FB: Empire 8

[pg04]

DP likes Cortfred, but prefers Alfland

I like Alfland too.

Anything that keeps the picture of ALF going in this thread gets a thumbs up from me! 

[BoSox0322]

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

[BoSox0322]

But seriously ECFC?  You're conference champ that went 10-0 and ran the gamut goes down 50-0 at halftime?! I don't really follow other conferences than the E8 but that has to be worst conference in the past decade.  I know Alfred is a good team but 50-0?!

It's terrible for Eastern Region football that the ECFC will be sending a team to the playoffs every season as a Pool A.  Seriously, is the only criteria for getting a Pool A seed finding 7 patsies to join together?  William Paterson would have run the table in the ECFC and at least stayed within 4 touchdowns of Alfred.

i think if they are sanctioned (sp?) then ... kind of yes

[pg04]

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

While I've not been in the conversations, obviously, I've also heard the same thing for some of the other state schools. 

[BoSox0322]

Springfield had a little rough spell with Mt. Ida but is young

dont worry when hartwick played them  it was embarrassing... but now that SC played them so I'm sure they are better

[BoSox0322]

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

While I've not been in the conversations, obviously, I've also heard the same thing for some of the other state schools. 

Im just saying i bet a lot of other things came into play before "administration" came into play...

[AUPepBand]

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

While I've not been in the conversations, obviously, I've also heard the same thing for some of the other state schools. 

Albany State, Brockport State, Buffalo State, Cortland State and even Plattsburgh State were all on the Alfred schedule for many years. Pep recalls a sudden halt to playing the state schools perhaps in late 1980s because AU had raised its admissions standards in the mid-70s and in the 80s felt it no longer could compete on a level playing field with the state schools which had lower admissions standards, thereby attracting and enrolling student-athletes who were inadmissable at AU. But that's just Pep's take on it.

[pg04]

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

While I've not been in the conversations, obviously, I've also heard the same thing for some of the other state schools. 

Albany State, Brockport State, Buffalo State, Cortland State and even Plattsburgh State were all on the Alfred schedule for many years. Pep recalls a sudden halt to playing the state schools perhaps in late 1980s because AU had raised its admissions standards in the mid-70s and in the 80s felt it no longer could compete on a level playing field with the state schools which had lower admissions standards, thereby attracting and enrolling student-athletes who were inadmissable at AU. But that's just Pep's take on it.

I definitely understand the rationale.   Maybe, as discussed, it is being loosened now.  Especially since Buffalo State will be in the E8. 

[magicman]

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

jdex has always dealt in facts. If he says it's so then I would bet on it.

[dlippiel]

Congrats to Alfred on a very solid W this past weekend.

[Knightstalker]

Just got this email from the IC President (on a mass list, we're not buddies or anything):

Over the past few years, I have heard time and again from student organizations and alumni, asking why there has never been an Ithaca College mascot. Your voices have been heard! I'm pleased to announce that the College has begun the process of selecting an official mascot -- and we need your help.

We don't yet know what shape our new mascot will take -- human, animal, vegetable, mineral, or even mythological creature. But we do know that it will embody the energy, passion, and strength that is Ithaca College. Its name will be "Bomber" to represent the longstanding nickname of our athletics teams.

A formal search and selection process will begin immediately, with the goal of announcing IC's new mascot next fall. Every member of the IC community, including alumni, will be asked to provide ideas and feedback.

Soon after Thanksgiving we will start soliciting suggestions. The search process is explained in detail at www.ithaca.edu/mascot. Updates will also be posted to the site.

A mascot selection task force will be created to oversee the details of the selection process. The task force will comprise students, coaches, student-athletes, alumni, and faculty, as well as staff members from intercollegiate athletics, marketing communications, institutional advancement, web services, and student affairs and campus life.

If you have questions about this announcement, please feel free to contact Rachel Reuben, associate vice president for marketing communications, at rreuben@ithaca.edu. In addition, we welcome feedback through our website.

We're looking forward to the next era of IC pride!

At first I thought IC was succumbing to the hippies and getting rid of "Bombers," but it looks like they're just looking for a costume. So I guess we'll go down with Cornell and Stanford as far as having mascots that have nothing to do with the team's name.

Of all the things he names up there, I hope it ends up being "vegetable."

And of course, let us never forget the obviously unsatisfactory, but always entertaining, Bomberman:

Bomber costume for the hippies at Ithaca.

[DanPadavona]

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

While I've not been in the conversations, obviously, I've also heard the same thing for some of the other state schools. 

The story I heard from way back (and this should in no way be implied as fact) is Cortland dropped AU back in the 80s when Cortland's program was struggling terribly.  It was taken very personally by some AU folks, who refused to re-schedule Cortland years later when Cortland became strong and was having a hard time finding teams to play them.

I've heard the story repeated in basically the same form several times, so my guess is there is something to it.  I don't think it involved "academic standards" so much as it was directed more toward Cortland dropping a long time rival.  We're talking 25 years ago (give or take a few) so it's not likely the same bad blood exists. 

[Frank Rossi]

This sounds like the stuff UK/Louisville was made of -- after a 24-year hiatus, it was a forced matchup in the brackets:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg3WzsFtOtE

[saxontad]

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

While I've not been in the conversations, obviously, I've also heard the same thing for some of the other state schools. 

The story I heard from way back (and this should in no way be implied as fact) is Cortland dropped AU back in the 80s when Cortland's program was struggling terribly.  It was taken very personally by some AU folks, who refused to re-schedule Cortland years later when Cortland became strong and was having a hard time finding teams to play them.

I've heard the story repeated in basically the same form several times, so my guess is there is something to it.  I don't think it involved "academic standards" so much as it was directed more toward Cortland dropping a long time rival.  We're talking 25 years ago (give or take a few) so it's not likely the same bad blood exists. 

I hope we can get some of that bad blood flowing this weekend.

On Saxon Warriors!!

[AUKaz00]

What I've always heard, and it is unsustantiated rumor, is that Alfred was the biggest holdout on state schools being included in the Empire 8.  Thus the inclusion of Norwich and Springfield to quality for an AQ as a conference.  It carries some anedotal merit in that even out of conference AU doesn't schedule state schools (playing FDU rather than an NJAC school, for instance).  But that could just be coincidental.  I'm guessing the pressure from the other E8 schools about potentially losing the AQ forced Alfred to soften their stance and allow Buff State to join.  Perhaps they should have done it long ago since Alfred has certainly benefited from not having to play the Norwich juggernaut these past two years!