FB: Empire 8

[ITH radio]

This is great:

Fisher reminds me of a crazy ex-girlfriend. Sure, sometimes she sneaks in your window at 3 a.m. for some amazing sex. But she'll also probably start a whole bunch of unneeded drama, and break a date at least once a week. Last year, we got the 3 a.m. version. This year, we're probably just getting the migraine.

[jmcozenlaw]

Say whatever you wish about them being over or underrated.  I'll say one thing that I believe - I believe Fisher being in the playoffs helps out the entire east region.  We have exposed teams before they are submitted to beatings by other regions and giving even more ammo to the notion the east is weak. 

Last year it was Hobart and John Carroll (but those same east bashers will conveniently overlook that).  In 2011 it was Johns Hopkins (also an out of region team and also overlooked) and Delaware Valley.  All of those teams (with the exception of JC's narrow loss to Mount Union) were undefeated that season before facing Fisher.  If Fisher weren't there and they played some random Fram State type team, then advanced to play St. Thomas or Mary Hardin Baylor?  They would have been obliterated, and it would have been their only loss.  So people would say the east is so weak. 

And before you Hobart posters lose your mind, your 2011 team probably would have faired better against St. Thomas than Fisher did, but I'm not talking about your 2011 team.  We exposed an overrated Del Val that season. 

Good luck if a team like Framingham State makes it in.  You watch what will happen when the undefeated MAC champ or Hobart plays one of the big boys this year.  A team like Fisher won't be there to clear out some of the ill prepared and posters across the nation will have their ridiculous notions reaffirmed in their minds.

True... every year there are over/underrated teams in the playoffs... Just like in 2004 when DVC exposed a overrated SJF team...that is why they play games and we all like D3 not D1 bogus playoff structure.

Ha, don't get defensive because Delaware Valley was not a great team in 2011 PBR.  They played in a lesser conference and went undefeated.  The 2004 Fisher team was not undefeated, so that isn't apples to apples.  As a matter of fact, we were the underdog, which is why we went to play at Delaware Valley for that game.  But congrats for the Aggies winning that game in the closing seconds.  Rowan actually played the role that year that I am talking about Fisher having played recently.  They destroyed Del Val that next game, although they lost very handily to Linfield the following week. 

It's a matter of east teams clearing out the over inflated teams that get their wins against lesser competition before the other regions do.  I can understand how that might make people upset to hear, but if the E8 teams were spread out across other conferences then there wouldn't be as many undefeated East teams.  That way, when they inevitably do lose to the big guns, it wouldn't have been something that nobody from the east was able to do, yet another region accomplished so easily. 

Just watch.  If Hobart or whatever MAC champ comes out and gives one of those powers a good game then I will happppppily say I was wrong.  But if those same two teams enter into one of those games, still undefeated and only beating east teams, then they get slaughtered at the alter...you wait and see the reaction that will come of it.

Booby - You "accidentally" left out Ithaca when talking about Hobart or Widener/DelVal giving one of the powers (UWW, UMU, UMHB) a good game. I have always included Wesley as an East team, regardless of what the NCAA says, as many people who I know living down that way commute to Wilmington and Philadelphia for work and count the Philly teams as their teams. Quite frankly, I don't know many people who consider Maryland, for that matter, the "South".

Now come next year, with Wesley in the NJAC, the East will have a power of their own, one that almost brought down one of the heads of the two headed monster in last year's playoffs

Nobody out of the "Northeast" will give UMU nor UWW a game this year...............Wesley might do so out of the geographically correct "East"

...............now wrestling, and this year, basketball, DelVal will happily take on that challenge (although the UWW athletics program, a D1-AA or DII program masquerading as a DIII, are preseason #1's in the country in both sports). The football team is recruiting a transfer from a DI program in Minnesota and offering in-state tuition. How can that be??

[ITH radio]

Yeah, the "East" not including PA or MD is dumb. I grew up in CT and definitely consider those places as "east coast". I get they are sectioned off b/c there are so many D3 schools from NY to ME but cmonman....

Maybe that points to why the "North" and "West" have developed into superpowers given a lot less density, lower cost schools and ability to higher prioritize FB...

From what it sounds, this year's Wesley team may be the best yet. I would think falling short of the Stagg for this year's team will be a disappointment. I know I expect a F4 of UMU-UWW-WES-UMHB. Sort those any way you want and the games will be great.

