FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

I think in general traffic on message boards as a whole is down.  I like to participate in several message boards and have for years but I've noticed a significant decrease in posters and posts in the last 2-3 years.  I think it may have something to do with social media like Twitter.  People are utilizing that more and forums like this less.

Definitely true.

[BashDad]

I'm going out on a limb with this, but I imagine that twitter et al allows release for the more casual kinds of rah rah that once populated message boards like this with lots of different voices. Now, and I think this is a good thing, places like ours--a college football community that has really no other media outlet to turn to--has become a real meaningful place for people to actually dig into the guts of the games, the players, the narratives etc. and offer more than just "HSC SUCKS" (which we're not above, by any means). Anyway, I think to be involved in this community does actually demand a little more time and energy -- so less people jump into it.

Put more succinctly: the boards are often the only place available, on a daily basis, to read about the various happenings around the D3 universe. And I appreciate that the message boards here stand apart from other college football message boards in that our participants seem willing to do their own reporting, analysis, etc. and to fill that BigMedia gap (albeit from often very biased POVs). That's rare. And very cool. And probably keeps numbers down from fans who just want to beat their chest and go on their way.

Eh?

HSC SUCKS.

[wally_wabash]

I'm not. They like their all Wabash all the time club. WooClone15 is welcomed now. Wait until he makes a comment any Wabash poster disagrees with. It will be a nonstop barrage of memes, cutting and pasting of snippets of posts which will be out of context, threats to start name calling, karma dings. Many (not all) of these guys discuss with each other - they attack everyone else.

I deserve it because I am a rouser. Most like you yesterday don't.

Dude, don't invent.  I had a debate with jknezek yesterday about the (often silly) syntax different leagues use to describe champions.  Some disagreement?  Sure.  Attacked?  That didn't happen. 

[jknezek]

I'm going out on a limb with this, but I imagine that twitter et al allows release for the more casual kinds of rah rah that once populated message boards like this with lots of different voices. Now, and I think this is a good thing, places like ours--a college football community that has really no other media outlet to turn to--has become a real meaningful place for people to actually dig into the guts of the games, the players, the narratives etc. and offer more than just "HSC SUCKS" (which we're not above, by any means). Anyway, I think to be involved in this community does actually demand a little more time and energy -- so less people jump into it.

Put more succinctly: the boards are often the only place available, on a daily basis, to read about the various happenings around the D3 universe. And I appreciate that the message boards here stand apart from other college football message boards in that our participants seem willing to do their own reporting, analysis, etc. and to fill that BigMedia gap (albeit from often very biased POVs). That's rare. And very cool. And probably keeps numbers down from fans who just want to beat their chest and go on their way.

Eh?

HSC SUCKS.

+K. That put into words something I was struggling with.

[wally_wabash]

Twitter has been awesome, really.  Combining Walt and BashDad's excellent points, I use it (Twitter) during games for instant reactions and I find that it is a great complimentary tool when I come back here post-game for a deeper reaction piece to the day's game.  Kind of works as a notepad of sorts for me at least. 

[BashDad]

And that's the thing, Wally. There are people like you in each region that a lot of people have begun to really genuinely count on in a way that is very much journalistic. That's really wild. And has happened more and more in, say, the last 6-7 years (I bet pretty closely aligned with smart phones, twitter, available video streams, etc). A bunch of fans, hobbyists with other jobs, participating and producing crowd-sourced D3 programming -- it really is something exceptional. We don't talk about that much, I guess, because it happened so naturally. But it's very cool.

[WooClone15]

I guess we should all be thankful all the boards aren't like the SAA board!

why? is it just dead?

[jknezek]

I guess we should all be thankful all the boards aren't like the SAA board!

why? is it just dead?

Yep. One poster from Sewanee who I think might have given up, shame because he's a nice guy I met the last time W&L played On the Mountain. One guy from Centre two years ago, a guy from BSC two or three years ago I tried to meet at a game but never heard back from. The board is a ghost town though posters from other boards occasionally put something there. Shame because I like leagues like the ODAC, SAA, NCAC, Liberty League, etc. The schools that look like mine interest me the most, and I live closest to some of the SAA schools with the exception of Huntingdon and LaGrange from the USASAC.

[wabndy]

I believe the undergrads have all moved off twitter and fb and on to Yik Yak. Its anonymous and location based.  If you are looking for raw unvarnished in-game trash talking, I'd suggest looking there.

