FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

My experience has been that very few NP alum stay for more than a half either.  In most cases the game is already decided so they are off to the next social gathering.  I'm amazed at the degree with which the football game is a social gathering.  I don't think my wife or any of her classmates, with exception to a few really crazy guys, even pay attention to the game.  I, on the hand, try to disect everything regardless of who is playing.

Keep in mind that nobody at NPU has ever had much of a reason to pay attention to what's happening on the football field -- or at least not since LBJ was in the White House and the Beatles were still together. Most of the exceptions were people like Dennis Prikkel, who were paid to pay attention to the game. This indifference to the school's football team holds true whether you're Class of '07, Class of '97, Class of '87, or Class of '77. It's one of those facts of life at North Park that, like having countless classmates named Johnson or Anderson, like dates at Water Tower Place, and like saving your shoveled parking space with broken furniture, is a perennial truth. Bad football is one thing that unites all of us Parkers under the age of sixty.

Student attendance at NPU football games has never been particularly good for as long as I can remember, and it's easy to see why. Homecoming attendance is always good, but the reason why has nothing to do with the football game; the stands hold a lot of people, and it's thus easy for alumni to meet people there. As you said, it's a social gathering.

Most of the students on campus when I was there who were big football fans stayed in the dorms and watched USC or Alabama or Michigan or Notre Dame or whomever on TV on Saturday afternoons. My guess is that this still holds true for current NPU students. It's not that NPU students are averse to watching D3 sports; they simply don't see the point in showing up to see their school get pounded by a score of 58-7, and I can't say that I blame them. I was the same way when I was a student.

[Mugsy]

My experience has been that very few NP alum stay for more than a half either.  In most cases the game is already decided so they are off to the next social gathering.  I'm amazed at the degree with which the football game is a social gathering.  I don't think my wife or any of her classmates, with exception to a few really crazy guys, even pay attention to the game.  I, on the hand, try to disect everything regardless of who is playing.

Keep in mind that nobody at NPU has ever had much of a reason to pay attention to what's happening on the football field -- or at least not since LBJ was in the White House and the Beatles were still together. Most of the exceptions were people like Dennis Prikkel, who were paid to pay attention to the game. This indifference to the school's football team holds true whether you're Class of '07, Class of '97, Class of '87, or Class of '77. It's one of those facts of life at North Park that, like having countless classmates named Johnson or Anderson, like dates at Water Tower Place, and like saving your shoveled parking space with broken furniture, is a perennial truth. Bad football is one thing that unites all of us Parkers under the age of sixty.

Student attendance at NPU football games has never been particularly good for as long as I can remember, and it's easy to see why. Homecoming attendance is always good, but the reason why has nothing to do with the football game; the stands hold a lot of people, and it's thus easy for alumni to meet people there. As you said, it's a social gathering.

Most of the students on campus when I was there who were big football fans stayed in the dorms and watched USC or Alabama or Michigan or Notre Dame or whomever on TV on Saturday afternoons. My guess is that this still holds true for current NPU students. It's not that NPU students are averse to watching D3 sports; they simply don't see the point in showing up to see their school get pounded by a score of 58-7, and I can't say that I blame them. I was the same way when I was a student.

Given the context that makes sense.  You need to be quite the diehard to sit through season after season of futility.

Doubt I'll see the entire game either, as I'm sure my wife will be wanting to move onto the next social event.

[Carthage Fan]

Sign of the apocalypse: Mr. Ypsi is more of an NPU 'homer' than "the most optimistic Viking fan"!

I'm not quite sure what's led you to anoint me "the most optimistic Vikings fan", Chuck, but you'd best look in another direction than mine to find someone to fit that appellation.

Greg, I had to get the Websters out for that one!   

Main Entry: ap·pel·la·tion
Pronunciation: "a-p&-'lA-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : an identifying name or title : DESIGNATION
2 archaic : the act of calling by a name
3 : a geographical name (as of a region, village, or vineyard) under which a winegrower is authorized to identify and market wine; also : the area designated by such a name

Always enjoy reading your posts!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Be careful not to confuse 'appellation' with Appalachian, the appellation of a State University Michigan will not soon schedule again!

[Carthage Fan]

Be careful not to confuse 'appellation' with Appalachian, the appellation of a State University Michigan will not soon schedule again!

How about the Mountaineers getting picked off by the Wofford Terriers ending their 17 game win streak.   

Well back to CCIW for a moment.  Looking forward to traveling to Elmhurst for the Red Men vs. Bluejays this weekend for my first look at CCIW competition.  From what I have read on here it should be a good game.  Very pivotal for both programs.  Of course I see the Red Men coming out on top. 

Not that its a big deal, but does Langhorst Field have visitors' stands? 