[jmcozenlaw]

Yeah, the "East" not including PA or MD is dumb. I grew up in CT and definitely consider those places as "east coast". I get they are sectioned off b/c there are so many D3 schools from NY to ME but cmonman....

Maybe that points to why the "North" and "West" have developed into superpowers given a lot less density, lower cost schools and ability to higher prioritize FB...

From what it sounds, this year's Wesley team may be the best yet. I would think falling short of the Stagg for this year's team will be a disappointment. I know I expect a F4 of UMU-UWW-WES-UMHB. Sort those any way you want and the games will be great.

ITH - I've got a ton of friends in Washington, D.C. and in Northern Virginia...................and they literally beg me to stop saying that they live/moved down South. THEY consider D.C. and the Northern VA suburbs the East.

This may not make a lot of sense to those in Upstate NY and New England, but it's just a fact

[boobyhasgameyo]

Say whatever you wish about them being over or underrated.  I'll say one thing that I believe - I believe Fisher being in the playoffs helps out the entire east region.  We have exposed teams before they are submitted to beatings by other regions and giving even more ammo to the notion the east is weak. 

Last year it was Hobart and John Carroll (but those same east bashers will conveniently overlook that).  In 2011 it was Johns Hopkins (also an out of region team and also overlooked) and Delaware Valley.  All of those teams (with the exception of JC's narrow loss to Mount Union) were undefeated that season before facing Fisher.  If Fisher weren't there and they played some random Fram State type team, then advanced to play St. Thomas or Mary Hardin Baylor?  They would have been obliterated, and it would have been their only loss.  So people would say the east is so weak. 

And before you Hobart posters lose your mind, your 2011 team probably would have faired better against St. Thomas than Fisher did, but I'm not talking about your 2011 team.  We exposed an overrated Del Val that season. 

Good luck if a team like Framingham State makes it in.  You watch what will happen when the undefeated MAC champ or Hobart plays one of the big boys this year.  A team like Fisher won't be there to clear out some of the ill prepared and posters across the nation will have their ridiculous notions reaffirmed in their minds.

True... every year there are over/underrated teams in the playoffs... Just like in 2004 when DVC exposed a overrated SJF team...that is why they play games and we all like D3 not D1 bogus playoff structure.

Ha, don't get defensive because Delaware Valley was not a great team in 2011 PBR.  They played in a lesser conference and went undefeated.  The 2004 Fisher team was not undefeated, so that isn't apples to apples.  As a matter of fact, we were the underdog, which is why we went to play at Delaware Valley for that game.  But congrats for the Aggies winning that game in the closing seconds.  Rowan actually played the role that year that I am talking about Fisher having played recently.  They destroyed Del Val that next game, although they lost very handily to Linfield the following week. 

It's a matter of east teams clearing out the over inflated teams that get their wins against lesser competition before the other regions do.  I can understand how that might make people upset to hear, but if the E8 teams were spread out across other conferences then there wouldn't be as many undefeated East teams.  That way, when they inevitably do lose to the big guns, it wouldn't have been something that nobody from the east was able to do, yet another region accomplished so easily. 

Just watch.  If Hobart or whatever MAC champ comes out and gives one of those powers a good game then I will happppppily say I was wrong.  But if those same two teams enter into one of those games, still undefeated and only beating east teams, then they get slaughtered at the alter...you wait and see the reaction that will come of it.

Booby - You "accidentally" left out Ithaca when talking about Hobart or Widener/DelVal giving one of the powers (UWW, UMU, UMHB) a good game. I have always included Wesley as an East team, regardless of what the NCAA says, as many people who I know living down that way commute to Wilmington and Philadelphia for work and count the Philly teams as their teams. Quite frankly, I don't know many people who consider Maryland, for that matter, the "South".

Now come next year, with Wesley in the NJAC, the East will have a power of their own, one that almost brought down one of the heads of the two headed monster in last year's playoffs

Nobody out of the "Northeast" will give UMU nor UWW a game this year...............Wesley might do so out of the geographically correct "East"

...............now wrestling, and this year, basketball, DelVal will happily take on that challenge (although the UWW athletics program, a D1-AA or DII program masquerading as a DIII, are preseason #1's in the country in both sports). The football team is recruiting a transfer from a DI program in Minnesota and offering in-state tuition. How can that be??

No.  I didn't accidentally leave out Ithaca.  I am talking about the teams from the east going undefeated and then getting destroyed come playoff time to teams from other regions.  Last time I checked Ithaca has two losses in conference.  ITH radio is too busy spending time passive aggressively discrediting Fisher's playoff performances to realize that too.  I am talking about specific situations where an east team is undefeated, playing only east teams, up until the point they face another region's giant. 

