FB: Liberty League

[D3viewer]

I wonder if Ithaca will ever get turf ?

[AUPepBand]

Timing may not be great for Hobart, but not good for Brockport either. They will go into the Hobart game somewhat blind in terms of what defense Hobart will be running. Last year's film will no longer be very helpful. They will have to make an educated guess what Hobart will be running, and probably have practice against extra multiple fronts and coverages in preparation.

Cragg's teams have run 4x4 for 25+ years, so I doubt that'll change (could also be a reason David left, but you never know). Statesmen have had a pretty epic run of LBs last 5-6 years if you think about it and they'll have two new starters in the OLB positions in 2017 which hasn't happened in quite some time.

That, and how Hobart fills the graduation of Testani at C, are the biggest position stories for this preseason camp, IMO, for the Statesmen.

Can you imagine opening the season at Ithaca this particular season? Pep has no idea what to expect from the "new" Bombers at ButterField, a particular venue at which the Saxons haven't had a whole lot of success. Wondering if they'll cut the grass before the opener?

****ing hilarious Pep! +k

Dlip's Dutchmen have also struggled at Butterfield. However dlip has to say that is his favorite venue in all of D3 football and probably college football in general (that he has visited)! He absolutely loves the setting, the ****ing gravel and exposed land underneath the old grandstand and press box. There is something about it to dlip, a feeling. Awesome place!

Pep loves the venue as well. Gorgeous view of the lake and the elevated home grandstand cut into the hill is awesome. A storied stadium, no doubt, as well.

With admission of bias here, of course, Pep prefers "The Pit" of Yunevich Stadium. 

On Saxon Warriors!

[Bombers798891]

I wonder if Ithaca will ever get turf ?

I hope not. I like football when it's played on a football field, not a multi use field with colored lines everywhere. I understand why budgetary concerns make multi use fields a necessity, but there's something I just don't like about them when I'm watching a football game. But Ithaca built a state-of-the-art field with lights in 2011 for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey, so I suspect they don't need it.

[wally_wabash]

I wonder if Ithaca will ever get turf ?

I hope not. I like football when it's played on a football field, not a multi use field with colored lines everywhere. I understand why budgetary concerns make multi use fields a necessity, but there's something I just don't like about them when I'm watching a football game. But Ithaca built a state-of-the-art field with lights in 2011 for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey, so I suspect they don't need it.

Endorsed.  Your football field should not look like a craps table. 

[HansenRatings]

Decided I'm going to spam every conference board with my preseason (non-returning-starter-adjusted) projections.

Team	Rating	Overall	Conference
Hobart	0.8736	7.7-2.3	3.8-1.2
SLU	0.8020	6.5-3.5	3.3-1.7
Ithaca	0.7792	5.3-4.7	3.1-1.9
RPI	0.6438	4.7-5.3	2.3-2.7
Union	0.5424	5.6-4.4	1.8-3.2
U of R	0.2736	2.5-6.5	0.7-4.3

Hobart is probably a much more solid #1 than their conference record suggests thanks to who they have returning, but with basically everyone but Rochester projected to finish 0.500 or better, it's not exactly a easy conference slate, especially considering that everyone but Union & Rochester has at least a Top 40 defense.

PS I really hope I have the conference members correct for next season 

[jknezek]

I wonder if Ithaca will ever get turf ?

I hope not. I like football when it's played on a football field, not a multi use field with colored lines everywhere. I understand why budgetary concerns make multi use fields a necessity, but there's something I just don't like about them when I'm watching a football game. But Ithaca built a state-of-the-art field with lights in 2011 for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey, so I suspect they don't need it.

Endorsed.  Your football field should not look like a craps table.

Neither should your soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse field. But the reality is, for many schools, it is cost prohibitive to maintain surfaces for all these sports. Especially those that are in opposite seasons like lax and the fall sports.

Frankly I think soccer really loses something played on turf. I can't say the same about the other sports and think lax and field hockey are better on an artificial surface. Football has both pros and cons in my mind. Regardless, we might not like the aesthetics, but it makes financial sense to have multi-purpose fields, especially as colleges get financially squeezed.

[AUPepBand]

I wonder if Ithaca will ever get turf ?

I hope not. I like football when it's played on a football field, not a multi use field with colored lines everywhere. I understand why budgetary concerns make multi use fields a necessity, but there's something I just don't like about them when I'm watching a football game. But Ithaca built a state-of-the-art field with lights in 2011 for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey, so I suspect they don't need it.

Pep absolutely LOVED the grass of the pre-artificial turf days at Merrill Field. Pep's grandfather was superintendent of buildings and grounds and took great pride in the condition of that field, at one time written up as one of the finest football fields in the East (probably as determined by an association of buildings and grounds superintendents). Football and cross country were THE fall sports at Alfred and, therefore, the field was utilized four times a year for home football games, once or twice for commencement (neighboring Alfred Ag and Tech used it for their commencement, too) and perhaps once or twice for ROTC drill exhibitions.

With the addition of soccer, in the mid 1960s, AU had plans to expand its athletic facilities with an athletic complex on Jericho Hill (elevation 2355 ft.). A cinder track, soccer field and football field were established there. Soon thereafter, the soccer team felt slighted, playing their games on the wind-swept hill at temperatures on average 10 degrees colder than Merrill Field, in the valley, some 700 feet below. Aside from the weather, the Jericho Hill fields required a bus ride for players and made it difficult for them to attract crowd support.

