FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Mugsy]

Smugsy,

My point exactly!  Pat's bracket is broken.  This means there must be an official one out there which is correct.  Thanks for jumping all over me, though.  It's know-it-alls like you who greatly decreased my interest in posting lately.

Type away so you can read your fine posts over and over and over...
4u

My apology.  I misunderstood the context of your post.  I'm sorry I didn't have time to read the previous pages of posts to "understand" the tone/context of your post.

I'm not really sure I was "jumping all over you".  I was merely pointing out what I thought was a misunderstanding of someone who admittedly hadn't been posting much lately.  My intent was not to be a hostile, jerk pointing out everyone's flaws.

[HScoach]

Smugsy,

My point exactly!  Pat's bracket is broken.  This means there must be an official one out there which is correct.  Thanks for jumping all over me, though.  It's know-it-alls like you who greatly decreased my interest in posting lately.

Type away so you can read your fine posts over and over and over...
4u

4u,

I actually took your post as a shot at your alma mater for being horrid this season.  Maybe I need to go back to sensitivity training.

[reality check]

 I took it the same way and thought it was brilliant hscoach.  I expect nothing less from 4u.

[4u]

HS Coach,

A shot at the alma mater?  Noooooooo!   

4u

[smedindy]

Hey gang! As a participant in the OAC pick 'ems I wanted to say that I posted a playoff pick 'em as well in the MIAC board with three bonus questions. Enjoy!

[Blutarsky]

You know, all of these "misinterpretations" is exactly the reason that I tell my kids that texting/emailing is NOT the right way to communicate.  There is no inflection of voice, body language, facial gestures, etc......oh well. (at least these little "emocons" help)

[runyr]

Jeff,

I don't know if you know the history of the NCAC, but perhaps a re-telling here would be appropriate.

It was basically an ideological debate over the role of sports that led to the NCAC's creation and it was at the great expense of the OAC...

All of the NCAC's Ohio schools (which is the largest part of that conference) at one time were a part of the OAC.  In fact, Wittenberg used to be the OAC's powerhouse program and the OAC's de facto MVP award until 2007, the Mike Gregory Award, was named after a Denison player.

In 1983, the NCAC was formed when OWU, Wooster, Denison, Kenyon, and Oberlin joined with Case (who was independent, but also a former OAC member), Allegheny and Earlham to form a new conference.  Witt left the OAC to join the NCAC in 1988.  Case left the NCAC and Hiram left the OAC to replace them in 2000.  Wabash joined when the old Indiana COnference disbanded in the 90's to give them their current 10 schools.

Much of the reason for those schools leaving had to do with their disagreement on the role of Athletics within a small/ liberal arts College/ University's mission and the "emphasis" placed on sports by the OAC and some of the Schools they were competing with in it (basically, in their opinion, too much).  So, they left to form their own conference, with more of an "Academic Focus."  In fact, here is a quote directly from their own website:

Founded in 1983, the North Coast Athletic Conference is dedicated to fostering a complementary relationship between intercollegiate athletics and the pursuit of academic excellence. Consisting of 10 academically selective colleges and universities in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania — Allegheny College, Denison University, Earlham College, Hiram College, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Wabash College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster — the NCAC believes that high-level athletic programs need not be sacrificed in order to meet rigid academic standards.

Significantly, all 10 NCAC institutions have been granted chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, the preeminent honor society for colleges and universities. Only 276 of the more than 3,000 four-year institutions in the United States have been so honored.

Please note the parts in bold.  It can be argued that there are some OAC schools that are as selective or more selective than some of the NCAC schools, and we feel no such need to claim our schools are "Academically selective," particularly when it comes to describing our sports teams and our conference.  Additionally, Marietta has a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter...so what?  I think several other OAC schools meet the qualifications for a chapter but simply are not interested in forming one.

So, yes, we sling some arrows at the NCAC.  Mostly it is all in good fun, as we accuse them of being "Elitist" and of "taking their ball and going home," so to speak, by forming their own conference because they thought other schools placed "too much emphasis" on sports over education... so much so that they had to include it in their conference's mission statement.

