College Sports

It's been nine years since Austin Aune was drafted by the New York Yankees. The former second-round pick is thriving right now...in another sport?

Who is the Capital Region's most beloved sports team? I think we know but let's take a look anyhow. There are probably some major professional sports teams and leagues that we can toss immediately. The NHL is easy to toss. Besides the lack of general popularity, a direct result of Gary Bettman's reign as commissioner, the NHL fanbase in the Capital Region is too fractured.

Timing can be everything and the UAlbany Great Danes Football team needed the week 4 bye in their schedule. The Danes started the season September 4th by visiting the reigning national champion North Dakota State, then came home to lose to CAA rival Rhode Island because of special teams and traveled east on I-90 to get kicked by Syracuse. It was the perfect time for Coach Gattuso and the team to reset.

The UAlbany and Siena men's basketball coaches, Dwayne Killings and Carm Maciariello, may not face each other on the court this year but they are continuing the tradition to team up for the 16th annual Coaches vs. Cancer Basket "Ball", Monday, October 4th at the Albany Capital Center. This is a tremendous evening of true community camaraderie centered around our two Division I college basketball programs. It is definitely one of the best events of its kind.

The UAlbany football team travels west on I-90 this weekend to take on in-state rival Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m., and will be broadcast on 103.9 FM The Breeze. This weekend’s game will be the first meeting between the FCS UAlbany and FBS Syracuse. The Orange are the second opponent this season that UAlbany has never faced in prior seasons, with the Great Danes playing NDSU back in week number one.

You had better be careful what you drop on social media about your personal hygiene, especially if you are a high profile actor, who is married to a high profile actress. According to an article by New York Daily News entertainment writer Karu F. Daniels, former 70's Show actors Ashton Kutcher and his wife, also a 70's Show alum, Mila Kunis, "surprised fans about their bathing habits when they revealed on the Armchair Expert podcast that they do not bathe their children every day." Wow, those kind of comments may leave a smell and they did for the Hollywood star.

Albany has a large Irish contingent. They are very proud of their heritage and should be. Just look at the size of the city's St. Patrick's Day Parade. So, should Albany be offended by the Notre Dame mascot? Well, it looks like some people are, the famous leprechaun made it near the top of the list of "offensive college mascots."

It was hot in the UHY Center on the campus of Siena College in Loudonville, NY yesterday afternoon. I arrived a little early to set up for The Drive with Charlie & Dan from 3p to 7p. Dan is on vacation and my guest host was finishing coaching his team. Siena men's basketball coach Carm Maciariello was running the 2021-22 Saints through some 4 on 4 drills, all part of the summertime process, which Tuesday included being my co-host. The heat didn't deter any of the players, some in green, some in gold. They were going after it, happy to compete.

Yesterday on The Drive with Charlie & Dan, Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator, Joe Davis was asked by Dan Bahl if it was nice having a running back that you can count on like Senior, Karl Mofor in the Great Danes backfield. Davis never hesitated and respond emphatically, "Absolutely!" Morfor is one of the best in the Colonial Athletic Association conference and again has been recognized as one of the best in the country.

These are great experiences for student-athletes. Experiences are recruiting tools. Siena men's basketball coach Carm Massariello knows how important these types of games are on many levels. First, the Saints will receive a nice check for playing in the game. Mid-major programs need guarantee games to survive. Next, the mid-Atlantic states are a nice recruiting area for Coach Carm. There are plenty of great high school basketball student-athletes in the Southern New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area that Massariello would like to introduce to Siena College. Lastly, his players get to play against a team coached by a New York basketball legend.

So, you want to play college football, do you? The daily schedule for a college football player during the preseason is downright shocking.

Yesterday was merely a small reminder of the havoc caused by COVID-19. Thankfully, death from the virus has been greatly reduced by the vaccine, if one chooses to go that route. According to a statement by Team USA Basketball, their exhibition game against Australia scheduled for Friday in Las Vegas has been canceled because of COVID-19 protocols.