My early years in life before you had to buy season tickets I spent many Saturdays in Ficklin Stadium. The Names of Zack Valentine, Mike Weaver, Sam Harrell and Ruffin McNeil spewed from the Pirate PA during at the time the Pat Dye era.
I liked Mcneil not only because of his play but there was something about the PA way of saying Ruffin McNeil. I guess for me it was having a last name first kind of deal. Even though I loved McNeil for his play at ECU I had my doubts of bringing a defensive coach from Texas Tech to Pirateland because at the time Tech had to score 50 to win most games.
Five years into the McNeil era the Pirates stand with a excellent chance of not losing another game this season but they will be coming off the greatest day in a Pirate history. There have been many great wins in Ficklin-Dowdy but yesterday now will be the game that every Pirate fan will always tell they were there whether they were or not.
Most were there to witness the stomping of a life time in a Pirate Land. Last week the Pirates went to Virginia Tech who is still living off memories instead of reality. The Pirates win there last week tempered somewhat with Georgia Tech winning in Blacksburg yesterday. The Pirate win over Carolina will only be impressive if Carolina wins their division not if they wind up 5-7 or 6-6.
You have heard me speak of this before that yes ECU falls into the category of a wanna-bee where they dream of being an Alabama type program and the weeks after great victories fall to the nobodies of the world And all college D 1 programs in North Carolina fall in to this area. Today maybe after the greatest day in regular season Pirate football history the Pirates are on the threshold of taking a step to get beyond a wanna-bee.
Today the Pirate nation can dream of by the end of the season hearing the Pirates in the discussion of maybe be considered for the the football playoffs. The problem the Pirates have now as there is nobody left on the schedule that could add to the impression needed with the selection committee. There are plenty left that could knock them off the consideration list.
All the way back to the days of Clarence Stasavich the Pirates have been a football school. Twice in the 60's they played in the Tangerine Bowl when that was a bowl game for small colleges. The Pirates stand on the verge of a January 1 Bowl game. Don't let up keep pouring it on a Pirates.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
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