FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[bennie]

KR, my second son is being stationed at Pendleton after when he returns from Okinawa in March/April. Can I set up an appointment for a brain transplant. Actually, he's a pretty smart kid - just needs some seasoning.

Kind of funny story...when I first moved out here a guy came in to see me at work and he mentioned that he had just gotten out of Pendleton. I knew that Pendleton was on the west coast, but this guy seemed a bit scruffy to be military. Turns out the state prison is in Pendleton, OR! My bad!!! 

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

The Gophers glory days are before my time. They did build those teams with a solid core of local talent, but the biggest piece of the puzzle was the Southern black athletes they (and other northern universities) would recruit. They were able to recruit these kids because redneck coaches in Dixie would not integrate their teams. Once the big SEC, etc powers started integrating, the Gophers never found a decent source of talent to replace the southern pipeline.  That, coupled with some less than brilliant hirings of coaches, sent the once proud program in a downward spiral that can be reversed (see WI and NWern—NOT the Roseville NW, but the real one, AO). It would be nice to see a MN appearance in the Rose Bowl in my lifetime.

[sjusection105]

  That, coupled with some less than brilliant hirings of coaches, sent the once proud program in a downward spiral that can be reversed

This statement speaks volumes!

Here is a little story about the Gopher coaching blunders over the years and how a program can be rebuilt with the right combination of the University being behind the program, the right coach and spotting rough talent and making it into a finished product.

In 1990 when Barry Alverez took over the Wisconsin program they were in worse shape than the Gophers are now. My parents had a neighbor kid who was all-state RB & MLB, 3-time state discus champion and also ran on the 4 x100 m relay team and still holds all the high school basketball scoring records in the small farming community that we grew up in.

The Gophers led by coach John Gutekunst, invited him to walk on as they already had a running back and a MLB. You see the Gophers didn't want to "waste" a scholarship on a farm kid from central Minnesota, when they could get a 5th rung player out of Ohio.

Alverez on the other hand, said we already have a MLB & a RB (Fletcher, went on to play for the Chargers in the NFL) but we like your size, hands and speed and would like to offer you a scholarship but switch you to TE. The rest is history & he has a Rose Bowl ring to prove that sometimes you have to think outside the box. In high school he was the best player on the field for every game he played for 3 years. In college, he was part of a team that believed in each other and their coach.

[Kilted Rat]

KR, my second son is being stationed at Pendleton after when he returns from Okinawa in March/April. Can I set up an appointment for a brain transplant. Actually, he's a pretty smart kid - just needs some seasoning.

A Jarhead, eh?

I'll be about a half hour south of him. I'd much rather hear that he's in Okinawa than in Iraq or Afghanistan! All my best to him. If he ever needs anything starting around late June, let me know.

Good to see you back, KR, and good luck in San Dog.  Remember, it's only a 45 minute train ride to TJ.  And you'll need to take the train - not for the ride down, but the ride back...  Don't go messin' with the Federali's.

Thanks. It will be pretty intermittent since I probably won't have internet again until the New Year after tomorrow.

I will definitely have to check out the areas south of the Border, but of course I will be on my best behavior!

[sfury]

I watched almost the entire D2 game, the end of the NAIA game, and most of the D3 game. In my [biased] opinion, UWW and MUC had the best teams of the three. Both were fast and big and played extremely well (turnovers aside). The D2 teams looked good, but I expected them to look bigger and faster than they did. *shrug*

I was also bummed that NWMS lost that third in a row. Things were going so well for them for most of the game. It felt like Valdosta St stole it from them in the end.

Shoes, I agree.  I really thought the kids would be much bigger and have much more speed.  I thought the d3 game showed much more size and speed.  I knew some of the kids playing on the NWMS team and was somewhat baffled.  Do not interpret what I am saying is that they were slow and weak, just not what Im used to seeing at the d2 level. 

I'm beginning to sound like a SCSU alum as this is the second time I've mentioned this, but I have to disagree with the observations about the D2 title game. Definitely thought the talent level was above the d3 game, which would make sense, since the D3 champ lost by 10 points to a pretty bad 4-7 St. Cloud State team (granted it was earlier in the year when Whitewater was finding their stride). I'm all for building up D3, but I think sometimes we look at the games through rose-colored glasses.

As for the Gophers using local talent, yeah, it might have worked in the 50s, but the Gopher hockey team can't even dominate anymore with all Minnesota kids, and that's in hockey, where there's like 50 D1 programs and Minnesota has probably the best high school quality in the nation. Plus, if the Gophers did get some of those under the radar guys, who would the Johnnies get?

