FB: American Rivers Conference

[sportsknight]

The word "too" in this post means you were right at some other time. When was that? If you mean you will have been right after Saturday, please use the correct tense. I guess they have trouble at academics in Iowa "too."

No matter what the Johnnies will be off this board after Saturday, maybe Sunday.  That is something the whole IIAC can celebrate.

Much as it pained, me I had to send some karma your way for that one.

[SJU22]

Actually I was directing that analysis to the Warhawk dude...I do actually think the 'hacks can win this.  But...at St. John's is a tall order.  The Johnnies are especially tough at home where they have that big crowd to feed off of.

Plus they out-geezer Staker with their coach.  

I don't know that the J's feed off the crowd. They're (we're) so damn quiet. I guess the Public announcements are loud enough to be scary though.

[sportsknight]

As for the Cornell discussion, I can see some validity to the claim that Cornell's administration isn't 100% behind their athletic department, especially financially.  Looking around the conference, I believe Cornell is the only school that has not built a new, or undertook a massive renovation of their athletic facilities.  I know they are in the process of putting a couple million dollars worth of work into the Small Athletic Center right now, but that's not much compared to some of the projects that have taken place at Wartburg, Loras, Central, etc.

To illustrate my point, here's a brief table of when the other schools in the league have built or updated their football stadiums and indoor athletic facilities:
School       Football   Indoor
BV             2003*      2002
Central      2006        2009**
Coe           2007        2007
Cornell      2000*      In Progress
Dubuque   2008        2008
Loras        2005        2007
Luther                
Simpson    2001        1998
Wartburg  2001        2007

*All-weather track installed
**New indoor track

In other words, Cornell has gone the longest without an update to their football/track facility.  Although they are working on Small right now, again, they are only doing "band-aid" type improvements, and nothing on the scale of other schools in the league.

I think hiring Cochrane to be their AD was a good move on Cornell's part, and certainly gave the indication that they were looking to make athletics a more vital part of the campus.  But so far, that has been the only act to indicate such a shift in ideology.  Obviously I can't say for sure, but I have to assume that Cornell is in the class of school that believes it would be better off without an athletic department, rather than viewing sports as an essential way to make the school more attractive to a higher quantity and quality of student.

[youcantseemestill]

Maybe Cornell can hire a football coach with no experience to match their new baseball coach!

  I kid cuz I care.

[footballdaddy]

I actually have no connection to Coe. I think your opinions may be different by Saturday evening.

Ugh, all these things you are saying about Coe you made me give you +K and now I feel dirty.  I even took a shower, but I can't wash it off.

Remember, we are family here. Like all families, although we have some obnoxious cousins and that uncle we don't leave alone with the kids, we share a common bond. No matter how we feel about each other during the season, we pull togther in the postseason.

[Purple Heys]

As for the Cornell discussion, I can see some validity to the claim that Cornell's administration isn't 100% behind their athletic department, especially financially.  Looking around the conference, I believe Cornell is the only school that has not built a new, or undertook a massive renovation of their athletic facilities.  I know they are in the process of putting a couple million dollars worth of work into the Small Athletic Center right now, but that's not much compared to some of the projects that have taken place at Wartburg, Loras, Central, etc.

To illustrate my point, here's a brief table of when the other schools in the league have built or updated their football stadiums and indoor athletic facilities:
School       Football   Indoor
BV             2003*      2002
Central      2006        2009**
Coe           2007        2007
Cornell      2000*      In Progress
Dubuque   2008        2008
Loras        2005        2007
Luther                  
Simpson    2001        1998
Wartburg  2001        2007

*All-weather track installed
**New indoor track

In other words, Cornell has gone the longest without an update to their football/track facility.  Although they are working on Small right now, again, they are only doing "band-aid" type improvements, and nothing on the scale of other schools in the league.

I think hiring Cochrane to be their AD was a good move on Cornell's part, and certainly gave the indication that they were looking to make athletics a more vital part of the campus.  But so far, that has been the only act to indicate such a shift in ideology.  Obviously I can't say for sure, but I have to assume that Cornell is in the class of school that believes it would be better off without an athletic department, rather than viewing sports as an essential way to make the school more attractive to a higher quantity and quality of student.

I don't concur with your assessment.  With respect to the Small Multisports Center the money spent on "band-aids", resurfaced and refinished the indoor track and facility, created an expanded wrestling center, redid the gym floor and totally renovated and expanded the weight room.  There was no need to rip up and redo the whole facility.  I think you are confusing architectural aesthetics with function.  In those terms I would submit that Grinnell's is comparable step up from the W as the W is a similar step up to Cornell's current.

There is no doubt the football field is dated.  The plan is there, the money is not...yet.  But that all said...aesthetic architectural touchups are easy to marry the Small Multisport Center with the new Football Facility, and can come when the football field is done.

We could've done this faster than you can say Joe Chipotle...we just don't have a sugar daddy...so it will take time to build the $$.   

[doolittledog]

I vote for more bathrooms at Ash Park...and a little closer to the stadium as well!!!  Concession prices are ok by me though.  You might want to add a place that sells Cornell merchandise...hats, sweatshirts, blankets and that stuff.  I overheard some recruits parents asking where they could buy some Cornell stuff before the recent game against Loras. 

