FB: American Rivers Conference

[DutchFan2004]

I'm sure the Knights go out and drink just like the rest of the IIAC school does.  Some of the players do and some of them don't.  Some only go out on Saturday after a game while others frequent more often because they don't have class or later classes and don't have to get up early.  Some of the younger guys are seeing the freedom that they didn't have in high school and the coaches will right them quickly.  I don't think the drinking is a "problem" at Wartburg.  It's the same just like all the other colleges.

Guys I was not the one that started the too much drinking thing.  I believe it was another Wartburg post that pointed out that there MIGHT me to much drinking going on. 

When I played I never drank during the week and found that I could obstain for a few weeks in the fall to keep my mind right. 

Now after the football season was done I could have been a candidate for AA due to my drinking practices. 

I don't think drinking is a problem at Central.  Team rules are there is no drinking in season.  If they do get caught there is some H*ll to pay.  I think the players really try to keep this rule. 

[doolittledog]

I'm sure the Knights go out and drink just like the rest of the IIAC school does.  Some of the players do and some of them don't.  Some only go out on Saturday after a game while others frequent more often because they don't have class or later classes and don't have to get up early.  Some of the younger guys are seeing the freedom that they didn't have in high school and the coaches will right them quickly.  I don't think the drinking is a "problem" at Wartburg.  It's the same just like all the other colleges.

Guys I was not the one that started the too much drinking thing.  I believe it was another Wartburg post that pointed out that there MIGHT me to much drinking going on. 

When I played I never drank during the week and found that I could obstain for a few weeks in the fall to keep my mind right. 

Now after the football season was done I could have been a candidate for AA due to my drinking practices. 

From drinking??? Or something else?  

Apparently, what you need to be successful in the IIAC is a bunch of western Iowa farm kids or a bunch of catholic kids from eastern Iowa and the Chicago area.  Seems to be working for BV and Loras.  Central and eastern Iowa kids as well as Florida and Cali kids are way over-rated apparently!!!

[The Show]

Now after the football season was done I could have been a candidate for AA due to my drinking practices. 

I sat in front of one of your AA co-candidates at the game on Sat.! 

[The Show]

Apparently, what you need to be successful in the IIAC is a bunch of western Iowa farm kids

Amen!

[Klopenhiemer]

Now after the football season was done I could have been a candidate for AA due to my drinking practices. 

I sat in front of one of your AA co-candidates at the game on Sat.! 

Who was that? 

[TheOne89.1]

I'm sure the Knights go out and drink just like the rest of the IIAC school does.  Some of the players do and some of them don't.  Some only go out on Saturday after a game while others frequent more often because they don't have class or later classes and don't have to get up early.  Some of the younger guys are seeing the freedom that they didn't have in high school and the coaches will right them quickly.  I don't think the drinking is a "problem" at Wartburg.  It's the same just like all the other colleges.

Guys I was not the one that started the too much drinking thing.  I believe it was another Wartburg post that pointed out that there MIGHT me to much drinking going on. 

When I played I never drank during the week and found that I could obstain for a few weeks in the fall to keep my mind right. 

Now after the football season was done I could have been a candidate for AA due to my drinking practices. 

Klopenhiemer, not saying you stated the too much drinking issue.  I know I posted in response to someone who had had heard a rumor outside of this board that some Knights players are enjoying the college life a little too much.

The point I am trying to make is that if there is some issue concerning this that Willis and the rest of the coaching staff will make sure it does not cause the Knights to lose focus on a conference championship.

[TrainsEqualCrowdNoise]

I like how people are giving out grades for teams so far this season and I have to say that I agree with most of what everyone has said.

I don't like that people are saying that if the Rams can play like they did at Wartburg, then they will win some ball games.  And here is where I get tough, because someone has to from inside the "family".  We still turned the ball over 4 times, including two pick 6s.  I don't think they need to play like they did at Wartburg, they need to play mistake free football and get the defensive effort that was given against Wartburg and for the portions of the game against Loras where they didn't start inside our 30.  Cornell has always had the ability to win ball games in this conference, just never taken advantage of the opportunities by either turning the ball over too much, or deciding to give up big plays on defense.  I have said this all year, for Cornell to win a ballgame, they are gonna have to play a game in which they minimize penalties, don't turn the ball over, create turnovers, and score some other way than on offense.  Now that is a lot, and most would call that the perfect game, but there is no reason why the team can't come together, each man do his job, and win a ballgame.  They've done it before against good ball teams, unfortunately those good teams haven't been in the conference the last couple of years. 

