FB: Northwest Conference

[swede]

penns
  Well I'll be smitten,  my error on the Whitworth loss to the Lutes in 2001 regular season. hasn't been my first ooops and I promise it won't be my last.

[wc2viking]

I don't really see the point of scheduling any Montana NAIA schools.  If Linfield has to fly somewhere to get to a game, at least fly to play a D3 (preferably "in region") team.  Playing NAIA and D2 schools doesn't help us when we win and can only hurt us when we lose. 

Linfield should really push hard to get a SCIAC team to play every year (Occidental?).  It would help both teams and I think the travel costs would be cheaper than flying halfway across the country to Wisconsin or Texas.

[desertcat1]

I don't really see the point of scheduling any Montana NAIA schools.  If Linfield has to fly somewhere to get to a game, at least fly to play a D3 (preferably "in region") team.  Playing NAIA and D2 schools doesn't help us when we win and can only hurt us when we lose. 

Linfield should really push hard to get a SCIAC team to play every year (Occidental?).  It would help both teams and I think the travel costs would be cheaper than flying halfway across the country to Wisconsin or Texas.

WCW,,  The sciac Does not want any part of Linfield and will not return the phone calls to schedule.   

[d-train]

As far as hanging onto that 2001 deal, observing differences in human behavior regarding how people deal with injustices or perceived injustices is interesting.   You can hang onto it all or you can let it go.   Which way would Coach Frosty recommend??  <g>

I do feel bad for the seniors on the 2001 Linfield team. To have a disappointment like the Central game in 2000 followed by a slight in 2001 must have been an awful way to go out. However, in the grand scheme of things, Linfield has been shown plently of love by the selection committee. They were the top seed in 2000, 2002, and 2004 - and the '2' seed in 2003. I'm not speaking to you directly, LBC, but it does seem like several Linfield fans continue to complain about the 2001 situation and ingore all the 'love'. The committee was forced into a tough decision to break a tie that year. Unless that was your senior year, it kind of seems like a lottery winner complaining about the taxes they'll have to pay. Or a homecoming queen complaining about being stood up once several years before. 

[beancounter]

Bluenote....Linfield had a full schedule until the season was already into September when Lewis and Clark bailed out on the NWC and created the short schedule.    You can't really do much to fill your schedule at that point.  Linfield doesn't need to schedule "games" (plural)....they only needed to schedule a *game* (just one!) to have a full nine game slate.   The three-five split was only caused by a home game being cancelled.   

In any case, it is far better to work the d3 end than having to look for games with the Frontier Conference.   Games against Hardin-Simmons, UWSP or any SCIAC member is a better alternative than *any* NAIA or NCAA  d2 school.  And to be honest, those Frontier Conference teams may not want a piece of Linfield, just like the SCIAC stays away from Linfield (and Willamette for that matter). 

d-train....well said. 

[Tezbaseball]

Willamette has to win this Saturday to earn a spot in the playoffs.  The fact that they have only one loss that 'counts' is just plain lucky since UMHB is in the 'south' region.  The Lizcats will be 5-4 after Saturday and don't deserve to be in the playoffs.  This isn't the NBA.

Don't you mean the NHL? Where nobody gets left behind.

[Tezbaseball]

swede...I talked to TuxGuy and he said you will be required to wear a tux and fodera to the game since he has appointed you "Usher of section B". You will be required to escort the people to their seats or the rest room and give them some candy and goodies to make them feel all warm and fuzzy, like the cheerleaders do. I sit in section C but I would like you to get me a hotdog with 2 minutes left in the 1st quarter if you don't mind?     I will gladly pay you on Monday.

Swede in a tux? I'm there with my camera. No need to pay him, Swede will be getting his autographed copy of the senior pic soon.

[Foss]

Linfield opponents for 2006:

Hardin-Simmons
PLU
Willamette
Whitworth
UPS
Menlo

Likely opponents (out of necessity):

Southern Oregon
Western Oregon

That makes 8. We still need one more if Lewis & Clark folds. The Hardin-Simmons game has probably taken a big chunk out of the budget. Anyone know if another team has been scheduled and/or if SOU/WOU has been dropped in favor of a D3 school? Anyone know if the Cali schools have got their phones fixed?

[rbaikie]

A wish list item -

I think it would be a heckuva game to see Linfield play Carroll - you would end up with two major successful programs and over the last couple of years, the teams that have dominated as No 1 for D3 and NAIA -

I know scheduling is difficult - as each "group" looks out for what is best - example - in So Cal - Azusa Pacific used to play more local schools - especially SCIAC and Menlo - but as an independent, they need to play more NAIA ranked schools to improve their ranking so they can make the playoffs.  Just like Linfield - it is often better to beat a D3 than anybody else.

Maybe for Linfield, if they keep up this high level of excellence (top 5 in the country), when they get an AQ, they can be a little more choosy about their non-conf games and look to play whoever they want - then again, non conference wins and losses would help determine rankings so who knows?

[Foss]

rbaikie,

I got your email and sent you one. We're cool.

I hope more Willamette people like you, and fans from other NWC schools, will post. I think it's good to have diversity on the board.

[rockcat]

The only logical way for NWC teams to fill their schedule with games that will help them get into the playoffs would be to play at least one SCIAC team every year.  Of course that means you need to be able to convince the Cali schools to play Linfield and Willamette as others have already mentioned.  Until this happens Southern and Western seem to make the most sense.

Playing SOU and WOU is probably a better decision than playing other DII or NAIA not only because of travel expenses but because I'm sure that there there is at least a little competition for the same recruits.  I'm sure it is nice to be able to say to a recruit that is looking at Linfield and Western Oregon that yeah we are DIII and we beat the crap out of Western every year.

[beancounter]

Regarding Lewis and Clark, this blurb was in this mornings' Portland Tribune.................

******************************

Pios close to a football decision
   A seven-member blue-ribbon commission is scheduled to report its findings on Lewis & Clark football to school President Tom Hochstettler by Nov. 15. At least one member of the committee is optimistic about the sport's future.
   "I think we're going to have football next year, and we will have more support than we've had here in 20 years," Athletic Director Steve Wallo says. "We have a new president, a new dean of the college of arts and sciences (Julian de Paula) and a new outlook on making sports important."
   —Tribune staff

************************

Draw your own conclusions, sports fans.....

[spiritof86]

L&C Football- The tradition continues!!!

[rockcat]

You're funny Spirit .

Seriously though, it would be great for the entire conference if L&C figures things out.  It would definitely help everyone in the whole scheduling discussion.  It hasn't been to long since they had a decent program either.

Hopefully this group is discussing the image of athletes on their campus because that might be a bigger problem than anything.  If athletes continue to be seen as outcasts then these discussions probably won't mean much.

[Tuxguy]

I hope it works out for the Pios. maybe The Cats could play the J.V. against them, before you trash me, the J.V. just beat the second best team in the country..... Linfield Alumni. IMHO

On the tux and swede.......stop on by, we will see what we can do! I want more then a Hotdog though!!!!Just 2 rows up from Bluenote!