FB: American Rivers Conference

[5 Words or Less]

I just pre-ordered Kickoff ...

... hope y'all do the same

[TheOne89.1]

How about if you were working radio for Wartburg or actually any IIAC team???  Would you try to accentuate the positives??? Noting that your listeners are fans and might be turned off by negative commentary, and therefore might not tune in next week if they think there is no chance of their team winning.  Or do you tell it like it is and tell listeners it could be a long season???

It's one thing to be a nuetral ESPN commentator, it's another thing to be a team broadcaster.  I wondered if there are different rules for each situation. 

  I believe WH stayed positive, but was also honest on how he felt the team needed to improve or how they were playing that day.  Even through sometimes I didn't agree with him ,I always tuned in the next week to listen to him and his partner on the radio. ( this isn't exactly how I wanted to write this but I'm a dumb cop and not very good with words). I believe the home guy can be honest. example if you ever listen to Pete Taylor    for ISU you always knew how they were playing before you knew the score. I believe he was always straight foward good or bad.

Good thing there was a sports director smart enough to sign that guy up.

Personally, I like it when there is a little home field announcing.  I feel like the announcers pay more attention to it and enjoy doing the games rather than just a "job".  This way they have fun while doing the games and don't worry so much about not offending fans.

[Klopenhiemer]

In my three years on the board it seems to me that we usually act as CHEERLEADERS for our respective schools. I am here to suggest that during this IIAC season we support but also CRITIQUE our various teams.  I have recently offerred critiqued my school's team (Luther) and have had some great dialogue with others....both Norse and supporters of other teams. 

IMHO it would make the postings much more interesting if we would analyze the strengths and weaknesses ....the pros and cons....of the teams we observe and support/oppose.

The off-season can be given to children, restaurants or whatever.  I'm all for that too.
BUT LETS PLAY FOOTBALL !!

I like the way you think.  I think you and WH are on the same page.  Lets not sugarcoat anything and lets get down to business.  I will give me honest opinion of the Beavers and anyone else can add to this. 

On offense they have to run the ball and protect the QB.  Over the past year the issues have come from these areas.  We either gave up to many sacks or could not establish a running game.  Without the running game the db's can sit back on their haunches and wait for the ball.  Its makes for long days. 

On defesne we have to put pressure on the QB with the boys up front.  We have to have a solid 4 man pass run or else things will be sketchy.  We can not just hope to linebacker blitzes to distrupt the offense.  That is taking a key person out of pass coverage and if the sack does not occure you are leaving yourself open for a big play.  3 and longs are another spot that needs improvement.  We have to get the boys off the field and get the ball back into the offenses hands. 

Special Teams neesd to be solid.  We have to cover the punt/kick and set up good returns.  The kicking game will be key and lets hope that Sly can be replaced as the punter so he can concentrate on defense only. 

Lastly is attitude.  The guys have to mesh well and trust that the other guys will be there to make a play.  They can not get caught up in whos girlfriend is fat or who hates who.  Like the old Yankees manager said there is nothing wrong with a team that hates eachother.  They just can not let that get in the way of winning ball games.  I totally agree with this statment.  You do not have to like your team, but you do have to mesh for 60 minutes of football.  After that you can go your seperate ways.  I am not promoting this as the stellar form of team building.  But I have been a part of teams who worry more about whos who at the zoo than taking care of business at hand. 

[Klopenhiemer]

Yes, fortunately I have never, and I mean never been around a bad football team, so if we ever lost and when we do lose, the postgames are plenty negative. I can see how if you are building a team though how you would have to stay positive in the postgame.

It was amazing how Coach Hefty could stay so positive during some of that.

Marijuana can be a beautiful thing.

I think that is a coach's mindset.  If a coach dwells on the negative they would crack up.  I think the coach has to look at the negative and correct it but stress the positive things that the team did.  I don't think Coach Walston really means this.  A coach like McCarney and Hefty have to stay positive. 

Coach McCarney speak.  We lost the game 44-7...but we won the 4th quarter 7-3...so we can build on that for next week!!!

Hoover I agree with this.  You have to stay positive while building a young team but isnt enough enough sometimes.  Isnt flipping a lid and asking your playersi if they are tired of stinking up the place and pointing out the brutal honest truth sometimes needed.  I really feel that sometimes players have to look in the mirror and ask if they are fighting or telling themselves that they are fighting.  There is a big difference.  I have had coaches go nuts and call us out for playing like garbage and I felt it was needed.  Maybe this is because I grew with walking around commercial construction site with an old man who barked orders all day.  I guess I might just be a prick to

[Alfredeneumann]

AEN,

Have you got the official opinion on the Knights scrimmage on Saturday?

