The Big Dance

[PaulNewman]

Gosh...now I feel even sicker.  What a waste.

[Bobcat1]

And Calvin is the first team in the Final 4...a potential semifinal with Messiah awaits.

Messiah? I thought Calvin played the winner of Chicago/Luther.

[blue_jays]

Gosh...now I feel even sicker.  What a waste.

Why? Those 2 Calvin goals in second half were top notch and their attacking talent is superb. Doubt Kenyon would have done better honestly.

[Flying Weasel]

And Calvin is the first team in the Final 4...a potential semifinal with Messiah awaits.

If I'm reading the brackets correctly, Calvin will get the Chicago/Luther winner in the first semifinal and Messiah/Rochester is paired with Tufts/MSU in the second semifinal.

Here's the bracket: http://www.d3soccer.com/ncaatournament/2018/men/2018-mens-printable-bracket.pdf

[PaulNewman]

Gosh...now I feel even sicker.  What a waste.

Why? Those 2 Calvin goals in second half were top notch and their attacking talent is superb. Doubt Kenyon would have done better honestly.

Disagree....but we'll never know so it doesn't matter in the least.  Pretty sure, though, that Calvin got what they wanted at each stage of the bracket.  Case can feel great about getting to the Elite 8 for first time in program history.  Kenyon would have felt just as bad losing in the Elite 8 as they did not advancing last night.  But beyond my homerism, I really was hoping Case would get through (and I think they were good enough to get through and last night probably drained them a little).

[blooter442]

Messiah? I thought Calvin played the winner of Chicago/Luther.

Ah, yes...the commentator mistakenly said Messiah. I think I knew it would be Chicago or Luther but didn't bother question it upon hearing it at first.

[calvin_grad]

It's predestined to be Calvin vs. Luther in the semis, right?   

[OldMCGuy]

It's predestined to be Calvin vs. Luther in the semis, right?   

Nice!  that is one of my 95 theses 

[NEsoccerfan]

We get it Messiah fans: you have the toughest road to the final 4, your best players are injured, the weather has cost you a home game, and playing on turf hurts you. All teams have to play with some level of adversity.

Sheesh!  You clearly do not get it.

No Falcon fan has claimed we have the toughest road to the Final Four.  I personally don't think any sectional is significantly tougher or easier than the others.

No one has claimed all our best players are out injured--Nick West is playing, Luke Groothoff is playing, etc., etc.  Talking about the affect of players missing due to injury is a natural thing to do.  It's not making excuses to discuss the reasons for a team to be underperforming as Messiah clearly was in the first half and suggest that the absence of a player as central to what Messiah does as is the case with Ruiz Plaza might be a significant contributing factor.

No Falcon fan has lodged a complaint about the change of venue (OK, I did because it meant I couldn't be at the game). 

I personally don't think turf hurts us as much as some other fans because I've seen us play awfully well on turf including in last year's Sectional.  And I'm not convinced our problems today were due to the turf.

"It might indeed be the case that Messiah will have the toughest road to the Final Four, as has been suggested." - Falconer

"Quite possibly, Ruiz Plaza is the most skillful handler in the tournament--and now he's not in the tournament." - Falconer

"The change of location may cost Messiah its 12th championship." - Not from a Messiah fan, but adding to the echo chamber.

"Turf field also not our best surface." - Rudy

YOU clearly don't get it hahahhahaha.

I love watching Messiah. They are one of my top 3 favorite teams. Great coach and great players. As far as you fans though...

I also said no excuses. Read my entire statement.  Truth is they play on grass all year so yeah it effects them some. What are you Mr Rights brother.

Saying no excuses and then following it up with an excuse is the same as saying no offense and then following it up with an offensive statement - it renders your prefacing statement moot.

Nothing I said was inflammatory, and I'm not even arguing any of the above quotes. My only point was the echo chamber of excuses/complaints was starting to get quite redundant - that's all.

[NEsoccerfan]

Back to back years with 3 UAA teams in the elite 8 - quite impressive IMO. Let's see if they can repeat with 2 in the final 4. If Chicago or Rochester can win it all, id argue the UAA is the top conference over the last two years.

[Flying Weasel]

Saying no excuses and then following it up with an excuse is the same as saying no offense and then following it up with an offensive statement - it renders your prefacing statement moot.

Nothing I said was inflammatory, and I'm not even arguing any of the above quotes. My only point was the echo chamber of excuses/complaints was starting to get quite redundant - that's all.

