FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Dennis_Prikkel]

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.

There have been several posters in this room, of various loyalties, who've stated that they think that this is the year in which the Park gets off the schneid and wins a CCIW game. I have never been one of them. I've been pretty straightforward -- and quite realistic, IMHO -- in my assessment of NPU football in this room. This is what I have said in here on several occasions:

1) I think that North Park now has the facilities that'll enable it to approach parity with the other CCIW schools in terms of both recruiting and present-player development from a football standpoint;

2) I think that NPU now has a coach who has the vision, the plan, and the commitment to stick it out for the long haul and raise the Vikings to at least semi-respectable CCIW status;

3) Given the bare cupboard present when said coach arrived on campus a year ago last spring; the competitive strength of this league; the scope of what's required to overhaul a football roster; and the 16-ton weight that North Park is forced to carry around with regard to a gridiron legacy, I think that it'll take three to four years for the Pethtel regime just to be able to get the Vikings to a place where they're competitive on the field against other CCIW teams; and, therefore:

4) I did not, and do not, expect NPU to improve upon last season's record. I think that any improvement that the Vikings show this season will be incremental (i.e., fewer trainwreck final scores, and better statistical performances in losses than last year's team recorded against the same foes).

Coming into the season, I figured that the Park had a shot at pulling off an upset in three CCIW games: @ Millikin, vs. Illinois Wesleyan, and vs. Elmhurst. I think that any of these upsets is even less likely to happen now than I thought a month ago.

I will be surprised -- pleasantly so, of course -- if NPU can indeed win one of those games. But I've never kidded myself that it was likely to happen. As I said, if you want to find "the most optimistic Vikings fan", you'd best look elsewhere.

Having watched North Park on and off for 43 seasons now (including 209 straight games from 1966 through 1988), I'll offer my two cents (probably a couple of pennies more than its worth).

I can think of very few teams that I've seen in 43 years of watching CCIW football that have been so consistently devoid of impact players on both offense and defense than North Park has been the last seven years.  Yes, there have been occasional moments of brilliance, but never a consistently "superstar" player at North Park for a long time.

Part of that has been the laissez-faire attitude of the North Park administration (and especially athletic administration) which is just happy to have the warm bodies filling the uniforms - but for whatever reason with 300 schools playing high school football around Chicago, North Park is just not recruiting marquee D3 football players.

North Park's defense (whoever they put out on the field) is going to be sorely tried and tested unless their offense can consistently move the ball and keep them off the field, and give their opponents a long field to traverse.

It's obvious, that North Park has on only a very few occasions found the right coaching mix to get the job done and play competitive CCIW football in my 43 years (only three regimes that I saw(Norm Rathje, Bill Gourley and Tim Rucks). and I hope that the present one will be the fourth, but they have a long way to go.

MW

[Comet 14]

79jaybird did you get my response to your message? It was my first attempt and am not sure if I sent it correctly.

[2getherwewin]

Well, I guess things even out, because this move cost NCC the game!!!!

Although I agree it was a bad call on 2 and 8, I heard it was thrown to almost 3 defenders waiting too. I know the passing game has taken a hit and just isn't present right now, but with as much experience as NCC's line has why the heck couldnt they move the ball with Sulo against a team like WashU.  NCC plays North Park this week and its a game that doesn't at all prepare them for Wheaton.  Its a game where most of the starters usually are out by the start of the second half.  NCC better come up with a new game plan for their game in 2 weeks.

[usee]

If this is all true the problem is that you will now see teams stack the box to take away Sulo and force you to throw (this may have been what WashU did but I wasn't there). Either way your qb situation needs to improve or it could get ugly.

[Comet 14]

Thanks everybody on your info to may question about j.v. games and varsity games played in a season.

[Mr. Ypsi]

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.
...

As I said, if you want to find "the most optimistic Vikings fan", you'd best look elsewhere.

Uh, oh - now we have the proof that Greg doesn't read his OWN "dissertations"!

I wasn't anointing YOU as "the most optimistic Vikings fan", I was quoting your post: "...I think even the most optimistic Vikings fan had the Park as an underdog..."!  Suspecting then, and now being certain, that BU was truly dreadful this year, and believing then (as I still do, though progress is apparently slower than hoped) that NPU was on the rise, I DID pick NPU to win.

