FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[ThunderHead]

Hey guys, hope all is well with everyone.

Just thought I would chime in on the "predictably" thread. I think coaches typically don't get in trouble due to predictability by formation but rather, most of the time, by predictably by situation. Meaning on 3rd and plus 7 under 12 they tend to come out in this personal set and this formation while running THIS particular route set.

Obviously everyone on here knows that you can run several route combinations with the same formation, but often coaches call the same "route combination" out of the same "formation" in the same "situation" thus the "predictability" often seen.

I don't think some coaches are creative enough in their route combinations, because if used correctly you can window dress a formation in certain situations and bate a defense into a coverage they feel will cover the "common routes" of the formation giving you the advantage by allowing you to add re-routes and really confuse a coverage set, often leading to the blown coverage you occasionally see. 

Anyway, just my two cents on that. In my experience the most successful coaches are the most creative ones. Unless you simply have superior athletes, then you can just do whatever you want and look like a genius. 

[sflzman]

sflzman:

With that many guys parading through as you describe, did you happen to see if they (the coaches) were using one of those "cattle prods" from that huge cattle farm just north of the Alma city limits along U-23?!!!   Just kidding!   I just had to throw that one in there after seeing that recent commercial where the guys pokes the other with the cattle prod - I think it is an insurance commercial, but I'm not sure just off the top of my head.

More importantly, were the recruits so big that the coaches would be tempted to use cattle prods!

After viewing what you almost did to my Titans (a pool C team), I am still in disbelief how your season turned out.

I don't know about all of them, but there was a kid that was in Holt gear (i think) that I'm pretty sure could have taken down those cattle up on that farm with ease.

And TH, make sure you only travel from Alma to Mt. Pleasant (or anywhere north) certain times in the year, or else you will find yourself plugging your nose the whole ride! That farm reeks!

[Raider 68]

 
Anyway, just my two cents on that. In my experience the most successful coaches are the most creative ones. Unless you simply have superior athletes, then you can just do whatever you want and look like a genius. 

Thunderhead,

Well said! Those coaches who are creative and have superior athletes win championships!

[ACMIAAD3]

I talked with my "vested interest" at Alma College and he told me that he liked the new coach and that Coach told him he was going to find the best available OC. He told him he is looking to be a multiple formation attacking offense. With the returning lineman I think they have a legitimate chance to have a formidable running attack, Mason, Hahn,  to go with Leisters arm. They have a wideout, Watters, who caught everything thrown at him last year. Plus Lenneman is back at WR. It's January and I am already getting excited for Fall  .  Go Scotts

[sflzman]

I talked with my "vested interest" at Alma College and he told me that he liked the new coach and that Coach told him he was going to find the best available OC. He told him he is looking to be a multiple formation attacking offense. With the returning lineman I think they have a legitimate chance to have a formidable running attack, Mason, Hahn,  to go with Leisters arm. They have a wideout, Watters, who caught everything thrown at him last year. Plus Lenneman is back at WR. It's January and I am already getting excited for Fall  .  Go Scotts

The key I think offensively, will to not get into 3rd and long situations and let Leister manage the game more than try to force things. Also a play-action passing scheme will help a lot...

I agree with you, offensively  they'll have the weapons, but defensively they lose a lot, including an all-american linebacker...

[Raider 68]

sflzman,

Maybe I missed it, but did not hear what the reaction was to the new turf at Alma. What did people think of it?

[sflzman]

sflzman,

Maybe I missed it, but did not hear what the reaction was to the new turf at Alma. What did people think of it?

The players loved it! A lot better than the concrete they were playing on! 

Also pretty much everyone I talked to had nothing but good things to say about the look too. There was a little dissapointment about it not being maroon, but hey, I think it looks pretty good...

[AlmaFan27]

sflzman,

Maybe I missed it, but did not hear what the reaction was to the new turf at Alma. What did people think of it?

The players loved it! A lot better than the concrete they were playing on! 

Also pretty much everyone I talked to had nothing but good things to say about the look too. There was a little dissapointment about it not being maroon, but hey, I think it looks pretty good...

Most players that I talked to also said they loved it.  And while maroon would have been cool, they said they were glad that it wasn't...as apparently it heats up pretty quickly when it's hot out.  They said even the maroon in the end zones got pretty warm.

[formerd3db]

 
Anyway, just my two cents on that. In my experience the most successful coaches are the most creative ones. Unless you simply have superior athletes, then you can just do whatever you want and look like a genius. 

Thunderhead,

Well said! Those coaches who are creative and have superior athletes win championships!

