FB: American Rivers Conference

[the_mayne_event]

Rating nonconference schedules-
UD
Wartburg
Luther
Loras
Coe
Central
Simpson
BV
Cornell

I don't know if I would rank UD that high...the Redlands game is a great game for that program and hopefully they could get a home and away out of that. However, the Rockford game is not that strong at all. They play in a very very weak conference and should be a laugher for UD. I would prob say the same about Luther...St. Olaf is a great game...but Waldorf is an easy win for a team that can't say that about really any other game on their schedule. I also think Coe has a pretty tough one...Augustana is gonna be a much improved team and will challenge for the CCIW championship and Gustavus is comparable to about any team in the IIAC. So I would prob move Coe up a little higher and move UD and Luther down. Just my opinion though.

i agree... Rockford sucks usually... UD regularly beats them by 50, and that was even before UD was getting good in teh IIAC.

[DBQ1965]

Rating nonconference schedules-
UD
Wartburg
Luther
Loras
Coe
Central
Simpson
BV
Cornell

I don't know if I would rank UD that high...the Redlands game is a great game for that program and hopefully they could get a home and away out of that. However, the Rockford game is not that strong at all. They play in a very very weak conference and should be a laugher for UD. I would prob say the same about Luther...St. Olaf is a great game...but Waldorf is an easy win for a team that can't say that about really any other game on their schedule. I also think Coe has a pretty tough one...Augustana is gonna be a much improved team and will challenge for the CCIW championship and Gustavus is comparable to about any team in the IIAC. So I would prob move Coe up a little higher and move UD and Luther down. Just my opinion though.

I think LC is right about UD vs. Rockford ... that game probably won't be a true test ... except it does give a number of first time starters valuable experience  ... plus getting a night-game under their belts heading into a tough night-game on the road against Redlands.  A two time zone difference against a quality SCIAC team will be a tough challenge for the Spartans.  This will be when we find out about the QB position ... plus a couple of other key replacements, especially on defense ... and what kind of team discipline the Spartans have ... especially if the fall behind early.  Deep down, I think this could turn out to be a very competitive, very close game.  I believe the outcome at Redlands will have much to say about where the Spartans finish in the IIAC.

[Alfredeneumann]

Randy Moore, who was the DC at Wartburg from '92-'95 and is a grad of Iowa is the DC at Otterbein.

Thanks for this update WH. It doesn't seem that long ago he was at the Burg. I played with Randy in HS. I was in Wav (still am) when he arrived to be the DC & almost became one of his asst. However, I was in the middle of a business project & it just wasn't going to work in my schedule. I did manage to get into the football coaching ranks as I will be in my 2nd yr with the WSR Knights (YSF 5th-6th grade football). Last year was a blast & it sure beats the coaching of BB at that age. I will probably "retire" after this year as my youngest son will move on to the big Jr High ranks.

I went to Otterbein site to take a look. I didn't recognize him w/o blond 'fro of HS days.

[du-sz]

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.

So how about rating the SID's in the conference?  I would put Central's up against any in the conference Larry H does a great job, though he does forget to spell check from time to time.  He sent two stories that got front page in the off season, it didn't take a last minute coaching change to get us on the front page.   

There are quite a few good SID's out there in the conference.  I've worked closely with Mark Adkins of Wartburg, he's a great guy and always does well beating the drum for his home team (I love their athletics website btw).  Loras' former SID, Tim Calderwood, was exceptional, calling games and always quick and precise with his website updates and releases.  Our new sports info guy is still getting comfortable in the job and we'll see how he does gettin details out about the Duhawks in the years to come. 

I was a little leary of what UD was putting out last basketball season, but I'll chalk that up to a student assistant.  Other than that I'm usually satisfied with the IIAC SIDs.

[Walston Hoover]

OK guys, 2 pages a day for the next month and we'll have no problem getting to 1200 by the season.
Can we do it???
I can't hear you! Can we do it???

[Walston Hoover]

Back when I was in school calling bball games, and in subsequent years doing FB games. Every place but UD and Cornell gave me all the info I could want and more.
I give the nod to Turk though for sneaking non-worthy all americans in seemingly every year. That is going over and above the call of duty.

[sportsknight]

Top to bottom, the IIAC's got a pretty good batch of SIDs.  Turk at Simpson, Adkins at Wartburg, Blanchard at Luther, and Happel at Central are probably the top four, but they've also got a few more years under their belt than some of the newer guys around the league (Coe, Cornell, Loras, etc).  I'd say the high water mark for conference SIDs was around 2003-2006 when Tom Galbraith was still at Loras and Darren Miller was still at Cornell and Dubuque had just hired Paul Misner to be their first full-time SID.

Plus the IIAC office had a pretty darn good intern during the summer of '03 too. 

[Thunderbolt]

 Rating non-conference schedules, to me its:

1- Wartburg in a land slide. Augie was young last year and finished the season strong.
2- Coe
3- Dubuque another 40 point win this year over Rockford.
4-Luther
5- Loras
6- Central
7-BV
8-Simpson_ one of Northwesterns (8-2) losses came to Cornell
9- Cornell

I'd like to think 15-3 is obtainable.

[Alfredeneumann]

The Consumer Protection Safety Commission say synthetic turf OK

"CPSC staff evaluation showed that newer fields had no lead or generally had the lowest lead level"

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08348.html

[Thunderbolt]

The Consumer Protection Safety Commission say synthetic turf OK

"CPSC staff evaluation showed that newer fields had no lead or generally had the lowest lead level"

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08348.html

The bigger concern might be all the kids playing in parks and on fields that have been flooded. There isn't many things more unpleasant than the dust from dried river muck.

[Purple Heys]

Back to the party discussion...

I gotta say the concept of pairing the words Party and Iowa, from my perspective...   



Without a proper beach I realize you folks have to make do.   8)

[Thunderbolt]

 Did the earth move under your feet yesterday Heys?

[wartknight]

Randy Moore, who was the DC at Wartburg from '92-'95 and is a grad of Iowa is the DC at Otterbein.

Thanks for this update WH. It doesn't seem that long ago he was at the Burg. I played with Randy in HS. I was in Wav (still am) when he arrived to be the DC & almost became one of his asst. However, I was in the middle of a business project & it just wasn't going to work in my schedule. I did manage to get into the football coaching ranks as I will be in my 2nd yr with the WSR Knights (YSF 5th-6th grade football). Last year was a blast & it sure beats the coaching of BB at that age. I will probably "retire" after this year as my youngest son will move on to the big Jr High ranks.

I went to Otterbein site to take a look. I didn't recognize him w/o blond 'fro of HS days.

That's so true AN. He could have been the salt version of "The Ladies Man" from SNL.

[Walston Hoover]

Back to the party discussion...

I gotta say the concept of pairing the words Party and Iowa, from my perspective...   



Without a proper beach I realize you folks have to make do.   8)

HS kids don't need beaches to party, they just need cornfields to run off into when they get busted.

[Purple Heys]

Did the earth move under your feet yesterday Heys?

It was centered about 70 miles north in Chino Hills...Where we owned our first home when Heys Jr. was a baby.

I didn't feel it...the building I work in is a big heavy concrete tilt-up..pretty stable.

Wife and kids were on the road so they didn't notice it either.

Neighbors felt it though when we talked to them...they said the houses swayed a bit.

Pretty routine.  Haven't actually had any for a while...knock on wood.