FB: American Rivers Conference

[tribute]

As previously stated Luther and Wartburg play this weekend. As supporter of Luther football I recognize the recent dominance in the series by Wartburg. This dominance has lessened the rivalry to some extent. But, over the last few years Luther has closed the talent gap Wartburg had on Luther (from the early 90's to 2002 wartburg was by far the more talented team). Looking back on the last few years starting with 2003. The game was close until late in the third quarter, when the more talented Knights put the game out of reach winning 42-21. In 2004, the talent gap was closed a little more. Actually i believe that position by position the 2004 Norse and Knights had similar talent levels but the knights still held the edge at most positions. The knights won that game 16-9. As 2005 arose the gap in talent had shrunk to an almost non-existant state. The Norse won that game, which if played on a different saturday may have produced a different result. As for this years game, again the teams have similar talent across the board, which could mean a win for either team.  With that said, do i believe that posters from schools other than Luther will pick wartburg to win? H@ll  yes i do. Wartburg has every reason to be favored when looking at the last 20 years. Good Luck to the Norse, go to wavetown and bring home a W. 

[DutchFan2004]

tribute.

Not only is tradition on Wartburg's side, but they are playing at Walston Hoover.  Wartburg does not lose to many times there.  That is why I gave the edge to the Knights.  I do agree that Luther has about the same talent as the Knights.  I just think that playing at home the Knights have the advantage.  Luther doesn't seem to win on the road in the big game either.  The knocked off the Knights last year at home and Central the year before at home but I don't know of any big wins on the road. 

[Walston Hoover]

Funny thing happened in 2002 FLoyd. 2 days before the Luther game the campus maintennance staff had to clean up several blue 'L's spraypainted on buildings on campus. Is that legal in Winnisheik (sp?) county?
Its a big deal on Wartburg's campus this year because Luther won last year. Every year I was in school it was "alright, there's going to be a lot of people here so lets see how many points we can embarass them by"
I'm sure this year its more of a "we better ------- win!"

[warthog]

I have always wondered why the Luther rivalry still means so much on the Waverly campus?  The two football programs haven't been on the same level consistently since the 1980s.  The other thing I noticed was that the Wartburg crowd was much more likely to break the law by doing such things to the opponent like using gasoline to put a "W" on the Luther field, or spray paint the Martin Luther statue pink, or even fly a plane or helicopter over the Luther campus dropping leaflets.

Floyd:  Just to set a couple facts straight:
It wasn't straight gasoline.  Salt and herbicides were reportedly also in the cocktail. 
The aircraft was an airplane. 
The choice of paint color is normally orange.  Pink is really in bad taste if you happen to be part of the PC crowd.

During my years at the 'burg the vandals from Luther generally managed to damage the fountain once a year.  While the blue rascals regularly trashed our fountain, they failed in their futile attacks on old Shield Stadium.  Those preppy boys from Decorah were no match for Curtis LeMay and his well thought out battle plan.  Spies on the Luther campus would alert the General that trouble was on the way.  Catching the smurfs was then like shooting fish in a barrel.  The Luther crowd might have succeeded had they not talked about the raids before they attempted them.  At Wartburg people always kept quiet about their plans and for that matter they also kept quiet about their results.  It has been 35 years since the burning of the "W" and people still don't know for sure who was involved.  It is part of the folklore that will never be completely exposed.

[Ash Park]

I agree that Simpson is better than their record but I'll still take my Rams by 7.

Here are my other picks: Coe
                                       UD
                                       Luther

[tribute]

Funny thing happened in 2002 FLoyd. 2 days before the Luther game the campus maintennance staff had to clean up several blue 'L's spraypainted on buildings on campus. Is that legal in Winnisheik (sp?) county?

That was in response to vandals from wartburg who spray painted on cars parked outside The Regents Center.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

Coe- might be closer than most think. at least for three quarters
Cornell
Luther
Loras

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Not legal Walston, nor acceptable behavior by Luther students as part of a rivalry whether in retaliation or not.  I was only mentioning the stuff that I knew about that went on around the time that I was on campus.

I was just wondering if there were any old stories of the Luther program sticking it to Wartburg when they used to be winning the rivalry?  Neither side I can remember acting at all like Miami did the other day early in the game against Louisville.  It makes sense why Luther doesn't like getting whipped in wrestling and football over the last 15 years, but wondered what was still driving the Knights to dislike Luther more than Upper Iowa or Loras.

So many rivalries like Minnesota-Iowa have historical reasons (the treatment of star Iowa RB Ozzie Simmons in the 1930s, the dominance by Minnesota in the 1910s, 1930s, and 1940s, Gopher fans dislike of Hayden, etc.), but I never remember any real reasons for the rivalry other than both schools are Lutheran and located in the same area of the state.  Both schools have also had great traditions in many sports, but often the times in which both schools were good have not been at the same time.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

The other thing I noticed was that the Wartburg crowd was much more likely to break the law by doing such things to the opponent like using gasoline to put a "W" on the Luther field, or spray paint the Martin Luther statue pink, or even fly a plane or helicopter over the Luther campus dropping leaflets.