Ditto what Raider68 has said - good post Thunderhead.

[Raider 68]

Here is an off-season question, what MIAA team has the best looking uniforms, who has the worst and how would rate them in order?

[formerd3db]

Raider68:
Saw the stadium ratings opinions over on your OAC board for those schools.  Similar to that, it is not that easy to rate the stadiums here.  They all have some great qualities.

All of the MIAA schools will now have synthetic turf as you know, with Hope now being the last school to put it in (well, actually, with Kalamazoo's new stadium, they both will have it for the first time this fall, however, Kazoo made the decision long before Hope just recently did).

Adrian, Trine, Albion have the best coziest stadiums IMO and their brick/block stadium structures.  Adrian's is set in a "bowl like" setting, has some neat endzone seating for fans, the permanent individual seating on the home side, the personal boxes for the VIP's, the latter as does Trine, which I also like the close visitor stands at Trine, giving that enclosed feeling.  Albion has the best old-time traditional college stadium feel, also set in a "bowl like" setting, old fencing, visitor's stands are good, great fall setting among the trees and the river (whereas Adrian and Trine's stadiums are in a more open area), however, the pressbox is horribly small and outdated and now that Kazoo has built a new one, Albion surplants them as the school stadium with the worst pressbox, IMO.  Kalamazoo's new stadium will be very neat as well, retaining the old historic permament seating into the hillside and they retained their "historic bowl like" setting as well, new badly needed pressbox and new visitors stands, and more enclosed feeling with the concrete aesthetic block walls and fieldhouse at one end. Alma's stadium is neat on campus in the historic athetic field areas "Among the Pines" as Alma is known for, and while the main stadium is very nice with large pressbox (although it is horribly hot when coaching in there - the air system needs to be improved), the seating is all aluminum panels and the front row was poorly designed as there is no room for people to walk in front, the stadium does have a semi-bowl setting, albeit a small one, with the north endzone and home stands built into a hill.  Olivet's complex is very nice and while perhaps the simplist of all the designs (and some might say more like some high schools), is adequate for the size of the school (and a much needed upgrade to their old delapitated wooden high school like stands of years ago), but also it is on its historic field site where they've played since the 1890's, although one drawback is that it is in a more "open" setting; nice large pressbox though and the locker rooms/athletic training facilities right at the north endzone is a big plus.  Hope's stadium will now be much improved with the synthetic turf, while it is in a "bowl setting" also with students usually filling the grassy hill of the south enzone and is a more modern designed stadium with seating on both sides built right into the hills for both visitors and home stands, IMO, it is more "open setting" as well and doesn't have that "cozy" feeling.  The pressbox is great and you can walk all around the 3 sides of the "U" shaped bowl, looking down into the field, however, IMO, a new locker room facility to enclose the north end of the stadium would make it even better.

Lastly, in attempt to answer your question more directly in rating the stadiums in order of favorites, that is difficult - at least for me - because they all have their neat aspects in a variety of ways.  I guess I would have to rate them as follows (although some of this will depend on until after we've had a chance to see the new "digs" at Kazoo and Hope this fall):

Albion - for that old time college feel and coziness and semi-bowl setting.
Tie; Adrian and Trine - coziness, modern design, bowl setting.
Tie; Hope, Kazoo, Alma
Olivet - but it is very nice for the school.

What hurts Olivet and Kazoo, IMO in once sense in this stadium rating regarding atmosphere, is the low attendance at games, which obviously makes the stadiums look so empty.  But, I guess when they start winning more, perhaps more fans will come! Olivet did well in having about 2200-2500 for games when they were winning just a few years ago and shared the league title, and as I've said before, Kazoo had 4,000+ for their Homecoming game against us (Hope) about 5-6 years ago which was really a great sight/site to see.

Anyway, that's my opinion on the stadiums - I like them all in various ways.  Sorry that I kind of "wimped out" on the rating of these as to what you were probably asking for.

Nonetheless, I will look forward to hearing the opinions of my/our colleagues here.  What say 'ye, my friends?

 

[NCF]

Raider68:
Saw the stadium ratings opinions over on your OAC board for those schools.  Similar to that, it is not that easy to rate the stadiums here.  They all have some great qualities.

All of the MIAA schools will now have synthetic turf as you know, with Hope now being the last school to put it in (well, actually, with Kalamazoo's new stadium, they both will have it for the first time this fall, however, Kazoo made the decision long before Hope just recently did).