I was working in Science Center wrapping up a classroom install  all day on Monday. I hope to get to the W today and try to find out how it went. Stay tuned

[DutchFan2004]

Ok here is the list I have so far for the people that have showed interest in the pickems and the ones that have answered the questions.  The ones that showed interest but have not answered the tie breaker questions are

The One89.1

MNBeev

Corkballrules

Klopenhiemer

Purple Heys

Speedkills

The following have answered the questions

DF2004

Klompen

Doolittledog

LCNorse

Thunderbolt

New Storm

Beaverofyore

Footballdaddy

Wartburgfan

Sportsknight

The Mayne Event

Trainsequalcrowdnoise

Old Dutch

Beaverfan3208

Showme

5wordsorless

Dutchfan1

CooCooforcoehawk

If anyone else wants to get in on the picks please sign up on the pickem boards and answer the tie breaker questions.  If you haven't filled out the questions please do so.  Good luck the season is almost here.

[BeaverFan3208]

I agree with this assessment of BV. A lot of the problems we have had in the past have come from having a problem with our trenches. There have been a few good d line and o line men but it needs to improve. Not enough pressure on the QB in key 3rd downs and poor blocking on pass plays have been BV's Achilles heel the last couple of years.

BV has a capable QB and WR core. I have played with most of them and I know that they can all play. Like Klop eluded to before its going to be won with teamwork and in the trenches.

In my three years on the board it seems to me that we usually act as CHEERLEADERS for our respective schools. I am here to suggest that during this IIAC season we support but also CRITIQUE our various teams.  I have recently offerred critiqued my school's team (Luther) and have had some great dialogue with others....both Norse and supporters of other teams. 

IMHO it would make the postings much more interesting if we would analyze the strengths and weaknesses ....the pros and cons....of the teams we observe and support/oppose.

The off-season can be given to children, restaurants or whatever.  I'm all for that too.
BUT LETS PLAY FOOTBALL !!

I like the way you think.  I think you and WH are on the same page.  Lets not sugarcoat anything and lets get down to business.  I will give me honest opinion of the Beavers and anyone else can add to this. 

On offense they have to run the ball and protect the QB.  Over the past year the issues have come from these areas.  We either gave up to many sacks or could not establish a running game.  Without the running game the db's can sit back on their haunches and wait for the ball.  Its makes for long days. 

On defesne we have to put pressure on the QB with the boys up front.  We have to have a solid 4 man pass run or else things will be sketchy.  We can not just hope to linebacker blitzes to distrupt the offense.  That is taking a key person out of pass coverage and if the sack does not occure you are leaving yourself open for a big play.  3 and longs are another spot that needs improvement.  We have to get the boys off the field and get the ball back into the offenses hands. 

Special Teams neesd to be solid.  We have to cover the punt/kick and set up good returns.  The kicking game will be key and lets hope that Sly can be replaced as the punter so he can concentrate on defense only. 

Lastly is attitude.  The guys have to mesh well and trust that the other guys will be there to make a play.  They can not get caught up in whos girlfriend is fat or who hates who.  Like the old Yankees manager said there is nothing wrong with a team that hates eachother.  They just can not let that get in the way of winning ball games.  I totally agree with this statment.  You do not have to like your team, but you do have to mesh for 60 minutes of football.  After that you can go your seperate ways.  I am not promoting this as the stellar form of team building.  But I have been a part of teams who worry more about whos who at the zoo than taking care of business at hand. 

[Walston Hoover]

How about if you were working radio for Wartburg or actually any IIAC team???  Would you try to accentuate the positives??? Noting that your listeners are fans and might be turned off by negative commentary, and therefore might not tune in next week if they think there is no chance of their team winning.  Or do you tell it like it is and tell listeners it could be a long season???

It's one thing to be a nuetral ESPN commentator, it's another thing to be a team broadcaster.  I wondered if there are different rules for each situation. 

I had both situations. When I called Wartburg games, I called them as a former captain on pretty good teams as a fan of the school. If and when things went bad, I said what was going wrong, but  did not call out individual players. That I do not believe is necessary at the D3 level. When things went good I got excited. Unlike a certain Hawkeye PBP guy, I don't believe that when anything bad happens, its because the team we are playing is playing its best game of the year.
I also called HS games on Friday nights for a radio station that covered a lot of schools. Totally different animal as I just told what was going on and got excited for good plays regardless of the team. There was absolutely nothing negative in my HS broadcasts. If a team was getting sack after sack, it was because their defense was stellar, regardless of how bad the other OL was. Most of those games had sponsors from both schools so I had to stay neutral.
For Wartburg games, the 3 supporters of the broadcast were in the booth with me and those were the people I had to keep happy. Its all about who pays your bills.

