FB: American Rivers Conference

[Purple Heys]

As said before, I am not a fan of schools and teams wearing black uniforms just because they think that black is so much more "cool" or "mean" looking.  If it isn't one of your school colors, find a way to do without.  Cornell's new black jerseys are a prime example here.  As much as I don't care for the color purple, I'd much rather see the Rams decked out in it than black.  And before some Cornell fans get upset, I don't think of black as one of Cornell's school colors, even though it is in their logo.  When I think of Cornell, I think purple, white, and nothing else.  But Cornell's football and men's basketball teams (and possibly the baseball team too) wear black at home now.

Cornell - As much as I like the black and purple striped socks, they have to get rid of the black jerseys.  They just don't look right.  Its almost like Dillon came in this year and said "Hey, Whitewater and Mount Union both wear black jerseys.  Maybe if we look like them, we'll play like them too."  It doesn't really work that way.  Go back to the purple and use black as an accent color if you want to.

Since Jr. became a Ram in 2007, I didn't particularly like the Purple uni's...it wasn't the color, just not enough detail or something.  Heys Rev. 3 did a real cool treatment for the Cornell Purple in NCAA Football.  Kind of based on the Minnesota Vikings except without the yellow.  For the helmets I would like them to use the same Rams white horns on dark helmet using the 70's LA Rams as the guide with the big curling horns.

That said, the Black uni's are better than the previous year's to me only because they have more style.  I am not exactly keen on the striped socks.  I think the helmet s/b a white horn on dark as stated before.  I also think they need to go all the way with it, to black pants with a purple accent.

As for Dillon's motivation...I think it was more to break away from the previous years' futility and part of an effort to inspire the team...if they wanted to mirror success they would have gone red and white.   

Color schemes do influence emotions...painting an opposing teams locker room pink is an age-honored ploy to attempt to passivate an opponent.  The fact is that black is a more intimidating, aggresive color than purple, why not try anything you can to get an edge?


Also...I think Central looks more like Nebraska than Penn State-ish.

[Thunderbolt]

OK...just back from southern China.

Things that struck me as funny:

How the Chinese folks adopt English names...for our benefit.

The Hotel desk attendant, "Sean", didn't look Irish.  Neither "Lydia" nor "Anita" looked Hispanic, nor did "Francisco", who I met at the trade show.  "Oscar" didn't look German or Argentinian.  "Fran", our waitress at the bar just smiled a lot when I made it a point to use her name and asked her if Fran was short for Francine or Frances.  I just had to chuckle when "Hazel" served our beer one night.

When they didn't understand me in English, I tried Spanish...didn't work either, but it sure looked funny as they tried figure out if my Spanish was some form of English communication.

I've decided that when Chinese folks come to visit our company that I will be Lao Che (not the Polish band).

Bamboo, when used for scaffolding 8 stories up looks crazy...yet when you take in to account the engineering properties and material cost of the stuff...you get it.

Duck lips.  On the menu, didn't eat it.  Did eat chicken knuckles but avoided the feet and the real McNuggets.

No mini pickup trucks...lots of mopeds, scooters and motorcyles loaded as if they were, though.

In the rural areas, folks take their water buffalo for walks.

You can get a nice foot massage for 2 bucks...not exactly funny, but my wife won't touch my feet for any money.

Dude, don't let the Chineese paint your hot tubs. It would be bad for business.

[Thunderbolt]

 Was the beer an import or local brew? Was it difficult to find lodging? I bet they have an interesting wine menu. How does air and water quality compare to California,( pre Arnold) If you can't already tell, I'm jealous of your trip.
 

[DBQ1965]

Since the last number I saw was 23, I'm going with 24 (I should have done this at 14 but I was "asleep at the throttle."

24 ... one of the numbers of the "Alphabet Backfield" of the San Francisco 49ers for the '59 and '60 seasons.

24 ... J.D. (Smith) North Carolina A & T
14 ... Y.A, (Tittle) LSU
27 ... R.C. (Owens) College of Idado
35 ... C.R. (Roberts) USC

Y.A. was the first "shot gun" quarterback in the NFL ... and together with R.C., they made the "Alley Oop" pass famous ... its better known today as the "Hail Mary."  Growing up in northern California, the Niners were my introduction to professional football ... and provided both excitement and heartbreak on Sunday afternoons.

[Gray Fox]

Since the last number I saw was 23, I'm going with 24 (I should have done this at 14 but I was "asleep at the throttle."

