FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OzJohnnie]

Hey, all.  Have a great game day and Go Johnnies!  Mrs Oz and I just got back from having dinner with friends so I won't be up for opening kickoff a 4am, but I should be awake by the half. I can't sleep in any more to save myself.

[Knightstalker]

To be very clear, in no way was I saying that the commentators are doing a bad job.  I'm just pointing out that different teams take different approaches to broadcasting.  UWRF seems to use it as an opportunity for student development; UST relies on professional broadcasters.  That choice means that the viewing experience differs, and this is obvious.  That being said, regardless of the approach it seems that UWRF should upgrade their equipment.  My wife came in the room and asked if I was watching old football clips.

If WIAC schools are like NJAC schools they just don't have the extra money to upgrade things like video equipment and broadcasting equipment.  They make due and do a damn good job with what they have.  If state colleges started trying to spend money on things like broadcasting equipment and technology there would be hell to pay from the taxpayers, at least hear in NJ there would be, and I imagine WI is similar.

They have the money.....they just don't have someone young and entrepreneurial enough to figure it out.  $5,000 on a IT consultant isn't needed (like most administrators like to believe) a kid with $200, and an eBay account could really improve the result.  The kid would fall short of ESPN, but any improvement would be better than the current feed.

State college could not get away with that.  Not that it isn't a great idea but the unions and the lowest reasonable bid would cause problems.  I saw it in the music department at NJCU.  I was working at a music store and my guitar professor wanted to get six new classical guitars for the guitar methods class that all music ed majors had to take.  I also worked in the music office.  I made the deal with my boss at the guitar store and we got 6 really nice Yamaha guitars for cost because he could write off the profit loss as a charitable deduction for education.  The head of the department gave my professor a check for the amount and we went to my store and picked up the guitars and brought them back.  When the cleared check got back to the controllers office all hell broke loose.  The CWA and the schools procurement officer raised hell and tried to force us to give back the guitars and go into a bid process which would have cost more than twice as much for the guitars.

[Walter Eagle]

To be very clear, in no way was I saying that the commentators are doing a bad job.  I'm just pointing out that different teams take different approaches to broadcasting.  UWRF seems to use it as an opportunity for student development; UST relies on professional broadcasters.  That choice means that the viewing experience differs, and this is obvious.  That being said, regardless of the approach it seems that UWRF should upgrade their equipment.  My wife came in the room and asked if I was watching old football clips.

If WIAC schools are like NJAC schools they just don't have the extra money to upgrade things like video equipment and broadcasting equipment.  They make due and do a damn good job with what they have.  If state colleges started trying to spend money on things like broadcasting equipment and technology there would be hell to pay from the taxpayers, at least hear in NJ there would be, and I imagine WI is similar.

They have the money.....they just don't have someone young and entrepreneurial enough to figure it out.  $5,000 on a IT consultant isn't needed (like most administrators like to believe) a kid with $200, and an eBay account could really improve the result.  The kid would fall short of ESPN, but any improvement would be better than the current feed.

I think it would be interesting to see what could be accomplished if some actual courses for credit were incorporated into the curriculum.  I could see a situation where broadcast planning and production was an actual minor or at least set of courses.  The actual course work would be theoretical and practice oriented.  In addition to letter grades students would be awarded actual production work.  The students who tested and demonstrated good play-by-play skills would get to do the play-by-play for the broadcast.  Same for commentary, camera work, live stats, etc.  Any sport would be eligible for coverage; you could do as many sports as students are available.  You could get by with relatively inexpensive and used equipment because the actual quality can't exceed the bandwidth anyway.  You could even have an advertising/fund raising aspect, since that is another area of commercial media that a student can go into when they graduate.  Does anyone know of any schools that actually take this approach (for credit).

[Knightstalker]

To be very clear, in no way was I saying that the commentators are doing a bad job.  I'm just pointing out that different teams take different approaches to broadcasting.  UWRF seems to use it as an opportunity for student development; UST relies on professional broadcasters.  That choice means that the viewing experience differs, and this is obvious.  That being said, regardless of the approach it seems that UWRF should upgrade their equipment.  My wife came in the room and asked if I was watching old football clips.

If WIAC schools are like NJAC schools they just don't have the extra money to upgrade things like video equipment and broadcasting equipment.  They make due and do a damn good job with what they have.  If state colleges started trying to spend money on things like broadcasting equipment and technology there would be hell to pay from the taxpayers, at least hear in NJ there would be, and I imagine WI is similar.

They have the money.....they just don't have someone young and entrepreneurial enough to figure it out.  $5,000 on a IT consultant isn't needed (like most administrators like to believe) a kid with $200, and an eBay account could really improve the result.  The kid would fall short of ESPN, but any improvement would be better than the current feed.

