FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Adam Sayer]

I was invited to try out for that team...I declined with deepest regrets I also got a text message about a team starting up on the west side (Three Rivers). They are called the Miami Valley Silverbacks. I know the guy who organizes all this and he must be one dedicated MF'er. Trying to make money and get people to play a sport where you make $3-4,000 a year is tough. I don't think he any other job.

Anyway, Have a Happy New Year and in the words of Chad Johnson, watch out for the Cinco-Cero.

[formerd3db]

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091228/SPT/312280024/1055/NEWS/Cincinnati+Commandos+are+new+team+in+town


The name is funny

I was invited to try out for that team...I declined with deepest regrets I also got a text message about a team starting up on the west side (Three Rivers). They are called the Miami Valley Silverbacks. I know the guy who organizes all this and he must be one dedicated MF'er. Trying to make money and get people to play a sport where you make $3-4,000 a year is tough. I don't think he any other job.

Anyway, Have a Happy New Year and in the words of Chad Johnson, watch out for the Cinco-Cero.

Good luck to them - he/they'll need it.  While I think it is great that there are still some opportunities for former college players to continue their careers in some capacity at least for a couple of years (while their health still allows), at the same time, in this day and age, it is certainly taking a risk (regarding one's health, a "real job" with the possibility of making a living, health care benefits - although the latter may be a big problem now due to the current government officials) and especially as you say for the low stipend they get for it.  I suppose if a player who is still single, it might be worth the risk, however, for those who are married and/or are fortunate enough to have a solid, steady job, I'm not sure the rist would be a wise one to take.  Then again, if you only get one opportunity in life to do something like that, then perhaps it might be.  Everyone has to evaluate their own situations and then make their own decision.

Yet again, with the current "track record" of these indoor teams, as I mentioned, this new owner(s) will need all the luck they can get.  The teams in Michigan in that league the past 3-4 years have not done well and for the most part are defunct.  Too bad, although I guess at least it was fun for those involved while it lasted.  

BTW, speaking of these indoor teams, I was totally amazed (shocked) at the huge number of teams that had played in these various leagues over the past decade or so.  If you go onto Wikipedia (or a similar venue), there are hundreds of teams - most are defunct though.  Wild, to say the least.

[dc_has_been]

Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!!!  See ya all in 2010!

[M and L]

The commando's! IS that for this spring or years team?

[Adam Sayer]

I don't know...I didn't go to the try out. Macke, you live over by Three Rivers, you should to the Silverbacks thing.

Congrats to the Big 10 on a very good Bowl season. 4-3 in Bowl games with Minnesota and Northwestern losing extremely close games. I think Michigan state could have won also had their entire team not been suspended. Ohio State, Iowa, and Wisconsin return a lot of players so look for the Big 10 to look like the old Big 10 next year...even if its only for 1 season.

[D3_DPUFan]

Congrats to the Big 10 on a very good Bowl season. 4-3 in Bowl games with Minnesota and Northwestern losing extremely close games. I think Michigan state could have won also had their entire team not been suspended. Ohio State, Iowa, and Wisconsin return a lot of players so look for the Big 10 to look like the old Big 10 next year...even if its only for 1 season.

Agreed. Much of Big 10 criticism has been valid in recent years. Not this time. Obviosly not at the level played in the SEC, but the Big 10 plays some pretty good football. Interesting to note that Purdue, a second division team in the league, beat Ohio State and should have beaten Oregon on the road, losing by two.

[70_dc_alum]

Too bad Michigan still sucks hurting the image. Maybe they can flirt with .500 sometime in their future again. They could add some service academy to pad the schedule like ND does

[D3_DPUFan]

Too bad Michigan still sucks hurting the image. Maybe they can flirt with .500 sometime in their future again. They could add some service academy to pad the schedule like ND does

No kidding. But another year and Rich Rod will be history...will the next coach be a Michigan Man?

[SaintsFAN]

Congrats to the Big 10 on a very good Bowl season. 4-3 in Bowl games with Minnesota and Northwestern losing extremely close games. I think Michigan state could have won also had their entire team not been suspended. Ohio State, Iowa, and Wisconsin return a lot of players so look for the Big 10 to look like the old Big 10 next year...even if its only for 1 season.

Agreed. Much of Big 10 criticism has been valid in recent years. Not this time. Obviosly not at the level played in the SEC, but the Big 10 plays some pretty good football. Interesting to note that Purdue, a second division team in the league, beat Ohio State and should have beaten Oregon on the road, losing by two.

Ohio State played well offensively, but you can also say that spread offenses don't do well when dealing with the 30 days off between the season and the bowls.  Its just science.  I'm not saying Oregon should have won because Jesus Christ himself couldn't have predicted that Tyrell Pryor would actually play like a decent (not great or anything else) QB..... but Ohio St was not the only reason for the Ducks lack of performance.  Its a timing and rhythm offense.  And even when they made a couple plays you could see it was just because of the level of athlete they have on offense. 

[SaintsFAN]

Too bad Michigan still sucks hurting the image. Maybe they can flirt with .500 sometime in their future again. They could add some service academy to pad the schedule like ND does

easy, there kemosabe...

[D3_DPUFan]

Ohio State played well offensively, but you can also say that spread offenses don't do well when dealing with the 30 days off between the season and the bowls.  Its just science.  I'm not saying Oregon should have won because Jesus Christ himself couldn't have predicted that Tyrell Pryor would actually play like a decent (not great or anything else) QB..... but Ohio St was not the only reason for the Ducks lack of performance.  Its a timing and rhythm offense.  And even when they made a couple plays you could see it was just because of the level of athlete they have on offense. 

