FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[amh63]

Whatever the story...it should prove interesting if it is ever written.  I look at the playeras a possible replacement for Jeff Katz '11, who transferred in from Lafayette after playing DE there for a year.....after playing MLB for several years.  In any case, Mr. Katz played OLB for Amherst and did well.  If this FY player pans out, he should be a natural at OLB....with his speed.  He is shorter than J. Katz, but carries more weight.  If he does start, it will be the 3rd straight year that an impact transfer has come to the football team.

[frank uible]

Reliance on the scouting of player personnel via the internet tends to be extremely hazardous to Directors of Player Personnel (Scouting Directors) and General Managers.

[banfan]

Which is why I say it raises more questions than it answers.

So, how old was Katz by the time he was a senior beating on Bates running game?  lol

[amh63]

Banfan.....according to the writeup by the SID last year, Jeff Katz was 24 when he was playing OLB in his senior year.  I believe he played two years.  He was drafted and signed as a pitcher when he was 18.  The particulars on his path to Amherst can be found on the Amherst website...football.  Need to go to the archives there and then go to 2010.  It is the Oct. 10 story....near the bottom of the page.....for those interested.

[nescac1]

As anticipated, Wesleyan AD announced his resignation, with Coach Whalen moving up.  What is interesting is that Whalen will continue as head coach -- seems like a pretty tough double-duty, AD and football coach.  My guess is that, also in line with prior speculation, coach-in-waiting Dan Dicenzo will be elevated to head football coach after another year or so ...

http://www.nescac.com/news/2011-12/WES_Biddiscombe_090611

[frank uible]

Some say that the joint position of AD and HFC is of such potentially abusive power, especially in BCS (formerly DIA) colleges, that many colleges avoid creating it. Of course, Whalen does not now have that position, and when he becomes AD, he may very well contemporaneously resign as HFC.

[amh63]

If you review the past year after the arrival of Coach W., who also served as asst. AD, the change started.  The higher visibility of football on campus, the growth of athletics visibility to the community (i.e. the football golf tournament, the NYC reception, etc.) with the changeover in the website and other smaller things, all could be related to Coach W.  I believe that he basically was running the department.  Wes. needed to improve its connection to its alumni base.  One way is pride in the sports teams.  I have attended many Amherst vs. Wes. football games in Middletown the past few decades.  Wes. combines homecoming with parents weekend  for that game.  It also has a sort of "taste of Middletown" for that weekend....bringing in local food suppliers to liven up the weekend.  It was, until last year, a sort of joke to see only several thousand fans in the stands for Wes.  Last year, the attendance was up and the food tents were not needed.....in part due to the new facility for dining/alumni where the old Cage (used for BB) stood.  Still, only 2/3 of the Wes stands were filled.  What was the primary reason for all of this?  IMO, it was money.  Wes. needs to grow its endowment badly.  It even has stated in its own documents that it has drained its endowment down....drawing down its endowment by over 7% yearly to keep the school going.  For any college to do this is not fiscally sound and dangerous.

[frank uible]

In my view, a stronger Wesleyan (athletically, financially or otherwise) will redound to the marginal benefit of both Amherst and Williams - I'm not sure of its effect on other colleges.

[iamhuge]

Nice article on the new Tufts Coach, Jay Civetti:

http://www.tuftsdaily.com/sports/football-new-coach-new-attitudes-1.2620538

[iamhuge]

and another one...

http://tufts.prestosports.com/inFocus/civetti_infocus

[amh63]

iamhuge.......thanks for the Tufts' articles.  If the newer coaches improve their teams' play, it will benefit the conference overall, IMO.  Makes for more interesting games....for us in the stands.
Frank Uible....made me go to the dictionary again with your last post.  Enjoy the mental exercise at my age.

[iamhuge]

iamhuge.......thanks for the Tufts' articles.  If the newer coaches improve their teams' play, it will benefit the conference overall, IMO.  Makes for more interesting games....for us in the stands.
Frank Uible....made me go to the dictionary again with your last post.  Enjoy the mental exercise at my age.

Amherst has an outstanding FY offensive guard added to their program.  I've seen his highlight tape and he's the real deal...could have easily played FCS.

[amh63]

Caught inside by wet weather that is causing havoc in the D.C. area and all the way up to the Ithaca area where schools are closed, roads flooded, etc. 
My family and friends in the northeast have been sending info/videos of the weather impacts.  Just north of Amherst, in the Greenfield Ma. area, the flooding has hit them hard.....and I understand that the other end of Route 2.....the Mohawk trail near North Adams has had problems.  Even caught a video of the flooded sports fields at Williams last week.  I'm sure that the Williams teams have worked around the weather conditions......still it must have some impact on the practice schedules.   Frank Uible....any inputs here?
Iamhuge.....thanks for the "tease tidbit".  The Amherst SID office has been giving out info on the football team in such a way as to make me feel like an anxious grandfather awaiting the news of his first grandchild.  First, the preseason preview.....then a short video of football practice with comments.....and today, a slideshow of football practice.  This is all fine except that there is no lisiting of the new players with numbers yet.  One sees a number 13 playing QB in the video and that must be one of the FY QB.  One sees an offensive line in a photo with the RG and the RT having numbers associated with players that should be the reverse.  Oh well, one thing is certain based on the info to date, the Amherst offensive line will be changed around and will be bigger and heavier overall.
Just rambling comments here as I wait out the rain and wind.  Need to go read my novels and do some constructive things.

[iamhuge]

Caught inside by wet weather that is causing havoc in the D.C. area and all the way up to the Ithaca area where schools are closed, roads flooded, etc. 
My family and friends in the northeast have been sending info/videos of the weather impacts.  Just north of Amherst, in the Greenfield Ma. area, the flooding has hit them hard.....and I understand that the other end of Route 2.....the Mohawk trail near North Adams has had problems.  Even caught a video of the flooded sports fields at Williams last week.  I'm sure that the Williams teams have worked around the weather conditions......still it must have some impact on the practice schedules.   Frank Uible....any inputs here?
Iamhuge.....thanks for the "tease tidbit".  The Amherst SID office has been giving out info on the football team in such a way as to make me feel like an anxious grandfather awaiting the news of his first grandchild.  First, the preseason preview.....then a short video of football practice with comments.....and today, a slideshow of football practice.  This is all fine except that there is no lisiting of the new players with numbers yet.  One sees a number 13 playing QB in the video and that must be one of the FY QB.  One sees an offensive line in a photo with the RG and the RT having numbers associated with players that should be the reverse.  Oh well, one thing is certain based on the info to date, the Amherst offensive line will be changed around and will be bigger and heavier overall.
Just rambling comments here as I wait out the rain and wind.  Need to go read my novels and do some constructive things.

I hope to see you at a game someday.

[frank uible]

Williamstown is a little soggy, but absent continuing hard, lengthy rains football practices and games should not be unduly disrupted.