FB: Empire 8

[sjfcards]

Im not going to get all riled up here, but can we stop with the Kramer bashing?
Woulda coulda shoulda.
Fisher was who they were.
Revisionist history to be damned.
Lets move forward and hope we win out and get a pool C yes?

My intent was never to bash Kramer. The kid has huge talent for this level, and has done nothing but help Fisher win games. I am just asking the question if he was used to the maximum benefit.

[fisheralum91]

Cards- that I don't know.
Im not on the coaching staff, but something had to push the coaches into having Ryan be QB.

[Knightstalker]

I don't know what to make of Fenti or Kramer. Obviously the coaches see every practice and they decided Kramer gave the team a better chance to win, but last year I can't imagine an offense with Fenti at QB only scoring 9 points against Buff State. Fisher also lost by 13 to AU, which could have been much closer if Fisher could have moved the ball consistently (not sure they could over come the end of at first half, but you know what I am saying)

Ever wish you could be a fly on the wall when the coaches are having these conversations? It still blows my mind that Ithaca thought a future linebacker was a better fit at signal-caller than the best quarterback in conference history. I really would love to go to August, 2002 and hear that decision-making process.

I heard Chris Carter say yesterday on ESPN during the Mike and Mike show that there were always great practice players in the NFL that were not good players in games.  Mike Golic completely agreed with him.  I am sure this is true on every level of the sport

[Bombers798891]

I don't know what to make of Fenti or Kramer. Obviously the coaches see every practice and they decided Kramer gave the team a better chance to win, but last year I can't imagine an offense with Fenti at QB only scoring 9 points against Buff State. Fisher also lost by 13 to AU, which could have been much closer if Fisher could have moved the ball consistently (not sure they could over come the end of at first half, but you know what I am saying)

Ever wish you could be a fly on the wall when the coaches are having these conversations? It still blows my mind that Ithaca thought a future linebacker was a better fit at signal-caller than the best quarterback in conference history. I really would love to go to August, 2002 and hear that decision-making process.

I heard Chris Carter say yesterday on ESPN during the Mike and Mike show that there were always great practice players in the NFL that were not good players in games.  Mike Golic completely agreed with him.  I am sure this is true on every level of the sport

Jason Hendel apparently always looked good in practice, from what I've heard

[sjfcards]

Remember when Fisher/Ithaca week would have everyone posting non-stop?

[ExTartanPlayer]

I don't know what to make of Fenti or Kramer. Obviously the coaches see every practice and they decided Kramer gave the team a better chance to win, but last year I can't imagine an offense with Fenti at QB only scoring 9 points against Buff State. Fisher also lost by 13 to AU, which could have been much closer if Fisher could have moved the ball consistently (not sure they could over come the end of at first half, but you know what I am saying)

Ever wish you could be a fly on the wall when the coaches are having these conversations? It still blows my mind that Ithaca thought a future linebacker was a better fit at signal-caller than the best quarterback in conference history. I really would love to go to August, 2002 and hear that decision-making process.

I heard Chris Carter say yesterday on ESPN during the Mike and Mike show that there were always great practice players in the NFL that were not good players in games.  Mike Golic completely agreed with him.  I am sure this is true on every level of the sport

I'll vouch for this, although I offer strictly anecdotal experience as well.  I have definitely seen guys, QB's in particular, who were much better in practice than games.  It's cliche, but it really is very different watching a guy throw in 7-on-7 drills in practice or even full 11-on-11 pass skeleton drills vs. a game.  I'm a believer that some guys just have an intangible game sense at QB that others don't.

[fisheralum91]

Cards-you hit the nail on the head.
Its like this game isn't a big one Saterday.
Lets hope that Fisher comes out guns a blazing and finishes the job!

[AUPepBand]

Remember when Fisher/Ithaca week would have everyone posting non-stop?

Hey, Pep was going to post that! +K

[Bombers798891]

Here's what I think this game has lacked recently. Great performances by star players. When this rivalry was at its apex, both teams were trading punches.

2004: Mark Robinson has 243 total yards. Noah Fehrenbach has 179 yard receiving against some guy who wasn't Ithaca's injured top corner Matt Tosh. Bombers get a pick 6 from Joe Napoleone. Fisher gets two one interception from Stepnick. Bombers and Fisher both stage impressive rallies. Mike Welch's best-ever team misses the playoffs. Fisher officially announces its awesomeness

2005: Suchyna has a monster game, as does Fehrenbach. Alex Baez (who would finish 7th on IC's all-time rushing list despite playing his entire career behind the #1 guy) runs for 158 yards. Bill Struzzi recovers a fumble, blocks a punt and wins the game with a pick. A fantastic IC comeback (who had them winning the game down 14 points in the 4th and Fisher with the ball?)

