FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OzJohnnie]

Oz, I saw the top hits vid and wondered, what is the incident of serious concussion in the AFL?

It is only a matter of time before some AFL star is killed with the way the game has sped up.  There is sophisticated helmet technology that could be developed for the game, before something horrible happened.

Interestingly, not too often.  The main injuries plaguing the league are things like shoulders, knees, hamstrings and corked thighs (deep bruising).  The really hammering clashes don't happen that often because the rules are strictly enforced to play the ball, not the man, in a clash.  So the really big hits only happen when one guy is running with the flight of the ball and looking over his shoulder while another man is coming on straight into the ball.  It's very closely watched and if a player takes his eyes off the ball and goes for a big hit then he'll be on the bench for a few weeks with a suspension.

An "iron man" culture, similar to ice hockey, has built up in footy where showing a bit of fear in a clash by pulling your head up and not keeping it over the ball is really looked down on.  In last year's semi-final, Hawthorn's vice-captain and real iron man, Luke Hodge, got hammered in a clash with a St Kilda player that left Hodge with two broken ribs, a concussed lung and he was still bleeding internally a week later at the Grand Final.  He played all the same.  Similarly, Geelong's captain, Tom Harley, was knocked out cold by a clash of heads in the first quarter of the Grand Final.  A goose-egg the size of a baseball, conveniently noticeable with his shaved scone, was prominent over his left ear as he returned to the field at the start of the fourth quarter (in a noble, yet still failing effort, of course...).

[stanbob]

And so as not be be completely off topic, I did find that the confrontation between Lance Leipold and the reporter/student was captured on someone's camera phone.  Follow this link and we see Leipold approaching the student reporter just after reading the editorial.

Not going to make too many friends out of the cheese curdlers with that link Oz.   

[Retired Old Rat]

Former St. John's football player and current senior foreign policy aide to President Obama is pictured in Tim Magazine tossing a football with the President.



The caption in the magazine reads:

Obama plays with a football in the Oval Office before recieving a briefing from Denis McDonough, a top foreign policy aide.  The President often palms a football or basketball on breaks between staff meetings.

Time web page is here

[ritz72]

Im back!!!!

I am not going to even begin to read the 100+ pages that have acumulated.  My guess is this is what I missed...

1.  Hockey Talk
2.  Hot chicks
3.  see 1 and 2

If anyone read yesterday's SC Times, yours truly was included!  New job title!

I for one am glad you're back Ritz....... so how was re-hab, the 7th time around, did you finally get it right? 

Just watch the May 13th episode of Intervention on A & E!   

[DuffMan]

The weather was too nice on Wednesday night not to go fishing, so I hit the open water for the first time on the year.  Caught about a dozen sheepshead and a fat catfish on the Mississippi, not a bad way to spend a few hours. 

That-a-boy!

My trip North sucked.  Got out for about 7 hours on Thursday.  Weather was beautiful.  Fished in t-shirts and got sunburned.  Landed a football-shaped eelpout and that was it.  Friday the temps dropped 30 degrees and I sat out in boots, bibs, two coats, winter hat, and gloves and was still cold.  We landed a few sturgeon, but the action was really slow.  Saturday was sunny, but cold.  The ponds actually iced over again.  Fished hard all day and managed three tiny sturgeon.  Not exactly the trip I was hoping for   I have about 5 dozen crawlers leftover!

Fins, I was sitting at a stoplight the other day.  I looked over at the guy on a motorcycle next to me, and he had a 3-pack of Hamms bungee-corded to the back seat

[tmerton]

Just back from San Diego, home of 4 swine flu cases



Southwest actually delayed our fligh 25 minutes to allow some folks to make it from a connecting flight that was late getting in.  That by itself was unusual (when was the last time an airline held a flight 25 minutes so you could make a connection?), but then the last 4 people who boarded our plane all walked on wearing surgical masks!  

Lots of fun reading the WIAC board.  That incident may be over and closed insofar as the school paper, AD and football coach are concerned, but when 'ole Lance threw the WW soccer program and coach under the bus, I suspect he painted himself into a corner insofar as the non-football coaches at the school are concerned.  Remembering that the AD picked Lance from D2 Nebraska Omaha over a longtime WW assistant coach, one has to wonder just how good a "fit" Lance really is in D3, notwithstanding how many games he wins.  I'll now wait for Flash to tell me how wrong I am. 8)

[finsleft]

Fins, I was sitting at a stoplight the other day.  I looked over at the guy on a motorcycle next to me, and he had a 3-pack of Hamms bungee-corded to the back seat

+K for the Hamm's sighting Duff!
Too bad about the weather. I'm heading up for "work weekend" on Wednesday, which, for the last few years, has meant at least one day of golf at The Wilderness. This year, they haven't even opened yet and the forecast isn't real promising. Looks like it might be just 4-wheeling and Hamm's drinking. Oh yeah, and the work...

[tmerton]

One of my son's high school teammates just signed with the Vikings.  I saw every game this kid played his junior and senior year in high school, and he was fun to watch (set school records for rushing and touchdowns).  Injuries hurt him at UCLA so his college stats are mediocre, but if he says injury-free I would not be surprised to see him make the team.

http://www.marinij.com/ci_12234691?source=most_viewed

[kubiack78]

Kubiak's Aussie mate would be pretty happy today.  Yesterday his mate's Essondon Bombers pinched a victory over Collingwood in an incredibly exciting game.  I was looking for some youtube video that Kubiak could forward, but I didn't find any.  I did come across these four vids that I may have posted before but they are still a good view for those interested:

Top Hits of 2008

Top Marks of 2008

Top Goals of 2008

Top Clangers (mistakes) of 2008

And so as not be be completely off topic, I did find that the confrontation between Lance Leipold and the reporter/student was captured on someone's camera phone.  Follow this link and we see Leipold approaching the student reporter just after reading the editorial.

He hasn't been talking about footie much lately.  It's all about cricket and the aussies v. South Africa and we have about 20 South Africans working here.

[OzJohnnie]

He hasn't been talking about footie much lately.  It's all about cricket and the aussies v. South Africa and we have about 20 South Africans working here.

20 South Africans against one Aussie?  In a battle of wits those odds are just about even.

[kubiack78]

He hasn't been talking about footie much lately.  It's all about cricket and the aussies v. South Africa and we have about 20 South Africans working here.

20 South Africans against one Aussie?  In a battle of wits those odds are just about even.

LOL usually it's the Brits and the South Africans going at it and with the slang they throw around it's almost impossible to understand them when they get going.

I'd give you +K if I could for that one  but as you can see I've seem to have lost my powers.

[retagent]

I've liked Ian Johnson since I first saw him play at Utah. He seems to be a quality guy, and a solid back. Should be a good compliment to AP.

[janesvilleflash]

Duffman probably doesn't have to worry about this.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30448774/

[retagent]

Let's hope my Caps TCB tonight. All signs point to a win, but that just makes me more nervous.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!

[BDB]

Let's hope my Caps TCB tonight. All signs point to a win, but that just makes me more nervous.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!

I'm with you retagent. I like the Caps.

I am somewhat ashamed to say however, as a die hard North Star fan from back in the day, I am pulling for the Blackhawks to keep moving on. 

Nice win for them over Calgary and the loser Bertuzzi.