FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OzJohnnie]

And the Italian Football League, I suspect, would be at best a mid-level D3 league.  Now, of course, if they were playing what most of the world calls football ...

There are two types of countries in the world: Ones that call soccer football and ones that have been to the moon.

[OldAuggie]

Well okay, I'm not really sure how to interpret this, if serious seems to me a case of feeling a little too good about yourself.  From footballscoop.com, a website that lists coaching openings and appointments and teams seeking games, the Tommies appear to be soliciting to play a DI/FCS team:

St. Thomas (D-III – MN): University of St Thomas is looking for a game vs. a DIII, NAIA or DI-FCS opponent for week 2 of 2016-2017 (9/10/16 & 9/9/17). Details as far as home and home and possibility of paying expenses can be discussed via email or phone. Contact Glenn Caruso at caruso@stthomas.edu or 651.962.5908.

.

Really?

I remember that UW-Oshkosh played South Dakota State last year and lost 41-3. I don't think it did anything to build their SOS, just looked like a loss on their schedule. I could see UST doing this, maybe as a recruiting tactic to separate themselves from the other MIAC schools.

[OzJohnnie]

I remember that UW-Oshkosh played South Dakota State last year and lost 41-3. I don't think it did anything to build their SOS, just looked like a loss on their schedule. I could see UST doing this, maybe as a recruiting tactic to separate themselves from the other MIAC schools.

"Isn't that what prophylactics are for?" said the Tommue coed.

[Pat Coleman]

I remember that UW-Oshkosh played South Dakota State last year and lost 41-3. I don't think it did anything to build their SOS, just looked like a loss on their schedule. I could see UST doing this, maybe as a recruiting tactic to separate themselves from the other MIAC schools.

"Isn't that what prophylactics are for?" said the Tommue coed.

There's lots of D-I FCS schools out there, though. They could play someone like Drake and probably be favored. It's a pretty wide range.

[MadRedFan]

I remember that UW-Oshkosh played South Dakota State last year and lost 41-3. I don't think it did anything to build their SOS, just looked like a loss on their schedule. I could see UST doing this, maybe as a recruiting tactic to separate themselves from the other MIAC schools.

"Isn't that what prophylactics are for?" said the Tommue coed.

There's lots of D-I FCS schools out there, though. They could play someone like Drake and probably be favored. It's a pretty wide range.

Good point Mr. Coleman, hadn't thought of the non-schollie FCS schools.  But you know, if you're one of the "have-not" FCS schools, pretty risky to play a DIII powerhouse, would look pretty rank on your resume to lose.

I'm an Illinois State alum, and we lost a home game to non-schollie Drake a couple years ago and it left a truly sour taste in everyone's mouth.  Nice wake up call, but was not something anyone wanted to explain.

[AO]

I remember that UW-Oshkosh played South Dakota State last year and lost 41-3. I don't think it did anything to build their SOS, just looked like a loss on their schedule. I could see UST doing this, maybe as a recruiting tactic to separate themselves from the other MIAC schools.

"Isn't that what prophylactics are for?" said the Tommue coed.

There's lots of D-I FCS schools out there, though. They could play someone like Drake and probably be favored. It's a pretty wide range.

Good point Mr. Coleman, hadn't thought of the non-schollie FCS schools.  But you know, if you're one of the "have-not" FCS schools, pretty risky to play a DIII powerhouse, would look pretty rank on your resume to lose.

I'm an Illinois State alum, and we lost a home game to non-schollie Drake a couple years ago and it left a truly sour taste in everyone's mouth.  Nice wake up call, but was not something anyone wanted to explain.

I'd say the Redbirds have recovered nicely.

[OzJohnnie]

Cyril Rioli put on an arial show against the Bulldogs today in Tasmania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMJB_KNcfsw

And the captain, Luke Hodge, flattened a Doggie this afternoon who was trying to move the ball up the middle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF9cnUuX00Q

Game highlights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA8k-VBfyLc

[art76]

There's a write up in the Pioneer Press about the Tommie trip to Europe.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_27936211/st-thomas-football-team-cant-wait-italy-trek

[MadRedFan]

I remember that UW-Oshkosh played South Dakota State last year and lost 41-3. I don't think it did anything to build their SOS, just looked like a loss on their schedule. I could see UST doing this, maybe as a recruiting tactic to separate themselves from the other MIAC schools.

"Isn't that what prophylactics are for?" said the Tommue coed.

There's lots of D-I FCS schools out there, though. They could play someone like Drake and probably be favored. It's a pretty wide range.

