp No. 1 on the depth chart.

Recruiting:

Next Level Nation Looks to Make History for WVU - WVillustrated.com
Recent DB commit Da’Quan Davis is doing his best to recruit more elite athletes to WVU

Sportsline: Da'Quan Davis Coach - WVMETRONEWS.COM
His HS position coach talked with the guys from Sportsline this week - blurb and audio stream

Around the League (and Beyond):

Big East Proves All Coaching Hires Are Risky, Might as Well Be Bold - Big East Coast Bias

The hiring of Paul Pasqualoni was so conservative it went all the way around the bend and became bold - The UConn Blog
Bare with him on this one.  The lead actually makes sense from this perspective.

The Risk Not Taken: What If USF Had Hired Bob Huggins? - Voodoo Five
Let's revisit one of the most controversial moves in USF basketball history that never even came close to happening.

What is this I don't even... (H/T to Mark at Big East Coast Bias. I think.) - Voodoo Five
Ever wanted to fold a balloon into a USF Bull?  Here's how.

A Look at Pitt Football Attendance - Cardiac Hill
This one shouldn't take long to read

Syracuse Football: How Bold Is This Team? - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Missouri quarterback Tyler Gabbert transfer to Louisville - Courier-Journal

Pre Camp Position Outlook: Running Backs - Down The Drive (Cincinnati)

Politi: Two changes need to happen to get Rutgers, Tim Pernetti out of financial mess - Star Ledger
And...he misses the biggest point of all completely:  WINNING

Marquette AD Steve Cottingham Steps Down, MU Left With More Egg On Its Face - Anonymous Eagle

Hartford Courant's John Altavilla: Just What Does the Big East Get Out of Keeping Notre Dame? - Big East Coast Bias

What's On Tap:

Probably my favorite holiday.  Have fun and be safe!!

via www.free-desktop-backgrounds.net

Video of Interest:

ShadyMountaineer beat me to the punch of posting this first, but in case you missed it in the margin, this may be MSN's best football video in a long time:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Personally, I would have gone with THIS SONG as the soundtrack, but the 1812 Overture is a decent choice:

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a recurring favorite in this section (at least she's one of my favorites and I've never gotten any complaints) and is one half of my favorite Busty British Dynamic Duo.  Here's today's video and gallery of Lucy Pinder (click on the pic for the gallery).

PBR image via www.thearchnemesis.com