The Big Dance

[blooter442]

Wow I go out to dinner and missed all that. Deeeeeep breaths everyone...

(Not that I haven't been involved in my own squabbles on here, but sometimes it just takes someone outside of the situation saying it.)

[blooter442]

Just took the train home which takes me right by Bello...nobody on the field but the lights were on and the snow was falling and it was illuminated by the lights. Pretty cool scene, but it'll all be gone by tomorrow methinks.

[Flying Weasel]

Does anybody know if Rochester streamed the first round game they hosted but didn't play in last weekend (St. Lawrence vs. Brockport St.)?  If so, was there commentary?  Just curious what to expect since I'm 90% sure I won't be making the trek up to Rochester for a variety of reasons.  Really, really bummed about this.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Does anybody know if Rochester streamed the first round game they hosted but didn't play in last weekend (St. Lawrence vs. Brockport St.)?  If so, was there commentary?  Just curious what to expect since I'm 90% sure I won't be making the trek up to Rochester for a variety of reasons.  Really, really bummed about this.

If they streamed any games, they have to stream all the games. Commentary is supposed to be the same: do for one; do for all. Rochester tends to be the type of department that will adhere to those rules.

[Golden_Fan]

Does anybody know if Rochester streamed the first round game they hosted but didn't play in last weekend (St. Lawrence vs. Brockport St.)?  If so, was there commentary?  Just curious what to expect since I'm 90% sure I won't be making the trek up to Rochester for a variety of reasons.  Really, really bummed about this.

Yes, they streamed all the games they hosted last week. They were having some technical issues before the first round games but hopefully they have that sorted out. Also, the commentary was cringe worthy

[lastguyoffthebench]

Tufts v Amherst---------I have written about these teams all year so there really is not much else to say at this point.

...followed by 755 words about Tufts vs. Amherst.   

Ur a pain in the ass as well....-k for being an annoyance

You get a -k, you get a -k!
Oprah, eat a snickers.... (takes a bite, Mr.Right appears).

[PaulNewman]

LGOTB....well played...and thoughtful.

[watchers on the ball]

You're not still smarting from Williams being sent packing by a mediocre PA school, are you?!?

LoL YAS queen! Mr. Right needs to take off the NESCAC goggles. Good thing we used up all those Pool C's on NESCAC schools... Oh wait, how many made it to the round of 16?  I'm so tired of NESCAC being referred to as elite and above everyone else, especially Mid-Atlantic schools like Eastern. If they don't win the game, it's because "they weren't playing well" or "they had an off day".  It's never that they were beat by a better team. And of course NOW you are saying Messiah has the easiest route, after the fact of beating Hopkins... +k to rudy if I had them

[PaulNewman]

I should have left the lull alone....and I probably shouldn't venture into writing out loud what I'm thinking but I'm not great at that kind of restraint (even though I've been working on it).

It's clear that the trigger was the "you ought to get out more" comment (no doubt intended more innocuously than it was taken but I admit I took it similarly) more so than disagreement about who has easier or easiest sectionals.  And I can see why especially after some repetition of an opinion (i.e. easiest path) that feels like a slight to a particular fan group that someone (or more than one) from that fan group would take exception and/or counter.  That all seems totally normal, and frankly I would have been surprised if there wasn't any pushback.  I have no interest in wading into the easiest sectional debate, other than to say I think that the perceived distance between Messiah and its section-mates, virtually any year, impacts how hard of a draw we view them as having.  Maybe less so this year (but only a smidgen less so), you could plug almost any threesome of teams in with Messiah and 90-95% of us folks who follow this stuff will predict Messiah advancing with little to no hesitation.

I think there is a much bigger dynamic at play which provides the context for and also the fuel for periodic irritations and annoyances, which, when voiced, of course leads to expressions of counter-irritations and/or robust defenses.  And let me be clear that the dynamic isn't only applicable to Messiah but also to any perceived dynasty -- UCLA with John Wooden back in the day, the NE Patriots, Duke bball, Alabama football, etc, etc.  What is a little different with Messiah, at least for those of us who lean far more secular -- and I don't want to go deep down that road -- is how the school's mission/orientation impacts (or doesn't at all) how Messiah fans approach following their team, expectations for their team, any presumptions about how most or every season should turn out, and whether there is any suggestion that the rest of us should feel worse for Messiah's boys when they falter, etc, etc.  I could be wrong but there over the past handful of years have seemed to be fans of and slants towards a larger group of Christian-centered schools (and I know in part that's because several have very strong soccer traditions, but still....)

Among non-Messiah fans, I'm sure there is a range from rival fans who don't like 'em, to neutrals who don't think about Messiah at all to neutrals who appreciate the product on the field, to fans who actually like Messiah, like watching them play, and have a very respectful appreciation for the tradition and the young men who are and/or are becoming a part of that tradition.  I generally consider myself to be in the latter category.  Now, I'm not going to cheer for the Falcons to win yet another title, but I like the program in general, seriously appreciate the tradition and how good they are each year, and I am inclined to believe that the players truly are wonderful, genuine guys who will do good things in the world after graduation.  The atmosphere at Messiah is like none other I've experienced (with OWU close behind) and I was blown away during my one evening at Shoemaker Field.

