MBB: Midwest Conference

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Don't worry about the karma thing too much. I nearly broke my all time high and Hoops would have lost his mind if that happened. LOL.

Rocking back and forth in the fetal position muttering unintelligible sentence fragments to no one in particular.

[The Roop]

Seems even a near miss can do it too.

[titan2000]

On this election day, despite the gloom that hovers with the possibility that Jim Doyle could be our governor and Steve Kagen our Congressman, I believe that the next generation can still be better than the last.  With those two yahoos in office, however, it will only make it harder.

T2K

Did you really start talking about education of the next generation and then complain about Doyle?

Early:

I have no opinion on pizza or Ninja Turtles, I am giving my proxy to Roop on that decision.

Doyle is beholden to the WEAC teachers union--he doesn't give a **** about the quality of output or the kids.  Its all about the $$ they provide.  If he really cared about the kids and the results, he would allow meaningful output requirements and the union would go along with it.  And pigs may fly.  Teachers fear Mark Green because he would hold them to standards.  The money would be there if the results were.   Its the same reason they all hated Tommy Thompson.  In WEAC's world, a reduction in an increase is a cut.  Glad they are teaching our kids math. 

T2K

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Glad to see the CCIW friendly agreement to exclude religion and politics from the message board discussion doesn't apply in the far more civilized MWC.

[The Roop]

There has been so much mud slinging in this gubernatorial race that it's hard to find either candidate worthy. It's all subordinate to the NRO anyway so I have elected to abstain this time around; something I don't normally do. As for teachers and education, moms theory is this "Don't pass kids that don't deserve to pass in the first place. Their self esteem will be much better if they actually accomplish something on their own".

Since mom taught for nearly 50 years, both in public and private schools, I tend to think she knows what she is talking about.

[Early]

Doyle is beholden to the WEAC teachers union--he doesn't give a **** about the quality of output or the kids.  Its all about the $$ they provide.  If he really cared about the kids and the results, he would allow meaningful output requirements and the union would go along with it.  And pigs may fly.  Teachers fear Mark Green because he would hold them to standards.  The money would be there if the results were.   Its the same reason they all hated Tommy Thompson.  In WEAC's world, a reduction in an increase is a cut.  Glad they are teaching our kids math. 

T2K

I am a teacher and I am held to the standards.  I spend many hours on development of curriculum and assessing my lesson plans to the State Standards.  The results are there.....Wisconsin is one of the top state in terms of education in the nation.  If you don't like unions, Tommy was the Govenor who made unions a necessity.  Teachers do not fear Mark Green either.  OH yeah, I'm teaching math. 

There has been so much mud slinging in this gubernatorial race that it's hard to find either candidate worthy. It's all subordinate to the NRO anyway so I have elected to abstain this time around; something I don't normally do. As for teachers and education, moms theory is this "Don't pass kids that don't deserve to pass in the first place. Their self esteem will be much better if they actually accomplish something on their own".
Since mom taught for nearly 50 years, both in public and private schools, I tend to think she knows what she is talking about.

Roop,
Your mom is a smart lady.  I can support that and the NRO if you back your mom up with that too.

[The Roop]

Not a problem Early. I can back mom all the time as she makes the effort to consider things. My dad, well, not so much. I think he spent too much time in the world of Cobol and Fortran to realize there is another reality beyond his own mind. Good guy but when he arrives at a theory all the facts in the world cannot change his opinion.

[titan2000]

My mom taught 30 plus years in public schools in Wisconsin and she agrees with what I said above.  I guess the ranks may be breaking.

[The Roop]

I think it all gets back to passing kids that shouldn't pass just to make a quota. Our mothers are likely on the same page here.

[titan2000]

Enough on that.

Go LU.

Good luck to Ripon and Beloit.

And the best luck to our moms.

[GrinnellFan68]

Guys, gals...time to get serious. Let's talk some roundball.

I am absolutely baffled by the preseason rankings for the conference. Ripon #3? Same old song and dance number every year. Best players. NBA caliber coach. Excuses. My dog ate my homework, my parents didn't hug me enough, little Sally didn't let me go all the way. Pick an excuse and move on. That aside, they will probably win conference.
Illinois College last? Would you ever pick Coach K or John Wooden to finish last in the league. Worrell pisses on those two. IC to finish 2nd behind Ripon. They'd be first if Worrell could player coach. Look. I know I'm biased because he's my son-in-law, but the man can draw some x's and o's.
My grand daughter is over tonight and she is crying her eyes out because of Britney and K Fed's split.

You can't always get what you want. But if you try some times, you get what you need.
Where is jeffp or systemfan86 with a Grinnell update?

Random question for Roop. If I dreamt about killing someone and in my dream I felt remorse, am I a bad person?

love,
ishmael

ps. I love you Edith. Please come back to me. It will never happen again. Oh god, what have I done? My precious little flower. Find your way back to papa ishmael.

[The Roop]

The fact that you felt remorse probably means that you are not a bad person. Although if you start dreaming of ways to get Brittney and K Fed back together then you probably are.

[gobucs]

In reading this morning's newpaper.  Its kind of funny that late Badger coach Bill Cofield would quote on the team he inherited many years ago....."Most of the players on this squad should not have been recruited for Carroll College."  Ironic, as Carroll plays the Badgers tonight.

On another note....I've seen firsthand the fever that LU (waiting in line for tickets with both young and old from Appleton)  and Grinnell (ESPN game) have created in their respective communities with their basketball success. What impact does your favorite school have on the community.....or is there none?

[Early]

GrinnellFan68,

When you have an entire team, minus 2 "backups" in DeVries and Fischer, returning including ALL three of your leading scorers

Bo Johnson (18.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 apg) Brian Schmitting (14.2 ppg, 7.5rpg, 1.0 bpg) and David McMullen (11.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.5 apg).

you are going to get respect.  Plus Coach G gets respect flat out.  Like it or not, he does. 

I completely understand yours and everyone;s critizism.

Best players. NBA caliber coach. Excuses

And I agree, people always seem to be saying Ripon has such good players, great coach and it gets followed by excuses.  I would like to believe when I add excuses, at least I'm seeing the big picture.  They had and have a lot of talent, every team in the conference has talent, and RC has not lived up to theirs, with a few exceptions (2000 - NCAA 2nd round, and 2002 - NCAA 1st round) not in the 2000s.  Last years team, first losing season in 23 years, did not play well together and they did not play good defense.  With a huge cast of players back who went through that losing season, hopefully the guys have figured out that defense wins championships.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Well Grotberg makes the pre-season honorable mention team.  Let the fun begin.