FB: American Rivers Conference

[Old Dutch]

Warthog, great history lesson there.  and not to diminish Wartburgs recent success, but those 9 Central  losses in 03 and 04 represent 10% of all their loses since the Schipper era began in 1961, and 18 of those 90 loses would be in playoff games. 

[dutchfan1]

Great stuff Warthog, I can never get enough of looking at stuff like that.

Dutchie, I like having enthusiasm for your team (I can have too much for Dubuque at times )  and I think it is great to have high expectations for your team and be dissapointed if your team does not reach those expectations.  I can understand being upset at losses.  But being upset if your team doesn't win by what you consider a big enough margin or thinking your team disrespected another team by not going out and not running up a big score I don't understand.  Last weekend could have been a case where Cornell had a good gameplan called and just played the Dutch tough.  Even last season the Dutch were "finding ways" to win games against pretty much everybody...until they ran into St. Johns .   I don't know if this years Central team is that much different than last years team.  Last year they went 10-0 and then went on to the playoffs.  This years team has a good chance of going 8-2...something last years Dutch team very easily could have done as well. 

Now, switching subjects.  Coe is 0-3 at home in IIAC play and 3-0 on the road in IIAC play!!!  Will this affect attendance???  Can Dubuque petition to play their season ending game in Cedar Rapids???  Can Warthog look up if there has ever been a team go the entire season winning every away game while losing every home game???

Doolittle, I'm not talking about running up the score. I'm talking about preparation in general. It seems as though Cornell had our number for the first three quarters -- awesome for Cornell. It shows that they had prepared, and knew what to expect. They had a game plan. It sounds like Loras is doing the same thing. Central came in ill-prepared and not ready, and that won't cut it from week to week. Coming unprepared and still expecting to win is disprespectful to the other team. It's telling the other team that they aren't worth preparing for, and giving their best effort.

The idea of one of Schipper's teams to come to a game -- any game, be it Simpson to William Penn -- unprepared is laughable. But, then again, in Schipper's era, we focused on one game at a time, and didn't talk playoffs until the final whistle of the last game of the season....when we knew we had earned it. There wasn't such a thing as Week 4 playoff talk....by anyone: coaches, players or fans.

Again, I'm pretty old school, I guess. I'll bet I'm not the only Central fan that remembers that era.

[Klopenhiemer]

Great stuff Warthog, I can never get enough of looking at stuff like that.

Dutchie, I like having enthusiasm for your team (I can have too much for Dubuque at times )  and I think it is great to have high expectations for your team and be dissapointed if your team does not reach those expectations.  I can understand being upset at losses.  But being upset if your team doesn't win by what you consider a big enough margin or thinking your team disrespected another team by not going out and not running up a big score I don't understand.  Last weekend could have been a case where Cornell had a good gameplan called and just played the Dutch tough.  Even last season the Dutch were "finding ways" to win games against pretty much everybody...until they ran into St. Johns .   I don't know if this years Central team is that much different than last years team.  Last year they went 10-0 and then went on to the playoffs.  This years team has a good chance of going 8-2...something last years Dutch team very easily could have done as well. 

Now, switching subjects.  Coe is 0-3 at home in IIAC play and 3-0 on the road in IIAC play!!!  Will this affect attendance???  Can Dubuque petition to play their season ending game in Cedar Rapids???  Can Warthog look up if there has ever been a team go the entire season winning every away game while losing every home game???

Doolittle, I'm not talking about running up the score. I'm talking about preparation in general. It seems as though Cornell had our number for the first three quarters -- awesome for Cornell. It shows that they had prepared, and knew what to expect. They had a game plan. It sounds like Loras is doing the same thing. Central came in ill-prepared and not ready, and that won't cut it from week to week. Coming unprepared and still expecting to win is disprespectful to the other team. It's telling the other team that they aren't worth preparing for, and giving their best effort.

The idea of one of Schipper's teams to come to a game -- any game, be it Simpson to William Penn -- unprepared is laughable. But, then again, in Schipper's era, we focused on one game at a time, and didn't talk playoffs until the final whistle of the last game of the season....when we knew we had earned it. There wasn't such a thing as Week 4 playoff talk....by anyone: coaches, players or fans.

