FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[bennie]

bennie - I won't spoil the Caps/Jackets game if you have isolated yourself well enough so that you haven't learned the outcome, and have it TIVO'd. My memory says that's what you had planned. I'm too lazy to scroll back to make sure my memory is correct. It's worth watching even if you do know the score. Very entertaining.

I haven't watched it yet, but I hope to watch it today. I do know the final score. The Jackets are managing to suck themselves right out of the playoff race. Hopefully they can rally tonight!

I didn't get to see much of the Super Bowl. The hotel that the conference was at also had another group throwing a Super Bowl party in one of the ballrooms.

Super Bowl+ around 200 people at my conference+ Super Bowl party people+ one bartender and one waitress=looonnngggg lines at the bar. Someone didn't think that one through!

[bennie]

As many of you might have read by now, in an apparent effort to craft a sequel to Dumb and Dumber, a young man from Nevada actually pretended to have been offered scholarships by Cal, Oregon (bennie!!!) and other teams, then subsequently claimed to have been the victim of a hoax - only to eventually admit that he made it all up himself. 

I don't know whether we should be flattered that he included us in the hoax or insulted that he didn't pick us. 8)

[kubiack78]

Here they are Duffman... the mullet:


circa 1988


and


1991

[cobbernation]

I heard about that on the radio this morning.  What a ridiculous situation.  How could that even happen.  Wouldn't the kid's parents and coaches realize something was up being that they'd never heard from any of the college recruiters?  And what about an official visit?  It all sounds fishy to me.

Don't recruiters first contact coaches before talking to the players themselves?

[Johnnie Red]

tmerton, the post about Paris made my day. Great name for her movie and a must see for everyone on this board. I would still like to get her up to a Johnnie game and the Stiftungsfestivities. If you could email the reporter and get the phone number, that would be appreciated.

I noticed in the article that Paris will be promoting a new sparkling wine. Could be a nice addition to the red cup adult beverages.

[tmerton]

tmerton, the post about Paris made my day. Great name for her movie and a must see for everyone on this board. I would still like to get her up to a Johnnie game and the Stiftungsfestivities. If you could email the reporter and get the phone number, that would be appreciated.

Yeah, sure - the reporter's going to give that out.  Maybe in Minnesota.  However, my sleuthing did uncover the 411 on Paris.

[TC]

SJU fullback.

Good, SJU could use one of those.  


And since other people have brought up D1/D1-AA/D2 signing day, is anyone else kinda a little fired up about the Gophers' recruiting class?  Brewster pretty much called his shot:  he said he'd bring a Top 20 class on campus, then he delivered.  I'm still skeptical about his in-game coaching ability, but having big-time players to coach makes life a ton easier.

Of course, it's a little easier to recruit when you can offer blue chip recruits a chance to play/start from the moment they step on campus at a Big Ten school (especially the JuCo's, of which there were a half dozen on the defensive side of the ball where everyone knows they need the help).  For the Gophers to reach Brewster's stated goal of returning the program to national prominance, he's going to need to stack a few classes of this pedigree or better.  I think it might be difficult when he loses one of his biggest bargaining tools, immediate playing time.

How's about a little SJU daydreaming?  The Gophers had 32 football commits for 2008 (down to 31 since Roszell Gayden, a 3-Star tackle at Cooper, greyshirted himself and will joing the program in 2009) but only 28 scholarships.  Thats means that, assuming everyone qualifies academically and is accept to the school, there's not enough scholarships to go around.  By virtually all accounts, Ryan Grant was one of the least heralded 2008 Gopher recruits and is being asked to either switch to LB (At 6-1, 215? In the Big Ten?  Really?) or S (Is he athletic enough?) after playing QB all through high school.  I wonder if at least part of the reason the Gophers recruited him was to curry favor with Willie Mobley and Mike Grant.  I have a hard time invisioning him being an impact defensive player with the Gophers.  

