FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[ThunderHead]

Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well.

Love this story, though I would pass it along. I'm not a Jayhawk or PowerCat, but I love the loyalty out of this little tot.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/kindergarten-k-state-fan-refuses-color-jayhawk-mascot-170922025.html

[NCF]

Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well.

Love this story, though I would pass it along. I'm not a Jayhawk or PowerCat, but I love the loyalty out of this little tot.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/kindergarten-k-state-fan-refuses-color-jayhawk-mascot-170922025.html

Ha Ha! What a great story!

[Raider 68]

Anyone have any news on the MIAA recruits?

[formerd3db]

Indeed, ThunderHead, that is a great story and a funny one as well.   At least, however, the child's mother has sense enough (and the integrity/fortitude) to teach her little one the importance of following the established and accepted rules, authority, common courtesy and manners (i.e. apologizing to the teacher), even if one doesn't like or agree with those parameters in a particular situation. Like the article mentioned, whether that takes or not in the future for that little girl remains to be seen.  Yet, I hope her mother continues to "stay the course" in that regard.  Anyway, thanks for sharing that.

BTW, on an entirely different topic, I was just wondering what you all think about these various conference changes by many of the DIII schools?  Since my return from being gone for several days, I've been reading and catching up on all the DIII news here in the front web page articles.  Perhaps Pat can enlighten us more on some of this, however, I am curious as to why some of these schools, like Texas Southern and Christopher Newport and some of the other mentioned southern schools would leave conferences where they have the AQ for their football teams, to ones that did not?  I can understand the $ savings in travel for the other sports, yet at the same time, it seems to me that if you are pledging/plunging a ton of $ into your football program and/or adding new or reinstating long dormant programs such as Southwestern, LaGrange, CNU did, just to name a few, why would you go to a conference that had only 3 or 4 football playing schools?  I did not see in the articles in the "Conference Shuffle" where some of the other schools in the new conferences that these schools are joining have any plans to add football programs.  Seems to me that for a fledging football program that any college is trying to build, having to compete for an at-large (i.e. Pool C) bid will be very tough/challenging.  I realize that some people might counter that football is not the only issue here, but at the same time, it is for those of us in which that sport is the most favorite and especially since this is a football website. On the other hand, most likely those college administrators see more "positives" overall for their schools in many areas outweighing the "negatives" than I do.  But then, what do I know?...I'm just a dumb-former football player!   Any additional info (or opinions) that any of you and/or Pat can share with us on all that? Thanks.

[Raider 68]

Indeed, ThunderHead, that is a great story and a funny one as well.   At least, however, the child's mother has sense enough (and the integrity/fortitude) to teach her little one the importance of following the established and accepted rules, authority, common courtesy and manners (i.e. apologizing to the teacher), even if one doesn't like or agree with those parameters in a particular situation. Like the article mentioned, whether that takes or not in the future for that little girl remains to be seen.  Yet, I hope her mother continues to "stay the course" in that regard.  Anyway, thanks for sharing that.

BTW, on an entirely different topic, I was just wondering what you all think about these various conference changes by many of the DIII schools?  Since my return from being gone for several days, I've been reading and catching up on all the DIII news here in the front web page articles.  Perhaps Pat can enlighten us more on some of this, however, I am curious as to why some of these schools, like Texas Southern and Christopher Newport and some of the other mentioned southern schools would leave conferences where they have the AQ for their football teams, to ones that did not?  I can understand the $ savings in travel for the other sports, yet at the same time, it seems to me that if you are pledging/plunging a ton of $ into your football program and/or adding new or reinstating long dormant programs such as Southwestern, LaGrange, CNU did, just to name a few, why would you go to a conference that had only 3 or 4 football playing schools?  I did not see in the articles in the "Conference Shuffle" where some of the other schools in the new conferences that these schools are joining have any plans to add football programs.  Seems to me that for a fledging football program that any college is trying to build, having to compete for an at-large (i.e. Pool C) bid will be very tough/challenging.  I realize that some people might counter that football is not the only issue here, but at the same time, it is for those of us in which that sport is the most favorite and especially since this is a football website. On the other hand, most likely those college administrators see more "positives" overall for their schools in many areas outweighing the "negatives" than I do.  But then, what do I know?...I'm just a dumb-former football player!   Any additional info (or opinions) that any of you and/or Pat can share with us on all that? Thanks.

