Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - jaybird44

#1
Hello WIAC fans!  Hope you are doing well and ready for another fun football weekend!

While I prep for the upcoming North Central/WashU clash, I am also preparing to do a 33-hour run/walk next Saturday, October 29-30 for Rett syndrome awareness and research funding.

Rett Gets Rocked 2022 will feature my solo attempt to reach 100 miles, and a 24-hour Rett Relay involving WashU students and other campus folks.  I will be on the indoor track in the Sumers Recreation Center, and the relay will be mainly outdoors at Francis Olympic Field.  Our aim is to raise $10,000 or more, to be split between the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) and the Rett Spectrum Clinic in the WashU School of Medicine at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

This is my fifth year for a Rett Gets Rocked ultramarathon...over the previous four years, more than $20,000 have been raised.

Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by a gene mutation in the brain.  It doesn't manifest itself until a child is just learning how to walk and talk, around 6-18 months old.  When it does, those basic abilities get taken away.  Many children end up in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives, and can't talk or even do sign language to communicate.  And, since it's a spectrum disorder, there are other things that are typical with Rett syndrome...frequent seizures, severe scoliosis, eating and drinking difficulties that require the insertion of a g-tube for nourishment, among other difficulties.  And, Rett doesn't care about one's family medical history, socioeconomic status or ethnic background.  It is an equal opportunity destroyer of lives and families.

There's no cure yet, but preclinical studies within the last year at UT-Southwestern in gene replacement therapy have resulted in reversing Rett in mice.  And, the FDA is giving a drug called Trofinetide a Priority Review, after clinical trials were very successful in reducing the severity and frequency of seizures, and restoring some of the function of the arms and legs.  On March 12, the FDA will make a final determination about Trofinetide and whether it becomes the first prescription drug specifically to treat Rett syndrome.

So, there is hope.  That propels me forward in my lunatic fringe interest in ultramarathon running.  You can join the fight for a cure without logging a mile.  The donation link to my IRSF Rett Racers donation page is https://rettracers.funraise.org/fundraiser/jay-murry.
Feel free to forward it to interested parties!

Many thanks for your time and consideration!

Best regards,

Jay Murry
WashU Play-By-Play Announcer
Event Director, Rett Gets Rocked 2022
#2
Hello fans of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference!  I hope all of you are doing well and ready for a fun football weekend. While I prep for the upcoming North Central/WashU clash in the CCIW, I am also preparing to do a 33-hour run/walk next Saturday, October 29-30 for Rett syndrome awareness and research funding.  I would like to invite you to be a part of the quest to beat Rett once and for all!

Rett Gets Rocked 2022 will feature my solo attempt to reach 100 miles, and a 24-hour Rett Relay involving WashU students and other campus folks.  I will be on the indoor track in the Sumers Recreation Center, and the relay will be mainly outdoors at Francis Olympic Field.  Our aim is to raise $10,000 or more, to be split between the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) and the Rett Spectrum Clinic in the WashU School of Medicine at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

This is my fifth year for a Rett Gets Rocked ultramarathon...over the previous four years, more than $20,000 have been raised.

Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by a gene mutation in the brain.  It doesn't manifest itself until a child is just learning how to walk and talk, around 6-18 months old.  When it does, those basic abilities get taken away.  Many children end up in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives, and can't talk or even do sign language to communicate.  And, since it's a spectrum disorder, there are other things that are typical with Rett syndrome...frequent seizures, severe scoliosis, eating and drinking difficulties that require the insertion of a g-tube for nourishment, among other difficulties.  And, Rett doesn't care about one's family medical history, socioeconomic status or ethnic background.  It is an equal opportunity destroyer of lives and families.

There's no cure yet, but preclinical studies within the last year at UT-Southwestern in gene replacement therapy have resulted in reversing Rett in mice.  And, the FDA is giving a drug called Trofinetide a Priority Review, after clinical trials were very successful in reducing the severity and frequency of seizures, and restoring some of the function of the arms and legs.  On March 12, the FDA will make a final determination about Trofinetide and whether it becomes the first prescription drug specifically to treat Rett syndrome.

So, there is hope.  That propels me forward in my lunatic fringe interest in ultramarathon running.  You can join the fight for a cure without logging a mile.  The donation link to my IRSF Rett Racers donation page is https://rettracers.funraise.org/fundraiser/jay-murry.
Feel free to forward it to interested parties!

