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Say this about UMass: they've done some good work creating buzz on the Internet in some respects. At other times ... not so much. But I enjoyed what the Minutemen did to honor their newest football class: Molnar and staff gave each player their own hashtag as they submitted their national letters of intent.
It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and puncrafting to get your own hashtag. Use them wisely. Let's take a look at each one. Reminder, we are grading the hashtags, not the recruits themselves.
Good Morning #UMassNation! And the first #Minuteman in is Rich Queen #JACKedAndMACed #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Queen, jack ... it's a reach, but they added another twist with the MACed, and he forced it well. ★★★
First #BayStater in the boat is Terrel Correia. #ACKballer #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: I ... don't get it. ★
Revision: ACK is the airport code for Nantucket, and anytime I think of the Nantucket airport, I think of Wings. DAMN IT, LOWELL, WHY'D YOU LEAVE THE SHOW? Anyway, time for a re-grade: ★★★
...and another first...from GERMANY...Fabian Hoeller! #AllWorldOL#Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Sweet and to the point. Also, this isn't just a man of German descent ... he's actually from Germany. ★★★
Next #Minuteman In is Daquan Mack! #MackTruck #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Unoriginal, but still a fun one. ★★
Sharif Custis is in the house! #PhillyPhlyer #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: I don't mind the alliteration, but if their hockey team spells it with an F, so should they. ★★
How 'bout a fist pump to the newest #Minuteman Shane Huber? #JerseySteel #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: A bargain bin New Jersey nickname, but it's catchy. ★★
Our newest #Minuteman is QB Todd Stafford! #ConnecticutCannon #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: This feels like a nickname from the 1920s. Which adds to its aesthetic value. ★★★★
Cookin' up a winning recipe on the OL with @ghettogourmet_j! #PancakeMaker #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Instead of working off Jordan Page, he played off his Twitter handle and his position. This is sublime. ★★★★★
@mrchocolateman_ ,welcome to the UMass Family!#BayStatesBest #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: He followed up #PancakeMaker with this. Tough act to follow. ★★
We are proud to announce #Minuteman Enock Asante!#JerseySwag #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Points off for "swag." Always. ★
Good Morning, Sunshine State! Thanks for your best DB, Arthur Williams! #BoneCollector #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Ooh, a little dark, if not graphic. ★★★
We are Burston with Pride that we have EJ! #UMASSxVELOCITYequalsEJ #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Whoa, whoa, whoa, I think this is a run-on hashtag. Totally undisciplined. And I don't think that math adds up. ★★
Allow me to introduce to the #UMassNation...Jackson Porter! #NoFlyZone #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Solid name for a defensive back. ★★★
Long Island POY @stevecasali5 is a #Minuteman! #SachemBeast#Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: I had to look up what "Sachem" was. It's his high school. Perhaps too obscure. For a linebacker, a much better one would be #SachemMachine. ★★
WR Shaq Harris is signed, sealed, and delivered! #FASTandFAXED #Foundation4theUMassNation
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Now this would make sense if he was the first one to fax in his national letter of intent. But wide receivers are fast and he did use a fax. ★★★
The #UMassFamily just got "larger"...say hello to @tyshonkh!#MountNoPassRushmore #Foundation4theUMassNation #NSD
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Holy heavens, this one was forced. He's an offensive lineman, so I thought "no pass" would imply a defensive back. Then I thought, oh, I guess nobody will pass by him. Then I stepped back and saw "pass rush" in the name. This was a thinker, but the payoff was delightful. ★★★★★
A #ShoutOut to Montclair, NJ Mid-Year enrollee OL Sam Zeff! #JerseyGiant #Foundation4theUMassNation #NSD
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: Another Jersey nickname. Alliteration helps the cause ... but you had over a year to work on this one and came up with Jersey Giant? ★★
OL Josh #BrickWallBruns from Glendale CC is already on campus #WorkingOnWinning! #Foundation4theUMassNation #NSD
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: #BrickWallBruns is what we're looking at. Working on Winning would be a pretty dismal nickname ("hey, you'll get there buddy!") More alliteration, and for once he worked his name into it. ★★★★
@takeflight_7 is Ready to Launch his career as a #Minuteman! #NeedForSpeed #Foundation4theUMassNation #NSD
— Charley Molnar (@CharleyMolnar) February 6, 2013
Grade: This has to be an oblique nod to Top Gun. That movie is 27 years old, which makes it an obscure reference for these young'uns. Feh. ★★★