FB: USA South Athletic Conference

[PrideSportBBallGuy]

WC-

I would be up for a pick 'em contest

[D3Newbie]

I would commit to every week . . . sounds like a great idea!

[narch]

USAC folk --
I wanted to see how many people would be interested in a pick-em contest this season if I agreed to organize it.

I'd plan on using spreads for each game, although setting them would be new ground for me.

i'm down since i pick each conference game every week anyway, but i don't think you should post spreads for 3 reasons:

1 - too much work for you to do correctly
2 - who cares how much a team wins by as long as they win...i'll take 15 one point wins for the monarchs
3 - with as many games as are played, it's highly unlikely that 2 people would be tied at the end of the season, even with straight up wins and losses

[roocru]

You guys might want to check the ASC pickem board for ideas.  The astute and venerable Ralph Turner runs that one and has an excellent format with the point spread in one game each week being the tie breaker.  Hope this helps !!   

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks, roocru!

I will get the ASC pick 'em rules up ASAP.

[Ryan Tipps]

Narch,
I definitely hear what you're saying, but I'm actually a big fan of spreads. I've been involved in pick-em contests that use spreads and others that don't, and using spreads seemed to generate a lot more enthusiasm ... not to mention a lot more good-natured "Curse that missed extra point" 

I already have the spreadsheet set up on my computer, but although it not going to be easy, I wholly offered to go this route, and I'm kinda excited to set up some of these threads. This is the first year that I've felt like I really know a lot about the conference as a whole, so setting a good spread is as much a challenge to me as it is to the person who picks correctly. (By the way, I'll also be making picks each week, of course.)

Granted, I could bomb on each game and not pick even close to the score. But I suppose that's not necessarily the point. The point will be to pick a spread that garners an even distribution of picks for each team. This is something that I hope will go above and beyond your support for your team....think of it as a challenge among the USAC posters.    By all means, root for your team to win, win, win. But if your team doesn't win, making the right choice in the pick-ems might be a little consolation. It's been that way for me in the past.

Since we have a few people interested, and I assume we'll get a few more, I'm going to set up a USAC thread on the pick-em board. Depending on how slow work is, I might even post the first week games tonight!

[abnrgr]

Legacy
KID has had a pretty good "pick em'  the last couple of years. Mixed up across the conferences. Or was it just last year. it was a squared away board.

I would play but I do not know the teams as well so I would be easy pickings for Narch and Papi. "

Papi "5 dollar all night sailor" "Love you long time"

[MCol51]

Hey everyone, welcome back to another season of USASOUTH football. Its going to be exciting. While reading through the comments and things, of course i am partial to methodist, i mean i did play there four years, and loved every minute of it. The QB situation will be handled at methodist, there are some good kids in there, and they will know how to handle the pressure that is surrounding them. They have big shoes to fill, but coach eavenson will have those boys ready to play.
As for the O-line, well we have the best offensive line coach inthe country. He always prepares well for teams that we played and he always keeps those boys ahead of the game. As a former player, and now a coach, i thank him for the knowledge he gave us about the game and opened our eyes to new possibilities and now as i go on i see myself using those techniques now. He will have those boys ready to play football, heck they got a great o-line now as it is, most of them played last year and have the experience and know what it takes to win and be a champion.
As for the defense, well its methodist. They will always line up and get after somebody and come hit you in the mouth. They pride themselves on that. That was a tribute to our success last year was going against our defense and helping us get prepared for teams we faced.
Overall, the monarchs will have a great year and should be able to contend for the title again. I might eat those words later on in the year, but i have faith in those boys, they will do what it takes, too many leaders on that field to let it all go to waste!

[D3Newbie]

From the Greensboro College website:

Pride Football at GSO Media Day

August 22, 2006

The inaugural football kickoff luncheon was held Aug. 22 at the Greensboro Coliseum. Pride football was represented by Head Coach Neal Mitchell, senior running back Rod Herbin and senior linebacker Tylor Gladden.

More the 80 people attended the event, which featured the Gate City's three football playing colleges: Greensboro College, Guilford College and NCA&T.

Coach Mitchell answers questions about the Pride for this season. He said if the game was tomorrow he would alternate QB's and they are both transfers. He sounds pretty pleased with the preseason so far.

To listen to the entire meeting:
http://www.gborocollege.edu/athletics/sports/PrideNet/2006-07/gsofb.wav

ROLL PRIDE! !