Good point Mr. Coleman, hadn't thought of the non-schollie FCS schools.  But you know, if you're one of the "have-not" FCS schools, pretty risky to play a DIII powerhouse, would look pretty rank on your resume to lose.

I'm an Illinois State alum, and we lost a home game to non-schollie Drake a couple years ago and it left a truly sour taste in everyone's mouth.  Nice wake up call, but was not something anyone wanted to explain.

I'd say the Redbirds have recovered nicely.

Yes, thank you, I was in Texas for the final and it was a heartbreaker, but no shame in losing to the Bison.  And had some good barbecue too!!

[repete]

With such a small team I have a hard time imagining this nugget from the UST story is true: The tour culminates with a game against one of the country's best football teams: the Giaguaire Torino. Would you really risk playing a game at less than full strength against quality opponent?

ROTFLMAO

The Turin Jaguars are currently eleventh out of twelve teams in the Italian Football League.

http://www.ifleague.it/2015/ranking/

Turin is beautiful, though, and I wouldn't mind a visit there.

Turin's a great city ... although those mountain views can get elusive. I've been there twice for business, more than a month total. Some of Europe's best chocolate, tremendous wines (barolo) and HQ of Fiat (aka Fix It Again Tony). That spire in Oz's photo is the Molle, a former synagogue that is now an international film museum. There's also the Shroud, which is going back on display soon, and an Egyptian museum of note. There's also a basement bar where I dodged flying beer mugs ... but that's another story.

[ChicagoTommie]

Yep I am headed to Italy for 2 1/2 weeks...can't wait! also going to pop up to Switzerland for a few days also.  Kids are extremely fired up about going it's going to be fun! Never been, couldn't pass up the opportunity to see my son play in Europe, just the excuse to go!.....  Andare Tommie's! 🇮🇹

[OldAuggie]

Yep I am headed to Italy for 2 1/2 weeks...can't wait! also going to pop up to Switzerland for a few days also.  Kids are extremely fired up about going it's going to be fun! Never been, couldn't pass up the opportunity to see my son play in Europe, just the excuse to go!.....  Andare Tommie's! 🇮🇹

Congrats my man! What a great memory for you and your son. Very nice.

[sjusection105]

Never been, couldn't pass up the opportunity to see my son play in Europe, just the excuse to go!.....  Andare Tommie's! 🇮🇹

If you've never been to Europe,make sure tell everyone you are "Canadian" they hate American tourists. 

[ChicagoTommie]

Yep! I heard more then once and more prevalent in southern Italy.  The dollar is doing well good time to go...more affordable then I expected😀

[OzJohnnie]

Never been, couldn't pass up the opportunity to see my son play in Europe, just the excuse to go!.....  Andare Tommie's!

If you've never been to Europe,make sure tell everyone you are "Canadian" they hate American tourists. 

Hell No, I say!  Yankee loud and proud!  I'm serious.  Enjoy the food, love the scenery, absorb the utter lack of urgency of Italy and relax, Max.  Italy is casual, slow and laid back.  It's not that they don't like Americans, per se, it's that they have little energy for anything other than relaxing.  So relax.  Don't worry about the schedule.  The trains will be late anyway.  But the food... fantastic.

But don't deny who you are.  Hammered Grammared until the day you die, baby!

EDIT:  I really love Italy and I'm a little jealous of this Tommie trip.  Italy is old, slow and expensive.  Wasteful.  Elegant.  Casual.  Yet beautiful and prideful.  Everyone is on a holiday, especially the people serving the people on holiday.  You don't get quick service, you get slow.  Because everyone is relaxed.  You don't get attentive service, you get just enough to make it all work.  You don't get a lot of variety on the menu, you get the few things the chef wants to serve because he thinks they taste good or it's what his Nonna made when he was a boy.

I love eating lunch at a street cafe in Italy.  It's my favorite experience.  You're at a cafe to relax, food is just the excuse.  So you don't sit down and expect a menu and water.  You sit down and relax.  And after a while when you're good and relaxed a waiter brings you a menu and maybe takes an order for a beer or wine.  He lets you relax a little more and then brings a beer, maybe takes your food order and lets you relax some more.  After a while the food comes to interrupt your relaxation, but you can have another beer, in a while, to help.  And then a coffee.  And when you're done you wander over the the gelato shop to get some ice cream as you relax walking around relaxing and looking at stuff before you sit down to relax and get interrupted by your evening meal.  And then you find at the end of the day that you're really exhausted from all that relaxing.

I have to say that Italy is paradise for me.  Once I realised that visiting Italy is not an event, it's a state of mind.  Tropical beach, not even close to the relaxing done in Italy, IMHO.