[Redtooth]

Interesting thread over on the WIAC board relative to some of the behavior at Friday's Stagg Bowl luncheon and other atics prior to kickoff.

Developing....

Dusty,

Having taken the time to read the posts over there....I would advise all to take these claims with a grain of salt.  This same group of Warhawk posters is pissing and moaning about the All-American teams and "respect"......I don't know about the other members of the 03 National Championship team, but my National Championship ring and the video of the Perfect Season is all the respect I need.  The memories of your National Championship season will forever soften any All-American snubs.  

Knowing Larry the way I do I can assure you that his team is not trained/taught to pull the jive monkey crap  8) 8)  When we have played Mount Union, we were respected at all times and they were gracious in defeat in 03.  From what I have heard and read---the junk was two-sided with WW being an equal participant, not the victim.  

A couple observations from the game Saturday.....WW played a wonderful game with Beaver having a special ending to his career.  The defensive line for WW completely outplayed Mount's Oline......Mount's line looked like they wanted to be shopping for Christmas gifts instead of blocking for Kmic and Michelli......neither one of which had an ounce of blocking all day.  I was a little surprised that Larry didn't take some play calling duties in the second half as I was less than impressed with the plan that Candle put together.  They seemed content on playing for field position instead of the usual constant pressure offense.......I have said to a few posters privately (and Duff knows this) the best place to Mount is Salem....they play tight, knowing that a bad outcome ruins a great season.  

[repete]

Bronko was born in Rainy River, but crossed the river as a kid and grew up in I Falls.

[stanbob]

To appease the WW fans over on their board, I made the suggestion to Pat that he should follow the MIAC standard and have half of D3 position players qualify as All-American.

[tmerton]

Good to see you back, KR, and good luck in San Dog.  Remember, it's only a 45 minute train ride to TJ.  And you'll need to take the train - not for the ride down, but the ride back...  Don't go messin' with the Federali's.

And I too would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and take this opportunity to post the Christmas pic of my kids, from Lake Wobegon (as they are obviously all above average).

The girls by the Christmas tree:


and the girls in the city on our way to photos with Santa:


Yes, I'm a proud dad and a very lucky man.

Merry Christmas, all.

Aw, little Ozzies.  Tres belle.  Just don't let 'em marry one - import some Yanks.

And three of them - you'll be well taken care of when you're an old fart.  Having two boys, I envy your older age.

Christmas trees in the summer?  Do you drag it to the beach?

[retagent]

Tmerts. You now need aPassport to go to TJ. But I guess the $50 "Rolex" makes it worth while.

Thanks fo rthe offer KR. I'm going out to San Diego County in January for a week of golf. I try to get out that way once a year. Having him back in the states will be a good thing. It's tough keeping up with someone who is out of the country and 14 hours diiference in time.

[Knightstalker]

KR, be careful in TJ on fridays.  The Federalis used to like to arrest sailors and officers and hold them until about 4:00 AM Monday morning.  They would release them just in time to get back to base without being UA.  This is what I heard, never happened to me.   

Your fine was usually whatever you had in your pocket, they would leave you enough for bus fare if you didn't have a ticket already.

It is always good to spend a winter in San Dog.  Try a winter in Norfolk, just cold, wet and windy almost no snow, just rain.

[tmerton]

Tmerts. You now need aPassport to go to TJ. But I guess the $50 "Rolex" makes it worth while.

I always went further south of TJ - Rosarita Beach for abalone and shooters, and Ensenada for an afternoon at Hussong's Cantina, where the margarita was invented.  Si-Ole!

[tmerton]

KR is over on the No Fun Board (BDB's name for the WIAC board) lambasting MUCk fans he claims are coming over and talking trash (not really the case from what I've seen).  As the native Ohioan he is, I think he's deep in his cups tonight and merely trying to start something.  No one can stir up sh!t and startle deer like KR.

[snoop dawg]

A word of advise...if you go to Hussongs.....stay away from the guy with the electrical shock machine.  You hold tha handles and see much you can take, of course, there is betting and beer involved.  Lots of fun when you are young, a bit dangerous when you are 50 or over.

[Klopenhiemer]

Wow guys we had some battles going back and forth during the Johnnie vs. Central week but I have never seen anything like that is going on over at the WIAC board.  I might have ruffled a few feathers in good fun .  Can anyone explain to me how you win a national title and still are picking apart this and that.  You Johnnies have won a title in recent years, did you complain about the all american team or did you go buy the liqure store out of Hamms and have a 3 day bender?  I also think its funny that seniors off this years team look to be posting now and saying the same things.  Its almost like they could not wait to graduate to PP.