FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[JT]

I read JK's post and the responses -- and again, my post should be taken as an outsider's opinion from 10,000 feet.  I mean no disrespect to anyone in this post...

JK's original post provides interesting background on Vince Kehres that might explain the two times in the game that he was somewhat out of control -- he came out past the numbers on the field in the first quarter when ESPN had cut away either to replays or commercial, and he came out obviously in the fourth quarter after the final UWW touchdown.  Basically, after reading JK's posts, my guess is that Vince is a little unrestrained and rarely has faced the scenario he faced on Saturday when a somewhat pivotal call didn't go his way.  However, on the sideline, there were other voices from those folks of Mount Union that you didn't hear making comments like, "Those refs should be fired!"  I chalk all of this up to knee-jerk reactions from a team that's just not used to the ball rolling the way it did throughout the evening on Saturday.  Was I personally offended, angered or upset by the situation?  No.  There are much worse things I've seen from the sidelines in my 14 seasons of covering D3 football -- and Saturday was tame maybe with the exception of Vince's stroll to the goalline.

Yet, I go back to my original point from yesterday -- why are we focusing so much on Vince's two bad moments, especially in a situation where the game was so close and well played by both teams?  When Corey Jackson from SJF beat the drum after making the score 52-9 with the extra point pending, he was self-promoting and selfish to his team by doing something unrelated to the game of football while the cameras/focus were on him.  Vince Kehres was reacting to the game and a call in the game each time he came onto the field.  Should he be penalized with a flag and maybe internally by MUC?  Yes and probably.  However, as a fan, you need to distinguish his passion toward the game and his passion toward himself -- and Saturday, it was a passion toward the game and his team that drove him to react outside the normal lines.  It's mentionable, but it's not something that should overshadow UWW's win or Mt. Union's comeback.

JK left open the idea that Vince will grow up a bit from his actions on Saturday -- and I think I can speak for most men in America and the world when I say that we all seem to grow into our father's demeanor and habits as we grow older.  I used to hate a lot of my own father's traits and aspects of his personality when I was younger, and yet, day after day, I notice myself becoming more and more like my father.  In the case of Vince, that'll be a great thing since his father is such a positive force in the game of college football.  Give him time and let him learn his lessons -- we all make mistakes and we all get the best lessons when we see them for ourselves, not by having a sledgehammer pound us about them.

Finally, I want to thank JK for not only his insightful posts (remember, he's up front about his own feelings toward Vince and what led him to those feelings -- allowing us to decide for ourselves how it may connect to Saturday's issues), but also for his service to our country.  I have a true soft spot for our military men and women because of the ultimate sacrifices they put forward on behalf of all of us.  Let's not forget these sacrifices as things have quieted down in the Middle East a bit.  This is the time of year we need to remember our men and women in the military most.  Please send my most sincere holiday wishes to everyone over there, JK.

JK was over there (twice??), he's been in command of an ROTC program in KY the past few years.

[Frank Rossi]

JK was over there (twice??), he's been in command of an ROTC program in KY the past few years.

Thanks for that info, JT -- although I'd say the same goes to our military domestically and internationally in terms of thanking them and wishing them well as they celebrate the holidays away from their families for the most part.

[kickerdad]

Redtooth,    The reason UWW won this game was their defense made us earn every yard, their were no big plays.  Their pass coverage, like the '03" St. John game and the '00' St. John' game was outstanding.  You couple that with a little more pressure then Mt. usually gets and that is a problem.  The other factor was their off. line blocked the heck out of us.  They created the opportunity of a miss tackle letting the Beave get big yards.  No. 47 for us had not been taken out of so many plays the whole year as he was in this game.  The def. line had a very difficult time getting  into the backfield.  They played well(UWW), they won the game.  The funny thing about the  game is that the fumble that we had in the end zone and lost, plus the TD that was taken away from Kemic(not enough to change the call on the field IMO) changed the whole game.  In games like this when two teams are even, you play hard and often some luck will give you the edge.  Overall the weather hurt us more then it did them. Once again you have no control of it, you got to make it happen anyway.  In the end the best team won.  They deserved it.  It takes alot to beat Mount, even when they are not at the top of their game, and even when you get the breaks. In the end there are not many teams that have the capacity to do this to Mount.  UWW was  one and they are the Champs until next Dec. 2008. 

