Overtime Media

Still Competitive After All These Years/I Want HomeField Mobile

2009-06-29T10:30:00.003-04:00

By Reece

I am a former college lacrosse player. I am a former pro, too. But for me now, the seriousness of the game is supposed to be over…

And yet, here I am, on a rainy Saturday, on a team bus to Philadelphia, heading to the championship game of the American Lacrosse League, reading an email scouting report about our opponent, wondering how soon I’ll be able to see game film of my opponent on my iPhone…

'Club' lacrosse is supposed to be just that - a club. No practices. Show up and play. Fun. But let’s face it, for competitive athletes, it’s only fun when you’re winning, and being ready for every play is one of the keys to success.

Watching game film on a mobile device wasn’t possible when I or any of my teammates played in college. The tech just wasn’t there yet. But it’s so close now, I can taste it, and I’m dying to see how we @OvertimeMedia can keep evolving athletic performance for the serious athlete.

(I originally posted this to reecepacheco.com via my iPhone).

P.S. - We won the A.L.L. championship. NYAC 14 Dewalt 4.

The Pro Sports Draft Dilemma: Are Age Limits Harmful or Helpful?

2009-06-24T14:37:00.014-04:00

By Nick

With the NBA Draft only hours away, the age-old discussion has risen once again: When should players be eligible for professional drafting, and what's more important - money or education.

Up until 2005, when the NBA's minimum age limit was raised to 19 (with much scrutiny), players were allowed to forgo enrolling at a college in favor of entering the NBA Draft. On a very basic level, the age limit rules were changed not only to encourage high-schoolers to get a college education; but also because Commissioner David Stern didn't want young players viewing the NBA as a sure-fire shot at fame and wealth. The change immediately drew accusations of racism, as former high-school-to-NBA star Jermaine O'Neal took offense to the rule.

Unfortunately, the system has somewhat backfired. Many feel that the age limit has only delayed the inevitable, and has even contributed to some scandals involving recruits being paid under the table , including current Memphis Grizzlies guard, O.J. Mayo (pictured above). Another player by the name of Brandon Jennings, decided to skip college and play 1 year professionally in Europe. Jennings' reasoning was, he can play at a higher level and gain professional experience before entering the NBA Draft, while also getting paid. After a year playing for a pro team in Italy, Jennings is now a projected early first-round pick in tonight's Draft.

There are some college coaches that feel the age limit is negatively affecting the college game, and the college experience in general. Jeff Capel, Head Men's Basketball Coach at Oklahoma University, recently said, "It's a bad rule. A really bad rule. It makes a mockery of a college education." The coaches naturally have a gripe, knowing that the top-notch players they recruit to come to their school are going to play for one year, and then bolt to the NBA (or as it's commonly known, the "one and done" rule). Stern has received criticism from more than a few, and recently even from Congressmen, prompting some to view the 19-year-old age limit as a "free NBA Minor Leagues."

Let's switch gears to baseball, for a moment. Recently, a 16-year-old prospect by the name of Bryce Harper elected to leave high school after 2 years, take his GED, and enroll at a local Nevada college in the fall, which would make him eligible for the 2010 MLB Draft. A quick glance at the age will make most people gasp. As a result, Harper's father, Ron, was immediately criticized for allowing his son to make such a decision. When it came down to it, Ron said, "people say, well, you're the adult, you need to make that decision for him, but he's a pretty mature kid, and he's a good kid, and the level of baseball that he's been playing at, and the level of school he's been at, he needs to be pushed. And I believe that, and my wife and the coaches and the whole staff from the HS believe it too."

Based on Bryce's highlight reel, it's hard to argue with him and his family's decision. And with the MLB Draft eligibility rules, such a decision is possible. So the question remains, is the age limit unfairly preventing young prospective players from making their own career decisions?

A point that seems valid, specifically in the NBA vs. College case, is that at the age of 18, a player is already legally capable of making employment decisions, among many other rights. What right, then, do any of us have in prohibiting that? As Jermaine O'Neal appropriately put it, "If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18, why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes?"

Unfortunately for college sports, it would seem the age limit rule is neither valid nor effective. If a player opts for the NBA straight from high school and fails to be a star, or gets injured, that player can always go back to school and get his degree. On the flip side, if a player opts to stay in school and fails to be a star or gets injured, he's missed the chance at the very least to try his hand at the higher level and the chance to earn a salary. And we've seen what the rule has done to college basketball -- believe it, the one and done's will continue.

So if the question is, what's more important, money or education? The answer is, choice. The right to choose our own future path and make our own decisions, is something we all possess at the age of 18. To establish any rule against that right is unjust.

