FB: Empire 8

[maninorangehat]

TGP thinks the bigger question re: the cards is how many guys from the OL are coming back.   Robinson was definitely a talented back, but you have to give the OL some, if not a lot, of credit for his numbers last season.

I'm waiting for the day that ER goes windbag...

[dewcrew88]

He probably needs a lift this week... after all the bad news coming out of the DEI camp. 

Crew, you're a Junior guy?  Why?  I think that boy is adopted.

'Twas a sad day in the BC08 household when he made the announcement to leave DEI after the season. Then compound that with the 100 point penalty because of a simple mistake... horrendous. Just horrendous.

[dewcrew88]

I'll answer for Pat...(I bet he wouldn't be much different at this point in time...Nor would most me thinks...)

1.  Springfield
2.  SJF
3.  Ithaca
4.  Alfred
5.  Hartwick
6.  Utica
7.  Norwich

Lew while I agree with most of your picks, I'm only going to raise the debate of...Fisher stopped Springfield at home and Ithaca has been very good defensivly against the Pride

Of course.  But SJF lost their RB.  I'm sure SJF will be #1 in the E8 in preseason polls.  Just my prediction.  Springfield had their down years and I think they are  back on track.

I think Fisher will have a little trouble towards the begining of the season to adjust to life without Robinson. I am guessing they will have a real tough game against IC early (I think it is the third game) and that will be the real test to how the season will go. If they can win that game I think they can make a run at a league title. I do think the winner of the league will lose one game this year. It is real good league. I see it like this I guess:

IC
Fisher
SC
AU
Hartwick
UC
Norwich...

I did give you +K for keeping the Pioneers out of the basement, but I think they will finish ahead of Hartwick too. I would love to see them finish ahead of Alfred too, but that will be tough. The top four teams in the E8 are all NCAA tournament-quality teams. I do think that the Pioneers game on the 27th of May in Canada will help because it gives them 10 more days of practice with pads and gives them some more game experience other teams won't have.

[JQV]

TGP thinks the bigger question re: the cards is how many guys from the OL are coming back.   Robinson was definitely a talented back, but you have to give the OL some, if not a lot, of credit for his numbers last season.

TGP, you are right in some respects.  The OL at Fisher has been huge and talented lately.  Even the years they sucked the OL was gigantic and talented enough to spring carrot top for 1200 or so yards one fall (on about 1100 carries).  Nevertheless, I think Robinson was a dynamic back that finished his runs well after getting free from the OL.  (Think Emmett Smith during the glory years with the 'Boys).

I predict the OL will be good enough for Reille to look great against the Hartwicks of the world but not good enough for him to look great against the Bombers.  The 3-4 was pretty effective in the first half last fall and it sounded like the big Fisher OL were having trouble identifying assignments and putting hats on defenders in space.  Robinson made a lot of that meaningless in the second half.  Reille isn't good enough to do the same thing, especially in the friendly confines.

P.S. TGP, with the new NJAC taking away two OOC games for the Bombers (and maybe one or two from 'Bart) are you like me hoping that we see a rekindling of the annual Bart-IC game?

[labart96]

TGP thinks the bigger question re: the cards is how many guys from the OL are coming back.   Robinson was definitely a talented back, but you have to give the OL some, if not a lot, of credit for his numbers last season.

TGP, you are right in some respects.  The OL at Fisher has been huge and talented lately.  Even the years they sucked the OL was gigantic and talented enough to spring carrot top for 1200 or so yards one fall (on about 1100 carries).  Nevertheless, I think Robinson was a dynamic back that finished his runs well after getting free from the OL.  (Think Emmett Smith during the glory years with the 'Boys).

I predict the OL will be good enough for Reille to look great against the Hartwicks of the world but not good enough for him to look great against the Bombers.  The 3-4 was pretty effective in the first half last fall and it sounded like the big Fisher OL were having trouble identifying assignments and putting hats on defenders in space.  Robinson made a lot of that meaningless in the second half.  Reille isn't good enough to do the same thing, especially in the friendly confines.

P.S. TGP, with the new NJAC taking away two OOC games for the Bombers (and maybe one or two from 'Bart) are you like me hoping that we see a rekindling of the annual Bart-IC game?

TGP wasn't trying to insinuate that Robinson wasn't a special player.  Clearly he was that and then some.  If you are a SJF fan, however, you have to hope that the OL keep the ground attack performing at a high level to follow up on last season's success.

Although TGP would also love to see the IC-Bart games renewed, TGP doesn't see the NJAC taking OOC games away from E8 schools affecting the Statesmen at all b/c we have also added a new member school to the LL (Susquehanna - giving the LL 8 teams again after the CGA split to go to the NEFC) and added Carnegie Mellon to the non-conf schedule.

