FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[westcoastDad]

Nothing better than a nice group hug. 

But let's be clear.....giving us personal info about a football player who sucks is foul play lol.  We don't need to know they were Eagle Scouts,  Cub Scouts, Marines or now with ministry.   That's definitely way TMI.  We don't want the keyboard gangstas to have a conscious.  Otherwise, the filter will be like reading a preseason preview focusing only on nice ties.   

We want the down and dirty.

Amherst Mammoths....nice little cozy town.
But why are seniors being cut after 3 years of service.  Don't they deserve their senior day!?

I digress lol

B

[ColbyFootball]

Nothing better than a nice group hug. 

But let's be clear.....giving us personal info about a football player who sucks is foul play lol.  We don't need to know they were Eagle Scouts,  Cub Scouts, Marines or now with ministry.   That's definitely way TMI.  We don't want the keyboard gangstas to have a conscious.  Otherwise, the filter will be like reading a preseason preview focusing only on nice ties.   

We want the down and dirty.

Amherst Mammoths....nice little cozy town.
But why are seniors being cut after 3 years of service.  Don't they deserve their senior day!?

I digress lol

B

They're being cut because coaches s--k. Unless a kid really did something wrong, or gives minimal effort, a senior should never be cut. Seniority should mean something. Loyalty is a two way street. My heart would break for any senior cut just because a better underclass man came along. But the good thing is I believe in Karma. And what goes around comes around.

[Grabowski]

Another reason the roster limit sucks.  If the goal is to keep roster sizes down, just drop the tip limit.  IMO FWIW.

Boy, the pads are really cracking here on the board this year!

[PolarCat]

I wouldn't ask whether they DESERVE their Senior Day, but rather whether they EARNED their Senior Day.  If a kid worked hard for 3  years and came to their final pre-season ready to compete for a starting spot, I'd say he earned it, and I'd hate to see him cut.  But if a different kid mailed it in, was a cancer in the locker room, and was more focused on job interviews and post-graduate life than competing, I have no problem seeing him gone.  Good life lesson: you gotta wake up and work hard every day; mail it in at your peril.

I have zero insight into what happened at Amherst.  The kids cut could all have earned their Senior Day and been cut unfairly, or they could all have been slackers.  But I have seen girls on PolarKitten's WLAX team mail it in their senior year (one is doing it right now), and it sucks.  You do a disservice to the other kids on the roster keeping the slackers around.

[DadintheStands]

If we're talking about coaches and teams whose goal is to win games then nothing should get handed to any player on any team in any sport.  You earn a spot because you put in the work and are better than the other options.  Doesn't matter if your a senior or a 1st year.  Now, if you're running your team like a 1st grade gym class, then by all means load up on players that just want to participate.

[ColbyFootball]

I wouldn't ask whether they DESERVE their Senior Day, but rather whether they EARNED their Senior Day.  If a kid worked hard for 3  years and came to their final pre-season ready to compete for a starting spot, I'd say he earned it, and I'd hate to see him cut.  But if a different kid mailed it in, was a cancer in the locker room, and was more focused on job interviews and post-graduate life than competing, I have no problem seeing him gone.  Good life lesson: you gotta wake up and work hard every day; mail it in at your peril.

I have zero insight into what happened at Amherst.  The kids cut could all have earned their Senior Day and been cut unfairly, or they could all have been slackers.  But I have seen girls on PolarKitten's WLAX team mail it in their senior year (one is doing it right now), and it sucks.  You do a disservice to the other kids on the roster keeping the slackers around.

A kid shouldn't be a slacker, and never ever a cancer on the team. But if he doesn't come to compete to start you can't cut a senior. Some kids will never be starters. A coach can never sell players on being "all in" for the team when they see dedicated guys who may be marginal players cut as seniors. A coach who does that is the cancer of the team.

[ColbyFootball]

If we're talking about coaches and teams whose goal is to win games then nothing should get handed to any player on any team in any sport.  You earn a spot because you put in the work and are better than the other options.  Doesn't matter if your a senior or a 1st year.  Now, if you're running your team like a 1st grade gym class, then by all means load up on players that just want to participate.

You create a false choice. The middle ground for a Coach is to respect seniority. But seniority is not the absolute determining factor. But if you do not reward seniority you will never have a "team".

[JoeBag]

If we're talking about coaches and teams whose goal is to win games then nothing should get handed to any player on any team in any sport.  You earn a spot because you put in the work and are better than the other options.  Doesn't matter if your a senior or a 1st year.  Now, if you're running your team like a 1st grade gym class, then by all means load up on players that just want to participate.

You create a false choice. The middle ground for a Coach is to respect seniority. But seniority is not the absolute determining factor. But if you do not reward seniority you will never have a "team".