With reference to #47 (middle LB for Mount), I am glad someone else noticed him as I did while sitting in my home watching on TV. I have seen this player twice before and thought he was another Butkus or Ray N. (Green Bay during the 60's). I was shocked to see him take himself out of plays as much as he did saturday. One time it appeared he was chasing a ghost to the right and Beavers was going the other way. He appeared flat footed on pass protection and looked generally confused on where he was supposed to be. Credit the O-Line for UWW, that will probably be the only time this year you have seen someone manhandle him between the tackles.

With that said, I still believe he is an outstanding football player and has served Mount well in that position.

Also, with all the talk about the assistant coach and the player (#1) I still say Mount Union is a class act and I take my hat off to the team and their head coach. To all the Mount fans, congrats on a great year and don't worry I will be willing to bet an RC Cola and a moon pie, that you will be back in Salem again soon.

[Frank Rossi]

The PicturePrints.net site has some awesome shots from Saterday, including one of Vince Kehres at midfield with the flag in the air:

http://www.pictureprints.net/albums.php?gallery=1986&photo=1379

Make sure you guys check out the photo anthology.  They had all the angles covered throughout the day.

[HScoach]

desertraider,

You couldn't have stated your point any better.  I had forgotten about ESPN cutting away from a live game to announce that Mount lost a conference game.  The dynasty is not dead, just like it wasn't dead in '99, '03, or '04.  This program has only won 8 titles in 11 years, and according to some people it's time to write them off because they didn't win it this year.  Give me a break.  Mount will reload, come out and play the next season, and hopefully be back in the Stagg Bowl.  If Mount doesn't make it back next year, there's always the year after that.  It has gotten to a point now that it is expected that Mount plays in and wins the title, but all of a sudden when they don't do it, some fans of other schools start to pile on about how the king has fallen or the dynasty is dead.  How many times does the MUC dynasty have to come back from being "dead"?

Don't worry about everyone's statements from around the nation regarding the "death of the King".  It's merely wishful thinking.  Same as it was in '05 when they lost to ONU.

As long as LK is the head coach, Mount Union will be somewhere between a very legitimate threat to the favorite to win it.  How else do you explain the string of Semi-Final appearances from 1995 to present?

No doubt Mount loses a ton of great players from the '07 team, but it's not any worse than what MUC lost after the 1993 and 1997 seasons and they seemed to rebound from those just fine.

[Knightstalker]

desertraider,

You couldn't have stated your point any better.  I had forgotten about ESPN cutting away from a live game to announce that Mount lost a conference game.  The dynasty is not dead, just like it wasn't dead in '99, '03, or '04.  This program has only won 8 titles in 11 years, and according to some people it's time to write them off because they didn't win it this year.  Give me a break.  Mount will reload, come out and play the next season, and hopefully be back in the Stagg Bowl.  If Mount doesn't make it back next year, there's always the year after that.  It has gotten to a point now that it is expected that Mount plays in and wins the title, but all of a sudden when they don't do it, some fans of other schools start to pile on about how the king has fallen or the dynasty is dead.  How many times does the MUC dynasty have to come back from being "dead"?

Don't worry about everyone's statements from around the nation regarding the "death of the King".  It's merely wishful thinking.  Same as it was in '05 when they lost to ONU.

As long as LK is the head coach, Mount Union will be somewhere between a very legitimate threat to the favorite to win it.  How else do you explain the string of Semi-Final appearances from 1995 to present?

