FB: American Rivers Conference

[Thunderbolt]

 The IIAC has done a good job of recruiting and has more depth this year in message board smack.

[oldbeake]

The IIAC has done a good job of recruiting and has more depth this year in message board smack.

Ha ha ha...yeah...I went to an 8A HS...and put the "holier than" d3 schools thoughts aside.  With the long weekend...I'm still debating putting the 86 Buick on the road for a trip to Pella...damn...I really am thinking that this could be a great game.

[Walston Hoover]

OK, so I wasn't necessarily pulling for the Dutch last week, but I'm really hoping for a blow out win over the johnnies from up north. Would be nice to shut some of them up for a while.

[footballdaddy]

I agree,it would be nice to end the big balsts of air coming from north of the border.

[TC]

OK, so I wasn't necessarily pulling for the Dutch last week, but I'm really hoping for a blow out win over the johnnies from up north. Would be nice to shut some of them up for a while.

You don't really think that will do anything, do you?  Unlike fans of schools that have the occasional hot start to a season or a once-a-decade playoff run before they slip back into mediocrity, we Johnnie fans aren't going anywhere any time soon.  I can guarentee you'll be hearing from us before, during, and--even in the unlikely event of a Dutch win on Saturday--after the game.


Also, an invitation to check out www.JohnnieFootball.com this week.  After today, the contributions the rest of the week should be Johnnie/Dutch-centric.  For those of you whose whole life is football, football, football there should even be some of that discussed over there this week.

GO JOHNNIES!!!

[oldbeake]

You don't really think that will do anything, do you?  Unlike fans of schools that have the occasional hot start to a season or a once-a-decade playoff run before they slip back into mediocrity, we Johnnie fans aren't going anywhere any time soon.  I can guarentee you'll be hearing from us before, during, and--even in the unlikely event of a Dutch win on Saturday--after the game.

Yeah...I really don't think that there was any doubt of that.

Also, an invitation to check out www.JohnnieFootball.com this week.  After today, the contributions the rest of the week should be Johnnie/Dutch-centric.  For those of you whose whole life is football, football, football there should even be some of that discussed over there this week.

Ah...crap...I'd be divorced if that were the case.  Mrs. oldbeake, knowing my love for baseball got me an XM radio a few years ago...so I could listen to all of the games, but being one of the sharper tools in the shed...got me a portable...so I can live, breathe, and bleed baseball while completing the ever-so-sacred "honey do" list.

Thanks for the invite, and man...I really am looking forward to another hard-fought fight on the gridiron again this weekend.

GO DUTCH!

[Thunderbolt]

 Naturally St Johns will be back next year, and the year after, and forever. With so many conference foes so deeply planted in abyss, you start every season three wins shy of being playoff eligible.

[OzJohnnie]

OK DBQ

How do you think your defense will hold up to the multiple sets, and the inconsistent, but, on occassion, quite potent Johnnie pass attack? Conversely, will the highly touted diverse offense of Central be able to handle the smallish, but very quick St John's defense?

Gee! Wasn't that fun?

Actually, that is the talk we more often have on this board.  Most of us would rather talk football than what we have been exposed to from the Minnesota posters on here the last few days. 

So..... by talking football you mean Johnnies asking tough questions and you failing to answer them?  Seems as if your belief in this year being different centers around the mysterious "hope" playing.  Like you hope that despite being outgained, out first-downed, out TOPed, that you will somehow squeak out a win.  Ain't gonna happen this week.

[Mr.Shoes]

Naturally St Johns will be back next year, and the year after, and forever. With so many conference foes so deeply planted in abyss, you start every season three wins shy of being playoff eligible.

Didn't we cover this already?
MIAC 2007 non-conference record: 15-3
IIAC 2007 non-conference record: 14-4

For your benefit, I'll call that a wash. Looks like Central and SJU are in the damn near exact same conference, no? Had Wartburg beaten Central and SJU beaten Bethel, you'd have had two teams in the playoffs and we'd have had one. Mirror-freaking-image. Next argument, please.

