Was it tough to see Virginia strike out on Kyle Long the first time around when he was being recruited in 2007? Had to -- this was when Chris Long had possibly the most high-profile season for any Cavalier in history while his famous father looked on. It would only make sense if Kyle followed in his brother's path, but instead, he chose to play baseball at Florida State. For Virginia fans, it was the equivalent of finding out the girl you were pining for turned out to be a lesbian. Sure, it sucks to a certain extent, but there's a comfort knowing it's not really a reflection on you.
Most of us dream about going to college and maybe, just maybe, eking things out as a backup QB so you at least have access to whatever choice of coed you want without all the hassle of the pressure, the injuries, etc. Maybe you luck up and become the next Brad Johnson or Matt Cassell. More likely, you parlay that experience into something that will impress at least 95% of the people you meet for the rest of your life.
Hey, remember those bizarro rumors about Romeo Crennel being next in line at UVA if and when Al Groh gets the heave-ho? We laughed, we cried, we learned a little about ourselves. Of course, most of us sort of knew it was about as much of a pipe dream as you could imagine, and for the UVA fan, that means "a dream where you get repeatedly bashed with a pipe."
We've been following this Bryce Brown saga for, well, probably less than the amount of time constituting a true "saga," but enough to possibly give credence that highly-recruited tailbacks are to the college game what highly-paid receivers are to the NFL (see also: David Oku). 
I think Virginia coach Al Groh gets enough done in 2009 to, at the very least, leave on his own terms. Say what you will, but the usual pattern dictates that Virginia surpass expectations a year after falling flat. Once that happens, the inevitable goes down and Craig Littlepage heads down I-20 to Richmond and meets whatever demands Mike London has. 
Blue turf and blue collar: that's the Randy Shannon philosophy so-to-speak in regards to postseason berths as well as talent management. Particularly after Larry Coker's leather-so-soft touch (remember the 
Virginia has already burned through two defensive coordinators in the 2009 offseason. (What's your chump school been up to?) The first time was somewhat surprising, but understandable. The 65-year-old Bob Pruett had been at the helm for one very inconsistent season, but his age and concerns over allegations of academic fraud and player overpayment by local businesses while serving as the head coach at Marshall could've played a huge role in his decision to voluntarily step down. 
I don't need a whole lot of reminders that 2005 was a long, long time ago, so imagine seeing Ron Prince already completing his first tour of duty as a head coach and parlaying that experience into a 
Ahmad Brooks. Michael Johnson. Um, Peter Lalich. Do Virginia fans really miss all those days when Al Groh was still that heat in the streets and VIrginia could crack the top 20's of most recruiting rankings? Well, it sure made Signing Day much more fun, as the past couple of years have seen UVA bank solid, if not unexciting classes filled with linemen on both ends and likely a solid tight end prospect.
There's been a general outcry for the ACC to recruit more quarterbacks able to succeed on the NFL level. Otherwise, the argument goes, no other quarterbacks will want to go there, let alone top-notch wide-outs, running backs or other players via the whole trickle-down thing. 