There were some posters who played and occasionally still play the "academic card" and that usually brings the OAC-NCAC debate to the fore.  Sometimes it is competition related as we don't understand why, for the most part, NCAC schools won't schedule OAC schools for OOC games despite their general proximity to one another (ala MUC-COW).  IN fact, some in OAC circles view the UAA and NCAC scheduling "arrangement" as simply another NCAC "put down" of the OAC, an agreement to play teams who share their academic beliefs and not us heathens in the OAC who value winning meaningless sports contests.  In response we usually accuse them of taking the easy road instead of stepping up and doing what was necessary to compete.

So, perhaps that helps explain our barbs at the NCAC folks?

Nice information.....+K.  Especially for an Otter fan.....

Just to beat a dead horse, the 16th oldest Phi Beta Kappa chapter is still in the OAC.  This fine OAC institution was granted a chapter in 1860. 
Name that school. 

[TooForRaider]

Otter-

Brilliant and well articulated. + imaginary karma

[JK]

Just to beat a dead horse, the 16th oldest Phi Beta Kappa chapter is still in the OAC.  This fine OAC institution was granted a chapter in 1860. 
Name that school. 

I think I did.  THat would be Marietta, who is the only OAC school with a chapter.

Otter-

Brilliant and well articulated. + imaginary karma

I'm NOT AN OTTER- STOP IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!  You guys are killing me with the yuks about me being an OTTER... 

I guess I deserve it, but still...

[seventiesraider]

Does Phi Alpha Tau count? I think Mount has the oldest FAT chapter in the world   Although they tore the house down to build Jae Manor 

[reality check]

But there's always the argument that THE Ohio State University never officially resigned their membership to the OAC so that could give us two PBK chapters.


How smart can the PBK'ers be anyways.  Their chapter location link shows Earlham to be located squarely in the middle of the state of Indiana and even with my modest ONU education, I'm aware that Richmond is right on the Ohio/Indiana border (home of Raper RV!!!)

[Toph]

Apparently I missed a lot in taking a week away from looking at this place.  Wow.

Let's all sing kumbaya and agree that JCU is not where they should be, and anyone who pretends otherwise is going to get themselves into what has to be one of the stupidest pissing contests I've ever read and ONU had a shot at the playoffs and maybe they should be in...but losing to Otterbein was nobody's fault but their own (which I think everyone was agreeing to anyway, but for some reason there was a lot of shouting going on about it).  

And for the record, my dad can beat up your dad.

I thought this was going to an off week.

[reality check]

Apparently I missed a lot in taking a week away from looking at this place.  Wow.

Let's all sing kumbaya and agree that JCU is not where they should be, and anyone who pretends otherwise is going to get themselves into what has to be one of the stupidest pissing contests I've ever read and ONU had a shot at the playoffs and maybe they should be in...but losing to Otterbein was nobody's fault but their own (which I think everyone was agreeing to anyway, but for some reason there was a lot of shouting going on about it).  

And for the record, my dad can beat up your dad.

I thought this was going to an off week.

Your mom's an astronaut.

(Name the movie)

[Toph]

Apparently I missed a lot in taking a week away from looking at this place.  Wow.

Let's all sing kumbaya and agree that JCU is not where they should be, and anyone who pretends otherwise is going to get themselves into what has to be one of the stupidest pissing contests I've ever read and ONU had a shot at the playoffs and maybe they should be in...but losing to Otterbein was nobody's fault but their own (which I think everyone was agreeing to anyway, but for some reason there was a lot of shouting going on about it).  

And for the record, my dad can beat up your dad.

I thought this was going to an off week.

Your mom's an astronaut.

(Name the movie)

White Men Can't Jump?

[seventiesraider]

BTW As a Purple Raider from the dark days of the 1960's, I reserve the right to make obnoxious statements about the last twenty years of Mount Union football. I, along with Rscl70, Runyr, Raider68 and a handful of others know where we came from and where (God Forbid) we may someday return. We are hopefully rebuilding track, cross country, girls basketball and wrestling programs at Mount as we speak.  Men's basketball and baseball are probably a coaching change away. Soccer, who gives a crap?

Heck, most days I'm just proud Larry Kehres remembers my name.

Glad the pre-season is over Raiders. I'll be on the south wall at noon on Saturday.