Around the Nation board

[Toby Taff]

K-Mack,

Mr. Bohn does raise a valid point.  It would be nice to see something like an expose on D3s in sports history during the Stagg broadcast.  Obviously I don't know about all D3s, but i do know that HSU and McMurry have a pre-D3 history with names like Sammy Baugh and Grant Teaff.  Surely there are enough famous sports alumni from schools that are currently D3 to make an interest piece that could run @ the half.  I doubt it will ever happen, but it would be a good way of showing the faces of D3 rather than just the top of the heap.

The thing about that is once you do it once, do you re-run the same piece every year? If so, do the same people see it over and over again?

ESPN is covering Division III one day a year, for three hours only. It's nice when they pronounce the players' names right, so I'm not expecting them to carry the torch for educating the entire nation on the history of Division III football. That's what we do. It would be nice since ESPN reaches so many households if they could do more, but we're honestly just a blip on their screen. If the UConn women's basketball game runs long, the Stagg Bowl kickoff is delayed.

Mentioning Sammy Baugh and Grant Teaff and Bulldog Turner is just the tip of the iceberg. Presidents, movie stars and famous coaches have all been D3 players and alumni ... it would be quite a long piece to touch on the entire pre-D3 history of these schools (the divisions didn't come into play until '73)

I think when ESPN comes in, they focus mostly on that one game and go back to doing what they do best, and what gets the most advertisers for them. It's tough to ask them to shine the light of D3 on the viewers, many of whom probably already follow D3 or one of the teams involved, when they've got a game to produce.

Why not make something like that a year in and out feature on that one day.  Obviously to include everybody would take too much time, but what about a short piece each year that talks about some of the people from D3 schools that have had an impact on their respective fields.  Like I said, I know it won't happen, but I think something like that would be good.

[Pat Coleman]

In the absence of UW-Whitewater, though, all non-D-III fans would know about is Mount Union. And honestly, without Mount Union, what identity does Division III football have at all, really? Perhaps they might know that guy up in Minnesota whose name they mispronounce and has won all the games.

Having different teams in the Stagg Bowl wouldn't diversify the identity of Division III, in my opinion. It doesn't sink into the general football fan's consciousness.

How many general D-I football fans can name more than a couple of Division II powers? Grand Valley State ... uhh ... Northwest Missouri maybe ...

[PA_wesleyfan]

Pat

Maybe they give the DIII site some free puiblicity!!!! Once you get them here they get hooked I can see the envy on their faces when they see what this site has to offer!!

[Toby Taff]

I think you're probably right about Mount Union being the face of DIII, of course if Mary Hardin-Baylor was there, most people would think it was the Baylor Bears playing and then wonder when they stopped wearing green.  (I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've been asked, "So you went to Baylor?" after telling people I went to MHB)

[frank uible]

The typical football fan located 50 miles from any DIII college generally doesn't even know that college exists, much less care about its football team.

[doolittledog]

The typical football fan located 50 miles from any DIII college generally doesn't even know that college exists, much less care about its football team.

Unless you are in a state like Iowa, where college football is more popular that pro football.  D1 is the king, but people know who the smaller schools are. 

[K-Mack]

The typical football fan located 50 miles from any DIII college generally doesn't even know that college exists, much less care about its football team.

Unless you are in a state like Iowa, where college football is more popular that pro football.  D1 is the king, but people know who the smaller schools are. 

(puts Iowa on the 'states that don't suck' list)

[K-Mack]

The typical football fan located 50 miles from any DIII college generally doesn't even know that college exists, much less care about its football team.

I go further. I usually say unless you live in the same town as a D3 school, are an alum or know somebody who went to one, they are not in your consciousness.

That could most certainly be improved, but realistically, it's where we stand now, even after 10 years of technological advances that bring us closer and increase our visibility.

[K-Mack]

Because posting this on the E8 and LL boards wasn't enough:

K-Mack needs a little advice. Coming to the Buffalo/Rochester area this weekend. Definitely going to Rochester-SJF at 7, but for the early game, should I attend

a) Carnegie Mellon-Hobart (starts at noon and shorter drive)
b) St. Lawrence-Alfred (might need the 1 p.m. kickoff since I fly in that a.m., and have never seen either team play)

Someone in the know, help me decide.

Also, if any board regulars are in the area on Saturday, definitely drop me a line. Keith@D3football.com or whatever.

[DutchFan2004]

The typical football fan located 50 miles from any DIII college generally doesn't even know that college exists, much less care about its football team.

Unless you are in a state like Iowa, where college football is more popular that pro football.  D1 is the king, but people know who the smaller schools are. 

Very true Doolittle, if you take the combined enrollments of the D3 schools in Iowa they are larger than Iowa, Iowa State, and much larger than UNI.  So D3 does impact more Iowans directly than D1.  D1 has the large media outlets to promote them so they get the lions share of attention, but the largest radio station in Iowa (WHO) does always give credit to the D3 top 25 teams.  The list them with the coaches poll and not the D3.com on but they still give the place on the sports section of the news.  If you throw the NIAI schools in Iowa the small college enrollments outweigh each university.  Not total to total but total small college to each university. 

