FB: Empire 8

[dlippiel]

DC nice ATE as always. Dude, dlip thinks you should definitely keep up with the predictions. He loves to read them each week and they usually lead to some great discussion. So what you ate crow, any of us who had to make those predictions each week would eat a ton of ****in crow. Anyway, for whatever it is worth dlip loves the predicts as well as your East Region top ten each week. Also dlip is estatic that Welch and Audino are looking to keep this rivalry going. U/Ithaca is some serious old school 80s **** and is great for East Region Football. Just some thoughts while eating lunch...

[dewcrew88]

DC nice ATE as always. Dude, dlip thinks you should definitely keep up with the predictions. He loves to read them each week and they usually lead to some great discussion. So what you ate crow, any of us who had to make those predictions each week would eat a ton of ****in crow. Anyway, for whatever it is worth dlip loves the predicts as well as your East Region top ten each week. Also dlip is estatic that Welch and Audino are looking to keep this rivalry going. U/Ithaca is some serious old school 80s **** and is great for East Region Football. Just some thoughts while eating lunch...

Thanks Dlip. I always have some of my best thoughts eating lunch. I may keep up the predictions, but I'm not sure... I may do an analysis previewing the biggest game of the weekend, something like that. I want to see what the reaction is.

[SJFF82]

Report:

Wesley placed on probation by NCAA, no play-offs for 2 years due to various violations.

no personal knowledge that this is true.

probation yes. playoff ban, no.

Could you look into getting MUC banned from the East play-off region  

thanks for the clarification.

Well if someone in the East would step up we wouldn't have that problem would we?

yeh Upstate....like asking the Bills to close the deal on ANY Monday Night game...i know you just kiddin but its tough for IC-Cortland-SJF-RPI-Union-Bart-AU-Rowan etc to "step it up" when inevitably they all take take turns knocking eachother off.  If MUC, UWW, and MHB were all in the same region or conference and all took turns knocking eachother off each year, ala the annual SJF-IC-WICK triangle, you wouldnt just import an undefeated Cortland or SJF into their play-off bracket.  The Regions should either stay separate come play-off time, or just wipe em out and seed the top 32.  Why have alleged geographical regions if you are just going to ignore them come play off time anyway.  It is not as if teams like MUC or UWW would get left out of the play-offs by staying in their own region...its only a seeding mechanism to move them around and it winds up punishing the East for its relative competitiveness.

Just a note:  my analogy about MUC, UWW and MHB compared to the top teams in the East was not meant to compare them in strength...I KNOW THERE IS NO COMPARISON before those accusations come flying about this post  

[JQV]

This is ridiculous, I mean I didn't say anything when Jose spouted off because he just goes on his anti-Fisher poster rants every once in a while....It's like his own personal enema that allows him to tolerate the Fisher faithful, and we get it that's what makes Jose- Jose.  Maybe my memory is seriously flawed but I don't recall year in and year out us  saying how we "made it" and are at the "next level" in the sense that you interpreted it.

To be clear, I wasn't arguing that you guys said you "made it," my point was that you had been pointing to this game for three years as the time you would make it.  As in, "look how tough we played them at Mount, just wait until they come to Fisher."  There were tons of "just wait until they come to Fisher posts" and then, with the game on the horizon, it turned into a test balloon.

Like I said, I give you guys credit for going out and scheduling Mount.  Our coaches clearly haven't accepted that kind of test.  But, don't make it out to be a big game last season or in the offseason, and then, when it blows up in your face, pretend like it's no big deal.

That is the Layne Kiffin playbook.

[JQV]

I coach high school football down here in florida

Which high school FA?  I have tons of people in South Florida.

[SJFF82]

On second and third thought...i dont necessarily disagree with the clear -cut top 4 in the country (assuming its clear cut and it usually is) getting the number 1's.  It seems fair on its face.  However, I guess my gripe and unresolved conflict is that why have these so-called geographical regions if the apparent goal is simply relative fairness.  To be consistent, just seed the entire play-off field based upon the a ranking/voting system (however the seeding is now determined is fine)

Yeh....cost of travel.  Baloney....the NCAA has billions.  We got starvin people in the streets not eating and we are concerned more about a luxury like health care insurance because there is money and power to grab

Wow, I am aimlessly rambling now...but I figured out how to tie a nice football rant into a political rant....JT would be proud.

[JQV]

JT would be proud.

+k.

I think you make a good point though.  Either we have geographic regions or we don't.  We can't have geographic regions except when we want to squeeze a few other teams from one region in by tearing the regions apart.

[SJFF82]

This is ridiculous, I mean I didn't say anything when Jose spouted off because he just goes on his anti-Fisher poster rants every once in a while....It's like his own personal enema that allows him to tolerate the Fisher faithful, and we get it that's what makes Jose- Jose.  Maybe my memory is seriously flawed but I don't recall year in and year out us  saying how we "made it" and are at the "next level" in the sense that you interpreted it.

To be clear, I wasn't arguing that you guys said you "made it," my point was that you had been pointing to this game for three years as the time you would make it.  As in, "look how tough we played them at Mount, just wait until they come to Fisher."  There were tons of "just wait until they come to Fisher posts" and then, with the game on the horizon, it turned into a test balloon.