Of course, we all know this debate will continue for years to come; or at least until 2010 when the rule is up for amendment. But in the mean time, what do you think? If you're a high-school player, would you want the option of going straight to a professional league? Or if you're a parent, would you want your child to be obligated to enroll at a college institution? Even if they're sitting on a winning lottery ticket?

Strive to be Better

2009-06-14T17:26:00.005-04:00

By Joe

"I can not but wish I was better qualified for the job." - John Adams

The above quote by John Adams was in response to being asked to initiate an alliance with France during the Revolutionary War. Without going into the politics of the time, or deeper into the story than I would like, John Adams was one of, if not the most respected member of Congress around this time.

Thomas Jefferson said of John Adams, "Every member of Congress in 1776 acknowledged him to be the first man of the house...he was our colossus on the floor." And yet, even while his colleagues held him in the highest regard, Adams still felt, and knew, he could be better. It is men like this, I believe, who are truly successful in life.

Whatever success might mean to you, the way to achieve it is to never be satisfied. Be grateful for what you have, and be happy with the life you lead, but never stop striving to be better. Can you honestly say there isn't an area in your life that can't be improved upon, however slight the improvement may be?

Learn as much as you can. Pay attention to every detail. Study the area of life you want to conquer as often as possible. Whether it be sports, your career, or being a great father, always strive to be better. And I guarantee, you always will be.

The 100 Year Old Athlete

2009-06-05T14:18:00.003-04:00

By Reece

Meet Roger Gentilhomme. Or as I knew him growing up in Falmouth, "Pepe."

Pepe was my neighbor as a child. As a 4 year old, I remember him being old way back then. How incredible to see him still active, playing tennis and lifting weights at 100 years old! Awesome.

Read the full story from Boston.com here.

Thanks to my sis OmGal for passing on the story.

The first of many HomeField ads...

2009-06-03T13:26:00.001-04:00

By Reece

It wasn't quite ready yet, but it leaked on the web, so here it is!

Preparing to Win: Stat Analysis of the Men's Lax Championships

2009-06-01T12:21:00.007-04:00

By Reece

Coolest t-shirts at the Final Four.

Memorial Day weekend just isn't complete without the NCAA men's lacrosse championship. So, despite the fact that my dear Brown University Bears didn't get to dance in the Final Four, I piled the Overtime Media team (minus Dan, with his prior obligations to "his wife") into the official HomeField-mobile and headed North.

My truck, a.ka. - the HomeField-Mobile.

The Division 1 semi-finals weren't nearly as exciting as lacrosse fans usually like - Syracuse rolled over Duke with ease and Cornell dominated Virginia. I was happy for Cornell - representing the Ivy League well and further showing they are an excellent team (thereby making Brown's win over them earlier in the year that much more sweet. Maybe bitter-sweet. Cool nonetheless.). What really impressed me was Cornell's focus and discipline. They had a game plan and they stuck to it. Virginia, who seemed unstoppable most of the year, didn't seem to show up. Perhaps they were looking ahead to Syracuse in the final, when they should've focused on the steps to get there.

On Sunday, we were at Gillette for the D-III Final see Gettysburg against Cortland State. Gettysburg battled the higher ranked Cortland hard all day, and they held a good lead for most of the game. In the end though, they played too much defense and couldn't get the ball going on offense against a solid Cortland D with a good goalie. The box score shows that the game was really evenly matched:
Looking at these numbers, you can't say either team had some major advantage over the other like a dominant face-off man or a stud goalie. So the difference in score at the end of the day was a matter of a few possessions, just a couple plays really. A tough loss to swallow for Gettysburg, as those little differences in the game will always stay with them and it's hard to pin-point which play it was that cost them the game.

Conversely, Monday saw an upstate showdown between Syracuse and Cornell that one may attribute to 'Cuse's OT game-winner, but really Cornell broke down in a few areas along the way. Cornell took a lead throughout the game and held fast until the fourth quarter when Syracuse slowly but surely crept back to within striking distance. Again, let's look at the box score:
The game was evenly matched in most stats except that Cornell failed to clear the ball four times (to 'Cuse's one failed clear). In particular, the Big Red didn't clear the ball in the final seconds of the 4th quarter, which led to the Orange's tying goal with 4.5 seconds left in the game, and eventually, this photograph...

Joe celebrates Syracuse's OT victory over Cornell.

Again, I don't think any one or two goal losses can ever be directly associated with a single play. Cornell could've failed to clear that ball, then won in OT. Or they could've cleared it and won the game. Either way, it's the accumulative effect of every single play of the game that makes the difference in close battles like these. Every shot, every save, every possession, every turnover... they all matter.

Interestingly enough, do you know how many Division I men's games were decided by one goal this year? It's about 25%. That's a lot. Patrick's been running numbers on this and will post more info later.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to say that Gettysburg or Cornell failed to prepare for their games. These teams battled all year and worked hard to get to the championship. Both games could've gone either way based on a few plays. What I am saying, is that being prepared for your contest both physically AND mentally is absolutely crucial to succeeding on the field. Whether it's studying the game film or practicing the "little things" - the basic mechanics of the game - you've got to prepare to win.

