FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[consultant]

Interesting news out of New Orleans today......

Click here.

Anybody need a new conference member?  


Edited for formatting.  Thanks, Ralph

[Ron Boerger]

UNO fits the ASC profile better than the SCAC profile; a large state school (8600 undergrads) would disrupt the conference dynamics.   They also don't support many sports and will have to add just to get to the D3 minimum.

Centenary for the SCAC makes much more sense.

[awadelewis]

Anybody need a new conference member? 

I've been talking about it with people on the Future of D-III and ASC boards.   Ron's right about UNO being a better fit with the schools in the ASC than the SCAC as their demographics are more like what you see at places like UT-Dallas or UT-Tyler.  UNO has strong club teams in football and soccer so it wouldn't be a big stretch for them to add those sports.   

It's interesting to speculate what might happen with Centenary and UNO moving down to D-III and Huntingdon and Lagrange looking for new conference homes.   One can wonder what might happen if those schools joined with some of the easternmost schools in the ASC and some of the schools in the SCAC who are getting hammered by travel cost to form a new conference.   I can see some interesting times ahead for both the ASC and SCAC.

[FerricMajor82]

Frank,
In regards to your post about an "old timer" killing the mood in the lockerroom, I would say that it didn't change much (at least not at Millsaps while Harper was there).  If you shoot me your e-mail address I will send you some post practice videos of Harper and Jay Buck participating in locker room shenanigans (yeah, I said shenanigans).  Also, is there anyway that I could get a copy of Harper's DVD.  That film crew was all over the place my senior year, and tended to get in the way, but I never got the opportunity to see the full DVD.  Could you burn a copy?
Shoot me an e-mail and I will be sure to pass along the vidoes of Harper and Buck.
dtcutter@gmail.com
-Cutter

p.s.  Having Harper around was a pain in the butt though.  It didn't change the dynamics of the team, but he did get in the way, and served as more of a distraction.  I hated when he would come to the fraternity house and try to hang out.  His film crew would follow him around, and it proved to be extremely annoying.

[Tex]

I'm 48 and this conversation twist has me thinking.  I"m sitting here recovering from knee surgery.  I had my leg half dead earlier this year.  I have a broken bone in my wrist that I've had since highschool.  If I don't sleep on a good mattress, my back hurts.  If I run more than a 440, my heart feels like it's going to burst out of my chest.

So, yeah, if someone my age or older is going to try and play college ball, they better be the kicker.  I can only imagine trying this young mans game at my age.  What I benefit from with all these years of experience is quickly overshadowed by reality.

[frank_ezelle]

Just to follow up on my original post, I was on the USA Today website and saw a link to a video about the 61-year old kicker.  The story ended up mentioning that this man is planning to write a book on fitness and aging.  Why am I not surprised by that revelation?!?  Cutter, I'll see if I can find that DVD--it's 50-50 on whether I kept it.  It's not very impressive so you haven't missed much.

Link to video:  Click here.

(Oh and by the way, while the guy might be a decent kicker for a 61-year-old, it looks like he has no business as a kicker on a college team.)


Edited for formatting.  Thanks for the link.  Ralph

[historymajor]

Hey, I'm 61,,,  6-7 380+,,,,  and have joked about the fact that I have eligibility left,,,  but come-on....  I'd rather take out the guy from Ft Hood.....

[Tex]

Hey, I'm 61,,,  6-7 380+,,,,  and have joked about the fact that I have eligibility left,,,  but come-on....  I'd rather take out the guy from Ft Hood.....

You and that terrorist have so much in common Bob.  I think a date night would be great.   

Thanks for all you do for Tiger Football my friend.  I've "forced" to watch three games this year over the net and have been very grateful for all you do. 

[TigerDad]

Frank / Tex / historymajor / FerricMajor 82;

Not surprisingly, I think we're all on the same page about Mr. Thompson.  No disrespect to him intended, but the story sounds like he's working on a book deal, not playing football.  When I watched the video of him toe-kicking a 20-yard FG, I thought, "Wow, that's not a real kicker, is it?"  I did not, on the other hand, think "Hey, I could do that!"  Nope.  Not in my world.

I know for sure that our players and coaches would be 'horrified' if I trotted out onto the field in pads (or God forbid, shorts and a tee shirt) for football practice ... and I'm only 51.  What the heck can you do with a guy like that on your team?  You can't take a shot at him in drills, you can't make fun of him, you don't want to stand next to him in the locker room or shower, you don't want to sit with him or be his "roomie" on the road trip.  Yikes. 

True, Brett Favre is (successfully) pushing the upper age limit in the NFL at 40, but those guys are getting PAID.  If he doesn't perform, he's gone.  At 61, nobody's really a tackle football player, are they?

In a walk-on, all-comers-welcome, D3 program like Austin College (or Trinity), what would you expect the coach to say when a TV reporter pushes a microphone in your face with camera rolling?  "He's too old ... we don't like him?"  He's gonna give the coach-speak answer, "Yeah, he's working hard ... one of the guys ... blah, blah."  Then you'd wish that Grandpa gets tired of it on his own and trots off the field without being asked to leave.

