FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

kcreds · June 30, 2006, 01:40:35 PM

TU, I apologize, I have cents made the correction.

I agree with you TU but only if they recruit me hard. Are you willing to take the chance of not ever getting to play or waiting at least 2 years knowing that MU didn't recruit you hard, just to be able to say you are on a championship team and you gave it a shot? If so, so noted and thanks for your response.

I'm a little surprised and a little disappointed that others are not weighing in on their opinion. I know of athletes that were given similar choices and more often than not, chose 3. I just wanted to see if that is the norm, are they in the minority, or is it not that simple and there is no norm?

scotty · June 30, 2006, 01:59:33 PM

kcreds, #3 also in this house...very difficult to be a 2 year starter in a successful program, not team, and not want to play as soon as possible...

TU, agreed...a good salesman can sell anything...however, an excellent salesman always delivers...

evacuee · June 30, 2006, 05:03:07 PM

Kcreds, you seem surprised. It's not about being able to say I did anything. Although I do enjoy talking about it, having done it holds enough intrinsic value. When playing for a contender, there's always someone that wants to take your place, therefore you must perform better than the other guy all of the time. Or if you're the one trying to move up, you need to capitalize on every opportunity you get. I'll take that challenge in place of playing time, because if I'm not playing, that means the other guy is better, and the better your players the better your chances of winning. You can contribute without playing on Saturday just by pushing your teammates. That was good enough for me. We lost in high school, and realizing that we were inferior as the game slipped away was much worse than winning all the time, even if I was on the field.

I'm reluctant to be explaining this because I know you've all heard it before.

Lancer98, I'm also reluctant to know that players didn't like Barnes. He did, afterall, turn losers into winners by the sheer force of his personality. I guess the wins didn't do much for them.

joelmama · June 30, 2006, 10:00:19 PM

Depends on the program you come from. If I came from my high school and we won less than 2 games per year I would have chosen a wionning school because losing just sucks after a while.

Also if I come from a winning program I think I would choose that route as well. Its those 80% in the middle that would then have different desicions IMO.

Highlander · June 30, 2006, 10:36:02 PM

I hope that Witt has one heck of a season this year. A friend of mine coaches there. He is a great guy and a good football coach.

kcreds · June 30, 2006, 10:59:35 PM

TU, I am surprised. I do admire your way of thinking. I think possibly you and joelmama missed my point. You are given an opportunity to play with a contender but maybe not the favorite. You do bring up a good point, somewhat indirectly. No matter what kind of sales pitch the coach gives you, or how good the team is, effort is what counts. I just think it would be nice to play for a contender and a coach says to me, you have an excellent chance to help the team sooner than later. I know that means more in DI because they have money invested in you but it still makes a DIII player feel pretty darn good when a coach sings your praises. Some players have a real tough time with standing on the sidelines when they were a star in high school. I believe that is why OWU had about 100 on their roster and the majority were freshman. My guess the numbers will be about the same this year. I have the utmost respect for you and all players who give it their best and if someone is better, standing beside them and supporting the team all the way. Thanks for your insight.

joelmama, those 80% who make up the majority, are the ones I'm talking about.

Scotty, you are pretty perceptive about in the house thing.

roadtrip · July 01, 2006, 10:31:10 AM

Greetings from a D3 rookie....I've been visiting this site since Apr and have found it to be very informative and entertaining. My son will be attending Wabash (Aug 13 for FB) this fall. I would appreciate any help from the Bash guys as to tailgating/which hotel is best/food/etc. Playing time as a freshman will probably be non-existent but I still want to get the feel of the Wabash tradition. We've visited Wabash several times and are familiar with the campus but not so much C-ville. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute something worthwhile to this site in the future. Thanks in advance.

kcreds: Since we just finished the recruiting process we vote #2.

jdean · July 01, 2006, 11:56:07 AM

Quote from: GoBigRed04 on June 23, 2006, 01:08:28 PM
I feel they have a chance to become the next Capital--a program that improved because of appealing facilities.

You can credit the facilities. Larry Kehres credits the coaching staff as I understand he has said they are the best staff his team faces in-conference every year.

If I wanted to play as a frosh, I'd go to Marietta not ONU.
But if I chose Marietta it wouldn't be because of football, period. Of course then I'd have to deal with the probability of being flooded out by the Ohio River during my time there.

If I wanted facilities, I'd choose ONU. In my view they have the best stadium and campus in the OAC. Unless I'm an exceptional D3 player I would not expect to see playing time my 1st year.

If the possibility of a ring or competing with the best was the primary concern, its Mount. That might mean I'll only see the field in the late 2H rout or on special teams but to some thats better than starting on a team that's going nowhere.

