FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[voice]

My suggestion is to formally raise a 2007 NCAA Division III National Championship flag in a special pregame ceremony prior to kickoff at the Warhawks' season opener on Sept. 5th at Perkins Stadium.
For those who think it will put "pressure" on the 08 team, lets remember that the major portion of the 08 roster will be made up of players that played in 07.  The ceremony will simply be a public adress announcement without reference to individual players.  I also think that the ceremony would be welcomed by UW-Whitewater football fans. 

The ceremony is no different than i/e the Boston Red Sox hoisting the 07 World Series pennant prior to this season's home opener at Fenway.

Just my thoughts

[janesvilleflash]

I like the flag, but not the ceremony. Just my thoughts.

[BoBo]

Making a simple, public address announcement that the raising of a flag commemorates the national championship team is the right thing to do.  They just can't put up a flag without saying anything...that's totally un-American.

Plus, if they can give each player that monstrosity of a ring to wear on their finger, why not one flag up a pole to honor all of them ?  The flag will probably be less conspicuous anyway!!

[janesvilleflash]

I difinately wouldn't want to be un-American.

[Ralph Turner]

Does Finlandia have a football program yet?

Finlandia is not in-region for UW-Eau Claire.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Does Finlandia have a football program yet?

Finlandia is not in-region for UW-Eau Claire.

Aha, my pet crusade on the hoops boards!

Just in case Finlandia ever becomes a playoff threat, the NCAA has just gotta move them to whatever region Wisconsin is in in a given sport.  In hoops, their nearest regional opponent is nearly 500 miles away!  (That they get any regional games at all requires braving the Mackinac Bridge in winter, and twice playing Northland [200-mile rule].)  Virtually every WIAC (potential) opponent is closer than any Michigan opponent.  NCAA, give poor Finlandia a break!

[Pat Coleman]

I've been meaning to address the MBB committee about that. I think this is a good time.

[Mr. Ypsi]

OMG, Pat, I've tilted at so many windmills over the years, I'm not sure what I'd do if a second one actually fell over!   (I count getting a Lecturers' contract with EMU as #1 - did me little good when I got canned in belated retaliation [which I decided to redefine as retired! ], but greatly improved the lives of many others.)

Does Finlandia award honorary doctorates?

[Ralph Turner]

I've been meaning to address the MBB committee about that. I think this is a good time.

I agree.  Move Finlandia to the region containing the WIAC schools in every sport!

They will still be in administrative region #3.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I've been meaning to address the MBB committee about that. I think this is a good time.

I agree.  Move Finlandia to the region containing the WIAC schools in every sport!

They will still be in administrative region #3.

Good point.  I'm guessing that Finlandia is more isolated for regional games than ANY other d3 school (only rival I can think of would be Neb Wes).

[Pat Coleman]

Finlandia is in Michigan, true, but it's in the Upper Peninsula and is isolated from the other schools in the state. Adrian is 567 miles away, Albion is 544, Alma is 445, Calvin is 510, Hope is 530, Kalamazoo is 554, Olivet is 527.

Conversely, as a member of the West Region, Finlandia could get to Northland in 149 miles, UW-Oshkosh in 257 miles, UW-Superior in 212 miles, UW-Stevens Point in 266 miles, St. Scholastica in 220 miles, UW-Eau Claire in 299 miles and UW-Stout in 314 miles.

As a member of the Midwest Region, Finlandia could have regional games against St. Norbert (217 miles), Lawrence (239 miles), Lakeland (281 miles), Ripon (281 miles), Marian, Wis. (282 miles), Concordia, Wis. (312 miles), Milwaukee School of Engineering (328 miles) and Wisconsin Lutheran (333 miles).

[Ralph Turner]

I've been meaning to address the MBB committee about that. I think this is a good time.

I agree.  Move Finlandia to the region containing the WIAC schools in every sport!

They will still be in administrative region #3.

Good point.  I'm guessing that Finlandia is more isolated for regional games than ANY other d3 school (only rival I can think of would be Neb Wes).

Followed closely by Sul Ross State.

Almost equidistant from Abilene, Brownwood, Kerrville

HSU - 313 miles

McM - 312 miles

Howard Payne -- 325 miles

Schreiner 318 miles

[Ralph Turner]

Finlandia is in Michigan, true, but it's in the Upper Peninsula and is isolated from the other schools in the state. Adrian is 567 miles away, Albion is 544, Alma is 445, Calvin is 510, Hope is 530, Kalamazoo is 554, Olivet is 527.

Conversely, as a member of the West Region, Finlandia could get to Northland in 149 miles, UW-Oshkosh in 257 miles, UW-Superior in 212 miles, UW-Stevens Point in 266 miles, St. Scholastica in 220 miles, UW-Eau Claire in 299 miles and UW-Stout in 314 miles.

As a member of the Midwest Region, Finlandia could have regional games against St. Norbert (217 miles), Lawrence (239 miles), Lakeland (281 miles), Ripon (281 miles), Marian, Wis. (282 miles), Concordia, Wis. (312 miles), Milwaukee School of Engineering (328 miles) and Wisconsin Lutheran (333 miles).

Would it make sense for Finlandia to become the virtual travel partner for UW-Superior?

[footballfan413]

Augustana gets credit for being willing to play Platteville much like SJU is willing to play UW-RF and UW-EC,  but it seems no one else is willing to take on any team with better records in the WIAC. 

Umm, SJU plays EC when they were contenders ... and, in fact, played them during their most recent WIAC title season and two runner-up seasons.

I knew that and didn't intend for my comment to imply that  SJU was only willing to play WIAC cupcakes as UW-EC is definitely not that.  More to recognize that they and Augustana do have a record of being willing to play WIAC schools.  Sorry if that is what it seemed.

Now a couple things on the conversation at hand.......Bobo, I remember Ramseier telling me that Dinkle told him that UMHB wanted to continue the series next year, but because of budget problems, we were unable to.....Makes me wonder though how they can go out to Washington then this fall.

My guess is that getting to Tacoma is a heck of a lot easier than getting to Belton.  I'm not a travel agent and have only been to Sea-Tac once, and never to Belton, but didn't it take something like a day and a half for UWW to get to Texas 2 years ago to play UMHB?  I think I remember hearing stories of the long trip to Texas.

I remember that they flew into like Dallas and then held a practice down at Valley Ranch ....took a tour of the ranch and I believe they may have stayed in Dallas a night.
I think that Pat may be right on this one....already commited to UPS.....speaking of UPS, this isn't the team RF went out and played a couple years ago, is it? I just remember they went out to Washington.

The team did not stay in Dallas but rather made the 2-3 hour bus ride to Belton after their practice at the ranch getting into the hotel about 11:30 that night.  They started their day on a bus at 5:00AM.  What made a long travel day even longer was the 2-3 hour delay getting out of O'Hare. It was a brutal travel day. 

[Ralph Turner]

A flight into Austin Bergstrom Airport, 70 miles to the south, is about 80 miles closer to Belton than DFW.