FB: Northwest Conference

[Foss]

Line is very unhealthy right now and a major concern along with QB play getting ironed out.

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It seems almost every year, come playoff time, we lose some key starters.    Is this typical throughout D-III?    It seems this was not a yearly problem for MU or WWW.

Is it more so at Linfield?    If so, what can be done to prevent it?     Rest the injured for the next 3 weeks?    Play first stringers less in games where we are the heavy favorite?   

All I know is we have had multiple years where I thought we could have gone to the Semis or even the Stagg Bowl if we had just two or three more starters still available for the game we lost.

Any thoughts from anyone??

George

Good question, might just be bad luck. I think I've mentioned this once, but a cool guy who used to post for UW-W and had ties to the athletic program told me the 'Cats 2013 team would have no doubt beat UW-W that year if we hadn't been w/out so many key players. Despite all the injuries, and playing at their house, we scored more points against them in just over a quarter than any other team that year could muster in an entire game, and led 17-0. UW-W would go on to beat UMU 52-14 in the Stagg. Or if we had a healthy and mobile Riddle for the SF game against St. Thomas - we needed all the O we could get against that team and were just one game away from getting back to Salem.

Just a couple of the seasons I've wondered what could have been w/out the injury bug biting big time right before or during the playoffs. But I'm sure we're not the only team that has had this misfortune.

[D O.C.]

LINFIELD 59-FU 0
LINFIELD 24-FU 0
LINFIELD 50-FU 14
LINFIELD 12-FU 0*






* (4 seconds 6)

[Foss]

I really think other levels of college football could benefit from D3football.com's ranking mentality. It doesn't hammer teams that lose close games to top tier teams and automatically plummet them down the rankings. Even despite the meaningless late TD and the weather factor, GF had a legit D, played the 'Cats well and held us w/out a TD. They should remain about where they were in the rankings and did. Other examples this year after "well played losses" where teams stayed about where they were are Hardin-Simmons, St. John's & UW-Platteville - and those are just off the top of my head.

[wildcat11]

I really think other levels of college football could benefit from D3football.com's ranking mentality. It doesn't hammer teams that lose close games to top tier teams and automatically plummet them down the rankings. Even despite the meaningless late TD and the weather factor, GF had a legit D, played the 'Cats well and held us w/out a TD. They should remain about where they were in the rankings and did. Other examples this year after "well played losses" where teams stayed about where they were are Hardin-Simmons, St. John's & UW-Platteville - and those are just off the top of my head.

I concur, Foss.  I didn't drop Fox out of my poll this week (moved down from 19 to 20) based off of those factors.

[Andy Jamison - Walla Walla Wildcat]

If I knew how to do it I'd be quoting 509 Rat's statement about our alma mater ripping us off.  I don't view it that way.  Obviously the athletic department has a reason for charging $12 for streaming games where most other (if not all other) teams in the NWC do it for free.  My suggestion has been and will continue to be for fans of the Cat's to contact the school and ask how they can help the program.  Let them know that they are frustrated by having to pay a fee for a video stream of the game and then more often than not having huge amounts of issues with said feed. 

My guess is that this is a topic that comes up on an infrequent basis for the AD and SID and is going to be buried deep on their list of things to fix.  It would seem likely that the equipment in use is old and in need of replacing which would likely cost several thousands of dollars.  At $12 per user it would take a whole bunch of Cat fans logging in over the course of a season to pay for itself.

But if the fans found out what was needed and then started fundraising to generate the funds to fix the problem that would most likely be very well-received by the school.  Otherwise, we are going to continue to have the same issue year after year.

[D O.C.]

One major problem with that $12 fee is no one east of the Rockies is going to shell out that money to watch LINFIELD (of which they should be curious).

I posted before over the Homecoming weekend I went with a friend to the athletic office to buy $5 senior tickets for the Whitworth game. New AD Gary Kilgore happened to be in his office. After introductions and chit chat I asked if he knew we had to pay $12 instead of the $8 from a few years ago: if he knew we were one of the few schools in DIII that charged. He said he was not aware because he never had to watch a game on-line.
He's aware. Kelly Bird is aware too.

People who give to the Top Cat Club are still getting ripped off. Even if it went back to $8, the school does not cotnrol what Stretch Internet does. Stretch WILL respond to complaints. They were aware they had problems during the FU game.  I have been offered my fee credited back to my card "in a few weeks."

