Tuning In To WVUM

As the student voice of the University of Miami, WVUM radio fills an important role in keeping UM students and Hurricane fans alike informed about what's happening on and off campus and inside the world of UM athletics.  Here is a brief summary of the station from the WVUM web site:

"WVUM is the non-commercial and fully student-run radio station broadcasting out of the University of Miami. Since its inception in 1967, as a pirate radio station hidden in the Mahoney dormitory, "The Voice” has evolved into a nationally recognized leader in college radio, broadcasting eclectic music programming, public affairs/news content and excellent sports programs."

 
Over the last four years Canespace and WVUM have developed a very positive relationship that has proven to be mutually beneficial to Hurricane fans not only in South Florida but literally all across the United States and around the world.

Justin Antweil, the previous Sports Director at WVUM, was a good friend of Canespace and a solid partner in providing sports coverage for Hurricane fans.  With Justin's recent graduation WVUM conducted an extensive search for someone to fill this position and eventually selected UM Sophomore Chris Wittyngham for that role. 

Almost immediately we looked to form a new relationship with Chris to continue our excellent partnership and to ensure that we keep bringing you the news you can use when it come to UM athletics from our exclusive on campus connection at WVUM.

I recently had a chance to catch up with Chris for one of our now famous Canespace Q&A sessions.  Here is what he had to say in response to some of the questions posted on the blog about the UM football team as the Hurricanes head into the 2011 season:

86Cane: How did you first get interested in becoming a sports director and producer at WVUM and what led you to want to be an on-air media sports reporter instead of just another student (or fan) in the stands drinking cold beverages and yelling loudly like the rest of us?

Wittyngham: I was born and raised in Miami and I love everything about what it represents, both the city and the university. I love all of the sports team in South Florida, but for some reason, I never took a big interest in the Hurricanes early on. However, as I got closer to college age and as I've become a part of the University of Miami, I've definitely grown to love “The U”. 

As far as how I got into broadcasting, I decided this rather early. I just put together how I could combine my love of sports with my overwhelming lack of athleticism and so I studied to be an announcer. I would watch Chris Berman's NFL Primetime and study his delivery and style and I would do play by play for my own Madden NFL video games with the sound down. 

Eventually I got into TV production and the student newspaper at my high school and really enjoyed it. I got my first gig with a guy named Bruce Silverman, who happened to be starting up a sports radio show on AM 1470 in Palm Beach. He asked me to be a correspondent for my high school and eventually I became a contributor and then the producer of the show which we still do every week (sofloradio.com). 

I then started at WVUM in the fall of my freshman semester and I knew Justin Antweil was graduating so when he announced that he was going to open the Sports Director (SD) position to the entire staff I said "What the hell?" and applied. I was able to make an impression by starting our station's twitter account as well as continuing to develop my skills announcing UM baseball games (eventually doing about a dozen games) and I finally got the job as SD at WVUM. 

I really am excited to get going with covering football and doing everything there is to be done as a Sports Director, including increasing our listenership among several other things. I thoroughly enjoy broadcasting games and talking sports and would like to do this for the rest of my life.

Canechic: How many players do you suspect will be suspended for the Maryland game?  I fear The Turtle and have heard that the Terrapins may be pretty good this year (even with a new head coach) and that they have a real shot at beating the Hurricanes in the season opener.  What say U?

Wittyngham: I think there is a difficult tension between wanting to keep your best players on the field and not tolerating bad behavior. There definitely will be some players suspended as several media members have reported, but I can't imagine too many impact players miss that first game. I agree in saying that although Maryland was a good but not great team, they will certainly be ready to play considering how big that Labor Day stage is for them. They too have a new coach with a bigger pedigree (A BCS bowl game) than Coach Golden and everybody involved is looking at that game and placing a huge amount of emphasis. The game will not be taken lightly so I wouldn't worry too much about impact players missing the game for suspension. 

TLuv: I assume that you are NOT going into Al Golden’s first season at Miami and predicting an undefeated season like a few of our bloggers at Canespace have done every year since 2006.  What are your W-L predictions for the season, or in other words, how many games will the Canes lose in 2011, which ones and why?