Adrian, Trine, Albion have the best coziest stadiums IMO and their brick/block stadium structures.  Adrian's is set in a "bowl like" setting, has some neat endzone seating for fans, the permanent individual seating on the home side, the personal boxes for the VIP's, the latter as does Trine, which I also like the close visitor stands at Trine, giving that enclosed feeling.  Albion has the best old-time traditional college stadium feel, also set in a "bowl like" setting, old fencing, visitor's stands are good, great fall setting among the trees and the river (whereas Adrian and Trine's stadiums are in a more open area), however, the pressbox is horribly small and outdated and now that Kazoo has built a new one, Albion surplants them as the school stadium with the worst pressbox, IMO.  Kalamazoo's new stadium will be very neat as well, retaining the old historic permament seating into the hillside and they retained their "historic bowl like" setting as well, new badly needed pressbox and new visitors stands, and more enclosed feeling with the concrete aesthetic block walls and fieldhouse at one end. Alma's stadium is neat on campus in the historic athetic field areas "Among the Pines" as Alma is known for, and while the main stadium is very nice with large pressbox (although it is horribly hot when coaching in there - the air system needs to be improved), the seating is all aluminum panels and the front row was poorly designed as there is no room for people to walk in front, the stadium does have a semi-bowl setting, albeit a small one, with the north endzone and home stands built into a hill.  Olivet's complex is very nice and while perhaps the simplist of all the designs (and some might say more like some high schools), is adequate for the size of the school (and a much needed upgrade to their old delapitated wooden high school like stands of years ago), but also it is on its historic field site where they've played since the 1890's, although one drawback is that it is in a more "open" setting; nice large pressbox though and the locker rooms/athletic training facilities right at the north endzone is a big plus.  Hope's stadium will now be much improved with the synthetic turf, while it is in a "bowl setting" also with students usually filling the grassy hill of the south enzone and is a more modern designed stadium with seating on both sides built right into the hills for both visitors and home stands, IMO, it is more "open setting" as well and doesn't have that "cozy" feeling.  The pressbox is great and you can walk all around the 3 sides of the "U" shaped bowl, looking down into the field, however, IMO, a new locker room facility to enclose the north end of the stadium would make it even better.

Lastly, in attempt to answer your question more directly in rating the stadiums in order of favorites, that is difficult - at least for me - because they all have their neat aspects in a variety of ways.  I guess I would have to rate them as follows (although some of this will depend on until after we've had a chance to see the new "digs" at Kazoo and Hope this fall):

Albion - for that old time college feel and coziness and semi-bowl setting.
Tie; Adrian and Trine - coziness, modern design, bowl setting.
Tie; Hope, Kazoo, Alma
Olivet - but it is very nice for the school.

What hurts Olivet and Kazoo, IMO in once sense in this stadium rating regarding atmosphere, is the low attendance at games, which obviously makes the stadiums look so empty.  But, I guess when they start winning more, perhaps more fans will come! Olivet did well in having about 2200-2500 for games when they were winning just a few years ago and shared the league title, and as I've said before, Kazoo had 4,000+ for their Homecoming game against us (Hope) about 5-6 years ago which was really a great sight/site to see.

Anyway, that's my opinion on the stadiums - I like them all in various ways.  Sorry that I kind of "wimped out" on the rating of these as to what you were probably asking for.

Nonetheless, I will look forward to hearing the opinions of my/our colleagues here.  What say 'ye, my friends?


I say -You did a great job! If I didn't have a vested interest in one CCIW school, I would like to go see some of them first hand. Great insight. 

[formerd3db]

Thanks newcardfan.  I'd like to see more of the CCIW stadiums also, although will get a chance when we play the next round this fall and thereafter.

[sflzman]

Former,

I love your response and agree with it on most parts, though I haven't been to hopes or trines (or Calvins for that matter ), but I'm going to go with the original question that was asked, about UNIFORMS haha

So about the uniforms, Albion by far had the worst until this year when they got the new ones. I still think Adrian has the best though, probably followed by alma (anything louisille style is really cool), followed by hope (kind of the Oregon of the MIAA with the 4 different jerseys). Albion is right there too, the new jerseys are nice but nothing too fancy about them. Trine then Olivet round off the "cooler" looking jerseys, before getting to Kalamazoo's hideous ones.

Just my opinion. Any other takers on this topic?

Also I was just thinking pants/jersey here, what do people think about the helmets in the conference?

[NCF]

Thanks newcardfan.  I'd like to see more of the CCIW stadiums also, although will get a chance when we play the next round this fall and thereafter.

You'll have a great time in Naperville-plenty to do and great places to eat, besides getting to see some fantastic Cardinal football.