[Kelly Boggs]

I would watch most Linfield home games if the stream was free. The $12 fee is more than the cost of a reserved seat in Crusader Stadium. 

UMHB even does its own stream from away games, with exception of the Linfield game. The CRU was not allowed to do its own stream from McMinnville due to the fact Linfield charges for its stream. I do know some UMHB fans ponied up the $12 to watch the game, but I have no idea how many. Most of the people I know just listen to it on the radio. 

[Foss]

I wonder how much the cost of having to scramble and schedule that game in Ohio against Case Western is still stinging the budget.

On that note, did Case split the total cost w/ us? I'm assuming they needed another game, too, and so were willing to help w/ the costs. But even splitting it would have taken a chunk of change.

[merlecanlas]

I would watch most Linfield home games if the stream was free. The $12 fee is more than the cost of a reserved seat in Crusader Stadium. 

UMHB even does its own stream from away games, with exception of the Linfield game. The CRU was not allowed to do its own stream from McMinnville due to the fact Linfield charges for its stream. I do know some UMHB fans ponied up the $12 to watch the game, but I have no idea how many.

I (Mt Union fan) paid for the Linfield-UMHB game.  Mount makes people pay to watch online as well, I guess it's due to TV rights.   I have always thought that if a school was going to charge for streaming, that it should cost the same as a ticket to the actual game.  I also think that season ticket holders should get a code that allows them to watch the games online for the season. 

[MonroviaCat]

I would watch most Linfield home games if the stream was free. The $12 fee is more than the cost of a reserved seat in Crusader Stadium. 

UMHB even does its own stream from away games, with exception of the Linfield game. The CRU was not allowed to do its own stream from McMinnville due to the fact Linfield charges for its stream. I do know some UMHB fans ponied up the $12 to watch the game, but I have no idea how many.

Would have been interesting to see if a MHB feed from Linfield would have had similar problems—I'm assuming it would rely at some point on Linfield technology....

[Pat Coleman]

I wonder how much the cost of having to scramble and schedule that game in Ohio against Case Western is still stinging the budget.

From 2013? I can't imagine. There was a lot more 2014 travel that could have had a much greater budgetary impact, depending on how many people above the NCAA reimbursement amount Linfield traveled for playoff games.

[olddog]

One major problem with that $12 fee is no one east of the Rockies is going to shell out that money to watch LINFIELD (of which they should be curious).

I posted before over the Homecoming weekend I went with a friend to the athletic office to buy $5 senior tickets for the Whitworth game. New AD Gary Kilgore happened to be in his office. After introductions and chit chat I asked if he knew we had to pay $12 instead of the $8 from a few years ago: if he knew we were one of the few schools in DIII that charged. He said he was not aware because he never had to watch a game on-line.
He's aware. Kelly Bird is aware too.

People who give to the Top Cat Club are still getting ripped off. Even if it went back to $8, the school does not cotnrol what Stretch Internet does. Stretch WILL respond to complaints. They were aware they had problems during the FU game.  I have been offered my fee credited back to my card "in a few weeks."

Things must be tight up in the NW.

[wildcat11]

I always stay out of this conversation because I'm at the home games (luckily) and I don't re-watch the stream due to having coaches footage.

I think what Andy suggested is a wonderful idea in terms of asking how the alumni can help.  I can promise you that non-athletic administration won't help with an issue like this so any money that is needed to improve services/quality will 100% fall on the feet of the athletic department.  I'd also be curious to know how much money it would put the department out if the games were provided free.

Overall, if you're paying $12 per game to watch, I would expect a quality product to be provided.

[D O.C.]

Welcome to the NWC board, merlecanlas.

I think that's a heck of an idea to include home streaming for season ticket holders in case they're out of town or hospitalized, etc.
UMHB and UMU have great video streams.
I have not paid for UMU yet, but I watch for free in the playoffs. (here it comes)  If UMU played a tough opponent that first game of the year at home, I'd pay. 😁

[merlecanlas]

Welcome to the NWC board, merlecanlas.

I think that's a heck of an idea to include home streaming for season ticket holders in case they're out of town or hospitalized, etc.
UMHB and UMU have great video streams.
I have not paid for UMU yet, but I watch for free in the playoffs. (here it comes)  If UMU played a tough opponent that first game of the year at home, I'd pay. 😁

how dare you....
if Linfield happens to get sent to Alliance in the playoffs, look for the pirate flags at the tailgate and come on over