It would have happened if Del Val were to face St. Thomas in 2011 and it would have happened to Hobart against Mary Hardin Baylor last year.  The teams can prove me wrong this post season.  I haven't seen many MAC games, so who knows about them.  But I've seen about 7 Liberty league games this year and their conference is not great no matter how ITH tries to spin it.

[Bombers798891]

Good luck if a team like Framingham State makes it in.  You watch what will happen when the undefeated MAC champ or Hobart plays one of the big boys this year. 

They'll lose to them, just like Fisher does.

Seriously man, talk about a high-and-mighty opinion. Fisher's got as many wins over the big boys as anyone else in the East does. Here have been Fisher's games against the "big boys":

2006: Lost 26-14 to Mount
2007: Lost 52-10 to Mount.
2008: Lost 33-3 to Mount
2009: Lost 52-10 to Mount
2011: Lost 45-10 to St. Thomas
2013: Lost 45-23 to MHB

You've got zero wins, one great showing, one good showing, and four butt-kickings. Is that better than the East as a whole? That probably depends on what you do with Wesley and Salisbury but honestly, other than the 2006 game, none of these performances changed the perception of the East as a whole. Heck, even after 2006, it took us all of one regular season to get Mount shipped our way come playoff time.

So let's not act like Fisher's made some stand for the East region. They're sent packing like everyone else.

[AUPepBand]

Say whatever you wish about them being over or underrated.  I'll say one thing that I believe - I believe Fisher being in the playoffs helps out the entire east region.  We have exposed teams before they are submitted to beatings by other regions and giving even more ammo to the notion the east is weak. 

Last year it was Hobart and John Carroll (but those same east bashers will conveniently overlook that).  In 2011 it was Johns Hopkins (also an out of region team and also overlooked) and Delaware Valley.  All of those teams (with the exception of JC's narrow loss to Mount Union) were undefeated that season before facing Fisher.  If Fisher weren't there and they played some random Fram State type team, then advanced to play St. Thomas or Mary Hardin Baylor?  They would have been obliterated, and it would have been their only loss.  So people would say the east is so weak. 

And before you Hobart posters lose your mind, your 2011 team probably would have faired better against St. Thomas than Fisher did, but I'm not talking about your 2011 team.  We exposed an overrated Del Val that season. 

Good luck if a team like Framingham State makes it in.  You watch what will happen when the undefeated MAC champ or Hobart plays one of the big boys this year.  A team like Fisher won't be there to clear out some of the ill prepared and posters across the nation will have their ridiculous notions reaffirmed in their minds.

True... every year there are over/underrated teams in the playoffs... Just like in 2004 when DVC exposed a overrated SJF team...that is why they play games and we all like D3 not D1 bogus playoff structure.

Touché! +K

[jknezek]

Good luck if a team like Framingham State makes it in.  You watch what will happen when the undefeated MAC champ or Hobart plays one of the big boys this year. 

They'll lose to them, just like Fisher does.

Seriously man, talk about a high-and-mighty opinion. Fisher's got as many wins over the big boys as anyone else in the East does. Here have been Fisher's games against the "big boys":

2006: Lost 26-14 to Mount
2007: Lost 52-10 to Mount.
2008: Lost 33-3 to Mount
2009: Lost 52-10 to Mount
2011: Lost 45-10 to St. Thomas
2013: Lost 45-23 to MHB

You've got zero wins, one great showing, one good showing, and four butt-kickings. Is that better than the East as a whole? That probably depends on what you do with Wesley and Salisbury but honestly, other than the 2006 game, none of these performances changed the perception of the East as a whole. Heck, even after 2006, it took us all of one regular season to get Mount shipped our way come playoff time.

So let's not act like Fisher's made some stand for the East region. They're sent packing like everyone else.

This was my first thought too... +K

[boobyhasgameyo]

I knowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Fisher has lost to them as well.  I am talking about what will happen from every other damn person who sees top 10 ranked Hobart, undefeated Hobart, only played East teams Hobart, getting beat down. 

Do you think that adds more fuel to the flame when saying "oh look how weak the east is, that's the best team they've got and we smoked them."  When they might not be the best team we've got, they just played a softer schedule.  Are you guys purposefully trying to muddle up a simple enough concept?  You can watch it all play out in a few weeks if you'd like. 

