FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[stanbob]

Amen Oz.

[OleHog74]

Oz-

Agreed, the Tommies may have the hype on their side this season, but they are perennial underachievers.  Tommy Nation is simply hoping for some magic this season to justify the money they POUR into their program each year in the form of "leadership" scholarships and redesigned uniforms.

How can any team but the defending champs (and maybe the consistent powerhouses like SJU) ever be considered "the team to beat". UST claiming to be the team to beat is rather like Michael Crabtree wanting more money and fame than Heyward-Bay because the MOCK drafts had him ranked higher.  Its reality, not theoretical rankings that count.  UST has  a long way to go before they earn the title of "team to beat".

[tmerton]

Regardless of what Oz and OleHog and others may say, USTD clearly is the team to beat.  TDT said so.  End of story.

For all the reasons cited by OleHog, USTD should always be the team to beat, and that they have not been may well be changing.  Still, seeing is believing, and since no one has seen it in recent decades, the Tommies will have to prove it on the field.  And there, as John observed at the kick-off luncheon, they always seem to screw it up in the end.   (I hope that do put that on their bulletin board. )

[GoldandBlueBU]

I find it hard to believe a mediocre team from last year (UWRF) got better after losing their best offensive player to transfer.

I think though UST is the team to beat this year (and don't kid yourselves, they are), they will find a way to screw it up, and Bethel will sneak the championship even though they suffer a loss in the conference opener to the Knights.  I think this is the year teams will finally stop being afraid of SJU and start beating them; it's been transitioning over the past two and it will show this year.

While you may find UWRF playing well hard to believe, I find it hard to believe that the Tommies can be remotely considered the team to beat when they haven't been a contender for that title since some of your freshmen were still wetting their beds (and, yes, I know there is no guarantee that they are now sleeping dry at night).

And you show a Tommie's penchant for logical consistency when in your next paragraph you concede that the Tommies aren't actually the team to beat, but Bethel is.  Double Tommie logic award to the fact that your real team to beat, Bethel, lost some of their best offensive players to graduation.  Maybe it's because transfer (UWRF) is more damaging than graduation (Bethel) to a team's ability to be competitive.

And just as long as we aren't kidding ourselves: Tommies will never stop fearing the Johnnies.  That is why Tommies suck.

While I'd love to believe that Bethel is going to win the MIAC this year, and will of course be pulling for them, in reality I think that they are still a year out from being my favorite.  I do believe they'll be competitive, and likely finish 2nd, 3rd...maybe even 4th if they screw things up. 

This weekend's game against Wheaton will be a good indicator of their direction for the season.  It was nice to see them thump Concordia Wisc. in the opener, but I dont' think that game really meant much.

Great to see the MIAC do well in the first week....

[cobbernation]

Regardless of what Oz and OleHog and others may say, USTD clearly is the team to beat.  TDT said so.  End of story.

For all the reasons cited by OleHog, USTD should always be the team to beat, and that they have not been may well be changing.  Still, seeing is believing, and since no one has seen it in recent decades, the Tommies will have to prove it on the field.  And there, as John observed at the kick-off luncheon, they always seem to screw it up in the end.   (I hope that do put that on their bulletin board. )

When was the last time UST won a conference title?

[johnnie_esq]

Regardless of what Oz and OleHog and others may say, USTD clearly is the team to beat.  TDT said so.  End of story.

For all the reasons cited by OleHog, USTD should always be the team to beat, and that they have not been may well be changing.  Still, seeing is believing, and since no one has seen it in recent decades, the Tommies will have to prove it on the field.  And there, as John observed at the kick-off luncheon, they always seem to screw it up in the end.   (I hope that do put that on their bulletin board. )

When was the last time UST won a conference title?

They won a share of it in 1990.  The last time they won it outright was 1983.

Since 1990, Carleton, Bethel, Concordia, Augsburg and St. John's have all won the MIAC outright.  Jeez, since 1983, everybody but St. Olaf and St. Thomas have won the conference outright at least once.

