FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[GoldandBlueBU]

Central 42
Bethel   3

You have more confidence in our kicker than I do.

That is a good one...didnt he hit a long FG against the Johnnies??

34 yds...I'm told that blind squirrels occasionaly find acorns.

[chewey]

Only 1 Title after getting that far though, that has to be somewhat frusterating, but hey, when your frusterated after making the national semis your doing something right!

DutchHawk,

I missed you statement/question a couple days ago on the topic of SJU winning 8 West Region Championships in the last 18 years...  No question getting that far 8 times and winning one championship could have created frustration....when you get that far you realize the amount of things you need to go your way to win it all.  This is why we all should recognize the tremendous accomplishments that Mount Union continues to add to.  I will say that I look with great pride on the fact that 5 of the 7 loses came against the eventual National Champion in either the semis or the Stagg.....3 of those to Mount Union.

Good question and best of luck this week.

What MUC does is unbelievable, no question. Hopefully we can get our shot at them next week!

Central 32
Bethel 14

Good luck to Bethel and Central this weekend.  While Central's red and white Concordia Cobbers uniforms would almost have me rooting for them thinking that they are the Cobbers on a bad fashion day, I have to support the Bethel MIACers.  While MUC's coaching staff is first rate and while Kerhres is a super decent guy, even to a lost Johnnie fan crashing the MUC pre-game party Friday night before the 2003 Stagg, MUC is sort of an accident by location.  They get great players that could not cut the grade at D-1 programs or who were injured and d-1 programs lost interest in them and they are in the heart of football country.  Think of all the d-1 and d1AA programs in Ohio and PA and MI.  From what I understand, d-2 out there is not what it is here.  If d-2 here was as d-2 is there, more high caliber players would go to SJU and other MIAC teams and they could compete better with MUC.  Dayton is another example of a program with such benefits.  They are a lot bigger than most d-3 schools, however, and were simply directed to go to d-1AA.

MUC is a great program and the coaches are outstanding.  No one questions that.  Could great coaches like that get the same results here?  I think the question is partially answered by the Coe program.  Didn't one of the top assistants at MUC get the head job at Coe in IA?  Granted, the top assistant coach who got the job isn't Kehres but the same philosophy would still be employed.  Maybe more time is needed to see.  Maybe Kurt Ramler at Carleton will eventually, with better recruiting and more time to build tradition, be on the same level with SJU for a few years.  

Great programs like MUC, SJU, Central, St. John Fisher, Linfield, even Bethel, MHB, Hardin-Simmons, PLU, etc. merit great respect.  With MUC, one has to consider that the special place that it is in is one reason why it does so well.  

SJU, Bethel, etc. should try to raid the Gopher roster.  The Gonads are going to suck for a long time yet.  Mike Grant's kid should be going to SJU to play for Gagliardi rather than waste time in Rodent land.  

[OzJohnnie]

While MUC's coaching staff is first rate and while Kerhres is a super decent guy, even to a lost Johnnie fan crashing the MUC pre-game party Friday night before the 2003 Stagg, MUC is sort of an accident by location.

I admit I've been tempted by that argument in the past, but in the end it's unpersuasive.  MUC didn't change locations when they hired Kerhres, but they sure changed their results.  I can find no actual argument that reduces the magnitude of their achievements, so the hypothetical 'how would they do out here?' doesn't stick for me either.

Unlike Bethel, I can find nothing but respect for MUC (but I can hardly wait for us to beat them again).

[GoldandBlueBU]

Oz- For someone newer to the board, what's your story? Originally from the US or not? What's your sju connection?

[BU5758]

I, for one, support Bethel and the MIAC. Sat on the Concordia side a couple of years ago at Linfield when they were there for the playoffs and rooted for the Cobbers. Sat on the SJU side at PLU for a playoff game either the year before or the year after and rooted for the Johnnies.
A couple of weeks ago suggested that if SJU and Bethel were to meet again this Saturday that the game be played in the Metrodome to even the playing field. I support the idea that the best team from the MIAC should advance to play MUC, even though my brother-in-law was a professor there for 34 years, acting Dean and acting Athletic Director at various times.
Go Royals!!!

[OzJohnnie]

Oz- For someone newer to the board, what's your story? Originally from the US or not? What's your sju connection?

A long and interesting story.

The short and boring one is I grew up on Da Range, spent some in the Navy (meeting a luuuuuvely Aussie girl in Thailand), returned to St John's and then moved down to Oz.

And as a quick insight into my board time, I spend it being a bit polemical as a release from my work-a-day life which can be highly stressful.  Nothing personal, but I do enjoy a good tussle.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Oz- For someone newer to the board, what's your story? Originally from the US or not? What's your sju connection?

A long and interesting story.

The short and boring one is I grew up on Da Range, spent some in the Navy (meeting a luuuuuvely Aussie girl in Thailand), returned to St John's and then moved down to Oz.

