MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[markerickson]

Greg commented on North Park's "total inability of North Park to play defense" in the loss versus NCC.  Aside from the year of shared conference championship a few years ago, Slyder's teams, in my opinion, simply have not displayed fundamentally sound defense. Regarding talent level, or more precisely, lack thereof, explains why NP ranked so low in the coaches poll.

I have an idea. Since the CCIW does not need NP football to complete a full rotation of CCIW games, NP receives a pass to eliminate the team that has not had a winning season since 1968. NP can then redirect resources to athletic teams to climb toward comparable CCIW schools' spending. Or join the NAIA. Or hire Mike Holmgren. The repetition with expectation of a different outcome has demonstrated glaring flaws.

 

[WUPHF]

There would be a net loss in athletic department resources if North Park eliminated football, in all likelihood.

[mr_b]

I have an idea. Since the CCIW does not need NP football to complete a full rotation of CCIW games, NP receives a pass to eliminate the team that has not had a winning season since 1968. NP can then redirect resources to athletic teams to climb toward comparable CCIW schools' spending. Or join the NAIA. Or hire Mike Holmgren. The repetition with expectation of a different outcome has demonstrated glaring flaws.

This would not be a wise move on many levels.  First and foremost, football players are also students, and since football has, by far, the largest roster of any sport, eliminating the team would have a significant economic impact on the university. Second, even though the Vikings have not had a winning football season in decades, they have been much more competitive.  Just look at the success that Mike Conway had in his first years at the helm.  At one time I heard that to maintain membership in the CCIW, a school needs to sponsor certain sports such as football and baseball -- I do not know if that still holds true.  If the Vikings wanted to be in a more favorable conference, I'd guess that the Northern Athletics Conference would be a better option than NAIA membership.  But I think the Vikings prefer to stay in a stronger conference with a long history that the CCIW offers.

[Gregory Sager]

Greg commented on North Park's "total inability of North Park to play defense" in the loss versus NCC.  Aside from the year of shared conference championship a few years ago, Slyder's teams, in my opinion, simply have not displayed fundamentally sound defense. Regarding talent level, or more precisely, lack thereof, explains why NP ranked so low in the coaches poll.

I have an idea. Since the CCIW does not need NP football to complete a full rotation of CCIW games, NP receives a pass to eliminate the team that has not had a winning season since 1968. NP can then redirect resources to athletic teams to climb toward comparable CCIW schools' spending. Or join the NAIA. Or hire Mike Holmgren. The repetition with expectation of a different outcome has demonstrated glaring flaws.

Sigh. This again?

Mark, you don't have an idea. You have an obsession. This is about your twentieth post over the course of the past ten, fifteen years outlining your complaints and these very same proposals. Even Don Quixote eventually gave up tilting at windmills.

NPU isn't giving up its football program, full stop. It needs the football program, not just to stay in the CCIW (the six-mandatory-sports rule to which Mr. B alluded) but for enrollment purposes as well. And leaving the NCAA to join the NAIA would be a just plain dumb move for any number of reasons.

NPU will still have a football team long after you and I are gone, and it will still be in the CCIW, so why do you keep this up? It's long past time for you to move on from this obsession. It's just not healthy to fixate like this upon something that has caused you such distress for so long. Take it from somebody who learned how to deal with the chronic woes of Cubs fandom for decades: you just have to learn how to maintain emotional distance from your team when you know it's not going to win, and you learn how to celebrate the inherent joys they offer (the beauty of Wrigley Field and the pleasure of a day at the ballpark in the case of the Cubs, the fun of watching small-college football in person on an autumn Saturday in the case of North Park), and to savor whatever small triumphs that they have.

[mr_b]

Even Don Quixote eventually gave up tilting at windmills.

Though it did take Don Quixote till the end of the second volume to come to his senses!

[markerickson]

OT:  Once a year, yep.  Conway got fired after earning CCIW coach of the year when the program increased its competitiveness. Enter new coach.  His first season was a complete disaster, even by Viking standards, and how many programs can tout "increased competitiveness" by allowing over 600 yards rushing in an 84-6 loss?

I see Greg took no umbrage toward my assessment of NP hoops.