Patrick and Joe, reppin' HomeField in our "Prepare to Win" T's.

Suggestion to Bud Selig

2009-05-20T10:54:00.004-04:00

By Joe

Just a quick thought today...

I recently heard David Wells suggest that players who fail a test for steroids in the MLB should be immediately banned from baseball, forever. I see what he's trying to accomplish here, although I think it's a little too extreme. While I do think it's an embarrassment to the game, and players should be punished severely, I don't believe that banning players for life is the answer. Nor do I think that owners, or the players union will ever agree to such a harsh and final punishment.

Here's my suggestion. Keep the punishments the way they are now, (I believe it's 50 games for a first offense, and increases every time after) but from now on, first time offenders are immediately ineligible to be on the ballot for the Hall of Fame.

I believe this gets to the root of the problem. Players don't respond to short term punishment, and owners won't allow their investments to be expelled from the game. So attack cheaters where it'll hurt them the most, their legacy. After all, that's why players really use steroids. They want to always be remembered as one of the best. Well, you can't be remembered as one of the best if your jersey's not in Cooperstown.

Another Lazy Summer? Try Again...

2009-05-13T14:41:00.010-04:00

By Nick

Summer is here, and for athletes of all ages, it's typically a time to relax -- heading to the beach with friends, barbecuing, working on your tan -- just generally being lazy and enjoying the time off.

However, the most competitive athletes see the summer as an opportunity to gain an advantage on the rest of the competition. While many (if not most) are busy sleeping on the beach, the best athletes are training and preparing for their upcoming seasons.

Now, there are a variety of ways to stay in shape and improve in the off-season. Having a strict, steady workout routine is a great way to make sure that you are consistently building your strength and endurance, instead of leveling off or even declining. It's important to know that no matter how fast and strong you were last season, you can be faster and stronger.

Perhaps even more importantly, though, is to make sure you don't lose your game shape. Athletes know that when you've been away from game situations for too long, you can lose your edge. It's crucial to be actively participating in as many summer leagues and camps as possible. That way, not only will you be learning new moves and plays to use next season -- you also won't have to step on the field or court in the Fall and say "Wow, I haven't played in months. I am really out of game shape."

There are tons of summer leagues and camps around the country, for all sports. Overtime Media's own Reece Pacheco is a member of the New York Athletic Club's Lacrosse team, and had a game this past weekend which we caught a glimpse of, below (Reece is wearing #24):

Naturally, you're bound to notice that in these leagues and camps, some players are still doing only the bare-minimum to stay in shape and stay competitive during the lazy days of Summer. Mark my words, they will be exposed as "out-of-game-shape", when it comes time to start the season. It's your job to play at a higher level. You have to want it.

Reece knows that if he wants to stay at the top of his game, he needs to be on the lax field and working on his game as often as possible. And he's doing it. Are you going to let the summer breeze by? Or will you take the opportunity to gain that extra edge on everyone else?

Persistence

2009-05-13T13:58:00.005-04:00

By Joe

While reading today, I came across this quote by author Napoleon Hill. It was one of those quotes that I read, and had to go back and read over a few times. It's about persistence.

"Persistence is the direct result of habit. The mind absorbs and becomes a part of the daily experience upon which it feeds. Fear, the worst of all enemies, can be effectively cured by forced repetition of acts of courage. Everyone who has seen active service in war knows this."

I think everyone can learn something from this. If you want to accomplish something, whether its losing weight, becoming a better free throw shooter, or even breaking a bad habit, persistence is the only way to achieve it. A few years ago, if someone told me to run first thing in the morning I would have laughed in their face. Now, I can't start my weekdays without it.

When I was younger, just starting to play lacrosse, my Dad would force me to use my left hand while having a catch with him. He would stick me in the lefty Attack spot for my PAL lacrosse team. The result, was that I became so comfortable with using my left hand, it became just as strong, if not stronger than my right. Almost 15 years later when I got to college, what was I most known for? The fact that no one knew if I was a lefty or a righty. If I remember correctly, Inside Lacrosse's quote on me as a rising senior out of high school was, "Joe Yevoli - Is he righty? Is he lefty? Yes!" I can even remember teams yelling out "He's all left!" (You idiots know who you are.)

The point is, persistence is the only way to improve yourself, or reach your goals. Read that quote again, and again if you have to. Read it until you fully understand what it means, because this much I'm sure of...

If you don't fully understand it, you will get beat by someone who does.

Got Goals? Make a list!

