FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OzJohnnie]

I went to a presentation on anthropogenic global warmening (or the lack thereof) by Lord Christopher Monckton today in Melbourne.  Regardless of your opinion on the effects of man released carbon dioxide on the climate (my position being rather easy to guess, I would suspect) there is one part of Monckton's speech that I know all us Johnnies can agree on:  Tommies Suck!  Unbelievably at one point in his presentation he mentioned a rather inarticulate debate he had with a professor from a "small Catholic university in Minnesota."   I went up afterwards to confirm what I already knew: even British Peers of the Realm cannot ignore that giant sucking sound from Snelling Ave.

[hazzben]

Hey OZ, ran into a guy at the gym yesterday who plays for the Kansas City Blues, the local pro (semi-pro?!?) rugby team. He was a tailback at MidAmerica Nazarene back in the day and played for the US 33+ national team until he blew out his ACL last year.

He was trying to convince me to try out. I had to decline, but it made me think of the crazy Ozzie on Post Patterns. Do you play or are you just one of the equally as insane fans?

[OzJohnnie]

Hey OZ, ran into a guy at the gym yesterday who plays for the Kansas City Blues, the local pro (semi-pro?!?) rugby team. He was a tailback at MidAmerica Nazarene back in the day and played for the US 33+ national team until he blew out his ACL last year.

He was trying to convince me to try out. I had to decline, but it made me think of the crazy Ozzie on Post Patterns. Do you play or are you just one of the equally as insane fans?

No, I'm just a rugby fan (despite my ruggedly youthful looks and dashing physique).  To be a Union player you gotta be nuts.

There are actually two codes of competitive rugby, as I have learned since moving to Australia.  There is what we in the States are familiar with, Rugby Union, and a game that evolved in Sydney's working class suburbs called Rugby League (popular in Australia, the UK, South Africa and New Zealand).  Union is a tough game but with a lot of strategy and is played here largely in the top tier private schools.  League has very simple rules and is basically a brawl.  A common phrase to describe the two games is that Union is a bastard's game played by gentlemen while League is a gentleman's game played by bastards.

What kind of bastards?  Here is video of some "highlights" of the League State of Origin matches from over the years, including last year's which was particularly bad.  The State of Origin, by the way, is the League three game All-Star match up and is, oddly, played with greater intensity than any other match, including a Grand Final.  Put it this way:  the spirit of Eddie Shore's old time hockey lives on in the League State of Origin matches.

[faunch]

So I just returned from Collegeville...picked the 11 year old up at Leadership Camp.  I drove up on Wednesday night w/ my 7 year old daughter and we spent night at the Abbey Guesthouse.  Very relaxing...best night of sleep I've had in months.  I highly recommend.  The campus is wonderful in the summer...quiet and peaceful.
A couple of observations.

1.  Where the hell are the tennis courts?   Weren't they across the road from the Palaestra?

2.  When are the lights going up at the Natural Bowl?  It's almost August and they haven't started yet.

3.  When is the big athletic facilities expansion expected to start?

4.  Who the hell took my daughter's swim suit bottoms from the upstairs locker room?  I know we f'd  up leaving them behind but why the hell wouldn't you just leave them on the floor or turn them into one of the building staff?  I'm only 42...but if I keep losing and forgetting things at this rate I'll be in a home by 60.   

[GoldandBlueBU]

http://d3football.com/awards/all-americans/2011-preseason

Almost no love for the MIAC - one second teamer in BU's Sr. guard - Mitch Elliot...

I hate the idea of wishing summer away, but I'm certainly getting excited for this fall.

[finsleft]

OK, I'll take a stab at it...


1.  Where the hell are the tennis courts?   They will be somewhere out by the baseball field Weren't they across the road from the Palaestra? Yes, but every kid needs a parking spot now.

2.  When are the lights going up at the Natural Bowl?   Hopefully never.

3.  When is the big athletic facilities expansion expected to start?  When they ripped up the tennis courts.

4.  Who the hell took my daughter's swim suit bottoms from the upstairs locker room?   I'd check with TDT

[Pat Coleman]

http://d3football.com/awards/all-americans/2011-preseason

Almost no love for the MIAC - one second teamer in BU's Sr. guard - Mitch Elliot...

I hate the idea of wishing summer away, but I'm certainly getting excited for this fall.

Two second teamers -- Chad Vandergriff of St. Thomas, also.

[faunch]

@OzJohnnie

Did you hear about this?
http://www.sjualum.com/News/Pages/FourJohnniesin2011internationalFootychampionship.aspx

[faunch]

OK, I'll take a stab at it...

1.  Where the hell are the tennis courts?   They will be somewhere out by the baseball field Weren't they across the road from the Palaestra? Yes, but every kid needs a parking spot now.

2.  When are the lights going up at the Natural Bowl?   Hopefully never.

3.  When is the big athletic facilities expansion expected to start?  When they ripped up the tennis courts.

4.  Who the hell took my daughter's swim suit bottoms from the upstairs locker room?   I'd check with TDT

1.  The tennis courts won't get used as much when they get moved out there. I guess since the University now requires all students to live on campus they need to increase the number of student parking spots.

2.  Lights...not sure what I think of them...if they get a few more good high school games/players on campus I think it's good

3.  Pretty slow start if all they did was tear up the tennis courts.

4.  TDT is off the hook...we found a new pair on clearance at the MOA.  He can keep the old ones...twisted man!!!

[OzJohnnie]

@OzJohnnie

Did you hear about this?
http://www.sjualum.com/News/Pages/FourJohnniesin2011internationalFootychampionship.aspx

No, I hadn't heard, but I'll make it a priority to cheer for the Johnnies from thenstands wearing my johnnie kit.  It's in two weeks, I think from memory of just reading that article.  I'll have to look up the details on the inter webs and see where it's happening.

[Robert Zimmerman]

Pretty dead around here, but here is Frank's latest story about John's "No's" and how the NFL is following suit.

[Robert Zimmerman]

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110726/SPORTS/107260014/Rajkowski-column-NFL-may-look-more-like-SJU

The link might help!

[OzJohnnie]

Speaking of the NFL...  Rumors that the Vikes have agreed on terms with the Redskins for McNabb.  Now it's just waiting on McNaab to agree to a big pay cut.  Sigh.  I wish I was a Greenbay supporter.  And I can't believe I just said that.  Kind of like wishing for a partial lobotomy, but there it is.

[hazzben]

Speaking of the NFL...  Rumors that the Vikes have agreed on terms with the Redskins for McNabb.  Now it's just waiting on McNaab to agree to a big pay cut.  Sigh.  I wish I was a Greenbay supporter.  And I can't believe I just said that.  Kind of like wishing for a partial lobotomy, but there it is.

Beautiful! That made me laugh. Are you implying that a partial lobotomy is required to actually cheer for GB? 

[sfury]

Pretty dead around here, but here is Frank's latest story about John's "No's" and how the NFL is following suit.

It is dead. Sort of like I thought you were since you haven't emailed in two months. You realize (Janesville reference, everyone else ignore) Matt has surpassed your email output? That's like someone saying you're being less sociable than Howard Hughes.