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South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 18, 2017, 10:31:24 am »
Eyes closed, hopes open. The definition of fandom. We all go that route sometimes.
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32
South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 18, 2017, 09:26:23 am »TigerFan
With out a doubt UWP is one of the best teams in the country; at year end their record might not reflect that because of the conference schedule.
Just come to the game and enjoy watching a really good team play; if HSC can stick with them, it would be fair to have lots of optimism for the pending odac schedule. Good news, HSC gets to play against a really good team on it's home field, better than the Wabash team we had the pleasure of watching, and Wabash was really good that year. Again, heat, humidity and travel could be our friend.
I'm not sure I would say that. The Wabash team in 2014 was darn good. Lost to their rivals away and the National Champions and the 2015 team lost only to the National runner ups. Both those teams were really, really good. UWP will probably be of similar quality, but I'm not sure they will be better. Might be. Hard to compare back over seasons like that of course.
33
Men's soccer / Re: World Cup and European leagues
« on: July 17, 2017, 04:13:53 pm »
Well the U.S. won the group. They looked better in the last game. Reinforcements called in. Some players left I was surprised about, but 3 of those sent home had either asked or known since before the camp that they were only playing in the group stage. Dwyer seems odd, but if you are bringing in Jozy and Clint, and intend to play them, you might as well release him. He played well, but not well enough to really break into the main team.
And we're off to the elimination games. So hard to be interested in this faux team and faux tournament.
And we're off to the elimination games. So hard to be interested in this faux team and faux tournament.
34
South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 17, 2017, 09:34:13 am »
And what crystal ball was needed to know Plateville would be a dominant team? As I understand it this game was scheduled AFTER last season. Why would the 3rd best team from any league scare any team planning (as most teams should be in September) to win their conference?
Because teams 1 and 2 in that conference made deep playoff runs, one was the national runner-up, and UWP lost to them both by less than 10 points? UW-P also made the tournament and lost by 1 in the first round. H-SC on the other hand lost by 3+ touchdowns to the ODAC champion, who lost in the first round by 3 touchdowns. I don't think we can just flat out ignore the difference in quality between the WIAC, where teams 1 and 2 made the quarters and finals respectively of the DIII tournament, and the ODAC, where team 1 lost, badly again, in the first round.
Scared? I don't know. I doubt teams are really scared when taking the field. But putting our head in the sand about the relative difference between the WIAC and ODAC is a little silly.
35
South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 14, 2017, 04:03:01 pm »
Poutine is one of my favorite non-American/non-ethnic foods. Fries, brown gravy, and cheese curds. Not to shabby. A cheese curd by itself is like a warm beer. If you need one, it's there.
The only poutine I ever had was at the Canada Pavilion in EPCOT. It was awful. I've been assured that it was not representative of real poutine, but I just don't see it offered too many other places.
36
South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 14, 2017, 03:26:08 pm »They could always hit up Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin estate at Spring Green, and they could probably pass it off as educational. Of course I have no idea if it's anywhere near Platteville, like DC or Appomattox are to HSC.
I've been to Taliesin. I'm thinking not many college kids would really care. And D.C. isn't exactly around the corner from HSC, but I was just having fun. I mean, who doesn't enjoy a good cheese curd? And beer boiled brats. But yeah, it's an awkward game that definitely was a match made by necessity.
37
South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 14, 2017, 02:23:37 pm »probably was a short conversation given the fact 4 ooc games are needed. the conversation at HSC to play UWP was short and swift as well.
HSC: You got an open date?
UWP: Yeah.
HSC: Good. Sold.
UWP: Wait, who's travelling where?
HSC: Hey, WIAC team, no one wants to play you. Get on a bus and beat our butts. We don't need to travel and get p!ssed on. Plus, you are in Wisconsin. You got nothing other than The Dells and we can't even hide that as educational. Take your kids to D.C. and show up on the right time and place. Don't let your kids go out partying the night before and it will all work out. Understand?
UWP: Uh, yeah. You got some cheese curds or do we need to bring our own?
HSC: Cheese curds... what the he!!? Just show up, ok? We want 10 games.
38
Men's soccer / Re: World Cup and European leagues
« on: July 14, 2017, 10:54:00 am »Assuming that the USMNT qualifies for the WC in 2018, Arena is trying to find the players to round out his 23-man roster. In the case of this edition of the "experimental" Gold Cup team, weeding players out -- i.e., eliminating them from consideration -- may be the best he can hope for.
I understand this, but here's the thing. This is our Federation championship. We shouldn't be sending weakened teams to this event, especially since it is held here in the States. It drives me nuts. I wish we only did this once every 4 years like the other Federations. We might actually take it seriously then. But all those Caribbean nations need the money it brings to just field teams. So we have to play it twice and we send embarrassing teams like what we fielded the other night. They might be wearing the shirt and getting the caps, but does anyone really consider that our National Team? The team I saw at the end of the January camp, playing an exhibition against Jamaica in Chattanooga, was a better team than what we slapped on the field in our Federation tournament. That's sad.