2009-05-07T07:43:00.005-04:00

By Joe

Since starting a company I've found many ways to become more efficient during the day. It's a strange thing because when I was younger, starting my own business always made me think of doing what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it, and how I wanted to do it. That's not exactly how I'd say my day to day is. You don't realize how much work you actually have to do just to get your business off the ground. When you stand back at look at everything you have to do, its extremely overwhelming.

What I've come to learn over the past year of working at Overtime Media, is the power of making a list. It seems simple, and too small a thing to make a difference. However, I can say first hand, it's an incredibly powerful thing to do.

You can't do everything in a day, nor should you be expected to. So instead of letting all your goals pile up on you, do what I do. For 10 minutes every night before you go to bed, sit down and write 5 things you want to make sure you get done the next day. Throughout the day, cross your goals off the list as you get them done. By the end of the day, when all your goals are crossed off the list, you'll feel a lot better about your day. Plus, you'll know that you got things done.

This can work for anyone, an athlete, a coach, or an entrepeneur. I promise it will make your days more productive, and even more manageable. For example, I just crossed "write a blog post" off my list.

Focus, 24/7

2009-05-05T08:48:00.008-04:00

By Joe

If any of you enjoy boxing as much as I do, I am sure that you have at least heard of HBO's show, 24/7. It is a real life documentary of sorts, that follows two boxers as they prepare to fight each other for whatever belt may be on the line.

The most recent 24/7 showcased two fighters from different parts of the world. The challenger from the UK, Ricky Hatton. And the Champion Manny Pacquiao, from the Philippines. I'm writing about this fight not because it was a great one. Anyone who saw it, knows that it lasted just under two rounds. However, it ended with one of the most perfect knockouts I've ever seen. Nor am I writing to provide stellar boxing insight about the in's and out's of the short lived fight. I have never boxed anyone in my life, so I couldn't provide you with anything of the sort. I am writing to discuss something that became very apparent to me while watching the past 4 episodes of 24/7. Something that was extremely prevalent in one fighters regimen, and almost nonexistent in the other. Focus.

Focus is something any athlete can't live without. While watching scenes of Ricky Hatton train, I noticed that in between swinging at the heavy bag, punching the speed bag, or jumping rope, Ricky was constantly making jokes. Stopping what seemed to be a furious workout, to say a dirty limerick, pull his pants down, or discuss things about his favorite soccer club. His trainer, Floyd Mayweather, would constantly show up late to workouts. Rationalizing his tardiness, with the fact that he will punish Ricky even more to compensate. And in between his workouts, there was never any review of his opponent. No mention of Pacquiao's tendencies, or habits in the ring. Overall, the whole training camp lacked focus.

In contrast, the training camp of Manny Pacquiao was totally different. On very rare occasions did I ever see him smiling, or joking around while in the gym. When his sparring sessions became too popular, his trainer Freddy Roach closed off the gym to anyone who wasn't specifically involved in the training process. Even members of Pacqiuao's "entourage" were asked to leave the gym if they weren't helping train the champion. His "off" moments were spent in prayer, or recuperating from the days workout. And his trainers spent the down time reviewing tape of the challenger.

And what was the outcome? A round 2 knockout by Pacquiao, which sent chills down the spine of anyone watching. With just a few seconds left in the second round, Manny connected with a right hand hook to Hattons jaw that, if I can be permitted to quote Rocky Balboa, must have "rattled his ancestors."

The fight was a complete joke. Pacquiao embarrassed Hatton. In the first round alone, Manny knocked Hatton down two times. When it was all said and done, the more focused fighter walked away without a mark on his face. While the unfocused one walked away with his jaw aligned two inches to the right.

I'm not saying you can't have fun while you prepare for your opponent. After all, if you're not having fun, what are you doing playing in the first place? However, you have to realize you have one goal, and one goal only. Destroy your opponent. Learn his every move. Study his every weakness. Leave no question that you are working harder then he is. I heard an athlete saying this on TV the other day. "If you and I get on a treadmill, I'm focused on one of two outcomes. Either you're gonna get off first, or I'm gonna die trying to out run you. I'm not afraid to die trying." As intense as that may sound, I think its something that is missing in many athletes today. Focus on one thing, and one thing only. Doing everything you can to beat your opponent. Be the one with your hands held high in the air at the end of day. Not the one with your teeth in the 3rd row. You won't always walk away without a mark on your face, but hey, ask our CTO Dan Spinosa... chicks dig scars.

Player of the week

2009-04-28T14:10:00.006-04:00

By Reece

I took over the Player of the Week duties from Patrick (call it veto power from the CEO), but no matter who writes it this week, one thing is for sure, you know the player of the week is coming from the Brown University Bears...

This match-up between #13 Brown and #2 Cornell was highly anticipated as Cornell was in position to take the Ivy Championship away from Brown on Stevenson Field in Providence during the lacrosse alumni weekend which brought back fans and alums from all over including the entire 1973 Brown Bears.

