FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[tmerton]

Duff, wherever you are going camping this weekend, watch of for bears. Seems like the dudes are everywhere these days.

I'll keep an eye out for bears...the black kind and the Hamm's kind.  Unfortunately, the Johnnie radio network dies between Duluth and Two Harbors, so I'll have to relive the game from the box score.

Two Harbors?  My cell phone worked there.  You can sign up to listen on your phone. 

[Knightstalker]

Show me The Sizzle...

The Sizzle is served.

Just heard from Veek.  He is more excited about Shooters than this Johnnie game.  Hope Finsleft is prepared with plenty of singles...

Just picked up a roll of quarters. After all, we will be in Wisconsin.

What would you need in MN?  A roll of nickels?   

[DuffMan]

Two Harbors?  My cell phone worked there.  You can sign up to listen on your phone. 

Yeah, but we're heading north of Two Harbors, and my phone turns off once vacation starts 

[faunch]

Link to the live video of the Johnnie / BluGolds game on Saturday.

http://www.uwecblugolds.com/?view=schedule&sport=fb

[DustySJU]

Johnnie Tailgate Special - details up at www.JohnnieFootball.com 


Developing...

[Johnnie Red]

It is official. I will be making a trip out to Portland, Oregon on October 14 to see my daughter, a first year law student at Lewis & Clark. We are planning to make the trip to McMinnville on Saturday, October 16 for the Linfield-Pacific game. Homecoming for Linfield. Still remember the last game I saw at Linfield in 2002 when the Johnnies were there. Can you say 400 wins for a certain coach?!!!!!

[samwill47sju]

Looking forward to a good time with Blue Devil Bob at the Gopher Game tomorrow....then we travel East to hang out with Dusty and the crew at the SJU tailgate party, then watch the red take over Eau Claire.......Does it get any better?

Hello Gig Harbor Cat!

[UWRF]

UWRF radio feed of UST-RF game...

www.pureradio887.com

[USTBench]

UWRF radio feed of UST-RF game...

www.pureradio887.com

They usually have a link to visual/audio on UST's website as well: www.tommiesports.com

[finsleft]

BREAKING NEWS: KILTED RAT SINGLE-HANDEDLY SUBDUES SOMALI PIRATES
OK, so not exactly, but he was in on this action.

Here's a bit from his email yesterday afternoon:
Two days ago, we were called upon to investigate two potential pirate skiffs. 2 of our Helicopters did a couple fly bys and saw 2 fishing vessels. The unusual parts about these "fishing" vessels were; they're in an area off the coast of Somalia that sucks for fishing, they had no nets or fishing poles visible from top side, they had 15-20 fuel/water jugs each (way more than would be taken fishing), and they had multiple grappling hooks and ladders. Bottom line is they were Pirate skiffs and the crew heard the helos coming and went below decks and never came topside while out helos were there. Since we didn't see them do anything illegal, we basically chased them back into Somali waters.

Then yesterday, 08SEP, in the morning we received a call from higher headquarters telling us that a German-owned shipping vessel had been hijacked by Pirates a couple dozen miles from our location and they wanted us to investigate. The crew had barricaded themselves down in the engine room and had killed power to the engine, so the ship was sitting dead in the water. We got to the ship in the early afternoon and pulled within about 1000 meters to get a closer look. We sent out our helicopters to check them out. From 1km away with binoculars, we could see multiple pirates walking around top side, several carrying AK-47's and one who would intermittently lie down in the prone position and point his weapon at us. We had our Maritime Raid Force spun up and ready to roll, which for me meant getting medical ready for any potential casualties/ pirates since we have to inspect any detainees we take. Everything was in place except for the permission to go. Our MEU command said go, but they had to check with the Expeditionary strike group who said go but they had to check with US CENTCOM who said go but they had to check with the joint chiefs who said go but that had to check with THE BOSS. So we spent most of the afternoon in a staredown with the pirates on the ship waiting for word. Most of my time was spent figuring out what our plan would be for any casualties as well as how and where to process the detainee physicals. The evening was spent going to planning meetings, explaining to 6 different levels of higher headquarters what exactly our medical capabilities were as well as that of the USS Princeton. Finally, we got done with meetings at about 2300. I crawled into bed at about midnight and set my alarm for 0345 to get things ready in the morning. Unfortunately, all of the 6 different levels of higher had their own questions. Which meant I got to answer a phone call for ESG 5 at 0100, a phone call from CTF-151 at 0145, a phone call from US CENTCOM at 0230, a phone call from the Joint Chief's office at 0300 and a phone call from the White House at 0320. So much for sleeping. And no, I didn't get to talk to anyone cool, I talked to the guy who brings the coffee to the guy who talks to the guy pretty much, sometimes his assistant.

