East Region Fan Poll

[Frank Rossi]

Frank,

If you were a cat, and I called you a cat, would you tell me that you are not a cat, but in fact you are a dog?

Depends on whether the NCAA Manual told me that I was a dog or a cat.

[lewdogg11]

Frank,

If you were a cat, and I called you a cat, would you tell me that you are not a cat, but in fact you are a dog?

Depends on whether the NCAA Manual told me that I was a dog or a cat.

The NCAA manual says you are a nerd.  :-)

[Frank Rossi]

Frank,

If you were a cat, and I called you a cat, would you tell me that you are not a cat, but in fact you are a dog?

Depends on whether the NCAA Manual told me that I was a dog or a cat.

The NCAA manual says you are a nerd.  :-)

Did we REALLY need the Manual to tell us that?!

[Jonny Utah]

The NEFC has 16 teams fighting for a Playoff spot in which they get an automatic 1.  I'm ok with this.  BUT, why doesn't the NCAA take advantage of this model, and take some crappy conferences, or even struggling conferences, and pit them up against each other to put the winner of each conference in 'play-in' game.  Like before the season, the NCAA picks the LL and the ECFC, who had poor playoff results last year, and say they need to play each other for the Pool A.  This eliminates a few Pool A teams, and opens up a few spots for Pool B and C.  And the format changes yearly of who plays who based on past season results.

I kind of hinted to this on the E8 board a while back:
I think the NCAA should be able to dictate some league/schedule policies too.  Tell the LL and E8 that they can't have a pool A bid unless both leagues take 2-4 SUNY teams.  Tell the NEFC and ECFC that they will have 1 pool A between them unless they start to play some non-league games (which the NEFC has started to do) or show that they belong.

I do understand the thought of d3sports and the "allowing" of championship access.  But here is where the NCAA can step in and tell the weaker leagues like the NEFC and ECFC that those conferences need to combine for playoffs spots, or actually play a game for those spots.  Yanks99 kind of touches on that, but the NCAA can basically tell the weaker leagues:

"hey, listen. (NEFC, ECFC, league x, league y) can only play 8 games next year because your 9th and 10th games we are going to make you guys play each other to determine the playoff bid."


It seems to me that you can never have a fair system because the schools still pick their own leagues and schedules. 

[dlippiel]

This is D3. This is about the experience of the student-athlete.

I like this post too Ralph. But I am going to make a comparison that might upset people, but I'm not trying to make anyone angry. Maybe however, it will explain my position on this issue. I'm disabled, and I've never played organized disabled sport. (I was a skiier for a long time, but that's an individual thing) One of the reasons I didn't like disabled sport was so often it was about the "experience" and winning/losing or even keeping score wasn't emphasized.

(This is true even at the supposedly higher levels like the Paralympics. The national media always makes the fact that disabled athletes are so "heroic" and "Brave" more important than the results.)

I know we don't go anywhere near that level at the D-III, but sometimes I feel a similar mentality in D-III when we start talking about "experiences". The fact that Rowan was clearly better than St. Lawrence, or that all those ASC teams have easily proven more deserving of a playoff spot than Norwich/Maritime should matter more than making sure everyone's "experience" was as good as we could make it, at least in my view.

This is a solid post Bombers...and from the mother****ig heart. +k

[Frank Rossi]

Well, I must be saying something right.  My karma has dropped about 17 points during this discussion.  I guess some people are worried that their regions and conferences would not enjoy the benefits that might not necessarily be deserved under the current system. 

ON SAXON WARRIORS!

Oh... wait... I didn't go to Alfred...

[wesleydad]

+1 back to you frank, i like most of what you are saying.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Frank,

Since I am from another region, just wanted to assure you that no smiting has come from me (mine has also dropped, but whether from here or elsewhere, who knows).

I can't agree with the nine team minimum, since (as I have argued elsewhere) I consider eight to be the perfect number.  IMO, a full round robin (or double-round robin in bball) is required for fairness - otherwise there could be great disparities in who you DIDN'T play (or, in bball, played only at home).  Likewise, IMO, any odd number is undesirable since someone has to have a bye; a meeting of two contenders where one had two weeks to game-plan and heal, while the other got the usual dings and perhaps even injuries, seems also highly unfair.  Given the above, six is too few and (currently, and properly to my mind) would not receive an AQ; ten would mean there is only one OOC game.  With an eight-team conference you can have a round robin in fball and 3 non-con games; with bball, you have a good mix of 14 conference and 11 non-con games.

