FB: Liberty League

[Touchdown Tommy]

Wheeeewww TDT's head is spinning.  He is trying to decipher who is full of ish here RT or the Barrister.  This is gonna be quite a cage match at Shoozapalooza.  Hope Frank has been pumping iron and working on his gimpy arm or RT may destroy the Esquire.

All I can say is RT must be sitting in his boxers ready to rip Mr. Rossi's head off in Saratoga and the Barrister is playing "Eye of a Tiger" in his office in Manhattan as it is clearly a slow day in the Judicial courts of NYC...

[Senor RedTackle]

RT-you are out of control. Utica and Endicott is a pathetic OOC schedule and does not deserve any respect. Please use your head here. RPI controls its own destiny,..but...they have not defeated teams the way one woud think they should have. How can you not agree with that? RPI plays a joke schedule early each year period. Until they beat the two or three other solid teams in the LL we have no idea what they are made of. You want your cake before you have earned it! When it comes down to it I think Joe King does this on purpose. I think he starts easy and builds up to provide his team with an early opportunity to believe in themselves and feel success. He thinks Union is crazy for starting out with Springfield each year and he would never do it. I think it is smart in one way but the in the other he cannot and does not expect his team to get national attention until they prove themselves. Which so far RPI has only done once this season in beating Hobart.

dude....go find any posts where RT is singing the praises of Utica and Endicott. You will not, EVER, find me saying that I think that RPI plays a strong out-of-conference schedule. RT agrees with your sentiment on why Coach King does what he does. The only point I keep trying to make is that, in this guy's view, the SOS is meaningless because if we don't win the LL, then it's moot since we'd be in trouble anyway by not being able to beat the early season "softies" and wouldn't/shouldn't be looking for a Pool C. RT's OPINION on why SOS is important is as a fallback on if you don't win your league.

[Pat Coleman]

Frank..for some reason, when RT asks a sincere question (for example RPI in the D3 poll), you seem to take that as an invitation to go on a tirade against RT & against RPI's schedule strength and "lucky wins".

Those subjects are very closely related. Makes perfect sense to me.

[mattvsmith]

Have to agree w/ SRT here.  RPI has beaten the teams they have needed to beat and if they don't belong in the NCAA's it will be apparent early in the playoffs.... if they make it.

Stim,

The Rev doesn't recall anyone saying that RPI doesn't belong in the NCAAs.  The argument started when RT complained that RPI should be ranked higher than Alfred in the Top 25 poll.

The Rev can't sum up the other strands of the discussion (i.e. the Rossi thread, Jose Q Viper thread, etc) because he was not in on them, but The Rev's argument is simply that RPI, being ranked 20th, is in a reasonable position...even in relation to Alfred.  Modus Tollens not withstanding, the fact that RPI beat Hobart and Hobart beat Alfred does not necessarily mean that RPI is better than Alfred.

The Rev is a little irked that when he complained about Hobart being ranked at the bottom of the polls a few years ago the RPI and Union contingents smited the sh!t out of him and told him to quit crying about the poll position; all that mattered was the record.  OK, fair enough.  But RT got on a couple days ago to bemoan RPI's position, and when others told him to be happy with RPI's position, he suddenly says that Polls don't matter.  If polls don't matter, then why bring it up in the first place?  RT shouldn't have up the polls and then come back that Polls don't matter.  That's spoiling for a fight and then saying the other guy started it.

It's very likely that next week the poll will look very different.  If Alfred loses to Ithaca, and RPI beats Rochester, The Rev reckons that Alfred will be 25 or out, and RPI will be 20 (maybe 19).  If both teams win, then The Rev thinks they will maintain position.  If both teams lose, they are both out of the top 25.  Rev's guesses.

Summary:  No one said RPI doesn't deserve an A pool slot in NCAA.  Many said RPi is in a reasonable position in the poll.  Complaining about poll and then saying it doesn't mater is B.S.  Poll will change next week.  

