FB: American Rivers Conference

knightlife06 · August 01, 2007, 10:33:27 AM

If you would ever sit down and have a conversation with Neil you would know he's not a selfish player/person. It was obvious he had disagreements with Raeburn, and they must have been pretty bad if he decided to leave his HS coach as well as HS teammate in CR. Would you really want to play for a coach that treats you bad even when you've paid your dues and worked your tail off for him? I know I would have struggled with that.

footballdaddy · August 01, 2007, 11:45:29 AM

I agree with Knightlife.In the times I've had to deal with Coach Raeburn,and in talking to some current players,I would have to say he's not a "people person".If Neil hasn't been treated well in the past,and with maybe not the best prospects of a successful senior season,I can understand why he'd want to transfer.I can only imagine how hard it would be to leave Coe and his teamates behind.

Of course,if one of us left our present job for a better opportunity,no one would think anything of it.I'd say it's the same in D3 football.A student is paying for the privelige to play,so he should be able to play where he wants.

And if Neil was a benchwarmer,would we be having this much comment?

DutchFan2004 · August 01, 2007, 11:49:25 AM

Walston,

I agree with what you said about not telling anyone till it is a done deal. +k for that

I will agree with TME that once he knew that he was leaving he sould have told his coach. He didn't have to give a speech to the team, but I think he at least owed Coe that much. He could have given him a call on the phone so he didn't have to have a face to face, but a call would be the thing to do IMHO.

Knightlife06,

We will never know what was going on for sure. I do find it hard that if things were this bad how do you go through 3 years of hard to bail on his team? Does not ring true to most people including me that you walk out on your team with only one year left.

Food for thought

Nothing is for sure with Wartburg either. Not saying that it will happen but Wartburg has much riding on this as well. If the coaching staff does not do what he wants exactly he can bail on them as well and create bad press that way as well don't you think (just speculation here I am not saying the staff and Suchow are not men of their word, to clear that up before I get misread or quoted) This is dangerous for both parties to take a rival and to let a rival be a part of the team.

footballdaddy · August 01, 2007, 12:08:48 PM

DF and TME I can see your points.BUT!

In today's world it's accepted to do drastic things for the short term gain.Look at the baseball trading deadline,free agency,and high school open enrollment and such.Is it good or bad,right or wrong?It's probably not for me to say.I agree it would be nice to maintain the purity of non-scholarship athletics,but I'm afraid it's probaly too late already.

Charlie Kohawk · August 01, 2007, 12:31:29 PM

Poor Neil Suckow didn't get what he wanted at Coe so he's transferring to Wartburg like a spoiled baby, stabbing his football teammates -- and his national qualifying 4x100 track teammates -- in the back in the process. Let's not forget that football is a team sport. And if he was mistreated, how did he manage to lead the IIAC in scoring each of the past three years? I hope Wartburg gives him everything he wants. They may want to hire an extra trainer too. It's interesting to note that, even under his "diminished" role, Suckow battled ankle sprains every year. From that perspective, it's easy for me to see why Coach Raeburn used him the way he did. He was just trying to keep him on the field. Suckow may get his wish to be a traditional tailback at Wartburg, but it's questionable whether he has the durability to last a full season.

Walston Hoover · August 01, 2007, 12:42:27 PM

I forgot about track...Double Bonus for the Knights.
Charlie, I know your hurting man. Tell us how you really feel.

dutchfan1 · August 01, 2007, 12:54:39 PM

Wow -- the Kohawk Nation must be reeling -- with good reason. The rug was pulled from under their entire offense -- what will this do to Coe's title changes this season?

I guess I'm kind of shocked that, if he truly was that unhappy, that he waited until his senior year to transfer. Personally, I don't buy the line that he wanted to move closer to his GF/family, etc., when CR is just an hour away from Waverly. Was there something else going on? I think it's odd, like CK pointed out, that he would abandon his track team and everything else he had going on at Coe. He was THAT unhappy with Raeburn? Was he only at Coe for the football?

I guess if he wanted to send a poignant message to the Coe staff about his "mistreatment," he did it....

DutchFan2004 · August 01, 2007, 01:12:53 PM

DF1,

You must be of the same mind as me. I just don't understand waiting for the senior year to bail.