I wish the kid all the best, but if he's looking at at least one season of not seeing the field (as a potential redshirt, two seasons if he doesn't join the team until 2009 with the possible scholarship shortage) I'm sure the folks in Collegevillw would be happy to let him follow in his old man's footsteps.  Whatdya say, Ryan?  Sure, the Gophers MAY be able to offer a nice venue and a winning team in a few years, and you might be part of rekindling a traditional power program, but why not head to St. John's where you can have all those things AND actually see the playing field in the next few seasons?  I'm just sayin'...

[57Johnnie]

As many of you might have read by now, in an apparent effort to craft a sequel to Dumb and Dumber, a young man from Nevada actually pretended to have been offered scholarships by Cal, Oregon (bennie!!!) and other teams, then subsequently claimed to have been the victim of a hoax - only to eventually admit that he made it all up himself. 

I don't know whether we should be flattered that he included us in the hoax or insulted that he didn't pick us. 8)

+k bennie on old Duck,Viking and Bronco, Gary Zimmerman on getting into the NFL Hall of Fame. 

[DuffMan]

Thanks, Kubiak!

[retagent]

bennie - I want your opinion on whether McCreary can call a penalty on himself for interference, or on the Jackets for too many men on the ice. He can really check a defenseman skating backwards who can see all five men, or so he thought, in front of him. I would think if Columbus was really into sportsmanship, Nash would have given up the puck when that happened. It seems like the Caps face something like that every night. Laing got called for another goalie interference penalty last night against the Flyers. The referee must have thought he didn't get enough time the night before, because it was less contact than Hillary and Obama have.

[johnnie_esq]

SJU fullback.

Good, SJU could use one of those. 


And since other people have brought up D1/D1-AA/D2 signing day, is anyone else kinda a little fired up about the Gophers' recruiting class?  Brewster pretty much called his shot:  he said he'd bring a Top 20 class on campus, then he delivered.  I'm still skeptical about his in-game coaching ability, but having big-time players to coach makes life a ton easier.

Of course, it's a little easier to recruit when you can offer blue chip recruits a chance to play/start from the moment they step on campus at a Big Ten school (especially the JuCo's, of which there were a half dozen on the defensive side of the ball where everyone knows they need the help).  For the Gophers to reach Brewster's stated goal of returning the program to national prominance, he's going to need to stack a few classes of this pedigree or better.  I think it might be difficult when he loses one of his biggest bargaining tools, immediate playing time.

How's about a little SJU daydreaming?  The Gophers had 32 football commits for 2008 (down to 31 since Roszell Gayden, a 3-Star tackle at Cooper, greyshirted himself and will joing the program in 2009) but only 28 scholarships.  Thats means that, assuming everyone qualifies academically and is accept to the school, there's not enough scholarships to go around.  By virtually all accounts, Ryan Grant was one of the least heralded 2008 Gopher recruits and is being asked to either switch to LB (At 6-1, 215? In the Big Ten?  Really?) or S (Is he athletic enough?) after playing QB all through high school.  I wonder if at least part of the reason the Gophers recruited him was to curry favor with Willie Mobley and Mike Grant.  I have a hard time invisioning him being an impact defensive player with the Gophers.   

I wish the kid all the best, but if he's looking at at least one season of not seeing the field (as a potential redshirt, two seasons if he doesn't join the team until 2009 with the possible scholarship shortage) I'm sure the folks in Collegevillw would be happy to let him follow in his old man's footsteps.  Whatdya say, Ryan?  Sure, the Gophers MAY be able to offer a nice venue and a winning team in a few years, and you might be part of rekindling a traditional power program, but why not head to St. John's where you can have all those things AND actually see the playing field in the next few seasons?  I'm just sayin'...

I'm stoked about the U's recruiting class.  How does a coach who goes 1-11 pull down a top-20 recruiting class?  That is downright obscene.  Add in the outdoor stadium and the actual encouragement of tailgating en masse and {gasp} Collegeville may not be the bst place to watch a football game in Minnesota much longer!