No disrespect, but the guy needs to run triathlons or compete in the Senior Olympics.  Oh, wait ... no book deal or TV interviews on that one.

I'll be in Sherman tomorrow hoping #91 Tom Thompson K 5-8 185 "GR" on the AC roster never takes the field.  Perhaps if our Tiger Black Flag defense does their job, the 'Roos won't get a chance to kick a FG or point-after.  I'll be there to watch about 30-40 guys who will be playing their final game in a college uniform tomorrow ... some I know pretty well.  It would be a shame if there was a circus of photographers and rubber-neckers on hand to watch and be disappointed if #91 doesn't play.  Or, worse yet, ONLY report on him if he does.

Sorry for my bad attitude, but to me, it's about the players, especially this week.

Add my two cents to frank's and the others who chimed in  ...  I think we're over a dime and counting up.

[TigerDad]

You and that terrorist have so much in common.

Silence.  I kill you!

[Tacttm1]

To All:  I have been quiet on our Board thus far this week.  It has been a conscious decision out of respect for so many.

The 'many' include all of the athletes that are preparing to suit up for their last real competitive football game.  Those seniors, or even graduates with eligibility, who have shed their sweat since childhood, learning and playing a game they have grown to love.  Players who waited nervously by a bulletin board in a school locker room or clubhouse to see if their name was listed a member of the team or if they would have to wait one more season to pursue their passion.  Young men that struggled with the demands of sports, academics and personal lives; who learned to incorporate a girlfriend into the demands of time and who often pushed parents or step-parents away as they sought that elusive life balance.  Athletes who went to sleep with the burden of an important reception dropped or field goal pushed wide, of a fumble made or a tackle missed, of opportunities squandered or energies misspent.  The same athletes who greet the new morning with the knowledge that they have been given one more chance at gridiron redemption, one more chance to enter the arena and 'get in the game.'  To those athletes who are preparing for that final chance, I give my appreciation and my respect.

The 'many' also includes the parents, step-parents, guardians and mentors of the athletes.  What emotions you must have as you near the culmination of your young man's sports career.  The memories of an early morning or late evening drive to the practice field, the extra 'reps' at home, the breathless anticipation of watching a boy enter his first huddle and the all-encompassing pride as four, eight, ten or even fifteen years later they clap hands one final time and emerge from that huddle, seemingly suddenly, a man.  How much love and pride expressed by a nod, a handshake, a hug, a kiss or a tear-filled gaze cast across a cinder track as easily as a dining room table has you freely given? Miles of travel, hours in booster club activities, bank accounts full of fees, uniforms, cleats, camps, doctors' bills and awards banquets with nothing asked in return; no quid pro quo for victories or recognition, only enjoyment as its' own reward.  To these also, my respect for your years of faithful, selfless commitment.


'Many' includes the coaches.  Men and women who have devoted so much of their lives to forming our children, not just as athletes, but as people. Coaches who were workmen or lawyers during the day, but put the whistle around their neck and became a teacher in the afternoon.  What did they ask in return for deciding a little league roster, nurturing the stars while not discouraging those who were less gifted, comforting children through their first experience with loosing?  I dare suggest not much was asked in return other than effort and passion.  For those long hours, impactful moments, mounting responsibilities and helping make the parents work easier, I offer my respect.

Finally, to the 'many' fans who have offered their support to those players closing this one chapter of their young lives.  On their behalf, thank you for cheering when they entered the field, hobbled up from an injury or pranced away victorious.  Thank you for your silence when mistakes were made, games were lost and tears flowed.  Thank you for sharing winning seasons, losing streaks, cold rainy nights, games played under diminishing light, our sons' achievements, defeats, failures, coaching changes, injuries, passionate play and helping us realize there is always another day.

Except sometimes, there just isn't.


My thoughts and prayers will be with all of you throughout the Conference and Division during this final week and playoff period for safe game days and joy-filled, peaceful lives.

[TigerDad]

Tacttm1 ... thank you for your thoughtful post.  A very eloquent tribute which will be received by many readers, especially tomorrow as most teams will finish up their season.

Allergies must be bad today ... probably something in the air this weekend.

[Tex]

Man up Baer. No allergies in Sheman today! 

[Tex]

7:20AM in Sherman. There's already a biker in the bar sucking down a beer and a cancer stick. Nice. I hope this hotel was a great rate for the team. What a place.

[Ron Boerger]

DPU 7, Wabash 6 at the half.  DPU has moved the ball well but an INT and a blocked FG have hurt.  The latter, with less than a minute in the half, resulted in Wabash' only good drive (6 plays, 72 yds).  DPU blocked the XP.  Wabash also missed a short FG on their opening possession.

Trinity 7, AC 0 at the end of the first quarter.  Looks like Andy Braly is out, not sure why.  Roos opened with a 50+ yard Hasten run on the first play from scrimmage but fumbled a couple of plays later inside the TU five.    Robert Davidson has been steady at QB for Trinity w/6-7 passing in the opening stanza.  

Millsaps up 14-0 on BSC as the second period gets underway.

Rhodes 7, Sewanee 6 in the battle of cellar dwellers, second quarter.

Oops, Phillip Gonzales just scored from 47 yards out, and it looked like the old guy (Thompson) hit the PAT.