Like I said, I give you guys credit for going out and scheduling Mount.  Our coaches clearly haven't accepted that kind of test.  But, don't make it out to be a big game last season or in the offseason, and then, when it blows up in your face, pretend like it's no big deal.

That is the Layne Kiffin playbook.

Maybe not your intention, but it sounds like you think there is something wrong with the fact that many Fisher posters were excited and optimistic about the then impending MUC game at Growney.  Also keep in mind that things changed dramatically between the posts you are referring to after the close game in 2006 and the actual game.  We ended up playing them 2 more times before the Growney game.  The second playoff game was not anticipated and 2 blow-outs later and you have to admit, there was no rah rah from the Fisher posters about this past game leading up to it.  In fact, the Fisher posters were rather silent, other than some last second 'get excited for the game' posts.

As far as "pretending" the recent loss was no big deal.  To me its not about pretending from a fan standpoint, its about the reality of it.  Yes, for me personally, as a fan and former player, it was a big deal.  I waited since 1992 for our program to arrive on this stage and at home I wanted it bad and was very disappointed at the effort and the score.  But we as fans have to remember that the players are all that matters and they dictate the consequences of the result.  This current team made the loss not matter by wiping Buff St off the field and hopefully they can now keep it rolling.  Lsst year's team never rebounded after MUC, probably still reeling from the prior play-off embarrassment as well.

So all in all, I now feel ok with "pretending" the game didnt matter, because we are 1-1, looking good and have to roll UR this week and get ready for IC!

[JQV]

Nothing wrong with being optimistic or pointing to the MUC game.  I just think it is disingenuous to be optimistic, make it into a big game for your program, and then make it out to be nothing when it blows up.

That is no different than Lane Kiffin trying to get a few sounds bites released praising Tebow and the Gator Defense like he never called them out over the spring and summer and predicted a win.

If it was going to be a big game last year, then it is a big game. 

I'll give you an IC corrollary.  Last week I was predicting that we'd mop up Union and, at the same time, announce to the rest of the region that we were the team to beat.  Playing bad and losing that game was a much bigger loss for IC than it was a win for Union.  Not because Union is bad, but because no one expected them to be good and because IC expected to dynamite them.

[SJFF82]

If it was going to be a big game last year, then it is a big game. 

This is the difference...i really dont think the game was huge anymore, even last year.  Not after all the blow-outs.  I agree it was touted by SJF posters, myself included, after the '06 game, but it definately cooled and almost disappeared leading up to the game these past few months.

I mene Supes evin disapeered!!! 

[Pat Coleman]

The Regions should either stay separate come play-off time, or just wipe em out and seed the top 32.  Why have alleged geographical regions if you are just going to ignore them come play off time anyway.  

You know that this is basically what they do do, just with the 500-mile radius for travel as the overriding factor.

[JQV]

The Regions should either stay separate come play-off time, or just wipe em out and seed the top 32.  Why have alleged geographical regions if you are just going to ignore them come play off time anyway.  

You know that this is basically what they do do, just with the 500-mile radius for travel as the overriding factor.

If this is what they are doing, why include the distinction in region W-L and out-of-region W-L?*

*I have not, and don't have any interest in, reading the selection guidelines in detail.  I merely understand that the committee looks beyond out of region losses and only considers in-region losses.  I'm sorry for the question if that is not the case.

[K-Mack]

Hey,
Not to interrupt this lovefest, but I'll be in town this weekend and need some opinion on whether to go to Carnegie Mellon-Hobart or St. Lawrence-Alfred as a precursor to Rochester-St. John Fisher.

Opinions appreciated (although the 1 pm kick at Alfred might become my "overriding factor" since I fly in Saturday morning).

Also if any board regular would be at either game, that would be nice to know.

[dewcrew88]

Hey,
Not to interrupt this lovefest, but I'll be in town this weekend and need some opinion on whether to go to Carnegie Mellon-Hobart or St. Lawrence-Alfred as a precursor to Rochester-St. John Fisher.

Opinions appreciated (although the 1 pm kick at Alfred might become my "overriding factor" since I fly in Saturday morning).

Also if any board regular would be at either game, that would be nice to know.

With no real basis, I'd say go to CMU-Hobart.

[SJFF82]

Hey,
Not to interrupt this lovefest, but I'll be in town this weekend and need some opinion on whether to go to Carnegie Mellon-Hobart or St. Lawrence-Alfred as a precursor to Rochester-St. John Fisher.

Opinions appreciated (although the 1 pm kick at Alfred might become my "overriding factor" since I fly in Saturday morning).

Also if any board regular would be at either game, that would be nice to know.

wow, I was just thinking today that it would be good for a D3.COM rep to check out the Courage Bowl and what it is all about in as much as it has wonderful implications for the Camp Good Days kids (kids with terminal illnesses).  Are you in touch with the programs?   There are many behind the scenes aspects involving the kids as honorary captains; they attend practices all week and are on the sidelines for the game.  It is an awesome 'program' for the week. Hopefully you will be taking in some of that it even getting here on Sat.  Would be nice to see a d3.com story on those aspects of the 'game' this week.

Have fun and safe travels.