Wittyngham: I'm consistently surprised at how optimistic Canes fans are every year. A big part of life, especially as a sports fan, is managing expectations. I don't think they'll win the national title, but I think realistic expectations are contending for or even winning the coastal division. It is something that has yet to be done since the Canes joined the ACC and this may be the year. With the amount of upperclassmen on the roster and starters returning it seems feasible. The experience at the quarterback position is lacking throughout the conference and that usually means things will be wide open. This team still has holes that Coach Golden is trying to take care of both through recruiting and coaching, but I don't know how many things can be fixed in one year. Inaccuracy from the quarterbacks, dropped balls, poor route running, uncreative offense, poor tackling, allowing big plays, and poor special teams all plagued the team at some point last year so we'll see how many of those things are fixed in year 1. I will say 10-2 with losses to Virginia Tech and Florida State. That is a safe prediction, because generally not everything goes as it is supposed to, but those are the two games I look at and say they have the biggest chance of losing.

TLuv: We all know that Sean Spence is a stud and will have over 100 tackles this year.  But aside from Spence is there anybody on this team that can tackle and who is going to play at the other LB spots next to Spence for the Hurricanes this season?

Wittyngham: I would say Ramon Buchanan (Off-field problems willing) will probably start at the other outside linebacker position. I like him, but don't love him. He's a solid guy who has the potential to make some big plays. However, the guy I really like is Jordan Futch. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to too many of the guys and I can honestly say I'm looking forward to doing so, but Jordan Futch really impressed me when I talked to him. He introduced himself as "Jordan" as if nobody knew who he was and shook everyone's hand. He also really impressed with the way he listened to and answered our questions carefully. He was very outspoken against Randy Shannon in December when he was let go and clearly outlined the differences between Coach Golden and Coach Shannon when I spoke to him during the spring. I think above all else he understands and embraces what "The U" attitude is about and what it was built on. However, I think some players of the last ten years had that attitude, but haven't been able to translate that onto the field. A lot of the talking matters to some, but his output on the field in spring was equally impressive. He had close to double digit or double digit tackles in each of those scrimmages. I think he will start in that 3rd linebacker position and will emerge as a solid to great player in that linebacking core.

Hassan: With all the NCAA investigations there may be only 10 or fewer eligible teams left to compete for the BCS Title by the end of the 2011 season.  It seems pretty clear that many of the top 25 teams commit major infractions annually.  What is the status of the NCAA as you see it and where do we go from here?  Do you agree with paying the players?

Wittyngham: I think that the way the system is set up rewards cheating. We'll discuss this more on WVUM as we get closer to the Ohio State game as they were probably the focal point of the NCAA investigations, but in my opinion Jim Tressel chose the best option to save his job. If he reported everything Terrelle Pryor was doing, he loses his best player, his star quarterback, and arguably his biggest recruiting 'get' ever and he probably doesn't do anything in the way of winning with the team and quarterback he had. So the alternative was to risk nobody finding out, which to that point nobody had about any violation prior, and see if he could reap the rewards of Pryor, his best player. He did, but eventually was caught. This is what happened with Bruce Pearl and quite a few others. So the way you fix it is by making reporting the violation the better option, either by rewarding honesty or by eliminating the idea that it is a violation. I do think paying players is the best option, although I'm not sure of the best way to do that. You can do it equally across sports, but that doesn't make sense based on the fact that Jacory Harris' jersey is the one selling in the UM book store, not those of the diving team. The players of the money sports have an argument that they bring the most revenue therefore they should get the most money. I don't think the difficulties of how to do it should persuade people against doing it, but it's definitely hard to decide paying equally across the board or by value, but I think it should be done.

DrewZ2: Last week Head Coach Al Golden singled out a few players like WR Phillip (no relation to Tony) Dorsett, OL Malcolme “don’t get your panties all in a” Bunche and TE Clive “I’ve got a really cool first name” Walford as surprise players for 2011.  I’m sure U agree with Coach Golden but what other three surprise players would you add to this list? 

