FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[KitchenSink]

I work in downtown Milwaukee.  And this morning was the second time the last couple of weeks that I have been driving in to work, and been behind a car with personalized Wisconsin plates that say "GO JONEZ".  With a St John's U license frame, no less.

Between that and the fact that my son is in a relationship with a Tommie grad, I'm looking around for Rod Serling to verify that I am in the Twilight Zone.

[DuffMan]

Looks like it's snowing in Collegeville this morning. 

[Tom Thumb]

The weather forecast continues to look worse as the week progresses. The current forecast is a high of 28 degrees on Saturday in St. Paul. Meanwhile in La Verne it will be a warm 82 degrees on Saturday. Welcome to Minnesota. 

On a different note, Jordan Roberts is getting some press in USA Today. Nice read. However, I believe they are wrong about the number of seminarians that have played football at UST in the past 25 years. In the 4 years I was there, I played with Ben Kessler and David Jarboe. Aside from that, pretty good read.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2015/11/18/st-thomas-leading-rusher-jordan-roberts-seminarian-catholicism-college-football/76000714/

[RFB]

The weather forecast continues to look worse as the week progresses. The current forecast is a high of 28 degrees on Saturday in St. Paul. Meanwhile in La Verne it will be a warm 82 degrees on Saturday. Welcome to Minnesota. 

On a different note, Jordan Roberts is getting some press in USA Today. Nice read. However, I believe they are wrong about the number of seminarians that have played football at UST in the past 25 years. In the 4 years I was there, I played with Ben Kessler and David Jarboe. Aside from that, pretty good read.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2015/11/18/st-thomas-leading-rusher-jordan-roberts-seminarian-catholicism-college-football/76000714/

28 degrees? That's balmy and comfortable for us Californians... lol

[ChicagoTommie]

Surfs up dude! Go TOMMIES! Let's skin those Leopards! I do need a new rug for the den😄!

[hazzben]

Any of you Bethel guys know what the deal is with Tusler?  I'm still not sure what his injury was, but I heard after he got hurt he also quit the football team and will focus on basketball.  This could be why he wasn't even on the sideline during the last few games.  I was thinking he could be an impact player in the conference next year, but not if he isn't suited up.  You guys have any insider info?

Tusler has had some attitude issues going back to the spring. He didn't spend much time (any??) working out and lifting with the team during the offseason. Some entitlement and a question of how much he was buying in.

He then got injured, and just flat out didn't show up the next week at practice or any meetings. Coach J had a 'heart to heart' - the gist of it sounds like it was "if you're gonna be a part of the team, then you have to be all the way in. If you can't do that, then you shouldn't be on the team at all."

SO, did Tusler 'quit.' Probably semantics. But it sounds like a good move by Coach J as that attitude can be cancerous. Essentially told Tusler and the other players, no one individual is bigger than the rest of team. If he decides in the future that he wants to buy in, the door would be open for him to do it. But it'll be on Coach J's terms, not his own.

They had a similar incident with Hallstrom a few years ago. He re-evaluated, got his head on straight and ended up an AA WR. Hoping the same tough love works a second time around for Tusler.

Definitely think it was the best thing for the rest of the team to see though.

[BDB]

Surfs up dude! Go TOMMIES! Let's skin those Leopards! I do need a new rug for the den😄!

Hey CT, besides the rug if you also need some dental work while you are in the Cities I've got just the guy for you.

(click to embiggen)

[RoyalsFan]

I thought Roughriders was by far the best name.  Too bad.

You forgot UWW Warhawks.  Whatever that is.

I'm thinking they are going to be hearing chants of "chicken hawks."

Bench was just listing the teams in D I. If you include D II and D III schools I count 14 more. 

[retagent]

Side note. I had a compadre in the Army that went to Lafayette, who were also, the Leopards. He told the story that the students cheered for the Leo (as in Uncle Leo) Pards, so that it didn't sound like they were cheering for the "Lepers."  Is that also true of LaVerne(ians)?

[USTBench]

I thought Roughriders was by far the best name.  Too bad.

You forgot UWW Warhawks.  Whatever that is.

I'm thinking they are going to be hearing chants of "chicken hawks."