Don't worry, Greg - I'll continue to read your posts even if you don't!

[matblake]

If this is all true the problem is that you will now see teams stack the box to take away Sulo and force you to throw (this may have been what WashU did but I wasn't there). Either way your qb situation needs to improve or it could get ugly.

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.

[Mugsy]

Rats!  I'm going to miss another Wheaton home game this week - and homecoming at that.

It is North Park's homecoming this week as well.  Last time there was a conflict between Wheaton/North Park homecoming weekends, we went to Wheaton.  So... this year I get to go to North Parks homecoming (my wife is a North Park alum).

Well... at least I get to see a CCIW game and a slight preview of what to expect from NCC the following week when Wheaton plays NCC.

[usee]

Well, I'll take the first stab at the final standings.  The top and bottom seem clearer, but a real mess from 2-6.

1. Wheaton.  Prior to yesterday, I was beginning to waver, but their man-handling of Hope (yes, the MIAA is very bad - Kickoff has them #22 of 25 conferences, just above the Midwest [23] and IBC [24], but they hardly seemed to miss a beat with the loss of Ullrich), combined with NCC's inexplicable loss to WashU (whom Wheaton demolished), I just don't see who will beat them.  They have to travel to Naperville and Elmhurst (and Bloomington never seems to be a joyride for the Thunder!), so they may not go unbeaten, but I think they'll prevail.  (This assumes no rash of further injuries to OLs or QBs!)

7/8. Millikin/NPU.  At the other end, I just can't see any wins for either team except for when they meet in Decatur.  Only because of the location, I'll predict MU for 7.

2-6.  NCC is PROBABLY still the best, IWU is PROBABLY still the worst, BUT...
  NCC has only 3 home games, two of which (NPU and IWU) they would probably win anyway.  They have to go to Kenosha, Rock Island, and Elmhurst (and Decatur); IF they win 2 of the 3 (Decatur to me is a given), AND hold serve when they host Wheaton, they will (likely) be the pool A, but I just can't see it.
  Augie gets home field for Elmhurst and NCC, but has to face IWU, Wheaton, and Carthage on hostile turf.  They'll PROBABLY prevail in Bloomington (though rush defense seems to be the Titan's strongest point this year), but can they go 3 of 4 on the others?
  Carthage is home to both Augie and NCC (and, alas, IWU!), but has to travel to Elmhurst and Wheaton.  I feel like they are the greatest unknown (2 IBC opponents, though probably the 2 best, plus Whittier); we should learn a lot this Saturday, but I'm trying to pick today!
  Elmhurst is almost as elusive as the RedMen - Benedictine, Chicago, and Olivet is not exactly Murderers' Row!  They may have the most favorable schedule, getting Carthage, NCC, and Wheaton at home, and concluding the season with Millikin and NPU, but I think they may stumble in both Rock Island and Bloomington.
  IWU is the wildcard - a defense perhaps as good as any in the conference, and special teams that could blow a game at Principia!

1.  Wheaton  6-1
2.  NCC     5-2
t3.  Augie   4-3
t3.  Carthage  4-3
t3.  Elmhurst  4-3
t3.  IWU     4-3
7.  Millikin  1-6
8.  NPU    0-7

We can't quite match Lake Wobegon, but "The CCIW - where 3/4 of the teams are above average!"

Ok everybody its time to step up and join the "Ypsi challenge". Mr Ypsi broke the ice and now you all have an opportunity to submit your predictions by noon this Saturday for the upcoming conference race (please include order of finish and record--comments welcome). The winning predictions will be eligible for our grand prize!

What? grand prize you say? That's right our winning prophet will recieve a sports package that includes round trip transportation to the Wheaton Thunder/North Park CCIW Basketball game on January 19, 2008. There you will be warmly welcomed by the Thunder Dawg pound and ushered into the Abercrombie and Fitch suite at King arena. You will be hosted by President Duane Litfin and legendary North Park poster Gregory Sager. Mr. Sager will present you with a customized poem of not less than 3,000 words and you will feast on a bag of the Thunder's famous "Redenbacher" popcorn as well as the finest purified tap water Aquafina provides. That's not all. This deluxe sports package includes personal autographed 8x10 portraits of HOF posters Gordon Mann, Ralph Turner, and Titan Q. In addition D3football.com's creator, Pat Coleman, has authorized 1 week of Hall of Fame status to the winner. This gives you editing/modifying post powers, guru status, and superhuman Karma powers.