Again, I'm pretty old school, I guess. I'll bet I'm not the only Central fan that remembers that era.

Ahh I think I need to make one correction.  There was playoff talk in week 1   Funny thing is that the two teams who are in the best position to make the playoffs (ie: Buena Vista and Wartburg) are not saying boo about the playoffs.  Excluding you Dutchie, I am hearing a lot of senarios that place Central into the playoffs.  Again I think this is premature when you are not even in the drivers seat. 

[dutchfan1]

Great stuff Warthog, I can never get enough of looking at stuff like that.

Dutchie, I like having enthusiasm for your team (I can have too much for Dubuque at times )  and I think it is great to have high expectations for your team and be dissapointed if your team does not reach those expectations.  I can understand being upset at losses.  But being upset if your team doesn't win by what you consider a big enough margin or thinking your team disrespected another team by not going out and not running up a big score I don't understand.  Last weekend could have been a case where Cornell had a good gameplan called and just played the Dutch tough.  Even last season the Dutch were "finding ways" to win games against pretty much everybody...until they ran into St. Johns .   I don't know if this years Central team is that much different than last years team.  Last year they went 10-0 and then went on to the playoffs.  This years team has a good chance of going 8-2...something last years Dutch team very easily could have done as well. 

Now, switching subjects.  Coe is 0-3 at home in IIAC play and 3-0 on the road in IIAC play!!!  Will this affect attendance???  Can Dubuque petition to play their season ending game in Cedar Rapids???  Can Warthog look up if there has ever been a team go the entire season winning every away game while losing every home game???

Doolittle, I'm not talking about running up the score. I'm talking about preparation in general. It seems as though Cornell had our number for the first three quarters -- awesome for Cornell. It shows that they had prepared, and knew what to expect. They had a game plan. It sounds like Loras is doing the same thing. Central came in ill-prepared and not ready, and that won't cut it from week to week. Coming unprepared and still expecting to win is disprespectful to the other team. It's telling the other team that they aren't worth preparing for, and giving their best effort.

The idea of one of Schipper's teams to come to a game -- any game, be it Simpson to William Penn -- unprepared is laughable. But, then again, in Schipper's era, we focused on one game at a time, and didn't talk playoffs until the final whistle of the last game of the season....when we knew we had earned it. There wasn't such a thing as Week 4 playoff talk....by anyone: coaches, players or fans.

Again, I'm pretty old school, I guess. I'll bet I'm not the only Central fan that remembers that era.

Ahh I think I need to make one correction.  There was playoff talk in week 1   Funny thing is that the two teams who are in the best position to make the playoffs (ie: Buena Vista and Wartburg) are not saying boo about the playoffs.  Excluding you Dutchie, I am hearing a lot of senarios that place Central into the playoffs.  Again I think this is premature when you are not even in the drivers seat. 

Amen to that -- I gotta respect that about both teams that DO control their own fate.

[Klompen]

How many seasons has it been since the Dutch have had only personal pride to play for...Without a conference championship or a playoff berth on the line?

Maybe this is why Dutch fans are questioning the heart of this team.

Maybe this is somewhat foreign territory for the players and coaches. 

That would be 4 years ago and it isn't foreign enough yet.  

Most teams would be very happy with Central's record, we realize that.  I'm sure some parents don't understand why some of us long time Dutch fans aren't happy with the improvement in our conference record from 0-2 to only one loss more than the leaders.  Given the conference this year, the Dutch have a respectable record, maybe it is as good or better than we should expect because we did lose a ton of talent this year.  

I wasn't upset after losing to Wartburg.  With our graduation losses compared to theirs, I was impressed that we were ahead with less than a minute to go.  In the far reaches of my mind, I was prepared for the possibility of a big loss.  The team played hard from start to finish.  I was not happy to lose, but I was happy with the way they played.  

