FB: Empire 8

[AUPepBand]

Night games at Merrill Field always seemed to draw bigger crowds. But unless it's a Fisher or Rochester or Brockport, less than a 2 hour trip, it's more difficult to make the long trip home when you don't return to campus until well after midnight. And, games later in the season are better played during daylight when it's likely to be warmer than at night.

AU will scrimmage Susquehanna at 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 27 at Merrill Field. Pep likes the Friday night scrimmage....made the trip to the 'Grove for the 2009 scrimmage on a Friday night. Was a downpour throughout the 3-hour trip, stopped raining for the 3 hour scrimmage, then rained another three hours en route home.

On another note, Pep attended Purple & Gold Accepted Student Day today, during which he was able to recruit some accepted students for the pep band. Seems there is some enthusiastic low brass talent coming to Saxonville. Pep was pleased with the prospects!

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

Pep is not sure whether this had been posted earlier, but here's Ithaca's 2010 football schedule:

http://bombers.ithaca.edu/schedule.aspx?path=football&schedule=157

Date  Opponent Location Time/Result Details
9/4/2010    St. Lawrence  Butterfield Stadium 2 p.m.  Details 
9/11/2010    Union  Butterfield Stadium 1 p.m.  Details 
9/18/2010    Widener  Chester, Pa. 1 p.m.  Details 
9/25/2010    Lycoming  Williamsport, Pa. 1 p.m.  Details 
10/2/2010  * Hartwick  Butterfield Stadium 1 p.m.  Details 
10/9/2010  * St. John Fisher  Rochester, N.Y. 4 p.m.  Details 
10/23/2010  * Springfield  Butterfield Stadium 1 p.m.  Details 
10/30/2010  * Utica  Butterfield Stadium 1 p.m.  Details 
11/6/2010  * Alfred  Alfred, N.Y. 1 p.m.  Details 
11/13/2010    Cortland  Cortland, N.Y. noon  Details 

[AUPepBand]

St. Lawrence looking for a head football coach as Chris Phelps resigns to take coaching job at prep school.

http://www.northcountrynow.com/news/index.php?q=news/slu-head-coach-resigns-accept-post-prep-school/02342

[Bombers798891]

St. Lawrence looking for a head football coach as Chris Phelps resigns to take coaching job at prep school.

http://www.northcountrynow.com/news/index.php?q=news/slu-head-coach-resigns-accept-post-prep-school/02342

Two thoughts:

1. What's up with the random 2 p.m. start of the SLU game?

2. Isn't that an odd time to resign and take a new job?

[bomber3]

St. Lawrence looking for a head football coach as Chris Phelps resigns to take coaching job at prep school.

http://www.northcountrynow.com/news/index.php?q=news/slu-head-coach-resigns-accept-post-prep-school/02342

Two thoughts:

1. What's up with the random 2 p.m. start of the SLU game?

2. Isn't that an odd time to resign and take a new job?

Not sure about the time slot but now is definitely not the ideal time to resign.  Leaves the program out to dry in terms of recruiting since now is the time most high school seniors make their decisions.  Now football shouldn't be the only decision at play but having to search for a new coach would definitely hurt potential prospects for next year.  But lets be honest here, St Lawrence is 22-85 over the past 11 seasons so its not like there is much room to drop off...

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

St. Lawrence looking for a head football coach as Chris Phelps resigns to take coaching job at prep school.

http://www.northcountrynow.com/news/index.php?q=news/slu-head-coach-resigns-accept-post-prep-school/02342

Two thoughts:

1. What's up with the random 2 p.m. start of the SLU game?

2. Isn't that an odd time to resign and take a new job?

Not sure about the time slot but now is definitely not the ideal time to resign.  Leaves the program out to dry in terms of recruiting since now is the time most high school seniors make their decisions.  Now football shouldn't be the only decision at play but having to search for a new coach would definitely hurt potential prospects for next year.  But lets be honest here, St Lawrence is 22-85 over the past 11 seasons so its not like there is much room to drop off...

Will he have other responsibilities at the Prep School (AD possibly) that will make his pay better?  Maybe he wanted to spend more time with family so stepped "Down" a level for that.  I do agree that the timing isn't great, but sometimes you gotta take opportunities when they come up.