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South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 14, 2017, 10:48:05 am »Jk
I agree, the odac will be interesting this year and hard to predict. I think the bottom dwellers (SU & HSC) might pull an upset that will provide the ultimate winner the trophy, followed by a really bad post season experience for the odac champ.
Yeah. Probably. I couldn't even tell you who I think the bottom dwellers will be. I think Shenandoah does OK this year. They lost their beast of a runner, can't remember his name, maybe Delaney? But I believe they bring back a lot and Yoder is going on year 3, so his guys should be filtering into starting positions. Early season game at Hobart will be interesting for them. The OOC schedules this year actually include some really tough teams. That is rare for the ODAC. But with Shenandoah playing Hobart, W&L playing JHU, Bridgewater taking on TMC, HSC playing UWP, and Guilford hitting up Huntingdon, the OOC doesn't look as sad as usual. Unfortunately I'm not holding out a lot of hope for any of those results. I don't think we will be favored to win any of them. That does not bode well for the eventual champion.
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Men's soccer / Re: 2016 South Atlantic
« on: July 14, 2017, 09:07:30 am »Ugh! Just when the ODAC makes adjustments to conference scheduling and finally gets two NCAA bids, they're going to add two weak soccer programs (Ferrum and SVU).
Disappointing to say the least.
I don't think the ODAC will add SVa as a member institution. They added Ferrum 100% to solve the football scheduling problem.
The article may be wrong, but it does state that SVU has made "overtures" to the ODAC because they will not be a good fit for the CAC once Marymount and Wesley (2 smaller private schools) leave. They get killed by the big D3 public schools.
The ODAC basically had an open application competition because they needed a football school. That process as the overture. Ferrum "won" or was chosen from that competition. SVa is going to have to look elsewhere. The ODAC has no need for another member, so unless they are going to throw SVa a bone for some reason above and beyond why they didn't get an invitation in this last round, the overtures have come to a conclusion.
41
Men's soccer / Re: 2016 South Atlantic
« on: July 13, 2017, 01:18:35 pm »Ugh! Just when the ODAC makes adjustments to conference scheduling and finally gets two NCAA bids, they're going to add two weak soccer programs (Ferrum and SVU).
Disappointing to say the least.
I don't think the ODAC will add SVa as a member institution. They added Ferrum 100% to solve the football scheduling problem.
42
South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 13, 2017, 01:15:53 pm »It's interesting. Last year I had a pretty good feel that RMC was going to be really good. The year before we all knew Guilford was going to be good. Before that, you could rely on H-SC being pretty good. This year? I'm really at a loss. I have no idea who I would pick as the favorite, the likely competitor, and the dark horse. Something is whispering Bridgewater in my ear but I don't trust that whisper. It's like whispering E&H. You are bound to be disappointed.
Emory & Henry is returning (assuming graduating seniors are the only attrition, which may be a stretch considering what I've heard about E&H):
78% of OL starts
98% of rushing attempts
100% of passing attempts
87% of passes caught
Easy to see them (potentially) getting better next year.
The problem with E&H is not the quality of their athletes in my experience. It's the ability to focus for a full game and not make mental mistakes and then start yelling at each other and getting chippy with each other and the opposing team. Maybe this will be the year that doesn't happen.
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South Region football / Re: FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
« on: July 13, 2017, 10:59:50 am »
It's interesting. Last year I had a pretty good feel that RMC was going to be really good. The year before we all knew Guilford was going to be good. Before that, you could rely on H-SC being pretty good. This year? I'm really at a loss. I have no idea who I would pick as the favorite, the likely competitor, and the dark horse. Something is whispering Bridgewater in my ear but I don't trust that whisper. It's like whispering E&H. You are bound to be disappointed.
44
Men's soccer / Re: World Cup and European leagues
« on: July 13, 2017, 10:09:12 am »Where's the 'results matter' crew today, after we got punked & nearly beaten by an amateur side that isn't recognized by FIFA?
This would be a good time for the 'Jurgen Out' crowd to try out a new batch of excuses...
There is no excuse. We were terrible last night. We missed a multitude of open chances, defended poorly, and simply looked like a disjointed mess. The only thing you can say is that was clearly a "C" team. On the other hand, a U.S. "C" team should do much better against Martinique than they did last night. A very, very poor performance. 3 points and leading the group despite 2 very subpar performances is what it is for a CONCACAF Gold Cup. A tournament we appear to not be taking even remotely seriously or competently.
45
Men's soccer / Re: Fitness Requirements?
« on: July 12, 2017, 09:53:50 pm »
I remember my h.s. coach laughing at a 5:30 mile time. He never cared what we could run a mile in. He cared we could do those jog sprints around the field. 50 yard sprint, 50 yard jog, ending width sprint, 50 yard jog, 50 yard sprint, ending width jog. Over and over for 20 or 30 minutes. All defenders together, all midfielders together, all forwards together. Your group got caught, you sprinted until you were back in place. I hated those practices. I don't think he even cared about speed too much. I don't know how many times he told me and others being slow just meant I had to be smarter. Coach Piranian was honest with me at W&L 21 years ago. I think he realized I was unlikely to be smart enough to make up for my lack of speed at the D3 level...