At Alfred, an artificial surface (and we've had some horrible turf installed in the past) was a solution. There just isn't any other AU campus real estate flat enough on which to construct additional athletic fields, save the remote Jericho Hill location. AU still uses Jericho Hill as back-up for practices on grass, while the old soccer field is used by the Alfred Rugby Club.

On Saxon Warriors!

[ITH radio]

Hobart's 9/30 game at Butterfield is a big one, given the expectations the Statesmen have this season. Hobart has never won at Butterfield - all five wins in their series against Ithaca have been at the Boz.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

There are a lot more schools who are going with painting on lines, instead of having them stitched in. One advantage to this is they can shift the fields in multiple directions (especially if they get their turf field a little larger than the minimum). That ends up giving schools a longer warranty on their fields.

The other thing they will do is stitch in just the corners or important marks of a field (see Roanoke College) so they can paint the lines from A to B every time and they are correct.

There are pluses and minuses to turf fields and lines, but many who have to consider a turf field with multiple lines have to consider a grass field with multiple lines as well - though, certainly would rather not.

I, as a former collegiate soccer player, don't like all the lines. I, as a broadcaster don't like all the lines. However, I am not about to tell an administration how they should spend their money. I will suggest ways to make it as best an experience for student-athlets and fans... and one of the two ideas above work well.

[Jonny Utah]

There are a lot more schools who are going with painting on lines, instead of having them stitched in. One advantage to this is they can shift the fields in multiple directions (especially if they get their turf field a little larger than the minimum). That ends up giving schools a longer warranty on their fields.

The other thing they will do is stitch in just the corners or important marks of a field (see Roanoke College) so they can paint the lines from A to B every time and they are correct.

There are pluses and minuses to turf fields and lines, but many who have to consider a turf field with multiple lines have to consider a grass field with multiple lines as well - though, certainly would rather not.

I, as a former collegiate soccer player, don't like all the lines. I, as a broadcaster don't like all the lines. However, I am not about to tell an administration how they should spend their money. I will suggest ways to make it as best an experience for student-athlets and fans... and one of the two ideas above work well.

I think Ithaca college is also lucky in that they have a lot of land, and for a long time had many fields for different sports with room to put stands around them.

Football has 3 nice grass fields just for practice.  I do remember using Cornell a few times during heavy rains for practice:

http://www.cornellbigred.com/sports/2007/7/30/RaminRoom.aspx

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Having land is a great asset. My alma mater is restricted in it's growth of sports (though, will never consider football with it's history of being an all women's college and it's alumae being PISSED that individuals like myself were allowed to attend)... because it doesn't have a lot more room to grow without destroying what makes it great. Of course, they sold a ton of land they did previously own, but that was well before athletics became such an important part of college life.

[Bartman]

Decided I'm going to spam every conference board with my preseason (non-returning-starter-adjusted) projections.

Team	Rating	Overall	Conference
Hobart	0.8736	7.7-2.3	3.8-1.2
SLU	0.8020	6.5-3.5	3.3-1.7
Ithaca	0.7792	5.3-4.7	3.1-1.9
RPI	0.6438	4.7-5.3	2.3-2.7
Union	0.5424	5.6-4.4	1.8-3.2
U of R	0.2736	2.5-6.5	0.7-4.3

Hobart is probably a much more solid #1 than their conference record suggests thanks to who they have returning, but with basically everyone but Rochester projected to finish 0.500 or better, it's not exactly a easy conference slate, especially considering that everyone but Union & Rochester has at least a Top 40 defense.

PS I really hope I have the conference members correct for next season 

So, as a Hobart and LL fan I noted that 2 of the top 3 E8 teams as rated by Hansen are on Hobart's schedule this September.....if we can prevail in these early season tests it could be a good sign for the season....but it will be a tough September with Brockport and Fisher along with 2 Hobart alum HCs at Endicott and Shenandoah  looking to upset their alma mater ...an early season gauntlet all at home...can't wait for the Boz in September 

[hopefan]

ok guys... going to Hector for Saturday wedding, staying in Ithaca (with wife) Thursday/ Friday/Saturday... with rental car... suggestions for sight-seeing? must hit restaurant (with great view) for lunch or supper?  I'll be sure to check out the football field, and hopefully basketball venue.. I played and coached hoops in late 60's through mid 70's under Bill Kalbaugh at RPI... remember IC as a shiny new court at that time.. don't think we played football against them until after I left...

[ITH radio]

Been a couple of years, but have heard good things about:

http://www.theheightsithaca.com/

Also, I think I went to Agava which is a newer farm to table / Southwest style place that had a nice bar.

Ithaca itself is scenic in its own right from the gorges to a nice downtown that has great food, music and other shops.

Trumansberg is a nice little town worth visiting as well, but unfortunately the famous "Rongo" closed last year. Probably worth hitting the Taughannock Falls State Park there as well.

I believe you'll find several ale and other breweries have popped up and there are several wineries up Rt 89 and nearby worth checking out.

Geneva is only about a 45 min drive north if you want to see Hobart and/or Seneca Lake which is worth a visit too.

[d3fan142511]

Pre Summer Rankings:

1. Hobart
2. Ithaca
3. SLU
4. Union
5. RPI
6. Rochester