FB: Liberty League

[union89]

RT ~

Rumor has it, you and Ms. RT had a tough night Saturday.  Join the club my friend.....way too much alcohol was consumed in Schenectady on Saturday night also.

It was great meeting you, Lew and AJ......Thanks for not throwing Russ' ring over the fence.....

[redswarm81]

. . . RPI will always have a tougher time recruiting than nearly every other school.  No one applies to/gets admitted/attends RPI to play football.  Academics first--and the academics at RPI are full contact, btw.

redswarm if rpi had won two national championships when I was in high school I would have went there.

O--o--okay.  So you agree with me?  No one goes to RPI for the athletics.

I might be scared of "full contact academics" though redswarm.

Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

[Senor RedTackle]

WTFF and Mrs. Regulator got along like lamb and tuna fish.  There was no slapping box, unless Reg and Mrs. Reg got freaky in our hotel room during their 'nap'.  Mrs. RT and WTFF got along extremely well until Mrs. RT lost her cookies in the bathroom following Tequila shot #2.  Excellent 80's hair band singing took place by RT and LD11 to wrap up the night.  Good times.

'Hanging in a chow line...Good Times.'

Some post Saturday commentary from RT:
RT waiting for the pictures from the Ruck from WTFF's phone cam...

Mrs.RT definitely stepped up and threw back the tequila and the carbombs Sat night w/ Mrs.LD...unfortunately, RT was left a bit of post-shot cleanup in his truck and in the bathroom at home on Sun. However, that calamity was more than made up for by the 80's hair-band extravaganza at the Ruck. RT loved to watch the 19-20 year olds scratch their heads when Poison, Warrant, and Motley Crue were crankin out of the jukebox. LD and RT definitely need to join forces for an artistic collaboration of big 80's/early 90's live guitar jams...RT recommends that the RFAA book this up and coming duo as entertainment for the June golf tourney....

[Senor RedTackle]

'Gro ~

Union89 saw the post over there and laughed hysterically to himself.  The image of HobaRPI kids running around with pumpkins on heads......BRILLIANT!!!  

Also 'Gro, got a good Geppetto's story for ya....Union89, Brett Russ and two other old bastards stumbled into Geppetto's at around 8:00PM....Pauly hanging out on the side of the bar with his wife Jaime bartending....Union89 orders up a Miller Lite bottle...."Sorry Mike, no Miller Lite bottles."  Union89 then requests a Coors Lite bottle...."Sorry Mike, no Coors Lite bottles."  Perplexed and flustered (and incredibly drunk) Union89 slurs "Ok, I'll just have a Bass draft then."  Jaime says, "draft system is broken.......the only beer we have is Michelob Ultra."  Fantastic planning....Pauly must not have known it was Union/RPI week.

Soon after the above occured, a young female 'doid walks in....same program..."Sorry, the only beer we have is Mic Ultra."  The youngster shrugged it off and ordered a double of Wild Turkey......true story!!!

Union89 also chatted up a Private Investigator/MILF who was alone at the bar for about an hour.....the verbal gymnastics were not very sharp, so Union89 and Russ walked down the street and snorkeled 84 atomic hot wings.....

...and RT missed this. Bummer

[redswarm81]

. . . RPI will always have a tougher time recruiting than nearly every other school.  No one applies to/gets admitted/attends RPI to play football.  Academics first--and the academics at RPI are full contact, btw.

RT disagrees....RT didn't know much about RPI out of high school except that he wanted to play football in college and go to a good school. RT recruited by Union, RPI, Hobart and Ithaca. RT looking for best combo of football/academics/financial aid during recruiting. Had RT not played FB in college, he definitely wouldn't have gone to any of those schools...probably somewhere like Notre Dame, Boston College, or Villanova.

Disagrees with what, exactly?

(Notre Dame, Boston College, or Villanova, hmmm. . . . what did you do with Jesus while you were at RPI?)

[Jonny Utah]

redswarm I think the rpi hockey team has a few guys that go to rpi for athletics and that might not have been able to have gotten without athletics.

[Rolevio]

RT loved to watch the 19-20 year olds scratch their heads when Poison, Warrant, and Motley Crue were crankin out of the jukebox.

Rolevio would of loved to have seen this!

Regarding Academic standards for athletes, every school does it.  Union does it.  RPI does it. The Ivies do it (They even have a formula for athlete admissions all Ivies must use).  Even the NESCAC schools do it.  The real question is how low are they willing to drop their standards, both academically and with behavioral problems.  Rolevio has seen nothing to suggest any LL schools drop their standards low enough to embarass the schools.

