FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Mr. Ypsi]

Happy New Year to everyone. Hope 2009 brings successes and accomplishments. I can't believe that next New Year's Eve, I'll be a married man.

How long does the bride-to-be have to regain her sanity?

Did I really type that?!

[formerd3db]

formerd3rb,

If it is true that the board of trustees has decided against the field turf I wish they would change their minds. It would not only benefit the football program, but i believe the soccer teams would benefit from it too. Even the baseball and softball teams could use the turf for some practice in February when their fields are not in good conditions.

Yes I have watched plenty of bowl games, as a matter fact I just watched my Kentucky Wildcats pull off a nice upset win. It will be a great weekend if they beat the U of L Cards in roundball Sunday.

Looks like it has been tough on the Big Ten this bowl season.

KYGrizz:

I agree with you - hopefully those Franklin people "in charge" will come to their senses.  Keep us posted. 

Also, congrats on your KY Wildcats win.  Although they ended up only 7-6 for the season, winning a record 3rd bowl game in a row is a good sign.  Not all, or for that matter not many, college teams can say that.  Besides, it was a good game and I guess that is a plus considering many people have an opinion that there are too many bowl games thus allowing 6-6 teams in.  Yet, as mentioned, the KY-ECU bowl game was not a sleeper.

BTW, concerning the bowl games, as I mentioned on another post, it is great to see that attendance is up at all these bowl games.  The Liberty Bowl had 56,135; the Orange Bowl had 73,602; and the recent "hard-hit times" Cotton Bowl had a whopping 88,175!  Even the Independence Bowl had a great crowd and the Motor City Bowl here had +46,000 and that is good. 

[Superfoot Wallace]

Personally, unless there is some turf maintenance nightmare that isn't playable to homefield advantage or a pressing need for use by more than one sport during concurrent seasons, prefer natural to synthetic surfaces.

Old school turf played like a trampoline and believe a team would tailor their strengths to this.  The new stuff, Nexturf, Sprintturf, Fieldturf what have you play eerily similar to regular turf in optimal conditions regardless cold or heat.  In the rain however, don't wear molds unless auditioning for the icecapades.

On the other hand, would have gone to see Franklin take on Wheaton had they played at the college.  The campus is picturesque and the stadium is a great venue.  Unless deemed unsafe by the NCAA, the game should have been played at THE FAUGHT^tm. 

Bad field conditions can surely work against a team's strengths and to its weaknesses as much as a team can be tailored for certain.   It has been said the NFC Norris has been a run first conference for the very reason of a cold and mucking field, but felt and still feel Franklin would have been better served playing at home.  And while it was unknown Gingg's status, the unsure footing held by Rupp and company should have been the same for Ittersagen and his men.

Guess if field turf came with underground heaters to keep the surface clean of actual precipitation would vote fyr it instead of gint it, but isn't this novelty just as applicable to natural surfaces?

signed,
Spackler the Swede

[formerd3db]

MacLeod:
You make some very valid points.  Many posters on these boards have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the new style turf at length in the past so I will try not to "overdeluge" in detail here.  Allow me to provide this example, however.  For many small schools, indeed, the maintenance factor is a nightmare.  They do not have the staff to keep natural turf field up to the high and safe standards those fields should be.  In addition, events have been cancelled - or in the Frankline example relocated - due to the extremely poor and unsafe conditions of a natural field whereas had a new style turf been available, the contest could have been held in the originally scheduled location.  Examples of this are probably more in college lacrosse than football, but it does occur in both.  Also, more teams can utilize the new style ture as KYGrizz pointed out - soccer, football, lacrosse, etc., etc.  So there are advantages for it.  Assuming a college doesn't have to renovate their entire stadium complex, for those who don't have to, the cost is well worth it for the new style turf - it is 1/3 less than the old style and for sure much safer than that "old stuff".  I have seen some nasty injuries as a direct result of natural turf in poor weather conditions and while that is not to say severe injuries can occur on the new style, they are not anywhere near the former.

Overall, I would agree with you (as I think you are alluding to? ) that it comes down to a player's personal preference as to which surface they like the best.  Yet as we know, that doesn't really count because any player regardless of being in high school or college doesn't have that choice - he or she plays on the surface they get via their school   Thanks for your opinion/comments, always insightful and appreciated.

Signed,
Louis "Flying" Japinga
 

[SaintsFAN]

Happy New Year to everyone. Hope 2009 brings successes and accomplishments. I can't believe that next New Year's Eve, I'll be a married man.

How long does the bride-to-be have to regain her sanity?

Did I really type that?!

Lindsay has had about the last 3 years to "get kicked by a mule or fall into a well". 

