FB: American Southwest Conference

[Ralph Turner]

They say A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but the one in  San Antonio has water spouting out of it!

[Ralph Turner]

Dallas Morning News columnist Kevin Sherrington recounts the 1963 McMurry belly landing of their charter DC-3 at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport.

Brotherhood of Indian Belly Landing Experts

The B.I.B.L.E. Club

[Warren Thompson]

They say A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but the one in  San Antonio has water spouting out of it!

Yeah, ain't it grand? It's stuff like this that gives San Antonio its unique charm. According to the Express-News, the water has healing properties and is purer than the local tap water.

Perhaps the tree owner should bottle and sell it under the claim, "Water Straight from the Tree. No Chemicals. No Nothing. Just Pure Water."

[PA_wesleyfan]

  I think first and foremost that any school who is using a form of or a actual Indian name should be able to ask the Native American community as a whole what is offensive. I have heard as a whole that most of the Native Americans don't care. But if certain names like redskins offends then maybe those schools could change to a proper named tribe. In the grand scheme of things did these schools actually start out to offend !!!!!  But like the small groups of objectors to having God displayed any where in public view there are activists who want everything their way and be damned what the majority wants. 

Lets hope the NCAA doesn't make things worse with their decisions. Meaning that some people will take this as a challenge and make way more out of it than needs to be.   

[Ralph Turner]

PA Wesleyan, the NCAA did not find McMurry's use of the Indian mascot to be hostile and abusive.

They expressed the concern that  McMurry could not control the environment which might become hostile and abusive!

I applaud the NCAA raising the bar!

I find alcohol use abusive and hostile in very many cases.

I would like for the NCAA to apply this high standard of controlling the gamblilng associated with March Madness.

What about the hazing episodes that we saw on college campuses as members of athletic teams posted their escapdes on the web!

Shouldn't those presidents invoke this higher standard of a non-hostile, non-abusive envirionment on their own intercollegiate athletic teams?

[lg1970]

Ralph,

If the standard to be considered is preventing potentially hostile and abusive environments, then scores of traditional rivalries need to be cancelled.  I have personally witnessed the intensity of the Wabash-DePauw Monon Bell rivalry, and the "exchange of pleasantries" between fans of both schools has been abusive and hostile, to say the least.

Since my initial post, I have learned the NCAA's willingness to concede a school's use of a Native American nickname has been predicated upon that particular tribe's agreement.  So I suggest McMurry should approach the Kaw tribe for approval of the nickname.   

[Ron Boerger]

Here's the report from UMHB:

Belton, TX—The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football program welcomed 167 players to campus as the 2006 edition of the Crusader football team reported to campus Monday morning. The Crusaders expect at least 14 more players to report on the first day of classes next week for a total of 181 players.

          "When the players report every year it really gets my blood pumping," UMHB Head Coach Pete Fredenburg said. "I feel like this is probably the best group we've had coming in. The players are excited and the coaches are excited and we are really looking forward to having a chance to see these guys perform out on the practice field."

          The Crusaders will go through their first full-team practice at 8:45 AM on Tuesday morning. The players will practice at that time every day this week before putting on full pads for the first time on Saturday morning at 8:45 AM.

          The UMHB football team finished the 2005 season with a 9-2 record and won the American Southwest Conference championship. The Crusaders advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III National Championships before falling to Wesley College. The UMHB football team opens the 2006 season on September 9th with a 12:00 PM Central Time kickoff at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. The Crusaders open ASC play the following week with a 1:00 PM kickoff at Sul Ross State in Alpine.

[Zmotion10 out on 2]

Who does your team scrimmage?

HSU scrimmages New Mexico Military.

[etg]

(El Tea Gray---re: Preseason Scrimmages)

hpudad and HPU Athletic Web Master,

In the past it has been a violation of NCAA rules to announce ("advertise") a D3 preseason scrimmage. Is that still the case?