[Frank Rossi]

Union is good.  But I firmly believe, not even as an RPI fan, but as a football fan, that the better team lost Saturday.  It pains me to even think it, but Mr. Clown Shoes Audino out coached RPI.  Not that he did anything Super Spectacular, but he stayed consistent.  The RPI coaching decisions took a big hit  in the 4th quarter.  Thier balls shriveled up to BB's.  Too many QB draws, and not enough of what got them there.  it was sickening.  It was very dissapointed.  And RPI's defense was not good.  They made some big plays, but they got beat up physically.  There was no one to come in and smash someone's dick off.  Maybe blow somebody up 5 yards out of bounds, like AJ used to.  15 yard penalty?  Well worth the statement it would have made.  RPI needed an ass kicker on defense, and I didn't see one there.

RPI's QB is nasty.  he's good, and he'll get better.  BUT...he needs to hold onto the ball.  Although 1 may not have been his fault, the fumbles hurt them a lot, and it should have been worst case scenario 28-28 at halftime, if not 35-28 RPI, but a fumble led to a gimme score for Onion, and that proved to be the deciding factor.

RPI should be good next year, hopefully the coaching staff will show up with nuts against SJF next week, and someone on defense will make some big hits.  They need to be more physical.

LD - I gotta disagree with the analysis.  Let's remember something:  Union gave 17 points to RPI in the first half.  There were two INTs which were more unforced errors than RPI stepping up (don't get me wrong, INTs are not easy to come by, but some throws up the percentages more than others).  I think Marotti would be the first to agree with me on that one.  Union also allowed a 70-yard kickoff return to their 9-yard line.  RPI scored 17 points off these mistakes, 14 of them on 1-play, :06 second drives.

I said it after the third game of the season:  Union was the only team that could beat Union in the regular season.  You look at Coast Guard and King's Point, and what happened in each case?  Two military schools were opportunistic and revved up, converting Union mistakes or at least forcing the issue with a team that was emotionally exhausted at times.  I think every team in the LL had this exhaustion, especially Hobart (St. Lawrence and Union) and RPI (WPI and Rochester).  

If you have a hard time buying into this, let me remind you of the most odd stats of the game.  First, Union outgained RPI by about 200 yards.  Second, Union's first punt came in the...FOURTH QUARTER.  RPI rarely gave the Dutchmen a short field to work with (maybe 2 or 3 times I can remember, including the halftime error).  Once Union focused on a short passing game and strong running game mix, RPI seemed unable to stop them.

You can focus on RPI's offense all you want, but honestly, I think the game was controlled by Union's offensive play (both strong and not-so-strong moments) and RPI's defensive play (unable to stop the Dutchmen as long as Union played ball-control).  That leads to the third stat of the game that is telling:  0.  That's the number of points scored by RPI in the third quarter, the only quarter in which one of the teams did not score.  Once Union hunkered down, the clock began to tick a lot faster, and RPI could not respond with their weapons the way they needed to.

Take nothing away from RPI's effort.  I was thoroughly impressed with their push throughout the game, especially in the fourth quarter.  I applaud those players and even fear seeing Robertson for the NEXT THREE YEARS.  However, in retrospect, the Liberty League this season, including Saturday, was more a question of whether Union would make a mistake and let down their guard (allowing another team to sneak into the LL championship) or do what most assumed they would be able to do:  win each game they played.  That doesn't mean we assumed 10-0, but it means we assumed that Union was the team to beat.  And every time they went onto the field this season, teams treated them with that "bullseye" mentality.

Frank

[Senor RedTackle]

RT ~

Rumor has it, you and Ms. RT had a tough night Saturday.  Join the club my friend.....way too much alcohol was consumed in Schenectady on Saturday night also.

It was great meeting you, Lew and AJ......Thanks for not throwing Russ' ring over the fence.....

U89,

RT could tell Russ was a little nervous handing over his hardware in such a setting...no worries. Although, RT astounded by the elderly appearance of Mr.Russ....years of booze, smoking, and an some probable suspect activities must've contributed to the grey lid he was sporting at such a young age. He was a good sport though. Too bad U89 missed the late night festivities...RT called U89's cell at 1am on Sat...got some babbling, drunken person who answered.

As far as the game...RT typically keeps his thoughts to himself on the big board because he wasn't in practice all week or on the sidelines to know the real situation and when he was a player, RT hated the second-guessing casual fan. However, RT will say that he feels that the lack of any substantial pass rush or pressure on the QB Saturday significantly hurt them against a team of Union's caliber...Also, RT was surprised by a couple of drives in the 2nd half where he feels RPI deviated from what was working by trying short-yardage plays in critical long-yardage situations. But again, RT wasn't there and assumes the coaches saw something to warrant those plays.