Brown State alums going nuts in the 4th quarter.
Bonus: How many Overtime Media founders can you find?

The game was a total battle, tightly fought all the way through - the biggest story being the notable goaltending of Jordan Burke who made 18 saves on the day, 7 which came during the final quarter. But strong goaltending was not enough to beat the Big Red... an outstanding performance by the Bears defense - Fallon, Cassil, Westerman, Greenberg, Hardy, Melvin, Foote - kept Cornell in check, in particular holding Max Seibald to just one goal. The midfield got it done with guys like Walsh, Seligman, and Williams battling for tough ground balls and getting the ball started on offense. Finally, the attack put the game away with outstanding, multiple goal performances from Feinberg, Hollingsworth and Muldoon. And all these guys executed on an excellent game plan from Coach Tiffany and his staff. At the end of the day, the score was 11-9 Bears, and the fans went nuts, rushing the field to celebrate with the team.

Bruno the Bear dancing atop the scoreboard.

If it seems like everyone had a big hand in the win, it's because they did. This was the most complete, team performance I've seen in a college lacrosse game in a long time. It was the epitome of an M.O. that the Bears follow called "Brown State." Brown State is gritty, edgy, tough... and "a little weird" to quote Coach Tiffany's post game speech. It's what connects the guys from the class of '73 to the players of 2009 and everyone inbetween.

So the HomeField player of the week award won't go to Jordan Burke, Matt Cassil or Andrew Feinberg. It goes to every one of the players on the 2009 Brown State squad who won a battle for the ages and their chance at a second Ivy title in a match against Princeton this Saturday.

GO BRUNO!

The 2009 Brown senior class.

Photos via BrownLacrosse.org Check it out for more game blogs and photos.

Disclaimer: Is this award biased? You betcha! Reece and Dan are 2005 Brown alums. But it's still well-deserved. Another Brown mantra? Expect nothing. Earn everything. Bears - you earned it!

Player-of-the-Week

2009-04-20T10:59:00.003-04:00

By Patrick

How does a team with a 1-10 record - a team whose only win came against a team that currently holds a 1-11 record - manage to upset the #6 team in the country? Well, there are a lot of things that have to go right to make this happen, but when your freshman goalie steps up and essentially stonewalls your opponent, that's as good a place to start as any.

That is exactly what happened on Senior Day in West Hartford, CT, where the visiting sixth-ranked UMBC Retrievers out shot the Hartford Hawks 54-24. Unfazed by this onslaught, freshman goaltender Scott Bement turned away shot after shot, making 19 saves while only allowing 8 goals, en route to playing the finest game of his young career.

Bement's outstanding effort has earned him this week's HomeField/Overtime Media Player-of-the-Week award, but every member of the Hartford lacrosse program should be recognized for their perseverance. Despite enduring a tough season that has included four 1-goal losses and three 2-goal losses, these players and coaches refused to give up, and that determination was finally rewarded this past Saturday.

(Photograph courtesy of Steve McLaughlin)

Word of mouth coming back to me

2009-04-16T12:09:00.009-04:00

By Reece

HomeField came back to me the other day!

While waiting for another game to finish, I got to know some of my new teammates on the New York Athletic Club lacrosse team. I started talking with Mike Ammann. We asked the usual questions as we sniffed each other out. "Where'd you play? Where are you from? What do you do for work?" For most guys, you can just fill in the blanks with the following answers.

I played for ___________ (ACC Team/Cornell/Princeton).

I'm from ___________ (Long Island / Baltimore).

I work for ___________ (major finance bank/hedge fund).

So I caught Mike's attention when I said that I was from Cape Cod, I played at Brown and most importantly, that I started a company that handles video for sports teams. He asked, "What's it called?"

"HomeField."

"Yeah, I thought so. I play with the NY Titans, too. We've been using it. It's great."

I was stoked! I had no idea Mike played with the Titans and it was great to run into one of our users (especially a pro). Sure, lacrosse is a tight network; nonetheless, I was psyched to have HomeField come back to me and I'm looking forward to the next time. Maybe it'll be that high school senior training at my gym, maybe it'll be a coach walking by our tailgate at the Final Four, and soon - it could be any super-fan following their team on HomeField.

Player-of-the-Week

2009-04-13T10:16:00.002-04:00

By Patrick

This week the HomeField/Overtime Media Player-of-the-Week hails from the weekend's biggest upset. Heading down to Durham, NC with a number one ranking and a perfect 12-0 record, UVA looked like they couldn't lose. The Cavs had won three consecutive one goal games, including the seven overtime thriller against Maryland, but their luck along with their perfect record came to an end against eighth ranked Duke.