Many thanks for your time and consideration!  Have fun this weekend!

Best regards,

Jay Murry
WashU Play-By-Play Announcer
Event Director, Rett Gets Rocked 2022
#3
Hello American Rivers Conference fans!  I have enjoyed calling games involving ARC teams in several sports, while handling most of the play-by-play duties at WashU.  I would like to invite you to join the quest that I have embraced since 2018. 

I am also preparing to do a 33-hour run/walk next weekend, October 29-30 for Rett syndrome awareness and research funding.

Rett Gets Rocked 2022 will feature my solo attempt to reach 100 miles, and a 24-hour Rett Relay involving WashU students and other campus folks.  I will be on the indoor track in the Sumers Recreation Center, and the relay will be mainly outdoors at Francis Olympic Field.  Our aim is to raise $10,000 or more, to be split between the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) and the Rett Spectrum Clinic in the WashU School of Medicine at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

This is my fifth year for a Rett Gets Rocked ultramarathon...over the previous four years, more than $20,000 have been raised.

Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by a gene mutation in the brain.  It doesn't manifest itself until a child is just learning how to walk and talk, around 6-18 months old.  When it does, those basic abilities get taken away.  Many children end up in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives, and can't talk or even do sign language to communicate.  And, since it's a spectrum disorder, there are other things that are typical with Rett syndrome...frequent seizures, severe scoliosis, eating and drinking difficulties that require the insertion of a g-tube for nourishment, among other difficulties.  And, Rett doesn't care about one's family medical history, socioeconomic status or ethnic background.  It is an equal opportunity destroyer of lives and families.

There's no cure yet, but preclinical studies within the last year at UT-Southwestern in gene replacement therapy have resulted in reversing Rett in mice.  And, the FDA is giving a drug called Trofinetide a Priority Review, after clinical trials were very successful in reducing the severity and frequency of seizures, and restoring some of the function of the arms and legs.  On March 12, the FDA will make a final determination about Trofinetide and whether it becomes the first prescription drug specifically to treat Rett syndrome.

So, there is hope.  That propels me forward in my lunatic fringe interest in ultramarathon running.  You can join the fight for a cure without logging a mile.  The donation link to my IRSF Rett Racers donation page is https://rettracers.funraise.org/fundraiser/jay-murry.
Feel free to forward it to interested parties!

Many thanks for your time and consideration!  All the best to you in the American Rivers Conference!

Jay Murry
WashU Play-By-Play Announcer
Event Director, Rett Gets Rocked 2022
#4
While I prep for the upcoming NCC/WashU clash, I am also preparing to do a 33-hour run/walk next Saturday, October 29-30 for Rett syndrome awareness and research funding.

Rett Gets Rocked 2022 will feature my solo attempt to reach 100 miles, and a 24-hour Rett Relay involving WashU students and other campus folks.  I will be on the indoor track in the Sumers Recreation Center, and the relay will be mainly outdoors at Francis Olympic Field.  Our aim is to raise $10,000 or more, to be split between the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) and the Rett Spectrum Clinic in the WashU School of Medicine at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

This is my fifth year for a Rett Gets Rocked ultramarathon...over the previous four years, more than $20,000 have been raised.

Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by a gene mutation in the brain.  It doesn't manifest itself until a child is just learning how to walk and talk, around 6-18 months old.  When it does, those basic abilities get taken away.  Many children end up in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives, and can't talk or even do sign language to communicate.  And, since it's a spectrum disorder, there are other things that are typical with Rett syndrome...frequent seizures, severe scoliosis, eating and drinking difficulties that require the insertion of a g-tube for nourishment, among other difficulties.  And, Rett doesn't care about one's family medical history, socioeconomic status or ethnic background.  It is an equal opportunity destroyer of lives and families.

There's no cure yet, but preclinical studies within the last year at UT-Southwestern in gene replacement therapy have resulted in reversing Rett in mice.  And, the FDA is giving a drug called Trofinetide a Priority Review, after clinical trials were very successful in reducing the severity and frequency of seizures, and restoring some of the function of the arms and legs.  On March 12, the FDA will make a final determination about Trofinetide and whether it becomes the first prescription drug specifically to treat Rett syndrome.