Wittyngham: First off, I agree with coach Golden on Clive Walford. One of the cool things about covering this team and going to UM is the connections you are fortunate to have with members of the team. Clive was in my English 105 class this past semester and I got a chance to know him a little bit and he truly is a humble kid from the Belle Glade area famous for chasing rabbits. I actually showed him the video of the story ESPN did on my laptop and he was smiling from ear to ear because he had done it too. He's physically intimidating to stand next to and in watching him in practice he'll definitely be a pass catching tight end option that the Hurricanes did not have last year. As far as guys I'm looking for, I'd definitely keep my eye out for Darion Hall. Coach Golden talked about the need for a 3rd running back to step up and join Mike James and Lamar Miller in stable of running backs with the departure of Storm Johnson. I think Darion will be that guy to get 6 to 9 carries a game and make an impact by spelling Lamar and Mike. Also, I know we've discussed it every year since he's been here, but I think this is the time for Tommy Streeter. It's only a matter of time before his athleticism is tapped in to for on-field results and I think this is the year. And I think one of the area of the team where guys can step up and surprise people is in the secondary, because when you lose guys like Brandon Harris, Demarcus Van Dyke, and Ryan Hill there are plenty of opportunities to step up. Don't be surprised if true freshman Thomas Finnie steps in immediately and gets some playing time in the nickel and maybe even in the starting lineup.

86Cane: Chris thanks for taking your time to answer some of our questions from the bloggers here at Canespace.  What else can you tell us about what are in the plans for the WVUM sports department under your new leadership this year?

Wittyngham: I appreciate the questions and I look forward to discussing these things further on WVUM. I appreciate Canespace coming to me with the opportunity to do an interview and I look forward to being in touch with you guys all year. 

 
WVUM will be covering all 7 home games and the two Florida road games against USF and FSU. However, depending on our budget and our underwriting (the non-commercial version of advertising) revenues, we may be able to cover the Maryland, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina Games. We will keep you posted on that and will cover the ACC title game in the event Miami makes it and any bowl game they reach. 

As far as our sports talk shows, they begin August 26th on our signature talk show Ibis Sports Weekly, which again will be back every Friday from 6-7 PM. We will also debut the all new "WVUM Sports Saturday" on August 27th, airing Saturdays from 11 AM to Noon. And we will also return with Beyond The Scope, Sundays from Noon to 1 PM.

We will be having plenty of guests and giveaways all year long to be sure to tune in to all things WVUM on 90.5 FM or http://www.wvum.org. 

GO CANES!

Comments

[solarcane]

bam

[CaneRock]

DAMN!

[86Cane]

Solar check out the CONTENT. The college kid (Sophomore) absolutely slammed dunked his first try!

Mad props to Chris Wittyngham from WVUM for his participation in the conversation here. That kid has some serious skillz!

[solarcane]

Good interview Chris,
I appreciate you state how you feel about things, and are honest and direct.
thanks

[CaneRock]

Solar and SOUP, ya'll got some splainin' to do. SOUP posted "NEW BLOG IS UP" at 8:05, and Solar 1sted at 8:04, hmmmm, what's going on (LOL)...

[ChrisWittyngham]

I appreciate you guys for giving me a chance to do this. I look forward to interacting with you guys in the future

[86Cane]

Chris...Have to mention that you really stepped up to the plate and swung hard. Nice job.

LIVE chat tomorrow at 8 PM correct?

[DrewZ2]

Thanks Chris, good interview

[solarcane]

canerock
lol!
I had no idea a new article was gonna go up. Canespace is always running minimized on my computer so I can blot out a lot of crap, trolls, wannabes and haters try and sneak in.
I don't get credit for being the first guy but U do.

I was Pete Rosed lifetime of getting first post props do to my uncanny ability to anticipate the next article, and lightning like reflexes... and the JUICE.

[canechic]

Canerock sorry about your NaNa...my thoughts are with you and your family!

[ChrisWittyngham]

Yes, I'll be here for the live chat at 8 PM tomorrow

[Montreal-Cane]

WVUM is doing a very good job...The only way we can have Canes radio broadcast around the world since WQAM is too cheap to provide us with a stream...

WVUM "The voice".

