FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[ChicagoTommie]

Just thought I would have to bring up what I learned last weekend while I was in ST. Paul dropping off my son ( if you care for the first time at UST and spending the weekend up there with my family.  I have to say this... I really get Minnesota nice! kind of refreshing coming from Chicago, most everybody I bumped it to was surprisingly pleasant ,when we would ask direction or what have you... they dropped everything to help!  Unless you bump in to a Johnnie!!! and we loved Mannys you cant get out of there with out spending at lest 500 bones! Again I Look forward to the season I will be at most the UST football games up in the Twin cities, and I was wondering if you guys could suggest some good Bars and restaurants that I can crash, and a decent Hotel to stay at that??? I will be bringing a contingent of family and friends, on and off and I get to be the F@$king tour guide!

Thanks!

[DuffMan]

This is real, for the grapplers amongst us (or just sports fans). Wright Thompson on Dan Gable.
http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/Dan-Gable/the-losses-dan-gable

Wow!  Thanks for the link.

[sfury]

Speaking of Twitter, if I can self-plagiarize, as I noted on there: Seven decades after John Gagliardi figured this out, some NFL teams are learning you can practice in a different way. Story on the Seahawks.

es.pn/172Tr1B

[Tom Thumb]

Anyways, does anyone know why SJU linebacker Ricky Davis left the team? I have also heard that one of your defensive lineman and Maze Thompson did not return this year. Anyone know what's going on?

I think Thompson hung it up do to injuries.  Haven't heard anything about Davis or Joe Zrust, who is the d-lineman that you're probably referring to.  This is just my thought, but perhaps a bit of attrition from the coaching change?

That makes sense. That's unfortunate to hear about Thompson. If I recall correctly, I believe he had a few solid games last season. He's pretty young to be battling injuries. Hopefully it's nothing that he'll be dealing with for a long time.

[sfury]

This is real, for the grapplers amongst us (or just sports fans). Wright Thompson on Dan Gable.
http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/Dan-Gable/the-losses-dan-gable

Wow!  Thanks for the link.

He's a fascinating guy, that's for sure. With obviously an unmatched record. And Thompson's a perfect guy to write about him; his Michael Jordan piece from earlier this years was also an amazing look at an obsessed legend.

[DuffMan]

With obviously an unmatched record.

Cael Sanderson was 127-3 in high school and 159-0 in college, winning Olympic gold in 2004.  His Penn State teams have won the past three consecutive national titles.  Obviously, his coaching career has a ways to go before he catches Gable, but he's on par. 

[MadRedFan]

Anyways, does anyone know why SJU linebacker Ricky Davis left the team? I have also heard that one of your defensive lineman and Maze Thompson did not return this year. Anyone know what's going on?

I think Thompson hung it up do to injuries.  Haven't heard anything about Davis or Joe Zrust, who is the d-lineman that you're probably referring to.  This is just my thought, but perhaps a bit of attrition from the coaching change?

Davis really never was "in the mix" much, played here and there, some special teams as I recall.  I asked Rajkowski in his SC Times chat the other day about Zrust, and his answer was "he elected not to come back out this year".  That sounds vague enough to me to maybe be about the coaching change, wanting "faster" players this year (Zrust is a big boy), etc.  If it was some injury or something, you'd think he would just say so.

[DuffMan]

I asked Rajkowski in his SC Times chat the other day about Zrust, and his answer was "he elected not to come back out this year".  That sounds vague enough to me to maybe be about the coaching change, wanting "faster" players this year (Zrust is a big boy), etc.  If it was some injury or something, you'd think he would just say so.

Maybe they asked him to play OL (due to size, speed, etc) and that really wasn't his bag.

[USTBench]

Congrats to Jake Barkley and Andrew Hilliard on being inducted into the UST Hall of Fame.  http://www.tommiesports.com/sftbl/news/Hall_821.html

Spent a lot of time watching how hard both of those guys worked (on and off the field). Heart had as much to do with their success as talent, I've never seen two guys give more effort to be good at something in my life.

