FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[faunch]

Columbia would make sense considering Caruso has already coached at one of the programs on the list of "Worst College Football Programs of All-Time"

[SJUrube]

Like back in the day when I'd have to wait two days to find out if the Lakers won because the boxscores never showed up in the papers we got at home. In southern Minnesota, Channel 12 was infamous for always having wrong scores, so you were never sure whether to believe it.

"Wait, did Janesville really beat Waterville 35-7, because they haven't beaten them in 23 years. That'd be weird." The paper would confirm the error the next day.

I live right by the Columbia field and go to their home games. They are winless this season and are always a .500 at best team. Could be in the market for a coach. They're actually coached by an old Gopher, Norries Wilson. He's done a pretty good job there but this season looks like a struggle. Although if you come coach at Columbia in NYC, you're going to be about the 989th most important sport, a few places ahead of Fordham swimming but behind Manhattan field hockey.

Fury: Even today you have to take sports scores on KEYC with a grain of salt. I find it amazing that KEYC continues to butcher scores and school names after decades worth of experience. Though Perry Dyke and crew are big fans of the Nicollet Raiders so I try and give them the benefit of the doubt.

[sfury]

Like back in the day when I'd have to wait two days to find out if the Lakers won because the boxscores never showed up in the papers we got at home. In southern Minnesota, Channel 12 was infamous for always having wrong scores, so you were never sure whether to believe it.

"Wait, did Janesville really beat Waterville 35-7, because they haven't beaten them in 23 years. That'd be weird." The paper would confirm the error the next day.

I live right by the Columbia field and go to their home games. They are winless this season and are always a .500 at best team. Could be in the market for a coach. They're actually coached by an old Gopher, Norries Wilson. He's done a pretty good job there but this season looks like a struggle. Although if you come coach at Columbia in NYC, you're going to be about the 989th most important sport, a few places ahead of Fordham swimming but behind Manhattan field hockey.

Fury: Even today you have to take sports scores on KEYC with a grain of salt. I find it amazing that KEYC continues to butcher scores and school names after decades worth of experience. Though Perry Dyke and crew are big fans of the Nicollet Raiders so I try and give them the benefit of the doubt.

I was going to ask you a few weeks ago if you made it down to Janesville for the Nicollet-JWP battle. I was home so went to a Bulldogs game for the first time in about 15 years. When we first paired, huge crowds packed the football field. Um, not the case now. I know your nephew was out that game but Nicollet still drilled them; that receiver is really good.

There's something comforting about coming home a few times a year and knowing that when I turn on the TV, Perry Dyke will be on the sportscast.

[USTBench]

From Charley Walters column:

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_19021239

"It shouldn't be long after the season that St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso begins getting coaching offers, maybe from the Ivy League."


So Caruso takes the Cornell job next year (mostly because he's a huge fan of Andy on The Office).  UST steals Ramler away from Carleton and SJU.  Thoughts???

What an irrational rambling of non-sequitors by Charley Walters. What the hell was that?

[Retired Old Rat]

Non-sequiturs as well.

[grboob]

For you Catholic, St Thomas fans.

Did the Tommies have to go to reconciliation (confession) after Saturday's blowout of their brothers/Johnnies.

Just asking, as a fellow Catholic.

[Chubbs]

BTW,

Saw Elliot at Tiff's Saturday night. The guy looks like he could still make the Vikings tomorrow if he stepped on the practice field.

I say, "why not?"

Couldn't be any worse than Bernard Berian.

http://thevikingage.com/2011/10/02/bernard-berrian-to-amputee-war-hero-john-kriesel-sit-down-and-shut-up/

Not that you need any, but more ammo for the Bernard Berrian fan club.

[SJUrube]

Like back in the day when I'd have to wait two days to find out if the Lakers won because the boxscores never showed up in the papers we got at home. In southern Minnesota, Channel 12 was infamous for always having wrong scores, so you were never sure whether to believe it.

"Wait, did Janesville really beat Waterville 35-7, because they haven't beaten them in 23 years. That'd be weird." The paper would confirm the error the next day.

I live right by the Columbia field and go to their home games. They are winless this season and are always a .500 at best team. Could be in the market for a coach. They're actually coached by an old Gopher, Norries Wilson. He's done a pretty good job there but this season looks like a struggle. Although if you come coach at Columbia in NYC, you're going to be about the 989th most important sport, a few places ahead of Fordham swimming but behind Manhattan field hockey.

Fury: Even today you have to take sports scores on KEYC with a grain of salt. I find it amazing that KEYC continues to butcher scores and school names after decades worth of experience. Though Perry Dyke and crew are big fans of the Nicollet Raiders so I try and give them the benefit of the doubt.

I was going to ask you a few weeks ago if you made it down to Janesville for the Nicollet-JWP battle. I was home so went to a Bulldogs game for the first time in about 15 years. When we first paired, huge crowds packed the football field. Um, not the case now. I know your nephew was out that game but Nicollet still drilled them; that receiver is really good.