[BTW, my preferred 'mix' for the non-con games is one somewhat cupcakey game for confidence, one even matchup for seeing where you stand, and one challenging game to learn how to improve - in whatever order.  The seeming overemphasis on 'two losses and forget it' makes that 'challenging' game a rather dicey proposition.]

Oh, and +1 to help combat the smiters!

[Frank Rossi]

Thanks guys.  I'd accept 8, but it might only be a temporary fix as things continue to even out.  But any increase to allow for more quality teams -- or for Pool A teams to have to legitimize themselves by posting better records -- is what I'd like to see.  It's for the good of the entire Division.  It's not just for the East's benefit at all.

[AUPepBand]

Well, I must be saying something right.  My karma has dropped about 17 points during this discussion.  I guess some people are worried that their regions and conferences would not enjoy the benefits that might not necessarily be deserved under the current system. 

ON SAXON WARRIORS!

Oh... wait... I didn't go to Alfred...

Pep will give you some +K!

On Saxon Warriors!

[Frank Rossi]

Well, I must be saying something right.  My karma has dropped about 17 points during this discussion.  I guess some people are worried that their regions and conferences would not enjoy the benefits that might not necessarily be deserved under the current system. 

ON SAXON WARRIORS!

Oh... wait... I didn't go to Alfred...

Pep will give you some +K!

On Saxon Warriors!

Thanks Pep.  Tough, tight game against U of R this past weekend.  The Rochester backup QB almost pulled a rabbit out of his hat.  Was surprised, but it bodes well for the LL if he continues such play.  Any insight into his play?

[pg04]

I won't give you +K but I will assure you that I don't recall smiting you even though I disagree with you.  I have smited you in the past but I don't think it's been in the past week

[AUPepBand]

Well, I must be saying something right.  My karma has dropped about 17 points during this discussion.  I guess some people are worried that their regions and conferences would not enjoy the benefits that might not necessarily be deserved under the current system. 

ON SAXON WARRIORS!

Oh... wait... I didn't go to Alfred...

Pep will give you some +K!

On Saxon Warriors!

Thanks Pep.  Tough, tight game against U of R this past weekend.  The Rochester backup QB almost pulled a rabbit out of his hat.  Was surprised, but it bodes well for the LL if he continues such play.  Any insight into his play?

Kennedy posed a real threat running the ball...was leading rusher for UR with 47 yards on 6 carries, coming at critical times to keep the 'Jackets' drives alive. Has an uncanny ability to avoid sacks. On final drive, facing a 3rd and 26 on the AU 46-yard-line, he hits a 35-yard pass completion, which ran the clock down to :17. Seems like a decent QB....Subick was hurt while making the tackle after he was intercepted.

That's about all Pep can offer in his limited football knowledge. 

[Frank Rossi]

I won't give you +K but I will assure you that I don't recall smiting you even though I disagree with you.  I have smited you in the past but I don't think it's been in the past week

Awwwwww... I think...

[Frank Rossi]

Well, I must be saying something right.  My karma has dropped about 17 points during this discussion.  I guess some people are worried that their regions and conferences would not enjoy the benefits that might not necessarily be deserved under the current system. 

ON SAXON WARRIORS!

Oh... wait... I didn't go to Alfred...

Pep will give you some +K!

On Saxon Warriors!

Thanks Pep.  Tough, tight game against U of R this past weekend.  The Rochester backup QB almost pulled a rabbit out of his hat.  Was surprised, but it bodes well for the LL if he continues such play.  Any insight into his play?

Kennedy posed a real threat running the ball...was leading rusher for UR with 47 yards on 6 carries, coming at critical times to keep the 'Jackets' drives alive. Has an uncanny ability to avoid sacks. On final drive, facing a 3rd and 26 on the AU 46-yard-line, he hits a 35-yard pass completion, which ran the clock down to :17. Seems like a decent QB....Subick was hurt while making the tackle after he was intercepted.

That's about all Pep can offer in his limited football knowledge. 

That's more than I knew.  PbPs and brief scripts can only tell you so much.  When I announce game simultaneous to the other LL games, it's tough to gain an appreciation for what really happens.