So avoid the Christmas rush and get your winning predictions in now! Remember, order of finish and record!

[79jaybird]

1) Wheaton
2) Augustana
3) Elmhurst
4) Carthage
5) North Central
6) Milllikin
7) IWU
8) North Park

[Gregory Sager]

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.
...

As I said, if you want to find "the most optimistic Vikings fan", you'd best look elsewhere.

Uh, oh - now we have the proof that Greg doesn't read his OWN "dissertations"!

I wasn't anointing YOU as "the most optimistic Vikings fan", I was quoting your post: "...I think even the most optimistic Vikings fan had the Park as an underdog..."!  Suspecting then, and now being certain, that BU was truly dreadful this year, and believing then (as I still do, though progress is apparently slower than hoped) that NPU was on the rise, I DID pick NPU to win.

Don't worry, Greg - I'll continue to read your posts even if you don't!

Chuck, I read your post that way because there has been no other NPU fan (optimistic or not) who had arisen in this dialog, although Dennis has done so since my last post. I'm well aware that I'm the one who brought forth the phrase "most optimistic Vikings fan" ... and if there had been someone else to fill that template it would've changed the way that I read your post. But I didn't foresee the possibility that you would want to compare yourself to a mythical person rather than to me. Blame me if you like for expecting you to needle me when the opportunity arises. It's certainly a matter of "turnabout is fair play", as far as that's concerned.

[usee]

1) Wheaton
2) Augustana
3) Elmhurst
4) Carthage
5) North Central
6) Milllikin
7) IWU
8) North Park

Record please?

[Gregory Sager]

Rats!  I'm going to miss another Wheaton home game this week - and homecoming at that.

It is North Park's homecoming this week as well.  Last time there was a conflict between Wheaton/North Park homecoming weekends, we went to Wheaton.  So... this year I get to go to North Parks homecoming (my wife is a North Park alum).

Well... at least I get to see a CCIW game and a slight preview of what to expect from NCC the following week when Wheaton plays NCC.

The football game won't be as good, but the food will be better -- if your wife is a dutiful Parker and makes sure that you eat your pregame meal at Charcoal Delights, that is. As Titan Q and every basketball coach in the CCIW will tell you, it's the best campus-adjacent eats in the league. There is a long-standing rumor around the league that Carthage men's basketball coach Bosko Djurickovic is going to have a Charcoal Delights gyros special placed in his casket before they lower him into the grave.

I never attend any formal Homecoming functions at NPU other than football or soccer games, even when my own class is having a reunion, but by eating at Charcoal Delights before the football game I see anyone and everyone who's in town for the event, anyway. I'll probably be at the football game for at least the first half; if Saturday's Cubs @ Reds game is meaningful, I will definitely leave the football game in time to plant myself in front of a TV set somewhere. There is no way in the world I'm going to miss a single pitch of the final six Cubs games of the regular season until they clinch the NL Central title. I suppose that if they haven't clinched by Saturday -- and this is the Cubs we're talking about, so I don't expect them to make it easy on us fans -- I won't be very pleasant company for all my out-of-town friends, anyway.

If you do visit Charcoal Delights before the game, be sure to introduce yourself to me. I'm afraid that I have some degree of notoriety among North Park sports fans, so if you ask anyone in the restaurant, chances are that they'll be able to point me out to you. I'd tell you not to wear any clothing with the word "Wheaton" or an orange "W" on it when you visit NPU -- even though NCC is the opponent of the day rather than your alma mater -- but I'm sure that as the husband of a North Park alumna you already know the drill.

What? grand prize you say? That's right our winning prophet will recieve a sports package that includes round trip transportation to the Wheaton Thunder/North Park CCIW Basketball game on January 19, 2008.

