FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

IWU's notes for the Homecoming game vs Elmhurst...

http://www.iwu.edu/%7eiwunews/sports/ElmhurstNotes07.pdf

[Gregory Sager]

IMHO, North Park has always had a pretty decent following for the soccer team.  I think this is partly due to the fact that soccer players have generally integrated themselves well with the rest of the student body, while football players have not.

Therefore, fans have come out to see their friends play soccer even during down years.  However, students don't know the football players all that well and since they have not be very good, why go?

While this may not be as true now, it certainly was the case when I was a student a couple decades ago.

This is very true, although I think that the disparity between student interest in the men's soccer team and the football team at NPU has gotten even bigger in recent years because of the success of the men's soccer team.

The men's soccer team has always featured lots of Homecoming Kings, resident advisors, student government officers, leaders in campus religious life, Dean's List members, etc., even going back as far as the years prior to '81 when men's soccer was still a club sport at North Park. Men's soccer players tend to be very well-liked on campus and are an integral part of resident student life. Football players, as I said before, have usually been forced to endure pariah status on campus. That's partly because they don't reflect the Covenant-dominated and broadly evangelical profile of the resident student population, and partly because of the high attrition rate among football players. Football players have tended to be segregated outsiders on campus at NPU; and while that was their own choice to some degree, the unfortunate truth is that their fellow students often didn't make the place very welcoming for them.

This was true during my student days in the late '70s and early '80s (a relatively successful period for football by North Park standards), and it was true in the mid-to-late '90s when I worked there. I don't know how true it is today, but I wouldn't be surprised if things haven't changed much.

Funny comments re. soccer.  When I was at Wheaton '89-93, my roommate who was from Oklahoma where football reigned supreme, was outraged at how popular soccer was on campus.  At that time Bishop and Swider were still building the football program, and the soccer team was a perennial power under Joe Bean, having won a national championship just a few years earlier.  The stands were packed for soccer games while lots of students stayed in the library to study during football games.  Though in raw numbers, football attendance was higher due to a larger stadium, the atmosphere at soccer games was electric while that at most football games was ho-hum.  My roommate always referred to soccer as "that communist sport."

I understand why soccer isn't widely embraced by American sports fans, given its import status and the frustration with the sport's low scoring that's frequently invoked by naysayers. The amount of vitriol aimed at soccer is a little baffling, though, especially as voiced by football fans. It makes a little more sense if you're a football aficionado who is also a student at or a fan of a school that has a soccer team that's proportionally more successful than the football team (as Wheaton's was and NPU's is). But that's not the case for most schools. It's almost as though many soccer-hating football fans see soccer as a threat, and you just don't see that sort of attitude expressed as much by basketball fans towards hockey, or vice-versa.

Yeah, we all understand soccer-mom syndrome; I'm watching my sister go through it right now, as her eight-year-old (to his great delight) was able to play peewee football for the first time this fall in spite of her wish that he'd be more interested in soccer. But I don't think that helicopter parenting is going to lead to an erosion of support for football in this country in favor of soccer. Football is an enormously popular sport in this country and a long-standing and important part of our cultural fabric. Soccer is an alien graft, and Americans are notoriously parochial when it comes to sports; our three most popular sports by far -- football, baseball, and basketball -- were all invented and developed right here in the U.S.

Football is king every autumn in America, and that's not going to change anytime soon -- no matter how many moms tell little Johnny or little Billy that they'd rather see him play soccer than football.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Maybe the 'soccer-mom' syndrome would diminish somewhat if they knew the statistics.  Don't recall where I saw it (and will not swear 100% to its veracity) but I'm pretty sure that soccer results in more emergency room visits than any other sport! 

I always taught soccer as a 'non-contact' sport up through U8 or U9 (from which point I taught them the many forms of contact, and even impact, that ARE legal), but collisions at full speed, tripping at full speed, kicks that 'accidentally' missed the ball (but not the opponent), near point-blank shots that get the head or other sensitive parts of the anatomy, improperly executed headers - you get the idea - can all be injurious even before kids learn that soccer is most definitely NOT a non-contact sport!  And, unlike those wimpy football players, shinguards are the full extent of pads.

My sons have each broken bones in soccer (the only other sports injury by either was a broken ankle in basketball), and a broken big toe was partially responsible for my retirement as a player just shy of 52.  That fracture didn't even get me out of the game (I only realized it was broken a few hours later); I had to stop when my glasses were shattered five minutes later (it was my own fault: I was way off to the side as a teammate took a free kick; if I'd been between him and the goal I would have been safe! )  In case news of my soccer retirement didn't make your local paper, I was a victim of bad timing: those kids Gretzky and Elway retired the same week!

[CardinalAlum]

A local high school here in North West Illinois has a football player battling Staph infection right now. I heard he his feeling better so I don't think it is the strain that is the "superbug". Sary stuff.

2 Naperville North freshmen football players have been diagnosed with MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). This
is a strain of bacteria that can be carried in nasal passages, on the skin, or in other
secretions of the body without producing disease.  What the heck is going on out there?

[CardinalAlum]

What ever happened to the "Bob Meyer is great" guy?

Usee is still here!!   