And speaking of Loras.  When the Duhawks come to town though, just give them a couple of porta potties

[SpeedKills84]

 Most schools have some kind of hush-hush point system that coaches can use on certain players to help them get accepted.  I don't know for certain about Northwestern or Stanford, but I know this is true for several tough academic schools in D3 like Wheaton College in Chicago, which has higher academic standards than most schools in the midwest.  Most administrations and admissions departments are willing to work with the athletic department in this regard, as they understand the importance of sport to enrollment and money coming in.   It's not that athletes in general get in on a lower standard, it's usually a point system that coaches can select to use points on students they believe will be able to be successful at their institution, both academically and athletically.  However, I'm almost certain that Cornell does not use this system.  

It's to my understanding that in the not too distant past Cornell did use a similar system.  I don't know, however, if it's still currently used, or to what extent/capacity it has been used or continues to be used today.

[SpeedKills84]

I vote for more bathrooms at Ash Park...

I couldn't agree more haha. In my opinion, the football stadium needs a face-lift more so than the Small Center.  It's ancient and has no locker rooms, restrooms, etc.  Hopefully, the project can be funded sooner rather than later.

[warthog]

This is a revolting situation.

National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III
Team Ranking
November 17, 2009

1. University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
2. Augsburg College (MN)
3. Coe College (IA)
4. Ithaca College (NY)  
5. Saint John's University (MN)
6. Wartburg College (IA)
7. Delaware Valley College (PA)
8. Concordia – Moorhead College (MN)
9. North Central College (IL)
10. Cornell College (IA)

[warthog]

Thought for the day:

If I had gone into professional football the name Jerry Ford might have been a household word today.

- Gerald R. Ford

[warrior35]

"Lots of times coaches need to see results on the field too stay at a school and if they where short on funds then they will struggle.  We may never know but Dillon was the guy too turn it around so Cornell will now step back again"

I have to completely disagree.  I'm not intending to diss Dillon, but I believe you have to call a spade a spade.  In my opinion you can't call Dillon "the guy" to turn around Cornell's program when he clearly did not.  You can argue for moral victories and what have you, but bottom line there are two possible scenarios, either Cornell's football program is so far gone that it's not worth having so you might as well cut it, or Dillon wasn't the right guy.  I'm not quite ready to buy into the first one yet.  I've seen programs become competitive in tough conferences even when the school administration openly states to the coach that they won't support the sport because there is no way they will be successful.  It will take a very special person to turn the program around, if it can be done.  However, finding a quality coach at this time that is willing to take on the task with the well known lack of support of the administration at a high quality institution, with a very unique academic curriculum, in small town Iowa.... that might get difficult.

[TC]

Coe has a puncher's chance.  Especially at a 2nd string QB.

*****

Their QB is playing at a high level.  A complete set of receivers, though no true deep threat.  They play a ball control passing game mixing in the run to keep you honest.  I was not impressed by the size of their O-Line, but I was impressed by their quality of play.  The entire team blocks as a unit, O-Line and receivers and they maintain their blocks well.  The key to getting to Coe, is stopping the run and creating long down and distance situations, then getting at Boyle.  Put pressure on him and his accuracy goes down.  Central has proven the Coe running game can be stopped.

On defense, I wouldn't say they are the fastest, but they have quickness, experience and strength at the linebackers.  They go until the echo of the whistle on the D-Line.  Their DB's are probably the weak point and could be exposed if the QB has time to pick targets.  That's a big "if", because the front 7 brings the heat.

It's going to be a Boyle Battle this weekend.  St. John's starting QB Joe Boyle returned to practice Tuesday and will start Saturday after missing two and a half games (and playing injured the two and a half games prior to that). 

The weak spot in the St. John's defense is the secondary.  They lost their 2nd and 3rd cornerbacks to injury and have been rotating some talented but inexperienced freshmen at the 2nd CB spot.  If they run into a team that can throw the ball downfield consistently they could have some serious issues. 

It sounds like Coe's defense has similar issues.  Unfortunately for St. John's, they haven't been able to pass the ball at all since Boyle was first injured at mid-season.  If Boyle can somehow come back at 100% and in sync with the offense, St. John's might put up a big number.  If he's not up to speed with the offense and the Johnnies run the ball 80% of the time, it should be a close game.

[AZDutchman]

I've been off the site for a little bit. Mom has been sick. Heart surgery was needed. She is doing great now and resting.

I'm going to share a little fact about my Mom. She gets very nervous on going to football games and even watching them on TV/internet. In the past 8 years she has gone to two games and watched six games. In those combined eight games her grandsons' teams has lost all of them. That included the one loss season in 2005.

So with that fact in mind my Mom, during her resting period, will not be allowed to watch the games either Friday or Saturday. She has been limited to Andy Griffith, Matlock and the Wheel of Fortune.

[IowaConferenceFan]

This short but strange article clears up a little of the "was he or wasn't he" discussion...

http://gazetteonline.com/sports/2009/11/18/dillon-upset-with-cornell-over-salary