So what is permissible and what is off-limits in pre-game discussion and analysis?  To me, it's completely natural to mention potential factors that could influence how a game plays out.  Countless TV and radio and podcast hours are spent every day on pre-game analysis breaking down and analyzing every conceivable angle from injuries, current form, home field advantage, team playing styles and how they match-up, player match-ups, grass vs. turf, outdoor vs. dome, weather, turn-around time from previous game and distance traveled, re-matches, etc., etc., etc. Mentioning that so-and-so was not cleared from concussion protocol and will not be unavailable is interesting to know and interesting to speculate how impactful the loss may be and what adjustments to the line-up the coach might make beyond a straight substitution.  Discussing how defensive-minded Team A, whose home field is on the narrow side, might perform on max. width field is interesting.  Mentioning weather and field conditions and discussing how that might have different effects on different playing styles and how each team might deal with any adverse conditions seems to be valid and interesting discussion points to me. And on and on.  We don't have full-blown media coverage by neutral analysts and talking head to do all this pre-game analysis for us, and most of us do not know enough about the other teams out there to speak intelligently about their injuries, key players, playing style, etc., so we are left with fans (yes, partisans who sometimes have biases and blinders) bringing to the table what they know about their team.  Engaging in the discussion of any of these and the countless other pre-game topics is not necessarily "making excuses" or complaining.  At least I didn't think it was. 

And as far as it becoming an echo chamber (and there are other echo chamber on this message board), once one fan of Team X mentions something are all other fans of Team X prohibited from chiming in with their take on the same issue lest it start feeling like an echo chamber? 

What you guys are wanting does not seem fair or reasonable to me.  That's all.

[Flying Weasel]

Back to back years with 3 UAA teams in the elite 8 - quite impressive IMO. Let's see if they can repeat with 2 in the final 4. If Chicago or Rochester can win it all, id argue the UAA is the top conference over the last two years.

Yes the UAA has really turned around their tournament record which was pretty dismal until a few years ago.  It has certainly made the D-III landscape more diverse and interesting with more and different teams that are capable making that deep run towards the Final Four.  What a season for Case Western. Bianco did a great job with them this year.  And Chicago is Chicago. Quite a team. Quite a set of players. Possibly the best team over the last three years but without a title . . . yet. We'll see if they can go out with the big one this year.

[NEsoccerfan]

Saying no excuses and then following it up with an excuse is the same as saying no offense and then following it up with an offensive statement - it renders your prefacing statement moot.

Nothing I said was inflammatory, and I'm not even arguing any of the above quotes. My only point was the echo chamber of excuses/complaints was starting to get quite redundant - that's all.

So what is permissible and what is off-limits in pre-game discussion and analysis?  To me, it's completely natural to mention potential factors that could influence how a game plays out.  Countless TV and radio and podcast hours are spent every day on pre-game analysis breaking down and analyzing every conceivable angle from injuries, current form, home field advantage, team playing styles and how they match-up, player match-ups, grass vs. turf, outdoor vs. dome, weather, turn-around time from previous game and distance traveled, re-matches, etc., etc., etc. Mentioning that so-and-so was not cleared from concussion protocol and will not be unavailable is interesting to know and interesting to speculate how impactful the loss may be and what adjustments to the line-up the coach might make beyond a straight substitution.  Discussing how defensive-minded Team A, whose home field is on the narrow side, might perform on max. width field is interesting.  Mentioning weather and field conditions and discussing how that might have different effects on different playing styles and how each team might deal with any adverse conditions seems to be valid and interesting discussion points to me. And on and on.  We don't have full-blown media coverage by neutral analysts and talking head to do all this pre-game analysis for us, and most of us do not know enough about the other teams out there to speak intelligently about their injuries, key players, playing style, etc., so we are left with fans (yes, partisans who sometimes have biases and blinders) bringing to the table what they know about their team.  Engaging in the discussion of any of these and the countless other pre-game topics is not necessarily "making excuses" or complaining.  At least I didn't think it was. 

And as far as it becoming an echo chamber (and there are other echo chamber on this message board), once one fan of Team X mentions something are all other fans of Team X prohibited from chiming in with their take on the same issue lest it start feeling like an echo chamber? 

What you guys are wanting does not seem fair or reasonable to me.  That's all.

I understand your points, and I don't disagree. I'm not the referee on what is or is not permissible, nor do I purport to be. Anyone on here is free to say what they want, and that includes me. My initial comment was not prescriptive or a directive. It was a mental observation sprinkled with some hyperbole and sarcasm, that I chose to share on the thread. To me, it was starting to sound like you three/four were preparing excuses /justifications in the event of a loss v. Cortland. Even as a Messiah supporter myself, I found that to be vexatious. Had I known it would have offended you guys to the point I'd receive negative karma, I would have kept my thoughts to myself. Good luck against Rochester today (no sarcasm that time).

[Bobcat1]

Tufts up 4-0 on MSU at half. Wow!!

[Flying Weasel]

Rochester 1, Messiah 0 at halftime.

The play-by-play guy made one comment/observation which deserves repeating.  Messiah is winning the possession battle, but Rochester isn't giving them any good looks, and Messiah is a team that doesn't shoot unless the have a good look.  He captured it nicely.  And that doesn't just apply to today.