No one likes their position in the poll except Mt. Union.  The Rev is sure there is someone out there who thinks Saint John Fisher should be #1 and Mt. Union #2.  They're wrong, but that's never stopped a football fan from imagining that his team is being shafted.

[Frank Rossi]

Frank..for some reason, when RT asks a sincere question (for example RPI in the D3 poll), you seem to take that as an invitation to go on a tirade against RT & against RPI's schedule strength and "lucky wins". To your point: "..what if Union played Utica and Becker and led the three-way tiebreaker scenario every year because of it? You'd be the first to sit there and cry foul.".  Well 1) that hasn't been the case 'every year' so stop  speculating on "what if's" and deal with reality and 2) maybe the RPI administration is smarter than we though and kudos to them to maximizing the system for what it is...imperfect.

The fact of the matter is that for 100 years, RPI football was about as successful and popular as a condom salesman at a Ron Jeremy shoot. If the stars have been lining up to where the program is competing on a yearly basis for an NCAA bid, than this fan is happy. If the scheduling hasn't been an issue, then RT doesn't care and will let the Frank Rossi's of the world take their shots. 

And besides Frank, we all know you're smart then everyone else so RT won't debate that..........

Ummm, let's look back at my sole response to your original question about the D3Football.com poll:

Gimme an S!

Gimme an O!

Gimme an S!

· · · — — — · · ·
What do we have, RT?!

As we've discussed here, I just pointed out one of two or three reasons your school has performed poorly in the poll.

Next, and listen very carefully again...EACH of the LAST THREE YEARS...when we've run through the numbers...RPI would have won the third tiebreaker.  This is important because a three-way, one-loss tie could never be decided by the first or second tiebreakers -- it's mathematically impossible.  So, the first legitimate tiebreaker in that case is winning percentage vs. teams at or above .500.  This benefits a team that: A) has only nine games on its schedule, and B) plays mediocre teams from bad conferences.  The tiebreaker rewards the wrong things at the end of the day, and someday when it bites us all in the ass and allows RPI to backdoor its way into the Pool A slot, I don't wanna hear the collective gasping.  It's been in place for three years and nobody seems to want to open their eyes to it.  

And, as for RPI benefitting from this weak scheduling -- it's been four years since 2003.  What have you done for me lately?  There's a flip side to the Times Union article about the kid from Arizona who was impressed by RPI in 2003 and read about them on D3Football.com from last week - the flip side is that this continued poor scheduling will hurt your school long term in recruiting.  

[Pat Coleman]

Future RPI non-conference opponent:
http://www.d3football.com/school_info.php?school=Lewis+and+Clark&year=2007

(No, I'm not joking.)

[Senor RedTackle]

Frank..for some reason, when RT asks a sincere question (for example RPI in the D3 poll), you seem to take that as an invitation to go on a tirade against RT & against RPI's schedule strength and "lucky wins".

Those subjects are very closely related. Makes perfect sense to me.

of course it does.....why would RT ever expect the Guru to defend RPI

[Frank Rossi]

Future RPI non-conference opponent:
http://www.d3football.com/school_info.php?school=Lewis+and+Clark&year=2007

(No, I'm not joking.)

Well, there's no harm there for RPI -- that game wouldn't be considered in the regional rankings or SoS.  And, based on L&C's 1-28 record over the past four years, that game either won't factor into the third tiebreaker win or lose (which is a good thing generally) or provides a gimme game for RPI.  You know, there are plenty of teams in Pennsylvania, an in-region state for RPI, to play...plenty of strong teams there.  Why would they schedule this team?! 

(EDIT:  Let me say this much -- if L&C is IN PLACE OF a current team on RPI's schedule, then this is completely a joke.  However, if L&C is a 10th game for RPI, then I respect the decision a little bit more.  It would be like Union scheduling Utica -- I could live with that if it were a well-placed 10th game on Union's schedule.  However, I'd blow a gasket at Union's Athletics Department if Utica replaced a current team on Union's nine-game schedule.)