Leading the Blue Devils was senior attackman Ned Crotty, whose assist to Justin Turri helped Duke strike first. Crotty contributed back-to-back goals of his own at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter which pushed his team's lead to 4-2 in a game the Blue Devils would never trail.

While Crotty helped set the tone and stake Duke to an early lead, his leadership and experience were never more evident than late in the third quarter. UVA was threatening to make a run as their own senior attackman, Danny Glading, put the team on his shoulders with two amazing unassisted tallies. Glading's teammate, Mike Thompson, followed suit with a goal of his own on a well-placed rip from up top, and suddenly the Cavaliers were back in the game, down only 9-6 with more than 20 minutes left to play. This is when a poised Crotty delivered a knockout punch, calmly notching two assists to spark a five-goal Duke run that Crotty would finish with his sixth and final assist of the day. That run pushed the Blue Devil lead to 14-6 in the fourth quarter and UVA never posed a serious threat the rest of the way. When the final whistle blew, Duke had a 15-10 victory and Crotty finished with career-highs in points and assists, finishing the day with eight points on 2 goals and 6 assists.

It's great to see a senior step up and lead his team in a game of this magnitude, and we offer our congratulations to Ned Crotty and the rest of the Blue Devils on a great win. Good luck to Duke as they finish the regular season against Army and St. John's, and prepare for the ACC tournament where they will be the second seed.

Player-of-the-Week

2009-04-06T13:20:00.004-04:00

By Patrick

This weekend was filled with a number of high-profile match ups that lived up to their hype. Because there were so many nail-biting performances, it made our job of singling out one Player-of-the-Week very difficult. Fortunately, we here at Overtime Media pride ourselves on our adaptability, and we put that characteristic on display in choosing not one, but two players to share this week's award.

On Friday, Navy goalkeeper Tommy Phelan made an early push for the award - leading the Mids to an upset win while racking up an impressive 17 saves and an .81 save percentage against a potent Maryland offense.

On Saturday, Cornell was able to outlast the upstart Harvard Crimson thanks to offensive outbursts by Rob Pannell and Chris Finn, the all-around dominant play of Max Seibald, and some late-game heroics off the bench from goalkeeper Jake Myers; Hopkins handled Albany thanks to another high-scoring performance by one of our former weekly award winners, Chris Boland; and North Carolina pushed UVA to the limit despite losing senior goalkeeper Grant Zimmerman to an apparent knee injury midway through the second period.

While many performances earned consideration for our weekly award, it is a pair of teammates -freshmen no less - that share our this week's HomeField/Overtime Media Player-of-the-Week honors. Despite some offensive miscues, Princeton was able to handle the defending champion Syracuse Orangemen by a score of 12-8 at Giant's Stadium. Princeton was able to overcome 18 turnovers on offense as well as 5 failed clears thanks to a defense that held Syracuse's explosive offense to their lowest goal output of the season. The defense was led by Tyler Fiorito who was spectacular in goal, finishing with 15 saves and a stingy .652 save percentage, and defenseman Chad Wiedmaier who was instrumental in limiting Syracuse All-America attackman Kenny Nims to just 2 goals. At one point, Princeton's D managed to hold Syracuse scoreless for 14:58, a lengthy drought that extended from late in the third quarter until the final minutes of play.

Congratulations to Tyler, Chad, and the Princeton Tigers on an outstanding win. With all five remaining games against Ivy League foes, Princeton will need these two freshmen to continue playing beyond their years if they hope to reclaim the Ivy crown from last season's co-champions, Brown and Cornell.

(Photographs by Beverly Schaefer, courtesy of Princeton University)

Amie Street: Great Application, Great Service

2009-04-02T12:01:00.006-04:00

By Reece

To download music, I use a service called Amie Street - a lot - and not just because the founders are fellow Brown University alums. For one, the music on Amie Street is fresher than anything on iTunes and they do a great job of recommending new music based on your preferences with occasional free downloads. It's also DRM free (and always has been), so once I purchase a song, I can play it anywhere. They also let you play your paid-for music, streaming from their site. Pretty cool.

The best part? It's a market. Every song/album starts out cheap or free and prices rise according to popularity - but never go above $.98. I think that's great, and it encourages users to seek out new music before it gets popular (and expensive). Last week, I bought the Harlem Shakes first release after I sampled it on Amie Street and I've been listening to it non-stop. My price? $4.72 (It's currently maxed out at $7. Still a steal for this album!).

Now Amie Street's sold me again with great customer service... well, not me, but my friend Kati and that's sold me in the process... I 'gifted' the Harlem Shakes album to Kati via Amie Street (another great feature) and she wrote to them merely to say:

"i think it is wonderful that you can send music to someone as a gift. that's all. good work."