So, there is hope.  That propels me forward in my lunatic fringe interest in ultramarathon running.  You can join the fight for a cure without logging a mile.  The donation link to my IRSF Rett Racers donation page is https://rettracers.funraise.org/fundraiser/jay-murry.
Feel free to forward it to interested parties!

Many thanks for your time and consideration!

Best regards,

Jay Murry
WashU Play-By-Play Announcer
Event Director, Rett Gets Rocked 2022
#5
Hmm...Pat, I guess that someone outside the normal chain of communication will have to send nominations to you from WashU.   
#6
Thank you Greg for the compliment.  You know as well as I do that when you work in athletics at a university for many years, that teams become family to you, and student-athletes are like your nieces and nephews.  So, when someone in the family is fighting for his or her life, it becomes very emotional.

I was given word about a half-hour before the game that Justin Hardy would be dressed out for Senior Day, but wouldn't play.  I noticed by watching him closely on the court in the last three weeks that his condition had gotten worse; and that was underscored by the team keeping Justin at home while his teammates went on the road and knowing that he wouldn't be able to step on the court on Senior Day.  So, the broadcast became a bit more emotionally charged than I had hoped, even before the start of the game.

Play-by-play announcers are taught to be rather stoic and detached in emotional situations, mainly to make sure what you say is not muddled to the point where you can't be understood by listeners/viewers.  I struggled for sure when I saw Justin enter the game and run gingerly into the frontcourt after his inbound pass, and even further after Chicago's Bryce Hopkins let Justin step by him for the final points of the game.  But, when I saw U. of Chicago players come over at the final buzzer to give Justin hugs, I had to let some of the emotion out to avoid losing it altogether...and, to give the viewers a sense of what fans and teams were feeling at that moment.

I wondered after the game if I should've been more detached, but an email and a tweet from two people...a former administrator and a parent of a former men's basketball player...let me know that I made the right decision to allow some emotion to come into my description of the very end of that game yesterday.

Yes, prayers are needed for Justin and much appreciated.  He is having a rough go of it, in his battle with Stage 4 stomach cancer.

#HardyStrong
#7
I think first and foremost, we need to hope and pray that Justin Hardy is able to fully enjoy Senior Day at WashU a week from today.

With what he is battling, what I saw in the last WashU homestand, and what was disclosed in the ESPN College GameDay feature, NCAA tournament berths don't seem to be quite as important to fret about. 

Admittedly, I'm one of the most fretful every year as we near the end of the regular season.  This year, I just can't bring myself to that level. 

My most fervent hope is that Justin gets to savor one last game in the Fieldhouse with his band of WashU brothers, and that he gets to play one more time at the high level that he displayed pre-cancer.  If for only a couple of minutes.

And, I hope he gets to do so in front of a capacity crowd.  Justin deserves that.

Then, after next Saturday's game is complete against the U. of Chicago...if the Bears are in a good position to be considered as a Pool C at-large entrant I will then begin my NCAA Tournament fretting.  I have been hoping that Justin, Jack Nolan, and others from the 2019-20 season would be able to have one more shot to achieve what COVID took away.

But, for the moment, my thoughts and prayers are with Justin, his family, and his coaches and teammates. 
#8
Multi-Regional Topics / Re: Top 25 talk
February 09, 2022, 12:50:40 AM
Great interview Q, and kudos to Mike Schauer for being eager to pull the seemingly thick veil of the selection process away for all to see.  I believe D3 fans this year will get to enjoy the most clarity and transparency that has ever been made available to them.
#9
Kramer Soderberg is a winner and has been since his high school playing days at St. Charles (MO) West HS, of which I broadcast several of his games.  His father Brad was the HC at Saint Louis U. for several years and is an assistant at the U. of Virginia.  So, when I found out that Kramer became the head coach at Millikin, I knew it wouldn't take long for that program to see significant improvement.  He had his Big Blue ready for battle at WashU, and it took a buzzer-beating 3 from Jack Nolan to put that game in the W column for the Bears.

The question is, how long can Millikin hold onto Kramer...
#10
The youngsters are starting to figure things out...especially winning close games on the road.  And they are gaining quite a bit of confidence in short order.