[86Cane]

Chris...see U then. Remember to hit the refresh button on your browser or the "time stamp" after each comment you make to keep up with the frequent updated questions and comments.

Canespacers...Get ready to RUMBLE tomorrow night at 8 PM with Chris Wittyngham from WVUM!

[canechic]

Great article! Chris do not be fooled by Jordon!

[dj moonbat]

I had a friend who was a rocker degenerate who got a radio slot at WVUM, and we used to go into the studios with crates of records, some booze, and a couple other friends and talk **** all night while spinning records. He didn't have the show very long...

[CaneRock]

Thanks for the condolences CaneChic,VACane, and UpNorthCane. She's basically on morphine and oxygen around the clock now, they stopped giving her the water pills. But yeah, that woman was the glue that held that part of the family together, most of the family used to gather at her house for the holidays and other special days. But besides her physical condition, she lost her husband a few years back, so I think she's had a heavy heart ever since also.

[solarcane]

WVUM MTV's #1 college radio station in the country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22_LbgHTTGg

[solarcane]

Those jumping air sharks have a swagger all their own.
I wouldn't advise water skiing in a scuba outfit around South Africa.

[solarcane]

Ryan Williams
| Quarterback | Junior | Pembroke Pines, Fla.

My favorite midnight snack is some kind of cookie or brownie.

I’m a Hurricane because I was given the opportunity to come here, and I’m thankful.

My favorite song right now is “My City, My Town” by Trick Daddy. It’s all about people who represent where they’re from, and I like that.

My favorite thing about being a part of the U Family is the brotherhood. All the players that come back show the love they have for the program, and show how much it means to them. How much work we put in between each other, it’s something we all know that we have to go through. We all respect each other in that fashion. It’s different. It’s something you can’t get anywhere else.

At the U, I’ve learned so much from my teammates in general, from their experiences playing here and what it’s like to be a Hurricane. Since it’s my first year, I’m just learning the right way to do things and what it takes to get on the field and be part of this family.

Being back home is great, especially to be closer to my family. They came to a lot of games when I was at Memphis, but there’s nothing like being home. Travel-wise, I’ll be getting to see them a lot more often.

One thing everyone should know about Miami football is that we’re not stopping until we get a championship.

Other than football, I’m talented at almost every sport. I don’t play sports like the average person. When I try to do something, I try to be great at it. I’m focused on football. I played basketball growing up, and played soccer too. Pretty much anything with a ball.

The actor I would want to play me in a movie is Will Ferrell (laughs). He’s one of my favorite actors, and pretty much every movie he’s in is funny. I try to be like that sometimes.

The song no one would believe I have on my iPod is “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus.

No one can believe I’m engaged. Being so young, no one would expect it out of a student-athlete, it’s outside the normal for us. We’ve been engaged for a couple of months now.

People might be surprised to know that I’ve always wanted to play here since I was little. Since I moved here, watching the Hurricanes growing up and seeing the greatness of the tradition, I’ve always wanted to be here. Now I’ve finally got the chance.

If I could spend a day with anyone, it would be Peyton Manning, just to see his work ethic, what he does in practice, and what it takes to be the top quarterback in the NFL. He’s one of my favorite players. The others are Tom Brady and some of the Miami guys, like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Sean Taylor.

The most influential person in my life is myself. I push myself to be the greatest at what I do. I’m not letting myself fall short of my dreams and my goals.

When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be Michael Vick. Back when he first came up, everyone wanted to be like him. Being a dual-threat quarterback is always fun, especially playing pick-up in the streets and being able to throw but also to run around and have fun.

When I was six years old, I started playing football.

Football has given me so many more opportunities in life. A chance to further my education, create friendships that I’ll have for the rest of my life and a work ethic that I’ll always have.

I never thought I’d be playing football in college. Growing up, it’s something you wanted to do but you didn’t actually know what it took to get there and how many people actually make it. Having a chance to move onto the next level is just a blessing.

I was raised in South Florida, in Pembroke Pines. I was born in Louisiana, but we moved here when I was in second grade. I’m glad we made the move.

The offensive line is a bunch of jokesters. They like to have fun. The always make jokes, but they know how to work .They know what it takes. They know how to put in the extra effort, but they also have fun on the side too.