No doubt Mount loses a ton of great players from the '07 team, but it's not any worse than what MUC lost after the 1993 and 1997 seasons and they seemed to rebound from those just fine.

How else to explain the string of Semi-Final appearances?  LK has Marty McFly's DeLorean and goes to the future to find out what the other teams are doing and then comes back to the present to alter his game plan to counter them.  Yeah, that's how they are doing it.

[HScoach]

In regards to the VK trip onto the field, I'll have to go back and review my tape to confirm what I thought I saw from there.  But I recall as Vince was starting onto the field, Larry started toward Vince to corral him, but stopped.  As a parent (and it applies to teacher and coach too), sometimes you have to let your kids make mistakes and fail to properly teach the lesson.  I wonder if that applies here, or if I saw it incorrectly from the stadium that night.

Anyone else see this?  Or am I sniffing glue?

[HScoach]

How else to explain the string of Semi-Final appearances?  LK has Marty McFly's DeLorean and goes to the future to find out what the other teams are doing and then comes back to the present to alter his game plan to counter them.  Yeah, that's how they are doing it.

Hmmm, then the crappy weather really was the determining factor!  It must have messed up his Flux Capacitor.......

[Knightstalker]

How else to explain the string of Semi-Final appearances?  LK has Marty McFly's DeLorean and goes to the future to find out what the other teams are doing and then comes back to the present to alter his game plan to counter them.  Yeah, that's how they are doing it.

Hmmm, then the crappy weather really was the determining factor!  It must have messed up his Flux Capacitor.......

You got to keep that bad boy dry.

How many times did your mother tell you not to build model airplanes with all the windows closed?

[stealth]

Now matter what he did he sure was sharply dressed. 

The PicturePrints.net site has some awesome shots from Saterday, including one of Vince Kehres at midfield with the flag in the air:

http://www.pictureprints.net/albums.php?gallery=1986&photo=1379

Make sure you guys check out the photo anthology.  They had all the angles covered throughout the day.

[reality check]

4. To the ESPN announcers: it is the PURPLE RAIDERS not the Red Raiders!!! I can understand that once, maybe twice - but in the FOURTH QUARTER? Pay attention! Also, to Holly Rowe (is that her name?) this was the 2nd Mount game you called in as many years - it is "MOUNT UNION" not Mountain Union!

I admit I missed the "red" and "mountain" slip-ups but I thought the biggest goof on ESPN's part was that no one had any idea who "the asst. coach that got the penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct" was.  I couldn't believe they either didn't know it was the D-Coord. or more importantly the younger Kehres.

[Spence]

Also, is it time to start talking about Whitewater moving up a division?  If Mount Union needs to move up a division, the team that beat them needs to do the same, right?   

Some cranks have been saying for years that the entire WIAC should move to d2; it's as tired a 'debate' as MUC football moving up.

It's a lot more defendable than Mount moving up in football only, which is um, not legal.

My guess is if the split of D-III happens you end up with something that looks a lot like publics to the left (D-II and D-III), privates to the right with a couple private conferences in the middle.

[runyr]

VK:
I lived in Bloomington, IN during the 80's and watched almost every IU basketball game and two of their national championships.  Watching Bobby Knight all those years makes what VK did seem like nothing to me.  I don't understand the strong reaction to what Vince did.  I'm sure he regrets doing it and I'm perfectly willing to let it go.  It was a tough loss.  Let's cut the guy some slack, fellas.
Name a D3 defensive coach who did a better overall job this year than Vince Kehres?  I don't think you can. 

[wally_wabash]

Name a D3 defensive coach who did a better overall job this year than Vince Kehres? 

Brian Borland?