It was a shoot-out and a wild game...also, RT thought there were some suspect calls in U's favor (the onside kick) or lack of calls (no off pass interference on one big U gain). Jimmy Robertson is probably one of the elite freshman QB's in D3 who's going to be scary over time, and RPI has alot of good skill players....they're a great team to watch!!!

[union89]

Forgot to share this one with Union89's PP friends....

On Saturday morning, Union89, RT, Lew and AJ were enjoying the first CarBomb of the day....RT seemed to fumble his a bit and ended up with half of said CarBomb on the front of his "Duck The Futchmen" white t-shirt.....Union89 saw this as a sign from above that things would be OK for the Dutchmen......

[Senor RedTackle]

Take nothing away from RPI's effort.  I was thoroughly impressed with their push throughout the game, especially in the fourth quarter.  I applaud those players and even fear seeing Robertson for the NEXT THREE YEARS.  However, in retrospect, the Liberty League this season, including Saturday, was more a question of whether Union would make a mistake and let down their guard (allowing another team to sneak into the LL championship) or do what most assumed they would be able to do:  win each game they played.  That doesn't mean we assumed 10-0, but it means we assumed that Union was the team to beat.  And every time they went onto the field this season, teams treated them with that "bullseye" mentality.

Frank

Frank just reminded RT why, in soooo many ways, RT hates Union football so much. Granted, FR gives some sound and thorough analysis from Sat early in his response to LD11 that RT actually found himself agreeing with (no small feat for RT)..HOWEVER, Frank then proceeds to end his analysis by including "Union was the team to beat in 2005" and "everyone knew in the LL this year that only Union could beat Union" or some other nonsense like that. Seriously, if you want to be Pat Coleman with your analysis Frank (which you're not...there is only 1 guru), then don't add stupid, arrogant shizz like that at the end. Stick to your mentally-draining statistical "what-if's" and speculating over all kinds of polls and matchups....having Pat in the booth with you on Sat. doesn't all of a sudden legitimize your hindsight on the 2005 season.

Just for giggles, RT looked up the preseason Upstate NY poll...actually, looks like the experts felt that other than Union beating Union, Hobart could as well....interesting preseason poll though...other than SJF, this thing was pretty right-on as far as the NCAA goes...

UPSTATE UPDATE: 1. ITHACA (seven first-place votes), 47 points, 0-0, 1 (last week)
2. St. John Fisher (two), 39, 1-0, 2
3. Hobart, 23, 0-0, 3
4. Union, 20, 0-0, 5
5. Cortland, 19, 1-0, NR

[Senor RedTackle]

Forgot to share this one with Union89's PP friends....

On Saturday morning, Union89, RT, Lew and AJ were enjoying the first CarBomb of the day....RT seemed to fumble his a bit and ended up with half of said CarBomb on the front of his "Duck The Futchmen" white t-shirt.....Union89 saw this as a sign from above that things would be OK for the Dutchmen......

...don't forget, U89, that RT quickly changed out of said white shirt into his long-sleeve RPI FOOTBALL shirt!! RT doesn't like to be sloppy in public...unless it's at a bar where he can make an azz of himself in front of broads

[Frank Rossi]

Take nothing away from RPI's effort.  I was thoroughly impressed with their push throughout the game, especially in the fourth quarter.  I applaud those players and even fear seeing Robertson for the NEXT THREE YEARS.  However, in retrospect, the Liberty League this season, including Saturday, was more a question of whether Union would make a mistake and let down their guard (allowing another team to sneak into the LL championship) or do what most assumed they would be able to do:  win each game they played.  That doesn't mean we assumed 10-0, but it means we assumed that Union was the team to beat.  And every time they went onto the field this season, teams treated them with that "bullseye" mentality.

Frank

Frank just reminded RT why, in soooo many ways, RT hates Union football so much. Granted, FR gives some sound and thorough analysis from Sat early in his response to LD11 that RT actually found himself agreeing with (no small feat for RT)..HOWEVER, Frank then proceeds to end his analysis by including "Union was the team to beat in 2005" and "everyone knew in the LL this year that only Union could beat Union" or some other nonsense like that. Seriously, if you want to be Pat Coleman with your analysis Frank (which you're not...trust RT), then don't add stupid, arrogant shizz like that at the end. Stick to your mentally-draining statistical "what-if's" and speculating over all kinds of polls and matchups....having Pat in the booth with you on Sat. doesn't all of a sudden legitimize your hindsight on the 2005 season.