Coach Fisch is a professional. He treats you like you’re a professional, and he expects you to act like one. He expects you to do what he asks, and wants you to know what you’re supposed to do.

[solarcane]

WVUMSports WVUM Sports

Did an interview with @86Cane about the Hurricanes season and my start as WVUM Sports Director. Give it a read please http://t.co/2R05v0V

[Canez1]

I can use a good banning.

Solar help ur boy out!!

5 more days bishes and there will finally be something worth talking about.

#offseasonblows

Who's in for labor day?

Canerock prayers go out to u. I lost my grandfather a little while back and it still haunts.

I actually wish I wasn't there to see him pass but felt like I had to be for others.

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[solarcane]

canez1

wad up my brudda!!
are you goinng to FSU this sesson?

[Canez1]

That's a good question my man.

I don't think so. I will wait until they come here next year. Just not in the mood for a weekend of obnoxious hillbillies.

I would much rather put up with our own lol

Already booked for osu and will probably hit vatech and or unc and bc.

Then u have acc champ and bowl game depending on where it is and whether golden and crew have milked the puss out of these kids.

I will play this season as it comes.

How about u??

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[Sarasota 'cane]

My brother picked up 4 club level end zone seats for $100.00 each for UM/OSU tonight!! He got them from the UM Facebook Fan Page link. What a season opener!! Is anyone going to fan fest on the 27th? Hope to see/meet a lot of you all this season!!

Go 'canes!!

[cheap nba jerseys]

Almost immediately we looked to form a new relationship with Chris to continue our excellent partnership and to ensure that we keep bringing you the news you can use when it come to UM athletics from our exclusive on campus connection at WVUM.

[solarcane]

cane1
Im going to FSU and maybe UNC
like you I wanna see "the brand" perform first
hope to see you again this season

[raizecane]

Those jumping air sharks have a swagger all their own.
I wouldn't advise water skiing in a scuba outfit around South Africa.

Posted by: solarcane | August 01, 2011 at 09:34 PM

*****************************************

Watched the "Rogue Shark" episode last night.....crazy stuff.

[raizecane]

86 - great job on the article. BTW - you have email

[Canez1]

Solar no doubt.

We will catch up one of these days.

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[Ohio_Cane]

Behind the Facemask: Ryan Williams

"Ryan Williams | Quarterback | Sophomore | Pembroke Pines, Fla.

My favorite midnight snack is some kind of cookie or brownie.

I'm a Hurricane because I was given the opportunity to come here, and I'm thankful.

My favorite song right now is "My City, My Town" by Trick Daddy. It's all about people who represent where they're from, and I like that.

My favorite thing about being a part of the U Family is the brotherhood. All the players that come back show the love they have for the program, and show how much it means to them. How much work we put in between each other, it's something we all know that we have to go through. We all respect each other in that fashion. It's different. It's something you can't get anywhere else.

At the U, I've learned so much from my teammates in general, from their experiences playing here and what it's like to be a Hurricane. Since it's my first year, I'm just learning the right way to do things and what it takes to get on the field and be part of this family.

Being back home is great, especially to be closer to my family. They came to a lot of games when I was at Memphis, but there's nothing like being home. Travel-wise, I'll be getting to see them a lot more often.

One thing everyone should know about Miami football is that we're not stopping until we get a championship.

Other than football, I'm talented at almost every sport. I don't play sports like the average person. When I try to do something, I try to be great at it. I'm focused on football. I played basketball growing up, and played soccer too. Pretty much anything with a ball.

The actor I would want to play me in a movie is Will Ferrell (laughs). He's one of my favorite actors, and pretty much every movie he's in is funny. I try to be like that sometimes.

The song no one would believe I have on my iPod is "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus.

No one can believe I'm engaged. Being so young, no one would expect it out of a student-athlete, it's outside the normal for us. We've been engaged for a couple of months now.

People might be surprised to know that I've always wanted to play here since I was little. Since I moved here, watching the Hurricanes growing up and seeing the greatness of the tradition, I've always wanted to be here. Now I've finally got the chance.