[K-Mack]

For my personal reference ... mostly for Pep's directions and how to find the tailgating at Bart.

Congrats on 2500 pages, y'all.

So K-Mack needs a little advice from the LLPP. Coming to town this weekend. Definitely going to Rochester-SJF at 7, but for the early game

a) Carnegie Mellon-Hobart (starts at noon and shorter drive)
b) St. Lawrence-Alfred (might need the 1 p.m. kickoff since I fly in that a.m., and have never seen either team play)

Someone in the know, help me decide.

Also, if any of you are in the area on Saturday, definitely drop me a line. Keith@D3football.com or the ATN board or here or whatever.

(secretly wants Tennessee to magically pull out a W on Saturday, FWIW)

Where are you flying into?  If it's Rochester, Alfred is about 81 miles (75-90+ mins) directly south on the 390.  Geneva is 46 miles (about 50 mins) east of Rocho on the NYS thruway (i-90).

I'd actually advise a triple dip of going to Hobart-CMU first half, listen to 89.7 FM WEOS en route to Alfred, see Alfred late 1st-early second half.

Roll up to Rocho, grab a garbage plate at Nick's (if that's still around), then hit the courage bowl for the night cap.

Otherwise, my biased opinion is Bart-CMU.  The last two games have been decided by a combined 6 points.  The Larries are improved (at least good enough to beat Norwich) but may get stomped by Alfred.

Thought about the Triple dip, but looking at the map, I wasn't sure it was possible necessarily. Or worth it. Though I think when I had that thought, I'd forgotten about the staggered start times at Bart & Alfred.

That's a heck of a lot of driving, but I would like to see all three campuses.

Even selfishly I'm torn. I've seen Hobart and CMU, and never the other two ... but shorter drives are always fun. People I'd like to meet at both places.

So basically I came for the biased opinion. Good stuff, it helps.

Pep would add that the drive between Geneva and Alfred (usually 90 min), no matter what routes one takes to get through the Finger Lakes, is quite enjoyable. Pep would recommend from Geneva, take Rt. 14A south (left off Rts. 5&20 west of the Boz) to Penn Yan, then take Rt. 54 South to Bath, where you can pick up I-86 West....take Exit 33, right on Karrdale Ave., right on Rt. 21 thru Almond, right on Rt. 244....straight into town to the light where you take a couple lefts and follow drive into McLane Parking Lot. (If you're coming to Alfred, let Pep know and he'll reserve a parking spot behind the Merrill Field grandstand, which is a left coming into town)

Follow your tracks back to I-86, go east to Exit 34N, follow Rt. 36 north to Dansville where you hit I-390 north to Rochester. Easy!

Let Pep know if you're coming; he'll give you the nickel tour and accentuate all of the positives of Alfred where Pep is serving a life sentence. 

`Bart kickoff @ noon. Awesome tailgating at Bristol Fieldhouse parking lot behind the field. Fans would love to party w/you K-Mack! Hope to meet you at the festivities.Go `Bart!!!

I said it earlier on the LLPP, but since you have no horse in the race K-Mack I think your best bet is going to Geneva.  From your perspective you're looking for the best game and Bart-CMU gives you the best chance of an exciting finish.  If the Pumpkins come out flat again you may regret the decision and we'd absolutely love to have you down at Merrill, but you can wait for the first round of the playoffs to make the trip!

On Saxon Warriors!!!

You guys are making me think I should try to do all three. That would mean first half at Hobart though, because of the earlier kick, and second half at Alfred, where all predictions are that it will no longer be a game by the time I get there.

90 minutes mean I miss some game. And this is going to be a LOT of driving. K-Mack thinks he will hate himself on Saturday.

[Pat Coleman]

Don't try to do all three. I wouldn't drive any longer during halftime than the trip you and I took from Benedictine to Elmhurst.

I would recommend taking the teams you haven't seen before. You could get someone to get you a tape of the TV broadcast of the Hobart-Carnegie Mellon game.

This isn't an official assignment, though, just my $.02.

[K-Mack]

Perhaps, then, I should have decided before getting everyone all riled up at whichever one I can't make it to.

It's all about seeing the game-day atmoshphere though. I certainly could stop by one of the fields another time.

It's going to be a difficult drive anyway, esp. since I'm flying out of Baltimore. (and if I didn't have a family, I would go to Gettysburg-Johns Hopkins on Friday night, stay the night and fly in the a.m.)

I'll figure out if it's all even possible tomorrow. I usually can't even think straight til after I file ATN.

[DutchFan2004]

KMack I say take a bribe.  Whoever is willing to pay you the big bucks to cover their team.   

[Ron Boerger]

KMack I say take a bribe.  Whoever is willing to pay you the big bucks to cover their team.   

If he did that, he'd never see a game ...   

And thanks, K-Mack, for reminding us one more time about that 2002 debacle in this week's ATN.  About the only good thing that came out of that weekend was the chance to finally meet you and Pat in person.