FB: American Rivers Conference

[TheOne89.1]

As far as the part scene goes, all I know is that footballkid enjoys Friday and Saturday nights at The Goat and Joe's a lot more than sitting in someone's dorm room  drinking, which is about all his UNI and ISU buddies do.

Of course, getting a "Dancing" wristband allowng underage people to go to the bars and not drink is a great idea. 

It was much better back in 2004-2005 when Joe hired that kick ass DJ.

Didn't that guy win  eating contests in 3 upper mid-west states?

2 upper mid-west states.  I haven't found any eating contests in MN yet.  I missed out on the Burrito contest at the Loggers game this year....still can't believe I was just one bit away from victory last year.

WH-I think it would have been a good match up between us.  CWat gave it his all my first time around, but I was too much for him.  Go NA Fat Guys!

[TheOne89.1]

well CR used to have the most bars with all of em downtown. However my family just drove through downtown and said it was looking kinda glum with all of the flooding.  Who knows how many will reopen after they get it all cleaned up.

5... are reopening.  is that i heard.
there were 34 bars in the downtown district.  there are some that are supposedly reopening.  CR will be home to a Tilted Kilt (from Vegas) whenever it opens.

That is a lot of bars.  I never knew CR had so many.  I always think of La Crosse as having a lot of bars...if I counted correctly I had 32 downtown.  Another 10 on the "northside" region.  Plus 4 or 5 around campus area.  Plenty of neighborhoods with 3 or 4 bars on each corner.  So if Coe compares to that atmosphere I say they top the list.

But as many have mentioned already, I think quality is better than quantity (cheap deals is good too, and I don't mean $5.50 pitchers at Joe's)

[sportsknight]

As far as the part scene goes, all I know is that footballkid enjoys Friday and Saturday nights at The Goat and Joe's a lot more than sitting in someone's dorm room  drinking, which is about all his UNI and ISU buddies do.

Of course, getting a "Dancing" wristband allowng underage people to go to the bars and not drink is a great idea. 

It was much better back in 2004-2005 when Joe hired that kick ass DJ.

And even better than that in 05-06 when he hired a far superior DJ.  

Couple more random thoughts on the IIAC party scene:

-  With them both being in Dubuque, you could probably lump Loras and UD into the same category.  I ranked Loras higher because I've known more people that have gone to school there and many of them knew how to have a very good time and the on-campus stories I heard from the Loras folks far surpassed the ones I heard from the UD kids.  The number of bars in Dubuque, especially in the resurgent downtown area, definitely helps the cause.  If you can go to Dubuque and not have a good time, its your own fault.  Between the Doghouse, Fat's, Bricktown, Lot 1, the Busted Lift, etc., there are plenty of great bars to go around in that place.

-  I avoid East Dubuque like the plague.  Except for beer/liquor purchases.  If you're looking to buy a large amount of hooch, Van's or Family Beer and Liquor are the best bets in that neck o' the woods.

-  Remedy:  3 blocks = walking distance?  3 blocks is stumbling distance.  I'd include Bricks and Dublin City if I were counting bars within walking distance from Coe.  I was in CR for the St. Patrick's Day parade a couple years ago and Bricks and DubCity were just plain nuts.

-  Stormchaser:  Sounds like you were at Simpson about the same time as two of my cousins.  He played for the Storm and was in one of the frats (no idea which one) and has told me some crazy stories from those days.  His sister was a trainer for the football team and worked at one of the bars on the square, so she had quite a different POV on those same tales.

-  I think study abroad is possible at every IIAC school.  Maybe we have uncovered the reason that Central kids partake at such a high rate (nothing to do in Pella).  Loras now has a pretty good program where kids can go to Dublin for a semester.  If they had that when I was looking at colleges, I very well may have ended up a Dumhawk.  

-  I know most people wouldn't really count it as a college town, but every night I've spent in Milwaukee has been among the most fun I've ever had.  Water Street is just plain crazy if you catch it at the right time (like during Summerfest or the night that Wisconsin played NCAA basketball at the Bradley Center).  I still have a pint glass from McGillicuddy's that somehow ended up in my back pocket at last call.

[Alfredeneumann]

As far as the part scene goes, all I know is that footballkid enjoys Friday and Saturday nights at The Goat and Joe's a lot more than sitting in someone's dorm room  drinking, which is about all his UNI and ISU buddies do.

Of course, getting a "Dancing" wristband allowng underage people to go to the bars and not drink is a great idea. 

It was much better back in 2004-2005 when Joe hired that kick ass DJ.

Didn't that guy win  eating contests in 3 upper mid-west states?

2 upper mid-west states.  I haven't found any eating contests in MN yet.  I missed out on the Burrito contest at the Loggers game this year....still can't believe I was just one bit away from victory last year.

WH-I think it would have been a good match up between us.  CWat gave it his all my first time around, but I was too much for him.  Go NA Fat Guys!

I thought you would have the pie eating championship of Lanesboro by now. If they don't have one go ask our pal "Pony-tail Boy" to start one for you.

[KCDutch]

BTW:  KCDutch:  BV offers a J term during January.  I think other IIAC schools do the same thing.  This is a chance for kids to do internships/study abroad programs.  The population of the students who leave campus during this time to participate in these programs is overwhelming, though I do not care to put a % on it.  

Fair enough, I'm not sure I would consider 1 month out of the year studying abroad....but I get what you are saying.