I think the U can still give out academic scholarships to those who are deserving of it, not to mention it is legal to give half- and part- schollies to athletes as well.  So while there were only 28 to go to 32, that could mean 8 guys get half scholarships.  Given the in-state tuition at Minnesota, a guy like Ryan Grant could qualify for a nice academic scholarship and a half-football scholarship, meaning his tuition would be well within his dad's price range.

And yes, Ryan Grant is athletic enough for a Big Ten safety.  He's really earmarked for that role and they have been up front about that from the start.

[tmerton]

I think the U can still give out academic scholarships to those who are deserving of it, not to mention it is legal to give half- and part- schollies to athletes as well.  So while there were only 28 to go to 32, that could mean 8 guys get half scholarships.  Given the in-state tuition at Minnesota, a guy like Ryan Grant could qualify for a nice academic scholarship and a half-football scholarship, meaning his tuition would be well within his dad's price range.

I don't believe you can give partial scholarships in football or basketball; they're not like baseball, soccer, and other sports.  So in football, 85 scholarships means 85 players, not 170 players on half-scholarships.  Brewster will have to make some tough decisions if all who signed LOIs qualify.  Maybe he could take a page from the SEC.  SEC teams routinely give out more than 30 scholarships, but they do it because they assume (know) some players won't qualify academically.  They're pretty also pretty ruthless at running off athletes they don't want (technically, scholarships have to be renewed annually), or gray shirting, or even just saying "sorry - no more room."

I thought the Big 10/11 had some sort of max on annual scholarships that was below the 28 allowed by the NCAA, but I must be wrong on that.

[BDB]

Sorry boyz, for my lack of contribution to the MIACPP mayhem lately.

I've been busier than a one legged man in a butt kickin' contest.

The hockey squad starts state tournament play downs this weekend. We got a bad draw and have to travel to Onalaska of all places.

I Mapquested the trip. You can't get there from here. 

But our goalie is flaming hot right now! 



THIS IS NOT OUR GOALIE. THE T-SHIRTS SAYS "WITH A SHIRT LIKE THIS, WHO NEEDS PANTS?"  8)

[johnnie_esq]

I think the U can still give out academic scholarships to those who are deserving of it, not to mention it is legal to give half- and part- schollies to athletes as well.  So while there were only 28 to go to 32, that could mean 8 guys get half scholarships.  Given the in-state tuition at Minnesota, a guy like Ryan Grant could qualify for a nice academic scholarship and a half-football scholarship, meaning his tuition would be well within his dad's price range.

I don't believe you can give partial scholarships in football or basketball; they're not like baseball, soccer, and other sports.  So in football, 85 scholarships means 85 players, not 170 players on half-scholarships.  Brewster will have to make some tough decisions if all who signed LOIs qualify.  Maybe he could take a page from the SEC.  SEC teams routinely give out more than 30 scholarships, but they do it because they assume (know) some players won't qualify academically.  They're pretty also pretty ruthless at running off athletes they don't want (technically, scholarships have to be renewed annually), or gray shirting, or even just saying "sorry - no more room."

I thought the Big 10/11 had some sort of max on annual scholarships that was below the 28 allowed by the NCAA, but I must be wrong on that.

I could be wrong on the partial scholarships issue, but I believe D-2 schools are able to do it so I assume the same is true for D-1.  But you know the thing about assuming...

I read somewhere that, as you note, there was also an option (a plan, actually) of greyshirting some of these players, meaning they could get a scholarship but not play with the team-- in other words, redshirt without being allowed to practice.  That way they could be scholarshipped, spend five (six!) years here and get stronger all the time doing off-season workouts for the first season. 

The Big 10 has that rule, but I believe because some of the players here are Jucos and mid-year enrollees, they are able to get around that issue. 

[DuffMan]

I'm pretty sure scholarships at a D1 school are all or nothing.  I'd look it up to be positive, but I don't really feel like it