It should be a rare occasion that a coach has to cut a senior.  A conversation should occur at the end of the players junior year where the coach advises the player that there will most likely not be a slot for them on the team for the upcoming season. This allows the student athlete to step away from the program without any embarrassment.

Seniority should be respected, but it does not necessarily need to be rewarded. Only hard work, execution, and performance should be rewarded.

[DadintheStands]

Exactly JoeBag.  If the perception is a coach favors seniors regardless of performance that is just as much of a cancer to those coming into the program and trying to earn a spot.

[amh63]

Boy, it must be the heat is getting to everybody. 
Grabowski..." the pads are really cracking"....like the expression.  More like Butting Helmets rather than grownup discussion.  The NFL and ESPN is also losing it on subjects as well as FANs.
For the newbies....the 75, now 76? Team limit as well as the 14 "tips" for football was set and accepted by the CAC to try to make the conference more competitive.  Amherst and Williams had very large  teams....way over 76 in their 100 plus years of beating each other up.  Now the recruiting success of their coaches are being discussed.  Oh yes, the tip number is key....since it is based on the admission standard set by the student body!

[Nescacman]

Can we all just decide once and for all, is it OK to be a snarky a**hole on this board, or not?  I'm fine with folks being snarky a**holes about everything and anything.  I'm also fine with all of us generally treating people -- even good people who may have been highly unsuccessful coaches*, players who didn't necessarily excel on the playing field, or transgender kids who just want to use a bathroom in peace -- with respect.  But it's frankly exhausting to figure out which topics it is considered cool to be a jerk about, and which topics are considered off limits because someone's feelings might get hurt.  Thanks folks. 

*For example, it would be pretty easy to be a snarky a**hole to AlDavis in light of events that transpired after Al's prior snarky commentary about Kelton, Williams, and Frank U., right?  Instead, I'll say that not all football coaches are created equally, and that's totally fine; that you can be a mediocre NESCAC QB and a truly exemplary human being, and the latter is far more important; and that every person makes serious mistakes in their life, and that we can all improve as people, players, and coaches.  Perhaps, instead of constantly slamming people and things we don't really care to try to understand, we should err on the side of being empathetic towards those whose perspectives and life experiences might not precisely mirror our own.  Or, if not, let's all agree that this is a free-for-all where everyone is free to be a**holes, but then no whining when a particular brand of snark happens to offend our own unique sensibilities. 

OK, I'm done.  Back to NESCAC football, I hope!

Amen to that NESCAC1...let's treat this for what it is. it's a blog filled with our own opinions. And please, has anyone heard of the term "sarcasm". We are all intelligent people here discussing D3 football, not life and death matters affecting the world at large. Let's take this for what it is. We have at all made comments that someone on this board has taken offense to. You post and you are subject to however people want to respond. NESCACMAN has thick skin...others should develop the same.

[Nescacman]

This site gets far too personal, starting with +'s and -'s of which I am proudly in the negative. I'd hope any critiquing of players would be respectful. As for critiquing coaches, other than being vulgar or wishing harm, they're fair game. They get paid to produce. Now, what are your predictions for tomorrow? I'd love to know since I haven't picked a winner since Namath and the '69 Jets.

Couldn't agree more ColbyFootball. See our picks below which we made earlier yesterday in case you missed them. And just for your reference, we pick NESCAC games better than anyone...including the "Nothing but Nescac" boys.

2017 Week #2 NESCACMAN Preview

Welcome to Week 2 in the NESCAC..."the league where they pay to play". Last week we went 4-1 and are 128-37 for our career picking NESCAC games. Week 1 went pretty much as expected with all the favorites winning every game and the Wes/Mid game coming down to the wire. Week 2 should be much the same with 3 scrimmages, 1 pillow fight and 1 game worth watching. Highlight of the week is the nighttime home opener for WES as they face the Original Elephants.

Amhurst College at Hamilton College: The Mammoths showed off a balanced attack in Week 1 (389 yards of total O; 210 net yards passing, 179 net yards rushing). Expect that to continue in week 2. QB Eberth and defender Yamin (6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 TFL, 1 forced fumble) both had big days. We expect the same in Week 2. HAM will have to do a better job of running the ball (48 yards net rushing, 1.8 avg gain per rush) and converting 3rd downs (3 of 16) to have a shot at upsetting a very good Amhurst squad. HAM is better but not quite ready for prime time yet. The Mammoths keep rolling.

Amhurst 35 Hamilton 14
Weather: Not a factor

Middlebury College at Bowdoin College: Surprise, surprise...MID has a very good offense (again) (384 yards of total offense against a very good WES D). Surprise, surprise...MID once again cannot run the ball (32 net yards rushing, 1.1 average yards per attempt). We expect MID to be more balanced against a young BOW defense that was ineffective against a less than stellar Williams squad (439 yards of offense against). QB Lebowitz is very good and we think he will have his way with BOW's secondary for as long as he is in there.