[bomber3]

St. Lawrence looking for a head football coach as Chris Phelps resigns to take coaching job at prep school.

http://www.northcountrynow.com/news/index.php?q=news/slu-head-coach-resigns-accept-post-prep-school/02342

Two thoughts:

1. What's up with the random 2 p.m. start of the SLU game?

2. Isn't that an odd time to resign and take a new job?

Not sure about the time slot but now is definitely not the ideal time to resign.  Leaves the program out to dry in terms of recruiting since now is the time most high school seniors make their decisions.  Now football shouldn't be the only decision at play but having to search for a new coach would definitely hurt potential prospects for next year.  But lets be honest here, St Lawrence is 22-85 over the past 11 seasons so its not like there is much room to drop off...

Will he have other responsibilities at the Prep School (AD possibly) that will make his pay better?  Maybe he wanted to spend more time with family so stepped "Down" a level for that.  I do agree that the timing isn't great, but sometimes you gotta take opportunities when they come up.

Yep you need to look out for #1 first...

[sjfcards]

Agreed but I think that leaving a program could hurt as well. I know he already has the new job but it will come up over and over any time he goes for another job.

[bomber3]

Agreed but I think that leaving a program could hurt as well. I know he already has the new job but it will come up over and over any time he goes for another job.

We'll see if it burns Lane Kiffin in the long run too.  He not only burned his bridge he took C4 and a ton of dynamite and blew it up and spit on it on the way out!

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Agreed but I think that leaving a program could hurt as well. I know he already has the new job but it will come up over and over any time he goes for another job.

We'll see if it burns Lane Kiffin in the long run too.  He not only burned his bridge he took C4 and a ton of dynamite and blew it up and spit on it on the way out!

Kiffin is different from Phelps.  Phelps left after many poor seasons.  It wasn't like he came in the year before, was all full of bravado, and then left in the middle of the night after one season.

[bomber3]

Agreed but I think that leaving a program could hurt as well. I know he already has the new job but it will come up over and over any time he goes for another job.

We'll see if it burns Lane Kiffin in the long run too.  He not only burned his bridge he took C4 and a ton of dynamite and blew it up and spit on it on the way out!

Kiffin is different from Phelps.  Phelps left after many poor seasons.  It wasn't like he came in the year before, was all full of bravado, and then left in the middle of the night after one season.

Obviously its different but they have one big similarity --  both coaches left their school out to dry in terms of recruiting since they left right when recruits are making commitments.

[AUPepBand]

Pep doesn't think it really makes much difference when Phelps departed. He has built up the SLU program as far as numbers and no doubt SLU's been recruiting just the same this season. This is D3 football. There's a little less pressure at SLU than at Tennessee:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4821378

On Saxon Warriors!

[pumkinattack]

You guys need to get off the implication that Coach Phelps is screwing his alma mater.  I know him and you won't find anyone who knows him that would say he's anything less than a class act.  It's a shame he couldn't do more at SLU, but it's his college, he spent a long time there and you need to know something, anything/anything about the guy or situation before speculating cluelessly.  Also, most kids are locked in at this point, it's the 3rd week of April. 

[AUPepBand]

You guys need to get off the implication that Coach Phelps is screwing his alma mater.  I know him and you won't find anyone who knows him that would say he's anything less than a class act.  It's a shame he couldn't do more at SLU, but it's his college, he spent a long time there and you need to know something, anything/anything about the guy or situation before speculating cluelessly.  Also, most kids are locked in at this point, it's the 3rd week of April. 

Pep agrees. +K 

[bomber3]

You guys need to get off the implication that Coach Phelps is screwing his alma mater.  I know him and you won't find anyone who knows him that would say he's anything less than a class act.  It's a shame he couldn't do more at SLU, but it's his college, he spent a long time there and you need to know something, anything/anything about the guy or situation before speculating cluelessly.  Also, most kids are locked in at this point, it's the 3rd week of April. 

Pep agrees. +K 

I know there may be plenty of valid reasons as to why he left the program but if you're going to leave, then leave at the end of the fall semester.  I'm sure there are thousands of reasons (family, personal, etc) to rationalize leaving now but I don't have the facts. It puts the program in a difficult position recruiting wise and I know this isn't Tennessee but you would be crazy not to think d3 players don't make decisions based on sports.  And I would say the majority of students choose their school in April/May.   All I stated was it left the program out to dry a little because it will take a minimum 3-4 weeks to find a replacement when kids are making their decisions.

Plus its April we need something to talk about....