FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OzJohnnie]

And the Vikings beat the 49ers. Next thing you know dogs and cats will stop fighting. A crazy bizarro world.

[sjusection105]

To recap the first 2 weeks in the MIAC

UST- 187 net rushing yards, 4.2 ave.- SJU 24 net rushing yards, 1.0 ave.

Concordia 251 net rushing yards, 4.0 ave. -SJU 26 net rushing yards, 1.2 ave.

There is improvement in both average yards per carry allowed as well as yards per carry gained. 

Using this formula, by Week 10 vs. Bethel SJU should allow 2.8 yards per carry & gain 2.4 per attempt.

Any Royal fans know what Bethel averages 60-70 rushes per game 

[DuffMan]

Have faith, Johnnies.  Another 17-18 years, and the next generation of grid-iron star will be ready to take the field at SJU! 

[SagatagSam]

Have faith, Johnnies.  Another 17-18 years, and the next generation of grid-iron star will be ready to take the field at SJU! 

By that time Tom Stock & Company will have kept John Gagliardi alive by putting his head in a jar like on Futurama.

"Come to Saint John's and play football for a guy that has the same article written about him in the New York Times, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports every year!"

=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Really, there's no hitting and no whistles at practice?"
"Players call him John?"
"Every senior on the team is a captain?"

[sfury]

Another great win for the Cobbers this saturday as they beat SJU at concordia for the first time in 25 years.  It should be a great game in Arden Hills in 2 weeks to see where they really are at. 

4 weeks into the miac season and SJU having a 2-2 record and it's already time for Gags to step down? 

It's hard to imagine why a few seasons of mediocrity at SJU overshadows 6 decades of success and winning traditions.

It's one thing to lose a couple of close games to league rivals, however if you look at the margin of victory in a number the losses the last two seasons the Jays are getting worked.  In my opinion that's an indication of a program lacking in talent.  The current staff at SJU has probably done more "recruiting" the last 5 years than in John's entire 60 year career.  You would think that with all the players they've brought in they would be competing for MIAC and even national championships. 
A few seasons of mediocrity does not overshadow the past 60 years.  However they don't give bonus points for what you accomplished 10, 20 or 30 years ago. 
To watch a program that 10 years ago was the best in D3 sitting at the bottom of the league with an 0-2 record is disheartening to say the least. 
Current high school seniors were about 7 or 8 years old when SJU won the 2003 National Championship.  Any recruiting bump they should have had from that is long gone.  Fielding a competitive team is one thing however versus the cream of the crop in 2011 and thus far in 2012 the Jays have been extremely overmatched.  26 net yards rushing yesterday??? C'mon man!

2011
UWEC 19-47
UST 7-63
BU 20-41

2012
UST 21-43
CC 21-31 (really wasn't even that close..were down 7-31 in 4th quarter)

Combined score total in those games
88-225

Agreed on the routs adding a more upsetting level to everything (for instance, even that 7-3 mark in 2010 was basically 3 plays from being 10-0; not the case last two years). For years and years in the '90s through 2003, the Johnnies did not get blown out. The only exception, really, being a couple games against Mount Union. Now? It's seemingly the norm. Not good.

But...because I'm a long-view guy and just to play a bit of devil's advocate with the armageddon talk...

SJU record for nine seasons after 1965 title:
4-3-1
3-5
6-4
8-1-1
6-3
8-1
7-2
4-4
7-2

SJU record in nine seasons after 1976 title:
7-2
6-3
7-2
5-3
7-2
9-1
7-4
6-3
8-2
(10 years after, 4-4-1)

SJU record in nine seasons after 2003 title:
7-3
11-1
11-2
10-2
8-3
10-1
7-3
6-4
??

The only title that was followed by immediate dominance was '63. Now, if you want to say the last few years are unacceptable and you're comparing it to the modern SJU dynasty that probably started in 1991, that's fine. Or if you want to say it's unprecedented in the D3football.com/message board era, that's fine too. But if you're talking about the SJU tradition that stretches back decades and decades, well, sorry to say, it's "unraveled" twice before. Now, there are a million things different compared to those times and it's apples/oranges/other fruit comparisons, etc., etc.

But struggles like this are the way things go in every part of football land except Mount Union post 1993. Is it fun? No. Upsetting for fans/former players? Of course. Does it make us worry that it's not just a normal cycle -- the cycle that everyone from Florida to Alabama to North Dakota State experiences -- and is part of some long decline that's impossible to climb out of? Yes. But it's also part of football life. Even football life at St. John's.

[sjusection105]

The only title that was followed by immediate dominance was '63. Now, if you want to say the last few years are unacceptable and you're comparing it to the modern SJU dynasty that probably started in 1991, that's fine. Or if you want to say it's unprecedented in the D3football.com/message board era, that's fine too. But if you're talking about the SJU tradition that stretches back decades and decades, well, sorry to say, it's "unraveled" twice before. Now, there are a million things different compared to those times and it's apples/oranges/other fruit comparisons, etc., etc.

