FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[lumbercat]

Gee--Feels like off season on the board. I forgot about the Football games being played tomorrow.

[PolarCat]

Okay, LC, my predictions:

Hamilton 10, Wesleyan 20.  The Conts QB starts to find his rhythm, but the Cards avenge their drubbing last week.  Ike Fuchs recovers from his two missed FG's and hits from 35 and 38.

Bates 17, Tufts 21.  The rain thins the crowd at Ellis Oval, the Bobcats offense finally starts to connect, the D stiffens and Bates leads 10-7 at halftime.  But the 'Bo's have too many weapons, and come back in the third quarter to take control of the game.

Middlebury 38, Colby 7.  The Panthers are just too good, and too fast for the Mules, particularly with Harrington watching from the sidelines.

Amherst 42, Bowdoin 3.  The rain holds off and Whittier Field does not turn into a mud bowl, but that just means the LJ's can open a can of aerial assault whoop azz, as the Polar Bears' disastrous start continues.  The highlight of the game is a Clayton Rose sighting in the first quarter, but he leave before halftime to attend a BSG teach-in on safe spaces for students of non-binary sexuality.

Trinity 45, Williams 0.  With a start time 30 minutes later than the other contests, the Bants decide to be the highest scoring team of the day.  Devanney begins sitting his starters midway through the third quarter, but the 75th meeting of the two teams is still a blow out.

[lumbercat]

Polarcat-
I cant disagree with any of your assessments or scores with one exception.
I see Wes dominating Hamilton by a significant score....something like 38-6.
Hamilton moving in the right direction but they have a longer road than many think.

We are seeing a continuance of the perennial trend in the NESCAC with a group of top tier contenders and a bottom 5.
While a couple of teams have switched tiers recently (Williams and Tufts) we still have pretty much the same dynamic in play.
Many have predicted a move toward parity in the conference. I hope I am mistaken but I don't see that being the case anytime soon. However, 7 games left so we will see.

[mariner75]

For your reading pleasure......Bates/Tufts pre-game write-up from the Jumbos website:

http://www.gotuftsjumbos.com/sports/fball/2016-17/releases/bates_preview

[westcoastDad]

PILAR CAT YOUR TWO CENTS IS WELL SPENT AND WE'LL RECEIVED.

N.F.O...... God Bless ya

Back to football!

[Vandy74]

Sure sign the Apocalypse is nigh: westcoastdad and I agree 100% on this topic.

I remember how appalled my mom and dad were when Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics.  Mom and dad (bless their dear departed souls) never thought of themselves as racist.  But the idea that an American athlete would make a non-violent protest on the world stage was unthinkable.  A couple years later, there were riots in New Haven when they took me to visit Yale.  Suddenly Smith's and Carlos' actions didn't look so bad, and I wonder how racial tensions in this country would have played out if more folks had thoughtfully asked "Why are they protesting, and do they have a point?" instead just dismissing them as ungrateful malcontents.

Fast forward almost half a century.  My kid (who looks like a Vineyard Vines model in the annual Catalog for WASP's) best friend on the team is black.  If the two of them were pulled over independently for traffic violations, do I think they'd be treated the same?  9 times out of 10, I think the answer would be "no".  It's a multi-faceted problem, and not always the cops' fault.  (Like the guy in San Diego who pulled something out of his pocket and assumed a shooting stance yesterday).  But it's a real problem, and the more society talks about it, the more likely we will one day find a solution.

I wouldn't be okay with burning the flag.  I wouldn't be okay with BLM protestors having a sit-in at mid-field prior to the coin toss.  I wouldn't be okay with chants of "off the pig" and "off Whitey" like we heard in the '70's.  But taking a knee for something you believe in?  I'm good.

My two cents.

Well spent.

[PolarCat]

While I am feeling the love, I will not seek, nor will I accept, my party's nomination for President.

[polbear73]

While I am feeling the love, I will not seek, nor will I accept, my party's nomination for President.

That's a shame; you'd probably do well against the two candidates we have.

