FB: Liberty League

[unionpalooza]

This all stems from the allegation that Union targeted Wingfield 2 years ago and put him out for the season. 

Everything after that stems from this allegation. 

Even this year (although not discussed on the board) I heard Union people (not sure if it were players coaches or fans) acted unsportsmanlike after the game.  I didn't care enough to ask the Ithaca people I knew were there but I saw the comments on social media.

I'm guessing Frank got his info from Union sources who have a different version.  I've also talked to Union people who didn't know about the Wingfield allegation but did know about Toerper going off on Union players and staff last year.


Anyway that's all I know from the allegation standpoint. I do remember the play Wingfield got hurt on, you can't tell what really happened as there was a pile.

Speaking of being able to see what really happened...May I refer all to THIS year's Union vs Ithaca game when early in the game Bombers LB Henry Takacs took a cheap shot at Union QB Patch Flanagan. Launching himself and hitting Patch in face with what was rightfully deemed targeting. Could that have been on purpose and on Toerper?..Not accusing just adding it to the mix. 

...Could Utica H/C Blaise Faggiano be interested in returning to his alma mater?

That play happened right on the Union sideline, in front of the visitors stands, and I watched it live - that was just a kid playing with too much edge/emotion in a big game and making a mistake. It warranted a targeting but I really don't think there was any nefarious intent.   

[IC798891]

...Could Utica H/C Blaise Faggiano be interested in returning to his alma mater?

He strikes me as pretty content to be Utica's answer to Jerry Boyes -- though Boyes did apply for the job Mike Welch got.

I would also be very, very surprised if Ithaca did not look to bring in an offensive minded coach. No specific insight, except how the tea leaves seem to be reading on the last two years.

[unionpalooza]

...Could Utica H/C Blaise Faggiano be interested in returning to his alma mater?

He strikes me as pretty content to be Utica's answer to Jerry Boyes -- though Boyes did apply for the job Mike Welch got.

I would also be very, very surprised if Ithaca did not look to bring in an offensive minded coach. No specific insight, except how the tea leaves seem to be reading on the last two years.

That sounds right to me.  Also, the Utica and Ithaca models are very different.  At Utica, the deal is that he brings in as many tuition-paying warm bodies as possible and in return he gets the flexibility and financial packages he needs to bring in talent to complete. (I mean, they had 75 freshmen this year!) That just doesn't work at Ithaca, where they are not simply trying to drive raw numbers, but instead build a particular kind of incoming class each year.

[Jonny Utah]

This all stems from the allegation that Union targeted Wingfield 2 years ago and put him out for the season. 

Everything after that stems from this allegation. 

Even this year (although not discussed on the board) I heard Union people (not sure if it were players coaches or fans) acted unsportsmanlike after the game.  I didn't care enough to ask the Ithaca people I knew were there but I saw the comments on social media.

I'm guessing Frank got his info from Union sources who have a different version.  I've also talked to Union people who didn't know about the Wingfield allegation but did know about Toerper going off on Union players and staff last year.


Anyway that's all I know from the allegation standpoint. I do remember the play Wingfield got hurt on, you can't tell what really happened as there was a pile.

Speaking of being able to see what really happened...May I refer all to THIS year's Union vs Ithaca game when early in the game Bombers LB Henry Takacs took a cheap shot at Union QB Patch Flanagan. Launching himself and hitting Patch in face with what was rightfully deemed targeting. Could that have been on purpose and on Toerper?..Not accusing just adding it to the mix. 

...Could Utica H/C Blaise Faggiano be interested in returning to his alma mater?

That play happened right on the Union sideline, in front of the visitors stands, and I watched it live - that was just a kid playing with too much edge/emotion in a big game and making a mistake. It warranted a targeting but I really don't think there was any nefarious intent.   

And I stand corrected from my sources.  The accusation wasn't that Wingfield was targeted by Union players or it was a dirty hit, but how the Union players acted afterwards.  In either case that should be settled by a Toerper phone call to Poppe after the game and move on.  It seems like it didn't for some reason, and now it appears the Rossi/Toerper stuff is not related to that since that NCC game was in 2022, before the Wingfield injury. 

Not sure Faggiano will leave Utica at this point either, he seems to have found a home there. 

[Jonny Utah]

...Could Utica H/C Blaise Faggiano be interested in returning to his alma mater?

He strikes me as pretty content to be Utica's answer to Jerry Boyes -- though Boyes did apply for the job Mike Welch got.

I would also be very, very surprised if Ithaca did not look to bring in an offensive minded coach. No specific insight, except how the tea leaves seem to be reading on the last two years.

That sounds right to me.  Also, the Utica and Ithaca models are very different.  At Utica, the deal is that he brings in as many tuition-paying warm bodies as possible and in return he gets the flexibility and financial packages he needs to bring in talent to complete. (I mean, they had 75 freshmen this year!) That just doesn't work at Ithaca, where they are not simply trying to drive raw numbers, but instead build a particular kind of incoming class each year.

Yea.  Was talking offline with IC about this.  In the 1990s (and before) Ithaca's roster was made up of mostly education/athletic/Health/PT type majors for the most part.  5 of my teammates are doctors now.  There were a few (5?) business majors but that was it.  Looking at todays roster it appears that 75% of the roster are in business or finance.  I'm guessing Ithaca College as a whole is making this happen to attract students as "liberal arts" isn't getting the bang for its buck that it used to.  May also explain the lack of New England talent on the roster as well. 

[IC798891]

I don't remember where this falls in the Wingfield timeline, but the Toerper beef with Frank Rossi was in place by the time the Ithaca-North Central game took place in the 2022 quarterfinals.

I was not aware it was still persisting, but haven't talked to Frank much in the past 12 months.

That was pre-Wingfield's injury.

I recall Ithaca not being too happy with Frank's handling of Joe Germinerio coming to Ithaca, though the details are hazy.

Frank's got a lot of beefs though, so who can really keep track?

[Jonny Utah]

I don't remember where this falls in the Wingfield timeline, but the Toerper beef with Frank Rossi was in place by the time the Ithaca-North Central game took place in the 2022 quarterfinals.

I was not aware it was still persisting, but haven't talked to Frank much in the past 12 months.

That was pre-Wingfield's injury.

I recall Ithaca not being too happy with Frank's handling of Joe Germinerio coming to Ithaca, though the details are hazy.

Frank's got a lot of beefs though, so who can really keep track?

YES.  Then there was some "Nabi should start the game" and some TOP discussion which got me going.......oh how the wheels of d3football roll.....

[Machiavelli]

FR holding grudges, being spiteful, and making more enemies? No way. I don't believe it for a second.

[Bartman]

FR holding grudges, being spiteful, and making more enemies? No way. I don't believe it for a second.

This is the kind of sarcasm I can totally support. 

[stlawus]

A whole bunch of people asked him what "best case scenario" means in this context and he replied about 10 times with "the context is that this is best case scenario for all involved".  Does he think he's the chief d3football gatekeeper and thinks it matters this much?  Talk about ego.   I even saw a couple Ithaca players call him out on it and he said the same thing.  I've never had an issue with him but that is really, really weird behavior.

[IC798891]

It's not Frank being a gatekeeper, because there's nothing to gatekeep.

[stlawus]

Someone should tell Frank since he seems to think otherwise.

[IC798891]

Frank knows that he doesn't have some secret knowledge of the innermost thoughts of the members of the Ithaca College athletic department.

There may be some naive people online who believe he's connected enough to Know About Things at IC*, however, and that's who he's playing to with his schtick.

*Presumably, Frank does Know About Things at a certain number of Division 3 colleges. But Ithaca's not one of them