[Olinemom]

I finally got home and have a moment to get caught up on the boards!  I want to thank Seventies Raider and Kevin for the delicious buckeyes that they brought to the tailgate!!  I had been looking forward to them since last year's tailgate!!!  I gave myself the whole Thursday - Saturday Stagg Bowl experience for my Christmas present to me and I enjoyed it immensely.  The best part to me is meeting all the people from both teams and all those who come because they love d3 football.  It's the best party I know.  I had never gone to the Gagliardi award so I went to that.  It was great.  I got to meet Derek Blanchard that evening as well as Drew Smith from Hampden-Sydney for whom I voted as he's from my conference.  It was he whose contribution to his team that broke our backs and cause HS to beat us for the first time in 9 years.  He won my vote the hard way!!  On Friday I went to the luncheon.  I had gone last year and had really enjoyed it so I wanted to go again.  What's not to like with 100+ great football players all in one place.  I enjoyed listening to both coaches and both player representatives.  I would have liked to have gone and watched practice but I figured as I didn't have the right clearances (not press), they wouldn't let me and I had to go back to the hotel and pack the brownies up for both teams for the next day.  I still have a bruise on my palm for cutting the brownies with the candy bars in the middle.  You'all who had one of those know how big and full of chocolate they were!!  They were the devil to cut, I can tell you that.  It wasn't all hard work (I'm kidding!!) as I went down to Corned Beef and Co. with others from Stone Station to enjoy some grown-up refreshment and the D1AA championship game.  Hey, I'm old fashioned and I can't remember that new name and I don't care about it anyway.  Just so Delaware lost, which they did.  So the big day was next!!!  I got the drunk meatballs ready at the hotel and drove down to the parking lot.  The crowds were starting to come in.  Plenty of Raider fans at my hotel:  Section13raider fan had to go through like 5 rooms to find one where everything worked.  Hey it's a d3 thing!!  The tailgate was a blast!!!  I stood cutting brownies, cutting cheese bread, apple strudel and cherry strudel for hours.  It was great fun!!  There were so many fans.  And they were all wearing purple.  Imagine that!!  My favorite color!  I got to meet Jaypeter for the first time.  SEction13 and family were there chowing down, 1/2 the MUC band was in line along with 1/2 of the UWW band.  There were a couple of Purple suits and 2 guys in purple hair!  Skunks and Skunks_sidekick were back this year!  So glad to see them!  And yes, Raiderpa, I love the purple Santa suit.  I hope that picture Peggy took comes out so I can add it to my Stagg Bowl wall in my office!! 
     I would really like to thank Rudy, Theaprof, for bringing me my MUC while t-shirt and hat!!  I was so happy to have them, but I was floored by the surprise that he brought me.  He had said something about bringing me a surprise.  It was a Larry Kehres purple visor and he had the starting OLINERS along with Greg Micheli and Nate Kmic (whom I plan on seeing at next year's Gags award!!) autograph.  I was stunned.  This gesture meant and means so much to me!!  I immediately put it on and wore it all through the ball game, although I was afraid that the rain/sleet was going to ruin it.  What a wonderful gift which I will treasure.  You can be sure, Rudy, that I will be also writing the young men in question to thank them all for this kindness for an old lady.  I have read over 30 pages on both boards about the game and my brother taped it for me so that I can watch it when I get home so I won't talk about it more than to say that it was a hard-fought game.  I know how it feels to lose the championship game because my team lost to MUC in 2001.  But it doesn't stop my love for d3football or the Stagg Bowl.  No matter who comes to the game to play, I plan on being there to help host as long as I am able!!
     On Saturday evening after the game, I had a hard fall in my hotel room and had to stay an extra day just resting before I could drive home.  The doctor says no bones are broken,but there is a tear somewhere near the right hip (which already was pretty LOUSY!!) and so I have to take it easy for the next few weeks.  What a bummer!!  At least there's no meaningful football to miss as that doesn't start back until next August. 
     I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I know that the best coach, in whatever division you would care to mention, will have his Raiders in tip-top shape again when it comes time to play!!  I just hope the rest of us can also be as prepared as MUC always is!  All the best.  Love,  Olinemom