Footballdaddy,

My point in all this is that he should have told them as soon as he knew what he was going to do. He has the right to go play where ever he wants. I find no fault there in transferring (even if it is his senior year). I just find it odd. Both of my experiences with IIAC schools have been good. Both of the kids have had great educations and experiences at two different schools. I just find it hard that things were that bad that he left his teamates on both teams. (i didn't know he was a track man) Back to my point being a man and doing the right thing never changes with time. I think we can all agree that doing the decent thing never goes out of style. I think that might have been the thing to do. Tell both coaches of his decision to leave as soon as he knew it was a done deal. That would have been the proper thing to do IMHO.

Walston Hoover · August 01, 2007, 01:25:44 PM

My favorite Suckow story--Wartburg leads by 7 towards the end of the game in '04. Down inside the 15 is Coe in the south enzone at Eby Field. Suckow sneaks out of the backfield and gets picked up by some SUPER slow middle LB from Wartburg and just runs right by him. Fortunately Brannen way overthrew him and the Wartburg victory was preserved.
Maybe Neil figured if you can't beat 'em, join 'em as he was 0-3 against Wartburg. Didn't realize I was part of the last Wartburg team to lose to Coe on the fateful, Freddie Jackson dominated day of homecoming 2002.

knightlife06 · August 01, 2007, 01:55:23 PM

Alright, alright, enough of the bashing WH. I had him locked up and Brannen tried to fit the ball in a tiny window:) I'm going to say that was a great playcall by Coe because they knew I was manned up on him. As Coach Koehler always says, "Good read, better ball." I've never felt so relieved after a play.

footballdaddy · August 01, 2007, 01:59:34 PM

I agree also that he should have told everyone involved as soon as possible.If it took all summer to make his decision and everything just happened in the last couple of days,I can hold with that.I know that the players knew about it before it was mentioned on here.Maybe we'll get some insight as to why it all happened as the year goes on.I still think it would have to be something serious to make such a move after the success he's had and how much he was going to be relied upon this year.

And let's dont count Coe out yet.They have a quality QB and will still be tough if not experienced.

DutchFan2004 · August 01, 2007, 02:10:54 PM

Whoa,

Now now you orange boys better be nice to each other. We don't want there to be hard feelings. Sounds like the Good Lord was watching out for Knightlife06 and he didn't have to go back to the sidelines with his head hanging. It is all over with. Can't you just let him off the hook WH.

DutchFan2004 · August 01, 2007, 02:42:41 PM

footballdaddy,

I think Coe has two good QB's returning don't they? The hard part is going to be to find a running game now. No matter how good a player is a team being one dementional is easier to stop. No matter how good the two QB's are if they are all that is left and with a new Oline it might be tough to have a good season. Having said that the true measure of a program or team is how they come through trials. So this will be a big year for the Kohawks. I don't think you can count any team out in the IIAC. Luther goes 1-7 in the IIAC and has the best offense. So nothing is a taken for granted I don't believe.

sportsknight · August 01, 2007, 02:50:25 PM

Quote from: Walston Hoover on August 01, 2007, 01:25:44 PM
My favorite Suckow story--Wartburg leads by 7 towards the end of the game in '04. Down inside the 15 is Coe in the south enzone at Eby Field. Suckow sneaks out of the backfield and gets picked up by some SUPER slow middle LB from Wartburg and just runs right by him. Fortunately Brannen way overthrew him and the Wartburg victory was preserved.
Maybe Neil figured if you can't beat 'em, join 'em as he was 0-3 against Wartburg. Didn't realize I was part of the last Wartburg team to lose to Coe on the fateful, Freddie Jackson dominated day of homecoming 2002.

If I remember right, I was standing in the back of the endzone on that one. In KL's defense, he could have laid down on the ground and let Suckow step on him on his way by and nothing would have happened as bad as that throw was. I was 4 feet out the back of the endzone and the ball still went a good 3-4 feet over my head.

Here's one thought no one has brought up yet about this whole thing: Maybe Neil has sinus trouble and couldn't bear to stay in CR any more.

DutchFan2004 · August 01, 2007, 02:56:34 PM

sportsknight,

That was a brutal thing to say about CR. True but brutal.