FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Warhawk 96]

After sitting in my apartment all day doing nothing but watching tv, working out a little, and passing the time by hitting F5 on post patterns, I realized that ice fishing doesn't sound nearly as bad as Lewis Black made it out to be.

[Pat Coleman]

You seem to be a little bit agitated. Your team just played in the national championship game.

Toph is a John Carroll fan.

[Lone Auggie Backer]

You seem to be a little bit agitated. Your team just played in the national championship game.

Toph is a John Carroll fan.

My bad, Pat and Toph. I simply took from him arguing for the schools involved in the championship that he backed one of them. Definitely made an ass out of U and Me!

[02 Warhawk]

Mount Union should be forced up to DII. Whitewater as well. I'm sick of these two in the finals.

How did SJU beat them all those years ago? This team is unstoppable at this level.

So because you're sick of seeing two teams make the Stagg Bowl, the schools should be forced to change their entire academic and athletic philosophy?  That sounds reasonable.

I hate that this comes up every year, and I hate even more that Whitewater is now included in the discussion.  These two teams play by the same rules as everyone else.  If either was doing something illegal, it surely would've been discovered by now because no one is looked at more closely than these two.  And as I always tell people like you:  Moving up the football team means that all the other sports have to move up.  Changing a school's athletic and academic philosophy just because they have a really good football team is idiotic.  The suggestion that they do so is unreasonable and shortsighted. 

Recruit better, practice harder, and beat them.  A true competitor wouldn't ask that their toughest opponent be removed, they'd enjoy the chance to knock them off.

I don't disagree at all sir. I also do not think that piperinsider was being fully serious with his statement.  I took it as it is getting a bit repetitive having the same two teams in the finals for 4 straight years. I don't think that there was any suggestion of illegal practices by either team. At least I couldn't see any in the four sentences he wrote.  However, the part that I highlighted in your statement has a corollary; A true competitor would also want to be challenged and not take on competition that it has proven it can dominate for an extended period of time.  Therefore, a true competitor might want to be actually tested (by a DII opponent perhaps) and not happily dominate the same inferior (as these two teams have shown by both making it to the finals the last four years running) competition.  This highlighted sentence both proves your argument and proves piperinsider's argument at the same time!  Just my two cents!

A true competitor would schedule non-confernce games against teams that are champions to see what it takes. Whitewater did just that in the early 2000s building a foundation to what we see today. Whitewater put their necks on the line by scheduling unwinnable games against Mount Union (twice), St. Johns, and ranked NAIA teams. This proved to pay dividends as coach Berezowitz got a first-hand glimps of what it took to be a champion, even though they couldn't compete with them at that time.

Now a days I notice teams shy away from tougher teams. Whitewater filled its 2008 schedule during the 11th hour last summer. To fill their schedule they were forced to play a conference opponent twice and go outside DIII, b/c nobody wanted to step up and take a chance to play them.

[skunks_sidekick]

Chiming in here from MUC country.  Mount has not shied away from anyone, but has only their first game of the season as their OOC game.  There are only four D-II teams in Ohio, and trust me, they do NOT want to play Mount that first game of the season.  The best of the bunch (recently) is Ashland, who made the play-offs this year.  Lee Owens (Ashland HC) and LK are colleagues/friends, and Lee has said on more than one occasion he would never subject himself to the potential disaster of scheduling an LK-led Mount team. 

As I have stated over here previously, I would love to see a home/home series between SJU and Mount.  I have heard from you guys on all those occasions that Gags would never agree to play Mount in the regular season.  I think even the man himself said pretty much the same thing recently.  So.....Mount has SJF next year, and at this time has no one scheduled yet for opening day 2010/2011.   

[retagent]

Not that I'm a huge Childress fan, and I do know that "stats are for losers", but how exactly was Childress responsible for all the fumbles? Jackson did not lose the game for the Vikings. The players on the field did that.

I never noticed before, but is the color of Duff's koolaid purple for a specific reason?

[AuggieAlum]

As I have stated over here previously, I would love to see a home/home series between SJU and Mount.  I have heard from you guys on all those occasions that Gags would never agree to play Mount in the regular season.  I think even the man himself said pretty much the same thing recently.  So.....Mount has SJF next year, and at this time has no one scheduled yet for opening day 2010/2011.   
[/quote]



It would be great to watch a couple of SJU and MU games. It could also be used as a measuring stick for MIAC teams. MU obviously has great talent as BU can attest to.
I also agree with Warhawk, the best was to understand what championship caliber is would be for anyone to experience it first hand, even if it means taking a few beat downs before handing them out later.

[AuggieAlum]

So I was just reading a column on ESPN about DI basketball and "guarantee" games, where big time DI schools pay $80,000 plus travel expenses to small DI schools, to fill schedules and ensure wins.
How much does SJU pay non-conference schools to come play in Collegeville?
Does this sort of thing happen in DIII football, because I know it happens in DIII hoops.

[Knightstalker]

Mount Union should be forced up to DII. Whitewater as well. I'm sick of these two in the finals.

How did SJU beat them all those years ago? This team is unstoppable at this level.