[70_dc_alum]

BTW, concerning the bowl games, as I mentioned on another post, it is great to see that attendance is up at all these bowl games.  The Liberty Bowl had 56,135; the Orange Bowl had 73,602; and the recent "hard-hit times" Cotton Bowl had a whopping 88,175!  Even the Independence Bowl had a great crowd and the Motor City Bowl here had +46,000 and that is good. 

no way there were 73k at the orange bowl.  in the upper deck one end was competly bare they tried to keep it off TV.  the club seating was about half full the only thin that was juiced was the lower bowl.  they may have distributed 73k in tickets but of there was 50k there i would be shocked.  it got real bad at the end with 5 minutes left after they stuffed UC on the goalline and the game was over there were only about 15 people left in the stands to see the final few minutes.  it looked like the Bengals Borwns game from a couple weeks ago at the end

bowls are a joke typically one of the teams have a "home game" and they are played in front of half full stadiums for most games.

[cave2bens]

Happy New Year to everyone. Hope 2009 brings successes and accomplishments. I can't believe that next New Yer's Eve, I'll be a married man.

She's got a mortgage on my body, now, and a lien on my soul..." 
                                             - Robert Johnson   from Travelin' Riverside Blues

[formerd3db]

BTW, concerning the bowl games, as I mentioned on another post, it is great to see that attendance is up at all these bowl games.  The Liberty Bowl had 56,135; the Orange Bowl had 73,602; and the recent "hard-hit times" Cotton Bowl had a whopping 88,175!  Even the Independence Bowl had a great crowd and the Motor City Bowl here had +46,000 and that is good. 

no way there were 73k at the orange bowl.  in the upper deck one end was competly bare they tried to keep it off TV.  the club seating was about half full the only thin that was juiced was the lower bowl.  they may have distributed 73k in tickets but of there was 50k there i would be shocked.  it got real bad at the end with 5 minutes left after they stuffed UC on the goalline and the game was over there were only about 15 people left in the stands to see the final few minutes.  it looked like the Bengals Borwns game from a couple weeks ago at the end

bowls are a joke typically one of the teams have a "home game" and they are played in front of half full stadiums for most games.

70_dc_alum:

I hear you and, admittedly, I did not see the end of the Orange Bowl with fans leaving as you relate what was seen happening on the TV.  Another one of our colleagues posted some good comments on one of the other boards regarding how bowl administrators count "paid attendance" vs actual attendance.  I was just commenting that, at least from what I saw among the bowls, while there were many empty seats, it did appear that there were more spectators in attendance as compared to other years.  Also, I was just listing was the media/newspapers listed as the attendance at these games in the box scores.   BTW, in today's paper, the International Bowl in Toronto, listed the attendance at +40,000; just for the record, of course!

[Adam Sayer]

I think I heard the Orange Bowl set a BCS Bowl record for the smallest crowd this year. I could be wrong.

The Big 10 did take it on the chin, but I'm happy Ohio State showed up and played like they were capable. It would have been nice to see Beanie stay healthy and play the whole game. Had he, I think there is no doubt he would have rushed for 200 and Ohio State would have won. Texas's defense had no clue how to stop the power run game. IF Terelle Pryor ever learns to be an accurate passer...or even Todd Boeckmann accurate, he will be scary.

[SaintsFAN]

IF Terelle Pryor ever learns to be an accurate passer...or even Todd Boeckmann accurate, he will be scary.

Impossible... for Tressel to ask him to do this is damn near impossible.  Besides, he'd have to remove Pryor's 3rd leg from his mouth so he could say the words "We need to work on your mechanics"

Trust me, I've heard women talk this way... mechanics will sound like academics or something...open to interpretation. 

[SaintsFAN]

I think I heard the Orange Bowl set a BCS Bowl record for the smallest crowd this year. I could be wrong.

I saw an open seat last night during the game. 

[Adam Sayer]

I think I heard the Orange Bowl set a BCS Bowl record for the smallest crowd this year. I could be wrong.

I saw an open seat last night during the game. 

B-Double E-Double R-U-N...Beer Run!!!!

[formerd3db]

Alright you fools, uhh...(just kidding)...I mean fellas and friends!   You guys have been awful quiet on here as of late.  I assume you all have been working very hard once "getting back to the grind" following the holiday lay-off, vacations, etc., etc.!   What are your thoughts...on anything?!!!

[formerd3db]

Clarification:  I meant to say..."thoughts on anything related to football, that is - not just 'anything'"!!!   Remember, you/we have to keep it clean and of the upmost integrity here.

[frank uible]

Clean is very difficult, integrity impossible.