Middlebury 42 Bowdoin 7
Weather: Not a factor

Williams College at Colby College: Other than parents and bored Colby coeds, not sure who's going to watch this one. Hopefully, the crowd will be larger this Saturday in Waterville then it was last Saturday in Billville where the listed attendance was actually "0". Snoozeathon....We'll take Colby's experience over the Ephs youthful exuberance (8 freshman starters). Coach Raymond got NESCAC career win #1 last week, he'll have to wait a bit for win 2. Ephs haven't won in Waterville since 2009. We think the Colby talent will prevail despite the Mules coaching challenges. For those keeping track of former HCOF Kelton, Shorter University is 0-3 and has been outscored 32-110. His career record at Shorter is 0-14.

Colby 14 Williams 7
Weather: Not a factor.

Hartford State College at University of Bates (Lewiston Campus): Hartford State plays their second game scrimmage in 2 weeks. The Bants bring a 10 game win streak into Lewiston. QB Puzzo and RB Chipouras both had big days last year for State against UB. Expect much of the same this year. UB has difficulty playing catch-up against everyone because of their lack of a competent passing game (77 yards passing last week on 20 tempts; 2016 average was 85 yards per game on 127 attempts for the year). Coach D and the Bants will exploit that weakness. Interesting UB tidbit...they have had one winning season since 1982 (2012); that's 35 years of .500 or worse football. Ouch.

Hartford State 35 U of B 14
Weather: Not a factor

NESCAC Game of the Week

Tufts University at Wesleyan University: Only interesting game on the schedule this week. The OE's travel to Middletown to face WES in their second night meeting in 2 years. Tufts QB McDonald was concussed in week 1 against HAM. Until he was hurt, he was basically their entire offense. Without him, the Jumbo's O struggled a bit and they nearly lost to a game HAM squad. If he plays, this game could be very interesting. If he doesn't, this could be a blowout. Tufts no doubt misses RB Brady and we think they are down a bit from last year. We think WES will run the ball better this week and the Piccirrillo to Breuler combo will continue to light up the scoreboard. WES needs to cut down the penalties (12 for 111 yards in week 1) and the special teams need to play better (missed PAT and 207 return yards against). We like WES to get 2017 win #1 at home in front of a large crowd on the oldest continuously used football field in the Nation.

Wesleyan 31 Tufts 21
Weather: Not a factor

NESCACMAN's Picks
2017 Season: 4-1
2016 Season: 32-8
2015 Season: 30-10
2014 Season: 30-10
2013 Season: 32-8
Career: 128-37 (.776 winning percentage)

[DadintheStands]

Thick skin or at least a healthy sense of humor and ability to not take yourself seriously is required on this site.  There is the risk of high emotion however. This is a group of proud alumni and proud parents after all. Thats the recipe for a touchy group. My wife started lurking this board not long ago now that our 1st year son is playing nescac football and my first warning was be prepared for some snark against his school, his team and (gulp) maybe even him.  You know what though, if he deserves it, she and i will be the first to dole it out.

[nescac1]

A few early Eph commits from social media:

Xander Utech, interior line, Malvern, PA
Aidan Feurer, TE/DE, Latham, NY

Don't know much about these guys, but the more the merrier!  Hope Raymond's class number two is a big one -- in particular the Ephs need to load up on interior linemen on both sides of the ball. 

[NESCAC.Football.Observer]

So these comments go out to all of this Board's SJWs who think life is fair and everyone deserves a trophy:

1.  Mac Caputi's post Bowdoin football college career choices are totally irrelevant to this board when a poster makes a comment about how his career which... IMOO.... would not have existed at all as a QB if he weren't playing for daddy... And I'm a 3 War army veteran..... so I GET it... but one can't back up how great a QB the kid was - he wasn't - because he joined the Marines.

2.  Seniors and NESCAC Football.

So no one owes anyone anything... that's the current reality... including in the NESCAC. 

So as a former NESCAC player and a former dad... what's wrong with cutting seniors?  If they aren't good enough to contribute, and are blocking the opportunity for a younger kid... well.... it's life!!! I see absolutely NOTHING wrong with cutting seniors.

Otherwise... frankly... why not give every kid in the NESCAC a ring and say "thanks for trying".

These posts about cutting seniors just remind me how SOFT society is these days.

And... frankly.... the solution is that, as a senior... you NEED to be better than that marginal Frosh.  If you aren't, you don't DESERVE to be on the team.

My two cents...  it's about EARNING it via talent and not DESERVING it via seniority.

I applaud EJ for doing what is best for the LJs.....

NFO