[Dr. Acula]

I'm going out on a limb with this, but I imagine that twitter et al allows release for the more casual kinds of rah rah that once populated message boards like this with lots of different voices. Now, and I think this is a good thing, places like ours--a college football community that has really no other media outlet to turn to--has become a real meaningful place for people to actually dig into the guts of the games, the players, the narratives etc. and offer more than just "HSC SUCKS" (which we're not above, by any means). Anyway, I think to be involved in this community does actually demand a little more time and energy -- so less people jump into it.

Put more succinctly: the boards are often the only place available, on a daily basis, to read about the various happenings around the D3 universe. And I appreciate that the message boards here stand apart from other college football message boards in that our participants seem willing to do their own reporting, analysis, etc. and to fill that BigMedia gap (albeit from often very biased POVs). That's rare. And very cool. And probably keeps numbers down from fans who just want to beat their chest and go on their way.

Eh?

HSC SUCKS.

Absolutely spot on, BashDad.  One of my favorite things about our boards is that the vast majority of the posters are invested and bring something to the table.  Like any message board there are the occasional trolls here too, but they are so far outnumbered by the genuine, educated D3 fans that this continues to be a great place for discussion.  Posters here watch games, digest it and then post about what they think.  In a lot of cases these second hand accounts may be our only window into some programs.  That level of involvement is really cool IMO because, as you said, being involved here does indeed require some time and energy.  Quality over quantity I suppose.

[BashDad]

Nice lede, BH:

"Every Division III football team dreams of traveling to Virginia in December to play in the NCAA Championship game in Salem. For the Wabash College football team, that dream begins with a trip to Virginia this Saturday for the second Gentlemen's Classic versus Hampden-Sydney College."

http://sports.wabash.edu/news/2015/9/3/FB_0903154537.aspx

[aueagle]

I came close to going to Delaware... But plan on going to Texas
next season to watch OWU play in that fantastic facility UMHB
has. Instead, I'll be at the LG game. Spoke with the AD Sec
and she said game weather will be great... Possible 80's?
And I thought it would rain.
Comment on an post re:
UMHB-OWU...speed, size, scheduling. Kudos to
the Bishops to step-up to play a quality non- conference.
Should expose what Watts has done with the program
so far. As much as I'll pull for the Red & Black... It won't
be close...Good Luck to the NCAC this week.
Saw HSC play their rival RMC seasons ago at Hampden-
Sydney... The LG's should have a good time.
Note: the Tigers do a very nice tailgate

[umhb2001]

Any Ohio Wesleyan fans on the board?

Here is the write-up by UMHB's SID on Saturday's game! Go Cru!

http://cruathletics.com/news/2015/9/3/FB_0903155815.aspx

I hope the video is good!

[wally_wabash]

Any Ohio Wesleyan fans on the board?

Here is the write-up by UMHB's SID on Saturday's game! Go Cru!

http://cruathletics.com/news/2015/9/3/FB_0903155815.aspx

I hope the video is good!

I've had pretty good luck with the OWU stream in seasons past and Wabash tends to hammer away video streams.  I suspect the Cru fans will put a good deal of stress on it as well, but I think you'll be in good shape. 

[HSCTiger fan]

Wabash,  it's been fun. I know I got a lot of you really fired up. I tend to do that. I want you to know it was in good fun. You have to admit it was a little fun having a villain to target your scorn.  I did not mind taking that role. In the end, I am just a blindly devoted and probably a little misguided Tiger fan.

You guys were great hosts last year and I anticipate you enjoying your time at HSC.  If you are coming down, I feel obligated to offer you a beer, or bourbon, and a cigar for putting you all through my rants. We have a great tailgate and would love to have you stop by.  From the Wabash tailgate area there will be a wooded area directly in front of you, to the left of the wooded area a lake. We will be on the right side of the lake and the far back left of the wooded area. I have a very cool tailgate trailer. You cannot miss it. It will be worth the 100 yard walk just to check it out. I have a TV in it. We usually have on ESPN Game Day.

Here's a pic of my HSC Tailgate trailer.- https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COBGkR0W8AAJlBT.jpg

I hope you'll drop by. There will be lots of parents of Tigers there and I promise HSCTiger fan is a lot more fun in person at a tailgate than on the message boards.