[Uncle Jessie]

i could be wrong on this, but I kinda remember something about the NCAA was not too keen on pick-em's for the D3 and Pat was worried it might be a problem if spreads were used. KIDS contest has no spreads and i think thats the reason no one has had no real issues. Before you do anything setting it up you should check with Pat and see what he would allow on D3football.com

[Ryan Tipps]

i could be wrong on this, but I kinda remember something about the NCAA was not too keen on pick-em's for the D3 and Pat was worried it might be a problem if spreads were used. KIDS contest has no spreads and i think thats the reason no one has had no real issues. Before you do anything setting it up you should check with Pat and see what he would allow on D3football.com

I posted a short response to this type of question on the USAC pick-'ems board, but I'll address it here as well. For years, the pick-em boards for the OAC and NCAC (both of which I participate on) have been using spreads. I've never heard anything negative about the use of spreads, and if I am wrong, please set me straight Pat.

I know that on the NCAC board specifically, the organizer moved from straight pick-ems to using spreads because, initially, everyone was picking correctly 70 to 75 percent of the time. The spreads added more of a challenge, and people there and on the OAC boards really love it.

The biggest factor here is that we're playing for fun ... and as I said before, bragging rights.    There's not a cent that's changing hands. No betting means that the NCAA doesn't have a leg to stand on, if in fact that they've ever really had a problem with what we do. Our cashless pick-ems on Post Patterns don't compare with the millions that are actually spent gambling on Div-I ball.

So, Jessie, does that mean I can count you in? We could use more bodies!

[mc55ol]

For those of you who know Papi..........

I found an all area football list from 97 and Papi was an all area db!!!!

[MCol51]

Methodist scrimmages Shaw university form raleigh, that should be a good game for them to see where they are as far as the opening season kickoff game. I do not understand why averrett decided to play mount union though for their first game, that wont be pretty. Almost like what our team did last friday night. We scheduled the number 4 team in the state in 4-a football, reynolds and lost 60-0. The team was just bigger, faster, stronger and had more athletes than we did. I see the same thing happening with averrett playing mount union. No disrespect to you cougars or nothin, but heck of a way to start off the year.
       Defense for the monarchs looks real good this year im hearing. You got Gauntlett, shuford, rayford, nelson, farrell, lawrence (who will be defensive player of the year this year hopefully), and a all-conference d-line returning for the monarchs. It looks promising for them. I think Gauntlett and shuford will be great at the outside linebacker spot. Gauntlett is a hitter and likes to play downhill alot, and shuford is a fast, agile type guy ready to hit someon. I like Nelson, farrell, and lawerence and burlinggame at the backers. Hayden, northern, merrit, and wilkie on the d-line and the corners are always shut down guys. The problem is i dont know who i would put at safety if i move gauntlett to outside backer. The monarchs will figure it out.
Coach Sypult will have this defense ready to go out and play some ball. The monarchs look complete this year and got a lot of returners to lead them out in battle this year, Good luck this year boys, beat the quakers!!!




go monarchs!!!!!

[narch]

'51 - i'm hearing some of the same things about the defensive side, as well - like you, i really like bringing shuford and gauntlett closer to the line, especially with the way everyone seems to be spreading things out offensively - the only teams who are going to pack things in and run at you will be ferrum and su - those other 8 games, you better have physical db's playing those olb spots, and that's exactly what shuford and gauntlett are - i'm hoping to watch a little of the shaw/mc scrimmage today - shaw is a solid d2 program in the ciaa, so the size/athleticism will be a good test for the monarchs - i disagree on scheduling, though - au will have a very good measuring stick for where they are and where they need to go to be competitive on a national level after week 1 - the coaching staff will also be able to say "these guys are pretty good, but they're no mount union, so i think we can play with them" about EVERY other opponent on their schedule - this would be especially effective if averett is able to play things close for a half....maybe they're down 24 - 10 at halftime, and feel like they're in the game and competing - with the aq, i am a big supporter of scheduling difficult games in ooc competition and would love to see the monarchs add someone like bridgewater or hsc or wesley when chowan comes off the schedule

[narch]

pat, keith, ryan & co. - great job on the preview...it's the best $8.95 i've ever spent (although if i could pay $8.95 to see papi play db, that might top the preview issue ) - it's amazing how in-depth you guys get with 234 teams to cover - kudos

if you haven't purchased your preview yet, do it...it's worth every penny

p.s. - i'm not just saying this because you picked the monarchs to beat ehc this year (unlike last)