Jessica Brooks, Karisa Grandison, Brenna Loftus, Sabrina DelBello, and Lauren Chao have all made significant strides so far this season. They have bolstered the efforts of veterans Maya Arnott, Samantha Weaver, Molly Gannon, and Sammi Mautoush.  WashU has kept winning even when Arnott missed a couple of games.  I think the Bears are still a year away from UAA championship contention, but they might just speed that timetable up a bit.  We'll see. 

While I certainly understand that 23 points vs. Greenville and 32 points in her first UAA opener does not cinch a UAA POY award, I think it merits putting Jessica Brooks on that radar.  Lots of basketball left to be played, to be sure.  But. after an 0-4 start, WashU has won 7 of its last 8 and is fast becoming a team to be reckoned with in the UAA.  Brooks figures to be a central figure in that reckoning.
#11
WashU's Jessica Brooks has put her name in for consideration to become the UAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year.  After a 23-point personal best to close out non-conference play against Greenville, Jessica topped that today with 32 points at the U. of Chicago.

Brooks is averaging 12.1 ppg and 5.7 rpg, second on the team in both categories to Maya Arnott, but Brooks might pass her soon.
#12
I agree regarding any disparity between broadcasting men's and women's sports.  There shouldn't be a disparity.  I would be surprised that the coaches of women's sports and/or a senior women's sports administrator on a campus would let that disparity happen or continue.
#13
Multi-Regional Topics / Re: Top 25 talk
January 04, 2022, 03:44:01 PM
It wouldn't surprise me to see an eventual unraveling of the UAA in all sports.

I don't have any inside baseball information regarding that, just noticing a general slide in that direction over the years. 

UAA dropped football when it became apparent that a conference really couldn't subsist on having just 4 teams.  Those four teams went to become affiliate members in other conferences.  Look at baseball and softball.  A difference in the University of Chicago's semester format has kept it from competing with other UAA schools.  As a result, UAA baseball has only five teams (also minus Carnegie Mellon) and thus has no AQ to play for.  Carnegie competes in softball, but there are still only six softball teams in the UAA--again, no AQ to play for.  Unless an additional school or two can be brought on as affiliates to the UAA, I could eventually see some of those baseball/softball playing schools in the UAA looking elsewhere.

Which leaves us with basketball and soccer (men's and women's).  I would hope that the strong and entertaining competition among UAA teams in those sports will continue to entice those programs to stay in the UAA.  But, let's now look at the current airline travel problems going on now--if these persist, do the UAA schools figure it's worth the hassle, expense, and risk of having to cancel games because of those problems?  Or, do they start believing that regionally-based bus rides are more economical and present a better opportunity of getting scheduled games played as we move forward with COVID riding shotgun with us?

WashU's affiliate membership with the CCIW, in my opinion, was not just done with the short-sighted future of its football program in mind.  It was a long-term move where WashU could end up seeking full CCIW membership if the UAA crumbled under the weight of the all the things I mentioned.  Again, I have no inside information on this--just making some observations on what has happened, and what could happen, given the current situation that is blanketed heavily by COVID and its ripple effects on D3 college athletics.

I fervently hope that the UAA remains intact, and that will be up to the administrations of the universities involved in the conference.  I think the allure is still there for basketball and soccer, but there are the aforementioned COVID-related issues that will serve as stressors to that allure.
#14
Men's soccer / Re: UAA soccer 2021
November 01, 2021, 07:22:41 PM
So, if WashU and Emory end up at 14 points and share the UAA championship, what is the sequence of tiebreakers to be used to break the tie for AQ purposes?

Both teams would be 4-1-2 and played to a scoreless draw in head-to-head play.

I see from this very informative board and from the analysis by deiscanton, that WashU has a sizable advantage in goal differential. 

Tried to find a tiebreaker procedure on the UAA website but I have not had success finding it.
#15
Men's soccer / Re: 2021 Game Notes
October 16, 2021, 01:09:57 PM
Buck O., thank you for your input regarding our camera shot.  I will take a closer look before i get started with my PBP and ask the camera operator to zoom in a little bit tighter.  I think we might be able to zoom in to where half the field is in the shot, and then pan slowly left or right as needed to follow the ball.

We are in a transition phase following the departure of Chris Mitchell last year.  He quite simply was the top SID at all levels, for my money.  Without going into great detail, he was the engine that made our network run smoothly and aesthetically pleasing; and he did the work of three people.  It is taking us a while to adjust and return to our level of excellence.

Bear with us...pun intended.