Their response:

Thanks a lot for getting in touch and I'm glad you like the site. We always appreciate our users taking the time to write us, and its especially nice to have someone write in and highlight one of the features that we're fairly proud of ourselves.

I've passed your email along to the team, and I dropped a few extra RECs in your account as a small thanks. You can REC any song you've purchased and earn money for more music if the song you recommend goes up in price. Please let me know if there's anything I can help with or if you have any thoughts and suggested improvements for Amie Street.

Regards,

Ian Whalen
Amie Street Support
Twitter / Facebook

That's awesome customer service. Sure, it's easier to deal with the happy customers than it is to deal with the unhappy ones, but those happy customers are the ones who are going to recommend your product, who will test new features, who will be there through the successful launches and the probable pitfalls and it pays to keep them happy.

Nice work Amie Street. Harlem Shakes you rock.

You can listen to a couple of their songs on my tumblog, here.

Update:

me: http://goovertime.com/2009/04/amie-street-great-application-great.html
Sent at 12:46 PM on Thursday
kati: so funny. i am currently on amiestreet as we speak
procrastinating

And now she's rambling about all the other great features...

Update #2: Amie Street wrote me a thanks for this post and gave me a few RECs, too! Yeah!

HomeField. The word is spreading...

2009-04-01T13:29:00.004-04:00

By Patrick

Some more love for HomeField from the people over at Inside Lacrosse:

http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2009/04/01/10961/

And if you haven't checked out Justin Redd's other posts you should. In his "Shoot the Scout" column, he does a great job of analyzing recent and upcoming games by identifying some of the things that coaches look for when they break down film. The column often provides a refreshing perspective on these games.

Player-of-the-Week

2009-03-29T22:47:00.003-04:00

By Patrick

What a crazy weekend of lacrosse; UNC topped Hopkins in OT...Colgate topped Army in double-OT...Sacred Heart upset Villanova in 5 OTs...and UVA needed a record-setting 7 OTs to escape Maryland. Each of those games had a number of clutch performers, and made choosing this week's Player-of-the-Week very difficult. In the end, however, it was not an overtime hero that made our final cut, rather it was the brightest star from a 14-13 Syracuse win over upset-minded Loyola. That's right, this week's top performer needed only the standard issue four quarters - no overtime - to stake his claim to the award.

We're happy to recognize Syracuse's Dan Hardy as this week's HomeField/Overtime Media Player-of-the-Week. Finding his team trailing the Loyola Greyhounds 12-8 with 12 minutes left to play, the senior midfielder sparked a game-changing run for the Orangemen. Hardy scored 3 goals, including the game-winner with just over a minute remaining, as Syracuse outscored Loyola 6-1 down the stretch and completed their frantic comeback. For the game Hardy finished with 4 goals and 1 assist, matching career highs for both goals and points in a game.

Congratulations to Dan and the rest of the Orangemen on an exciting win in Baltimore, and good luck as they prepare for a tough matchup against Princeton this weekend.

(Photograph courtesy of SU Athletic Communications)

HomeField Podcast on Inside Lacrosse

2009-03-25T09:59:00.004-04:00

By Reece

Last week, Joe and I had a great call with Jon Brand at Inside Lacrosse and it's now up on the Inside Lacrosse home page as the TeamHomeField Podcast under Top Headlines.

You can download the podcast via iTunes here or go directly to the Inside Lacrosse post here.

Thanks Jon and IL.com for putting this together!

And look for more podcasts from HomeField and Inside Lacrosse at InsideLacrosse.com.

There's Better Stuff Out There

2009-03-25T09:00:00.005-04:00

By Joe

I just heard that on Sportscenter's "Top 10", #3 was in fact a Lacrosse player from Hoftsra scoring behind the back. For a brief second I was pumped that a college lacrosse player got recognized nationally for something he did during the game. It was definitely well deserved, and was a real nice shot.

However, does anyone else think that a behind the back shot, from a few feet out is a little over rated by now? To me, catching the ball on the crease and wildly whipping the stick behind your head, instead of in front of your face, seems like child's play. I say child's play not because I want to say its easy, but because my little brother did it... when he was 7. Hell, he did an around the world, on the run when he was 8!

I don't mean to diminish what happened. Like I said, it was a great shot. But my point is, Lacrosse content needs to be more readily available. Sportscenter should be able to get film of atleast 70% of lacrosse games played during the week. This way, truly remarkable, once in a lifetime lacrosse plays can be honored on Sportscenter. Not the, "this is the only game we have on film, so to meet our Lacrosse quota for the year we'll throw this play in our Top 10".

There should be a way for Sportscenter to easily get access to certain media, that they otherwise wouldn't be able to. And not just for College Lacrosse. How about High School lacrosse, or DIII Soccer, or even club rugby? This media is out there, someone, somewhere is filming this stuff. I'm not saying everyone wants to see it, but I'm sure someone does. Be it parents, local news, or national media. There's gotta be a way to make this available to the specific people who want to see it.

