FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sjusection105]

Welcome aboard Texas Ole.

What arena of the state are you in?

Can you buy Lutefisk 

[OzJohnnie]

Dare we dream?  I've got the house to myself today and I'll sit and watch the Vikes in peace with a nice cold brew. I reckon they'll lose to the Pack, but I don't think my heart will be broken. AP doesn't quit and just knowing the horse didn't stop running can go a long way.

[Warren Thompson]

Welcome aboard Texas Ole.

What arena of the state are you in?

Can you buy Lutefisk 

Sorry to butt in from the Middle Atlantic, but as a native Texan, I have to point out that lutefisk is considered a controlled substance down there. Hence its possession, distribution, and consumption is subject to severe legal penalty (as many transplanted Minnesotans residing in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio have learned to their sorrow). 

[retagent]

Well, the Green and Gold already has one triumph today. Congrats to the heavily Minnesota influenced Bison of ND State on their 2nd consecutive FCS Championship.

[OzJohnnie]

The Vikings always amaze me by their ability to get me to think thoughts I never thought I would think. Today's thought? Disappointment that Ponder isn't playing.

Related side note: one of the idiot commentators in the cin/hou game just tried to say that Webb is the better QB. Now Ponder may be complete crap, but Webb's a three year backup and the only QB in the nation that makes Ponder look like a deep route specialist. Sigh. This is an impending waste of a nice afternoon.

EDIT: my prediction is that Webb plays a blindingly good game and causes post season QB confusion. Fantastic. Win and remove every scrap of hope from the fans that it will mean anyhthing. Go Vikes!

[OzJohnnie]

Geez, now Al Michaels and his brain addled side kick are saying that Webb is the best thing that could have happened for the Vikings. He's the "wave of the future"!  Apparently it's just the new look needed to confuse the Packers. Why didn't LF just make the switch straight away instead of waiting to see if CP could play?  This idea of putting guys that can't make the starting lineup into the biggest game of the year on one day's notice is brilliant. Why don't coaches do it more often?

Good God. Webb hasn't thrown a pass all season. Upcoming slaughter.

[Pat Coleman]

They're just trying to keep people from changing the channel. You know how it goes.

[Knightstalker]

+K to Oz for Al Michaels and his brain addled sidekick.  Those two are among the biggest Douche-bags broadcasting football games on any level.  I've always wondered if you squeezed Bob Costas head would his eyes pop completely out?

[retagent]

What are you trying to say KS? C'mon, don't beat around the bush.

[Tom Thumb]

I just listened to Fasching's press conference on the SJU youtube channel.  This is my impression: a little bit of a tweak, a lot more money.  The context of his (two?) comments on Gagliardi running the program on a shoestring lead me to believe that he will not be doing the same.

And from what I learned in the conference, I reckon Grant pulled out knowing he wouldn't get it, not that he rejected an offer.  I think that Fasching put the most compelling case forward to the committee: Gagliardi 2.0.  I suspect that Grant was a tactical withdrawal.  He probably sensed which way the wind was blowing.

I never even met the guy so I don't know anything about him, but Duff likes him a lot and that goes a long way for me.  Also, he recruited the great teams of the early 00's and that goes a long was as well.  I suspect he will add a lot of focus and energy to the program.  I know recruiting is a big deal, but a bigger deal (in my humble and largely ignorant opinion) is discipline.  Your superstars win championships, your regular guys playing really well win you seasons.  It seems to me that the real problem of the last few years has been people breaking down on the discipline.

Dunno, but I'm pretty happy with the choice.  I'm most happy because I think he will be greatly misunderestimated, particularly by the Tommies, but also by some Johnnies, and that will lead to pleasant surprises.

Well stated Oz.

I'll use this as my final analysis on Mike Grant's quest to become the Johnnie headman. 

I believe you've adroitly culled all available news sources and your assessment is accurate.

Many Johnnies are scratching their heads in the days following Gary's appoinment as Johnnie head coach however it's my opinion SJU is in good hands.  If you didn't get a chance to hear Gary's interview with Reusse this past Monday at 11:30am it's worth digging around in the ESPN1500 archives to check out.

The reasons to attend SJU are as solid as ever and with an infusion of enthusiasm and confidence along with a slightly adjusted staff the Johnnies are on their way back to competitiveness.


Developing....

Gary Fasching's am1500 interview can be found on Judd Zulgad's on demand page (Mon. Jan. 31 - Hour 3 at about the 27:40 mark).  One comment from Gary that stood out to me was that when he watched the UST Stagg bowl game he figured that at least half of UST's offensive players were guys they had in John's office. 
http://www.1500espn.com/ondemand/judd

I think some of this can be attributed to the disconnect between two completely different generations.  I believe that Caruso's youth gives him the ability to connect to younger players in a way than John and Gary cannot. The millennials are a different breed with different values.  I think this will be one of several hurdles facing Gary, as the old "traditional" ways of doing things at SJU are being challenged by this generation who has been taught to challenge authority and ask, "why?" to everything.  Just my two cents.

[OzJohnnie]

I miss Gagliardi already. And I'm doubly glad for the Fasching pick. Don't feed the narcissism.

And why is this current batch of college kids the only ones taught to ask why?

(See what I did there?)

[bennie]

The millennials are a different breed with different values.  I think this will be one of several hurdles facing Gary, as the old "traditional" ways of doing things at SJU are being challenged by this generation who has been taught to challenge authority and ask, "why?" to everything.  Just my two cents.

Please...in the age of helicopter parents, I am sure that Gary will have plenty of appeal to the ones making the college decisions. After all, they are around the same age!

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

gotta love Senile Sid....Sunday he claims it wa sonly after SJU offered Mike Grant the job that Grant had second thoughts and turned it down, opting to stay at EPHS, which clashes with Grant and SJU's version of how things went down. The he goes on to state that Gordie Shaw is a finalist at St. Olaf. Ruesse turns around and says "Contrary to reports elsewhere, former Gophers assistant Gordie Shaw is not yet a finalist to be the head football coach at St. Olaf. That's because St. Olaf has not finalized a list of preliminary interviews from among its applicants, much less chosen its finalists...There is a strong contingent of football alums that would like to see Mike Aldrich, a former Ole player and assistant, get the job. That would make for an interesting twist: Aldrich was fired at Augustana (S.D.) and replaced at the Division II school by Jerry Olszewski, the St. Olaf coach for the past five years."

and in other news in Sid's world, the Giants might move to Minneapolis from New York if the Dodgers will move to St. Paul

[D O.C.]

Please, somebody report on the NWC board when ThUuue Coach is replaced.

[DuffMan]

That's because St. Olaf has not finalized a list of preliminary interviews from among its applicants, much less chosen its finalists...

You'd think SOC would want this done ASAP.  We're coming into the heart of recruiting season.