FB: Empire 8

[AUPepBand]

In this day and age where concussion is taken seriously and no longer just getting your bell rung, I totally (trust me ) understand protecting players.
The problem with the rule is that you are asking a defensive player to almost mind read where the point of contact is going to be made on any given tackle.
NO easy feat.

And Yes I hate the rule!

Pep, with his 7-year-old grandson, recently attended a high school football game between the Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines (5-1) and the Cuba-Rushford Rebels (5-1). It was Homecoming, an Allegany County rivalry game, and both teams are having a stellar season, competing in the Livingston County Division II league.

Late in the third quarter, a star senior Wolverine as a DB made helmet-to-helmet contact with a Rebel WR just as the WR was turning upfield after hauling in a pass. The play occurred right in front of me as I was escorting Pep III to the men's room. What I didn't see was the WR get right up and a few moments later collapse when returning to the far sideline. When Pep III and Pep returned from the men's room, the game was still in an injury timeout as the player was a few moments later taken off the field by ambulance personnel and driven to the hospital.

The officials, after lengthy consultation, ejected the Wolverine player from the game. The home team was trailing at that point, 20-6, and began to "play angry" and was hit with a couple of unsportsmanlike penalties. The B-R coach took a timeout, from what Pep could see, for the sole purpose of getting his troops calmed down. As it turned out, the home-standing Wolverines, despite having a second player ejected for power-bombing a Rebel, went to the air with success and drove to a TD to pull to within 20-13 with less than six minutes remaining in the game.

The Rebels, on their first play from scrimmage following the kickoff, threw a long pass to midfield which was intercepted. I was sitting with Rebels fans who went ballistic over the play call. C-R has an outstanding RB and the Rebels could likely have run out the clock with the ball in his hands. As it turned out, Bolivar-Richburg marched down the field for a TD then scored the winning two-point conversion on a QB naked bootleg. A last minute effort by the Rebels fell short.

The next week, Bolivar-Richburg, sans two players, was walloped by Avon, 42-8, a team that Cuba-Rushford had edged in a shootout a few weeks earlier.

While Pep doesn't necessarily like the rule, Pep is concerned about the safety of players these days of bigger, stronger, faster. Pep's daughter doesn't want Pep III playing football because of the lasting negative impact of recurring concussions. Some of the effects of concussions don't surface until years later.

Did the Wolverine hit the Rebel with the intent to hurt him? Absolutely not. His aim, with his competitive spirit, was to hit him hard enough to knock the ball loose from his grasp. But the helmet-to-helmet contact happened nonetheless and is dangerous.

[fisheralum91]

Pep - It is dangerous and needs to be addressed.  I am ALL for player safety- trust me- two kids in FB and Lax, but is disqualification from one possibly 2 games the answer?
Im not so sure.

[fisheralum91]

Geez- where is all the E8 chatter?

[AUPepBand]

Dead as a doornail.

[FandemoniumEagle1]

Pep, I enjoyed the YouTube videos. Great stuff. Very interested in the Utica / Buff State this weekend. Will be interesting to see.

[Bengalsrule]

Pep, I enjoyed the YouTube videos. Great stuff. Very interested in the Utica / Buff State this weekend. Will be interesting to see.

I agree!   I actually watched the BENGALS practice today for about 20 mins as I had to drop some checks off to womens basketball coach.   Very spirited session going on while I observed! Will definitely make this game as long as rain holds off ( forecast is 48degrees and cloudy).

[Jonny Utah]

Geez- where is all the E8 chatter?

Well Utica did arrive on 10/15/16, I guess that's news?

[fisheralum91]

And yet the thread is still silent

[TheHitman]

This team reminds me a bit of the 2014 squad - maybe the most talented not to make NCAAs - that year they had the best QB in E8 and easily the best WR package in a long time only to watch Voz take a knee to hand the ball to Salisbury who won in OT... and then showed up flat as a pancake to IC with the AQ on the line and left on the outside looking in for a pool C

There are too many good 1 loss teams, and a few really good 2 loss teams to hope for that.

Fisher still controls its own destiny - a few things need to happen during bye week: starters need to get game speed and timing back, and the D needs to go school to Re-learn the basics schematic and technique wise (D-Line that means you)

We'll see

Yeah, that thought came into my head too.  They had no business losing to IC in that game, and they had no business losing to Utica. They've got to play a lot better if they want to beat Alfred

And just as the team in 14' did, which this year's team needs to avoid is the "hangover" loss.  It's so hard to go undefeated in the E8, so a loss is almost inevitable.  But really not letting that 1 loss get to you and the attitude linger as it did for Fisher in 14'

[fisheralum91]

In this case I think that the bye week couldnt have come at a better time for Fisher.
Heal up the key players, recoup from a bad loss, and look forward to the last 3 games of the regular season.
We still control our own destiny.
Win out and move on to the NCAA's

[boobyhasgameyo]

I agree that this is a perfectly timed bye week for Fisher for those reasons you cited. 

My favorite part about this weekend is that Fisher is guaranteed not to lose (I think) while all the other teams in the E8 slug it out.  We can watch the carnage from the sidelines for a weekend. 

[fisheralum91]

Mrs. 91 gets a break from the childish antics of a 47 year old during the Fisher game.
Tho I must say--I think she was yelling just as if not louder than I at the UC game!

[D3viewer]

Saturday, October 22
12:00 PM
Utica @ Buffalo State
1:00 PM
Morrisville State @ Ithaca
1:00 PM
Alfred @ Hartwick
3:00 PM
SUNY Cortland @ Brockport State (NY)

Bye SJF

[fisheralum91]

Some very intriguing matchups this weekend
The UC Buff state game is one that ill keep my eye on for sure!

[dlippiel]

Mrs. 91 gets a break from the childish antics of a 47 year old during the Fisher game.
Tho I must say--I think she was yelling just as if not louder than I at the UC game!

dlip is going to be honest with you 91. Mrs. 91 Sounds pretty ****ing cool! You are a lucky man! +k