And as a quick insight into my board time, I spend it being a bit polemical as a release from my work-a-day life which can be highly stressful.  Nothing personal, but I do enjoy a good tussle.

Nice. I grew up in duluth and played a fair amount of hs sports against range teams.  I did not like when da refs from da range would screw over non rangers though.

[Redtooth]

Any win in the postseason elevates the entire conference, especially here where the MIAC has a shot to shed its one-trick pony status.

Pat,

Your comment above from the other day had me review playoff results referenced above.  The first thing I would like to point out is the record listed for the MIAC on the front page is inaccurate.  It should be 25-13, not the 23-13 listed.  That would be a winning percentage of .658 moving it ahead of the NWC for second place.  That said, the SJU record for that period of time is 20-7 for a .741 winning percentage.  The 20 wins is more than any other conference minus Mount Union.  During that time SJU accounts for 80% of MIAC playoff wins while Mount Union (31-3) accounts for 74% of the OAC wins.  On a percentage basis both conferences must have one-trick ponies

For the Bethel and Central posters, the above information may help explain why SJU backers have been slow to acknowledge your respective playoff wins this year....no disrespect intended.

[oldbethel27]

I notice you dropped the "or any other school" from your demand.  I take it you concede that point?

I'm not sure what "point" you're referring to... please expand.

I also notice you qualify out any potential quotes from BU posters that do demand recognition as being irrelevant to the performance of the BU program.  Apparently only active members of the current program count.  Convenient.  Many of them on this board?  I take it you concede there have been such requests here from BU supporters, but not active players or coaches?

1 - I don't disqualify them, reality disqualifies them.  In other words, typing words in a chat room has no effect on wins and losses.  YES, only active members of the current program count toward wins and losses; I'm glad you picked up on that.

2 - I do not concede that there have been demands for recognition from BU supporters, because I have not read all of the posts.  There very well could be/have been, therefore my reluctance to claim complete lack thereof.

3 - Demands for recognition from current players or coaches would be surprising and disappointing, because I know that would go against the standards of the program (and hopefully any program).

I notice the wording of your first post in this chain makes the same point, pretty much dismissing any BU supporters opinion if that supporter is not a currently active member of the program.  Interesting way to clear the decks of statements that you don't like.

My point is: if someone's on here demanding recognition, they 1) are out of line, and 2) are demanding it from people who have no authority or credibility to give it.

Continued success with a bit less crotch grabbing may accomplish respect both on the field and here.  Good luck with that.

Don't flatter yourself... nobody wants to grab your sweaty crotch... even if it did happen, get over it.  Every team has a bad apple now and then.  Should all the monks in the SJU monastery be judged based on the actions of one or two?  I hope not.

So you're in the argument because...?

Good question - hopefully to show how ridiculous it would be for someone to be on the board demanding recognition, as well as for someone else to think he has the right and credibility to give and/or withhold recognition, simply by being a fan.  Anyone who has ever played or coached knows that you don't play or coach in order to obtain recognition... you do it because you love doing it.  And you want to win because winning is more fun than losing, not because winning gets you recognized.

So much for the other BU posters here.  Sorry guys, but if you care then you don't matter.  If you're lucky, those that do matter will still let those of you who care visit the gift shop from time to time in order to buy some merchandise.

Nice attempt to use my words against me.  My point was OBVIOUSLY that nobody who can help the team win games (i.e. not a fan in a chat room) is going to care who gives them recognition, because that's not what they're in it for.  And if they do care, they're caring about the wrong thing.

[DutchFan2004]

Central 42
Bethel   3

Nice to see you back KR.  Got time to come to Pella this weekend?

[stanbob]

+K to all the people making sense the last few pages!!!  Leaves out BC posters though. 

[Scrubby]

...nice to see everyone getting along out here!

Good luck to BU this weekend, what a great season!

[GoldandBlueBU]

+K to all the people making sense the last few pages!!!  Leaves out BC posters though. 

I don't beleive there are many BC posters on this board.  

[oldbethel27]

+K to all the people making sense the last few pages!!!  Leaves out BC posters though. 

I don't beleive there are many BC posters on this board. 

GoldandBlueBU - You beat me to the punch, although I still think of it as BC.

stanbob - I'm glad we have an arbiter of sense on this board 

[Redtooth]

MUC is sort of an accident by location.  They get great players that could not cut the grade at D-1 programs or who were injured and d-1 programs lost interest in them and they are in the heart of football country.  Think of all the d-1 and d1AA programs in Ohio and PA and MI.   

Chewey,

As much as you may want to believe this entire statement, nothing could be further from the truth.  Yes they are located in the heart of football country....as are all the other schools in the OAC, PA and Michigan.  The notion that Larry is winning with drop downs is completely false.  I would challenge you to find more than a handful of transfers over the years at Mount that had an impact....none of which were grade related.  Most of their stars over the years have been at Mount start to finish in their careers....Borchert, Kmic, Smeck, Moore, Marino, Pugh, Knapp, Adamson etc...