FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[DuffMan]

Yeah, I was going to comment that I'd take an Acura over a Caddy 8 days a week.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Unbelievably, I'm torn about the mismatched competition between the top and bottom of the MIAC.  I can empathise with how some of the lesser teams may feel. It's like they signed up for amateur boxing night and find themselves in the ring across from Mike Tyson.  But then it's an open weight division and boxers are encouraged to do their best.

So I settle on thems the breaks, it's just too darn bad. As long as Tyson isn't putting the amateurs at undue risk due to the mismatch then it's game on.  Maybe if a trail of broken bones are left in the wake of the top teams then something should be done, but until that point nope.

It's a tough spot to be in. UST and SJU (and Concordia and Bethel) need the rest of the conference to survive, but UST and SJU are building to compete for national championships and Concordia and Bethel are building to get to the playoffs. I think Gustavus with their stadium, and St. Olaf with their coaching hire, is working towards being competitive, but I don't see Hamline and Carleton giving much more effort, and Augsburg is sort of a victim of their resources and will always just kind of have to do more with less. If Hamline and Carleton bail for the MWC or UMAC (or Carleton cuts football all together), then the MIAC will be forced to bring schools in, which is something I think they should consider exploring now. I think Northwestern and St. Scholastica (despite the lopsided loss to SJU) are looking to be decent fits. Northwestern seems to be a natural rival for Bethel and has MIAC level facilities. CSS lacks the facilities, but will be the sole DIII school recruiting the Duluth area heavily, and could have an opportunity to steal some central lakes kids.

If you don't agree with me, then I'll just fire up my UST and SJU/CSB should leave for the Pioneer League/Horizon League argument again. JK.

Not going to happen Bench. Hamline has a strong MIAC hockey program and Carleton is very competitive in MIAC basketball. Need to think bigger picture than just MIAC football when evaluating teams and schools. Yes UST has been super successful in all athletics but that does not diminish what these two have accomplished in winter sports. Toss those purple shaded glasses in the garbage dude.

Hamline's men's hockey has been good for 3-4 years, but for decades before that it was similar to Mac football before they bolted from the MIAC-- every other team expected 3 if not 4 points on Hamline weekend and was disappointed with anything less. I would agree that Hamline has vastly improved its program, but calling it a "strong program" is a bit of a stretch. On the women's side, hockey has been GAC, UST and a battle for third since the MAC. HU has had a good 2-3 years but Kate's was poised to move to the top tier for a 3-4 year window and Olaf before them. Both faded  and time will tell if HU fades or makes that next step.

Carleton's men's basketball ball has been an MIAC power, but I think that is attributable to their coach, not the administration or athletic dept. I marvel at what Guy Kalland has done at CAR but as his inevitable retirement creeps closer, I have my doubts about the program remaining among the top tier teams.

FWIW-- I've heard nothing about any school threatening to leave the MIAC. The league has toughened its policies and membership covenants in the aftermath of Mac football's childish and selfish maneuver. As I understand it now, to leave the MIAC in one sport means to leave in all  unless you drop the sport. 

[57Johnnie]

Yeah, I was going to comment that I'd take an Acura over a Caddy 8 days a week.

In my part of the country, the premier ride is the F-150. Those who want to look mean opt for the Raptor. The Limited works for me.
The Elitists will only have a Prius.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Yeah, I was going to comment that I'd take an Acura over a Caddy 8 days a week.

That was my thought too, but I assumed I must've been off target on my perception of quality.

Considering that I still drive the 12 yr old Saturn that I bought used as a college senior, pretty much everything at that level looks like a spaceship to me!

[USTBench]

Yeah, I was going to comment that I'd take an Acura over a Caddy 8 days a week.

I drive a 2012 Dodge Ram, so I admit my knowledge of luxury sedans somewhat limited. But hey, I'm just of a salt-of-the-earth UST grad, so you can understand how I don't put too much stock into those types of things. 

[USTBench]

In the near future USTBench you will procreate and bring in to this world a couple of little athletes. They will grow up to be young people, and of course you will be in the wealthy section of South Dakota or wherever you live, let's just say Sioux Falls.  Those little athletes are going to say "Dad I know you were a football player but football is not cool. I want to play tennis. I want to go to Gustavus Adolphus and play tennis Dad".

Then you will care. 

A) Already have procreated;

B) I'm from North Dakota (but if I lived in South Dakota it would be the Black Hills or Rapid City, not Sioux Falls);

C) I live in the Twin Cities now (which are totally overrated btw);

D) My son is a maniacal meat head who breaks everything in my house so I doubt he'd much of a tennis player, but if he was a tennis player and was good enough to play for the Gusties, I would TOTALLY care. But NOBODY else would.

[DuffMan]

The wife and I had been on a streak of good luck of having no car payments for 5-6 years.  We're making up for that with a few catastrophic events in the past couple years, so we've purchased 3 vehicles in the past 2 years--extremely uncharacteristic for me.  Toyota is as luxurious as we go, though. 

[DuffMan]

A) Already have procreated;

Ugh, don't remind us.

[OzJohnnie]

I ride a kangaroo.

[USTBench]

A) Already have procreated;

Ugh, don't remind us.

The MIAC tennis boards are going to be HILARIOUS in 20 years.

[USTBench]

I ride a kangaroo.

Surprising. Paul Hogan is a BIG Subaru guy. Figured Aussies just kind of followed suit with whatever Crocodile Dundee recommends.

[57Johnnie]

Yeah, I was going to comment that I'd take an Acura over a Caddy 8 days a week.

I drive a 2012 Dodge Ram, so I admit my knowledge of luxury sedans somewhat limited. But hey, I'm just of a salt-of-the-earth UST grad, so you can understand how I don't put too much stock into those types of things. 

A Dodge Ram IS a luxury vehicle. The dealers around here don't have much room for sedans.
Mrs 57 wants to be buried in her Forester.
She in not a Bennie,  Katie or Tommie Girl.
She went to Cain's Academy

[57Johnnie]

I ride a kangaroo.

Surprising. Paul Hogan is a BIG Subaru guy. Figured Aussies just kind of followed suit with whatever Crocodile Dundee recommends.

Subaru outsells everything else here and we don't have many crocodiles

[GoldandBlueBU]

The wife and I had been on a streak of good luck of having no car payments for 5-6 years.  We're making up for that with a few catastrophic events in the past couple years, so we've purchased 3 vehicles in the past 2 years--extremely uncharacteristic for me.  Toyota is as luxurious as we go, though. 

Yeah, I'd like to get a Honda Accord, (wife has a newer CRV which we like alot), but I just can't justify it given that the Saturn has never needed anything but routine maintanence.  If it rolls over and dies today, so be it, but personally, i don't care what I drive, as long as it gets me from point A to B reliably and relatively efficiently, so I'm not willing to trade up just for the sake of having a newer car.

[Mr.MIAC]

We have an Audi sedan, but it mostly sits unused and we're thinking about going carless. We live in a row house downtown and might have made a mistake when we bought the place. A private parking spot was available nearby, but they wanted $50K for it and that just seemed like way too much. So for the past few years we've been parking on the street, where hoodlums regularly break into cars, people scratch the hell out of your bumpers because they don't know how to park, and the city likes to tow you (at $350 a pop) if you're in their way during weekly street sweeping. After repairing lots of damage and paying crazy money in tow fines, that private parking spot looks pretty attractive. If we go carless, there's always the subway, taxis, and Uber. Also, it seems like e-scooters are all the rage now. Has anyone here used one?