I find this pretty funny, everybody (except Central b/c we are aware the "partying" is lacking) seems to put their school at the top of party schools and can't believe people don't agree.  In the past, the a similar conversation took place regarding which schools were hard to get into or were the most academically rigorous.  Most put their school at the top (or upper end) and would argue if others viewed their school towards the bottom. 

Luckily, the one area we all can agree and the history is undisputable....Central has the best football program in the IIAC!! 

[LCNorse]

I'm guessing that I am one of the younger posters on this board I am really enjoying this convo. I would agrue that the number of bars in the town has little to do with the how big of a party school it is. Some of my best party memories have been at house parties/dorm parties. So thats my 2 cents on that. The study abroad thing is something that I think doesn't really affect the amount of partying. Luther also has what they call J-term, apparently BV does also and I know Wartburg has the May term also, so that really helps with the numbers for studying abroad. I think % wise Luther is in the 80 % range. But that does include the j-term studying abroad. I was also thinking since we are ranking schools...how would everyone rank athletic departments? So not just football programs but the whole athletic program.

[KCDutch]

I was also thinking since we are ranking schools...how would everyone rank athletic departments? So not just football programs but the whole athletic program.

1) Wartburg
2) Doesn't matter b/c no one is (or has been) too close to Wartburg

[Walston Hoover]

Didn't Central win the Hertl trophy several years before Wartburg started the streak? I would assume back in the day that Luther pretty much handled everyone in the conference. I'm talking 50's into 60's

I was also thinking since we are ranking schools...how would everyone rank athletic departments? So not just football programs but the whole athletic program.

1) Wartburg
2) Doesn't matter b/c no one is (or has been) too close to Wartburg

[KCDutch]

I was considering the last 10 year or so...

[du-sz]

I guess I'm a little behind at this point, but I'll throw in my opinion on the IIAC party scene...I think you guys are pretty close with Coe, Wartburg, and BV near the top.  Loras definitly has a great bar scene (Dubuque having the most bars per capita of any city in the state), but the on-campus party scene doesn't seem to be what it once was.  A decade ago you could get beer on campus at the Pub.  Since I've been here you see more and more kids headin for Iowa City and Cedar Falls on the weekends.  All-in-all, not a bad place to have a good time, but middle of the pack is probably a good place for the Duhawks.  Can't tell you much about UD, but I'd give Loras the slight edge over them in this area.

Also, East Dubuque has become a non-factor in the arena, nobody is going there anymore now that the big attractors are gone.  Four years ago you have a different story.

Loras also added a J-Term last semester, we'll prly see how it effects the partying this year as more people do it.  I know the ones who go to Dublin always have a good time in that department.

As far as ranking athletic programs I'd have to sadly give the crown to Wartburg, head and shoulders above the rest of us.  Loras and Luther, amongst others, always challenge for the all-sports trophy, but the Knights are just too good at too many things.  At least we can beat them in sports coverage.

[Walston Hoover]

I was considering the last 10 year or so...

Oh you won't find any argument from me 

[Walston Hoover]

 At least we can beat them in sports coverage.

Seriously? What happened to Sportsknight??? We won awards all the time when I was in school. Has all the talent graduated and Stein hasn't done enough good recruiting or what?

[du-sz]

 At least we can beat them in sports coverage.

Seriously? What happened to Sportsknight??? We won awards all the time when I was in school. Has all the talent graduated and Stein hasn't done enough good recruiting or what?

haha, Sportsknight is still pretty good, but Loras' got the best of them in competitions the last couple years.  Always a good friendly rivalry in that department.  Great to see that small schools are out there giving coverage to sports at these D-III programs no matter what school it is.  BVU does great live sporting events for TV, and so do Loras and Wartburg.  You should all really check out their sites online and catch some streaming vids from the student run stations that cover the IIAC!

[TheOne89.1]

Didn't Central win the Hertl trophy several years before Wartburg started the streak? I would assume back in the day that Luther pretty much handled everyone in the conference. I'm talking 50's into 60's

I was also thinking since we are ranking schools...how would everyone rank athletic departments? So not just football programs but the whole athletic program.

1) Wartburg
2) Doesn't matter b/c no one is (or has been) too close to Wartburg

Looking at the IIAC website...Wartburg has won every All-Sports Trophy.  I don't know much about the history of the IIAC in fact the first year listed on the website is 2002-2003 (for All-Sports) when I was just a Sophomore at the 'Burg.

Wartburg has won the last 11 Hertel Men's Sports Trophy Award (only winning it 3 times previous to that).  The Wartburg Women have won 5 of the last 7 (only once before that).

As far as the rest of the conference:

Hertel Award
Central - 15
Luther - 9
Loras - 2
Simpson - 1 (tied with Luther and Wartburg)

Giles Award
Central - 9
Luther - 7
Simpson - 3
Loras - 1 (tied with Simpson)

[TheOne89.1]

I will warn my math may be off.  I am watching the Cubs game (I would be paying more attention to it if they hadn't opened up and scored 5 in the 6th).

Plus I only took "Teaching Elementary Math" in college since I was focusing more on our sports coverage that was kicking ass all over the IIAC.  Maybe some of the current Wartburg WTV 8ers need to start taking Coaching Theory classes and Auggie Waltman's Math to make for less studying and more TV Broadcast time.