Sorry for the rant 

[footballdaddy]

At this point I'd settle for some hard drinkin' hell-raisers for the Knights as long as the hell-raisin' was on the field.

[sportsknight]

At this point I'd settle for some hard drinkin' hell-raisers for the Knights as long as the hell-raisin' was on the field.

Damn straight.  This line of thinking that you can't be a bunch of partiers and a good football team is a load of crap.  The 2002-2004 Knights had plenty of guys that were making the big plays on the field on Saturday afternoon and were belly up to the bar by Saturday night.  Bishop, Cody, Vinny, Mac, Burns, Junge, Dapp, Velky...all hard partiers and everyone of them All-IIAC at least once.

It all comes down to an attitude.  Right now I'm reading "Boys Will Be Boys," a book about the Cowboys dynasty of the early 90s.  There's a group of guys that not everybody liked.  They may not have been the most talented team in the league.  And they were far from choir boys.  But they were brothers and they went out there every Sunday and knew they were going to win. 

The Wartburg teams of 2002-2004 were like that.  Central was like that last year.  There was a time on the Wartburg campus that when the football team lost, it was a near-catastrophic event.  Now when they drop a game, you always hear the chorus of "They can afford to lose one here and there and they'll still be OK."  The hell with that.  If you expect to be a dominant program in this league, or any other, the words "lose" and "OK" should never appear in the same sentence.

The Knights just don't have that swagger right now.  Willis and the coaching staff can only do so much to instill that in a group of players.  They can yell and scream until they're blue in the face (and I'm sure they have).  The players are the ones that have to buy in and internalize that attitude.  If that doesn't happen soon, then congratulations Wartburg seniors, you'll be the first class in a decade to go through the program and not make the playoffs.

[Klopenhiemer]

At this point I'd settle for some hard drinkin' hell-raisers for the Knights as long as the hell-raisin' was on the field.

Damn straight.  This line of thinking that you can't be a bunch of partiers and a good football team is a load of crap.  The 2003 and 2004 Knights had plenty of guys that were making the big plays on the field on Saturday afternoon and were belly up to the bar by Saturday night.  Bishop, Cody, Vinny, Mac, Burns, Junge, Dapp, Velky...all hard partiers and everyone of them All-IIAC at least once.

It all comes down to an attitude.  Right now I'm reading "Boys Will Be Boys," a book about the Cowboys dynasty of the early 90s.  There's a group of guys that not everybody liked.  They may not have been the most talented team in the league.  And they were far from choir boys.  But they were brothers and they went out there every Sunday and knew they were going to win. 

The Wartburg teams of 2003 and 2004 were like that.  Central was like that last year.  There was a time on the Wartburg campus that when the football team lost, it was a near-catastrophic event.  Now when they drop a game, you always hear the chorus of "They can afford to lose one here and there and they'll still be OK."  The hell with that.  If you expect to be a dominant program in this league, or any other, the words "lose" and "OK" should never appear in the same sentence.

The Knights just don't have that swagger right now.  Willis and the coaching staff can only do so much to instill that in a group of players.  They can yell and scream until they're blue in the face (and I'm sure they have).  The players are the ones that have to buy in and internalize that attitude.  If that doesn't happen soon, then congratulations Wartburg seniors, you'll be the first class in a decade to go through the program and not make the playoffs.

I thought this was an excellent post until the final sentence.  I do not think its fair to say that to those young men.  If you will say this on here, then I hope you would say this to their faces.  I have no idea if you played football in college or not, by that statement I sure hope you did. 

That is a complete slap in the face to this class.  They have went through coaching changes and after the 03-04 season the Knights were the team to beat in the IIAC, and everyone was gunning for them. 

Wheather or not this class makes and playoffs or not, is irregardless, the ones that stuck it out showed committment and they should be honored for that. 

[Klompen]

I'm not quite ready for the "wait 'till next year" talk just yet. I belive Central and Wartburg are in the same boat right now. If they can pull together both will have successful seasons. If things keep going the same way as the last couple of weeks for them maybe it will be "wait 'till next year".