[PolarCat]

Breaking News: Bates' Mark Upton is the sole NESCAC nominee for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy: http://footballmatters.org/the-nff-announces-list-of-william-v-campbell-trophy-semi-finalists/

[amh63]

Glad it is a little more Football being posted now.  Believe serious discussion with respect to free speech matters should be done elsewhere...period.  Was in grad school at MIT when protest shut it down.  Classmates of mine, Naval Officers were told NOT to wear their uniforms to graduation to pick up their hard earned degrees.  A number like me skipped the formalities, returned to their jobs serving their nation as senior EDOs.
PolarCat and other Bowdoin aware posters....what is the condition of the field at Bowdoin?  It is the first home game.  Not up with the latest in football footware.....does Bowdoin practice elseware so as to not tear up the field?  Amherst does have a grass practice field...used now for parking during Homecoming games.
Anyway, good luck to all and hoping no injuries to players...other than coaches egos .

[JumbosMom]

My son (obviously a Jumbo) and who is also black said that it was an awkward position. He personally didn't believe that Politics and Football should be mixed. He believed that in the locker room there were those on the other team that stood and held their hands to heart, those who kneeled and some who sat. He was under the impression it was the schools choice to not have them take the field. I tell you though I feel the thoughtful way our team  handled it was impressive. That being said when the following night my son got a flat in Cambridge on the side of the road I raced to get to him instead of just calling AAA because the fear is real that something could happen to him. He and his team mates just want to play ball and at the end of the day as students do have to follow the schools rules.

Now, my prediction for the champs - My Jumbos of Course! Smile everyone we all love our kids and the joy of watching them play and the competition. Thanks for listening.

[JoeBag]

I have been creeping on this web site for the last month or so have finally decided to introduce myself. My son is a FY at Trinity. Unfortunately he is ill and has to sit out for the next couple of games at a minimum so we won't be making the trip to Williams this weekend.

I do not know much about the other NESCAC teams, but I can tell you that Trin is 2 to 3 deep at every position. My son has even commented that it is kinda wild that the kids that Devanney recruits are physical drop in replacements for their respective upperclassmen.

BTW- Darrien Myers is the real deal. His two receiving TD's on the post/ corner route and Sluggo routs were beautiful! He had almost 10 yards of separation when the ball was thrown.

[polbear73]

amh63; Whittier Field should be fine tomorrow as Bowdoin practices at Pickard Field and Whittier is used only for football games. Just pray for no rain.

[lumbercat]

Nice to hear of Bates LB Mark Upton's nomination for the Campbell award. I could bang the drum on this kid all day. He is the NESCAC equivalent of Luke Kuechly. Bates HFC Harriman will confirm he is as good or better that anyone he has coached in 19 years at Bates and maybe beyond. Upton would be in the conversation as one of the very best in the NESCAC in recent years.

I don't need to expand on Upton's football credentials, that speaks for itself. This kid is a quality person off the field. I won't elaborate on his resume but he is heavily involved and immersed in the Bates community and beyond. He's a multidimensional kid carrying 3.5 GPA. A good story of a  well rounded student- athlete who personifies the kind of individual that Harriman tries to recruit at Bates.

Bates deploys a 3 man Defensive front and their line is smallish so Upton spends a lot of time shedding blockers but still excels. Love to see him behind a big DL like the unit I observed at Trinity last week.....he's as good as it gets.

[lumbercat]

PolBear 73
I wish the Polar Bears well but if they get significant rain on Whittier it could  be a mess. The receding hairline at Whiitier has been caused by the discontinuation of non organic fertilizers. Like the old days teams will have to switch to the long cleats and bring a ton of towels.

Good thing Bowdoin doesn't have a golf course on campus- they might ruin that too.

As you remember Polbear the Bowdoin fields back in the day we're like golf fairways- the best I ever set foot on. Trimmed to 3/8 inch, looked like AstroTurf on our old game films- fast and firm---How did they let that go? ....no disrespect Polar Bear  but I just don't get the thought process in Brunswick anymore.