[USee]

A few years back Q (RIP) published his +/- scale for the conference results. Generally +4 has won the CCIW most years. A + is generated for a road win and a - is tagged for a home loss. The theory is that winning the title usually means you protect home court and win half or more of your road games. CCIW road wins are hard to come by. Maybe that's different in the era of a pandemic, don't know. But here's the tale of the tape so far:

Wheaton (9-3) +4 (v Carth; @IWU; v NPU; v Mill)
IWU (8-2) +4 (v Carth; v NPU; @Mill; v Whea; v NCC; @Augie)
NCC (8-3) +2  (v Mill; @Elm; @NPU; v Carr; @IWU)
Elmhurst (7-4) +2  (v NCC; @Carr; v Augie; v Mill; @Carth)
Millikin (6-4) +1  (@NCC; v IWU; v NPU; @Elm; @Wheat)
Augie (4-8) -3 (@NPU; @Elm; @Carth; v IWU)
NPU (3-7) -3 (v Augie; @IWU; v NCC; @Mill; @Wheat)
Carthage (2-9) -3  (@IWU; @Wheat; v Augie; v Carr; v Elm)
Carroll (2-9) -4  (@Mill; v Elm; @NCC; @Carth; v NPU)


There is a lot riding on that Feb 12th Wheaton @IWU game in Bloomington. It's the defacto regular season championship game since a Wheaton win gives them a sweep and the tie breaker (provided both teams hold serve down the stretch). IWU has a tougher schedule down the stretch with 6 remaining and 2 tough road games. Wheaton has 4 games left with only the road trip to Bloomington.

[Gregory Sager]

OT:  Once a year, yep.  Conway got fired after earning CCIW coach of the year when the program increased its competitiveness.

That is not true. Mike Conway was not fired.

Enter new coach.  His first season was a complete disaster, even by Viking standards, and how many programs can tout "increased competitiveness" by allowing over 600 yards rushing in an 84-6 loss?

Mark, you're posting this stuff on the wrong board. This is the basketball board, not the football board.

I see Greg took no umbrage toward my assessment of NP hoops.

Why should I? Nobody on this board has been more critical of how the Vikings have played over the past few weeks than I have. In fact, you quoted my criticism of NPU's performance against North Central before segueing into an off-topic rant slamming NPU football for the umpteenth time.

I also lit into the Vikings on the air towards the end of the debacle against Elmhurst last Saturday, because my job is to call what is going on in the game truthfully and objectively ... and near the end of the game NPU was so mentally beaten down that the Vikings became lethargic and unfocused and started embarrassing themselves (as opposed to Elmhurst embarrassing them, which is what happened for most of the game and is an altogether different thing that sometimes occurs when you're playing the #19 team in the country). So I am hardly a Vikings apologist or yes-man out to defend NPU at all costs from your one-man crusade to transform the school's athletic department.

There's no reason for me to take umbrage at your comments regarding Vikings hoops. You're as entitled to your opinions as anyone else. Disagreement is not umbrage. I think that your first "assessment" is a simplistic overgeneralization and the second is inaccurate, but take umbrage at them? Nope. Not me. Let free expression reign!*

(* as long as it doesn't violate Pat's Terms of Service )

[mr_b]

Congrats to Greg on hitting the 25,000 post mark.

[Gregory Sager]

25,000?

No doubt everyone is thinking, "Good grief, when will that guy shut up?"

[petemcb]

Greg, thanks for your significant and articulate contribution over the years to a topic we all love: D3 basketball specifically and D3 sports in general. It is much appreciated.

And for the rest of us, here is a nice article I stumbled across this morning:  https://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/greg-sager-north-park-universitys-voice-of-the-vikings-broadcasts-with-never-miss-a-play-commitment-to-objectivity/

[HAMBO]

25,000?

No doubt everyone is thinking, "Good grief, when will that guy shut up?"

You should never shut up because you are the VOICE of this board.

[Gregory Sager]

Thanks, guys!

[WUPHF]

Great story, Greg.

[kenoshamark]

Pete, 

Thanks for sharing that article on Greg....that was awesome and quite a tribute.   

Greg, keep up all the good work, always enjoy your reads on the board!