FB: Liberty League

[Doid23]

What happened when they tried to go back to D3?

The Hobart Trustees voted to return to D3 in the late 2000's, but they got a ton of resistance from the alumni, and eventually backed down and stayed in D1. Like Union in hockey, they were grandfathered in D1, but without scholarships. Hopkins was grandfathered as well, but since they always had scholarships, they were allowed to maintain them.

[Ice Bear]

It is what it is.  I think Hobart would like to be in a league like the Patriot or even the American East, but being kind of a "newer" d1 team in a division with a weak tradition of "leagues", Hobart kind of found itself as the odd man out.  Not having scholarships also must hurt the program big time.

Hobart Lax is in no mans land. Can't compete in D1, and can't go back to D3 (saw how that went over when they tried a few years back). It's a shame, Hobart back in the day in D3 was like UCLA under Wooden.

Pumpkin head lax was the mother****ing shiznit back in the day. They were unreal...for real.

[ITH radio]

Yeah the PL years were mostly 2000-04. The move to the ECAC is what brought guys like Foley and others to advise / petition for the D3 move as the Statesmen just couldn't compete with the Big money University schools like Denver and OSU. And I'm sure the travel costs were budget busters too, especially for a D3 school. 

There was a rumor Vincent would / could try to reverse the scholarship issue given a position he had with the ncaa advisory but that was probably more of a rumor than anything (I learned a lot in my last trip back in September).

[IC-Films]

RE The RPI-Ithaca matchup, I think the grass will be a bigger factor than most people are expecting.

We've gotten rain almost every day this week, and the field will be absolutely soaked. The last time Ithaca played a home game with a field this bad was 2016 against Morrisville. Just stepping on the sidelines, my boots would sink 6" into the ground. The Bombers won 31-0 with then-backup Adam Fron playing most of the game.

Rumor is RPI is coming in early on Friday to do a walk-through on the grass, we'll have to wait and see if that helps.

[Ice Bear]

RE The RPI-Ithaca matchup, I think the grass will be a bigger factor than most people are expecting.

We've gotten rain almost every day this week, and the field will be absolutely soaked. The last time Ithaca played a home game with a field this bad was 2016 against Morrisville. Just stepping on the sidelines, my boots would sink 6" into the ground. The Bombers won 31-0 with then-backup Adam Fron playing most of the game.

Rumor is RPI is coming in early on Friday to do a walk-through on the grass, we'll have to wait and see if that helps.

...don't think it will

[Machiavelli]

RE The RPI-Ithaca matchup, I think the grass will be a bigger factor than most people are expecting.

We've gotten rain almost every day this week, and the field will be absolutely soaked. The last time Ithaca played a home game with a field this bad was 2016 against Morrisville. Just stepping on the sidelines, my boots would sink 6" into the ground. The Bombers won 31-0 with then-backup Adam Fron playing most of the game.

Rumor is RPI is coming in early on Friday to do a walk-through on the grass, we'll have to wait and see if that helps.

Listen all y'all, it's a Sabotage!!!!

[Oline89]

RE The RPI-Ithaca matchup, I think the grass will be a bigger factor than most people are expecting.

We've gotten rain almost every day this week, and the field will be absolutely soaked. The last time Ithaca played a home game with a field this bad was 2016 against Morrisville. Just stepping on the sidelines, my boots would sink 6" into the ground. The Bombers won 31-0 with then-backup Adam Fron playing most of the game.

Rumor is RPI is coming in early on Friday to do a walk-through on the grass, we'll have to wait and see if that helps.

Listen all y'all, it's a Sabotage!!!!

Come on, if anyone can figure this out with 2 days before game time, its the egghead Engineers!  RB velocity= 2(depth of mud) x Height of grass - Cleat length x weight of fullback......