Bench was just listing the teams in D I. If you include D II and D III schools I count 14 more. 

Yeah, there's 29 in all. I was just counting the ones we could conceivably play. Now the Dickinson State Blue Hawks are all upset that now there's another team in the state with "Hawks" and they want to make sure UND doesn't shorten Fighting Hawks to Hawks, because apparently the marketing machine that is DSU has an interest in being known as the "Hawks" from border to border.

[Mr.MIAC]

Taking it one game at a time of course, but I'll just leave this right here:

LAST TEAM STANDING (in the bracket):

Adam: St. Thomas. Glenn Caruso has been starving to get back to Salem and has the squad to do it this year. The Tommies' biggest test might come in a Round 2 rematch against their rival Johnnies.

Frank: St. Thomas. Their hardest game seems to be that potential St. John's rematch. I don't see how the Johnnies turn around a prior 21-point deficit when losing home-field advantage in the rematch.

Ryan: St. Thomas. The Tommies have rolled through one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and it has prepared them well to be one of the nation's last four standing.

Keith: St. Thomas. The Tommies didn't just go 10-0. They did it in one of the nation's strongest conferences, by scoring at least 35 in every game and never allowing more than 14. They had 12 punts and allowed 11 touchdowns. This isn't just a final four contender. This is a Walnut-and-Bronze contender.

Pat: I think this is St. Thomas' bracket. They are a top seed for a reason. Rolling up yards on the ground and stellar on defense, which will only be more important as the weather gets worse up here.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Taking it one game at a time of course, but I'll just leave this right here:

LAST TEAM STANDING (in the bracket):

Adam: St. Thomas. Glenn Caruso has been starving to get back to Salem and has the squad to do it this year. The Tommies' biggest test might come in a Round 2 rematch against their rival Johnnies.

Frank: St. Thomas. Their hardest game seems to be that potential St. John's rematch. I don't see how the Johnnies turn around a prior 21-point deficit when losing home-field advantage in the rematch.

Ryan: St. Thomas. The Tommies have rolled through one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and it has prepared them well to be one of the nation's last four standing.

Keith: St. Thomas. The Tommies didn't just go 10-0. They did it in one of the nation's strongest conferences, by scoring at least 35 in every game and never allowing more than 14. They had 12 punts and allowed 11 touchdowns. This isn't just a final four contender. This is a Walnut-and-Bronze contender.

Pat: I think this is St. Thomas' bracket. They are a top seed for a reason. Rolling up yards on the ground and stellar on defense, which will only be more important as the weather gets worse up here.

I was kinda expecting this post to come from a Johnnie fan - for the bulletin board!

[Mr.MIAC]

Taking it one game at a time of course, but I'll just leave this right here:

LAST TEAM STANDING (in the bracket):

Adam: St. Thomas. Glenn Caruso has been starving to get back to Salem and has the squad to do it this year. The Tommies' biggest test might come in a Round 2 rematch against their rival Johnnies.

Frank: St. Thomas. Their hardest game seems to be that potential St. John's rematch. I don't see how the Johnnies turn around a prior 21-point deficit when losing home-field advantage in the rematch.

Ryan: St. Thomas. The Tommies have rolled through one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and it has prepared them well to be one of the nation's last four standing.

Keith: St. Thomas. The Tommies didn't just go 10-0. They did it in one of the nation's strongest conferences, by scoring at least 35 in every game and never allowing more than 14. They had 12 punts and allowed 11 touchdowns. This isn't just a final four contender. This is a Walnut-and-Bronze contender.

Pat: I think this is St. Thomas' bracket. They are a top seed for a reason. Rolling up yards on the ground and stellar on defense, which will only be more important as the weather gets worse up here.

I was kinda expecting this post to come from a Johnnie fan - for the bulletin board!

No, the Johnnies are too busy acting like they've been there before, like they belong there to notice such things.   

[DuffMan]

I recall similar predictions for MU in the 2003 Stagg.  D3's been wrong before.

[Mr.MIAC]

I recall similar predictions for MU in the 2003 Stagg.  D3's been wrong before.

I think UST's road to Salem will be anything but a smooth ride. We might need some Tommie Magic^TM...