Planet Blacksburg is taking its part in the Relay for Life cause. To donate or
even join PB's team, go to our team's website.
34°F
PBTV: Orange Bowl Post-Game
By Neal Turnage
January 5, 2009
Going into the season, it appeared the Hokies had a rough road ahead of them with key players going to the NFL, getting injured, or graduating. The season turned around for the better with an ACC Championship win and Coach Beamer's first BCS bowl win. Neal Turnage talked with team members after the Orange Bowl about the game, the season, and their future in football.
|
Movie Review: Doubt Doubt is one of the most rousing films this year that is relentless, tension-filled and highly emotional. It centers on a Catholic nun who suspects possible wrongdoing involving a priest and a young student. The nun, Sister Aloysius (Oscar winner Meryl Streep), is a tough-as-nails educator & disciplinarian who has no obvious soft side. The priest, Father Brendan Flynn (Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman), is a bit more progressive and is easily more popular with the students at St. Nicholas. Neither of the two see eye to eye and their differing viewpoints set the stage for a major confrontation. Doubt isn't a modern-day film - it is set around 1964 and the assassination of John F. Kennedy is still fresh in the country's mind. Times are changing but the Catholic Church isn't too quick to adapt to those changes. Father Flynn represents a bit of change, something that threatens the status quo and Sister Aloysius' comfort level. Who's got the edge? (Part 3) As the Orange Bowl draws near we take an in-depth look at how Virginia Tech and Cincinnati stack up against each other, position by position. Today we look at the defensive units for both teams. Hokie defensive coordinator Bud Foster continues to turn out top-ten defenses every year and this year was no exception, despite losing seven starters to the NFL. Defensive end Connor Barwin, a converted tight end that leads the Big East in sacks (10) commands the Bearcat defense along with All-American (1st team KR, 3rd team CB) Mike Mickens. The Hokies will likely not bring anything Cincinnati hasn't seen to the table. The Bearcats handled highly mobile quarterback Pat White when they beat West Virginia in overtime and they survived a 183-yard ground assault from South Florida in a nationally televised Thursday night game. Cincinnati will not be an unfamiliar animal to the Hokies, either. Tech weathered the storm of ACC defensive player of the year Mark Herzlich and the pick-happy defense of Boston College to win the conference championship game. Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button After much hype and hoopla director David Fincher's follow up to 2007's searing Zodiac delivers. A lofty fable not unlike 1994's Forrest Gump, Button is an interesting look into the unprecedented and somewhat fairy-tale life of Benjamin Button (Oscar nominee Brad Pitt). An elaborate story, Button is littered with great performances, beautiful cinematography, important life lessons and revolutionary special effects. Button is told mostly as a series of flashbacks as middle-aged Caroline (Julia Ormond, Legends of the Fall and Sabrina) reads a diary that was left to her dying mother, Daisy (Oscar winner Cate Blanchett). While reading its contents aloud we are taken on a journey that starts with the inauspicious birth of Benjamin. His mother died giving birth and his father, Thomas (Jason Flemyng, Snatch and Layer Cake), upon laying his eyes on the newborn, hastily runs off with the child and abandons him at the doorstep of a senior citizens' home. Orange Bowl: Who's Got The Edge? As the Orange Bowl nears, Planet Blacksburg will take an in-depth look at the matchups between the Hokies and Bearcats. Check back often as we profile both teams' strengths and weaknesses at every position and assess which squad has the edge. Today we take a look at the special teams units. Virginia Tech has become synonymous with special teams play over the years and the Hokies propensity for blocking kicks and scoring non-offensive touchdowns has been dubbed "Beamerball" by fans and media. Cincinnati, though not immediately associated with special teams success, does stack up favorably against its ACC opponent. Commentary: Christmas, The Only Time Red And Green Go Together Of the million holidays Hallmark acknowledges every year, there is one holiday that ranks supreme. Christmas is the greatest holiday ever. When else can you say yuletide greetings without sounding like a complete creep? Christmas is the one holiday that lets women do their thing without being chastised for it. Yes ladies, Christmas time is the most acceptable time of the year to get your shop on. Commentary: Don't Worry, Be Nervous The semester's come to a close and fall graduation is right around the corner. Some have stressed over final projects and exams while others focused on their final days in Blacksburg. It's hard to even talk about sometimes because we know how great a community we have here. I will miss this place. You will miss this place. Everyone will miss this place. But it is time, our time, to take what we've felt and breathed here and implement what we learned in the next phase of our lives. College life at this university is incredible, isn't it? Jackson Hole: A Thrilling Ride She's wild, unforgiving, and stands 4,139 feet tall in northwestern Wyoming, and for 40 years, the only things that could manage her day to day were two big red boxes. But that all changed two years ago when the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram was taken down. "The big red boxes stand for everything that is beautiful about skiing," said Sam Reinsel, a skier from Montana. The 10-minute, 30-second ride on the tram was suspenseful as skiers and snowboarders of all ages waited to be welcomed by the piercing cold wind, rocky cliffs and knee-deep powder of Jackson Hole's Rendezvous Peak. PBTV: Bobbleheads Bring Fans Out