[Bartman]

It is what it is.  I think Hobart would like to be in a league like the Patriot or even the American East, but being kind of a "newer" d1 team in a division with a weak tradition of "leagues", Hobart kind of found itself as the odd man out.  Not having scholarships also must hurt the program big time.

Hobart Lax is in no mans land. Can't compete in D1, and can't go back to D3 (saw how that went over when they tried a few years back). It's a shame, Hobart back in the day in D3 was like UCLA under Wooden.

Many Hobart Lax supporters wanted to keep the rivalries with Syracuse and Cornell and the move back to D3 would have eliminated these games as SU and CU had no incentive to schedule us. It probably made sense just to move back to D3 and play the LL, but alums were up in arms. Although from a giving standpoint, the Lax alums were a bit more vocal than generous, quite frankly, although perhaps for the Urick stadium that may have changed.  The current NEC is a good conference for the team and  we have won the tournament and remain competitive(except for last year).  We had an NCAA tournament appearance in 2016 ,but  it is kinda like D3 football, the top teams have a recruiting/ talent advantage, so a D1 NCAA title is really a long, long shot with no Scholarships. I know there has been talk to re-approach the NCAA, but I am not sure where that sits. A move back to D3 is no guarantee of the glory years as the competition has escalated tremendously in the last 20 years. So, a return to 12 consecutive NCAA championships on any level is virtually impossible with the increased popularity and recruiting competition on all levels....but that was an amazing run.

[Oline89]

For the benefit of all, HWS dedicated the "stadium" to our beloved lacrosse and football coach Urick on September 29, at a non football game Homecoming:

" the Colleges named the stadium at the Caird Center for Sports and Recreation in Urick's honor. Following the dedication ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 29, the arena became known as Boswell Field at David J Urick Stadium."

The BOZ is the field of play, not the stadium, not the Sports and Recreation Center....we appreciate and love alumnus Caird and Coach Urick......but the game is played on THE BOZ....in fact patches of the earth from the old BOZ (current approximate location of the Library) were placed at the site of the current BOZ physically connecting the games of the past to the present......when a Statesman plays on the BOZ, the energy of the past great performances become your energy.....defend THE BOZ ......it is no guarantee of a win, but a win is expected.

This is great history lesson, exactly the kind of story all present gridiron players need to hear!

[UfanBill]

So last week I made note that the Liberty League has been honored by D3football.com with a Team Of the Week nominee in each of the first four weeks. With only St. Lawrence playing week #5 the onus was on them to keep it going. Alas the Larries did have the LL Special Teams player of the week, punter Jackson Reaper and Rookie, LB Amir Mells, but neither caught the eye of the D3 gurus. Go figure. ... With this weeks stint of key games someone is bound to step up. 

[Pat Coleman]

We're always glad for any Liberty League nominations we receive!

[UfanBill]

   I've been reading all the posts concerning Union/Hobart by you pumkinheads this week. Why?...because as the great Charlie Harper once said "it amuses me." Ive seen the excuses. Lurker Eva asking how the Statesmen will respond to "being the hunter not the hunted."...Oline 89 saying the "D is lost", "does not work" and hoping they're "healed."...Bartman picking Union and then saying "I hope I'm wrong" because " stopping Union is problematic." and  the "talent level isn't good enough" while wishing the Statesmen could "bring back Tyre Colemen" and "hold Union to 28." How about Union "has not played a team with our talent at QB and WR." I think they have everyday in practice! And how about Union's "non league schedule' well we beat the best of New England. You guys didn't.  Even the learned JB says Union's better "on paper".
   Then there's the distractions. What do you think about the name of our field? or how's the Lax program? or how the Yanks are going to do.    One guy who's part right is RPI guy Jonny Utah who says "I think Union is the better football team" as he inexplicably joins Mach to pick a Hobart victory. Genius.
   Here in Garnet Nation there's no need for excuses or distractions. We are thrilled at the way our football team is playing. If you want to see D1 talent look at Andre Ross Jr. or teamwork, watch the Union defense. Come Saturday when we're likely to see "balls in the air" it will probably be a long TD pass Bellamy to Beal. Last year a (worse) Union team got out to an early lead and held off a (better) Hobart. This week look for Union to strike early and sustain the pressure. You know I kind of like Bartman's prediction so I'll also go Union 28-21. Maybe I'll even have a beer!
   