[ron doney]

Congrats to Jake Barkley and Andrew Hilliard on being inducted into the UST Hall of Fame.  http://www.tommiesports.com/sftbl/news/Hall_821.html

Spent a lot of time watching how hard both of those guys worked (on and off the field). Heart had as much to do with their success as talent, I've never seen two guys give more effort to be good at something in my life.

I'll echo that.  I am not sure I ever have been around two guys who were as competitive as these two....and they fed off of each other.

Hilliard was especially hard working.  Of all the great qualities/skills we have seen in the best MIAC receivers over the years, there are only one or two that Hilliard was born with or a natural at (in my opinion).  Speed and a great stride (which served him well in track) being the primary examples.  The other skills he had, he worked tirelessly to attain.  He spent hours refining his footwork, route running, and hands - all of which he performed at a very high level on Saturdays.  More than any player I've been around, in Hilliard you could see the skill work in the off season translate into plays on the field.  On Saturday's he would catch a button hook  in a game and beat the corner to and up the sideline....and I wouldn't think to myself man he is just an elusive guy, but rather, of course Hilliard beat the corner, he practice that hook and sprint to the corner 1,000 times this summer just like he ran it there. 

I guess that view comes from having seen the sausage made. 

[DuffMan]

Congrats to Jake Barkley and Andrew Hilliard on being inducted into the UST Hall of Fame.  http://www.tommiesports.com/sftbl/news/Hall_821.html

Those two deserve it.  They were studs.  It's a shame they didn't go to SJU.  We'd have enjoyed having them. 

[USTBench]

Congrats to Jake Barkley and Andrew Hilliard on being inducted into the UST Hall of Fame.  http://www.tommiesports.com/sftbl/news/Hall_821.html

Those two deserve it.  They were studs.  It's a shame they didn't go to SJU.  We'd have enjoyed having them. 

Don't want to think about how bad things might have been if they did attend SJU.

Quick story about Barkley:

The day Barkley "arrived" against Concordia he was a sophomore backing up a pretty good RB (senior/starter 1,000 yard rusher from the year before). Barks came in for a spell, took a toss and turned up the corner immediately for a 75yd+ TD run. I think the next series he did it again from about 65 yds+ out. Then a few series later, he did it again from like 80 yards.

Don't remember exactly the sequence but I think he had something like 15 carries for 275yds and 3 TDs. Each time Barks would score he'd bend at the waist and politely set the ball down and run back to the sideline. Every time he scored he did this for 3 years. Finally someone had the courage to ask him why he did that. His response: (paraphrased) "Just my way of telling the defense they can kiss my a$$."

[DuffMan]

Don't want to think about how bad things might have been if they did attend SJU.

Bad for U$T.  Good for SJU. 

I never had any interaction with Hilliard, but I chatted a bit with Barkley pre-game in 2002 (he was a friend of some of my teammates), tackled him a few times, and probably missed a tackle or two on him ( ).  He's a good guy, despite being a Tommie.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Don't want to think about how bad things might have been if they did attend SJU.

Bad for U$T.  Good for SJU. 

I never had any interaction with Hilliard, but I chatted a bit with Barkley pre-game in 2002 (he was a friend of some of my teammates), tackled him a few times, and probably missed a tackle or two on him ( ).  He's a good guy, despite being a Tommie.

missed more than you made ? 

the MIAC Coach of thds Year award is now named ater John Gagliardi:
http://www.miacathletics.com/news_links/Press_Releases/082213a_Gagliardi_COY_Award

[DuffMan]

Missed more than you made ? 

As far as I am aware, the only stat that mattered:

Freshman year (1999):  34 - 18
Sophomore year (2000):  17 - 0
Junior year (2001):  27 - 21
Senior year (2002):  48 - 28