FB: USA South Athletic Conference

[blackhats]

Also, no overnight expenses for Guilford.

[Pat Coleman]

Yeah -- what I know is Wesley scrambling for a game in April after Ferrum made a real late decision. Good thing? Don't think so.

[Pat Coleman]

Although in retrospect, Wesley upgraded its schedule in the process, picking up DePauw, and beating them.

[moshergc9]

Roll Pride!

[TOUGH TOUGH START]

[enzoneking6]

Hey BlackHats,

Maryville dropped us to play ya'll because they felt that you guys were a easier opponent. If your school was in the ODAC you would be down there with the Catholics and Guilfords.

Before you can say anything about BC make the playoffs and play a worthy non-schedule opponents because McDaniel would whoop yall.

Congrats, Craig Ford - For USAC defensive player of the week. Lynchburg in the house!!!

Cordero McDaniel - Get some burn and "Apply your Rules"-Landis

[blackhats]

Please wise up and understand that Ferrum had to play D-1AA's and D-2's (ex. Western Carolina, Charleston Southern, West VA Tech, Westminster, UAB, Dayton) throughout the early 90's because no one else at the D-3 level would play them.  They beat teams so badly in the 80's and early 90's, they were in turn punished in the long run.  Because they had no options, the program struggled.  Finally, things have (at least in the short term) cycled back through, so there should be no shots taken at the Panthers, because they have travelled from Stonehill to Courtland State to Montclair to UAB because no other teams (including the beloved Bridgewater during the glory days of Max Lowe) in the south would be big enough to step up to the challege.  There were even two seasons where Ferrum couldn't get but nine games...so get off your sanctimonial pedastals and accept things for what they are.  Ferrum has won 5 games and deserve to be on top for a while, because the school took it on the chin for D-3 football in the south for 10 years.  Shut up and quit hating on the Panthers.

[blackhats]

I'll go ahead and add Clinch Valley, Thomas More, Ithaca, and Wagner too.  Albeit they are not all scholarship...it does let you know how far Ferrum was having to travel to find a game.  So again, don't preach to me about schedule and who we play...at least our success goes back further than the year 2000.

[blackhats]

One more thing...same coaching staff that had to schedule those games over the past 15 years is scheduling these games today. 

[Pat Coleman]

How does your early-90s scheduling have any bearing on 2005, when you only need to schedule three games a year? Come on now, let's try to stay relevant to the conversation. at least. Wesley could say the same thing, but they were the ones left scrambling at the last minute.

[blackhats]

Why are you giving Ferrum such a hard time.  They had to make a decision in the best interest of their school and their football program...money talks, and unfortunately Guilford held all of the cards in this situation.  What has Ferrum done for you to continuously attack them over the past week.  We haven't done anything but suggest that to this point we have had a good season.  I guess if or when we lose you'll be the first to say you were right.  The 90's have a lot to do with the state of things and they are quite relevant.  If you had any understanding of the history of anything then you would understand that.  The point was that the Ferrum football program has had to sacrifice over the past 15-20 years and they made a decision that was in the best interest for Ferrum.  Drass understands...why can't you??

[blackhats]

Respect D-3 football...not just for what it is but also from where it came.  Small college football was around long before you were sonny, and it didn't just get started when you started this website. 

Bridgewater owes Lou Wacker a bunch for taking it easy on them for all of those years, because they at E&H too had to go through the same dilemmas that Ferrum did...unfortunately for them they are still going through them. 

I respect E&H because they are the only school with enough gumption in the ODAC to play Ferrum through the good and the bad.  Everyone else dropped them last minute and played Galludet. 

[Pat Coleman]

Are you sure Drass understands?

I have plenty of understanding of history. However, unlike you, I also have a little perspective on how it's relevant today. If you are using scheduling difficulties of 15 years ago as an excuse for dropping Wesley to add Guilford back to the schedule, hey, I hope it helps you sleep at night.

In the end, though, it means your current 5-0 record is a lot less meaningful. That's all. But when you're griping about lack of respect, it helps to have played someone like Wesley instead of someone like Guilford.

Why are you giving Ferrum such a hard time.

Because Ferrum fans are giving us a hard time. And specifically you are giving me a hard time. You've spent the past four days bickering with me over what you think I know, what you think the pollsters don't know, what you think Wesley's coach feels about scheduling (I'm not sure you have any idea there). I was following Division III for a long time, too, before you even knew what the World Wide Web was.

You want to be a crank? Fine. But you're not going to get any more respect from me and I'm not going to pay any attention to your rantings about the early '90s, the cost of travel, club football results, what you think I know about Chowan, etc. At least there are some more realistic Ferrum fans, such as Allen C and even the student government president -- reasonable beyond his few years.

[blackhats]

My gripe is not about the lack of respect given to Ferrum--it is the inconsistency about how teams are addressed (i.e. Chowan) on your website.  The arguing started when you continued to attack the schedule of Ferrum and the strength of Chowan---have you seen Chowan play this year?---I have and they are better in many areas!!! 

Nobody stated that Ferrum should be ranked.  I still don't think that they should be ranked--nor should anyone in VA.  However, I do think that it is appropriate to understand that you have not one bit of sense about the particulars of football.  You are just a simple character with a license in rhetoric.  You are a member of the media who has probably never played a down of football in your life (forgive me if you happened to play pop warner and for me not doing my research on your life history).  You seem to think that your word about D-3 football is the word of law. 

Do you think that it will ever occur to you that if you are an expert on D-3 football and I should extend to you credibility, then maybe I am an expert on Ferrum Football and you should reciprocate the credibility...of course not, because that is not what people in the media do. 

Your know-it-all attitude typifies what is wrong with sports and the media today.  "Wannabes" who have an elementary basis of knowledge of the sport who try to dictate to others what they should think about certain teams.  Your propaganda about Ferrum dropping Wesley is a feable attempt to add credibility to your assessment of why certain teams do better than you predicted. 

Why don't you just state things as they are, rather than the way you would like them to be.  Once you find some age and wisdom check back in with us educated in the world of football and let us know why you were wrong.  In the meantime, let us who are finally having some much deserved success enjoy it. 

OBTW...Mike understands...if you would like his office number I can oblige!!!

[Pat Coleman]

You could be an expert on Ferrum, or on public waste and conservation for all I know, but Ferrum is one program out of 231. That's my point. You know more about Ferrum for probably 20 years' worth than I do -- that's great. Congrats. There is more than one school in Division III, and this is why we are on D3football.com and not Ferrumfootball.com. Perhaps you should put your expertise and your glory days in pads (I assume such from your rhetoric) to use and build a Web site instead of trying to tear mine down.

[power0tech]

Well Pat I guess we are both right about Big Juice.  I don't think you have seen him play yet, what a shame if you haven't.