Some of the best players ever to wear Cardinal and Bomber jerseys play: Lang, Stepnick, Robinson, Fehrenbach, Felicetti, Donovan, Esposito, Free. Two of the all-time memorable plays in the history of the rivalry.

2006-2010: I'm sure you Fisher guys had great games. I've blocked most of it from memory. But I do know the 2007 game featured two really, really, good teams.

But the last two games?

2011: The only Ithaca team in 40+ years to have a losing season and Fisher still needs overtime and a WR pass to win? The two quarterbacks were disasters. Half the Fisher posters can't seem to stand Kramer as a QB and the less said about Jason Hendel's career the better. Seriously, other than the WR pass (which Ithaca's TWO all conference corners took horrid angles on), is there any play from that game anyone remembers?

2012: Fisher essentially turns into Springfield and completes all of six passes all game. Teams combine for six turnovers. Both teams' RBs have great games, but Miller/Ardoin doesn't exactly have the ring of Donovan/Robinson. The Welch heart situation has cast a sad pall over the Ithaca season (though the team gave a hell of an effort).

I don't know, I just feel like these last two games, even though they've been close games, were just dull games. In 2004 and 2005, you had great offensive skill players, and defensive players with huge individual games. Yeah, they were better teams (at least IC was) But both teams just played well. I've always said that my takeaway from both those games were that the better team lost.

I'm not trying to troll here but honestly, there's no way you could say, after the 2011 game was completed, that Fisher looked like an elite team that day. They played down to a horrid IC team. And 2012, well, that was just a weird game to watch.

Maybe this year will be different. Fenti and the Fisher offense look fantastic. Ithaca's defense is great. (My girlfriend jokes that it's because their best defensive player, Jake Santora, is actually a 30-year old man. And by looking at him...she might be on to something. He just looks older than everyone else. Maybe it's the beard). But even now, it just lacks a certain oomph

[boobyhasgameyo]

Remember when Fisher/Ithaca week would have everyone posting non-stop?

I think about that every week leading up to this game now.  Actually I think about the slow decline in posts on this board overall.  It's a bummer.  I remember years ago in the days leading up to this game I would go to work and come back to 10+ new pages of heated debate/borderline trash talk.  After a 1 point loss in 2003 and our first win against Ithaca in 2004 we (Fisher supporters) were getting very animated in our talk of how the program has arrived and Ithaca was fast becoming our rival.  Ithaca posters (likely led by Jose) were a touch arrogant and insisted it was not the beginning of a rivalry or the signal of our arrival.  That a rivalry couldn't even be considered to begin unless the newcomer won on the established team's field - which Fisher hadn't done to that point. 

Looking back we mayyyyy have had a bit of an inferiority complex.  But the best part in my mind was that even in the years when it was still a reasonably hot topic (2004-2006...before Ithaca posters started to become more submissive to the possibility they were the underdogs heading into games against Fisher) - come playoff time we cheered for each other and supported the E8 above all else. 

Now there is no such animosity between any teams.  I just kind of cheer for every single E8 team every single week they aren't playing Fisher. 

[sjfcards]

2004:Fisher gets two one interception from Stepnick.

Are you suggesting that Stepnick's game winning play in overtime was a bad call? Typical Ithaca poster 

Seriously, I don't know what the game lacks other than the teams not being as good as they were a few years back. The games in 04, 05, and 06 felt like they were bigger than they maybe were. Big games, between two top level teams. I feel like we had more people posting as well back then (maninyellowhat, etc.)

Either way, I am going to the game for the 9th straight year. My wife is an IC alum, and we go every year, so it will be a big day for me.

[AUPepBand]

Here's what I think this game has lacked recently. Great performances by star players. When this rivalry was at its apex, both teams were trading punches.

