Around the Nation board

[RowanTexan]

oooops i mean dallas not dallad

CK

[Ron Boerger]

ron: Try flying to Greensboro, NC. Greensboro to Salem is about 100 miles.

Frank, I checked Greensboro the time I went - it was very costly due to there only being one or two airlines flying in.  Still worth checking, tho.  I burned a lot of martial karma to go the one time my alma mater played ... not going to happen again anytime soon. 

Dallas would be a terrible place to play a D3 football championship (and I say that living less than 30 miles from SMU).  It would be a major travel burden for at least one of the two schools (from a supporter standpoint) and more often than not both.   I wouldn't give you a plugged nickel for how the "good media" covers D3.  Now, for sports where fans don't travel, great.  It would be nice to see a D3 soccer championship somewhere around here rather than in the Great White North. 

Keith, re the charters I think most schools do, but of course the number of seats are limited and usually the students, parents and family snap them up first (which they should). 

['gro]

Stagg Bowl moves to Syracuse Carrier Dome in 2006. Before Gro is berrated with weak east comments... it's not that far from Ohio.

[smedindy]

The Carrier Dome would still look mostly empty.

['gro]

The Carrier Dome would still look mostly empty.

thats true, new york HS football plays their championships there and even with "whole towns" making the trip the dome is pretty empty.

But the location is good, its a nice facility, and no more weather issues.

East Tennesse State (Johnson City not too far from salem) recently dropped DI-AA football but they played in an indoor stadium called the mini dome that is still in use.

[Ralph Turner]

Enginegro, I considered ETSU in writing my commentary and dismissed it as not having a significantly more advantageous airport (TRI  Tri-cities Airport only Northwest, US Air and Delta) and yet being another 150 miles south and west of the populations centers for those who drive.

[PA_wesleyfan]

 The Dome !!! What a great place to watch a game. BUT.BUT.BUT The weather now!!!!! No way will they do it.
 Though JET Blue is based there... But driving there this time of year can take hrs. I was took 17 hrs from home in Pa to Syracuse, Normal trip 4 hrs

['gro]

didn't know where to put this link but this spot still has plenty of eyes on it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/051209

An article about top academic schools and their football programs... not a nice quote about D3 ball in there

Of the U.S. News' Top 25, five schools compete at the Division III level -- somewhere between Pop Warner and Florida high school football -- and nine more field I-AA teams, the college football equivalent of slapping a Mercedes-Benz hood ornament on a Toyota Camry.

[Warren Thompson]

I suspect the author of this ESPN piece was trying to be funny and satirical -- and with, at best, modest success.

However, there are sports writers -- and they damn well ought to know better -- who do see D3 competition as "somewhere between Pop Warner and Florida high school football" or worse.

[smedindy]

Yes, that whole piece was written tounge totally in cheek.

[formerbant10]

On another note....Chuck Priore has left Trinity for Stony Brook University!  Bantam Defensive Coordinator Jeff Devanney named new head coach.

[frank uible]

Does Priore have assurance that Stony Brook is going scholarship DIAA from non-scholarship DIAA?

[dea]

I noticed that there are 3 D3 players picked for the Hula Bowl. Does anybody know how they are picked? One of the 3 is a TE from UW-Oshkosh who only caught 18 ball for 167 yds this season.

[smedindy]

For TE's, I wouldn't worry about catches and things like that for pro prospects. Wabash had a player (Jamie Bowers) that was the last cut of the Patriots a few years ago (1998, I believe) and played a few years in the Arena League but his stats at Wabash were pedestrian, because the TE and H-Back wasn't featured in the offense. However, one look at him on film and you could see his potential. He did what he needed to do in teh context of the offense.

[Pat Coleman]

I understand tight ends block occasionally as well.

Also, keep in mind, any postseason all-star game is limited solely to players who are out of eligibility.