[UPDATED] DEFINITIVE SUPERFAN SHIRT SLOGANS, RANKED

With the first orientation in the books, it's official: we know the Superfan Slogan for the Class of 2020 (PS, that hurt to type)

Fire in our hearts. Greatness in our sight. (2020)

As always, it is time to turn back to the rankings to slot our new slogan into the lineup - this marking the 19th slogan for those counting at home. As an important point, the first slogan with a class designation was handed out in 1999 to the class of 2003 (Go Eagles!) - Whatever it Takes was the original bookstore handout, not a class designee.

This one...didn't sit too well. Alas.

Further as always, these rankings are not up for discussion.

1. Fly Like an Eagle (2006)
2. Eagles on the Warpath (2004) 
3. Go Eagles (2003)
4. Soaring to Glory (2008)
5. Take it to the Heights (2007)
6. Ever Rising to New Heights (2018)
7. Carry the Torch. Light the Way. (2017)
8. Whatever It Takes (N/A)
9. Always Believe in BC (2005)
10. Many Hearts, One Tradition (2016)
11. Together We Are More (2019)
12. Eagles Take Action (2010)
13. Building Character, Becoming Champions (2015)
14. Talons of Fury...Get Ready (2009)
15. On the Hunt for Excellence (2012) 
16. Fire in our hearts. Greatness in our sight. (2020)
17. Ignite the Heights With Spirit and Truth (2014)
18. For Here All Are One (2011)
19. Honoring the Legacy, Pursuing Greatness, the Sesquicentennial Class of 2013 (2013)

THE PRODUCERS THEORY

You've read the Globe piece; if you're here, I'm assuming we've all read the Globe piece. I don't even have to link to it.

There have been follow-ups, there have been additional stories or stats or the whatnot. Here are the fundamental truths.

• BC going to the ACC was the best decision for the school, and even as bad as things are right now, the ACC would probably still make that move. VT regionally made sense, Miami was a brand - but BC was the first domino in putting revenue ahead of logic. Sorry Syracuse and UConn, but there is a reason BC was courted.
• Subpoint - An abysmal Rutgers program going to the Big Ten amid a dying Big East; the market mattered too much whether or not the product was worth it. Again, suck it UConn.
• BC started strong in its first few years, and it's easy to applaud TOB, Skinner or Jags (pick your favorite), but the fact is that luck played a big part. 
• BC's Matt Ryan TOB/Jag years involved so many golden horseshoe moments that BC has regularly lost in the last three or four seasons (The Kiwi-UVA game; Wake in the rain; VT; Clemson) - think of any missed field goal/last drive losses BC had in football since 2012. Cry into your Busch Light - there's at least 7 or 8 wins, including a bowl game, in that ballpark.
• Skinner had some rough late years but had as many successes as failures in his recruits, keeping them from a tourney victory since 2007 (RJax never got the chance because the committee is annoying)
• The conference bounced back - FSU came back, most notably - and Duke/UNC are now joined by Cuse, ND and Louisville in hoops. Where did people think wins would come from?

And now the big one, from my eyes:

The Administration realized that it could make as much (more?) money losing than being competitive. 

They are pulling a Producers. The safe choices - and no matter how much I personally like some of them as people - aren't aggressive enough to indicate momentum. The "Plan" for the new facilities? Long off and far from funded. The cut of the conference revenue sharing from bowls and TV is the same whether or not you post a W. It's not a scam, it's a reality.

The only solution is a new direction and that isn't going to happen because of some spilled ink. We find out more in the days, weeks, months. I'll go on the record with an early 8-4 prediction for football - they will be better, but luck has to bounce back, too. Until then, it's just a long winter as it's springtime for just about everyone else.

SUPERFAN SLOGAN UPDATE, V18

Look at all the baby Eagles! #BC2019 #FYE #Orientation

A photo posted by Anna Colonna (@annacolanna) on Jun 9, 2015 at 1:03pm PDT

With the first orientation in the books, it's official: we know the Superfan Slogan for the Class of 2019

TOGETHER 
WE ARE MORE 

As always, it is time to turn back to the rankings to slot our new slogan into the lineup - this marking the 18th slogan for those counting at home. As an important point, the first slogan with a class designation was handed out in 1999 to the class of 2003 (Go Eagles!) - Whatever it Takes was the original bookstore handout, not a class designee.

We are still a few years away from a second generation of Superfans. Updates as necessary.

Further as always, these rankings are not up for discussion.