[Retired Old Rat]

Regardless of what Oz and OleHog and others may say, USTD clearly is the team to beat.  TDT said so.  End of story.

For all the reasons cited by OleHog, USTD should always be the team to beat, and that they have not been may well be changing.  Still, seeing is believing, and since no one has seen it in recent decades, the Tommies will have to prove it on the field.  And there, as John observed at the kick-off luncheon, they always seem to screw it up in the end.  (I hope that do put that on their bulletin board. )

When was the last time UST won a conference title?

They won a share of it in 1990.  The last time they won it outright was 1983.

Since 1990, Carleton, Bethel, Concordia, Augsburg and St. John's have all won the MIAC outright.  Jeez, since 1983, everybody but St. Olaf and St. Thomas have won the conference outright at least once.

That's pathetic.  With all the built in advantages St. Thomas has it's hard to fathom.

Must be a curse. 

[OleHog74]

I am going to go out on a limb here.

In my "unbiased" yet well-informed opinion, St. Olaf will most certainly win the MIAC title before St. Thomas

[OzJohnnie]

I love the smell of Tommie bashing in the morning!

The only forces other than Tommies crowing about football that could better unite natural enemies were the Nazis and the distributers of New Coke.

[Retired Old Rat]

Frank's MIAC and beyond blog

SJU Tuesday update
Posted 9/8/2009 10:49 PM CDT on sctimes.com

The Johnnies were practicing this afternoon at Clemens Stadium in advance of their home opener at 1 p.m. Saturday
against Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The game will mark the debut of the expanded press box and suites at the field, and
the temporary bleachers are already up behind the end zone on the Warner Palaestra side and in front of the hill
between the main grandstand and scoreboard.

Some updates on the injury front: Senior linebacker Ethan Eid said he has been told he has a labrum tear in his left
shoulder. However, he expects to be able to play through it this season.That said, he did not practice Tuesday and
is questionable for Saturday's matchup. Senior Stephen Foertsch was working at his position Tuesday.
Sophomore cornerback Adam Weber was due to have an MRI Tuesday on his left knee. Senior defensive end David
Burns was also being examined Tuesday.
Senior offensive lineman Greg Sowden, who has been sitting out with an injured foot, said he will miss this week's
game, but he is hoping to have a shot at returning for the MIAC opener at Concordia on Sept. 19. But that will
depend on how he feels and progresses.

And that's what I have for tonight. Good night everybody.

*********************************************************************************************

Potentially serious injuries to the Johnnies.

I hope that Eid's tear is a small one.  I tore my labrum about 10 years ago.  It was very painful.  And I wasn't trying to
tackle anyone.  I'm sure he's also a lot tougher than I am.  

[Touchdown Tommy]

Regardless of what Oz and OleHog and others may say, USTD clearly is the team to beat.  TDT said so.  End of story.

Excellent post Clark.  There is a reason I was wearing a purple polo on Saturday.  Your posts are improving lately.  Might even throw you some positive K.  Usually you along with a select few others get a dose of the negative K for consistent douchy postings...

Closed Circuit to the Mayor: Gather the cannons and fire away.  Someone has called you out and NOT told the entire story....

[tmerton]

Frank's MIAC and beyond blog

SJU Tuesday update
Posted 9/8/2009 10:49 PM CDT on sctimes.com

The Johnnies were practicing this afternoon at Clemens Stadium in advance of their home opener at 1 p.m. Saturday
against Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The game will mark the debut of the expanded press box and suites at the field, and
the temporary bleachers are already up behind the end zone on the Warner Palaestra side and in front of the hill
between the main grandstand and scoreboard.