OSU's layoff was almost a week and a half LONGER than Oregon's...and the Bucks traveled 2,300 miles. The Duck's came out and got stuffed and didn't make adjustments or plays to win the game. Don't recall other spread teams like Florida, etc. complaning in recent years about timing issues.  As for Pryor, give him his due...he made good decisions, was accurate and a leader on the field...on a gimpy knee as a true sophomore. I think the Wolverines are looking at another beat down next year.

[wally_wabash]

Ohio State played well offensively, but you can also say that spread offenses don't do well when dealing with the 30 days off between the season and the bowls.  Its just science.  I'm not saying Oregon should have won because Jesus Christ himself couldn't have predicted that Tyrell Pryor would actually play like a decent (not great or anything else) QB..... but Ohio St was not the only reason for the Ducks lack of performance.  Its a timing and rhythm offense.  And even when they made a couple plays you could see it was just because of the level of athlete they have on offense.  

OSU's layoff was almost a week and a half LONGER than Oregon's...and the Bucks traveled 2,300 miles. The Duck's came out and got stuffed and didn't make adjustments or plays to win the game. Don't recall other spread teams like Florida, etc. complaning in recent years about timing issues.  As for Pryor, give him his due...he made good decisions, was accurate and a leader on the field...on a gimpy knee as a true sophomore. I think the Wolverines are looking at another beat down next year.

I think there's something to this.  The two worst games Oregon played all year (offensively anyway) were the first (after a long offseason) and the last (after a lengthy break).  It isn't fair to say that Boise State or Ohio State didn't earn their wins (they did), but Oregon's offense clearly doesn't do well with time off.  I think Oregon was getting things going right up until the botched handoff got kicked 20 yards and out of the endzone for a turnover.  That was the game changer, IMO.  

Re: Michigan's coach....it seems pretty obvious to me anyway that when Michigan holds the presser to announce the firing of Rodriguez, there will be a 15 minute intermission (juice and cookies available, of course), followed immediately by the presser to announce the hiring of Jim Harbaugh.  The only way it doesn't play out like that is if for some reason Harbaugh wants to stay at Stanford, or Rodriguez wins 11 games next year AND beats Ohio State.  I'm a little surprised they didn't go get Harbaugh this year actually. 

[D3_DPUFan]

Oh yeah...they played real well squeaking out a two point win against Purdue at home in week two also:)....analyzing Oregon football is far beyond me...suffice it to say unless the NCAA bans the Duck's from bye weeks, off seasons and off week's between bowl games,  they probably need to focus on making plays rather than excuses (although I don't think I heard any Oregon players or coaches doing that)...

Regarding Captain Comeback...is there any lingering animosity at UM from his well publicized rant against the university for among other things, admitting borderline kids (in his opinion)? It was two or three years ago and as I remember he was pretty adamant in his criticism...

[wally_wabash]

Oh yeah...they played real well squeaking out a two point win against Purdue at home in week two also:)....analyzing Oregon football is far beyond me...suffice it to say unless the NCAA bans the Duck's from bye weeks, off seasons and off week's between bowl games,  they probably need to focus on making plays rather than excuses (although I don't think I heard any Oregon players or coaches doing that)...

Regarding Captain Comeback...is there any lingering animosity at UM from his well publicized rant against the university for among other things, admitting borderline kids (in his opinion)? It was two or three years ago and as I remember he was pretty adamant in his criticism...

Since when did Purdue become the barometer?  And while Oregon almost got beat by Purdue, didn't Ohio State more than almost get beat by Purdue?  I'm not sure what your point is.   And wasn't Purdue the week after the Boise State game?  There may have been a slight distraction that week....the fact that Oregon bounced back after Boise State and all of the crap that happened afterward to win their league, frankly, was phenomenal.  Other teams have had seasons go straight into the tank over far, far less.   

In any case, there's no excuses.  Oregon, and everybody else for that matter, needs to better figure out how to keep playing well after the regular season ends.  The quality of play in bowl games tends to be substantially worse than what we get to watch at the end of the regular season.  If only there was a way to have a postseason that didn't have to start 3-4 weeks after your last game.... 

I think Harbaugh running his mouth about UM a few years ago as the coach of PFL San Diego (or the new coach at then lifeless Stanford) probably gets met with skepticism...now that he's coaching a team that is miles better than UM even though there isn't a good reason why it should be, I think any self respecting Michigan fan would have to take him a little more seriously.  And were the UM brass upset because Harbaugh said things that were untrue, or were they upset that he went public with a legit criticism?  I seem to recall it being the latter. 

[D3_DPUFan]

Since when did Purdue become the barometer?  And while Oregon almost got beat by Purdue, didn't Ohio State more than almost get beat by Purdue?  I'm not sure what your point is.   And wasn't Purdue the week after the Boise State game?  There may have been a slight distraction that week....the fact that Oregon bounced back after Boise State and all of the crap that happened afterward to win their league, frankly, was phenomenal.  Other teams have had seasons go straight into the tank over far, far less.   

whatever...as rosanne rosannadanna says..."it's always something"...maybe Oregon wasn't comfortable in their new unis...having a different look each week has to mess with their heads ...some people spend far too much time trying to explain why teams get beat by manufacturing silly excuses...all teams face distractions, adversity, etc...part of the game...go make plays.