[Pat Coleman]

Frank..for some reason, when RT asks a sincere question (for example RPI in the D3 poll), you seem to take that as an invitation to go on a tirade against RT & against RPI's schedule strength and "lucky wins".

Those subjects are very closely related. Makes perfect sense to me.

of course it does.....why would RT ever expect the Guru to defend RPI

1) What's to defend?
2) Don't you do enough defending of RPI already?

[Senor RedTackle]

Future RPI non-conference opponent:
http://www.d3football.com/school_info.php?school=Lewis+and+Clark&year=2007

(No, I'm not joking.)

Damn....why didn't we schedule these guys sooner? Now THIS is the kind of team RPI needs to be playing every year!!!

And as far as polls go, the only "polls" RT cares about are the ones that are made of brass and run from the ceiling to the floor..


So back to the important stuff.........RPI cheeleaders unveil new uniforms for the rest of 2007 season

[Senor RedTackle]

Frank..for some reason, when RT asks a sincere question (for example RPI in the D3 poll), you seem to take that as an invitation to go on a tirade against RT & against RPI's schedule strength and "lucky wins".

Those subjects are very closely related. Makes perfect sense to me.

of course it does.....why would RT ever expect the Guru to defend RPI

1) What's to defend?
2) Don't you do enough defending of RPI already?

Ok.."defend" may be the wrong word. RT can't recall the last time the Guru made a comment in support of the RPI team. If there was and RT missed it, many apologies....

and yes, RT defends RPI to the hilt. Why wouldn't I?? When you spend 4 years involved in a program, giving your blood and sweat for 4 months and spending the other 8 in preperation for the other 4, then there's a loyalty that only those who've done it can appreciate. 

['gro]

Future RPI non-conference opponent:
http://www.d3football.com/school_info.php?school=Lewis+and+Clark&year=2007

(No, I'm not joking.)

L&C was supposed to be the 1st game in RPI's new stadium in 2009.  RPI's former AD (Ken Ralph) and the L&C AD know eachother.  It was mentioned but never confirmed that RPI would travel to Oregon in 2010.

Gro's not sure about the current status of this matchup.

[mattvsmith]

And as far as polls go, the only "polls" RT cares about are the ones that are made of brass and run from the ceiling to the floor...

CLASSIC!

[Tags]

Future RPI non-conference opponent:
http://www.d3football.com/school_info.php?school=Lewis+and+Clark&year=2007

(No, I'm not joking.)

Damn....why didn't we schedule these guys sooner? Now THIS is the kind of team RPI needs to be playing every year!!!

And as far as polls go, the only "polls" RT cares about are the ones that are made of brass and run from the ceiling to the floor..


So back to the important stuff.........are these really the 2007 Union cheerleaders??? If so....man, RPI is in trouble..

There he is ... +k for getting out of that rut.

[Frank Rossi]

Frank..for some reason, when RT asks a sincere question (for example RPI in the D3 poll), you seem to take that as an invitation to go on a tirade against RT & against RPI's schedule strength and "lucky wins".

Those subjects are very closely related. Makes perfect sense to me.

of course it does.....why would RT ever expect the Guru to defend RPI

1) What's to defend?
2) Don't you do enough defending of RPI already?

Ok.."defend" may be the wrong word. RT can't recall the last time the Guru made a comment in support of the RPI team. If there was and RT missed it, many apologies....

and yes, RT defends RPI to the hilt. Why wouldn't I?? When you spend 4 years involved in a program, giving your blood and sweat for 4 months and spending the other 8 in preperation for the other 4, then there's a loyalty that only those who've done it can appreciate. 

As you get older, you generally learn that you can remain VERY loyal while speaking with honesty and candor.  For as close to the RPI Athletics Department as you are, you'd be most potent by suggesting loudly to the powers that be that they need to reconsider some of their scheduling policies if you believe, as you posted earlier, that Endicott and Utica are not beneficial to the future of RPI's football program.  That's why I get irritated with your posts -- the Rev pointed it out well earlier -- you're flip-flopping and defending points that just aren't germaine.