University Athletic Association

[wally_wabash]

Based on our last two outings, homecoming could be brutal.

I'm afraid you can count on it.   

I watched part of the Case vs. Oberlin game and couldn't believe the whole attitude and demeanor of the Oberlin announcers, "Expect to Lose", was how I'd best describe it but some how magically they won.  Linfield's mantra is "Expect to Win" and you will pick that up in the vibration of their announcers.  I'm going to watch the Case video and listen to the Linfield audio http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/linfield.portal#.  Be my guest.

That's a little backhanded....those guys that do the Oberlin games are pretty good.  If they don't call games the same way that Linfield guys call games it's probably because Oberlin isn't Linfield.  Different programs, different goals, different expectations, and most importantly, totally different perspectives.  I think their broadcast guys do a great job.

And if they had a tone of expecting to lose, it may be because they hadn't beaten Case in something like 29 years.

I was watching the game sans audio, so I'm not sure whether they did or not.

Having had a few more minutes to think about specifics, I think what I appreciate about Oberlin's broadcast guys are that they call the football with enthusiasm and they have knowledge and they very much want to see Oberlin win and do well (they'll mix in the occasional "we" during a broadcast which is fine in moderation), but they also don't shy away from Oberlin's challenges during a broadcast.  If something like roster depth makes itself known during the course of a game, they'll talk about it.  I appreciate an honest broadcast...you can be hometown radio and still deliver some objectivity, which I think those guys do. 

[CamCat]

Thank you Wally_Wabash.  I appreciate your explanation, very interesting.  I had no idea what the history was as all I had was that one moment in time.  +K for you.

[CamCat]

Ex Tartan,  Thank you as well for the additional info.  I know nothing about what's going in in OH, DIII except Mt. Union.  Case has had a great record looking to the past until their off year last year and apparently a building year this year.  I'll disagree with Lombardi in that winning is not the only thing. There are interesting stories and circumstances beneath the surface. 

[D O.C.]

OK....can I come over here and play? I'm not going to ruin the Love Fest.
I came here a month ago to thank Case Western Reserve for taking the game with us.

Now I see you're humorous over here

We had hope to be 3 and 0 heading into our Linfield game but that is not the Case

My emphasis.

What I really want to know is where is the place to get some good grub and cold drinks after the game.

Somewhere in Alliance if I were you.

What were your Case Western's favorite seasons? Who are your biggest rivals? Do many graduates stay on to coach? (awhile, at least)

No injuries!

[ExTartanPlayer]

What were your Case Western's favorite seasons? Who are your biggest rivals?

As an alum of a former rival, but one that always respected CWRU, I'll chime in.

Case Western's BEST team was probably the 2008 team, IMO - little more dominant in the regular season and played Wabash very tough in round one - but I suspect that the "favorite" season might have been 2007.  Carnegie Mellon had just broken a seven-year UAA playoff drought the year before and seeing Case slowly build momentum over that season, beating us in overtime and then winning them all & getting a playoff bid was pretty cool.  After they'd beaten us I spent the rest of the season rooting for them because I thought it'd be nice to see the UAA get someone in the playoffs two years in a row, and they went on to win their first-round game (as we had the year before), which I hoped would raise the conference profile a bit.  I was excited for them, having been through the same joyride the year before of converting a somewhat-mediocre program into a playoff team.

Traditional rivals for CWRU are somewhat in transition: they had a long running series with both Oberlin and Wooster that is likely to cease now that they're joining the PAC/UAA dual membership thingy along with CMU.  I would say CMU is likely the only existing rival to appear on their schedule next year and for the foreseeable future.  If the program takes a step back up to its 2007-2009 levels they will be a nice foil for W & J and Thomas More in the PAC.

[ADL70]

Do many graduates stay on to coach? (awhile, at least)

Interesting question.

For the last several years the staff has had at least one former player, usually two, as is the case this year.  The head coach from 94-98 was an alum Regis Scafe '71.

There were two alums who were assistants for ten years or more, but are not on the current staff.

Don't overlook dining in Little Italy a short distance up Mayfield Road.  It's probably best to hike up the hill, as parking is limited.  Great pizza at Mama Santa's.

As XTP says CMU is the only rivalry game to survive the conference shift.  Lost is the Baird Brother's Trophy game with Wooster, which was featured in Sports Illustrated.

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/baird_brothers_trophy

The two players in the photo did stay to coach for one year each (56-Dale English DL and 6-Joey Baum QB).

[wally_wabash]

What were your Case Western's favorite seasons? Who are your biggest rivals?

As an alum of a former rival, but one that always respected CWRU, I'll chime in.

Case Western's BEST team was probably the 2008 team, IMO - little more dominant in the regular season and played Wabash very tough in round one - but I suspect that the "favorite" season might have been 2007.  Carnegie Mellon had just broken a seven-year UAA playoff drought the year before and seeing Case slowly build momentum over that season, beating us in overtime and then winning them all & getting a playoff bid was pretty cool. After they'd beaten us I spent the rest of the season rooting for them because I thought it'd be nice to see the UAA get someone in the playoffs two years in a row, and they went on to win their first-round game (as we had the year before), which I hoped would raise the conference profile a bit.  I was excited for them, having been through the same joyride the year before of converting a somewhat-mediocre program into a playoff team.

