FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[fballfan]

It would be interesting to me to see stats on guys who grey-shirt... The idea was thrown around (and hashed, and rehashed) several years ago, soon after the red-shirt ban...

But how many guys who don't have the size/skill to come in and be a part of the team as Freshmen are able to do what needs to be done in one year and are able to be that guy the next year, one year older?

I have to wonder how those guys are factored in with recruiting, too... do you bring in guys at the same position that you know you'll have other guys coming out at, who grey-shirted?

I think you recruit the best players you can and try and find a spot for them... but it's an interesting discussion, several years past the red-shirt ban, none the less.

I'd love to see the stats on that too.  I wonder if schools keep them?  I mean...is there a real "grey shirt" list?  I kinda doubt it - not like there was a red-shirt list.
I agree - I would  think a coach recruits the best players he can and finds a spot for them.   Most players could play a variety of positions.
But a player who sits out a year, does his workouts, joins the team after the season is over and participates in spring practice has a leg up over a freshman.  So many freshman drop out for various reasons and coaches don't know which ones that will be.  I've seen some of the most promising players just decide they don't want to play and it has been a big surprise.  Just showing the coaches you are there for the long haul has got to go in your favor.
But I think there are degrees of grey shirting.  Some are told they have a good chance of making the roster if they follow through.  Some are told they have a spot if they follow though.  All depends on ability and the team's needs from one year to the next.

[UWPlatt_SID]

Just wanted to invite you to check out some of the YouTube features from the first day of practice at UW-Platteville:

August 18: Video Feature: First Day in Pads at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrif-kV0UpE
August 16: Video Feature with Brian Johnson and Chris Henningsen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fNO1h_YTf4
August 15: Video Feature on the Quarterbacks at http://youtu.be/U-SITnudJWU
August 14: Video Feature: First Day of Practice at http://youtu.be/4Et7H61B8ns

Many other exciting things going on at UW-Platteville, join the UW-Platteville Atheltics Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/uwplatteville.athletics

[BoBo]

Ok, show of hands, please - who ever heard of fistball?  

Hand raised.

It's similar to volleyball except the playing surface is larger and the ball is allowed to bounce one time before being returned by hitting it with a fist or arm over a net.  It's European in origin and dates to the Roman time.  

Sorry bw, I like k-sink's answer better!!   

[BoBo]

Like 02 said, BoBo, we have been paying $3 bucks for a spot in the Perk lot for as long as I have been going, 2003.  The girls softball team is always there bright and early, rain or shine, to collect with the proceeds going to their program.  The girls gymnastics team spends the morning offering 50/50 raffle tickets with the proceeds going to them.  The girls look for me as I am always good for a $10 spot.    My daughter was a gymnast.  All a great way and opportunity to support a variety of sports and athletes at UWW.  We'll see if the cost changes.

 You must have me mistaken w/ someone else. I made no comment about this topic.   

[Just Bill]

UWL will also be charging for parking/tailgating priveliges this year. They've never permitted tailgaiting before but this year they will have two designated lots where you can pay up and tailgate.

[Just Bill]

It looks like Jared Jenkins has been invited back to the Rams camp....

http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/article/20110817/SPJ02/108170580/1678&located=rss

And he's back with the Rams, as of the 17th.

[footballfan413]

Ok, show of hands, please - who ever heard of fistball?  

Last year I heard whispers that Whitewater will be charging an increased "premium price" for tailgaters parking in the lot just south of the stadium (Perking lot).

Does anyone know if that was put in place this season? Hopefully it was just a rumor.

BW? Voice? F413? Bueller?

Must admit I have never heard of fistball   , but then I've also never heard of a D3 school charging for PARKING!
Really?      
A D3 school?    Sounds more like D1. Is this common?

Sorry, BoBo, my bad!  It was AndOne who said they had never heard of paid parking at a D3 school.    

Hate when I have to use that, "embarrassed," smiley!  

[footballfan413]

Hey fballfan,
I just qualified to do the ol plus karma gig and you are my first recipient.
Big day for me.

Congrats on acquiring the all mighty powers of karma privileges, 17!  Use it wisely.   

[emma17]

Hey fballfan,
I just qualified to do the ol plus karma gig and you are my first recipient.
Big day for me.

Congrats on acquiring the all mighty powers of karma privileges, 17!  Use it wisely.   

And one for you always. How did it go last night

[footballfan413]

Hey fballfan,
I just qualified to do the ol plus karma gig and you are my first recipient.
Big day for me.

OH wow!!  I am honored!!  I don't think I can do that yet, or I don't know how to.
But to be honest, my sons and many friends that they have met throughout the years at camps etc in various sports are now on the college scene (various sports), so I hear many stories.
Some players who were thought to be college stars are playing as freshman.  Some who were thought to be stars aren't making it for various reasons (grades, girls, injuries, loss of interest, no improvement).  So just because you made the roster doesn't guarantee you will be there next year either.
And then, some grey shirts are coming on strong.  (One more example is a player who went through camp then decided to sit a year because the doc said an old HS knee injury would heal better if he actually rested one season
OK...I'm done with the examples. 
But I felt some of the comments were rather harsh.  (no offense intended I don't want to lose karma!) I hoped some of the athletes (or their parents) who had worked hard all last year in hopes of making the team this year were not reading them.  Just like the NFL (a lofty comparison)...undrafted players who keep trying sometimes do make the team   Sometimes hard work, perseverance and timing work in your favor.
I'm glad to see good discussions going.  Are you read for some football???!!!!

