FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hazzben]

Any Tommie fans have an injury update for UST?

I know they've been really banged up down the stretch but are they starting to get healthy yet? This seems like a key issue in determining how deep they could go in the playoffs.

[CobberHawkeye]

I'd almost guarantee Bridgewater State gets curb stomped this weekend.  I could not say the same for Concordia if it was in the field.  It is a shame.

"Curb stomp".....the phrase brings shivers when I remember the scene from American History X.

[GoldandBlueBU]

I'd almost guarantee Bridgewater State gets curb stomped this weekend.  I could not say the same for Concordia if it was in the field.  It is a shame.

"Curb stomp".....the phrase brings shivers when I remember the scene from American History X.

Same here...my teeth hurt just thinking about that scene.

[tommiegun]

Re: curb stomp.  It's always nice when your phrasing has the desired effect on your reader. Ed Norton is amazing.

[hazzben]

Man, that scene is brutal to remember. Shivers down the spine is right 

I think the question is, would Chuck Norris be a curb stomper or a monkey stomper. Whichever one, you can bet he'd precede the stomp with a roundhouse kick to the head 

[D O.C.]

Chubbs, I hear you.

Bethel team's reaction upon hearing the announcement that they made it into the playoffs.

That's some heft on the hoof. Wonder how fast they can cover 20 feet and how low they can stay in the 4th quarter.

[sjusection105]

An offseason piece on JohnnieFootball.com
The Economy of St. John's Football

[DustySJU]

One Armed Scot and his lovely bride Emily welcomed their son into the world Friday.  To everyone's surprise they did not name him Max.

Thanks for the notice OAS, I feel like I haven't seen you in a while.... 

Developing....

[emma17]

For the Concordia Moorhead fans, I feel you should have gotten in. They probably are the snubs of the tournament.

On that note, who is more to blame for not getting into the tournament:

- NCAA Committee?
or
- Players running onto the field to cost them the victory at Bethel?

Unfortunately, my vote is the players. You never want to leave it in the committee's hands, and the question is rendered moot without that untimed down.

I agree, the committee (in this case) is irrelevant without the players running out onto the field.

Then what's the sense of even having a committee if they don't peel back some of the layers?  The play they lost on wasn't a football play- it provided no football advantage and reflected zero unsportsmanlike conduct. IMO the committee is there to find context.
I find 100% fault w the committee.

[wartknight]

For the Concordia Moorhead fans, I feel you should have gotten in. They probably are the snubs of the tournament.

On that note, who is more to blame for not getting into the tournament:

- NCAA Committee?
or
- Players running onto the field to cost them the victory at Bethel?

Unfortunately, my vote is the players. You never want to leave it in the committee's hands, and the question is rendered moot without that untimed down.

I agree, the committee (in this case) is irrelevant without the players running out onto the field.

Then what's the sense of even having a committee if they don't peel back some of the layers?  The play they lost on wasn't a football play- it provided no football advantage and reflected zero unsportsmanlike conduct. IMO the committee is there to find context.
I find 100% fault w the committee.

I agree........ I didn't like the flag to begin with. By the book it was correct, but it could have been a no call IMO. I remember when I was watching the game, I said to myself "I hope that play doesn't come back to haunt them". Tough one, especially seniors!

[GoldandBlueBU]

I definitely agree w/ emma...the purpose of having teams selected for pool c by a committee should be to look past things like that.

Very tough for the seniors, indeeed, particularly #27 here... http://www.d3football.com/seasons/2012/contrib/20121006olylfg .  I doubt a flag gets thrown if not for him...he led the charge out onto the field and was on the numbers when the ball got recovered, which I don't know how an official could ignore (probably a BU bias on my part).  The rest of the guys that only took 1 or 2 steps onto the field, absolutely, they didn't warrant any cause for a flag.

The fact that a technicality kept them out has to be a very bitter point for those kids...I've swallowed some tough losses in my day, but none as bad as that one.

[tommiegun]

As bad of a way to lose as it was, and really, it was really bad, as true Minnesotans I'm sure they can take solace in the fact that, "it could be worse."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuGlPG6Vie4

[Chubbs]

I agree........ I didn't like the flag to begin with. By the book it was correct, but it could have been a no call IMO. I remember when I was watching the game, I said to myself "I hope that play doesn't come back to haunt them". Tough one, especially seniors!

An officiating crew's job is to enforce the rules, not make interpretations of them.  This idea that rules should be looked at differently or enforced differently depending on context is a dead end.  The bench emptied during a live play.  For that not to have been called would have been an even greater travesty than Concordia missing the playoffs because of it.  The players had control of their own playoff destiny, but handed it over to the commitee with one moment of in-discipline.  Does it seem unjust or harsh?  Probably, but had the team remained calm they'd be in and Bethel would be out.  Casting blame on an outside agency is to shirk responsibility.

[faunch]

I agree........ I didn't like the flag to begin with. By the book it was correct, but it could have been a no call IMO. I remember when I was watching the game, I said to myself "I hope that play doesn't come back to haunt them". Tough one, especially seniors!

An officiating crew's job is to enforce the rules, not make interpretations of them.  This idea that rules should be looked at differently or enforced differently depending on context is a dead end.  The bench emptied during a live play.  For that not to have been called would have been an even greater travesty than Concordia missing the playoffs because of it.  The players had control of their own playoff destiny, but handed it over to the commitee with one moment of in-discipline.  Does it seem unjust or harsh?  Probably, but had the team remained calm they'd be in and Bethel would be out.  Casting blame on an outside agency is to shirk responsibility.

I happened to be watching that final series live on the internet.  As soon as the Cobber players and coaches went on the field I posted something to the effect,  "I think the Cobbers might have just F'd themselves."  It was the right call by the officials.  Concordia still had two opportunities to stop BU.  They paint white lines on the sidelines for a reason...only 22 players are allowed on the field during a play.  It drives me nuts how players and coaches at all levels ignore the white lines sometimes.  I see high school coaches 5 yards on the field during live plays all the time.  Basketball coaches are even worse.   SJU got nailed for 15 yards after the kick vs. BU a couple years ago. 

[AO]

I think we're losing a little perspective here.  It was a 15 yard penalty, it didn't turn a Bethel 5 yard run into a touchdown.  Even with the loss Concordia was still expected to make the playoffs and everyone understands that the at-large (Bridgewater State) that was picked over Concordia benefitted from their scheduling quirks in their region rather than on-field football ability.  The penalty didn't cost them the conference championship and it didn't kick them out of the top 25.  You can't "what if" yourself too much if you lose to St. Thomas at home. 

All that said, every team should spend 5 seconds teaching proper celebration techniques and timing.  If a game winning fumble or a game winning 3 is on the way, just box out your teammates who are threatening to escape the bench.

Notice the form of the bench All-American.