Floyd:  Just to set a couple facts straight:
It wasn't straight gasoline.  Salt and herbicides were reportedly also in the cocktail. 
The aircraft was an airplane. 
The choice of paint color is normally orange.  Pink is really in bad taste if you happen to be part of the PC crowd.

At Wartburg people always kept quiet about their plans and for that matter they also kept quiet about their results.  It has been 35 years since the burning of the "W" and people still don't know for sure who was involved.  It is part of the folklore that will never be completely exposed.

I remember the "W" thing being done in 1993 or 1994.  I am sure it has happened before.

Congrats on your abilities to carry out lawlessness in secrecy.  I guess that is something you can be very proud of. 

[warthog]

Thanks Floyd.  I do my best to please you.  8)

Maybe I'll get a chance to meet you this weekend.

I'm sure I can find you.  You'll be the one with wings and a halo. 

[coco]

I miss you, Warty.
You need to visit the NWC board more often.

Good luck against Luther.

[K-Mack]

OAS-
  Surprised you didn't have Wartburg/Luther as one of your games to watch this week. Biggest game in the Iowa Conference no doubt this week and a huge rivalry to boot.

It made ATN, but only a mere mention.

I wish they played that last week of the season like most great rivalries. Thought I might even be able to get out there for that one this year, but looks like middle-Oct. is gonna be the wisest time to go. Think I can do a Wartburg half at Coe and see Central at Cornell, if the 12-mile thing holds. I'll be flying during halftime! I hope Iowa doesn't have radar-happy staties.

Anyone with influence, tell 'em a 7 p.m. kickoff within a 2-hour's drive of a 1 p.m. kickoff has a pretty good chance for D3 staff attendance, if not national broadcast.

[K-Mack]

The other thing I noticed was that the Wartburg crowd was much more likely to break the law by doing such things to the opponent like using gasoline to put a "W" on the Luther field, or spray paint the Martin Luther statue pink, or even fly a plane or helicopter over the Luther campus dropping leaflets.

Floyd:  Just to set a couple facts straight:
It wasn't straight gasoline.  Salt and herbicides were reportedly also in the cocktail. 
The aircraft was an airplane. 
The choice of paint color is normally orange.  Pink is really in bad taste if you happen to be part of the PC crowd.

At Wartburg people always kept quiet about their plans and for that matter they also kept quiet about their results.  It has been 35 years since the burning of the "W" and people still don't know for sure who was involved.  It is part of the folklore that will never be completely exposed.

I remember the "W" thing being done in 1993 or 1994.  I am sure it has happened before.

Congrats on your abilities to carry out lawlessness in secrecy.  I guess that is something you can be very proud of. 

As a rivalry alum myself, I have a few stories ... we had a high school rival and someone came the day before the away(?) game and took a crap on the stoop of our press box. Not particularly genius, but kinda funny.

Hampden-Sydney tried the grass killer trick, but ran out during the S, so there was an H and a half S on the field during the game one year. Idiots.

The legends are the best. The best R-MC story is when some H-SC guys came up to campus to do some damage, got back to their car and their engine was missing. Sure that was embellished over the years, but if told right, that story is a killer.

The best stories I've heard are about the Knox-Monmouth Bronze Turkey. Just silly capers they pulled.

More rivalry stories from the IIAC please! Wartburg-Luther, Coe-Cornell, whatever.

[Walston Hoover]

Never heard anything about the Orange paint the night before. No one ever claimed it at Wartburg.
I go to church and live near several Luther alums and count many cousins, aunts, uncles, and even 3 grandparents as alums. 1 grandpa played football, 1 played basketball, and a grandma played the clarinet there. All those factors help fuel the rivalry.
I think the basektball games are a lot more fun than the football games myself. There's nothing like the chants of Wart-Burg Sucks and HOOOOE-MOOOOOES being traded across the gym.

[dbljay21]

The spray-painting by the Knights was completely inappropriate considering three things:
1. They attacked private property not school property.

2. All of the cars they spray painted belonged to staff or faculty a.k.a.---people NOT involved in any of the pranks/vandalism at wartburg so the act became less of a prank on the school and more of an act of lawlessness against innocent people and it draws attention away from the actual rivalry.

3. they f"d up and put the W and the K on the same vehicle

I guess it demonstrates the quality of education you get at Wartburg  Kind of embarassing to plan a "prank" only to have someone mess it up by not knowing their assignment

There's nothing like the chants of Wart-Burg Sucks and HOOOOE-MOOOOOES being traded across the gym.
[/quote]

Chanting deflamatory slurs across the gym is another part of the Wartburg tradition to be really proud of, Walston.