I'm not saying both Central and Wartburg can't have good, a.k.a. winning seasons, but Central fans are kind of spoiled.      Two losses may be a good season at Wartburg, but Central fans kind of believe in undefeated seasons, playoff games to talk about at Thanksgiving, ...

Okay, no kind of about it, we are WAY spoiled.  AND WE LIKE IT!!!   

[Klompen]

I wouldn't be surprised if Wartburg or Central ended the season on top in the conference.  It's mostly a perception thing.  We fans of the conference have become used to Central and Wartburg only losing to each other or maybe 1 other team during the year.  To have both schools with 2 losses halfway through the season gives the perception that they can be beaten by anybody.  Whether that proves to be true or not we will see.  It's just they don't appear to be invinceable to other teams...which is a change from years past. 

Yeah, I hate that.   

[Wartburg Fan]

At this point I'd settle for some hard drinkin' hell-raisers for the Knights as long as the hell-raisin' was on the field.

Damn straight.  This line of thinking that you can't be a bunch of partiers and a good football team is a load of crap.  The 2003 and 2004 Knights had plenty of guys that were making the big plays on the field on Saturday afternoon and were belly up to the bar by Saturday night.  Bishop, Cody, Vinny, Mac, Burns, Junge, Dapp, Velky...all hard partiers and everyone of them All-IIAC at least once.

It all comes down to an attitude.  Right now I'm reading "Boys Will Be Boys," a book about the Cowboys dynasty of the early 90s.  There's a group of guys that not everybody liked.  They may not have been the most talented team in the league.  And they were far from choir boys.  But they were brothers and they went out there every Sunday and knew they were going to win. 

The Wartburg teams of 2003 and 2004 were like that.  Central was like that last year.  There was a time on the Wartburg campus that when the football team lost, it was a near-catastrophic event.  Now when they drop a game, you always hear the chorus . of "They can afford to lose one here and there and they'll still be OK."  The hell with that.  If you expect to be a dominant program in this league, or any other, the words "lose" and "OK" should never appear in the same sentence.

The Knights just don't have that swagger right now.  Willis and the coaching staff can only do so much to instill that in a group of players.  They can yell and scream until they're blue in the face (and I'm sure they have).  The players are the ones that have to buy in and internalize that attitude.  If that doesn't happen soon, then congratulations Wartburg seniors, you'll be the first class in a decade to go through the program and not make the playoffs.

Amen SK +k for you. I didn't know the 2003 team that well but I did know the 2004 team very well and you are right. When those kids lost a football game they wouldn't talk to their parents after the game, or anyone else. they didn't like to lose plus they had senior leadership that would get in the underclassman face if they thought they took the a lost lightly and they did have a swagger but they were a family as my kid would comment on that all the time ,yes just like central  had a swagger the past three years. Which I don't think This Wartburg team has this year

[oldNorse]

"The Knights just don't have that swagger right now." 

I guess I would prefer FOCUS to SWAGGER. 

Another thought....I think it is so healthy for the IIAC that the conference race may be up for grabs with teams other than the Dutch and Knights in ascendancy.  IMHO perhaps the worst thing that has happened to D3 athletics is the addition of the playoffs.  Teams and coaches now are successful to the degree they make it deep into the playoffs and the conference competition (where the real rivalries are) are diminished.  I don't think we will eliminate playoffs since D3 seems to want to imitate D1.  But the economics of small colleges may dictate a change in the long run.

[DutchFan2004]

"The Knights just don't have that swagger right now." 

I guess I would prefer FOCUS to SWAGGER. 

Another thought....I think it is so healthy for the IIAC that the conference race may be up for grabs with teams other than the Dutch and Knights in ascendancy.  IMHO perhaps the worst thing that has happened to D3 athletics is the addition of the playoffs.  Teams and coaches now are successful to the degree they make it deep into the playoffs and the conference competition (where the real rivalries are) are diminished.  I don't think we will eliminate playoffs since D3 seems to want to imitate D1.  But the economics of small colleges may dictate a change in the long run.

oldnorse,

I don't know if you know that D3 unlike NAIA picks up the tab for the playoffs.  The colleges do not absorb the cost of the playoffs.  I also don't see the connection between D3 and D1.  D1 has the bowl system and not the playoffs.  So I don't think you have to worry about that.  If anything D1 is talking about becoming like D3.