[ITH radio]

Good luck if a team like Framingham State makes it in.  You watch what will happen when the undefeated MAC champ or Hobart plays one of the big boys this year. 

They'll lose to them, just like Fisher does.

Seriously man, talk about a high-and-mighty opinion. Fisher's got as many wins over the big boys as anyone else in the East does. Here have been Fisher's games against the "big boys":

2006: Lost 26-14 to Mount
2007: Lost 52-10 to Mount.
2008: Lost 33-3 to Mount
2009: Lost 52-10 to Mount
2011: Lost 45-10 to St. Thomas
2013: Lost 45-23 to MHB

You've got zero wins, one great showing, one good showing, and four butt-kickings. Is that better than the East as a whole? That probably depends on what you do with Wesley and Salisbury but honestly, other than the 2006 game, none of these performances changed the perception of the East as a whole. Heck, even after 2006, it took us all of one regular season to get Mount shipped our way come playoff time.

So let's not act like Fisher's made some stand for the East region. They're sent packing like everyone else.

http://youtu.be/rhnXWJmKbU4

[fisheralum91]

On a different note- any word on Nigolian?
His absence was killer

[AUPepBand]

Fisher reminds me of a crazy ex-girlfriend. Sure, sometimes she sneaks in your window at 3 a.m. for some amazing sex. But she'll also probably start a whole bunch of unneeded drama, and break a date at least once a week. Last year, we got the 3 a.m. version. This year, we're probably just getting the migraine.

Pep works in a library and had to be shhhhhhhhhhhhed because of LOL. +K

[jknezek]

I knowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Fisher has lost to them as well.  I am talking about what will happen from every other damn person who sees top 10 ranked Hobart, undefeated Hobart, only played East teams Hobart, getting beat down. 

Do you think that adds more fuel to the flame when saying "oh look how weak the east is, that's the best team they've got and we smoked them."  When they might not be the best team we've got, they just played a softer schedule.  Are you guys purposefully trying to muddle up a simple enough concept?  You can watch it all play out in a few weeks if you'd like.

No we get it. But there isn't a whole ton of difference between Hobart knocking off Wittenberg  35-10 and then losing to St. Thomas 47-7 in 2012 as there is in SJF beating JCU 25-16 and losing to UMHB 45-23 with Hobart in the middle in 2013. The only difference was Hobart hit an elite earlier in 2012 while SJF had it pushed off an extra week in 2013. Or in 2011 when Hobart lost at Wesley 35-28 in Round 1? That was a closer game against an elite than SJF has played since 2006.

SJF carries a flag, but that flag comes to the same conclusion for the East teams. Once those teams hit the big boys, in round 1, round 2 or round 3, it comes to an end. Did SJF play UMHB closer than Hobart played St. Thomas? Sure, but Hobart played Wesley closer than SJF played UMHB. Either way, the "closeness" isn't what's remembered, especially comparing irrelevantly across different years. What's remembered is when you hit the big boys you went down like everyone else.

Until that changes, you aren't going to get away from the "fuel to the fire".

[boobyhasgameyo]

Love how you are all morphing my entire point into somehow saying Fisher is the only team deserving to play against these teams.  Look at what I'm saying if you can all stop being so defensive.  Fisher has done a good job of weeding out paper tigers from the east before the rest of the nation gets a hold of them.  The fact that you are all turning that into "it's just a matter of who Fisher played against is why they got to the 3rd round vs. 1st" illustrates how much the entire point is flying over your heads.  Fisher got there by playing teams with amazing records, who were not amazing teams.  We got rid of them before the rest of the country had a chance to point out how awful an undefeated team from the east is. 

You can continue to show how Fisher fared against the purple powers all you want, but those teams would have done even worse.  At least Fisher had blemishes, people could see that teams from the east were also capable of taking down Fisher.  Do you guys get it yet?  Do you understand the difference and how I'm not at all talking about Fisher being the only team capable of playing the elite?

ITH radio - I'll reserve the slow clap if Hobart proves me wrong this year.  I'm an east supporter once Fisher is out.  I'd love for the Statesmen to take down a power. 

[jknezek]

Every region has the paper tigers. Someone has to weed them out. Is it SJF sometimes for the East? Sure, about every third year they clean a few out. Nice job. But most years someone cleans out the MIAA, MWC, NACC, ODAC, USASC, and UMAC champs from the other regions. Sure the East has more of that type of clean up than the other regions tend to, but every region has them. Someone has to clean them up even when they are undefeated.