[Viking Mike]

Hey all Augie fans....keep your heads high.  The Vikings may be out of the race,  but it's not because of lack of talent or effort.  Despite "True Augie Alumni's" knocks on the team and coaches AND the Vikings 3-3 record,  Coach Barnes and his team still appear very strong and motivated.  Having seen all of their games this year in person, The Vikes easily could be 5-1 (3-0) at this point.  Unfortunately,  they have had trouble executing in key situations at IWU and last week on the 7 yard line with time expiring.  Many didn't think Augie would be able to keep up with the Thunder, but the Vikes put together a strong perfomance in their biggest game of the year and came up just short.  Now Coach Barnes and his team must challenge themselves to win their remaining four games without a CCIW title or playoff bid to attain.  I'll be watching each game in person beginning with the Saturday night game in Kenosha.  (AUGIE'S 3RD CONFERENCE ROAD NIGHT GAME OF THE YEAR!!!)  Here's hoping the Vikes can finish strong and build toward their 21st CCIW title next year!  A "TRUE AUGIE ALUMNI" STICKS WITH HIS/HER TEAM THROUGH THICK AND THIN...............................GO AUGIE!!!   SO MANY ALUMNI  AND FANS ARE SUPPORTING YOU...just not too many post here unfortunately.

[usee]

What ever happened to the "Bob Meyer is great" guy?

Usee is still here!!   

Now that's funny right there. I don't care who you are.

[AndOne]

A local high school here in North West Illinois has a football player battling Staph infection right now. I heard he his feeling better so I don't think it is the strain that is the "superbug". Sary stuff.

2 Naperville North freshmen football players have been diagnosed with MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). This
is a strain of bacteria that can be carried in nasal passages, on the skin, or in other
secretions of the body without producing disease.  What the heck is going on out there?

The North Central starting QB is a graduate of Naperville North. I hope he stayed away from homecoming!

[burly]

I was emitted for 10 days....

Sorry BP couldn't pass this up but how were you emitted through a laser, a light beam, a sprinkler???Sounded painful ...

You should omit my last post and admit me into a spelling hospital because I'm emitting a bad vibe.

I admit I deserved that...+K for you.

[burly]

New Tradition, sorry for the delayed response.  My priorities have been off this week - work first / D3football.com second.

I'm 1/2 Crusader, 1/2 Thunder, but find myself rooting for anybody that can dowse some water on the growing fire in Bloomington.  I also really want to see NPU win a game this year as I think it will strengthen the competitiveness of the league.  That is, of course, as long as it doesn't come this Saturday.

Regarding the Cardinal efforts to get Mugsy riled up, please know that I'm with you.  After all, how many times during my lifetime will I have the opprotunity give my former coach a little flack?

[Gotberg]

Maybe the 'soccer-mom' syndrome would diminish somewhat if they knew the statistics.  Don't recall where I saw it (and will not swear 100% to its veracity) but I'm pretty sure that soccer results in more emergency room visits than any other sport! 

I always taught soccer as a 'non-contact' sport up through U8 or U9 (from which point I taught them the many forms of contact, and even impact, that ARE legal), but collisions at full speed, tripping at full speed, kicks that 'accidentally' missed the ball (but not the opponent), near point-blank shots that get the head or other sensitive parts of the anatomy, improperly executed headers - you get the idea - can all be injurious even before kids learn that soccer is most definitely NOT a non-contact sport!  And, unlike those wimpy football players, shinguards are the full extent of pads.

My sons have each broken bones in soccer (the only other sports injury by either was a broken ankle in basketball), and a broken big toe was partially responsible for my retirement as a player just shy of 52.  That fracture didn't even get me out of the game (I only realized it was broken a few hours later); I had to stop when my glasses were shattered five minutes later (it was my own fault: I was way off to the side as a teammate took a free kick; if I'd been between him and the goal I would have been safe! )  In case news of my soccer retirement didn't make your local paper, I was a victim of bad timing: those kids Gretzky and Elway retired the same week!

A good article from Chicago Tribune's John Kass:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-kass_bd_14oct14,0,6511172.column?page=1

[gryfalia]

It's been forever since I posted, but as a Crusader (at the time) in '88-'92, while not involved in Football playing, I did watch, and I did take a class from Swider..;-)

As someone married to a Titan (my wife graduated from IWU), I'm looking forward to a game that might actually matter down here in Bloomington on the 10th.  We'll probably follow on our tradition of sitting on one side of the field one half and switching for the second half.

Go Cru..er...Thunder!

[New Tradition]

New Tradition, sorry for the delayed response.  My priorities have been off this week - work first / D3football.com second.

I'm 1/2 Crusader, 1/2 Thunder, but find myself rooting for anybody that can dowse some water on the growing fire in Bloomington.  I also really want to see NPU win a game this year as I think it will strengthen the competitiveness of the league.  That is, of course, as long as it doesn't come this Saturday.

BP,
I suppose the priority problem is okay, but don't let it happen too often!  I was a little worried.  It was awfly quiet in here.   

[burly]

The boys from Kenosha are also quiet.  Redman04...Tailgater...

[burly]

What ever happened to the "Bob Meyer is great" guy?

It will cost you $4.95 to know...

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-1609203/Meyer-s-pro-football-dream.html