1. Fly Like an Eagle (2006)
2. Eagles on the Warpath (2004) 
3. Go Eagles (2003)
4. Soaring to Glory (2008)
5. Take it to the Heights (2007)
6. Ever Rising to New Heights (2018)
7. Carry the Torch. Light the Way. (2017)
8. Whatever It Takes (N/A)
9. Always Believe in BC (2005)
10. Many Hearts, One Tradition (2016)
11. Together We Are More (2019)
12. Eagles Take Action (2010)
13. Building Character, Becoming Champions (2015)
14. Talons of Fury...Get Ready (2009)
15. On the Hunt for Excellence (2012) 
16. Ignite the Heights With Spirit and Truth (2014)
17. For Here All Are One (2011)
18. Honoring the Legacy, Pursuing Greatness, the Sesquicentennial Class of 2013 (2013)

No, they aren't getting better, I'm just getting nicer in old age. I do like the line up with the 2007 slogan, though.

SUPERFAN SLOGAN UPDATE, V17

With the first orientation in the books, it's official: we know the Superfan Slogan for the Class of 2018

Ever Rising to New Heights

As always, it is time to turn back to the rankings to slot our new slogan into the lineup - this marking the 17th slogan for those counting at home. As an important point, the first slogan with a class designation was handed out in 1999 to the class of 2003 (Go Eagles!) - Whatever it Takes was the original bookstore handout, not a class designee.

By the nature of the math, we are, at the earliest, five to seven years away from Superfan generation two  (a 2003 grad is still quite a few years from unloading an 18-year-old from his nest to the Heights').

Further as always, these rankings are not up for discussion.

1. Fly Like an Eagle (2006)
2. Eagles on the Warpath (2004) 
3. Go Eagles (2003)
4. Soaring to Glory (2008)
5. Take it to the Heights (2007)
6. Ever Rising to New Heights (2018)
7. Carry the Torch. Light the Way. (2017)
8. Whatever It Takes (N/A)
9. Always Believe in BC (2005)
10. Many Hearts, One Tradition (2016)
11. Eagles Take Action (2010)
12. Building Character, Becoming Champions (2015)
13. Talons of Fury...Get Ready (2009)
14. On the Hunt for Excellence (2012) 
15. Ignite the Heights With Spirit and Truth (2014)
16. For Here All Are One (2011)
17. Honoring the Legacy, Pursuing Greatness, the Sesquicentennial Class of 2013 (2013)

No, they aren't getting better, I'm just getting nicer in old age. I do like the line up with the 2007 slogan, though.

BATES IS ONE OF US

It's only been 18 months or so, but I've started to give Brad Bates a lot of leash. Maybe it's because he doesn't spend his time buried away in offices an luxury boxes. His predecessor did a lot of good for BC, let's not completely wipe that all under the rug, but much of it was around handshakes for big wigs. 

My favorite moment to date was this weekend - at the Race to Educate 5k (a benefit for St. Columbkille down in Brighton), the host was looking for Bates to be an official starter and say some words. He walks up, lets the guy know he's running with the crowd so he can't and to let someone else do it.

He's no slouch either - clocked in just around 25 minutes.

Look up during that event, too, and you'll see lots of other faces from the department. Student-Athletes lined the course as traffic drivers and water stations; several more ran; Jim Christian was on the sidelines looming over the start. This was a department effort to support something far from campus and it was definitely appreciated.

BC's relationship with St. Columbkille is an important one that doesn't get a lot of attention. Make sure to read up on that, too.

SIX DEGREES OF RUSSELL WILSON

Remember this:

• If TOB never lost to Miami in 2006 with Matt Ryan...
• ...he never would have finally met his match to GDF and bolted for NC State...
• ...where he never would have tagged Mike Glennon as "the best quarterback he's ever had"...
• ...which may never have put a chip on Russell Wilson's shoulder to stay in football and transfer to Wisconsin...
• ...which provided him with just enough of an explosive year that a team was willing to take a flyer on him to play football.

Tom O'Brien breeds Super Bowl Quaterbacks...kind of.

MURPHY'S LAW

It's easy to like the Murphy transfer because of the QB situation. I'm much more optimistic about what it means for the years beyond in Darius Wade et al's careers.

Next year was looking bleak, with about a 6-win ceiling based on the schedule really no matter what happens. A few more pieces in the offense helps, sure, make that target possible. More importantly, though, Murphy sets us up for the future.

It's a combination of a more balanced quarterback option with a style-back, and an Offensive Line needing to learn a little bit more mobility than just "make room for Williams". This move will help Wade, Willis, Outlow and more in the years to come because it will transition us a year early.

Bornder? With a grand total of 8 pass attempts and 24 rushes in three seasons, the guy who's completion percentage goes up by 12.5 % if you factor in ones caught by other teams, well, we hardly even knew 'em.