For the winner's sake, I hope that this "round-trip transportation" doesn't consist of a seat on one of the NPU student buses.

There you will be warmly welcomed by the Thunder Dawg pound and ushered into the Abercrombie and Fitch suite at King arena.

Is the suite clothing-optional?

You will be hosted by President Duane Litfin and legendary North Park poster Gregory Sager.

Fortunately, President Litfin is legendary for his refusal to attend Wheaton sporting events. Otherwise, the uncouth infidel sitting next to him in the A&F suite wearing NPU clothing would be subject to an exorcism, or worse.

Mr. Sager will present you with a customized poem of not less than 3,000 words

I suppose that I could probably locate one of those random-generator computer programs out there that are designed to spit out word salad for blocker-evading spambots. One of those would do a nice job of composing poetry.

This deluxe sports package includes personal autographed 8x10 portraits of HOF posters Gordon Mann, Ralph Turner, and Titan Q.

Skip the 8x10s and hold out for one of those replica Ralph Turner HOF busts. They look great on the mantel, and they make excellent stocking stuffers.

[FormerCard]

The silence from the Naperville faithful is deafening. I would be interested in any eyewitness reports from the game Saturday night. any takers?

I'm still amazed at a stupid play call that cost NCC the game!  

Here's the play by play of the series in question in the 4th quarter:

N 1-10 N22   NORTH CENTRAL (ILL.) drive start at 04:33.
     N 1-10 N22   Sulo, Dominic rush for 9 yards to the NCC31 (Machan, Tim).
     N 2-1  N31   Sulo, Dominic rush for 3 yards to the NCC34, 1ST DOWN NCC
                  (Gialessas, Nick;McSparin, Tyler).
     N 1-10 N34   Sulo, Dominic rush for 2 yards to the NCC36 (Sensenich,Brent).
     N 2-8  N36   Kniss, Kyle pass intercepted by Mulholland, Dan at the NCC33,
                  Mulholland, Dan return 19 yards to the NCC14 (Sulo, Dominic).

Wash U had ZERO timeouts left.   The clock was stopped at 2:36 after the interception.  Could someone smarter than me(which is pretty much everyone except Mugsy!  ), explain to me why they would do this?   Two years ago NCC threw a pass against Wheaton late in the game that iced the game, but was very risky and I was highly critical of it even though it worked.  Well, I guess things even out, because this move cost NCC the game!!!!  

I am afraid we are all out of answers on that one CardAlum

[Mugsy]

The football game won't be as good, but the food will be better -- if your wife is a dutiful Parker and makes sure that you eat your pregame meal at Charcoal Delights, that is. As Titan Q and every basketball coach in the CCIW will tell you, it's the best campus-adjacent eats in the league. There is a long-standing rumor around the league that Carthage men's basketball coach Bosko Djurickovic is going to have a Charcoal Delights gyros special placed in his casket before they lower him into the grave.

I never attend any formal Homecoming functions at NPU other than football or soccer games, even when my own class is having a reunion, but by eating at Charcoal Delights before the football game I see anyone and everyone who's in town for the event, anyway. I'll probably be at the football game for at least the first half; if Saturday's Cubs @ Reds game is meaningful, I will definitely leave the football game in time to plant myself in front of a TV set somewhere. There is no way in the world I'm going to miss a single pitch of the final six Cubs games of the regular season until they clinch the NL Central title. I suppose that if they haven't clinched by Saturday -- and this is the Cubs we're talking about, so I don't expect them to make it easy on us fans -- I won't be very pleasant company for all my out-of-town friends, anyway.

If you do visit Charcoal Delights before the game, be sure to introduce yourself to me. I'm afraid that I have some degree of notoriety among North Park sports fans, so if you ask anyone in the restaurant, chances are that they'll be able to point me out to you. I'd tell you not to wear any clothing with the word "Wheaton" or an orange "W" on it when you visit NPU -- even though NCC is the opponent of the day rather than your alma mater -- but I'm sure that as the husband of a North Park alumna you already know the drill.

Yes, Charcoal Delights is on the itinerary and I'm sure a heaping plate of cheese fries.  My experience has been that very few NP alum stay for more than a half.  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.