But struggles like this are the way things go in every part of football land except Mount Union post 1993. Is it fun? No. Upsetting for fans/former players? Of course. Does it make us worry that it's not just a normal cycle -- the cycle that everyone from Florida to Alabama to North Dakota State experiences -- and is part of some long decline that's impossible to climb out of? Yes. But it's also part of football life. Even football life at St. John's.

Now to play devil's advocate to your devil's advocate- Florida,Alabama & NDSU coaches moved on to other jobs- Mount Union & SJU  stayed around.For whatever that's worth.

[sfury]

And now to play devil's advocate to your devil's advocate of me...okay I'll stop.

No, you're right. and like I said, you can't just make straight comparisons between other programs or between SJU now and SJU in 1970. But it is worth noting that St. John's has never been a program that each and every year wins 8-10 games, not even when they're coming off a national title. We like to remember it's been like that, but it hasn't. The tradition is that eventually they do return to national prominence. Hopefully that does continue, and soon.

[Chubbs]

Now to play devil's advocate to your devil's advocate- Florida,Alabama & NDSU coaches moved on to other jobs- Mount Union & SJU  stayed around.For whatever that's worth.

Here's the elephant in the room, though; who do the fans that want John out hope to see come in to replace him?  Before you dump the legend, you better have a "can't miss" heir apparent (if such a thing exists) signed and sealed.  Otherwise, you're just making change for its own sake, and that NEVER works; in football or anything else.

[sjusection105]

Now to play devil's advocate to your devil's advocate- Florida,Alabama & NDSU coaches moved on to other jobs- Mount Union & SJU  stayed around.For whatever that's worth.

Here's the elephant in the room, though; who do the fans that want John out hope to see come in to replace him?  Before you dump the legend, you better have a "can't miss" heir apparent (if such a thing exists) signed and sealed.  Otherwise, you're just making change for its own sake, and that NEVER works; in football or anything else.

See Minnesota Gophers 1960-Present 

[SagatagSam]

Here's the elephant in the room, though; who do the fans that want John out hope to see come in to replace him?  Before you dump the legend, you better have a "can't miss" heir apparent (if such a thing exists) signed and sealed.  Otherwise, you're just making change for its own sake, and that NEVER works; in football or anything else.

I've heard Mike Grant's name thrown around, but I highly doubt he'd do it.
My personal pick is Kurt Ramler. He resigned after the 2011 season at Carleton. I haven't heard what he's been doing since. Perhaps Frank at the SC Times should do a "Where are they now" piece on him...

[cobbernation]

Here's the elephant in the room, though; who do the fans that want John out hope to see come in to replace him?  Before you dump the legend, you better have a "can't miss" heir apparent (if such a thing exists) signed and sealed.  Otherwise, you're just making change for its own sake, and that NEVER works; in football or anything else.

I've heard Mike Grant's name thrown around, but I highly doubt he'd do it.
My personal pick is Kurt Ramler. He resigned after the 2011 season at Carleton. I haven't heard what he's been doing since. Perhaps Frank at the SC Times should do a "Where are they now" piece on him...

The can't miss heir apparent will be Jimmy G.  It's for the best in terms of the future of MIAC football! 

[AO]

From Frank's live chat on sctimes.com : "And finally, I did speak with St. John's AD Tom Stock last week in regards to the question of why the school doesn't live stream their football games over the Internet. Stock confirmed that it is due to concerns that live streaming would impact the attendance. He said the school views their attendance as a competitive advantage, and the fear is offering games live would cause some fans to elect to stay home and watch from their living rooms instead of making the trip up from, say, the Twin Cities for games. "

The Twins used to have a similar philosophy in the 60's before advertising was discovered.

[DuffMan]

...and the fear is offering games live would cause some fans to elect to stay home and watch from their living rooms instead of making the trip up from, say, the Twin Cities for games. "

That's BS.  If I'm not going to go, I'm not going to go.  I'll just settle for a free radio broadcast if they don't stream.

[SagatagSam]

From Frank's live chat on sctimes.com : "And finally, I did speak with St. John's AD Tom Stock last week in regards to the question of why the school doesn't live stream their football games over the Internet. Stock confirmed that it is due to concerns that live streaming would impact the attendance. He said the school views their attendance as a competitive advantage, and the fear is offering games live would cause some fans to elect to stay home and watch from their living rooms instead of making the trip up from, say, the Twin Cities for games. "

This is a garbage, not to mention horribly transparent, excuse.
It's nothing more than a tactical move on the part of the football staff because they fear opponents will get to see more film to use to prepare.

[faunch]

...and the fear is offering games live would cause some fans to elect to stay home and watch from their living rooms instead of making the trip up from, say, the Twin Cities for games. "

That's BS.  If I'm not going to go, I'm not going to go.  I'll just settle for a free radio broadcast if they don't stream.

Agreed....I'd be up there this weekend but my daughter has fall softball.  It would be great if I could take the laptop to a coffee shop and catch a quarter or two of it in between games.