MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

I'm going to take a personal day Saturday and skip the Hope/Albion game at Kresge.  Last years game was one of the last things I did with my dad before he passed away and it would be pretty hard for me to go there this year.  I think I've only missed 1 or 2 of those games at Albion since college, all the others because of weather.

I expect a tough game, it always seems to be at Albion as the other gendered basketball "Dutch" found out earlier this year.

My idea is to head down to Ohio and take in the Wittenberg/Wooster game Saturday night if the weather holds.  I've wanted to see it for awhile and this seems as good a year as any.  Plus the brother invited me to watch the Super Bowl on his brand new 46" TV.   Hard to pass that up...........in his living room it will be like watching the game in IMAX.

[Erm Schmigget]

One day a Briton, a Scotsman, and an Dutchman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints, and were stuck in the thick head. The Brit pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scot fished the fly out of his beer, and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Dutchman, too, picked the fly out of his drink, held it out over the beer, and started yelling, "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT YOU BAS**RD!!!!"

LOLROTF!!

...and the Irishman beat them all to a bloody pulp for even letting their pints sit long enough to let the flies find them!

Being that I'm Dutch on my mom's side and a Scot/Brit on my dad's, I can't decide which of these pub-goers I'd be.  Wel... the last name is scottish, so I'll go with that.  Pour me another, barkeep!

It's snowing like crazy here on the lakeshore.  Any better to the east?  If it's like this in Albion, I'm having serious doubts about making the trip tomorrow.

[sac]

Just started with the flurries here south of Lansing, brilliant blue sky with sunshine untill a few minutes ago. 8)

Its actually kind of nice to have the sun shine during the winter, something you don't get in Holland.  I'm not missing the last few days of snow there.

[realist]

VG:  Americas, GA  Right?

Sac:  These anniversaries don't get any easier with the years.  Have a nice safe trip, and enjoy the game.  Let us know if it rivals Calvin/Hope in intensity.  You are probably right about Hope having a battle on Sat.  It would be just Calvin's luck that Albion gets lucky, beats Hope in a close one, and Calvin has to face them on the rebound.

[flash96]

Not to disgree with you too much Sac, but I take issue with the concept of a quality education.  Numerous students of mine have attended Olivet and their opinions were that it was impossible to fail out of there.  The academic standards were very lax and the professors generally shortened classes from the hour and twenty minutes to a half an hour.  I have some first hand experience with the college that I care not to share, as well.  Now I ask are you getting a quality education in thirty minutes?  I understand that not everyone can spend $30,000 on a Hope, Calvin, Albion, Kzoo, etc but Spring Arbor seems a much better school for nearly the same price. 

Yes all of the MIAA schools, except Olivet, chose to drop wrestling and it was on the chopping block as recently as four years ago there as well.  Some of it was financial concerns and problems with some of the athletes on the team.

I realize I may be standing on my soap box here, but by their academic standards are appaling. 

Incidentially I grew up a mere 28 miles from Olivet as well.

[AndersDY]

Kresgekrazy, was that one of the Dutchmen who helped invent copper wiring?


On the debate over reaching the century mark, since our conference is full of people with a fine education, hopefully including math, should we encourage the crowds getting hyped up about hitting triple digits to adopt a base-9 mindset? How often has Hope not managed 81 this year?


I think Sac will see a pretty intense game down in Ohio. I'd expect the gym will be as packed as a Hope/Calvin tilt and it will equal it in crowd volume and the amount of venom being exchanged (actually those exchanges will be of a much less PG-rated variety). Woo v. Witt just feels to me to not quite by at the same level. I think my impression of that game is that it's a bit of a false rivalry, it's born out of the fact that for more than a decade, those two teams have owned the NCAC. You get the feeling that the rivalry would disappear entirely if it wasn't always a game for first place, 3000 people wouldn't show up to watch them slug it out for pride with .500 records.

I may be wrong there though, because there is plenty of hate flowing both ways in that rivalry by now (hmmm, ____ on Witt, what could rhyme with Witt...?). I know I sure picked up my fair share of hate for Witt, but that can happen when you find yourself thinking that you might end up in a fist fight with their whole football team protected only by your kilt.

[Stinger]

Can the Hornets make it 2 in a row? I think so. Im sure Alma will be re-charged if Ed is back on the sideline, but I see K taking it to them at the Rolla Dome.

As for Olivet, my best friend from home played a couple years for Coach Mo, was a Bio major, and graduated there in '97. He is now the executive director of a museum here in Michigan.  I think much of it is up to the individual.  Yes, it's extremely helpful to have the resources at hand, but if one wants to get a decent education, they can get it.

[kresgekrazy]

Yes!  Good one Andersdy!  I believe it was GVW and his rival d_ _ _ _ man...Captain Van der Decken (who still claims to be in charge of the "Flying D_____man")

Nate

[oldknight]

My idea is to head down to Ohio and take in the Wittenberg/Wooster game Saturday night if the weather holds.  I've wanted to see it for awhile and this seems as good a year as any.  

If you go I suggest that you connect with David Collinge. I'm sure he'll gladly spring for the tab at the Olde Jael Tavern.

[Dutch_Man]

Hope's second 101 game (we have extras) did exhibit a lack of better judgement, but by only one player...a freshman from the end of the bench.  I was there.  GVW was waving the defense off.  When the kid stole the ball, GVW was literally "hopping" mad at his player. 

