Fresno State Athletics
Bulldog Grapevine Makes Its Debut
 |
Aug. 14, 2001
Bulldog Grapevine is a biweekly column about Bulldog athletics written by Assistant Athletics Director Steve Weakland. Its purpose is to stimulate interest in many things that may not get mainstream media coverage. It is also a forum to answer questions and correct misinformation about Fresno State athletics. If you have questions or comments, please contact Steve at sweaklan@csufresno.edu. Your comments could appear in future editions of this column.
WHAT IS "BULLDOG GRAPEVINE"? - They say is that imitation is sincerest form of flattery, so I have to credit University of Colorado Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations David Plati for the idea to write this column. It has been a very popular part of CU's website for several years and offers the fans some interesting insight into their program. Since we are playing the Buffs this year in football, I had been checking out CU's website for information and found his column. After talking with Dave, he suggested we do one because it is a fan favorite...so here goes.
TRIVIA QUESTION - Who is the only Bulldog women's basketball player to ever have her jersey retired?
AWARDS - Fresno State is going to have to expand the trophy case to accommodate another year of receiving the WAC's top awards. Once again, the Stan Bates Award, a $2,000 postgraduate scholarship, was awarded to a Bulldog, softball player Becky Witt. She recently was honored as Fresno State's female athlete of the year and was awarded a $5,000 NCAA postgraduate scholarship. Becky is going to need a wheelbarrow to haul all of her awards when she cleans out her locker. She is Fresno State's candidate for NCAA Woman of the Year and the NCAA Top VIII Award. Here's a look at Bulldogs who won special WAC awards this year.
2000-01 WAC Award Winners
- Melvin Ely, WAC Basketball Player of the Year
- Liesl Fichtbauer, WAC Women's Tennis Player of the Year
- Jill Pearson, WAC Women's Soccer Player of the Year
- Nick Watney, WAC Golfer of the Year
- Becky Witt, Stan Bates Award (Top Senior Female Student-Athlete)
SEEING RED - Interim Athletics Director Scott Johnson is going to institute "RED FRIDAY", which means every Friday during the school year the athletics department offices will be decorated in red and staff members will be wearing red in support of whichever team is competing that weekend.
UNDENIABLY RED - Sticking with the "red" theme, the Fresno State marketing department is introducing a new slogan this season - "UNDENIABLY RED". What is it? It's a feeling that we want to share with the Valley, our fans and our student-athletes to be absolutely, unequivocally, undeniably red! It embodies the love for Fresno State and the Bulldogs. It's an inexplicable passion that we all share when talking about the Bulldogs. It's the feeling of pride in our community that is associated with being a Bulldog and what the Bulldogs mean to Fresno and the Central Valley.
TENNIS SEARCH - There is a lot of national attention on the Bulldogs' men's tennis coaching vacancy. With the departure of Michael Hegarty to the University of Florida, Interim Athletics Director Scott Johnson has received many inquiries about the position including phone calls from tennis legends Billie Jean King and Martina Navrotilova to recommend coaches for the job. King was an advocate for current Bulldog women's tennis coach Kevin Epley last summer prior to his hiring. Epley guided the Bulldogs to the first top 10 ranking in school history and tutored two All-Americans, Kim Niggemeyer and Liesl Fichtbauer, in his first season.
ABAS SLIGHTED - Fresno State fans have to be disappointed that NCAA champion wrestler Stephen Abas didn't win the 2000-01 Joe Kearney Award for the WAC's top male athlete. The award was given to TCU's LaDainian Tomlimson. It may sound like sour grapes because of TCU leaving the WAC, I'm not sure how you can't give the award to someone who was perfect. Abas did not lose a match (34-0) and won his second NCAA championship at 125 pounds. Makes you wonder what the voters were thinking.
NATIONAL EXPOSURE - Fresno State is very fortunate to get a lot of local media coverage, but this season the Bulldogs are going to get unprecedented national television exposure. With four ESPN or ESPN2 football games already locked in, the Bulldogs are also under consideration for two more games on national television, the Oct. 13 game at Colorado State and the Nov. 23 home game with San Jose State. A decision on those games won't be made until about two weeks before the game date, but if they are selected that will give Fresno State six nationally televised game this season. In addition, the Boise State game will be broadcast by ESPN Regional, which means it will be shown locally and in other markets in the nation and will be produced with ESPN personnel and on-air announcers. A bowl game appearance would give Fresno State seven national appearances, ranking up there with the best programs in the nation. Florida State and defending Big 10 Champion Purdue only have two ESPN game scheduled this season.
Fresno State's ESPN Games: Aug. 26 at Colorado (ESPN2), Sept. 2 Oregon State (ESPN2), Sept. 8 Wisconsin (ESPN), Oct. 26 at Hawai'i (ESPN)
Fresno State's Possible ESPN Games: Oct. 13 at Colorado State, Nov. 23 vs. San Jose State.
