The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia • 9

The Roanoke Times Preseason game work in end BLACKSBURG And everyone thinks Michael Vick is electric? The pregame thunder from a record crowd at Lane Stadium roiled toward kickoff Sunday night but the BCA Bowl never got off the tee It might never get off the tee and it shouldn Virginia Tech thought last football season with a na tional champion ship game fairly crackled The 2000 season really bolted out of the gate rom a blue gray August sky lightning thunder sheets of rain and whipping wind cleared the place The our Horsemen? They would have drowned 1 After 56 minutes of waiting through a lightning delay really what took so Iqng? the Georgia Tech Virginia Tech game was called off Because the cap tains had met and the coin toss had tak en place the game was in the hands of the officials 1 So what was it that pulled the plug? 1 Rain? Lightning? ield conditions? of said referee Dan Blum of the crew assigned from Conference USA plus another weather sys tern told may be just like this one is on the way You go out there in these Blum had been huddling in a Lane press box roof booth meeting with Jim Weaver and Dave Braine the athletic directors of the two schools officials of 1 the Gazelle Group the BCA Bowl orga nizers and ESPN college football coor dinating producer Moe Davenport wanted us to play the said Braine the Georgia Tech AD whose return to a town he called home for almost a decade was truly an electrifying experience way Both teams have games Saturday Besides no way this field would have been playable in 24 Except for the overhead protection from lightning bolts the area under the grandstands had become an unplayable situation too ans waiting for kickoff were jammed against one another wait ing to exhale The throng was like a giant cranber ry bog dripping wet maroon bub i bling thick The only water in the stadi urn was what was pouring from the sky 'XJ During the delay Gazelle Group spokesman Tim was asked when the game might be rescheduled going to play tonight no matter how long we have to he said I It was apparent that going to i 1 happen Even if the lightning subsided which it parts of Worsham ield or was it Wash ield had col lected standing water 1 Moments after the game was called at 9:02 Tech athletic director Weaver said that because the teams have a common open date only time we Could probably play is the first weekend A decision likely to come for several days The NCAA also must give the teams permission to play a game later Whose call is a rescheduled game? three the two schools and Ga zelle all four including ESPN Weaver said and I have to talk to bur coaches our presidents our legal people about the contract for the game a lot to discuss before a deci sion is 1 1 What seems apparent is that with no i game the Techs get any receipts from Gazelle Each school would be out at least $750000 However Braine said last week that in his opinion play a preseason game for financial rea How about playing the Saturday af ter the traditional and emo tional season enders against state ri vals Virginia and Georgia? think a good Braine said think it will be Really it might make some dollars but it make much sense to play If the edge of a season opener knocked out by lightning it was washed away Jack Bogaczyk can be reached at 981 3124 orjackbroanokecom JACK BOGACZYK Sports ft A up ft PP BASEBALL REPORT B2 3 AUTO RACING 84 GOL 85 NL B7 Sports newsonline or the latest sports news and scores go online at roanoketlmescom SECTIONS Stating sMoprat ERIC BRADY THE ROANOKE TIMES Soaked fans leave Lane Stadium during a downpour Sunday night Lightning forced the BCA Bowl between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech to be canceled i 1 'J 'iff 4 i 1 i yr jflSal V''v 1 i jS Lightning cancels Hokies opener against Georgia Tech No makeup date is planned although Tech AD Jim Weaver wants to play the Jackets on Dec 1 By RANDY KING THE ROANOKE TIMES BLACKSBURG The record Lane Stadium crowd of 56276 fans had been whipped 4 into a chaotic frenzy inally the 2000 football season that the legion of Vir ginia Tech followers had been waiting on for eight months was about to begin at 8:05 Sunday night Georgia Tech had won the coin toss and had elected to receive the ball Virginia Tech kicker Carter Warley had placed the ball on the tee and was holding up his right hand a signal to his cover team cohorts that kickoff was imminent The fourth BCA Bowl was 1 ASSOCIATED Lightning delays the start of the BCA Bowl in Blacksburg for about an hour before it is canceled MM M'lMMIIIMnTMMlI I1 1 II 1 JMMLlllHlillLjyi ll1lU MiMl BrMdOr HWrWIZar IIMbTOEM SMUMK li 30 a aI JpSK SflMKHNh flUKEr Sr TOiHmm ready to rock and roll looked fine" said Rick Giles president of the New Jersey based Gazelle Group that was producing Sun day ESPN2 contest Then seemingly out of nowhere a lightning bolt the size of Montgomery County lit up the sky above Lane Seconds later roaring thunder followed in tow A minute later both teams were sent scurrying for the cover and safety of south end dressing rooms After more huge lightning bolts and thunder followed by heavy rain that quickly turned the field unplayable plus fore cast of another incoming storm the game was postponed at 9:02 pm Whether it will be played is anybody's guess If it is riday Dec 1 appears to be the only feasible date would hope it would be Hokies athletic direc tor Jim Weaver said pos sibility would be the first week end in December the possibility of that riday night I believe we would have to petition the NCAA for per mission because a rulc about playing on riday nights because of high school ball all have to be looked into Each school will have to converse with coaching staff if it will be feasi ble to do it or not" Weaver said there was no thought given to playing the game tonight Weaver said teams play this Sat urday and that field is not going to be Weaver said he and Georgia 1 Tech AD Dave Braine following discussions with the NCAA and the Gazelle Group hope to reach a decision this week onj whether the game will beJ played r'I have to be made Braine said a season game and we need per mission from the NCAA to playii it any other time We don't know if we can get The decision to call tfie game was made by the two Afys game' officials ESPN2 official? PLEASE SEE LIGHTNINGB8 Tech players fans all wet after washout MATT GENTRY THE ROANOKE TIMES r'yy ipr 1 'IIB Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick sees his Heisman Trophy candidacy delayed until the Hokies' Sept 2 game vs Akron After months of preparation Virginia Tech players and fans are disappointed By MARK BERMAN THE ROANOKE TIMES BLACKSBURG or Vir ginia Tech players and fans the BCA Bowl was a washout in more ways than one or months the Hokies had been eagerly awaiting season opener against Georgia Tech When lightning caused the game to be delayed and then called off the Hokies saw their season get off to a disappoint ing start had been looking for ward to it all said running back Lee Suggs a William leming graduate believe it because 1 had never heard of anything like this happen in college football It feels like a lost cause because we spent about three months on Georgia was a big cor nerback Ronyell Ye)ow Whitaker said jackets talk were sec of wasted onds from kick B8 off The defense was up first so we were real Tech did get one aspect of its game perfected we got our warmups Tech coach rank Beamer joked told Chris owler of ESPN never a dull moment in When lightning struck ju before kickoff the Tech playerfl and coaches took shelter in hot cramped Lane dressing room Jf was he Whit akefj said was scared to death4 seen other guys too that were scared Guys were hunched down hiding when we went into that As he waited cornerback' Larry Austin wondered how hES'i team could regain its focus and' emotion if the game had started so hype you pare for weeks months for this game and the adrenaline goes down to he said 1 PLEASE SEE TECHB8) SECTIONB.