It still doesn't make sense to TGP that IC and Bart are so close by and don't play each other any more - especially given now that Hobart has stepped up its program and can actually hang with and beat IC (IC and Bart have split their last 4 games since 2000, unlike the old days when TGP was a player and student and the IC game was usually the Bombers monkeystomping TGP's hapless Statesmen.  In fact, TGP thinks that Bart's 19-0 win in 2000 was the first time since '83 that Bart had defeated IC in football).

In general, TGP would rather see Bart play E8, NJAC or other schools vs. PA schools in the regular season.  TGP guesses the Dickinson and CMU games are good for "exposure" for Hobart in the mid-atlantic - an area where Hobart has not been particularily strong in drawing students (76% of Bart's enrollment is from NYS and NE).  Only 15% of the student body comes from the "midatlantic" - classified by Bart as students from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.

[JQV]

It still doesn't make sense to TGP that IC and Bart are so close by and don't play each other any more - especially given now that Hobart has stepped up its program and can actually hang with and beat IC...

It had turned into a good game that I looked forward to on the schedule.

2000 was my sophomore year at IC and that game was extremely frustrating.  The game that killed me was in 2002 when Felicetti was a freshman, came back from injury for the game at 'Bart, and you beat us to keep us out of the playoffs.  'Bart had a senior running back that killed us.

[FisherAlum05]

TGP thinks the bigger question re: the cards is how many guys from the OL are coming back.   Robinson was definitely a talented back, but you have to give the OL some, if not a lot, of credit for his numbers last season.

TGP, you are right in some respects.  The OL at Fisher has been huge and talented lately.  Even the years they sucked the OL was gigantic and talented enough to spring carrot top for 1200 or so yards one fall (on about 1100 carries).  Nevertheless, I think Robinson was a dynamic back that finished his runs well after getting free from the OL.  (Think Emmett Smith during the glory years with the 'Boys).

I predict the OL will be good enough for Reille to look great against the Hartwicks of the world but not good enough for him to look great against the Bombers.  The 3-4 was pretty effective in the first half last fall and it sounded like the big Fisher OL were having trouble identifying assignments and putting hats on defenders in space.  Robinson made a lot of that meaningless in the second half.  Reille isn't good enough to do the same thing, especially in the friendly confines.

P.S. TGP, with the new NJAC taking away two OOC games for the Bombers (and maybe one or two from 'Bart) are you like me hoping that we see a rekindling of the annual Bart-IC game?

Chairman and TGP,

Fisher OL should be huge and talented once again.  They lose the center Sefcik and guard Drake.  They return three starters Hogan, Cottet, and Fortune (all are very good).  They also return Weimer, who can play all OL positions well and will start somewhere this season.  Reile and Hanson should have plenty of space to run.

Also, I would say things against IC will only get easier for Fisher.  Last season was the first time Fisher has seen a quality 3-4 defense with speed and talent.  The first half against IC was tough.  But once the Fisher OL got comfortable in the 2nd half they dominated.  What does the IC defensive line look like this season.  Is that stud noseguard back??  How about the LB's?  That will be key if IC wants to slow down Fisher.

[labart96]

'Bart had a senior running back that killed us.

That was Ty Godinho.  He did have a great game that day (135 yds on 30 carries, 1 TD).

[er1948]

orangehat- It's too early to get me started, but thinking I would react like windbag is a low blow

[pg04]

orangehat- It's too early to get me started, but thinking I would react like windbag is a low blow

That could be the worst insult to dish out on the E8 board!

Go Norwich!.... Yeah that's it. 

[superman57]

I'm dissapointed that no one else caught this our buddy fisheralum05 is the db coach for the JV football team

[pg04]

Good Work 57! You'll make detective yet!

[Jonny Utah]

I'm dissapointed that no one else caught this our buddy fisheralum05 is the db coach for the JV football team

great move superman..........

and lets not forget this quote directly from the SJF program....

"I would say things against IC will only get easier for Fisher."

(Now I know for sure why Massachusetts guys don't go to Fisher)

[superman57]

I'm dissapointed that no one else caught this our buddy fisheralum05 is the db coach for the JV football team

great move superman..........

and lets not forget this quote directly from the SJF program....

"I would say things against IC will only get easier for Fisher."

(Now I know for sure why Massachusetts guys don't go to Fisher)

JU I under stand where you are coming from, but in the minds of a program that consistently loses to another program everytime you win against the program it becomes easier to do...like the red sox and yankees

[pg04]

I'm dissapointed that no one else caught this our buddy fisheralum05 is the db coach for the JV football team

great move superman..........

and lets not forget this quote directly from the SJF program....

"I would say things against IC will only get easier for Fisher."

(Now I know for sure why Massachusetts guys don't go to Fisher)

JU I under stand where you are coming from, but in the minds of a program that consistently loses to another program everytime you win against the program it becomes easier to do...like the red sox and yankees

Trust me, a run of good years versus IC does not guarantee continued success....and I mean trust me on this one...