I think it would be interesting to see what could be accomplished if some actual courses for credit were incorporated into the curriculum.  I could see a situation where broadcast planning and production was an actual minor or at least set of courses.  The actual course work would be theoretical and practice oriented.  In addition to letter grades students would be awarded actual production work.  The students who tested and demonstrated good play-by-play skills would get to do the play-by-play for the broadcast.  Same for commentary, camera work, live stats, etc.  Any sport would be eligible for coverage; you could do as many sports as students are available.  You could get by with relatively inexpensive and used equipment because the actual quality can't exceed the bandwidth anyway.  You could even have an advertising/fund raising aspect, since that is another area of commercial media that a student can go into when they graduate.  Does anyone know of any schools that actually take this approach (for credit).

I am pretty sure that Rowan has a program like that, possibly TCNJ and Ramapo also in the NJAC.  The student broadcasters at Rowan were always really good, same at William Paterson, in fact NJCU's SID came from the William Paterson program.  At NJCU we had the radio station that was only heard on campus, (a long time ago not sure now what they do) and the students did get credit for the studio work they did, both as DJ and in studio techs.  But at the same time while other schools were learning how to edit on digital equipment the students at NJCU were still splicing tape and film.  No money and school did not want to spend it.

[57Johnnie]

I'm ready for some JOHNNIE football. 

Since I'm originally from Chippewa, I haven't liked EC since they stole 'Old Abe' during the Civil War. 

[Robert Zimmerman]

QB Nick Martin is out 2-3 weeks.  Bruns is starting today.

[Tom Thumb]

I heard Coach Kill suffered another seizure today. How much longer does this guy continue to coach football?

[hazzben]

I heard Coach Kill suffered another seizure today.

From the AP:

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota coach Jerry Kill has been taken away on a stretcher at halftime of his team's game against Western Illinois.

Kill has epilepsy, and he has a long history of game-day seizures. He was lying on the ground, writhing back and forth with medical staff surrounding him, right after the Gophers left for the locker room.

The university had no immediate update on Kill's condition.

Kill has worked with doctors to bring his seizures under better control with medication, rest, nutrition and exercise, but the stress of a game day is hard to avoid. Kill suffered a seizure in the locker room at halftime last November against Michigan State, his third documented episode during a game at Minnesota since taking over in 2011.

Scary stuff. Can't imagine what the crowd was thinking as they watched that. It's too bad. I like Kill and think he's been doing a good job in a tough situation at the U. But yeah, at some point you have to question whether it's just too much for him health-wise.

[57Johnnie]

'bennie' weather in western Colorado at game time - 57 with rain and socked in.

GO JOHNNIES

[Capn34]

With the end of the game, begins Johnnie Tommie week....to start it off traditionally .....Tommies Suck!!!

Would love to see a close game next week, may be a year or two away from that happening though.  I do believe somebody will beat the Tommies in conference this season, so we might as well do it, although I believe Augie Tech may be the team to do it.

[Tom Thumb]

See ya next Saturday. Flying in for the game. Should be exciting.

[sfury]

See ya next Saturday. Flying in for the game. Should be exciting.

Well, maybe for the Tommies. I won't have real high expectations going into it but you never know. Will take some St. Thomas errors and SJU obviously can't turn the ball over anything like today. Maybe it can downpour again, even things up a bit. Still, happy with the 2-0 start. Brutal beginning to the schedule, had to have these first two or could have been really ugly.

[OzJohnnie]

St Glenn gets suspended by the MIAC just before the Johnnie-Tommie game.  The UST administration approaches the officials and begs for another chance.  The ref knows the importance of the game so decides to give Caruso a chance.  Just before kickoff the ref asks St Glenn up to the microphone and says, "If you can correctly answer the following question you are allowed to play.  What is two plus two?"

St Glenn hesitates for a moment and then says, "Four?"

The Tommie supporters in the crowd quickly yell out, "Give him another chance!"

[Tom Thumb]

See ya next Saturday. Flying in for the game. Should be exciting.

Well, maybe for the Tommies. I won't have real high expectations going into it but you never know. Will take some St. Thomas errors and SJU obviously can't turn the ball over anything like today. Maybe it can downpour again, even things up a bit. Still, happy with the 2-0 start. Brutal beginning to the schedule, had to have these first two or could have been really ugly.

UST had a pretty sloppy win too. As far as I'm concerned, whoever shows up to play next week and protects the ball will go home with the victory.

[OzJohnnie]

Sheesh.  If there is talk about who should be number one this week then look out for Linfield.  They pumped Hardin-Simmons 71-21 and that ain't no walk over.