Then this morning (09SEP), I slept for my last 15 minutes, got up and put on my uniform, flack jacket and Kevlar and headed for the bridge. My main job being stand by for word of casualties and if they were coming head down to medical and get everyone ready for the casualties and standby to do whatever we can. Right before sunset, we launched 2 Huey's and 1 Cobra attack helicopter. The first Huey was the aerial command and control and the second had a sniper for overwatch in case any of the pirates showed any sign of hostilities while out Marines were boarding the ship. The Cobra did a quick passby basically for intimidation and a show of force. The Sniper Huey took up position just beyond AK47 range and started circling looking for targets. We pulled up within Sniper range so the 2nd sniper on the ship was able to take out any threats. As we were getting into his range, a pirate came out with his AK and was pointing at the ship. Lucky for him, he went inside right before we got within sniper range.

About this time, boats with the Marine Raid force pulled up along side and started climbing up ladders and securing spaces of the ship working their way up to the bridge (control on top of the super structure of the cargo ship). As soon as the boats got to the pirated vessel, three pirates who were down low ran up the back stairs to the bridge carrying their AK's. The other 2 went down to try to break into the engineroom, presumably to try to get hostages. Fortunately, the ship's crew had welded shut three different doors to secure themselves into the engineroom where they had water and a fridge stocked with food in case they were boarded by pirates. The Marine Raid force made their way up the tower, where the 5 Pirates on the bridge intelligently decided to put down their weapons and raise their hands rather than try to take on the 20+ Marines on the ship. One of the pirates got a bit rowdy and ended up getting tackled. Aside from that, the takedown of the pirates on the bridge went pretty smoothly. That same pirate ended up losing bowel control when he was taken down with 4 rifles pointed in his face.

The other half of the raid force went down to find the pirates and the engine room. These 4 pirates surrendered as well as soon as they realized how outnumbered and out-gunned they were. All total, we took 11 pirates prisoner without firing a single shot. Amazing what intimidation and a phenomenally executed plan will do! The crew had done such a good job of barricading themselves into the engine room that it took our Raid force as well as the damage control team from the ship 3 hours working with torches, saws and the jaws of life to get through all the doors to free the crew.

All total it took us 1 hour to take control of the entire ship and 3 hours to get the crew out and free. Legal representatives from the USS Princeton took control of the pirates at that time and took them to their ship (including dookie-pants) for processing and detaining.

After having spent the past 4 hours at meetings, it is quite clear that this couldn't have gone much better. No shots fired, no injuries, 9 Pirates taken hostage and 11 crew freed without issue. It wasn't until tonight that we learned that this was the first time EVER that a Naval ship has taken down a pirate ship in an opposed (armed) boarding. It was also the first time that Marines from a US ship have taken down a ship.

Here's a round of K for Kilted Rat and for being safe in the good old US of A

[repete]

Great stuff! Thanks for posting, Fins, and congrats -- AND THANKS -- to KR!

[tmerton]

The best part of KR's story, from his perspective at least, has to be that dookie-pants got sent to the Princeton where some other poor schlub had to do his physical. 

BTW, do we have to wait for Tommie Week for KR's now annual post?

[sfury]

The most surprising thing about KR's email? That it didn't, somewhere, include the line "P.S. Tommies Suck."

[DutchFan2004]

The most surprising thing about KR's email? That it didn't, somewhere, include the line "P.S. Tommies Suck."

In KR's defense I am sure that he didn't think that it would be posted on D3 or an item like that would certainly not been overlooked.  It may have even been in all caps.   

[stanbob]

The most surprising thing about KR's email? That it didn't, somewhere, include the line "P.S. Tommies Suck."

For sure he had it in there, fins had to edit it out for brevity here.