[Willie University]

I used to do color commentary for the local radio station that covered the Spartan games for a couple of years. The play by play guy was not affiliated with UD at all but very excitable and I enjoyed doing the broadcasts with him. He had bad breath from drinking too much coffee and smoking too many cigarettes but a heck of a guy.

Anyway, I would never talk negative about an opponent or individual players on either team. I would always try to spin a bad situation and try to find some positives. Which, was very difficult covering some of the games those years. You want to talk about a challenge, do the radio for a team that goes 2-8 or 1-9 (actually don't remember the records those years but pretty close  ). It is much more difficult to turn everything into a positive when your team is on the other side of the win column. But, I was very excitable especially when the Spartans were doing well! And I did give respect and compliments to the teams that beat UD but did it in a classy manner. Not the idiot coaches trying to run up the score in the 4th quarter when the game was clearly in hand. 

Willie U

[Purple Heys]

Kickoff Day!

The second most anticipated day on my D3 football calendar!

Do any of you IIAC folks plug into this?  I've got it the past 2 years...it's great.   

[doolittledog]

Kickoff Day!

The second most anticipated day on my D3 football calendar!

Do any of you IIAC folks plug into this?  I've got it the past 2 years...it's great.   

I got it last year and have ordered it for this year as well!!! 

So that is what you are waiting for before you make your pics in the pick-em!!!

[DutchFan2004]

Kickoff Day!

The second most anticipated day on my D3 football calendar!

Do any of you IIAC folks plug into this?  I've got it the past 2 years...it's great.   

Yes I do.  I enjoy reading it.

[doolittledog]

Of course I dumped my spam folder so now I don't have a password to look at the preview 

Hopefully I get a new password soon!!!

And as I hit enter, Pat sent me my new password!!!  Yea!!!

[ShowMe]

IMHO the Keys to Success for the RAMS (implies our weaknesses)

Offense

1) Offense line must be our most valuable unit
2) At least the conference average punting yardage, we have to stop giving up the short field with our punting game
3) Must score 99.1 % of the time our offense drives inside of the red zone
4) Must protect the ball from fumbles and interceptions
5) Must reduce the penalties  which increased the number of times we were in 3rd, 4th  and long
6) Must reduce the other times we face 3rd and long from lack of production on 1st and 2nd down
7) Must convert more 3rd and long situations
8) Must score early or take a lead and stop the double digit leads
9) Must make the routine plays, decisions, receiving, running, etc.

Defensive

1) Defensive line must be the most valuable unit to support the run and pass defense
2) Must stop the run 1st
3) Must learn how to stop the pass
4) Must set the tone, defense controls the momentum 

Special Teams

1) Must win the field position game at key points in the game
2) Must get field goals when the LOS is inside the 25
3) Must defend the big play
4) Must provide the offense some field position against the good teams

Intangibles

1) We have to get a break from injuries because of our depth
2) We have to get 110% from each player and error free performances
3) We have to gain confidence early in the season, the Coe games is pivotal, beating a top 4 team will had so much to our confidence
4) Must play 60 minutes of football

[Willie University]

IMHO the Keys to Success for the RAMS (implies our weaknesses)

Offense

1) Offense line must be our most valuable unit
2) At least the conference average punting yardage, we have to stop giving up the short field with our punting game
3) Must score 99.1 % of the time our offense drives inside of the red zone
4) Must protect the ball from fumbles and interceptions
5) Must reduce the penalties  which increased the number of times we were in 3rd, 4th  and long
6) Must reduce the other times we face 3rd and long from lack of production on 1st and 2nd down
7) Must convert more 3rd and long situations
8) Must score early or take a lead and stop the double digit leads
9) Must make the routine plays, decisions, receiving, running, etc.

Defensive

1) Defensive line must be the most valuable unit to support the run and pass defense
2) Must stop the run 1st
3) Must learn how to stop the pass
4) Must set the tone, defense controls the momentum 

Special Teams

1) Must win the field position game at key points in the game
2) Must get field goals when the LOS is inside the 25
3) Must defend the big play
4) Must provide the offense some field position against the good teams

Intangibles

1) We have to get a break from injuries because of our depth
2) We have to get 110% from each player and error free performances
3) We have to gain confidence early in the season, the Coe games is pivotal, beating a top 4 team will had so much to our confidence
4) Must play 60 minutes of football

So, pretty much you are saying the rams don't have a chance to be successful???

Willie U