Erm Schmigget, I also agree with you on all of this but I just want everyone to be getting the right facts. It was a Junior from the end of the bench that could have used better judgment on that play the put us at 101. I am glad that GVW let him hear it afterwards, he is new the the varsity team but we all learn from our mistakes and I am sure he wont do that again if he has the chance.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

Hope's second 101 game (we have extras) did exhibit a lack of better judgement, but by only one player...a freshman from the end of the bench.  I was there.  GVW was waving the defense off.  When the kid stole the ball, GVW was literally "hopping" mad at his player. 

Erm Schmigget, I also agree with you on all of this but I just want everyone to be getting the right facts. It was a Junior from the end of the bench that could have used better judgment on that play the put us at 101. I am glad that GVW let him hear it afterwards, he is new the the varsity team but we all learn from our mistakes and I am sure he wont do that again if he has the chance.

It amazes me that we are still talking about such a minor lapse in judgment by one player from a game that happened over a week ago. I guess its a pretty boring year in the MIAA. That's what happens when the first place team has a 3 game lead and could wrap up the regular season crown by Wednesday night.

[GoKnights68]

Random Question: Will this be the third year in a row that the pre-season MIAA favorite(by the coaches) won't win the MIAA?

I know it was:

2005: Pick: Hope, Winner: Albion
2006: Pick: Hope, Winner: Calvin
2007: Pick: Calvin, Winner: Hope

I know Hope won the league in 2004, but were they picked to win it by the coaches? 


Please pick Hope to win it next year!

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Hope's second 101 game (we have extras) did exhibit a lack of better judgement, but by only one player...a freshman from the end of the bench.  I was there.  GVW was waving the defense off.  When the kid stole the ball, GVW was literally "hopping" mad at his player. 

Erm Schmigget, I also agree with you on all of this but I just want everyone to be getting the right facts. It was a Junior from the end of the bench that could have used better judgment on that play the put us at 101. I am glad that GVW let him hear it afterwards, he is new the the varsity team but we all learn from our mistakes and I am sure he wont do that again if he has the chance.

Sorry - but I think you're all full of cr@p.  GVW was not happy it happened, but he also understands his players.  I think you are completely overstating it to say he was "hopping mad".  My source (which is rock solid) said there was no anger towards the player.

A player (who gives 110% every day in practice - making the starters on his team better because he works so hard) makes a great play to steal the ball, and has a breakaway, which he takes.  So what???  It's called basketball, and the object of the game is to score points.  The player is just doing what he's been trained to do.  He's probably only spent  maybe 10 years or so, working to have the athletic skill to accomplish all things basketball.  Why should we expect him to use that talent??

If getting to 100 is no big deal (as many here have said), then why should the opponent be upset if you get there?  In fact, maybe stopping a team from getting to 100 is all you have to play for - so what the heck - let them go after each other and have a little competition.  You can be sure that the opponenet was working just as hard to keep Hope from getting to 100 as Hope was trying to get there.  Competition - even in little pieces is what it's all about.

Or should we go to Soderburgs world, where we pull out players to even the teams.  You know, so every game is a virtual tie.   Maybe we can invent the basketball restrictor plate - you know so each player can only run as fast and jump as high as the next guy - no fair if he can dunk it and I can't even get rim.  Better yet, let's play like the little kids in their rec leagues- we won't even keep score.  That way nobody feels bad at the end.  

I'm just so tired of all this politically correct, mamby-pamby,  the whole world needs to change to protect your feelings, bull pucky.  These games should ultimately be played for the players benefit - for the love of the game - and for fun.  The score of the game does not necessarily mean that it's no longer fun.  A great play in the last minute of a blowout is still a great play - and you can bank on the players loving it, despite the score.  Heck I've hit 72 golf shots in a row that sucked, but the 73rd was a thing of beauty - so I keep playing.

I'm sure I'll be paying big (in the Karma world) for this post - but I don't care.  It's how I feel - no matter who is playing.  

Gotta love the game - Go HOPE

[oldknight]

  Maybe we can invent the basketball restrictor plate - you know so each player can only run as fast and jump as high as the next guy - no fair if he can dunk it and I can't even get rim.  

Basketball restrictor plate? That's pretty funny FDF--karma worthy actually.

[bulldogalum]

FDF:

I agree.  I've avoided discussion about this whole 100-point mess mostly because I simply don't care.  It's not in good taste if a team is up by 40 with 2 minutes left, and still has the starters in, and is pressing, and is firing on all cylinders to try to get to 120, but that's not what happened with Hope, and it's not what happened with Calvin.  

If a team clears the bench and the opposition still can't stop them, too bad.  In most cases, those guys that get in there haven't seen a lot of time and are a) just plain excited to be on the floor, b) trying to show they've got some skills so as to potentially increase their playing time, and c) very loose (especially when shooting) because the pressure is off.  

I've been on both ends of such games, both as a player and as a fan, and it's never bothered me when another team hit 100, at least not in the way many people on here have been bothered.  I never blamed the other team, I blamed myself.  "What am I doing wrong that allowed them to score so easily?  How can I get better?"

Oh well.  There's a new set of games tomorrow, hopefully it'll open up some new and more interesting topics.