FB: Liberty League

[redswarm81]

Last night's MNF finish . . .

Listen, mistakes happen.  However, this is the third week for replacement officials after a month of preseason.  I can't figure out how they're still missing blatant situations and messing up baseline mechanics (like discussing differences of opinion before dueling signals).  I know the replay rule prevents an overturn of the call since the call on the field was simultaneous possession (that semantics problem needs to be changed by the NFL immediately), meaning the initial call is magnified and more problematic than normal.  The NFL needs to make some concessions -- and get the standard refs back on the field.  If a flag football ref can interpret the rule correctly, the NFL needs to think about who they have on the field right now.

The mistakes have been so egregious and so elementary that I am forced to conclude the replacements are colluding with the locked-out referees.  It makes sense: public outcry, the fans demand that NFL ownership do whatever they must to return "real" officials to the field.  So the locked-out referees get their contract demands. . . .

. . . which they split with the replacements, without whom the referees would have been locked out AND out of luck.

[mattvsmith]

Rev's predictions

Hobart, Rochester, RPI, Springfield.

[ITH radio]

Favorite/best comment in ATN was "The LL has perhaps the most wild swings of any conference, capable of being in the top ten or bottom handful."

Hey, at least we keep it interesting. 

This weekend's line up:

Hobart vs. WPI* @ 12 pm - Bart looks to go 5-0 (and there's no snow in the forecast)
SLU vs. UofR @ 12 pm - SLU still looking for first win, Rochester looking to get to .500
RPI vs. USMMA @ 2 pm - RPI has gotten tripped up by the Mariners in recent years
Springfield vs. Union @ 6 pm - Look for a lot of scoring under the lights in this one

*WPI offers a free video stream

[ITH radio]

Rev's predictions

Hobart, Rochester, RPI, Springfield.

ITH's predicts the Rev is having a great birthday.  Happy b-day Rev!

[mattvsmith]

Looks like I only successfully predicted 2/4 of the LL games. Congrats to Union for putting the stink to Springfield. Makes the Rev more confident that Hobart can handle them.

[mattvsmith]

Rev's predictions

Hobart, Rochester, RPI, Springfield.

ITH's predicts the Rev is having a great birthday.  Happy b-day Rev!

Thank you. It is nice to wake up to good news and a broken record or two. I can't believe three statesmen went for over 100 yards in a single game. Sl-LAP!

[ITH radio]

Scheduled to appear on tonight's ITH including:

Matt Noonan of Massachusett's "Noontime Sports Blog" on Hobart and Union's big wins over WPI and Springfield
Charley Green of Coach for the Cause MD
Rochester Head Coach Scott Greene
USMMA QB Alex Coviello on the Mariners 34-31 win over previously undefeated RPI

Will also discuss whether the ATN LL ranking at 16th is a "diss" or "the truth".  We'll also preview next weekend's matchups including Springfield-Hobart, Union-WPI, SLU-RPI and UofR-MMA.

[ITH radio]

Thanks to Pat Coleman for being a surprise guest tonight on ITH and discussing the national landscape.  Check out the archive to hear his comments:

www.inthehuddlle.com

[mattvsmith]

Rev's picks for Oct 6:

Hobart
Union
St Lawrence ok, ok, RPI
Merchant Marine

[ITH radio]

It would be nice to see SLU get a win.  Rough season so far for the Saints.

Remember SC-HOB kicks off at 12pm, all other LL games are at 1pm this weekend.

[ITH radio]

Scheduled to appear on tonight's show are:

Union HC John Audino
Hobart's JR OLB Devin Worthington
Rochester's SR OL and Co-Capt Dylan Hoffman

We'll run our weekly highlight reel ("ATL"), discuss the season to date, preview next weekend's games (and maybe throw in a surprise or two).

Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM ET to www.inthehuddLLe.com or catch us on the archive.

[res ipsa loquitur]

Hard to take the poll seriously right now.  Hobart hangs a 36 point beat down on SJF last year while they were ranked.  Now they get smoked and we beat a good Springfield team, but Bart's not within 34 points of SJF?  N Central, whose loss is to a 2-3 team (UW-LC), ahead of both?  Heidelberg?  Really? With their opponents 2-23, and Coe and C-M on the outside looking in?  Some major shark-jumping going on. 

[ITH radio]

Hard to take the poll seriously right now.  Hobart hangs a 36 point beat down on SJF last year while they were ranked.  Now they get smoked and we beat a good Springfield team, but Bart's not within 34 points of SJF?  N Central, whose loss is to a 2-3 team (UW-LC), ahead of both?  Heidelberg?  Really? With their opponents 2-23, and Coe and C-M on the outside looking in?  Some major shark-jumping going on.

Going to discuss on the show tonight.  While I don't necessarily agree SJF "got smoked" (they were only down by 4 with 6:32 to play in the game) by Salisbury yesterday, the Cardinals have taken advantage of the current system with regards a high ranking. 

Bottom line is they hung tough against the #7 team in the nation.  Can't ding them for that IMO.

[pg04]

Is Springfield really that good? They lost to Fitchburgh something or other. When Hobart defeats a good team wake me up. The win last year against Fisher doesn't really mean much now, especially since Fisher advanced 2 rounds further in the playoffs.

...Until then, they probably aren't going to move much in the polls.

[Pat Coleman]

... and it was last year and this is Week 7 coming up.

Nothing new -- our voters generally don't punish a ranked team for losing to a higher-ranked team. Counterproductive, if you ask me.