So because you're sick of seeing two teams make the Stagg Bowl, the schools should be forced to change their entire academic and athletic philosophy?  That sounds reasonable.

I hate that this comes up every year, and I hate even more that Whitewater is now included in the discussion.  These two teams play by the same rules as everyone else.  If either was doing something illegal, it surely would've been discovered by now because no one is looked at more closely than these two.  And as I always tell people like you:  Moving up the football team means that all the other sports have to move up.  Changing a school's athletic and academic philosophy just because they have a really good football team is idiotic.  The suggestion that they do so is unreasonable and shortsighted. 

Recruit better, practice harder, and beat them.  A true competitor wouldn't ask that their toughest opponent be removed, they'd enjoy the chance to knock them off.

I don't disagree at all sir. I also do not think that piperinsider was being fully serious with his statement.  I took it as it is getting a bit repetitive having the same two teams in the finals for 4 straight years. I don't think that there was any suggestion of illegal practices by either team. At least I couldn't see any in the four sentences he wrote.  However, the part that I highlighted in your statement has a corollary; A true competitor would also want to be challenged and not take on competition that it has proven it can dominate for an extended period of time.  Therefore, a true competitor might want to be actually tested (by a DII opponent perhaps) and not happily dominate the same inferior (as these two teams have shown by both making it to the finals the last four years running) competition.  This highlighted sentence both proves your argument and proves piperinsider's argument at the same time!  Just my two cents!

A true competitor would schedule non-confernce games against teams that are champions to see what it takes. Whitewater did just that in the early 2000s building a foundation to what we see today. Whitewater put their necks on the line by scheduling unwinnable games against Mount Union (twice), St. Johns, and ranked NAIA teams. This proved to pay dividends as coach Berezowitz got a first-hand glimps of what it took to be a champion, even though they couldn't compete with them at that time.

Now a days I notice teams shy away from tougher teams. Whitewater filled its 2008 schedule during the 11th hour last summer. To fill their schedule they were forced to play a conference opponent twice and go outside DIII, b/c nobody wanted to step up and take a chance to play them.

Part of this is due to the committee basically making it clear that they will reward a better record over weaker competition over a record with a couple of losses to top level teams.

[Lone Auggie Backer]

A true competitor would schedule non-confernce games against teams that are champions to see what it takes. Whitewater did just that in the early 2000s building a foundation to what we see today. Whitewater put their necks on the line by scheduling unwinnable games against Mount Union (twice), St. Johns, and ranked NAIA teams. This proved to pay dividends as coach Berezowitz got a first-hand glimps of what it took to be a champion, even though they couldn't compete with them at that time.
Now a days I notice teams shy away from tougher teams. Whitewater filled its 2008 schedule during the 11th hour last summer. To fill their schedule they were forced to play a conference opponent twice and go outside DIII, b/c nobody wanted to step up and take a chance to play them.

Okay, So, I screwed up! I was in no way trying to say that MUC and UWW did not belong/derserve/have the right to play in D3. Further, I was not at all suggesting that they had been taking the chicken$h!7 route and schedule peons. Rather, the whole point of my argument was to show that the argument being used was flawed!

UWW fans - My dad was the ATC at UWW for 2 years and our family has remained in touch with the Berezowitz'! I am in no way disparaging the two teams that played in this years championship game. You are all correct, the rest of D3 needs to get better if we want to see different teams involved in the Stagg Bowl. I was simply showing that the argument used did not 100% equate to the answer that was given!  That was all! 

[OzJohnnie]

Not that I'm a huge Childress fan, and I do know that "stats are for losers", but how exactly was Childress responsible for all the fumbles? Jackson did not lose the game for the Vikings. The players on the field did that.

I never noticed before, but is the color of Duff's koolaid purple for a specific reason?

Yes, correct.  Childress didn't do it.  But the fact remains that with Jackson leading this team they do not win.  All that money spent getting all that talent and the QB just doesn't win.  A superstar isn't needed, but a very steady tiller is.  And Jackson, green as he is, is not the presence that the talent on that team needs.

[Knightstalker]

KS, Christmas Video of the season .  This is KS favorite Christmas song of all times.

[Lone Auggie Backer]

KS, Christmas Video of the season .  This is KS favorite Christmas song of all times.

Great video. Reminds us all to truly enjoy the holidays, as they are the times that seem to last forever! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays to all, and a Happy New years as well!

[tmerton]

UWW fans - My dad was the ATC at UWW for 2 years  

Wow.  I didn't even know UWW had an airport.  I must have missed it on the drive in. 8)


I'm sure I'll slap my head when I learn what else ATC stands for (assistant track coach? - nah), but air traffic controller is what comes most readily to mind.

Cheers - and Merry Christmas - to all.

[tmerton]

How much does SJU pay non-conference schools to come play in Collegeville?

I understand that visiting teams get 25 extra game programs gratis.  They can then thumb through them to see if they have a red "Go Johnnies" stamp on any of the pages that would qualify them for a free pizza.  And if they don't win pizzas they still get all the Johnnie Bread they can handle.  Pretty good deal, eh?