TheSabre

TheSabre.com is an unofficial fan site covering University of Virginia Cavaliers athletics and providing message boards for fans. The site, originally named "VirginiaFootball.com" until the athletic department of the University of Virginia requested a name change, was established by Charlottesville, Virginia resident and then pizza deliveryman Mike Ingalls in 1996. The site is named after the "V-Sabre" logo for Virginia Cavaliers athletic teams. The logo was designed by Matt Welsh, son of former Virginia football coach George Welsh and a former employee of TheSabre.

Message boards

The site offers free message boards where fans can discuss the Cavaliers' football, men's basketball, lacrosse, soccer, women's basketball, baseball, and other "Olympic" sports as well as non-sports related topics. TheSabre also publishes news stories about Cavalier games including links to stories on other sports-related websites pertaining to University of Virginia athletics. TheSabre has also established a subscription service called "SabreEdge" which provides coverage of recruiting in news articles and a limited access message board.

Internet memes

Like most Internet communities, certain popular memes have developed at TheSabre. When former Cavaliers' quarterback Aaron Brooks was traded from the Green Bay Packers to the New Orleans Saints, many messages were posted about this news at the same time. The term "Brooks Traded to the Saints" or "BTTTS" became a short-hand response to a post bringing up an already known news item.

In 2006 and 2007, fans often adapted Chuck Norris Facts to describe running back Keith Payne who redshirted in 2006 and began play in the 2007 season. The excitement over Payne, who was a modestly ranked recruit, began when his Oakton High School team upset heavily favored Landstown High School 28-7 in the 2005 Virginia High School League Group AAA, Division 6 state championship. Payne rushed for over 200 yards and was key in containing Landstown's Percy Harvin, considered the top ranked high school football recruit that season. Favorable reports of Payne's performance with the scout team during practices in the 2006 season contributed to the anticipation of his debut.

Sabre posters have also use the term "Mr. E. Recruit" (i.e. "mystery recruit") to refer to high school players who may be considering the Cavaliers more seriously than openly acknowledged or who may have given a silent verbal commitment to the coaches.

In response to a poster asking how a player's name is pronounced, other posters frequently reply "Jop" in reference to the pronunciation of the last name of NBA player DeSagana Diop. Prior to his decision to enter the NBA draft immediately after graduating from Oak Hill Academy, Virginia was one of the colleges actively recruiting Diop.

Ownership

TheSabre is owned by SportsWar, LLC, a Charlottesville based company which originated from TheSabre. SportsWar also owns "TechSideline.com", a leading unofficial site for fans of the Virginia Tech Hokies and has begun to purchase and develop sites for other schools. Competing companies are Rivals.com and Scout.com.

External links

* [http://www.readthehook.com/Stories/2005/04/07/facetimeSabresleuthIngalls.html "Sabre.sleuth: Ingalls' Hoosports site tells all"] from The Hook weekly
* [http://theSabre.com/ The Sabre]
* [http://virginia.rivals.com/ CavsCorner]