FB: Empire 8

[sjfcards]

According to the alumni publication the work should be done in time for the Bills camp next year. When it is complete, I think I will want to sit with the visitors.

I'm just pissed they got a track team AFTER I graduated...

I do think the addition of the Track team will draw even more well rounded athletes than before a huge reason why I didn't go to Fisher out of HS was that they didn't have a track team...

I ended up there anyways but coming out of HS I didn't want to go there...

I hear ya upstate. From what I understand the new grass field will be used for soccer. What I would have given to have our own soccer field, that we did not have to share with the Football team during my stay at Fisher.

[theoriginalupstate]

According to the alumni publication the work should be done in time for the Bills camp next year. When it is complete, I think I will want to sit with the visitors.

I'm just pissed they got a track team AFTER I graduated...

I do think the addition of the Track team will draw even more well rounded athletes than before a huge reason why I didn't go to Fisher out of HS was that they didn't have a track team...

I ended up there anyways but coming out of HS I didn't want to go there...

I hear ya upstate. From what I understand the new grass field will be used for soccer. What I would have given to have our own soccer field, that we did not have to share with the Football team during my stay at Fisher.

They just gotta watch out for those hammer holes, I stepped in one when running and tore two ligaments in my foot

[fisheralum91]

cards- we had our "own" field for soccer back in the 80s-
was where growney is now- and the footbal field was just beyond it---where the practice field is.
needless to say - neither was anything to write home about....

[sjfcards]

I can't complain too much. Growney was a great place to call home. I just hated that old style turf. Worst stuff on earth.

[fisheralum91]

As stated many, many times- AU had THE WORST turf back then!
Eeeek

[sjfcards]

Kudos to the people who put together the new Fisher Athletics webpage. I like the look and feel of it. Also interested to see what is in the Fan Zone.

[AUPepBand]

As stated many, many times- AU had THE WORST turf back then!
Eeeek

AU's first turf was my grandfather's green thumb...a perfectly crowned and drained (ceramic tile drains beneath) grass surface that arguably was as perfect as the latest FieldTurf and known to be the finest football field on the East Coast if not the nation. The original Merrill Field was used only for home football games, ROTC drills and commencement.

(Legendary) Coach Alex Yunevich revered that sacred ground called Merrill Field. He allowed his teams on the field only on Game Day. While a student at Morrisville, Pep bragged to his roommate about the field and convinced said roommate to journey to Alfred one weekend to catch a game. Driving into town late Friday afternoon, Pep pulled over and escorted his roommate down to the field where we walked out onto the grass around the 50-yard-line. Little did Pep know that ol' bulldog-faced Alex was in the field house that sat at the north end of the field and was taken aback when Yuni appeared out the door and yelled, "Get the hell off the field!!"It was at that very moment that Pep realized that he would never play college football. Pep's roommate never really cared much for ol' Alex.

1980s QB Paul McDonnell, who this fall will be inducted into AU's Sports Hall of Fame, spent a summer working with a crew to install the field's first artifical surface, the "state-of-the-art" OmniTurf, which was later replaced with AstroTurf 5, which was later replaced with AstroTurf12, and now FieldTurf.

While Pep likes the looks and the feel of the new FieldTurf, there was nothing prettier than the first surface, a meticulously manicured Merrill Field.

[theoriginalupstate]

Pep your posts are always filled with awesomeness...

+K

[AUPepBand]

Pep your posts are always filled with awesomeness...

+K

And, with all due respect to warm and wonderful radio commentator (the late) Paul Harvey, here's "the rest of the story."

While Fred Palmer's grass surface at Merrill Field was the envy of grounds crews everywhere and revered by Coach Alex Yunevich, there is, historically, another field on this Good Earth that may be more revered than any other...the turf at Notre Dame Stadium.

So, it was only proper that Pep, while venturing back from Iowa after having flown to DesMoines and purchased the infamous 1992 Dodge Grand Caravan "Pep Bandwagon," should spend a night in South Bend. Following an extended Saturday morning visit of that city's College Football Hall of Fame, Pep was ready to hit the road. It was the first Saturday of September 2001 and the Fighting Irish were not playing that day. Pep thought that while he was there, he should at least TRY to get a view of Notre Dame Stadium.