                                                     

[Warren Thompson]

(El Tea Gray---re: Preseason Scrimmages)

hpudad and HPU Athletic Web Master,

In the past it has been a violation of NCAA rules to announce ("advertise") a D3 preseason scrimmage. Is that still the case?

                                                     

As I recall, and I may well be in error, it's a violation if and only if there is a press release about a scrimmage; a scrimmage can be cited in a schedule ... and that's it.
[Besides, how do you keep a scrimmage secret, given the talkative nature of college students, and that spectators are generally allowed?  ]

NCAA rules mavens, if need be, kindly correct anything I've said above.

[Bill McCabe]

I think it is incredible the number of players reporting to each of the schools.  That is great news.  I think it is interesting to contrast that to the number of seniors on each roster.

[Zmotion10 out on 2]

I think it is incredible the number of players reporting to each of the schools.  That is great news.  I think it is interesting to contrast that to the number of seniors on each roster.

With the price of tuition at the privates it is amazing that there are any seniors at all!  Looks like a huge drop off from one year to the next at the freshman to sophomore level.  I guess many kids figure out that either they are tired of playing and or they have other interests or that they are not going to get any playing time soon enough to keep them around.

Grades too!

[Bill McCabe]

Zmotion10, I agree with you about the cost of tuition.  I think the drop off probably is due more to playing time.

[Zmotion10 out on 2]

Zmotion10, I agree with you about the cost of tuition.  I think the drop off probably is due more to playing time.

Agreed~

The playing time was a huge shocker to my son.  He went from a two way starter (All Everyting) in high school to being red-shirted and not even getting a jersey #.  He did not even dress for a single game.  Talk about shock.  Not only to him but to us parents as well.  (He went to a DII out of high school).   Thank goodness his coach at the DII spelled it out to him that he would not see any playing time until he was a junior.  He wanted to play sooner than that so he transferred to HSU. 

Thinking he would just go right in and grab a spot.  Wrong again.  Instead he spent last season on the JV and played in 10 games.  So that helped him to develop and had he been at that DII he probably would have given up.  I think my son had a confidence problem after that first year.  I think he questioned himself --  was he really good enough?  I can say that there was no drop in talent level from the DII to the DIII.  Great athletes at both places.

So we shall see this year as he has a fair shot at playing.  He has paid his dues now, knows the system and as long as he stays healthy the coaching staff will give him an opportunity to compete for a spot. 

The JV teams may save some of them from dropping.  Glad to see HPU JV get 6 games this year, maybe next year they can get a full schedule.

[Ralph Turner]

Zmotion10, I agree with you about the cost of tuition.  I think the drop off probably is due more to playing time.

Agreed~

The playing time was a huge shocker to my son.  He went from a two way starter (All Everyting) in high school to being red-shirted and not even getting a jersey #.  He did not even dress for a single game.  Talk about shock.  Not only to him but to us parents as well.  (He went to a DII out of high school).   Thank goodness his coach at the DII spelled it out to him that he would not see any playing time until he was a junior.  He wanted to play sooner than that so he transferred to HSU. 

Thinking he would just go right in and grab a spot.  Wrong again.  Instead he spent last season on the JV and played in 10 games.  So that helped him to develop and had he been at that DII he probably would have given up.  I think my son had a confidence problem after that first year.  I think he questioned himself --  was he really good enough?  I can say that there was no drop in talent level from the DII to the DIII.  Great athletes at both places.

So we shall see this year as he has a fair shot at playing.  He has paid his dues now, knows the system and as long as he stays healthy the coaching staff will give him an opportunity to compete for a spot. 

The JV teams may save some of them from dropping.  Glad to see HPU JV get 6 games this year, maybe next year they can get a full schedule.

Z, one of the critical issues with JV teams is having opponents, and having another program in Brownwood helps McMurry and HSU as well.

I think that McMurry plays HSU twice, HPU twice, ACU twice, Cisco JC once and a German team for 8 games.   (I could not find the 2006 McM JV schedule on the newly configured McMurry web site.)