Regarding the grey-shirt issue, sorry if you think some of my opinions were too harsh.  If you continue to hang around the WIAC board, you'll find that I am much more of a glass-half-full kinda poster. I do not go negative as a rule.   But any player in that position who gets discouraged from reading an opinion on a message board probably doesn't have what it takes to fight that uphill battle anyway.   And don't worry about losing karma from me.  I only use the power for good.   
Luckily, from my own personal experience, I am not that familiar with the practice of grey shirting    Thanks for some great examples of how it can be a tool for players/coaches as a way to eventually make the team or maximize their years of eligibility.  The few situations I am familiar with resulted in the player just fading away.  Like I said, I am sure it happens more than I realized and may be more successful than I might have realized, too.  I still think that your chances with the option must vary a lot depending on the program and coaching staffs philosophy regarding the use of grey shirting.  With UWW's success the last 6 years and the overall quality of recruits coming in every year, I still gotta believe that it is a bigger roll of the dice for a player than in many other programs.  Just my opinion, I could be wrong!   

[footballfan413]

Hey fballfan,
I just qualified to do the ol plus karma gig and you are my first recipient.
Big day for me.

Congrats on acquiring the all mighty powers of karma privileges, 17!  Use it wisely.   

And one for you always. How did it go last night

Excellent!!!  Thank you for asking.  Cougars won 34 to 10.  Field goal was the result of a, "roughing the passer," call which put them in range.  DC pretty happy overall but still things to work on.   

[John Gleich]

It would be interesting to me to see stats on guys who grey-shirt... The idea was thrown around (and hashed, and rehashed) several years ago, soon after the red-shirt ban...

But how many guys who don't have the size/skill to come in and be a part of the team as Freshmen are able to do what needs to be done in one year and are able to be that guy the next year, one year older?

I have to wonder how those guys are factored in with recruiting, too... do you bring in guys at the same position that you know you'll have other guys coming out at, who grey-shirted?

I think you recruit the best players you can and try and find a spot for them... but it's an interesting discussion, several years past the red-shirt ban, none the less.

I'd love to see the stats on that too.  I wonder if schools keep them?  I mean...is there a real "grey shirt" list?  I kinda doubt it - not like there was a red-shirt list.
I agree - I would  think a coach recruits the best players he can and finds a spot for them.   Most players could play a variety of positions.
But a player who sits out a year, does his workouts, joins the team after the season is over and participates in spring practice has a leg up over a freshman.  So many freshman drop out for various reasons and coaches don't know which ones that will be.  I've seen some of the most promising players just decide they don't want to play and it has been a big surprise.  Just showing the coaches you are there for the long haul has got to go in your favor.
But I think there are degrees of grey shirting.  Some are told they have a good chance of making the roster if they follow through.  Some are told they have a spot if they follow though.  All depends on ability and the team's needs from one year to the next.

... Exactly.  If somebody wasn't good enough to make it their true freshman year, I hardly think that a coach is going to keep them in the back of their mind for the next year, especially when they've got their new recruits coming in.

I think if a guy has promise, they'll find a spot for him on the roster.

This is exacerbated even more with football, compared with a different sport like basketball... just due to the sheer number of players.  It would be much easier to get lost as one in 100 than one in 20.

[fredfalcon]

Though this may bring out negative comments, as was the case a couple of months ago, Matt Walker, new UWRF f.b. coach, is with the River Falls Fighting Fish baseball team this weekend in the WBA state tournament. Walker will pitch today (under a 2.00 era for the summer), but not tomorrow becuz he will return to RF to meet his team for the first time as they open practice. A quote from the RF  Journal from the player/manager of the baseball team:  "I can say with certainty, based on what I've seen Matt Walker bring to the baseball field this summer, that the future of the UWRF football program looks very bright with the attitude he brings to athletics."

[bulk19]

UWL will also be charging for parking/tailgating priveliges this year. They've never permitted tailgaiting before but this year they will have two designated lots where you can pay up and tailgate.

UWL AD Josh Whitman has said in previous news stories that the football team generates 50 percent of the school's gate receipts; he sees it as the flagship sport and wants to use it to create more ticket revenue, to be used for all Eagle sports, particularily for additional coaches.

A subtle indication of this, and that UWL football is striving to regain the status it has had in the past at the university, and within the conference: This week I've heard/seen ads on radio/TV for UWL football season tickets... First time I recall that's ever been done before....

[MasterJedi]

So what happened with the scrimmage on Saturday? I was expecting to hear something somewhere but there's nothing!