|
PBTV: Orange Bowl Post-Game
Movie Review: Milk The latest in a long line of biopics, Milk is certainly one of the timeliest. With Proposition 8 in the midst of controversy in the state of California it is very fitting that director Gus Van Sant presented to us this very good film. Milk is about the life of politician Harvey Milk (Oscar winner Sean Penn). Though Milk wasn't a president or a senator, he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and his victory brought about an obvious change - he was the first openly gay man to hold public office. His tenure was the result of a long run as an activist for gay rights. Milk wanted the city of San Francisco to see that there was nothing wrong with being gay - his passion and generosity would spread nationwide as the topic of homosexuality and gay rights came under fire in the 1970's. Harvey Milk's legacy will forever be remembered because his astounding courage was felt by all and he was able to touch the lives of those he came across. Orange Bowl: Who's Got The Edge (Part 2) Leading up to the Orange Bowl we'll preview the matchups between the Hokies and Bearcats. Today we look at the offenses on both sides. Virginia Tech ranks 107 in the country in total offense but has done just enough in stay in and win most games. Cincinnati throws the ball all over the field regardless of who lines up under center. Will the Hokie offense continue its late-season improvement? Will the Bearcat quarterback(s) be able to get the ball into the hands of the Cincy receivers? Commentary: The Road Less Traveled
Glennon has been as divisive a figure among the Virginia Tech fan base as any in the modern era, and like so many before him, Sean is largely a victim of poor timing. His career began in the shadow of Bryan Randall. Randall, as you may remember, struggled a great deal at times during his first three years as the starter for the Hokies, but during his final season he blossomed into the ACC player of the year and past misgivings were largely forgotten. Movie Review:Slumdog Millionaire All Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) wants to do is find the love of his life. His life is about to experience a major change because he is one correct answer away from winning 20 million rupees in India's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. But his fantastic run on the popular game show is in question because he's suspected of cheating. How could Jamal, a poor, uneducated teenager get farther than anyone before him? In an effort to prove his innocence Jamal tells the police inspector (Irrfan Khan, The Namesake) his incredible journey that will prove paramount to his unprecedented knowledge. Much of the film is shown in flashback and we witness an India unknown to many. India has slums and ghettos just like in America - many of its inhabitants are overwhelmingly poor so survival is the name of the game. The same is true for Jamal and his older brother Salim (Madhur Mittal). The young boys rely on their wits and each other to survive - from eluding deadly gangs in Mumbai to hustling tourists at the Taj Mahal. Jamal is all at once a thief, a liar and an imposter - but he oddly is still very good and caring at heart. Blown Coverage: Bowl Previews and Predictions
FedEx BCS National Championship Game While this can't be said for most of the BCS National Championship games in recent memory, I think they got it right this year. These are the two best teams in the country. The speed on the field is mind numbing and we will look back at this game and marvel in the amount of NFL talent this game produced. Sam Bradford is coming off a Heisman winning campaign. He has weapons all over the field, and an offensive line that allows him to sit back and pick apart defenses. Bradford will be playing without one of his offensive players, DeMarco Murray who has been ruled OUT (hamstring injury) for the game. While Oklahoma plays with a stable of backs, this loss will hurt the Sooners more than they realize. As for Florida, they have just as many, if not more weapons on offense that the Sooners boast. Urban Meyer's spread attack will give the Sooners' defense fits if history is any teacher. Last year Oklahoma struggled with West Virginia's wide open attack and this year might prove to be the same. I think for whatever reason, Oklahoma struggles in bowl games. Florida is the best team in the country and I think that will be proven in the Championship game. Look for the Gators to win this one by two touchdowns. Opinion: Online Interactions - Curse or Benefit? Throughout history individuals have always had the need for social interaction and networking. Small groups of cave men, presumably, would unite to create tribes in order to survive. Social interaction is still a necessity in this modern age; however, it is no longer about leaving a shelter and meeting new faces at bars, meetings, parties or even dates. Today it has become a quasi-anonymous electronic transaction consisting of instant messaging, Myspace stalking, "facebooking", blogging and online dating, also known as e-pimping. The Lantern Has Big Ambition For Music In Blacksburg Live music is once again becoming a crucial component in the lives of Blacksburg residents due to the new locally-owned-and-operated venue the Lantern. "All people need to do is realize music is one of the best things in the world," said co-owner of the Lantern Brain Turner. "It's universal. Everyone can enjoy it ... what we're really doing here is reviving the local music scene." The Lantern is a music venue committed to bringing live music to downtown Blacksburg seven nights a week. The Lantern opened in July 2008 and is co-owned by Turner and Daniel Chastain, former Raleigh, N.C., residents who relocated to Blacksburg. |
With exams coming up and the lack of a marquee opponent, Virginia Tech promotions had to come up with a way to get the crowd to see the Hokies take on Longwood Sunday afternoon. The answer? Bobbleheads.