Against Luther and Cornell, it didn't seem like the guys had their hearts in the game.  Luther and Cornell both had something to do with that, as they played great games, but we just didn't seem to be playing with any passion.  I can take losing if I feel like they played to the best of their ability, but I didn't feel that way against Luther and I didn't feel that way against Cornell.  I'm sure my red glasses are preventing me from seeing how much the rest of the conference has improved.  

Maybe it isn't passion and fire, maybe this year's team just isn't giving some of the other teams the respect that they should.  They play well against the teams that they expect, or others expect, they could lose to.  They played well against Wartburg, they played well against Coe, who almost everyone except the Dutch fans picked to beat us in the pick-ems.  The games where we are picked to win by nearly everyone except that team's fans have been real challenges, and sometimes losses (Albion, Luther, Cornell).  This team has to go out with their A game every week and they don't seem to be doing that.  That is what is frustrating to us as fans, and I can only imagine how frustrating it is for Coach Mac.

[doolittledog]

.  Even last season the Dutch were "finding ways" to win games against pretty much everybody...until they ran into St. Johns .   

Just a slight correction here, that would have been Bethel that ended last years season,  we put what the MIAC'ers refer to as a monky stomp on the Johnnies.  And darn proud of it, few teams can make that claim!

No, I was getting at the fact you had close games all year and then put a monkey stomp on the Johnnies

[Klompen]

I wouldn't be surprised after all the dust settles we end up with Wartburg and Central at the top of the conference.  Then we will get a bunch of "same old, same old, why do the other teams even try to play against us?" posts

Ah, come on now, Doolittle.  Central fans know better than that, seeing as how nearly every team in the conference has either beaten us or come within one quarter or 3 OT's of beating us between last year and this year.  We leave that to the Wartburg fans and their shoe-ins for POY.   

[Klompen]

LOL -- true enough, Klop. I guess my perception is that with heart and fire, we wouldn't have had to make a 4th quarter comeback vs. Cornell. No offense to Cornell at all, but I expected that game to be wrapped up by halftime. It seems as though we are looking past teams and are once again earning the title of "comeback kids." Though the nail-biters are exciting, it's not something that we should strive for. We should be stiving to play our game - our A game - from the first snap to the final whistle. THAT is Central football. It's not only about the number of W's in the win-loss column...it's about how we get there.

Spoken like a true "old fart" Central fan, eh?   

Spoken more eloquently than this "old fart" was trying to say it.

[steelhawk]

\If there is a disapointment this season I say its in Waverly where they have been all over the board, but less than dominating.  I think all would agree we looked for Yordi to tear the conference apart.  This has not happened.

I think it has happened. Check the stats.
Yordi has a higher completion percentage, 500 more yards, and more than double the touchdowns of the second best passer in the conference. If the Knights win out and share the conf title, he is a shoe-in to be league MVP, unless they give it to Vetter who is averaging over 100 yards recieving/game.

I don't think I'd use the word "shoe-in" at this point.  The difference between Yordi and the 2nd best QB is similar to the difference between McGrew and the 2nd best RB.  Plus, McGrew punts, returns kicks, and returns punts.  I think if the choice had to be made today, it would be a virtual dead heat.  Both play Luther in the last three weeks, and I think how each performs against that tough D will end up being the deciding factor.

[Klompen]

But being upset if your team doesn't win by what you consider a big enough margin or thinking your team disrespected another team by not going out and not running up a big score I don't understand. 

I don't think we are upset about the scoring margin at all.  I also don't think that we play to run up the score on anyone.  Last year the team always seemed to be playing hard for the full 60 minutes, and it usually took the full 60 minutes.  This year it just doesn't seem like they come ready to play for some games.  It doesn't have anything to do with scoring margin, only attitude.

[Klompen]

.  Even last season the Dutch were "finding ways" to win games against pretty much everybody...until they ran into St. Johns .   

Just a slight correction here, that would have been Bethel that ended last years season,  we put what the MIAC'ers refer to as a monky stomp on the Johnnies.  And darn proud of it, few teams can make that claim!