Pep parked near the stadium on campus and hoofed it over to the historic relic that Pep had seen throughout his childhood during  replays of Notre Dame football games on autumn Sunday morning TV. The huge parking lot surrounding the beast was barren. Pep walked halfway around the stadium in search of an open door but it was all locked up tight. Suddenly, a car drove up and two women got out and started scurrying toward the other end of the stadium.

"Excuse me ladies, " Pep yelled, "Do you know if they give tours of Notre Dame Stadium?"

One replied, "I don't know but we're getting an unofficial tour right now but we need to hurry."

Pep joined them in their jog to the other end, chatting the whole way as he is apt to do. The three arrived at the locker room entrance and found about a dozen people waiting there. The "unofficial" tour guide, likely a custodian, asked who everyone was. A gentleman said the two women Pep was with were his wife and daughter. "And I'm a friend," Pep lied.

A few minutes later, Pep found himself in the storied lockerroom at Notre Dame Stadium, standing in awe of the wall of national championship awards, the lockers where Paul Hornung, Joe Theisman, Joe Montana, etal had dressed for games. A plaque recalled the "Win one for the Gipper" speech. Then, the custodian said he'd take the group out the tunnel onto the field.

As a fan of the "Rudy" movie, Pep was awed as he descended the steps that lead to the tunnel out onto the field. In true form, Pep slapped the "Play Like A Champion Today" sign and was starting to imagine himself playing football at Notre Dame. As Pep started out the tunnel, his adrenaline kicked in, he began to jog and in making his appearance through the tunnel, could distinctly hear the huge crowd chanting, "Sny-der!" "Sny-der!" "Sny-der!"and in that brief moment of ecstasy, Pep was brought abruptly back to earth by a voice from his past, the voice of that legendary Alfred football coach yelling, "Get the hell off the field!"

Pep knew then, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he was called to forever belong in the stands....with the band.

On Saxon Warriors!

+k back at ya, Upstate

[sjfcards]

Pep you never seem to disappoint. Great stuff. +K when I get back to my real computer.

[HScoach]

With the MUC/SJF games played over the last years there have been quite a few E-8 guys that have crossed over into the OAC page, some of which have matched wits in the pick-ems.  Even though Mount isn't opening with Fisher this season, the "open invitation" to participate in the OAC Pick-Em's contest still stands.

We had 63 participants in our 2009 contest with about half of them from outside of the OAC page.  If anyone is interested, the spreads for Week 1 have been posted.

Please note however the season actually opens on Thursday, September 2nd so I'll need your picks by kick-off on Thursday.

THANKS

HScoach

[fisheralum91]

pep,
i was just one of those that had th unfortunate opportunity to play on the "brady bunch grass" back in the 80s

rip door mat grass

[sjfcards]

I have heard that Fisher has a scrimmage today against Morrisville, in Morrisville. Are there any other teams in action today?

College Football is so close I can taste it!!!!

[AUKaz00]

Had fun at the scrimmage last night, getting to play the fight song and watch some football in the new bleachers.  Alfred "prevailed" 34-17, though the scoreboard read 0-0.  Sasquatch kicked a field goal with 1 second left to take a 17-14 lead at the half before all the starters were pulled.  So, I'd say both teams are pretty equally matched again (21-21 at the half last year before Beckwith ran for 3 TDs and a red shirt in the second half).

Alfred mixed in 4 RBs who all looked good at different times, though Dwyer looked especially good.  As great as Hendrix was the past four years, I think Alfred can more easily replace the Purple Haze's poduction than Manzer.  I'm not sure we're going to see as many quick strikes as we have in the past, but Alfred should definitely still move the ball well.  So, it's the receiving corps, penalties and the secondary which will be the Saxons' achilles heel in 2010.  Without improvement in those areas it's probably a 7-3 season, so steady improvement from now until the October 23rd meeting with Fisher would give Alfred an upside of defending their share of the E6 title.

[bomber3]

Bombers had an intersquad scrimmage last week and another this week.  Cornell got on its high horse and didn't want to scrimmage I'm told (new coach).  It's not ideal to only have two intersquads but I suppose you make do with what you have.