formerd3db,

I agree and think the D3 schools leaving conferences makes little sense to me, unless the AD's at those schools have other athletics teams that dictate that a conference change or none at all makes sense for the school. IMHO, I just do not see the upside!

[formerd3db]

Yes, Raider68, I just can't figure that one out either.  Obviously, those ADs know something we don't.    So now, I don't want to hear any crying about those teams that moved into a conference and then didn't get a Pool C bid!

[formerd3db]

I read this from a very reliable source; rumor has it that OC_SID's birthday was this past weekend.  So everyone please join me in wishing our friend - a belated happy birthday to you, OC_SID!  The additional good thing about that OC_SID is you are still very able to "count those" (and will continue to do so for a very long time yet) while someone like me just "celebrates" those anymore!

[NCF]

Yes, Raider68, I just can't figure that one out either.  Obviously, those ADs know something we don't.    So now, I don't want to hear any crying about those teams that moved into a conference and then didn't get a Pool C bid!

There is no crying in football former    but maybe they have a case of"the grass is always greener. . ."syndrome

[formerd3db]

Yes, Raider68, I just can't figure that one out either.  Obviously, those ADs know something we don't.    So now, I don't want to hear any crying about those teams that moved into a conference and then didn't get a Pool C bid!

There is no crying in football former    but maybe they have a case of"the grass is always greener. . ."syndrome

I think you are right! 

[NCF]

Yes, Raider68, I just can't figure that one out either.  Obviously, those ADs know something we don't.    So now, I don't want to hear any crying about those teams that moved into a conference and then didn't get a Pool C bid!

There is no crying in football former    but maybe they have a case of"the grass is always greener. . ."syndrome

I think you are right! 

There's always a first time for everything!

[sflzman]

Don't know if I'd missed this, or if no-one had posted it, but John Lewis is going to become the OC at Alma, and they've hired the former Defiance defensive coordinator as the new DC

[Raider 68]

Don't know if I'd missed this, or if no-one had posted it, but John Lewis is going to become the OC at Alma, and they've hired the former Defiance defensive coordinator as the new DC

sflzman,

What is your take on these additions to Alma?

[formerd3db]

sflzman and Raider68:
Interesting, although there is nothing on the Alma football website that mentions those changes at this time.  It is interesting as there apparently have been some changes at Defiance with their new head coach there assembling a new staff as Olmy Olmstead, who played at Wabash and has been a graduate assistant at Eastern Michigan University the past 3 seasons (after being a graduate assistant at the OAC's Wilmington College for a couple of seasons prior to that right after he graduated from Wabash), has joined Defiance as an assistant coach according to that school's football website.  Apparently, Olmstead got tired of being a graduate assistant.

Anywway, that should be fine for Lewis at Alma because he was running backs coach there for a few years as well as has helped Leister with the offense for a long time before becoming the defensive coordinator the past couple of years or so.

[AlmaFan27]

Pretty sure it wasn't the move that Lewis initially wanted but, as mentioned, he does have some experience on that side of the ball.  My sources suggest that even though change is difficult, they like what they've seen so far with the new (and existing) staff.  They've been focused pretty hard on strength and conditioning, looking forward to some spring practice.

I look forward to what the fall will bring.

[AlmaFan27]

sflzman and Raider68:
Interesting, although there is nothing on the Alma football website that mentions those changes at this time. 

I've found the Alma football website to be a dismal venue for information.  In today's world, a good website can help as a recruiting tool.  There is a real opportunity for improvement there.