Just for giggles, RT looked up the preseason Upstate NY poll...actually, looks like the experts felt that other than Union beating Union, Hobart could as well....interesting preseason poll though...other than SJF, this thing was pretty right-on as far as the NCAA goes...

UPSTATE UPDATE: 1. ITHACA (seven first-place votes), 47 points, 0-0, 1 (last week)
2. St. John Fisher (two), 39, 1-0, 2
3. Hobart, 23, 0-0, 3
4. Union, 20, 0-0, 5
5. Cortland, 19, 1-0, NR

Love ya, RT, really I do, but seriously, don't misquote me.  First, I stated it was MY belief after the third game.  The team's philosophy was 1-0 each week.  Their GOAL was 10-0.  I agreed with the polls all season that put Hobart ahead of Union because, until that game, Hobart was the last team to beat Union.  I would've placed my ballot in the same direction.  However, my personal feelings in terms of being around that team and watching (and at that point, calling) all their games showed me something I haven't felt in YEARS in terms of having all the parts they needed to move forward. 

I said it to the coaching staff on the sideline as I prepared for my halftime interview with Coach Audino:  the RPI game was a microcosm of the Union season.  Fast start, mistake-riddled middle and a strong finish against teams that didn't know how to quit.  Feel free to segregate my game analysis from my season analysis.  I'm not gloating here because I don't call the plays and I don't run the plays.  All I can tell you about is the atmosphere around the Union team this year, and regardless of what happens from here, this has been one incredibly magical season for people closely connected with it.

You know DAMNED WELL if RPI had won the game Saturday, you would've been going off on how RPI was the best team in the League all season, etc.  So, don't be a hypocrite.  I chose to keep my mouth shut last week and let the team do the talking for me on the field (hence the headline on Unionfootball.com:  "10-0 ('Nuff Said)").  The gameplay this season shows exactly what I've stated in this and my previous post:  Union was probably the strongest out of the eight LL teams this season, but there was some awesome competition throughout the LL, evidenced by the .731 non-conference winning percentage of the LL teams.  And, on the field, those teams normally gave Union all they could handle, sometimes with Union's help. 

Saying this does not turn me into Pat Coleman.  It turns me into someone who has watched this season closely and supported the LL as a whole along with his own school's team.  Wait, technically, it turns me into nothing since I did just that.

I don't have much else to say this week, except to remind Union fans on here to let Ithaca do their OWN scouting and research instead of feeding them information on the team.  Support your team by showing them your passion for them.  At this point, our own team analysis here does nothing but tip our hat to the opponents who know little about our strengths in the playoffs.  I know the players and coaches read these boards, so use discretion, post (as much as you can) words of encouragement and remember that everything from here, from a fan's point of view at least, should be considered gravy for a tremendous season.

Take my Karma down as low as you want.  I really don't give a shyt.

Frank

[Senor RedTackle]

[I don't have much else to say this week, except to remind Union fans on here to let Ithaca do their OWN scouting and research instead of feeding them information on the team.  Support your team by showing them your passion for them.  At this point, our own team analysis here does nothing but tip our hat to the opponents who know little about our strengths in the playoffs.  I know the players and coaches read these board, so use discretion, post as much as you can words of encouragement and remember that everything from here, from a fan's point of view, at least, should be considered gravy for a tremendous season.

Take my Karma down as low as you want.  I really don't give a shyt.

Frank

..ok Frank, first, RT doesn't give out negative Karma for posts that you obviously put so much passion into.

Secondly, RT would be very surprised if you ever played FB at the collegiate level because if you think coaches/players get anything tactical from this board besides some material for the locker room hype, you're crazy.  RT laughed out loud at home just now, thinking of the scene at practice at IC this week

coach: "ok guys...we've watched the films, spoken to other coaches, done our homework. We've got a decent gameplan...HOWEVER, we just got this beauty from U89 today off post patterns and we think that we may have found a tendancy in how they use Arcidiacno"

come on Frank...have the microwaves from the headphones in the booth gone to your brain? Have you ever sat through a week of film breakdown, game planning, practice, and all the other things that go into preparing for an opponent?? You are obviously a passionate supporter of Union football but you strike RT as a media type who never put the jersey on in college. Not that it's a prerequisite...our own Guru didn't play either...however, you don't see Pat alluding to any significance that these posts may carry in a team's prep for the game.

[redswarm81]

redswarm I think the rpi hockey team has a few guys that go to rpi for athletics and that might not have been able to have gotten without athletics.

RPI Hockey is Division 1.