All that said, if I take what Messiah fans here post in aggregate....and I'm not going to get the words exactly right so don't focus too much on any single word...I (speaking only for myself) experience some entitlement, presumption, over-associative bias, and sort of a insular prism through which all things come back to Messiah.  I'm going to try to keep this short instead of going into a whole dissertation....but other schools have great stories and families too...and it's sad when anyone's career ends with a loss (or at the very elite levels of D3 without a Final Four appearance or without a title)...but it's not tragic, and it's certainly not more tragic or more alarming when Messiah loses once in a while or has injuries or whatever...and other teams can have injuries and titles and whatever independent of Messiah or comparisons or switch of topics back to Messiah....Just as one very clear example, and I do genuinely appreciate the poster and enjoy reading his posts...but OWU can be cited as winning the 2011 title without an immediate morph into the play by play of Messiah's great goals against OWU in the first game of that season with a reminder that Messiah won the game.  Listen, I have been plenty guilty of doing this exact thing -- taking a topic or event and linking in a connection or way to get a word in about my school -- but I have tried to be more mindful...and my school isn't Messiah, with that tradition or with anywhere near the vocal fan base on this site.

FWIW, IMO Messiah has had a tough draw and that continues.  We know Cortland has had a fine year and at least on paper should provide some legit resistance.  I know Rochester would show well, and perhaps the dynamics with Eastern would be just strange and homey enough to facilitate what would be viewed as a major upset.  And then, assuming Messiah moves on, in theory Tufts could be waiting for in a national semi.  I for one have wanted to see a Messiah-Tufts rematch...and I hope we do although I am less confident about Tufts getting out of this weekend despite my overall very high confidence about Tufts.

Not trying to be provocative....but rather attempting to give voice to something that always feels like it is in the air and difficult/awkward to mention or discuss.

[PaulNewman]

You're not still smarting from Williams being sent packing by a mediocre PA school, are you?!?

LoL YAS queen! Mr. Right needs to take off the NESCAC goggles. Good thing we used up all those Pool C's on NESCAC schools... Oh wait, how many made it to the round of 16?  I'm so tired of NESCAC being referred to as elite and above everyone else, especially Mid-Atlantic schools like Eastern. If they don't win the game, it's because "they weren't playing well" or "they had an off day".  It's never that they were beat by a better team. And of course NOW you are saying Messiah has the easiest route, after the fact of beating Hopkins... +k to rudy if I had them

You quoted the single line in FW's otherwise very well done response that IMO easily could have been omitted.

There are a lot of things you can say about Mr.Right but saying he is a shill for NESCAC is not one of them.  A big fan with a lot of knowledge, yes, but also brutally critical at times as well.  And there are very few here, other than perhaps a FW, who knows more about D3 in general.  You also appear not to have noticed that he has cheered and backed less known and less elite New England colleges on many an occasion.

[2xfaux]

+K for Climate Science as the East Sectional heads from the "frozen ..now soggy..tundra" of Shoemaker Field to the balmy shores of (ever warming) Lake Ontario.  Thank goodness there were no flights involved.  I have to wonder if a second year of November problems spells the beginning of the end of the wonderful grass on Shoemaker.  I certainly hope not.

[blooter442]

Not trying to be provocative....but rather attempting to give voice to something that always feels like it is in the air and difficult/awkward to mention or discuss.

The whole response was very well written Paul, +k. I tend to agree with that one line being the trigger, although I think it was meant in jest and I have certainly said similar things, or at least things of similar nature. And while I'm not defending Right's -k comments, I will 100% go to bat for him in saying he is not a NESCAC shill and like Paul said also roots for many non-NESCAC New England teams (RWU, Gordon, Brandeis, Babson). He does not mince words but I think is generally fair.

[Mr.Right]

Thanks PN...Glad there are still some that can be fair for both sides of the argument and that there are people who pay attention to posters full body of work.


Now that it has been concluded that Messiah has the toughest draw in the NCAA Sweet 16 and will be facing off against world-beaters Cortland St tomorrow afternoon it looks like Vegas has been influenced as well by Falcon Nation as they have Cortland as favorites in that game. Even though we have been told over and over throughout the season that Messiah fields about 6-7 D1 players in their starting lineup it will just not be enough against Cortland.


Ok.....back to reality...Has anyone seen this Penn State-Behrend team play? I am assuming tonight's match against Calvin will be a half-field scrimmage with PSU-Behrend having 10 players behind the ball? On second look though this team has not allowed a goal in the first 2 rounds and have managed 2 goals themselves in two 1-0 victories. I was surprised to see them shutout Lycoming and then John Carroll for the second time this season. They come from a historically weak league the AMCC and I would be guessing but I assume this is the farthest a team has gone coming out of this league. They also were pretty even in the SOG category against both teams. Wondering if they can give Calvin a fight because if they do not than Calvin will have a significant advantage over the winner of Kenyon/Case because they will be able to rest players.

[watchers on the ball]

I can read, so, yes, I have seen Mr. Right say nice things about other teams. However, I don't have time to read 6 paragraph wordy essays. I stand by the NESCAC bias.

P.S. Thanks for the two karma points, guys!!!

[Mr.Right]

I can read, so, yes, I have seen Mr. Right say nice things about other teams. However, I don't have time to read 6 paragraph wordy essays. I stand by the NESCAC bias.

P.S. Thanks for the two karma points, guys!!!

It is not my fault you have the attention span of a 5 year old so you are free to pass over my "wordy" essays. I take pride in my work and it is really not meant for everyone BUT that means you cannot just turnaround a blast my Nescac biases if you do not have the patience or intelligence to read my work. You should keep ur trap shut. Funny you bring up Eastern since they did lose to one of Nescac's worst teams Wesleyan 1-0...I should give you a -k for ignorance but I will give you a pass because your new.