I think he meant that we didn't have to find a way against St. Johns because we put the monkey stomp on them.  He knew what he was saying, no correction needed.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Wrestling Brute Adidas Preseason  Wrestling - 7 IIAC  teams in top 23
1. Wartburg
4. Coe
6. Luther
11. Cornell
17. Dubuque
19. Loras
23. BV.

Here is a Norse Wrestling release on the preseason rankings for individuals and the team:

http://sports.luther.edu/men/wrestling/season%20-%202008-09/news/ranked.html

In addition to the five guys that are ranked, sophomore Jason Pyle should give Norse followers a lot of optimism at 149.  I am very hopeful that this Norse lineup will have less holes than the group last year that fell to 3rd in the IIAC and 6th in the nation last year for the first time is several years.

It looks like if someone wanted to rise up and beat Wartburg they needed to do it a couple of years ago.  I was very impressed with the Knights last year.  The Knight grapplers for this season look VERY tough as well.

Coe and Cornell are getting better and better, but then again when is the IIAC not really tough in wrestling?

[Floyd in Iowa City]

If there is a disapointment this season I say its in Waverly where they have been all over the board, but less than dominating. 

Please. Nowhere is the disappointment greater than at old Coe College in Cedar Rapids. There's a lot of frustration to let out on the Beavers Saturday.

Really?  I thought most of the thinking this week would have been about how the team was somehow able to pull out the game against the Norse.  The players may be frustrated overall, but the guys in Decorah might be kind of frustrated about the game on Saturday.

From a Luther perspective, the game reminded me a little of when Brad Banks and Iowa beat Purdue in 2002.  It was a memorable game for all Iowa fans in attendance, but I walked out of the stadium grinning that Iowa stole that game since they could not stop the Purdue Offense and won 31-28 by the following:

1. Blocked a Purdue FG and ran it back for a TD
2. Blocked a Purdue punt and fell on it in the end zone for a TD
3. Dallas Clark had a 95-yard TD reception
4. Banks hit Clark with the winning TD pass on 4th down very late in the game.

Most of those things don't happen very often.  It was amazing to watch them all happen in the same game when every one of those plays were needed to win.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

This is also off topic but there's not much going on here so i though i'd post it.  my college roomie @ UNI was a wrestler and sent this to me. 
Mark Manning was head wrestling coach @ UNI  before moving to Nebraska.  I met the guy a few times and he is like most wrestlers, has a few screws loose.
this is pretty good considering Osborne set this whole thing up.   Also, Manning is 40+ years old..

Manning, and a former Husker football player, who is currently an assistant strength and conditioning coach, were talking smack about wrestlers vs. football players, and they made a little wager. The wager was that Manning could stop Rigoni once out of five tries from reaching the endzone. Coach/AD Tom Osborne got wind of it, and set up this competition after football practice.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evjejqHOtns

That was fun to watch!  It looked like Manning might lose his head on a couple of those since he did not have his head up at all when he went to tackle.

It would also be fun to watch them pick the best athlete on the Nebraska team and send them out there to wrestle against one of the ranked Nebraska wrestlers.  That might be entertaining as well.

[Walston Hoover]

The MVP will not come from a team with a .500 or worse record.
He would be the only one that has stats comparable to Yordi, but if it happens that one guy's team is  the conf champ, and the other's finishes in the middle or bottom of the conf, who do you think is the conf MVP?

\If there is a disapointment this season I say its in Waverly where they have been all over the board, but less than dominating.  I think all would agree we looked for Yordi to tear the conference apart.  This has not happened.

I think it has happened. Check the stats.
Yordi has a higher completion percentage, 500 more yards, and more than double the touchdowns of the second best passer in the conference. If the Knights win out and share the conf title, he is a shoe-in to be league MVP, unless they give it to Vetter who is averaging over 100 yards recieving/game.

I don't think I'd use the word "shoe-in" at this point.  The difference between Yordi and the 2nd best QB is similar to the difference between McGrew and the 2nd best RB.  Plus, McGrew punts, returns kicks, and returns punts.  I think if the choice had to be made today, it would be a virtual dead heat.  Both play Luther in the last three weeks, and I think how each performs against that tough D will end up being the deciding factor.