Traditional rivals for CWRU are somewhat in transition: they had a long running series with both Oberlin and Wooster that is likely to cease now that they're joining the PAC/UAA dual membership thingy along with CMU.  I would say CMU is likely the only existing rival to appear on their schedule next year and for the foreseeable future.  If the program takes a step back up to its 2007-2009 levels they will be a nice foil for W & J and Thomas More in the PAC.

The cessation of the annual game with Wooster is a bummer as the winner of that game takes ownership of one of the more fun traveling trophies (that don't involve a giant locomotive bell, obviously) in D3, the Baird Brothers Trophy.  There's some photos in this game recap from last year.  The series is now dormant and the fish stay in Cleveland until some time down the road when they can hopefully get some games going again.  As noted, it can't happen right now as CWRU is playing 7 PAC games and 3 UAA games for the time being.  But I hope sometime down the road CWRU can shake loose for a non-league game with Wooster and get that series going again, even if it happens intermittently. 

[ADL70]

I don't see much hope of that anytime soon.  PAC scheds are set thru 2017.  Not sure about SAA scheds for WashU and UChi.  That's not a very good geographic fit for them (esp UChi).

Best case scenario for UAA and NCAC is for the UAA to poach Hiram and Allegheny (the NE-most members of NCAC) as football affiliates and lure Rochester back.  But I think Rochester is happy in the LL, although they've never been a contender for the title.

I would add Oberlin, except I suspect they want to stay with the other Five Colleges of Ohio (Denison, Kenyon, Ohio Wesleyan, and Wooster-- a nonprofit educational consortium established in 1995 to promote the broad educational and cultural objectives of its members ... an outgrowth of a highly successful collaboration and friendly academic and athletic rivalries among the five institutions.), which may be what doomed a two conference UAA/NCAC combine.

Now if one of those schools gets beat up by Wabash and Wittenberg over then next few years, affiliating with the UAA might look more interesting.

[wally_wabash]

I guess the most likely scenario that I had in my head that would lead to a revival of the fish stringer games would be to just pull the plug on the UAA football games entirely.  You've all got seats at the Pool A table and new conferences with new rivals and the whole bit...the UAA football stuff is kind of vestigial.  Or at least it will be after a couple of years, I believe. 

[ADL70]

I think the UAA games take precedence over the fish.  If there's pressure to abandon three UAA games, it would come from the PAC wanting a full round robin again.

[D O.C.]

Thank-you all for the insight.

It sounds like Case Western is in a state of flux.
Just don't become flummoxed on Saturday.

[Gregory Sager]

The cessation of the annual game with Wooster is a bummer as the winner of that game takes ownership of one of the more fun traveling trophies (that don't involve a giant locomotive bell, obviously) in D3, the Baird Brothers Trophy.  There's some photos in this game recap from last year.  The series is now dormant and the fish stay in Cleveland until some time down the road when they can hopefully get some games going again.  As noted, it can't happen right now as CWRU is playing 7 PAC games and 3 UAA games for the time being.  But I hope sometime down the road CWRU can shake loose for a non-league game with Wooster and get that series going again, even if it happens intermittently.

Great trophy, and it's a shame that it's about to be mothballed for the foreseeable future. But on the bright side, the dormancy of the Baird Brothers' Trophy means that the annual widespread butchery of the whole apostrophe-after-the-'s' thing won't be causing the grammatically precise to pull out their hair in exasperation. 

I don't see much hope of that anytime soon.  PAC scheds are set thru 2017.  Not sure about SAA scheds for WashU and UChi.  That's not a very good geographic fit for them (esp UChi).

I don't really think that geographic fit is a huge concern for the University of Chicago. Maroons athletes are used to getting on planes as well as buses, as that's the whole modus operandi of the UAA as a league, sans football. The U of C athletic department has plane travel, hotel usage, study-table-and-test-proctoring on the road, etc., down to an art form. And there's no hardship involved for the institution; we're talking about a school that has a $6.6b endowment, after all. Wash U, which isn't exactly scuffling with a $5.2b endowment, is basically in the same boat.

[ADL70]

Great trophy, and it's a shame that it's about to be mothballed for the foreseeable future. But on the bright side, the dormancy of the Baird Brothers' Trophy means that the annual widespread butchery of the whole apostrophe-after-the-'s' thing won't be causing the grammatically precise to pull out their hair in exasperation. 




I convinced the SID to change to s' this year, but I even messed it up in my post.

[ADL70]

A Linfield look at the game from a blogger.

http://catdomealumni.blogspot.com/2013/09/2013-game-3-preview-linfield-2-0-vs.html

[wildcat11]

Speaking of my blog...I haven't wanted to bother you guys with my stuff this week but I'm going to make an exception here:

ADvantage 'Catdome = 2013 Linfield Scoreboard Intro Video