NEWEST FIREABLE OFFENSE: INABILITY TO DRAW EAGLE

Who do you want? Guy who can't draw mascot or GUY WHO WAS THE MASCOT?

[via.]

THE FIRST SCOOP OF DIRT ON THE BCS

In case you are wondering, having a clear #1 and #2 play each other for a title, plus four other name-brand games (except UCF, but whatever) is actually exactly what we should have (and smaller schools had their chances and missed them, looking at you NIU and Fresno).

This year is also the perfect example of how getting the next two in for a playoff will be next to impossible. I count three or four teams who could lay claim to those last two spots, and any of them could beat Auburn or Florida State in any given game. Oh yeah, but no more polls and math and computers, you're putting it up to a committee to decide who they'll be. That's limited access.

To paraphrase a former president, you're getting what you wanted, but you won't have the BCS to kick around anymore.

RECKLESS SCHEDULING 2014: v 1.0

While we're waiting for our bowl destination (Shreveport or Dallas seem to be the most likely), let's get our hands dirty around the 2014 schedule since the news of a 7th home game with Colorado State was announced Friday.

Non-Conference Home Games:
USC (9/13), Colorado State (9/27*), Maine (TBD)
*This fills the Parent's Weekend slot, which is fantastic given it's a way to sell tickets and, due to lack of TV interest, will likely be a 1 or 2 p.m. game.

Non-Conference "Away" Game:
@UMass (at Gillette)

ACC Home Games:
Clemson, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville**
**Likely - this assumes they jump right into the Maryland slot

ACC Away Games
Florida State, Wake Forest, NC State, Virginia Tech

Other Considerations
-Games begin in August and there are five Saturdays in November, so that means two bye weeks.
-BC will again get at least one Friday game, likely at home

Here's the template, based on what is known:

8/30 - @UMass
9/6 - ___
9/13 - USC
9/20 - ___
9/27 - Colorado State
10/4 - ___
10/11 - ___
10/18 - ___
10/25 - ___
11/1 - ___
11/8 - ___
11/15 - ___
11/22 - ___
11/29 - ___

First assumptions
-I'll all but guarantee that BC-Syracuse is going to be Thanksgiving, and I anticipate that being a permanent fixture moving forward. This could also be a flex Friday game, which I think would be better for non-area alums given the holiday, as opposed to the mid-fall Friday.
-Pitt is likely to play in Boston in November; between the full roster of OOC games Pitt has booked in September and that the ACC may try to keep cold weather from being a factor for as few teams as possible, it lines up
-I could see BC pushing for a bye week on the 6th, between the UMass and USC games; that will be about the latest BC started at home in recent memory, but I think the alternative (adding Maine and then taking a bye week or a road trip south and not getting a bye until October) will be less favorable for the team and the administration
-When in Boston, BC/Clemson has often been around late October, except for 2012 when it was the last week of September. Since that weekend is booked, let's stick with that late October logic.
-BC/Florida State will again be early in the schedule (they won't be getting BC as their ACC final the week before Florida, trust me). BC won't want it right after USC, but it won't get much later than mid-October

8/30 - @UMass
9/6 - BYE
9/13 - USC
9/20 - ___
9/27 - Colorado State
10/4 - @Florida State
10/11 - ___
10/18 - ___
10/25 - Clemson
11/1 - ___
11/8 - ___
11/15 - Pittsburgh
11/22 - ___
11/28 or 11/29 - Syracuse 

Bigger Leaps
-BC and Maryland seem to have always lined up in November, but I don't know if that will happen with Louisville - travel really was probably a factor (putting closer, northern teams when travel was potentially rough). We also have a conundrum - BC needs a home ACC game in September, otherwise they don't have one until the end of October. Louisville is booked on the 20th, so let's flip the Bye
-Who's excited for a late season FCS game? That just be how it works out, like it did with New Mexico State this year (yeah, I know, NMSU is FBS, but you see my point). Let's try this all on for size:

8/30 - @UMass
9/6 - Louisville
9/13 - USC
9/20 - BYE
9/27 - Colorado State
10/4 - @Florida State
10/11 - @Wake
10/18 - BYE
10/25 - Clemson
11/1 - @Virginia Tech
11/8 - Maine
11/15 - Pittsburgh
11/22 - @NC State
11/28 or 11/29 - Syracuse 

I'd like to remind you, this is almost completely conjecture. But a ton of fun. The worst part of this schedule has to be how it starts - after UMass, you have some pretty stiff competition. No matter the order, though, you look at that schedule as 6-6 with some of those road games. Bring on 2014.