[RedmenBigD]

Be careful not to confuse 'appellation' with Appalachian, the appellation of a State University Michigan will not soon schedule again!

How about the Mountaineers getting picked off by the Wofford Terriers ending their 17 game win streak.   

Well back to CCIW for a moment.  Looking forward to traveling to Elmhurst for the Red Men vs. Bluejays this weekend for my first look at CCIW competition.  From what I have read on here it should be a good game.  Very pivotal for both programs.  Of course I see the Red Men coming out on top. 

Not that its a big deal, but does Langhorst Field have visitors' stands? 

Yes they do, not sure if they have grown since its been a couple of years since I have been there.

[RedmenBigD]

I see the Carthage/Elmhurst game coming down to this.  First will be the play of Kudyba, if he is able to read Carthage's Defense and find where the holes are and make plays both running and throwing.  If he can make plays scrambling that will cause Carthage's Defense to pay more attention to him and that will in turn cause the Elmhurst WR's to get open.  Next will be the Carthage rushing attack and also the ability to control the clock.  With the style of Defense that Carthage plays having them out there the majority of the game will play into Elmhurst's hands.  Like at Whittier when Whittier had the ball for 13:18 in the first quarter.  In the CCIW you must be able to run the football and control the clock, and right now Carthage seems to be struggling in that area.  But knowing Coach Rucks he will have his team ready to play this week to win those one on one battles, that Elmhurst forces teams to play, just as he does every week.

[ncc58]

Well, I don't think NCC is installing a new defense this week.

If WashU  exposed something, they didn't exactly exploit it. WashU scored on their first possession of the 3rd quarter, then kicked a field goal later on, and scored their second TD on a 14 yard drive. Washu had 273 yards for the game (274 yards passing). Now, if the stats had been 30 points and 400 yards ...

Seemed to me that the press release seemed to indicate that WashU exposed something on the NCC defense.  See here.  Granted, it is the WashU press release.

[matblake]

Well, I don't think NCC is installing a new defense this week.

If WashU  exposed something, they didn't exactly exploit it. WashU scored on their first possession of the 3rd quarter, then kicked a field goal later on, and scored their second TD on a 14 yard drive. Washu had 273 yards for the game (274 yards passing). Now, if the stats had been 30 points and 400 yards ...

Seemed to me that the press release seemed to indicate that WashU exposed something on the NCC defense.  See here.  Granted, it is the WashU press release.

Good point midwest.  From the sounds of it, the throw that got picked off which led to the 14 yard drive was questionable too.  I did try to point out that it could have been slanted because it was the press release from WashU.  Seems like the passing defense might still need to gel for the Cards although they did seem to do alright against lesser competition like Benedictine and Concordia-Wis. 

[Comet 14]

I see the Elmhurst vs. Carthage game coming down to Carthage being able to move the ball on Elmhurst D and they are going to have to give there qb enough time to attack Elmhurst corners because I think the rest of the D is just to good. I'm not sying the corners are bad they just get left out on an island alot. Elmhurst is not the team you want to face if you have a struggling rushing attack trying to get on track.

[matblake]

I think that Carthage v Elmhurst will be a shootout.  Plenty of action to go around.  I think that Elmhurst will initially struggle against the Carthage D, but get things straightened around to win at the end.  Donovan Moore will run a fake punt to the house for Carthage. 

[Comet 14]

Well Here are my predictions and I am going to be a complete homer . Elmhurst 6-1 losing at Augie, Wheaton 6-1 losing at Elmhurst, Augie 5-2 losing to Wheaton and Carthage, N.C.C at 4-3 losing to Elmhurst, Wheaton, and Augie. Carthage also 4-3 losing to Elmhurst, Wheaton and N.C.C. I.W.U. 2-5 beating Millikin and N.P. Millikin 1-6 beating N.P. and yes I am going out on a limb with N.P. 0-7.

[matblake]

And the homerism continues!

Wheaton 7-0
Augie 5-2  (Wheaton and Carthage)
NCC 5-2    (Wheaton and Augie)
Elmhurst   4-3 (Wheaton, Augie, NCC)
Carthage  4-3 (Wheaton, Elmhurst, NCC)
IWU          2-5 (Wheaton, Elmhurst, Augie, NCC, Carthage)
Millikin       1-6 (You get the idea)
North Park 0-7

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Wheaton 7-0
Augustana 6-1
Carthage 5-2
Elmhurst 4-3
North Central 3-4
Millikin 2-5
IWU (a little softer 1-6)
alas 0-7

[79jaybird]

USee,

Wheaton  6-1
Augie   5-2
Elmhurst 5-2 or 4-3
Carthage 3-4
NC 3-4
MU 2-5
IWU 2-5 or 1-6
NPU  0-7

Records are harder to predict but this is the ladder I see at the end.