Different strokes for different folks--enough choices for all kinds of players and priorities.

lancer98 · July 01, 2006, 12:03:17 PM

TU,

It wasn't all players. Actually after he left I think even the ones that didn't like him too much realized that he was a pretty good coach. I always thought he was good.

I think all players knew he was a good coach in the end. They just had some conflicts with him that didn't necessarliy make him a favorite. He was very demanding and that turned some off because they didn't share the same passion as he did even though some of those players were very good on the field. In the end that may have been why we could never quite get over the hump into the playoffs when he was there. We had a few 9-1, 8-2 seasons where we just couldn't quite get past Witt, Alegheny back when they were very good.

kcreds · July 01, 2006, 03:06:03 PM

jdean: I chose ONU as an example because I believe they are a contender and I used Marietta as an example because normally they are not. I do know that Marietta's facilities have improved immensely. You gave reasons why someone would choose 1, 2, or 3 but I'm asking, which one would you choose, considering the examples?

roadtrip: Welcome aboard! I was a rookie last year and my son will be a sophomore at OWU. This board has given me a great outlet to show my enthusiasm for DIII football. The posters are great and I have learned a lot from them. You will feel right at home because it seems that Wabash has the most posters. It is very interesting to me that you would pick #2, especially due to the fact your son picked #1 or #3. #1, if Wabash didn't recruit him hard and the potential of playing time right away would be unlikely, that is of course comparing MU of the OAC and Wabash in the NCAC. #3, if Wabash did recruit him hard and playing time sooner than later is possible. What I mean is he picked the best team that recruited him the hardest. #2, means your son picked Wabash for the facilites and the chance of playing right away but Wabash wouldn't be a contender, which they are. I'm obviously taking a lot of issues for granted but I am curious as why your son picked Wabash? What other schools recruited him?

Superfoot Wallace · July 01, 2006, 03:25:44 PM

Quote from: kcreds on July 01, 2006, 03:06:03 PM

that is of course comparing MU of the OAC and Wabash in the NCAC.

Will the next Tim Altman please stand up!!!

signed,
Keop from G-Force

jdean · July 01, 2006, 04:03:50 PM

Quote from: kcreds on July 01, 2006, 03:06:03 PM
jdean: I chose ONU as an example because I believe they are a contender and I used Marietta as an example because normally they are not. I do know that Marietta's facilities have improved immensely. You gave reasons why someone would choose 1, 2, or 3 but I'm asking, which one would you choose, considering the examples?

Personally I like choice 4--Miami of Ohio and not play football. A Marietta alum couldn't give me an illegal under the table $ inducement to go there. Mount has clone after clone of good players and sometimes its luck and timing whether you stand on the sideline for four years or play for two. My choice, and I don't believe I'm saying this because I've already spent four years in that one-horse town of Ada, would be ONU. How about letting me go to Wooster and play basketball?

kcreds · July 01, 2006, 07:51:51 PM

Macleod: Let me explain further, I consider Wabash a strong contender in the NCAC the same as I consider MU a strong contender in the OAC. I'm sorry if I mislead you.

Jdean: Very entertaining post, thanks for the input.

roadtrip · July 02, 2006, 01:15:15 PM

kcreds: By picking #2 I meant that my son was recruited hard by Wabash, they have great facilities but there was no promise of playing time. It was never taken into consideration whether Wabash was a contender or not. Sorry if I misunderstood your post Wabash was picked because of the academics, athletics, facilities, location, alums, coaches and players, in no particular order. We visited at least 9 schools from DI to NAIA. If someone would have offered an athletic scholarship we probably would have taken it. It was a good thing the kid is excellent student so we received some financial help. DIII schools are all expensive and as a member of the "middle class" with traditional midwestern values its not easy finding money for school. The Chicago Club of Wabash and President Andy Ford probably made the difference when it came time to choose a school. As far as recruiting, the biggest school was Dayton but most of the interest came from the CCIW and MWC

WallyFS4 · July 02, 2006, 05:41:09 PM

Roadtrip

Welcome to the board. Good luck to your son. Wabash will be a great experience both on and off the field for him. As you will see, other poster don't quite understand why a player would choose Wabash if they were recruited by other schools. This board is full of homo-phobes. If you go to a school without females, you have to be gay. The facts are quite the opposite. Does Wabash have gay men there? Sure, but I would bet that it is a lower percentage than any other school in the NCAC. As you will learn on the weekends there are far more females on campus than males. Wabash has a high percentage of their grads end up in law or med school. The women flock to get them while they are young.

My son graduated in '04. I still attend most of the home games. Once Wabash is in your blood, it is hard to get out. He is now coaching at a DI school, and can get me tickets anytime I want. Unless something comes up, you will see me in the Wabash stands on Saturday afternoon.

The coaching staff at Wabash is one of the top staff in the country. Your son made a wise choice. He will learn football, and get a great education. Again good luck to your son. As always.

WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS![/size]