Fresno State's ESPN Regional: Oct. 20 vs. Boise State.
TALKING TELEVISION - There is a good possibility that between the ESPN contract and Fresno State's local television contract with KFRE, 12 of Fresno State's 13 football games will be on television this season. This season KFRE WB 59 (AT&T Broadband Cable Channel 5) will carry at least five games (at Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, Rice, at SMU and at Nevada). Depending on ESPN's schedule and how the Bulldogs do, there is the possibility that every game could be televised. KFRE is in its first season of carrying Bulldog football and basketball, taking over as the television home of the Bulldogs from sister station KMPH.
GATORS GOING FOR IT - In an attempt to take away Stanford's strangle hold on the Sears Director's Cup the University of Florida is doing everything in its power to secure some valuable Sears Cup points by hiring high-priced coaches. That has had an impact on the Bulldog program. Not only have the Gators hired a new tennis coach at a six-figure plus salary but had the financial resources to hire the head coach of a top 25 program (Fresno State's Michael Hegarty) to be the assistant tennis coach. Earlier in the summer Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley fired baseball coach Andy Lopez, who won a national title at Pepperdine and had taken the Gators to the NCAA tournament this past season, because he wanted the baseball program to be more successful.
WORKING HARD - The campus has been active all summer with student-athletes who are attending summer school and working hard to prepare themselves for the season. As I was leaving work the other evening, I noticed some lights on near Beiden Field. Knowing the Grizzlies were out of town, I cruised by to see if possibly the lights had been left on accidentally. Upon further inspection, I saw several members of the Bulldog women's soccer team practicing on their own to get ready for the fall season. It's makes one proud to know that we have so many dedicated student-athletes.
TICKET VALUES - Fresno State's ticket values remain one of the best buys in the nation. After coming off of consecutive bowl appearances, one might think that the ticket prices would escalate. It has been our policy to make Bulldog football games affordable for our fans. That's why our season prices remain excellent values ($125 or $100). In fact, Fresno State's season tickets are among one of the best buys in the nation. Here are what a few others schools are charging for their cheapest season tickets:
North Carolina State: $128
Washington State: $129
North Carolina: $160
Maryland: $175
Stanford: $185
Kentucky: $192
In addition, Fresno State's $40 per ticket price for the Oregon State game, while the most expensive in school history, is comparable to many other big non-conference games. The University of Houston is charging $40 for its home game vs. Texas. The Iowa vs. Iowa State game ticket is $50 as is the Cal vs. Stanford game.
Fresno State's most expensive ticket for the five other home games are $20 each. That's better than the cheapest single game tickets at the following schools:
Iowa State: $23
Air Force: $25
Houston: $25
UNLV: $25
Florida State: $25
Miami (Fla.): $35
The Bulldogs are also offering the Family Reserve Ticket Package (two adults and two children) for $250 for the season. That averages to only $10 per person per game.
Student values are even more of a bargain. At the University of Georgia, students get into a lottery for $30 to get season ticket. If they win that lottery and get season tickets, they are able to purchase one guest ticket (spouse, friend or family member) for $27 per game. At Fresno State, any full-time student can purchase the entire season package for $40 plus a guest season ticket for $60. That's $92 less than a student at Georgia.
NEW ADDITIONS - Facility coordinator John Kriebs and his wife, Geri, had their second child, a son, Jack, who was born on August 7. Jack is listed on the Kriebs' roster at 7 lbs. and 4 oz.
YOU'RE CARR? - While at the WAC Football Media Day in Reno, I couldn't help but chuckle when Rice head coach Ken Hatfield walked up to David Carr and introduced himself. When David told him who he was, Hatfield's eyes got as big as saucers as he questioned in a shocked voice and raised eyebrows, "You're Carr?!" Methinks he thought David was Tulsa's All-WAC defensive end Drew McLaughlin, who at 6-3 and 240 pounds is nearly the same size as Carr. Don't worry Coach, I'm sure you won't be the only one wondering why a player the size of an NFL linebacker is lining up under center for the `Dogs.
30 YEARS AND GOING STRONG - KMJ radio's Bill Woodward is entering his 30th season covering Bulldog athletics. Woodward, the play-by-play voice of Fresno State football and men's basketball, joins former Bulldog quarterback Jon Anabo in the broadcast booth for the 17th consecutive season.
TRIVIA ANSWER - Wendy Martell (1984-87). Wendy set a school scoring record with 1,595 points and earned All-America and academic All-America honors for the Bulldogs. She guided Fresno State to three consecutive 20-win seasons and was selected as one of Fresno State's 25 Greatest Athletes of the Century.