   

[Pat Coleman]

RPI guy Jonny Utah

IC a problem with this description.

[Machiavelli]

   I've been reading all the posts concerning Union/Hobart by you pumkinheads this week. Why?...because as the great Charlie Harper once said "it amuses me." Ive seen the excuses. Lurker Eva asking how the Statesmen will respond to "being the hunter not the hunted."...Oline 89 saying the "D is lost", "does not work" and hoping they're "healed."...Bartman picking Union and then saying "I hope I'm wrong" because " stopping Union is problematic." and  the "talent level isn't good enough" while wishing the Statesmen could "bring back Tyre Colemen" and "hold Union to 28." How about Union "has not played a team with our talent at QB and WR." I think they have everyday in practice! And how about Union's "non league schedule' well we beat the best of New England. You guys didn't.  Even the learned JB says Union's better "on paper".
   Then there's the distractions. What do you think about the name of our field? or how's the Lax program? or how the Yanks are going to do.    One guy who's part right is RPI guy Jonny Utah who says "I think Union is the better football team" as he inexplicably joins Mach to pick a Hobart victory. Genius.
   Here in Garnet Nation there's no need for excuses or distractions. We are thrilled at the way our football team is playing. If you want to see D1 talent look at Andre Ross Jr. or teamwork, watch the Union defense. Come Saturday when we're likely to see "balls in the air" it will probably be a long TD pass Bellamy to Beal. Last year a (worse) Union team got out to an early lead and held off a (better) Hobart. This week look for Union to strike early and sustain the pressure. You know I kind of like Bartman's prediction so I'll also go Union 28-21. Maybe I'll even have a beer!
   

If there's a vote for 'Douchiest Post of the Year' at year's end, this one is my front runner thus far. Well done.

[Jonny Utah]

   I've been reading all the posts concerning Union/Hobart by you pumkinheads this week. Why?...because as the great Charlie Harper once said "it amuses me." Ive seen the excuses. Lurker Eva asking how the Statesmen will respond to "being the hunter not the hunted."...Oline 89 saying the "D is lost", "does not work" and hoping they're "healed."...Bartman picking Union and then saying "I hope I'm wrong" because " stopping Union is problematic." and  the "talent level isn't good enough" while wishing the Statesmen could "bring back Tyre Colemen" and "hold Union to 28." How about Union "has not played a team with our talent at QB and WR." I think they have everyday in practice! And how about Union's "non league schedule' well we beat the best of New England. You guys didn't.  Even the learned JB says Union's better "on paper".
   Then there's the distractions. What do you think about the name of our field? or how's the Lax program? or how the Yanks are going to do.    One guy who's part right is RPI guy Jonny Utah who says "I think Union is the better football team" as he inexplicably joins Mach to pick a Hobart victory. Genius.
   Here in Garnet Nation there's no need for excuses or distractions. We are thrilled at the way our football team is playing. If you want to see D1 talent look at Andre Ross Jr. or teamwork, watch the Union defense. Come Saturday when we're likely to see "balls in the air" it will probably be a long TD pass Bellamy to Beal. Last year a (worse) Union team got out to an early lead and held off a (better) Hobart. This week look for Union to strike early and sustain the pressure. You know I kind of like Bartman's prediction so I'll also go Union 28-21. Maybe I'll even have a beer!
   

If there's a vote for 'Douchiest Post of the Year' at year's end, this one is my front runner thus far. Well done.

And yea, I didn't go to RPI.   I actually played football at IC in the 1990s.  RPI didn't even have a football team then.