FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[smedindy]

I thought that was the Hiram game.

[bashbrother]

It may have been.....

[wally_wabash]

Yeah, I think they did that on Senior Day in '03 vs. Hiram after they ran the play with all of the seniors in the game and scored.  I think most of us could have done without the theatrics after the touchdown though.  

[bashbrother]

Yeah..probably..... especially in a game that ended up with the score it did.

[BashFan74]

RE:  DPU attitudes, practices, traditions, etc.

I didn't realize that DPU had capped the tickets at 7900.  I was trolling through the SCAC Post Pattern and noted that they just put their tickets on sale about the 24th or 25th.  Wabash's were sold out before that!  

It was not that long ago that DPU could/would not even fill up their side of the field.  And I can recall one very embarrassing game in Cville when a few of us were delayed at the beer tap and had to sit on the visitors' side.  

Anybody remember the snow game in Greendingle 6 or 8 years ago?  The visitors' stands had not been shoveled.  The DPU maintenance guys came by and passed out those little kid's shovels and with a nasty laugh told us we could clean things up for ourselves if we wanted to.

[David Collinge]

Devil's Advocate:

If a rivalry game can be significantly more intense when the playoffs are on the line for both teams, how intense can the rivalry be in the first place?  Is the Army/Navy game more intense when the CiC Trophy and/or bowl berths are on the line? 

[gobash]

Devil's Advocate:

If a rivalry game can be significantly more intense when the playoffs are on the line for both teams, how intense can the rivalry be in the first place?  Is the Army/Navy game more intense when the CiC Trophy and/or bowl berths are on the line? 

Bah.  Just because having even more on the line than the rivalry itself enhances the competition is no indication of a weak rivalry to start with.  There's always room to take it up a notch.  At least until the beheadings start.  Then it sorta becomes less of a rivalry and more genocide.

And I must say I'm really not all that impressed by Army/Navy.  I watch it whenever I can, and I often end up bored.  No one I've ever taken to a Bell game has ever said they were bored.

[smedindy]

Actually, I do agree that a rivalry is enhanced if the playoffs are invovled. However, it's a matter of degrees. Can you really tell the visual difference between 100,000,000 of something and 100,000,010 of something? It's like that.

Also, it just means that when we get the Bell back, DPU will have to stay at home for the playoffs, and that makes the winning even sweeter.

But I love the Army / Navy game, and it's the same thing. I think that if Navy beat Army to win the COC trophy AND knock Army out of a bowl bid, that would make it sweeter as well.

[joelmama]

My former boss had a son at West Point a couple years ago and went to the Army/Navy game.  He described a video on the big board that went something like this.

Navy fighter plane (with a short of a plane zooming past the screen) $50 million
Nuclear Submarine $$800 million
Aircraft Carrier $1.5 billion
A win over Army PRICELESS.

I thought that was pretty imaginative.

[wally_wabash]

I wasn't sure I'd ever see the words "Army" and "bowl bid" in the same sentence in my lifetime.   

I think what makes this year's Bell game a little different is that both teams are coming in playing very well.  If both teams win Saturday, which they should, the teams will come in with a combined 16-1 record.  Only once in the previous 111 meetings have the teams come in to the game with fewer losses.  In 1951 6-0-1 Wabash put a 41-12 beatdown on 7-0 Depauw.  The games in 1980-1982 also featured very good teams with undefeated or one-loss records.  In a rivalry that is so old and has seen so many things, it's been very rare the two teams both come into the game with such impressive resumés....hence the added excitement. 

[David Collinge]

I wasn't sure I'd ever see the words "Army" and "bowl bid" in the same sentence in my lifetime.   

Now, now.  I realize you're just a young pup (make that "cub"), but it wasn't that long ago (perhaps the early 1990's) when both Army and Navy were assured of bowl bids before the game.  In fact, that season it was determined that the winner of the game would be invited to play in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, and the loser would be invited to play in the Hawai'i Bowl in Honolulu.  That game was a testament to how bitter and intense the Army/Navy rivalry is: both teams had every reason to lay down and lose, but they played hard just the same. 

[Kicker9]

I don't really think Ben keeps up with the posts here anymore, but if he still does I don't think he'd really be bothered.  He caught enough abuse from the kids on the team when he showed up, and he knew it was all in good fun.  I'm sure he's a lot more worried about becoming the next Matt Morgan.

KC, and to all of those out there on the board,
  I am a recent alumni of Kenyon.  I played for four years, and even though it was hard, it was the most rewarding four years of my life.  I have followed this discussion board for my entire career.  I am happy that Kenyon is doing well.  I know Ben Bennett personally, and he is a wonderful kid.  I have not really seen any negative comments towards him.  He does not post anymore because he is a player, and that because we gave him such a hard time when he arrived on campus.  As for the quote that is above, I take offense to the reference to a certain offensive lineman.  He was a good football player, and an even better person.  I know who KC is, and he has no room to talk.  I am sorry to all of those people's time that i am wasting, but it needed to be said.  I know that was a bad way to post my first post, but hey, gotta start somewhere. 

P.S.  Darkside was a hell of a player.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Devil's Advocate:

If a rivalry game can be significantly more intense when the playoffs are on the line for both teams, how intense can the rivalry be in the first place?  Is the Army/Navy game more intense when the CiC Trophy and/or bowl berths are on the line? 

David,

I suspect you'd agree with me that THE #1 d1 football rivalry is UM-OSU, but wouldn't you also agree that the temperature goes up a few notches when the Rose Bowl is at stake?

[David Collinge]

I'll take the last part first, if you don't mind, Mr. Barry, er, I mean, Bonney.

[...] but wouldn't you also agree that the temperature goes up a few notches when the Rose Bowl is at stake?

Yes, I agree.

I suspect you'd agree with me that THE #1 d1 football rivalry is UM-OSU [...]

No, I do not agree, and the answer to the second question is part of why I don't agree.  The college football rivalries that interest me the most are Army/Navy, Harvard/Yale, and Stanford/Cal, and I think none of these are noticably more intense when one or both teams are in contention for some other prize.  For these teams, to misquote Shakespeare, the game's the thing.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'll accept your response, but then you are not (I assume) a subscriber to the Ann Arbor News (or whatever fish-wrapper is published in Columbus)!

And I readily acknowlege that there are plenty of folks who would say that UM-OSU can't top Auburn-Alabama, Oklahoma-Nebraska, etc.

But I was talking about d1 rivalries - aren't two of your three (Harvard/Yale, Army/Navy) actually d3!

BTW, I didn't catch the 'Barry' reference (Barry Sanders?)