There's something comforting about coming home a few times a year and knowing that when I turn on the TV, Perry Dyke will be on the sportscast.

I didn't make the trip. Planned on it but when my nephew was ruled out the prospect of a drive to and from JWP to MPLS wasn't appealing. He's been out the last two weeks and fingers are crossed he'll be back soon.

The Raiders top WR, Jamie Fischer, is very good. Over the last few years I've seen drop/drag his feet on a number of sideline/back of the end zone catches along with some outstanding one handed grabs.

[tmerton]

I just saw this quote from Caruso: "I thought St. John's would give us a better game."

Ouch. 

At least he and I agree on something.

[USTBench]

Non-sequiturs as well.

Spelling snap.

Well, at least you got that to hang your hat on this year.

[USTBench]

For you Catholic, St Thomas fans.

Did the Tommies have to go to reconciliation (confession) after Saturday's blowout of their brothers/Johnnies.

Just asking, as a fellow Catholic.

What's the point? The meek will inherit the earth anyway. So they got that going for them...which is nice.

[cobbernation]

From Charley Walters column:

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_19021239

"It shouldn't be long after the season that St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso begins getting coaching offers, maybe from the Ivy League."


So Caruso takes the Cornell job next year (mostly because he's a huge fan of Andy on The Office).  UST steals Ramler away from Carleton and SJU.  Thoughts???

What an irrational rambling of non-sequitors by Charley Walters. What the hell was that?

Caruso might as well take a D-1 job if offered who knows when the chance will come up again.  You would figure the gophers would look to hire him as an assistant to take advantage of his recruiting skills.  Once Caruso leaves the Tommies will go from stellar to the cellar of the MIAC.

[DustySJU]

I just saw this quote from Caruso: "I thought St. John's would give us a better game."

Ouch. 

At least he and I agree on something.

Here are a few thoughts from various scribes and media types in the metro area regarding the ass kicking the Johnnies endured.

Tom Linneman - high ranking Target exec, former all conf Johnnie QB and "entertaining" part-time media commentator.

In an economic downturn star potential DIII players are opting for DII scholarship money and lower tuition rates.  Add in NCAA championship sub division teams across ND and SD and fewer athletes are available for SJU.

Patrick Reussue - well, call him what you will...

I noticed this 3 or 4 years ago... Gags is still taking the same players he was taking 30 years ago... 240 lbs on the defensive line... everyone else is getting bigger and Gags is sticking with an outdated system.

Reusse is also recommending a strength and conditioning program for the Johnnies as well as moving beyond Browerville and Upsula for his recruiting.

Another KSTP TV reporter said it was the "ass kicking of all time" and that SJU might as well have been Macalester on Saturday the way they were man handled.

In my opinion there's something else happening on campus behind the scenes and unfortunately playing out in front of us every Saturday afternoon.


OK, I'm thoroughly depressed now....

[sfury]

I'm the biggest Reusse groupie in the world - for real, go Fulda. But his comment here isn't accurate, I don't think. A few pages back we had Esq., whose football knowledge and insight I always find invaluable, point out: 3.)  We are big and fat on both OL and DL.  But we make up for it by being slow, too. Our good teams were small and quick; our current teams are big and slow.

Which is the exact opposite of what Reusse's saying! And I have to side with Esq. here. The defense until last year had been one of the best in D3. It wasn't outdated two years ago, it wouldn't be outdated now. Size isn't the issue - it doesn't matter...if you will. It's getting good small and quick guys on the lines. That's the difference.

[hazzben]

Tom Linneman - high ranking Target exec, former all conf Johnnie QB and "entertaining" part-time media commentator.

In an economic downturn star potential DIII players are opting for DII scholarship money and lower tuition rates.  Add in NCAA championship sub division teams across ND and SD and fewer athletes are available for SJU.

I could see point #1, but that doesn't account for UST and Bethel playing well. Or Linfield, UMU, Wheaton, NCC and all the other DIII private schools whose talent only seems to be improving. I'm sure there's some kids opting for scholarships who might have gone DIII in the past, but is it endemic, I don't think so.

I disagree with his reasoning regarding ND/SD state schools. SDSU, USD, NDSU and UND are not recruiting the same type of athletes now that they were 10 years ago. No way you can make the jump from DII to FCS and recruit the same caliber athlete. Their rosters are more national than they've ever been. They've still got local kids, but they're having to go out and recruit across the country more now than they did 10 years ago. If anything, I think their move up a division has left greater talent available. This is why UMD and other programs that were non-factors on the national scene have gotten competitive.

Minnesota, NoDak and SoDak had a ton of DII teams, probably more than the HS football in the states could support. When all these schools jumped up a division it didn't affect the number of DII/III caliber athletes in MN and the Dakotas. But with fewer DII schools, more DII talent is left without an offer and ends up at DIII schools. There are plenty of kids who are borderline DII/III, and with fewer DII schools out there, more of these kids end up at MIAC type schools.