Some updates on the injury front: Senior linebacker Ethan Eid said he has been told he has a labrum tear in his left
shoulder. However, he expects to be able to play through it this season.That said, he did not practice Tuesday and
is questionable for Saturday's matchup. Senior Stephen Foertsch was working at his position Tuesday.
Sophomore cornerback Adam Weber was due to have an MRI Tuesday on his left knee. Senior defensive end David
Burns was also being examined Tuesday.
Senior offensive lineman Greg Sowden, who has been sitting out with an injured foot, said he will miss this week's
game, but he is hoping to have a shot at returning for the MIAC opener at Concordia on Sept. 19. But that will
depend on how he feels and progresses.

And that's what I have for tonight. Good night everybody.

*********************************************************************************************

Potentially serious injuries to the Johnnies.

I hope that Eid's tear is a small one.  I tore my labrum about 10 years ago.  It was very painful.  And I wasn't trying to
tackle anyone.  I'm sure he's also a lot tougher than I am.  

Eid played last year with a torn labrum in his other shoulder.  Hope he's able to come through.  He's an important part of the defense.

[tmerton]

Regardless of what Oz and OleHog and others may say, USTD clearly is the team to beat.  TDT said so.  End of story.

Excellent post Clark.  There is a reason I was wearing a purple polo on Saturday.  Your posts are improving lately.  Might even throw you some positive K.  Usually you along with a select few others get a dose of the negative K for consistent douchy postings...

Glad you liked it.  Now, bend over again ...

[Touchdown Tommy]

Kinda snarky tonight Clark.  You were like stink on sh!t with that post.  Your pal TC would be proud.

[TC]

I'm almost 100% certain ARodsPACK was sitting behind us on Saturday.  If so, I'm pretty sure you were Ben Arata's parent or sitting next to them.  He seems to be a hell of a ballplayer and I hope he has a great senior season.

That said, 99% of everything that Johnnie fans on the UWRF side said was about the Johnnies on Saturday.  We came to cheer for our team, you came to cheer for yours.  And until your team turned over the ball with a minute and a half left down by 4 points, that's all anyone did.  At that point you started cocking off like fans from a cow college with hideous lightposts.  And that's the truth.  I was impressed by the Falcons' play last Saturday and hope they have a great season.  I was less impressed by their fans' sportsmanship in the closing minutes of a game that everyone knows could have gone either way. 

And their radio announcers were over the top, too.  "Do you beeeeeelieve in miracles?  YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"  I guess when you've never been there before, it's hard to act like you've been there before.

*****

Cobbernation, I hope you enjoyed the Cobbers' win over Willamette.  I don't mean to call you out publicly, but did we ever settle our bet?  I honestly don't remember.  I'm not going to be able to make the trip to Mick's this year (damn weddings on Johnnie/Cobber weekend, who does that?).  Are you planning on making a trip to Collegeville this season?

*****

Fins' tweets were pure gold.  I'm not the kind that follows tweets but Fins converted me.  Beyond awesome.

*****

I'm likely not going to be able to make this weekend's games as I'm playing softball in a tournament in St. Cloud Saturday and Sunday.  Which reminds me... I hit my first homerun ever last week, over the fence and everything... just foul.  I'll try again this weekend!  Depending on when our games are and how many players show up, I'll try to make an appearance at The Clems.

*****

Clark, did you and Noel have a safe trip?  It was good to see y'all out here, even if we didn't have a chance to catch up on old times.  Have you found the best way to transport In 'N' Out burgers yet?

*****

Personally and professionally, I hate TDT in ways that cannot be explained on a simple internet message board.  That said, he's right about USTd.  They are stacked this year and should be for the next few years, at least.  This year's game in Collegeville should be a lot of fun, but the only MIAC team that has a realistic chance of competing with UW-Whitewater this year is USTd.

I'm going to go take a shower now.

*****

As much as a 28-24 win over UW-Cow College sucks, I really, really likes what our passing offense showed on Saturday.  And, of course, we all expect our defense to improve a ton.  If the coaching staff lets the kids with the ball air it out a little bit, I think we might have a decent shot at winning some games this year.  I'll be really interested to see what happens against Eau Claire this weekend.  That said, this is absolutely a game the Johnnies could lose.

*****

TC, out.