If I could spend a day with anyone, it would be Peyton Manning, just to see his work ethic, what he does in practice, and what it takes to be the top quarterback in the NFL. He's one of my favorite players. The others are Tom Brady and some of the Miami guys, like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Sean Taylor.

The most influential person in my life is myself. I push myself to be the greatest at what I do. I'm not letting myself fall short of my dreams and my goals.

When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be Michael Vick. Back when he first came up, everyone wanted to be like him. Being a dual-threat quarterback is always fun, especially playing pick-up in the streets and being able to throw but also to run around and have fun.

When I was six years old, I started playing football.

Football has given me so many more opportunities in life. A chance to further my education, create friendships that I'll have for the rest of my life and a work ethic that I'll always have.

I never thought I'd be playing football in college. Growing up, it's something you wanted to do but you didn't actually know what it took to get there and how many people actually make it. Having a chance to move onto the next level is just a blessing.

I was raised in South Florida, in Pembroke Pines. I was born in Louisiana, but we moved here when I was in second grade. I'm glad we made the move.

The offensive line is a bunch of jokesters. They like to have fun. The always make jokes, but they know how to work .They know what it takes. They know how to put in the extra effort, but they also have fun on the side too.

Coach Fisch is a professional. He treats you like you're a professional, and he expects you to act like one. He expects you to do what he asks, and wants you to know what you're supposed to do."

http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080111aam.html

[Ohio_Cane]

"One thing everyone should know about Miami football is that we're not stopping until we get a championship."

I like him already! Lol

[Ohio_Cane]

Papa Cane - Nothing To See: 4-Star DL Jelani Hamilton recently posted a photo on Facebook of himself wearing an FSU hat. He is 100% Cane. Nada to see.

[Ohio_Cane]

Jimbo Fisher's son fighting rare blood disorder - http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/02/report-jimbo-fishers-son-fighting-rare-blood-disorder/

[Ohio_Cane]

Papa Cane - More Than Just a Try: OL Brandon Washington will now play RT, as opposed to RG. Harlan Gunn and Brandon Linder will replace him.

[dj moonbat]

Is Washington tall enough to play tackle?

[SOUP]

More Than Just a Try: OL Brandon Washington will now play RT, as opposed to RG. Harlan Gunn and Brandon Linder will replace him.

Posted by: Ohio_Cane | August 02, 2011 at 10:06 AM

This is NOT good news. I'm jus sayin'...

[4-Real]

Ohio, it's been posted all over the itu board from fsu fans that fsu is pretty confident they will land 1 of the Hamilton de's, either Darius or Jelani?!!

[mi@mic@ne]

I still am waiting to see the difference in the work ethic that AG brought in...this summer..and maybe we have real talent. Not so sure that we need more talent or that these guys are going to get injured. Im thinking that the last regime created a losing attitude by having the wrong coaching chemistry.

We had some of the best stats in the acc . .. enough to be the best. But we made the most mistakes. So along with the good coaching chemistry in keeping these guys motivated and focused as a quality to help us dominate especially in the fourth q we should be able to build momentum and get into the heads of our opponents by illuminating the mistakes and along with the heat wear them down as the game and season progresses.

I think its more of turning it around than talent level.

[mi@mic@ne]

eliminating

[OhioCane]

Papa Cane - Hurricane Commit Reggie Northrup (2012 class) plans to graduate early, and to get a headstart on his college career...

[OhioCane]

DJ - Yes

SOUP - This is just an insurance policy incase Seantrel's back issue worsens. Not bad news IMO.

4-Real - I'll check on that

[mi@mic@ne]

Seantrel should get shoes fit for his feet. It may be a problem with his gate when he walks. I know some people are susceptible to increasing back pain by not having the rite weight transference when they walk. I have big arches so i only walk with new balance shoes. If i walk in other shoes i get a lot of back and leg pain.

[SOUP]

1. This is just an insurance policy incase Seantrel's back issue worsens.

2. Not bad news IMO.

Posted by: OhioCane | August 02, 2011 at 11:18 AM

1. That issue alone IS bad news! It clearly shows that the coaches are not confident in #77 being fully recovered to start the season or maybe even his ability to play lots of minutes this year.