24 ... one of the numbers of the "Alphabet Backfield" of the San Francisco 49ers for the '59 and '60 seasons.

24 ... J.D. (Smith) North Carolina A & T
14 ... Y.A, (Tittle) LSU
27 ... R.C. (Owens) College of Idado
35 ... C.R. (Roberts) USC

Y.A. was the first "shot gun" quarterback in the NFL ... and together with R.C., they made the "Alley Oop" pass famous ... its better known today as the "Hail Mary."  Growing up in northern California, the Niners were my introduction to professional football ... and provided both excitement and heartbreak on Sunday afternoons.

The College of Idaho has dropped football, and for a while was called Albertson College, after the supermarket.  The is hope and discusssion on the NWC board that they will bring it back and go from NAIA to D3 and join the NWC.

BTW, that is quite a backfield that would do a bit of damage even today.

[DBQ1965]

Sometimes my mind notices otherwise insignificant or obscure little things when reading through the sports pages, results, etc.

This has nothing to do with football ... but looking over the Saturday morning results from the Drake Relays, in the Womens 4 X 800 Meter Relay College Division, Harding University was DQ'd for a "uniform violation."

Anyone here happen to know what it was they did ... or didn't do?

[Walston Hoover]

Not sure what it was for, but is there still a rule that everyone on the team needs to have the same shorts, maybe even tops? On a cold, windy day like yesterday, its possible someone jumped on the track to run and left on an extra layer

[DBQ1965]

Not sure what it was for, but is there still a rule that everyone on the team needs to have the same shorts, maybe even tops? On a cold, windy day like yesterday, its possible someone jumped on the track to run and left on an extra layer

Walston ... 

Thanks.  I figured it was something like that.  I hope it was an obvious blunder and not some nit-picky violation.  In addition to the "uniform" uniform rule here in Michigan ... the high school althletic association also has a one-false-start-and-you're-out rule which I detest.  I wish they would go with the college rule that the first false start is charged against the field and the next is the disqualifier against the guilty party.

[New Storm]

Not sure what it was for, but is there still a rule that everyone on the team needs to have the same shorts, maybe even tops? On a cold, windy day like yesterday, its possible someone jumped on the track to run and left on an extra layer

Walston ... 

Thanks.  I figured it was something like that.  I hope it was an obvious blunder and not some nit-picky violation.  In addition to the "uniform" uniform rule here in Michigan ... the high school althletic association also has a one-false-start-and-you're-out rule which I detest.  I wish they would go with the college rule that the first false start is charged against the field and the next is the disqualifier against the guilty party.

Same rule in Iowa high school

[doolittledog]

24 - Career Int's for UD's Jim Martin between '64 - '66 ...So, DBQ1965 probably announced some of those over the PA system at Chalmers Field back in the day!!!

[dutchfan1]

I'm not sure if we are still on "24" or not....

24 - the number of Central's 1st place Iowa Conference finishes since 1961. (We've had 13 second place finishes, and 9 third place or lower.)

[dutchfan1]

More Central stats for you....

24 - Career field goals for Matt Schulte, 1983-1984 (a Central record).

24 - Tackles in a game for Kris Reis vs. Simpson (1989), tied with Rick Sanger vs. Loras (1994).

24 - Average yards per kick return in 1991 for Central.

[doolittledog]

24 - Hopefully not the number of kittens our barn cat ends up delivering in my office!!!  She was outside my door so I let her in to warm up a bit and she went right into the corner and started having her kittens!!!  This will be an interesting afternoon 

[Storm-what?]

There is no doubt that Ohle has done some great things for Wartburg. Their athletics are the best in the conference and they have certainly built their fair share of new buildings. Seems like he was a charasmatic, much beloved leader.

That being said he was probably wise for getting out now. As I understand it, WArtburg has more than $80 million in debt and much of those payments are yet to come into full swing because of balloon loans. There is no other way to slice it, Wartburg is going to be in for some LEAN years for quite some time. You heard it here first- the WArtburg of the next 10 years is going to face some real struggles financially. And I'll also venture to bet that they will be hard pressed to maintain their athletic dominance, especially with a changing of the lead dog, who was obviously a big athletic supporter. Time will tell...

[Klopenhiemer]

24 - Hopefully not the number of kittens our barn cat ends up delivering in my office!!!  She was outside my door so I let her in to warm up a bit and she went right into the corner and started having her kittens!!!  This will be an interesting afternoon 

Good luck with that Dog!  I can not say that I have ever seen live birth before, so that would be a treat to watch.