2004: Mark Robinson has 243 total yards. Noah Fehrenbach has 179 yard receiving against some guy who wasn't Ithaca's injured top corner Matt Tosh. Bombers get a pick 6 from Joe Napoleone. Fisher gets two one interception from Stepnick. Bombers and Fisher both stage impressive rallies. Mike Welch's best-ever team misses the playoffs. Fisher officially announces its awesomeness

2005: Suchyna has a monster game, as does Fehrenbach. Alex Baez (who would finish 7th on IC's all-time rushing list despite playing his entire career behind the #1 guy) runs for 158 yards. Bill Struzzi recovers a fumble, blocks a punt and wins the game with a pick. A fantastic IC comeback (who had them winning the game down 14 points in the 4th and Fisher with the ball?)

Some of the best players ever to wear Cardinal and Bomber jerseys play: Lang, Stepnick, Robinson, Fehrenbach, Felicetti, Donovan, Esposito, Free. Two of the all-time memorable plays in the history of the rivalry.2006-2010: I'm sure you Fisher guys had great games. I've blocked most of it from memory. But I do know the 2007 game featured two really, really, good teams.

But the last two games?

2011: The only Ithaca team in 40+ years to have a losing season and Fisher still needs overtime and a WR pass to win? The two quarterbacks were disasters. Half the Fisher posters can't seem to stand Kramer as a QB and the less said about Jason Hendel's career the better. Seriously, other than the WR pass (which Ithaca's TWO all conference corners took horrid angles on), is there any play from that game anyone remembers?

2012: Fisher essentially turns into Springfield and completes all of six passes all game. Teams combine for six turnovers. Both teams' RBs have great games, but Miller/Ardoin doesn't exactly have the ring of Donovan/Robinson. The Welch heart situation has cast a sad pall over the Ithaca season (though the team gave a hell of an effort).

I don't know, I just feel like these last two games, even though they've been close games, were just dull games. In 2004 and 2005, you had great offensive skill players, and defensive players with huge individual games. Yeah, they were better teams (at least IC was) But both teams just played well. I've always said that my takeaway from both those games were that the better team lost.

I'm not trying to troll here but honestly, there's no way you could say, after the 2011 game was completed, that Fisher looked like an elite team that day. They played down to a horrid IC team. And 2012, well, that was just a weird game to watch.

Maybe this year will be different. Fenti and the Fisher offense look fantastic. Ithaca's defense is great. (My girlfriend jokes that it's because their best defensive player, Jake Santora, is actually a 30-year old man. And by looking at him...she might be on to something. He just looks older than everyone else. Maybe it's the beard). But even now, it just lacks a certain oomph

There you have it, Fisher fans....a Bomber fans has labeled the annual meeting with the Cardinals as a "rivalry." Wasn't that what y'all wanted, anyway? To be officially known as a "rival" of the Ithaca Bombers. Now that you've got it, sort of takes all the fun out of it, doesn't it? 

Pep is exited he will be in Frostburg, MD saterday hoping the Saxons will be there, too. Frostburg State can be scary, especially at their Homecoming (this will be THREE Homecomings that the Saxons will have played at this year....is AU now a lamb to be slaughtered?). But Pep will be rooting for the Cardinals in the skirmish on South Hill, only because should the Saxons run the table (and honestly, they are just a converted PAT or field goal away from being a dismal 2-4), they will capture the AQ. Hey now, Pep can only hope, same as the rest of ya!   

On Saxon Warriors!

[Bombers798891]

2004:Fisher gets two one interception from Stepnick.

Are you suggesting that Stepnick's game winning play in overtime was a bad call? Typical Ithaca poster 

Seriously, I don't know what the game lacks other than the teams not being as good as they were a few years back. The games in 04, 05, and 06 felt like they were bigger than they maybe were. Big games, between two top level teams. I feel like we had more people posting as well back then (maninyellowhat, etc.)

Either way, I am going to the game for the 9th straight year. My wife is an IC alum, and we go every year, so it will be a big day for me.

Sometimes this is all you need.

But yeah, me and Johnny are the only two IC posters left.

[fisheralum91]

Ah the trip down memory lane.........
The doctors tailgating in Haffey parking lot.....
*kicks a stone*
good times

[sjfcards]

So, comparing the two memorable interceptions in the Fisher/Ithaca rivalry; Stepnick's phantom int in 04, and Struzzi's pick 6 in 05, which was the bigger play? I won't argue that Stepnick's was a better play because he didn't actually catch the ball, but for the program at the time the call was a turning point moment. Struzzi's pick may be one of the most memorable plays I have seen anywhere.

So which was the bigger play?