2. See #1!

[OhioCane]

Miamicane- I was thinking something similar. Possibly how he walked at 385 for so long changed now that he's 340-345? I dunno. Just an uneducated guess lol

[mi@mic@ne]

Ive had herniated disk. Two things that rehabilitated was... leg curls.. like 100reps in a work out. Especially focusing on the back hamstrings.
Wearing good shoes.

[canechic]

Good shoes and core exercises!

I think some pilates or yoga maybe in order, Seantrel!!!

And staying hydrated, I think that is how I messed my back up...running without drinking enough water or powerade.

[mi@mic@ne]

At my age the natural motion workout is important. But in my opinion the body is like a balance. You to motion and opposite motion. So you got to work on both sets of muscle to eliminate pain. Using natural motion in weightlifting. I know weaker ham-ies than thighs causes back problems.

[mi@mic@ne]

I used to pull calf muscles.. but started to work on the outside muscle on the front of my leg and havent pulled a calf muscle sense.

[mi@mic@ne]

since

[SOUP]

K-STATE UPDATE / SEE U IN MIAMI ON 9/24:

Good thing, because if Kansas State is going to be an improved football team in the debut season of the new-look Big 12, Brown will need to lead a defensive turnaround.

Even with younger brother Bryce Brown expected to keep K-State’s running game going at a high level, Collin Klein capable of improving quarterback play and a deeper receiving corps promising to bring balance to the Wildcats’ offense, it’s going to be hard for K-State to simply outscore its opponents.

When asked to do exactly that last season, K-State came out on the wrong end of shootout after shootout. Scoring nearly 34 points per game was good enough for seven wins and an appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl, but allowing a Big 12-worst 231.4 rushing yards per game and a whopping 445.7 yards overall prevented the Wildcats from having a breakthrough season.

“It wasn’t that we were bad,” Snyder said. “We stunk.”

Arthur Brown, who sat out last season, noticed.

“It’s always difficult when you’re off on the sidelines and you’d like to contribute to your team,” Brown said. “But it was a gain for me in a lot of areas. I have properly prepared myself to play this season.”

He is hoping for better in 2011, but unless K-State can slow opponents more than it did a year ago it will be difficult to gain bowl eligibility against a tougher schedule that includes an early road test against Miami and games against Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State all in the same season.

And it’s not as if Baylor, Missouri and Texas A&M are offensive slouches. K-State is going to be challenged at every turn, and it will need vastly superior efforts on defense to survive.

Brown may be just what it needs.

“I could go on and on about how much Arthur is going to help us this year,” senior safety Tysyn Hartman said. “He’s one of those freak athletes — great size, great strength, great speed — just about everything you need in a linebacker. Tough, and everything you could ask for.”

While Snyder is quick to point out “one guy can’t do it all,” Brown does allow K-State to switch up its strategy. In the past, the Wildcats have used a 4-2-5 scheme and relied heavily on their secondary to help against the run. With Brown, coaches are planning to use a 4-3 formation and lean on their linebackers.

A few other players will make a defensive turnaround possible. Ty Zimmerman is one of the best young safeties in the conference, Defensive back David Garrett led the Wildcats with 92 tackles a year ago, and Hartman and linebacker Emmanuel Lamur bring experience.

But experience was never the problem on K-State’s defense a year ago. Its biggest deficiencies were tackling in open space and containing runners at the line of scrimmage.

Snyder says K-State’s defensive line, “is the big question,” but he hopes improved depth across his defense will spark improvement. Competition should be stronger than past years in fall camp, and injuries won’t cripple a unit.

We won’t know how well the Wildcats can actually execute until the season gets under way, but Brown has a prediction — a prediction Snyder would surely endorse.

“We have a lot of opportunities as a defense,” Brown said. “Over spring and over the summer we have really grown and really become more unified. Those are my expectations, to come together as a team. As a defense, I expect to see that. We have a lot of energy and a lot of passion that are going to keep us there throughout the season.”

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/26/3039169/k-state-hopes-linebacker-arthur.html#ixzz1Tt8JbB00