[Fannosaurus Rex]

Since a team from a school run by Benedictines is coming to play the team from a school established by the Reformed Church, a little Reformation humor seems to be in order.  St. Benedict and John Calvin decide they will each form a football team up in heaven and play each other every year.  St. Benedict's team wins the first several games.  Finally, John Calvin's team wins in a monkey stomp.  St. Benedict walks across the field, shakes John Calvin's hand and says, "Geeze what did you do different?"  John Calvin says, "I finally got the rule book translated into a language my team could read."

[Mr.Shoes]

For the sake of additional numbers.

MIAC 2006 non-conference record: 13-5
IIAC 2006 non-conference record: 8-8

[Dsquared]

I'm looking forward to the chance that the IIAC will have full ownership of the MIAC 2 weeks from now.  The MIAC champ isn't any better than a 3rd tier IIAC team.  The only 2 words I really have to say... Buena Vista.  

[Mr.Shoes]

I'm looking forward to the chance that the IIAC will have full ownership of the MIAC 2 weeks from now.  The MIAC champ isn't any better than a 3rd tier IIAC team.  The only 2 words I really have to say... Buena Vista.  

Gotta hand it to Bethel, they really know how to &#^$ up an inter-conference argument. Nice of them to show up in the playoffs this year, though.

[dutchfan1]

Pretty funny that Freebird would come to the IIAC board to yap.  He doesn't have the Cajones to do it on the MIAC board.  That Karma would plummet faster than mine has. 

Somebody must feel empowered now that his squad "Finally" got that ever elusive 1st playoff win in school history.  Now you start to play the big boys.  Should be very interesting...

DF1: Roll out the Red Carpet.  OneArmedScot and I are coming to town.  VIP treatment!!!!

TDT -- sorry, you may need to find a hotel after your last visit. Drop me an email and I can make recommendations.

Man, I hate Johnnie week. You guys will go on and on (and on and on) about anything BUT football. (Paris Hilton, anyone?) I've been following your season this year, and I don't think you are the Johhnies-of-old. Call me crazy, but I don't think you'll pull this one off. You won't see a lot of smack this week from Central fans. We know our record with the Johnnies very well. We also know that Saturday is a new day.

DutchFan - I agree that if you look at most of the season, there is not the same spark that we have seen in past years.  HOWEVER, what the Johnnies did last week after the Bethel loss can only make one wonder if the Bethel game was a wake-up call.  In 2000, the Johnnies lost the conference and final game to Bethel.  They then proceeded to play Mt Union to within one score in the Stagg Bowl.

Only time will tell.  This will be an interesting game.

Every team has its turning points. I would imagine that losing to Bethel (isn't this the second year in a row, now?) would light a fire. If that is the case, it would be interesting to call the "season turning point" the last game of the season.....

I think it'll be a pretty even game on both sides of the ball. I've been to each Central/Johnnie match up since 1999, and it's always a tight game (despite what most of the Johnnie fans will try to post throughout the week.) For me, the worst was the 10-9 loss in '99 in Collegeville.... but I witnessed it up close and personal from the sidelines that game....

Anyway, this is all ancient history. Anything can happen on Saturday. I'm glad we've got this one at home again.

[oldbeake]

So..... by talking football you mean Johnnies asking tough questions and you failing to answer them?  Seems as if your belief in this year being different centers around the mysterious "hope" playing.  Like you hope that despite being outgained, out first-downed, out TOPed, that you will somehow squeak out a win.  Ain't gonna happen this week.

That's one thing I'm afraid of the most.  The bend but don't break outcomes (while contributing to ulcer formation) have been something I don't know if I've ever seen.  The nice thing is that the press releases have all said that the team is most concerned with the 'W' week to week, and statistics are thrown out of the window (perhaps an homage to SJU's fine program ).

The Dutch have experienced some injuries at key positions, however, and seem to be getting healthy...and coming back without missing a beat -- that has been the most encouraging thing, IMO.  Depth was key, and men stepping in for fallen teammates...and not "breaking" was huge for the Dutch this year.

We're hoping that the Johnnies 'O' stalls again this week...any help from the opposition is always greatly appreciated.