I know what your thinking, "That's what YouTube is for!" ... DUMB! To show what I mean, I went to YouTube and typed in "UAlbany Lacrosse 2009", and the first result was this video:

Now, that certainly wasn't what I wanted to see. And I definitely never wanted to hear that song. What I'm saying is, there are tons of Albany fans, parents, and alumni that would love to regularly see Albany Lacrosse games or highlights that otherwise wouldn't be able to. I wonder who's going to be the first to provide that?

Happy Birthday HomeField!

2009-03-25T00:43:00.002-04:00

By Reece

One year ago, on March 20, the spring equinox, my birthday, I left my childhood home on Cape Cod and headed straight for the Brown lacrosse office in Providence. My mission? To deliver HomeField to the public for the very first time. I set up shop with the coaches and logged in to HomeField and HomeField was born!

[An early version of our logo]

It was ugly, and not fully functional (whatever that meant to us at the time), but what features HomeField did have, worked enough to give it an audience. Coach Thompson and Coach Wilson poked a bunch of holes in it right away, and I ran into a few glitches myself, but the vision was there. The coaches saw the value. They understood what we were trying to accomplish and how it could help them improve their team.

[A layout design screenshot from a year ago]

I left Providence with a head full of feedback and ideas, called Dan and probably talked to him for half of my drive down to NYC. Then called Joe and retold everything to him for the rest of my ride! I moved into a new apartment and settled into the city, where Dan, Joe and I would continue to build HomeField...

So we're pretty proud to say that HomeField has reached the ripe age of one year old! In start-up years, where companies are born in a flash and die just as instantly, that's practically ancient. We've come a long way - from that first private alpha with Brown, then opening up to new teams over the summer, finally launching a public beta in the fall and now this spring we have paying customers! - but we still have a long way to go, and we're excitedly looking forward.

Thanks to everyone who helped us make HomeField possible along the way. Here's to year two!

Player-of-the-Week

2009-03-23T12:35:00.005-04:00

By Patrick

Another week of lacrosse games are in the books and with them, another long list of incredible performances. Generally speaking, it's easy to recognize the great individual efforts from players on the winning team, while similarly noteworthy performances from players on the losing side are cast into the shadow of their victorious counterparts. Occasionally, however, a player exhibits such skill, displays so much heart and intensity, that when the final whistle blows - regardless of the game's outcome - it is undeniable who the game's true star was. This week we at Overtime Media and HomeField recognize such a performance in naming Johns Hopkins attackman Chris Boland as our Player-of-the-Week.

In a heart-breaking 16-15 defeat at the hands of top-ranked and undefeated UVA, Boland was nothing short of spectacular. The junior finished with 6 goals and 2 assists, including several acrobatic finishes around the crease, as he kept his team in this high-scoring thriller. The effort was a revelation for Boland, whose 6 goals and 8 points were both career highs, and it appears the talented junior may be ready to fulfill the promise he showed as a three-time All-American at the nearby Boy's Latin School.

Congratulations to Chris, and best of luck to Coach Pietramala, his staff, and all of the Blue Jays. UVA may have survived the weekend in Baltimore, but these two teams could very well cross paths again before the season is over.

(Photograph courtesy of Johns Hopkins Sports Information)

Dhani Tackles The Globe

2009-03-23T11:22:00.005-04:00

By Reece

I don't watch much TV. Actually, next to none - except for sports when I get the chance - but I did stumble across a show recently that really caught my attention. If you're into sport/competition and foreign travel, then you have to check out Dhani Tackles The Globe on the Travel Channel.

The show follows Dhani Jones , an NFL linebacker, around the world as he explores "the ways in which traditional sports help to define culture." In the first episode, Dhani went to Thailand to train for Muay Thai fighting. Having been to Bangkok myself, I can say the show did a great job displaying Thailand and Muay Thai while Dhani trained for his own fight.

Ever wondered if an NFL player would dominate in rugby or other sports? Find out in future episodes: Rugby in England, surf lifesaving in Australia, and hurling in Ireland.

The next episode is tonight at 9pm. Check it out!

UPDATE: Watch this video of Dhani doing a mural in the ESPN offices. The NFL meets high art.

Customer Service Success

2009-03-19T10:10:00.002-04:00

By Reece

I got an email from a player yesterday looking for help. He mistakenly created his own personal HomeField organization instead of joining the team his coach created. Not a big deal at all, I was happy to fix it, and even happier to see how much it meant to him.

"Thanks a lot! This is exactly what happened, and your solution worked perfectly. Thanks for all the help, and because of you, I wont have to bug my coach. Thanks again for all the help!"